WN Entry: How does one make sense of this statement: “He was his parents’ only child.”

A couple of weeks ago Ruth and I were on the phone when her husband came into the room and told her there was a tornado that touched down about 20 miles away.
“Do you need to go?” I asked her.
“No, it’s okay,” she replied in a cool, Midwestern way.
872 miles away, I was freaking out, [...]

A Labor of Love: Because My Students’ Lives and Experiences Matter

Here’s what I’m working on now…

Originally uploaded by teachergal

Last year one of my fifth graders, Lauren, wrote a persuasive letter to a very large yearbook company’s CEO asking him to give our class yearbooks. She successfully persuaded him to discount the price of a full-color yearbook for the entire class (the kids paid $15 [...]

Ruth’s SS1 (Brian): I don’t wanna write.

I don’t wanna write a student story, is the thought going through my mind right now (and because I live with two little girls there may even be a bit of a whine to it).
I remember Brian.  Everyday he would look the part of a writer — yellow legal pad; pen posed; sitting in a [...]

Join Us for Our Newest Challenge: Student Stories!

Today’s the day that our new writing challenge, Student Stories, begins. For more information about the types of writing you might want to do for this Challenge, click here.
Once you’ve written your “Student Stories” Post, link it here by clicking on the Mr. Image Image-Linky below:

Looking forward to reading your inspirational stories.

Student Story #1: I Need to Hold Your Hand

I’ve taught fourth or fifth grade in low-SES communities ever since I worked as a fifth grade teacher at P.S. 72 in Spanish Harlem when I was a graduate student completing my first master’s degree at Hunter College. Hunter prepares teachers to work in “urban settings.” Hence, when it came time to find [...]