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Gretchen
Bernabei
| Dear Texas
Teacher,
I will show you practical lessons that incorporate the best of what we know
about kids, applied theory, and high scoring papers. I’ll share with you what
I’ve learned from students in my own classroom and in classrooms of other
teachers. You’ll leave feeling refreshed and with a better understanding of
writing tests, a deeper working knowledge of the rubric, and a wonderful
array of engaging lessons that your students will actually like and
are satisfying to teach.
You’ll be
surprised at how many 4s your students score. You’ll notice there’s joy in your
classroom again, in your students, and in you.
Gretchen Bernabei
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GRETCHEN BERNABEI
has taught grades 6-12 in San Antonio public schools for more
than 20 years and now conducts writing workshops for enthusiastic teacher audiences
across the country. Her popular new book, Reviving the
Essay, is going into its fourth printing. She co-authored,
with Barry Lane, Why We Must Run
with Scissors and recently helped create The Good Writer’s Kit for National
Geographic School Publishing.
She lives and writes in San Antonio, Texas. |
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Workshop
Reviving the
Essay
Teaching ALL Students to Excel on the TAKS Writing Test 4-12
with Gretchen Bernabei
Whether your students are writing in content areas or for state assessments, or for the New SAT, the five-paragraph essay just doesn’t cut it any more. Formula writing is out and “Real Writing” is in.
In this idea packed, practical workshop let master teacher Gretchen Bernabei show you how to abandon the five-paragraph essay in favor of more choices for possibilities all along the essay-writing process, to bring life and light into your students
"After I took Gretchen’s
workshop my TAKS essay scores jumped form 44% passing to 76% passing in one week.”
~ Nika Maples, Grade 10, Texas
"Wow! I thought after countless hours of writing workshops and training, that I knew how to teach
writng! I was wrong! Gretchen showed me a whole bunch of new ways to teach writing to my 4th graders. I can’t wait to get back to school tomorrow."
~ Susie Jackson, 4th grade, San Antonio,
Texas
"Gretchen is awesome. Not only does she have great strategies for helping students become writers, she also has a great down to earth delivery. She brings it home and makes it real. I can’t wait to take it back.
~ Carla Blackwell,
Grades 9 -12, Lavernia, Texas
“Our 7th graders at Goddard Junior High in Midland scored a 94% passing the TAKS writing test. Over 40% were commended. Thanks again for your in-service in Houston and your new book, Reviving the Essay.”
~Dorothy Thompson
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You will learn how to
- Make Quicklists, for topics that come from the students’ hearts
- Explore Truisms, for turning your students into profound interpreters of the world
- Target memories, for switching life lessons to match a memory
- Craft the 11-minute essay, for finding brain connections
- Master alternative text structures such as:
The Story of my thinking
· Comparing notes
· Evolving a term
· Tevye’s debate
· Peeling the onion of truth
·
....and much more
- Use “thick description” to draw in the reader in
- Experiment with the
Lullaby weave to bring music and dialogue into an essay
- Learn to inject multiple genres in a single work
- Employ Narrative technique to bring life to academic essays
- Master powerful craft choices for revision
- Use drama to teach awareness of
audience
- Teach students to visualize a real audience
- Learn the secret of “ Ba-da-bing”, a fun, easy sentence-imitating revision exercise
“Thank you for sharing real, concrete
ways to help guide students to be better writers. Workshops
and books like yours are freeing students AND teachers from
the shackles of school writing to the liberty (and joy) of authentic
writing!”
~Jill Halton, teacher, grades 6-12
“Gretchen came to MISD, and we
fell head over heels in love with her. She is delightful. What a
wealth of information and strategies. People hung around way after
the session and Gretchen continued to give more ideas. Why
didn’t I do this two years ago?”
~Dr. Elaine
Weber, Director
Macomb Regional Literacy
Training Center, Michigan
"This workshop has given me the nuts and bolts I need to bring voice into my student’s writing. Thank you, Gretchen!"
~ Michaelene Kasper
Grade 4, Canyonlake Texas
"Thank you, Gretchen-- I am so pleased my entire department was able to share this experience all at once! What a great opportunity for vertical discussion when we get back to campus."
~ Liz Maggri,
Literacy Coordinator, Jones Middle School, Texas
"Gretchen’s techniques do indeed bring test scores up significantly. It is a fact.
~ Rodemiro Gonzalez, Principal, San Antonio,
Texas
"Gretchen is a fantastic speaker---so full of love, patience, wit and knowledge."
~ Sharon Rhyme,
Grades 9 & 10, Portland, Texas |
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
• Grade 3-12 Teachers
• Language Arts & English Teachers
• Teachers of Title I, Title II,
Title III (ELL), Title VII,
& Gifted Students
• Mentors / Lead Teachers / Interns
• Resource Specialists
• Reading Specialists
• Curriculum Coordinators
• Administrators
• Instructional Aides
• ESL
• Parents
The
results speak for themselves:
"My students'
TAKS
scores increased from 70% passing to 100% passing in less than 2 months. I credit Gretchen Bernabei and her books for this gain."
~Damari Stoops, Grade 4, San Antonio Texas
"Using Gretchen's strategies for only 5 weeks, our TAKS scores jumped from 69% passing with 13% commendable to 96.5% passing with 44% commendable. This far exceeded our expectations."
~Mr. Jacob Saucedo, Principal, Judson ISD, Texas.
or
call 1-800-613-8055
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