A meeting place for a world of reflective writers.
Poet and educator Georgia Heard discusses My Thoughts Are Clouds: Poems for Mindfulness and talks about how both poetry and mindfulness invite us to slow down, be present, listen more deeply, while quieting our restless minds.
Heart maps can help young writers when they think they don’t have anything to write about.
How might you use writing to tap into your personal passions? Are you writing a piece that makes you “ache with caring”? And in a chock-full, busy-every-minute life, how can educators find time for writing that is deeply meaningful, with the lens of replicating this experience for students?
“My hope is that as you explore heart mapping with your writers, you will fall in love with the stories and poems, truths and courage that will unfold–both theirs and your own.” Georgia Heard in her newest book, Heart Maps.
Back in March, I had the pleasure of attending the Michigan Reading Association conference in Grand Rapids, MI. I had been preparing my own presentation for the event and … Continue Reading Growing Students Who Love Poetry
“Poetry breaks through the skin of suffering in which children are often imprisoned: silent, confused, and scared. A child’s poetry is an intimate, trusting gift to her parent or to … Continue Reading Wish Poems
Have you ever found a poem? I’m not talking about something with stanzas, line breaks, and the other traditional things that typically make a poem a poem. I’m talking about … Continue Reading Found Poetry + a Giveaway
Lindsay Reyes began her teaching career seven years ago in South Carolina where she taught 4th and 5th graders. Following her heart for urban education and literacy reform, she moved … Continue Reading GUEST BLOG POST: Ending with Independence
Our first Guest Blog Post of the summer is written by Sarah Mulhern, who is a sixth grade teacher in New Jersey. Sarah blogs at The Reading Zone. When Stacey … Continue Reading The Doors of Poetry: Guest Blog Post by Sarah Mulhern
Georgia Heard’s Book The Revision Toolbox: Teaching Techniques That Work is one of the best books on the teaching of writing that I own. If it’s not in your bookshelf, … Continue Reading Verbs in Revision
Around Indiana, Kindergarten Round Up is in full swing. This personally effects me since my red-headed flair of a five year old will be entering kindergarten next year. She is … Continue Reading A Thought + A Poem
I decided it was time for me to start doing the work I’m going to ask my students to do this fall with regard to mapping their writing territories. The … Continue Reading Getting Started with My Territories
Pat suggested that I work with my students to create a Living Poetry Anthology (I believe Georgia Heard first presented this idea in one of her books.) during my first … Continue Reading Building a Living Poetry Anthology
Made with free image tools @ TXT2PIC.com 80% of my class turned-in their Poetry Circle Poem Submission Forms on-time today. Yahoo! Many of them submitted their own poems, but others … Continue Reading 16:20
Made with free image tools @ TXT2PIC.com Every Friday afternoon, last year, my class and I used to have a weekly Poetry Circle. However, this year I didn’t due to … Continue Reading Bringing Back Poetry Circle
Well, really just a scene from today’s Writing Workshop, but I wanted to do a take-off of the Billy Joel Song. 😉 Anyway, I taught a great minilesson today on … Continue Reading Scenes from a Workshop Workshop
Georgia Heard came up with the idea first. Penny Kittle adapted it. I’m bringing it from NCTE to you. Create a Map of your TEACHING Heart. Record the places you’ve … Continue Reading A Twist on Heart Maps
If there’s any book I’ve turned to over and over again that sits on my bookshelf and DOESN’T collect dust, it’s Georgia Heard‘s The Revision Toolbox: Teaching Techniques That Work, … Continue Reading Revision Toolbox
Heart Map Display Originally uploaded by teachergal My demo was too long. And because of that, the entire day ran late. HOWEVER, we had an amazing Writing Workshop where my … Continue Reading Mapping Our Hearts
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 