Writers Notebooks: I would like for each student to have and customize their own writers notebook where they can write daily journal entrees, class notes, respond to writing prompts, etc. 

Mentor Texts: mentor texts are a great instructional writing practice to incorporate into any ELA lesson because they serve as a guide for the students to refer back to when creating their own pieces of writing. I have included a few of my own mentor texts that I have written in regards to the three main genres of writing we will be analyzing (narrative, informational, and opinion).  

Positive Quotes: I would like to promote positivity in the classroom by having students pick their favorite quote and write it on a note card (this will be done at the beginning of the year). Once students have thought of/written their quote I will have them fold it up and place it in the “Jar of Quotes''. Every following morning I will pull a quote out of the quote jar and read it aloud to the students. The student whose quote was pulled may decide whether or not they would like to share with the class what the quote means to them. I will then post the quote up on a bulletin board, and repeat this cycle daily. 

Friendly Fridays: I would like to dedicate Friday afternoons to having students participate in friendly fridays. Students will do so by writing friendly anonymous comments/letters to anyone of their peers. I believe this will be a great way to promote a healthy and positive writing community. 

Writing Conferences: I will be conducting writing conferences to assess student's writing strengths and provide gentle guidance as to what they could improve upon. 

Instructional Recommendations: Throughout the semester I will be analyzing and assessing students' writing using approved rubrics and methods, and will provide students with instructional recommendations. 

Peer Editing & Revision: Having students critique their peer’s writing and then allowing them to revise their work keeping their partner’s suggestions in mind can be a helpful instructional practice that helps to foster a positive writing community.