Mark Overmeyer's new book is available early for your reading pleasure!  Just click here to go to the Stenhouse link for full access to the book, as well as a cool writing challenge (complete with a prize). However, the really rockin' part of it all is that Mark is "on tour."  He's making appearances around… Continue reading What are your questions about assessment?

I'd like to send a big thank you to all those who attended my session today at the All-Write Summer Institute.  I'd love to hear the essential area that you are planning to focus on in the 2009 - 2010 school year -- just leave a comment to this post.  For more information on the topic of today's… Continue reading Embrace the Energy of the Essentials.

Looking forward to reading your slices from today.  Looking for inspiration for today's slice?  Why not pay attention to the places that are important to your everyday life.  Please link your posts in the comment section of this post.

When I was in Stacey's classroom, they opened their day with the poem "This is Indiana" by Rebecca Kai Dotlich.  This bit of the poem inspires my slice of life today: This is Indiana, veined with fields and farms. Scored with rivers and lakes, paved with bridges and barns. Embroidered with churches on rich, fertile… Continue reading Ruth’s Slice of Life: Indiana.

This week I'm thinking about the importance of place.  So for my Memoir Monday, I captured some memories from one of my very favorite places of my past.  If you are looking for some inspiration to guide your writing today, perhaps you could also collect some snippets from an important place of your past.  I'm… Continue reading Memoir Monday

One of my favorite places in this world is Geneva Center.  Here are pieces from my memory that will someday lead to more writing. The smell of the campfire that glows on the faces of campers. The sound of good stories, bible passages, and singing voices. Laughter. More laughter. The kind of laughter that can… Continue reading Ruth’s Memoir Monday: Geneva Center

Today I had the honor to go to school with Stacey!  There's only one word to describe being in her classroom -- WOW!  She is an amazing teacher, which we know, but to see it in person was incredible.  I could make a list of all the remarkable things I noticed, but the post would… Continue reading Stacey’s Classroom.

Two Writing Teachers turned TWO today!  To celebrate, Stacey bought a cake & I "dropped by" for a little bloggie-celebration!  How fun to be in the same room together as opposed to 872 miles apart!  🙂

My son gets a little nervous about storms.  Last night, as I sat down to write a blog post, there was a flash of lightening and a crack of thunder shake through the house.  Shortly following was a quiet voice, "Mom, will you come keep me safe?" At the top of the stairs, I picked… Continue reading Ruth’s Slice of Life: The Storm.

I've been reading a new book that's yet to be released -- and you can too!  Mark Overmeyer's new book, What Student Writing Teaches Us:  Formative Assessment in the Writing Workshop, is a powerful read.  Click here to visit Stenhouse Publisher's early on-line release of What Student Writing Teaches Us.  In addition, there is a… Continue reading New Book + Blog Tour.

A blog which inspires me to find the big meaning in the moments of my life and then write about them is This Ordinary Day.  There are multiple contributors to the blog, which makes the stories rich and the reading experience powerful.  For the past two days the posts have connected to me as a teacher. … Continue reading good for the soul.