My summers away at sleep away camp were some of the best of my life. However, sleep away camp gave way to summer internships, which eventually gave way to jobs. Ah, the passage of time and how our summers change! Ssince 2005, I have spent at least one week of every summer engaged in professional… Continue reading Summer Writing Camp
Month: May 2012
End of the Year Reflection
I think reflective practice is the heart of a growing teacher. Without reflection, we stagnate. Over time, reflection has become a state of mind for me. However, if I never write it down, I fear I'm missing deepening my understanding. Writing strengthens reflective practice. Will you take some time to write a reflection from this… Continue reading End of the Year Reflection
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The Weekly Slice of Life Story Challenge
Please link the Slice of Life Story you write today to this post by leaving a comment. Be sure to check out other bloggers' writing by clicking through the links in the comment section of this post. Come back later today (or even tomorrow) to read through the links of a few other Slicers who… Continue reading The Weekly Slice of Life Story Challenge
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The Book Stack
No surprise here that this was in my book stack this week. If you missed the interview on Ruth Ayres Writes, click here. If you missed the way John influenced my thinking about notebooks, click here. Sometimes when I post oldies, I feel late to the party. Oh well. These are BIG right now around… Continue reading The Book Stack
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Words from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Last week I traveled to Washington, DC for a family vacation. While we were there we visited the Washington DC Martin Luther King National Memorial, which opened since our last trip to DC. As I walked through the memorial, I paid close attention to the quotations on the inscription wall. One of the quotes spoke… Continue reading Words from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Deeper Thinking About Notebook Work
This week I had the opportunity to interview author John Claude Bemis. This is is latest book: I asked him about notebook work and his response led me to a deeper understanding of the importance of notebook work. John said: I jot ideas down in the notebook, not because I’m worried I’ll forget them, but… Continue reading Deeper Thinking About Notebook Work
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Wow. Just Wow.
Awhile ago I was a 7th grade language arts teacher. My last year in the classroom I had one of the coolest classes that may have ever been compiled. It was the last block of the day. There were 22 of them, and they all came from very different walks of life. Outside of the… Continue reading Wow. Just Wow.
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The Weekly Slice of Life Story Challenge
Please link the Slice of Life Story you write today to this post by leaving a comment. Be sure to check out other bloggers' writing by clicking through the links in the comment section of this post. Come back later today (or even tomorrow) to read through the links of a few other Slicers who… Continue reading The Weekly Slice of Life Story Challenge
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Go Make a Difference
Tonight's post is just a little reminder. Your story matters. Your teaching matters. Take a minute and remember why you joined the profession in the first place. Do you remember? I do. I wanted to change the world one child at a time. Today I spent the day in a meeting. The content was a… Continue reading Go Make a Difference
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Words that are Speaking to Me
Bingley was by no means deficient, but Darcy was clever. He was at the same time haughty, reserved, and fastidious, and his manners, though well-bred, were not inviting. --- Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice For the story behind why these words are speaking to me, check out Ruth Ayres Writes.
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Talking with Taylor Mali + a Giveaway
On a tough day in the classroom, all of us have turned to Taylor Mali's poem "What Teachers Make" for some solace. Last month Taylor published a book, What Teachers Make: In Praise of the Greatest Job in the World, which is the kind of book you want to have around when a tough day… Continue reading Talking with Taylor Mali + a Giveaway
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What do you think of this minilesson?
I've been working on a few sample minilessons to give my grad students next month when I start teaching "Children's Literature in Teaching Writing." I've been making tweaks to the traditional minilesson structure I've used in the past based on Lucy Calkins's session, "In the Complicated World of Today, What's Changed and What's Stayed the… Continue reading What do you think of this minilesson?
