Add. Change. Remove. This is a strategy we use in our 2nd grade writing workshop to explain the revision process. In the lesson, which I think originally was an idea from a Six Traits lesson, the students create with Play-Doh and then at various intervals are asked to add something to their creation.
Relentless Hope: The Power Of an Avocado
For the last couple of weeks, I have been reminded of the fragility of the human spirit and the power of hope. But it is more than hope. Hope seems more passive to me now. I hope I will be healthy and happy, but how do I going about putting that hope into action. What … Continue reading Relentless Hope: The Power Of an Avocado
Kitchen Literacy: Fall Treats
Kitchen Literacy: When adults invite children into the kitchen to cook, they provide memorable experiences. When the recipe is connected to literature, children become more involved in reading as a form of enjoyment. They are intrigued by the comforting, adventurous, and magical qualities food has in these stories. Children feel a great sense of accomplishment as they open the oven door and see the results of their efforts.
Magic on the Page: Encouraging Reluctant Writers
Magic on the Page: Encouraging Reluctant Writers - The classroom was a quiet buzz of pencils on paper...Everyone seemed to have an idea of what to do, and then one go stuck. What do you do when someone gets stuck in her writing?
Room to Read
I love having the opportunity to read and write with children and figure out why they are having trouble. I calm my monkey mind and I focus in on the student reader.
Writing Community
I have seen myself as a writer ever since I could hold a crayon. I drew and wrote letters, telling stories to anyone who happened by. Usually, that person was my mother. She was a teacher and always encouraged me. She’d look at my scribbles and pictures and ask me to tell her about them. … Continue reading Writing Community
Song of the Sky: Some Thoughts on Clouds
Songs of the Sky: Looking out towards the horizon, the sky and sea seemed infinite. Maybe that’s what intrigued Alfred Stieglitz about clouds: their ever-changing shape above Lake George and reflected on its surface. For over a decade Stieglitz photographed clouds. He first called his cloud work, Songs of the Sky, after the music he could surely hear as they drifted.
Some Thoughts on Geese
When I was young, Canada geese were a rare occurrence, but now they are common and are usually viewed and an annoyance. A whole industry has been created to get rid of them: Birds Beware, Bird B Gone, Goosinator, and GooseBuster - to name a few. But I think geese are beautiful, graceful, and devoted friends.
Finding Paris
I’ve been missing that sense of adventure this summer, and so I’ve found that I have been traveling in my mind through reading books. For the past several weeks, I’ve been in Paris by way of Hemingway.
How Does Your Zen Garden Grow?
As I look towards the end of August, cognizant that my new school year is on the horizon whether it is virtual or in-person, I am committed to keep cultivating my own garden. By this I mean I want to keep in the forefront of my mind, my health, my writing, my artistic expression, and my connection to friends and family. It has not always been easy for me to have clear boundaries between work and my personal life. For decades, I put my work before everything else. Oh sure, I talked about balance, but I really didn’t know how to achieve it. How do I juggle a great jumble of responsibilities? How do I prioritize? What do I need to do to be successful? I struggled and struggled with these questions.
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 