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Aimee Buckner
Aimee Buckner is a third-grade teacher at Brookwood Elementary School in Gwinnett County, Georgia. She has spent the past fourteen years teaching and learning alongside her students. As a co-founder of the Gwinnett County Summer Writing Institute for Teachers and Children, Aimee has worked with teachers from kindergarten to grade 12. She is on the editorial board for Language Arts and has been published in the journals Language Arts and Primary Voices. Her book Notebook Know-How and video series Inside Notebooks are available through
Stenhouse Publishers. In her writing for Choice Literacy this year, Aimee will focus on new insights into using notebooks with students as she moves from a fourth-grade to third-grade teaching position.
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Old Elm Speaks:
Connecting Poetry, Observation, and Reading (VIDEO)
Aimee Buckner
In this first of a three-part video series, Aimee Buckner shows how observation skills, poetry, and reading instruction come together with the mentor text Old Elm Speaks by Kristin O'Connell George. In this excerpt, Aimee introduces the text and guides students as they begin exploring it together. This is an excellent back-to-school literacy sequence, since the observation element of the instruction is a terrific excuse to take the class outdoors for writing sketches. . . . more
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4th Grade Small Group - Writing Paragraphs (VIDEO)
In this six-minute video, Aimee Buckner uses a mentor text to demonstrate how writers construct lively nonfiction paragraphs. The small group has been pulled together because the students need more practice in adding details to their writing. . . . more
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4th Grade Room Tour (VIDEO)
Aimee Buckner
In this video tour of her 4th grade classroom, Aimee Buckner highlights how she arranges books, charts, and other resources to support the reading and writing of her students. . . . more
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Listing Strategy: Conferring (VIDEO)
Aimee Buckner
In this second of a two-part video series, Aimee Buckner confers with students after teaching a minilesson on the listing strategy using the book This is the Tree. You'll notice that the students are writing in many different genres as part of writing workshop, and are in different phases of the drafting process as Aimee assists them. . . . more
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Teaching Themes Through Keywords
Aimee Buckner
I have a friend who is a whiz at online dating. It turns out, you can go to these various websites and put in a 'keyword' and out pops Romeo! So if you love to read, you type in the word read or books and a catalog of men who actually claim to read pops up. Interesting. . . . more
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Mentor Texts and Teacher Modeling: The Listing Strategy (VIDEO)
Aimee Buckner
In this video from her 4th grade classroom Aimee Buckner teaches the "listing" strategy using the book This is the Tree as a mentor text. Aimee talks about mentor texts, using her own writing as a model, and the needs of intermediate readers and writers during the lesson and interview. . . . more
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Rule of 3, Part III: Conferring (VIDEO)
Aimee Buckner
In this final video of my three-part series showing my teaching progression for Rule of 3, I confer with individual students during writing workshop, checking in to see how they are applying the concept to their writing. . . . more
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Rule of 3, Part II: Mini-Group After Whole-Class Lesson (VIDEO)
Aimee Buckner
The "Rule of 3" is well-known among writers. From "The Three Little Bears" to sets of three adjectives in descriptions, authors know clusters of three are a powerful tool for creating narrative flow. In this second of a three-part video series, I pull a small group of students for a little extra support right after the whole class lesson. . . . more
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Rule of 3: Writer's Craft Whole Class Lesson (VIDEO)
Aimee Buckner
The "Rule of 3" is well-known among writers. From "The Three Little Bears" to sets of three adjectives in descriptions, authors know clusters of three are a powerful tool for creating narrative flow. I always teach my fourth graders about the "Rule of 3" during reading and writing workshops, and almost immediately see improvement in many students' writing. . . . more
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The Big Fresh from Choice Literacy
November 10, 2007
The Freds Among Us
Last spring our daughter graduated from the wonderful K-8 school in our town. Of all the things we miss from that school community, we may miss Debbie the most. Debbie is the administrative assistant in the front office, and she never fails to greet every child and family member by name. No matter how busy she is, she always has a moment to share a smile, or commiserate on the joys and challenge of raising kids. . . . more
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A Strategy Lesson for "Drive-Thru" Readers
Aimee Buckner
During the first week of school, I sat down with a student who had a reputation of abandoning books. A reputation, I might add, that she was proud to have. On Meet the Teacher Day, she introduced herself and told me, "I've made it through third grade without finishing a book. I bet I won't read one in fourth either." If that's not a challenge, I don't know what is. It was like she was daring me to try and make her read. I simply said, "I didn't read an entire book until I was 21. I know all the tricks of the trade. And I think it's the saddest part of my life having missed out on books for so long. I hope that doesn't happen to you." . . . more
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Writer's Workshop: Planning for "Dips"
Aimee Buckner
I think most teachers have a time during the year where writing workshop seems more difficult than at other times. Maybe it's testing that gets in the way or snow days or unexpected school programs. Whatever the disruption, many teachers skip writing to fit other things in. And so, I'm here to say, on those days don't teach math. I do love the gasp and looks of horror I get from teachers when I say it. . . . more
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Learning Curves: Summer Planning and Goal-Setting for Writer's Workshop
Aimee Buckner
I am learning how to run. It sounds silly, 'learning how to run,' but it's true. At first I just started running a minute, walking a minute. Eventually, I ran more minutes than I walked and then I was on my way. But after two years of "running" and not getting much further than three miles with an occasional 10k, I had gained 20 pounds. That doesn't sound right, does it? "Gained" and "running" together in the same sentence?! It's like "doing writer's workshop" for two years and having nothing to show for it but maybe more ditto sheets. It just doesn't make sense. . . . more
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New Year Reflections on the Classroom Library
Franki Sibberson and Aimee Buckner
This past August, Aimee Buckner and Franki Sibberson exchanged a series of letters as they set up their classroom libraries, chatting about how to create inviting spaces for intermediate readers (even when there is never enough space in classrooms for all the books!). This week, they reflect upon what has worked and what is still a puzzle after months of using the libraries with students... . . . more
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The Five-Minute Solution: Mini-Groups after Mini-Lessons to Maximize Conferring Time
Aimee Buckner
Writing conferences in the upper elementary grades can be scary. Books and gurus say you have to have "editing conferences" and "revision conferences" and "idea conferences." They say you need to think about the "architecture" of the conference and the "teaching point" within a split second as you confer. To top it off, older students write longer pieces than first graders, and they can be more resistant in conferences... . . . more
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