Last Post of the Year

This is going to be my last post for 2007. Tomorrow starts a new year, brimming with possibilities and promise.
2007 has been an amazing year for me professionally and personally. Though it was not without its challenges. (Are writing teachers allowed to use double-negatives or is that bad form?!!?) [...]

The whole toast

Here’s what the entire wedding toast looked like (for those of you that emailed and asked me to post it):

MY PART:
You’ve come from as near as New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. From five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Upstate New York. You’ve driven here from Maryland and Washington, DC. [...]

WN ENTRY: Traditions

There is a wedding tradition that involves lifting the bride and groom above the crowd at a wedding celebration. Further, as in Orthodox Custom, they´re not supposed to touch. This photo represents that tradition… and also shows how scary it can be to be hoisted up on a chair, holding on with only [...]

merry christmas.

Wedding Bells are Ringing.

I woke up this morning and thought of Stacey.  Here’s the poem that’s been rattling around in my brain.  My grandma gave it to me when I got married, unfortunately I don’t know the author. 
 Marriage is made of little things
The happiness that sharing brings,
A tender smile, a small surprise,
A special look in a loved one’s eyes,
Comfort [...]

What if…?

Ruth’s post from Thursday got me thinking about how to improve the practice that surrounds the teaching of non-fiction writing. Just how can it get better?
What if teachers from across age levels got to together and talked about the expectations across grade levels for what kinds of things kids should know by such-and-such grade?
What [...]

Mentoring A Toast

Marc and I are eagerly awaiting our wedding. We’ve started writing a speech to our guests and parents. I decided to mentor myself after the way Lucy Calkins, my former professor and advisor, opens up each summer institute for the TCRWP. I think it’s powerful. Thoughts?

You’ve come from as near as [...]

Poetry Friday: A Tribute to My Co-Blogger Ruth

Ruth: I found this poem and thought I’d post it… so glad you’re my co-blogger AND my friend! Warmest wishes for the holidays! –Stacey

Standing by,
All the way.
Here to help you through your day.
Holding you up,
When you are weak,
Helping you find what it is you seek.
Catching your tears,
When you cry.
Pulling you through when [...]

Poetry Friday: T’was the Night Before Christmas

This is one of my favorites.  I’ve been reading it daily for the past weeks.
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their [...]

a little unit planning

Tomorrow is our last day before a two week break.  Upon returning, I’ll be working in 3 classrooms, all focusing on nonfiction writing (2 on research & 1 on persuasion).  I love this shift in focus in many writing workshops that happens after break.
What’s on my mind, though, is vertical alignment.  I’ve now worked at every [...]

A look at some of the writing gifts my students created…

…for parents, friends, Santa, sisters, and more!

Daily Something: A Real-Life Auction In My Classroom!

ruth’s wn entry: one little word.

Last year I took up an Ali E. challenge (a theme in my life, eh?) and participated in ONE LITTLE WORD.  The idea was to come up with a defining word for the year.  My word for ‘07?  Genuine.
If you are a regular reader, you know I’ve reflected from time to time on my OLW, [...]

WNW Updated Logo

What do you think of our new Writer’s Notebook Wednesday Logo? Please drop us a comment and let us know if this is an improvement over the blue one we’ve been using.

WNW: Join Us!

“What are you going to do today, this week, this month, this year, to take yourself seriously? For the sake of your dream?” –HipWriterMama
Use Mr. Linky to share your writing on this topic and/or post a comment.

Jump into the new year… seriously

HipWriterMama wrote a very inspiring post last year, which she reposted yesterday. Click here to read it. The line that resonated with me the most was:
Take yourself seriously. Treat your dream seriously. And by the way, it is totally okay to allow people to treat you and your work with respect.
It’s important for [...]

Publishing before a vacation

I was talking with one of my former student teachers tonight. We were discussing the fact that it’s hard to get kids to publish before a big school vacation (like the one we have coming up next week). We’re both trying to cruise through the end of the personal essay unit of study, [...]

Daily Something

Daily Something Ebubbey 121807

Originally uploaded by teachergal

I think the words in this jpg say it all…

DAILY SOMETHING: Cards or Written Messages That Convey Sentiments?

I spent yesterday afternoon creating “cards” for my bridesmaids. I didn’t want to attach an impersonal card to each of their gifts, so I decided to dig up old pictures, use my scanner and my “Creative Delights Companion” to create some written messages. This is what I came up with:

I hope they’re worth [...]

Family Trees Provide Us With A Way To Write About Our Family

Some kids have a really easy time writing about their families, but I’ve also seen many kids struggle with the idea of writing about their family. Hence, as I was playing around on Lettering Delights tonight, I came across a bundle of Family Tree graphics and fonts and put it to work soon thereafter. [...]

Just like Peter H. Johnston says, “You should be proud of yourself.” Today I Am!

Just like Peter H. Johnston says, "You should be proud of yourself." Today I Am!

Originally uploaded by teachergal

Daily Something: Helping Others

Daily Something 121607

Originally uploaded by teachergal

My Mom and I were talking about things that people can do to reach out to others in their communities yesterday evening. I got inspired and put together a list of things that the average Joe (or Jane) could [...]

Trains & Snow — My Daily Something

New Scrapbook Program… thought I’d try it out for my Daily Something. Here it is!

daily something 121507, originally uploaded by teachergal.

Creating Gifts of Writing

Due to the snow and the delayed opening, I only had seven of my students today. Kate had five. Hence, we brought our kids together.
Luckily the art supplies from Blick arrived yesterday. Hence, we were able to ‘open up’ the Writing Gift Center this afternoon. Since some of Kate’s [...]

Poetry Friday: A Poem by Kate DiCamillo

Here’s an excerpt from “Snow, Aldo,” which is one of the most beautiful poems I’ve ever read. The imagery is amazing. But most of all, it warms my heart each and every time I read it.
Snow, Aldo by Kate DiCamillo
Once, I was in New York,
in Central Park, and I saw
an old man in [...]