A meeting place for a world of reflective writers.
“If kids see writing as just another avenue of self expression, if they realize that craft and skill are necessary for all areas of self-expression, then perhaps they might use these understandings as a foundation for their writing.”
Here’s an idea for using art to inspire students who are reluctant to use mentor texts. After all, creating something beautiful — inspired by someone else’s work — is something artists, and writers, often do.
Lauren Castillo, a Caldecott Honor author and illustrator, kicks off this year’s Author Spotlight Series with a piece about how important research is to her artistic process.
Are you worried about how much learning loss in writing will greet you after the summer break? Has your idea bank of ideas to gone dry?
I spent a weekend in the woods learning about picture book art and design at a workshop led by educators from the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and the Highlights Foundation.
On the last day of each month, Betsy hosts CHALK-A-BRATION. This is a celebration of chalk art and poetry. If you want to play (and I hope you do), the … Continue Reading I hope you’ll join CHALK-A-BRATION
Every now and then a book comes along I want to tell everyone about. When I say everyone, I mean blog readers, my family, friends, teachers with whom I consult, … Continue Reading Step into a biography with an author-illustrator team + a giveaway
I recently came across this new initiative called Link with Love. Basically it is a group dedicated to giving credit where credit is due. Check it out and then read … Continue Reading Link with Love + Words that are Speaking to Me
Remember this letter that Allie sent to Eve Bunting last fall along with The Ghostly Scary Mystery she wrote dedicated to Eve Bunting? Allie got a response! Yes, there was … Continue Reading Bits of This & That
Earlier this month, The Longest Day: Celebrating the Summer Solstice, which is written by Wendy Pfeffer and illustrated by Linda Bleck, was released by Dutton Children’s Books. The Longest Day … Continue Reading Journey Around a Topic
I’ve been going back-and-forth over e-mail with one of my former fourth graders for the past week. She started sixth grade last week — middle school. I can hardly believe … Continue Reading Believing In Them…
Here are some buttons you can use if you want to proudly display your participation in the Slice of Life Challenge. 🙂 Also, feel free to use these with your … Continue Reading Slice of Life Buttons
I had a remarkable day with my students yesterday on so many levels. However, the “Kind Words” Exchange was incredible. I recorded some of their reactions to the Exchange. (Can’t … Continue Reading Exchanging “Kind Words for My Classmates”
I walk into my favorite class of the day, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are floating through the air, She grew up in an Indiana town, with a good lookin’ mama who … Continue Reading Ruth’s Memoir Monday: High School Art Class.
I was listening to the John Tesh Radio Show as I drove to Ceramics Class last night. A segment entitled “What Are Kids Asking Santa for This Year?” came on … Continue Reading Holiday Gifts
I noticed the clay menorahs sitting on the “to-be-fired” cart in the Arts Room when I arrived at Ceramics Class this evening. I didn’t think twice about them ’til I … Continue Reading Stacey’s SOLS: Contest
I’ve been thinking about investing in a sticker machine for quite some time now, but couldn’t justify it. However, when I thought about how much I’ve been paying for stickers … Continue Reading Homemade Stickers That Promote Writerly Habits
Just a reminder, for those of you that signed up and will be joining Ruth and I (and probably 50,000 other people), that the Stories in Hand Class begins tomorrow. … Continue Reading S.I.H. Class Starts Tomorrow
Ruth just convinced me to sign up for a free online course called “Stories in Hand,” which you can read more about by clicking here. The course is a hybrid: … Continue Reading Stories in Hand
This afternoon, I’m going to teach a Social Studies Lesson about voting I found on Scholastic.com. It’s a lesson about having kids persuade adults to vote in a non-partisan way. … Continue Reading A Little Copywriting
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 