I know I'm a little bias, but this is one of my favorite conferences. It is a little like summer camp for teachers. I think the reason why it's so great is because the speakers are top in the field, and yet the conference is still small enough that you feel like you matter. Like… Continue reading All-Write Summer Institute 2013
Author: Ruth Ayres
Unhurried. Finding the magic in the middle of living. Capturing a life of ridiculous grace + raw stories.
You Have Time.
One of the biggest barriers between us and the Slice of Life Challenge is TIME. We look at our schedules, we look at other's slices, and we quickly jump to the conclusion that we don't have time to add one more thing, especially something like a daily writing challenge to our already too full schedule. Although… Continue reading You Have Time.
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Independent Writers
I used to dream of reaching a point in my writing workshop instruction where kids were all working as writers, but they weren't all doing the exact same thing. This isn't an easy point to reach. Today I witnessed it in Shelley Kunkle's 7th grade writing workshops. She is in the midst of a research… Continue reading Independent Writers
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Pumping Up for March Slice of Life Challenge!
It's time to start talking and imagining and getting excited about the 6th Annual Slice of Life Challenge. Here are a few things to begin considering. If you've never participated, now is the time! You'll need to start a blog. I promise you can do this. If you have any questions, just ask. Stacey or… Continue reading Pumping Up for March Slice of Life Challenge!
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A Secret to Conferring
I like to figure out why writers make the choices they make. It's fascinating to learn about writers' processes, just as it is fascinating to gain insight into the processes of the writers in our classrooms. I think one of the secrets to conferring is to remember that every action reveals who our students are… Continue reading A Secret to Conferring
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Today we celebrate equality. When I read about the civil rights movement, I have to pause and stretch my imagination to understand what life was like in the 1960's. Separation was accepted, even desired. We've come a long way. Today we learned our new son will be home this week. He puts his hand in… Continue reading
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21st Century Research
This is the view from the beginning of my day. Our middle schools are working toward an Academic Learning Fair. We are being intentional about considering Common Core standards and making shifts to meet the needs of 21st century learners. Today Shelley Kunkle invited her students to BYOT -- Bring Your Own Tech. Most took… Continue reading 21st Century Research
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Words that are Speaking to Me
Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others. H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
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Big Realization from a Tiny Mouse
I have an irrational fear of mice. It is bad news. My husband has established a preemptive strike in our basement and garage. He engages in an impossible battle to keep our home, which is surrounded by fields, mouse free. He tries to tell me almost everyone has to deal with mice. He says it… Continue reading Big Realization from a Tiny Mouse
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Enough
I want you to know you are enough. Enough. As in you are good enough. Enough. As in I've had enough. Enough. As in I have enough time. You are enough. I think this is a state of mind. You choose to believe you are enough. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up wishing we… Continue reading Enough
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A Fresh Start (In the Middle)
One of the things I love about teaching is the opportunity for a fresh start. No matter how the day goes, we get to start over the next morning. If one year isn't so hot, we get to start over the following school year. Not only that, but the nature of our school year allows… Continue reading A Fresh Start (In the Middle)
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Writing Unapologetically
One of the lines from the Voices Strong class mantra, taught by Christy Rush-Levine is Write Unapologetically. I love these two words side-by-side standing for genuine marks on the page. Today, I planned to write a blog post right now, in the rich moments of the morning. I've been planning this writing time for weeks… Continue reading Writing Unapologetically
