Choice in Deadlines
Some were asking me to “say more” about giving students choice regarding deadlines. Here are a couple ideas in order to empower students to have more choice in finding what works best for… Read More
Monthly Archive: June, 2010
Bringing Our Strange Selves to the Page
Day One of the TCRWP Writing Institute. I listened to Lucy Calkins’s Keynote Address entitled “Great Expectations.” I attended my first morning session, “We Do Not Teach Alone: Using Reading/Writing Connections to Lift… Read More
Thinking About Choice
One of the sessions I attended at the conference last week was June Yazel’s “The Power of Choice.” It has been rattling around in my mind since. June believes choice is the defining… Read More
Poetry & Structure: Falling in Love… and Holding it Together — A Guest Blog Post by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is a writing teacher and children’s poet in Holland, NY. You can read her daily children’s poem and find writing ideas, book recommendations, and tips for students at her blog,… Read More
An Interview with the Author of The Cupcake Queen
Heather Hepler, author of The Cupcake Queen, was kind enough to answer a few questions for me about her new young adult novel, which I enjoyed reading not only for its storyline, but… Read More
Writing Institute
I’m getting ready for the Teachers College Writing Institute, which begins next week. Anyone else going to be there? If so, please drop me a line. It would be great to meet up… Read More
Reflections
I just got back from a dinner with J. Patrick Lewis. After dinner Pat spoke and inspired me to teach and write and live more intentionally, more light-hearted. This comes on the heels… Read More
Poetry Friday Roundup
I created a Jog, on Jog the Web, to round-up everyone’s Poetry Friday Submissions. Click here, or on the image below, to head over to the Jog I created. Then, use the left… Read More
Good Teacher: A Guest Blog Post by Elizabeth Eastmond
Elizabeth Eastmond teaches English at a local community college near her home in Southern California. You can find her writings at peninkpaper.blogspot.com or occasionalpiece.blogspot.com. I remember that day pretty clearly. The brilliant and… Read More
Poetry Friday: Please join us!
I am hosting Poetry Friday this week! Please leave a comment with a link to and a brief description of your post. I will put up another post later this weekend, using Jog… Read More
Do we really need SMART Boards to teach writing well?
Last Friday, there was an article in The Washington Post entitled “Some educators question if whiteboards, other high tech tools raise achievement.” This article reflects an on-going conversation Ruth and I have been… Read More
Poetry Friday will be HERE tomorrow!
We’re hosting Poetry Friday tomorrow. Please visit tomorrow by submitting a favorite poem or an original poem. The round-up will take place over the weekend.
Individualize Writing Process + Standardized Tests
Sometimes when I write in this forum it is about topics I have thought through and know exactly where I stand and what I think. Other times I write here in order to… Read More
The Life Lessons We Teach
On Sunday, June 13th my husband and I attended a retirement celebration at Norwalk High School for Jeff Smith, who is retiring after 34 years as a music educator. My husband played saxaphone… Read More
Finding Time to Write
Of all the things I’ve done to become a more proficient teacher of writing, the act of putting words on a page has had the biggest influence on my practice. As I’ve engaged in being… Read More
Words that are Speaking to Me
It’s over now. I’m at the end of the summer following my senior year; I have my diploma in a lockbox and the advantage of hindsight. But I want to tell it [the… Read More
