Last Monday I wrote something on a whim...in a blog post...about offering a writing prompt. Your responses have had me thinking all week. Thoughts like this: Can I offer worthy prompts? Can I offer worthy prompts multiple times? What if it isn't worthy to anyone but me? And things like this: Do I believe in prompting… Continue reading Sundays for the Soul: Get Ready
Words that are Speaking to Me
Fiction is not a dream, nor is it guesswork. It is imagining based on facts, and the facts must be accurate or the work of imagining will not stand up. ---Margaret Culkin Banning
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GUEST BLOG POST: My (Wanna Be) Writing Life–and How It Changed My Work with Kids
Ruth Metcalfe infuses her classroom with joyful and purposeful teaching. She is passionate about teaching and learning, and loves thinking about how theory looks when put into practice in the classroom—the place where theory and practice meet. In her 20 years as an educator, Ruth has taught first, second, and fourth grades and provided professional… Continue reading GUEST BLOG POST: My (Wanna Be) Writing Life–and How It Changed My Work with Kids
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Neighborhood Walk
From We had way too much fun today!!! We've all had those "best teaching days." You know, the ones where the children are completely engaged in learning. The ones that are fun. The ones that extend beyond the classroom. For me, one of my best teaching days was on May 1st, 2007. That day is… Continue reading Neighborhood Walk
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Work Day
"I still like the first day better than the last day of a school year," I said this morning to Nat and Noah, our babysitters. As a high school junior and seventh grader they were flabbergasted. "Well, I did choose this as a career," I defended, "So I probably have a little different view than… Continue reading Work Day
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Full Circle (Ruth’s SOLS)
Today I had the privilege of working with the Warren Writing Project in Indianapolis. They invited me to present a keynote and a few breakout sessions about meaningful minilessons for their first annual summer institute. I was honored. My first year of teaching I attended a keynote session at a conference and left thinking what a cool… Continue reading Full Circle (Ruth’s SOLS)
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SOLSC
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Start a Notebook (Or Dust Off an Old One)
Summer always gives me a chance to reflect on my practice in a little more relaxed kind of way. For one thing, I'm pretty much caught up with my school work. This doesn't happen between the first day of school and the last. Even over breaks there is work to do. And yes, I have… Continue reading Start a Notebook (Or Dust Off an Old One)
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GUEST BLOG POST: Taking Time for Reflection.
Julie Johnson, the author of Raising Readers and Writers, has taught for 20 years in both special and general education. She currently teaches third grade in Hilliard City Schools where she finds great pleasure integrating reading and writing workshop with technology. She is the 2010 recipient of the Donald Graves Excellence in Teaching Writing Award… Continue reading GUEST BLOG POST: Taking Time for Reflection.
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Looking for Feedback
Day by Day: Refining Writing Workshop Through 180 Days of Reflective Practice recently came out as an eBook. Therefore, it's now available in print and electronically. That being said, Stenhouse, our publisher, would like to update Day by Day's product page with comments about the book. We would LOVE feedback about Day by Day from… Continue reading Looking for Feedback
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Best Book Ever Party
When authors have a book published, they often have a book party at a local library or bookstore. When Day by Day came out my school hosted a book party for me. For the end of the year celebration, two second grade classes and one first grade class came together for the Best Book Ever… Continue reading Best Book Ever Party
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Goodbye May? (Ruth’s SOLS)
May how can you leave already? It feels like you just arrived. Really, our time together has passed too quickly. I'm reminded of the importance of documenting the little things. The sweet smiles and silly sayings that fill my days will someday be replaced with requests for gas money and strenuous practice schedules. An abundance… Continue reading Goodbye May? (Ruth’s SOLS)
