books

The Book Stack

Monday May 28, 2012 Ruth Ayres10 Comments

No surprise here that this was in my book stack this week. If you missed the interview on Ruth Ayres Writes, click here. If you missed the way John influenced my thinking about notebooks, click here. Sometimes when I post oldies, I feel late to the party. Oh well. These are BIG right now around… Continue reading The Book Stack

quote

Words from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sunday May 27, 2012Saturday May 26, 2012 Stacey Shubitz5 Comments

Last week I traveled to Washington, DC for a family vacation. While we were there we visited the Washington DC Martin Luther King National Memorial, which opened since our last trip to DC. As I walked through the memorial, I paid close attention to the quotations on the inscription wall. One of the quotes spoke… Continue reading Words from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Deeper Thinking About Notebook Work

Thursday May 24, 2012Thursday May 24, 2012 Ruth Ayres3 Comments

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

community · mentor author · mentor texts · mentoring · poetry · publishing

Wow. Just Wow.

Wednesday May 23, 2012 Ruth Ayres25 Comments

Awhile ago I was a 7th grade language arts teacher. My last year in the classroom I had one of the coolest classes that may have ever been compiled. It was the last block of the day. There were 22 of them, and they all came from very different walks of life. Outside of the… Continue reading Wow. Just Wow.

Slice of Life Story Challenge

The Weekly Slice of Life Story Challenge

Tuesday May 22, 2012Thursday May 10, 2012 Ruth Ayres65 Comments

Please link the Slice of Life Story you write today to this post by leaving a comment. Be sure to check out other bloggers' writing by clicking through the links in the comment section of this post. Come back later today (or even tomorrow) to read through the links of a few other Slicers who… Continue reading The Weekly Slice of Life Story Challenge

Reflective Practice · standardized tests

Go Make a Difference

Monday May 21, 2012Monday May 21, 2012 Ruth Ayres21 Comments

Tonight's post is just a little reminder. Your story matters. Your teaching matters. Take a minute and remember why you joined the profession in the first place. Do you remember? I do. I wanted to change the world one child at a time. Today I spent the day in a meeting. The content was a… Continue reading Go Make a Difference

books · quote

Words that are Speaking to Me

Saturday May 19, 2012 Ruth Ayres

Bingley was by no means deficient, but Darcy was clever. He was at the same time haughty, reserved, and fastidious, and his manners, though well-bred, were not inviting. --- Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice For the story behind why these words are speaking to me, check out Ruth Ayres Writes.

charter schools · interview · poetry · standardized tests

Talking with Taylor Mali + a Giveaway

Friday May 18, 2012Sunday May 27, 2012 Stacey Shubitz48 Comments

On a tough day in the classroom, all of us have turned to Taylor Mali's poem "What Teachers Make" for some solace. Last month Taylor published a book, What Teachers Make: In Praise of the Greatest Job in the World, which is the kind of book you want to have around when a tough day… Continue reading Talking with Taylor Mali + a Giveaway

lucy calkins · mentor texts · minilesson · narrative · tcrwp

What do you think of this minilesson?

Thursday May 17, 2012Sunday May 20, 2012 Stacey Shubitz10 Comments

I've been working on a few sample minilessons to give my grad students next month when I start teaching "Children's Literature in Teaching Writing." I've been making tweaks to the traditional minilesson structure I've used in the past based on Lucy Calkins's session, "In the Complicated World of Today, What's Changed and What's Stayed the… Continue reading What do you think of this minilesson?