celebration · inspiration · publishing

Planning Ahead for Publishing

Third grade was my favorite year of school. We had the best teacher ever. We sang songs and poems that I still remember to this day (Cumalada cumalada cumalada vista!). For math, we sorted and categorized things like old keys, and tiles, and bottle caps. We learned to multiply and divide using household objects --… Continue reading Planning Ahead for Publishing

back to school · challenges · community · hopes and dreams · inspiration · writing workshop

Writing Mantras for the New School Year

What can we say to ourselves to affirm the power of writing? What words will help us move forward when the going gets tough? Thinking about class writing mantras...

blogging · bulletin boards · classroom environment · Creating Classroom Environments Blog Series · hopes and dreams · inspiration · mentor author · reading-writing connections · words of wisdom · writing workshop

Creating Classroom Environments: Places for Writers to Grow

Every summer I dream of my classroom. When considering my third grade writers, what do they need to grow and how can I provide classroom spaces for that?

character development · common core · giveaway · inspiration · interview

Force Field for Good and a Giveaway!

Learn about Barry Lane's newest book, Force Field for Good and enter for the giveaway!

giveaway · inspiration · mentor texts · writing

The Opposite of Loneliness + a Book Giveaway

I rarely read collections of short stories or essays, but I made an exception for The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by Marina Keegan. It's a book written by a debut author. Unfortunately, it's her final title since she died tragically in 2012.

inspiration · writing

Climbing out of a Writing Rut

I’ve been writing daily for years, but lately I feel as if I haven’t written anything worthwhile. Sure – I’ve written blog posts about family and the teaching of writing.  Sure – I’ve jotted ideas down in my Noteshelf App.  Sure – I’ve worked on a nonfiction writing project I’ve been trying to move forward… Continue reading Climbing out of a Writing Rut

education · guest blogger · inspiration · international educator · public education

How the Finns Create a Sense of Community in Their Schools

How do we compare a country with a fairly homogeneous population of five and a half million people, with less than 5% of the population in poverty, to the United States? Well, forty years ago, when Finland was overhauling their education system and studying models from other countries, they could have followed our lead and jumped on our No Child Left Behind bandwagon, eventually moving to high-stakes testing and teacher assessment as a means to improve education.

inspiration · professional development · teacher of writing · teaching tools · thankful · Write: It's good for you!

A Little Writing Love

As an instructional coach, a key part of my job is to encourage and inspire teachers. This is one of my favorite things about my job. It isn't easy to be the person who is always nudging people to grow, but it is fun to be the person who gets to offer doses of encouragement… Continue reading A Little Writing Love

inspiration · nurturing · observations · professional development · Reflective Practice

Christy Is…

Last week I had the privileged of observing Christy Rush-Levine with her eighth grade language arts classes. Deb Gaby, the reading coach in my district, along with two middle school teachers went with me to check out Christy's approach to remediation. At the heart of her work is reading and writing workshop. I began a list a… Continue reading Christy Is…

digital writing · education · inspiration · standardized tests · standards

How do you know?

Often when I'm working with teachers, I get the question: How do you know? This can be in response to a number of things: minilesson ideas, conference teaching points, share sessions, anchor charts, unit planning, blogging, tweeting. Truthfully, the answer is often I don't know. I'm just trying things that make sense. I'm trying things that… Continue reading How do you know?

adolescent literacy · big picture · challenges · change · choice · education · inspiration · reflections · Reflective Practice · writing workshop

Teach the Writer

I wish we could change the world by creating powerful writers forever instead of indifferent writers for school. ---Mem Fox I just want to take a deep breath and read those words again. Exactly. "Powerful writers forever instead of indifferent writers for school." Sigh. This is why I'm thankful for writing workshop. It helps us… Continue reading Teach the Writer

inspiration

Keynotes On My Mind

The first time I attended a conference for teachers (I was in college), I attended a keynote speaker lunch. At the end of it, I told the people I was with, "Someday I hope I can give a keynote for teachers." I love keynotes. I love when I laugh and cry and get goosebumps. I… Continue reading Keynotes On My Mind