Today I read a few pages from Peter Johnston's book, Choice Words. You know this book, right? If not, it is a small, powerful read that can change your teaching life forever. (If you click on the link, you can preview the book online.) In the excerpt I read, Johnston writes: Of course, if students… Continue reading Keep Learning
Category: authors
Pretend it is Friday
So I was planning to try a new kind of post last Friday. And then Friday came and went. How does this happen? So right now, let's just pretend it is Friday. Or bookmark this post and save it for a Friday. I thought it would be fun to start a Friday Favorites post. So… Continue reading Pretend it is Friday
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Vintage Ayres {2007}: The Heart of It All
I'm smiling at the phrase Vintage Ayres. It's a little bit of a smirk because, really, am I old enough to qualify as vintage? Maybe not. But definitely so in blog years. I began blogging in March 2006. My first blog was called Inspiring Readers and Writers and it has since been moved to private… Continue reading Vintage Ayres {2007}: The Heart of It All
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Reflections from Listening to M. Stiefvater
Here's the thing: I'm not really the kind of person who follows authors around and gets their signatures and takes photos with them. In fact, I'm rather shy when it comes to this kind of thing. So when I wanted to go to the National Writers Series: An Evening with Maggie Stiefvater, I was a… Continue reading Reflections from Listening to M. Stiefvater
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Author Visit
Maribeth Boelts gave an engaging and thought-provoking talk to my students and I last week. She talked about so much more than just her books and her process -- though she did that too. She talked a lot about writers and writing, which inspired me to pull out the manuscript I finished in November and… Continue reading Author Visit
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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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Documenting Our Learning
Sometimes I think about the amazing work happening in writing workshops, and then wonder if anyone else notices. Sometimes the things that are most amazing are small bits that pack big meaning. Sometimes the most amazing work can be easily missed. Often young writers' (or even old writers') talk is ahead of their walk. We… Continue reading Documenting Our Learning
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The Book Stack: Cynthia Leitich Smith
One of our favorite reads is... The book is as great as it looks. I love the whimsical illustrations and the strong craft of the text. In fact, each time I read HOLLER LOUDLY by Cynthia Leitich Smith (and I read it multiple times each week), I find more craft moves to imitate. Right now I'm busy… Continue reading The Book Stack: Cynthia Leitich Smith
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GUEST BLOG POST: Growing as Writers through an Author Study
Stella Villalba teaches English as a Second Language at Beechwood Elementary in Columbus, Ohio. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she started her career in education teaching ESL in Asuncion, Paraguay. Stella also publishes articles on the topic of teaching ELLs at Choice Literacy and is a teacher consultant for the Columbus Area Writing Project. Stella… Continue reading GUEST BLOG POST: Growing as Writers through an Author Study
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All-Write Conference
I on purpose waited to write today's post because I knew I'd have all kinds of ideas swirling after the All-Write conference. However, it is 10:15 and I'm just sitting down alone in my hotel room. Here's the day... Jeff Anderson keynote -- Things every writer needs to know Kristen Horrell -- Creating a culture… Continue reading All-Write Conference
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Bits of This & That
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 a form letter, but she also received a personal note from Eve. Wanna see the response? Click here. While getting to know characters, one fourth grader… Continue reading Bits of This & That
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Making Characters Come Alive
I liked this book. A lot. It's sweet and charming, and makes me realize that maybe there's a part of me that's a hopeless romantic. After I read it, I had to track down the author and was pleased to find her website, blog, and Twitter feed. The thing that stuck with me the most… Continue reading Making Characters Come Alive
