Hannah, my oldest daughter woke up this morning and said: Today is the eve of the eve of Christmas eve. I paused and counted the days back from Friday, smiled and said, "Yes, you're right, it is." "Well, then, I think today deserves a celebration," she smiled at me. It is this excitement I want… Continue reading The Eve of the Eve of the . . .
Author: Ruth Ayres
Unhurried. Finding the magic in the middle of living. Capturing a life of ridiculous grace + raw stories.
Thinking About Others
Most schools in this area are on break. However, my daughters' school is not one of them. They continue to go to school through Wednesday. Today I volunteered in my first grade daughter's classroom. If you are lacking a little spirit this holiday season, then you should volunteer in a first grade classroom too. 🙂 Among… Continue reading Thinking About Others
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A Book Party
I am sitting here, humbled and grateful. My school hosted a Book Party/Signing for me yesterday. I am fortunate to work for a school who values professional development and celebrates together when good things happen. With each person who walked through the door, my smile grew bigger. I am thankful to work among the best… Continue reading A Book Party
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Social Bookmarking
I attended a workshop led by Troy Hicks yesterday. It was exceptional. Everyone brought their own laptops and he led us through day of trying things out, setting things up, and thinking things through. One of the new resources I learned about are the Common Craft videos on YouTube which teach about different tech tools… Continue reading Social Bookmarking
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How’s Your OLW?
I think choosing a OLW (one little word) for the year is a great way to embark on a reflective life. When I chose vitality for my OLW, I knew I was in for a lot of learning. I expected to learn about physical health and healthy eating, but I also learned about spiritual and… Continue reading How’s Your OLW?
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Words that are Speaking to Me
"Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable." ~Francis Bacon
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Why is being an independent writer important?
Someone posed this question to me earlier this week and since then it has been tumbling around my mind. It seems like such a simple question and one I would be able to spout off an answer to within seconds. I do have answers, but they seem to be in my heart and it's proving… Continue reading Why is being an independent writer important?
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Conferring Thoughts
Just a few things on my mind about conferring: It's a conversation. Just talk as a writer to another writer. Look for approximations. What is the student almost doing but not quite? Compliment this attempt and then help it become more standard. Enjoy the conversation. Listen. Listen. Then listen some more. Really listen. In addition… Continue reading Conferring Thoughts
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Finding Your Own Writing Process
This week I've been thinking about how the writers in our classrooms can find their own writing process. To help give weight to some of my ideas I've been rereading some of my notes from NCTE. Here are some of the snippets lingering in my brain: "Children can have the look of independence. We ought… Continue reading Finding Your Own Writing Process
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Words that are Speaking to Me
Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy. --- Joseph Campbell Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp on life. --- Hugh Sidey
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A Close Observation
Don Graves said, "If you want to understand how children write, then observe them closely. Write down everything they do and say. Then make a copy of their writing." This statement was shared at NCTE and it is one that is sticking with me. Since then, I've closely observed 7 primary students. I've studied each… Continue reading A Close Observation
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Writing as Gifts
We have three weeks until winter break in my school district. This is the perfect time for a unit about using writing as gifts. To begin this unit, we are asking students to envision possibilities for using their writing for a gift. For the first week of the study, we will be busy imagining the… Continue reading Writing as Gifts
