Teacher Talk: Sentence Frames as Springboards to Strong Writing and Sophistication

Many, if not most, students struggle with reading and writing at grade-level.  As teachers, it's our responsibility not only to teach grade-level content, but also provide scaffolds to make up for skills that may not have been learned in earlier years.  And, though it's important to allow students to search for their unique voices--especially when writing--it's even more important to initially teach students meaningful structures that will allow them to access grade-level skills more quickly (and adequately), all while allowing room for sophisticated growth.  During this session, teachers will discuss the implications of offering templates, observe some writing templates in action (for both rhetorical and literary analysis), and potentially even brainstorm new forms that can encourage students to understand the parts of writing that are necessary for skill acquisition.  The point of templates isn't to limit student writing, they are meant to act as springboards toward greater communicative development. So, let's jump into this discussion together!

Facilitator: Timothy Freitas

Timothy Freitas, a College-Board-endorsed AP® English Language and Composition consultant, has been teaching AP® English Language and Composition for more than a decade and AP® English Literature and Composition for almost as long. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts (Dartmouth) with a BA in Writing, Communication and Rhetoric and an MAT in Secondary English Education. Timothy has presented at the AP® Annual Conference (APAC), he has been an AP® Reader and sample-selection Table Leader, he was a member of the College Board's Instructional Design Team for the new AP® English Language and Composition framework, and he recently co-authored an English Language and Composition textbook for Perfection Learning. Over the years, Timothy has been a consultant and professional development facilitator for both the Massachusetts Math and Science Initiative (now Mass Insight Education) and the National Math and Science Initiative--typically working in Urban environments. Timothy teaches in Massachusetts, currently at Whitinsville Christian School, where he instructs English and theology; before moving to work in a private school, he was formerly teaching at Blackstone Valley Tech. In his free time, Timothy also oversees The Garden of English--a website and Youtube channel--meant to assist both students and teachers with planning and instruction, and all this is done while being a husband and father of five. Contact: www.thegardenofenglish.com.