
Remembering the Miracles of 9/11/01
“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” -Harry S. Truman
A meeting place for a world of reflective writers.
“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” -Harry S. Truman
The last quarter of the school year signals a time of mixed feelings – the year is almost over, and even though we look forward to restful summer days, there … Continue Reading Revisiting the Writer’s Notebook with “Revision Centers”
“Everybody–even monsters–needed a little attention once in a while.” ― Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief {Care} WRITE. Each day in March write a slice on your own blog. SHARE. Link your post … Continue Reading #slice2013: 14 of 31
Last week I was fortunate to spend the day with Karen Caine. Are you familiar with her work? It is the book that I have had to buy the most … Continue Reading Persuasion with Karen Caine
The more things change, the more they stay the same. –Alphonse Karr Last Saturday my cousin got Bar Mitzvahed in New York. I tacked-on a few extra days to my … Continue Reading A Special Visit
I was watching or listening or reading something this week — I don’t remember what — but the message was: You can’t be a writer if you’re not a reader. … Continue Reading I’ve been studying sentence structure…
November is always the busiest month of the year for me. When I was teaching full-time, November meant Parent-Teacher Conferences (and NCTE starting in 2007). Now that I’m out of … Continue Reading What are you thankful for?
Ten years have passed since September 11th, 2001. In 2001, I lived in Manhattan when the planes hit the Towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville, PA. Today I … Continue Reading Reflections on September 11th
Last week… Stacey blogged about updating heart maps. (See everything we’ve blogged about heart maps here.) B. blogged about hand lists. I was reminded about writing close to the bones. … Continue Reading {Discover. Play. Build.} More on Maps
I collect the letter A. I think it’s fun to hide them throughout the house and in my office at school. I like to tuck them into unexpected places. On … Continue Reading “A” Collection (Ruth’s SOLS)
My third grade daughter came home yesterday after school upset because she was: Kicked out of the Horse Lover’s Club at recess. One girl told another girl I don’t love … Continue Reading Ruth’s SOLS: Mean Girls
Most schools in this area are on break. However, my daughters’ school is not one of them. They continue to go to school through Wednesday. Today I volunteered in my … Continue Reading Thinking About Others
This afternoon Stacey said to me, “You don’t know what to do with yourself, do you?” She was right, I had no clue. Afternoons are the busiest part of my … Continue Reading Ruth’s SOLS: Away.
If you teach eighth grade or younger, it is highly unlikely that your students personally remember the events of September 11; many of our students weren’t alive when the attacks … Continue Reading Remembering September 11th
For many, today marked the start of a new school year. For my son, it marked the start of a school career. He went to school for the very first … Continue Reading Ruth’s SOLS: Starting School.
Do you know the old saying, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree?” I’m experiencing it first hand. My oldest daughter, Hannah, was given a writer’s notebook by her … Continue Reading One Time Stories
Slice 1: All morning I waited for Laurie Halse Anderson’s post about the writing challenge for today. Although a little apprehensive about whether this would be worthwhile, I found myself … Continue Reading Ruth’s Slice(s) of Life: A New Minilesson Idea
On Friday, after Andy and I spoke at Nate’s funeral, the song “Photograph” was played as the service progressed. Although I’ve listened to it many times before, it now clings … Continue Reading Ruth’s SOLS: Listening to Photograph by Nickelback
Less than 24 hours after eating gummy worm brownies with Nate, Andy and I found ourselves standing in a hospital room with his family. Although Nate was young and strong, … Continue Reading Ruth’s SOLS: Nate
This weekend I went to a bridal shower and I was reminded of my own wedding preparations. Isn’t it strange the way time plays with your mind? It seems like it … Continue Reading Ruth’s Memoior-ish Monday: Bridal Shower.