Writing Tips Linky

I love teaching reading!  It's one of the things that drew me to first grade many years ago.  Watching a child's eyes light up when the words on the page finally have meaning or listening to a student discuss a book he or she enjoyed is priceless.  I spent many years working with students with reading difficulties in order to help them discover the joy of reading.  Then, the last few years I have become passionate about teaching math.  My interest was rekindled when I was found myself teaching math again after focusing on only literacy for almost 10 years.  Now I would be extremely happy if we could just read and problem solve all day!

But teaching writing is another matter.  I KNOW how the writer's workshop should look.  I UNDERSTAND about mini lessons and conferences.  I BELIEVE that young students are writers and have important messages to share.  I just can't seem to make it happen effectively in my classroom!

So this summer I would like to explore resources that might help me become a better writing teacher.  I will be attending a district sponsored writing academy in July, and we use Lucy Calkins' Units of Study, but I feel like I need more.  So I have created my very first "linky party." Please link up and share your best writing tips and strategies.  Are there professional books you would recommend?  Do you have a great writing resource on TPT or Teacher's Notebook or have you discovered a great product?  If you do the Daily Five, what do your kids do during Work on Writing?  What technology tools do you use?  If you don't have a blog to link, please share your ideas in the comments section!