“Because texts don’t mentor … authors and illustrators do.”
(Lisa Cleaveland)
I love this book … and if you teach writing in a K-1 classroom, you should get this book, too. (Ask your principal. That’s my answer to all the $$ questions.😉)
Teaching writing is a favorite of mine, so this book was really interesting to me and it got me thinking about how a small shift in our planning and delivery can make a big difference in children’s growth and understanding.
Lisa suggests shifting the focus from mentor texts to mentor authors, because texts don’t mentor people … authors and illustrators do … which makes it more like a relationship, helping kids create greater identities as book-makers.
If you already love to teach writing, you’ll be excited about new possibilities. If you don’t like to teach writing, I really think this book will change that, and I think that’s a big deal … for you and your kids. She shares so many examples and stories, and the great part is they all look do-able … like your kids could do what her kids are doing … which is pretty refreshing, actually.
“When authors and illustrators are mentors, you teach students more about how to learn from their mentors than what to learn.”
The only problem I have now is that I feel bad about all the blog posts I’ve ever written about great mentor texts. 😂 Oh well.
#NotChangingThem
#CallingItGrowth
Happy teaching!
