Spring is normally a busy time for me at school. I’m in charge of standardized testing, grade placement, and wrapping up all student support documents for the year. Everything in my entire being yearns to resist this regimentation. Rather, my body and mind desperately need to relax, refresh, and find things to celebrate.
Tag: inspiration
Inside the Wonder Studio: A Space for Mistakes
When I conceived of the Wonder Studio eight years ago, I thought of a space where students could go to create and play with craft and building materials. I wanted the kids to have freedom to think up an idea and create it. Their projects were not made by following directions. They were made by experimenting and tinkering; trying out an idea and changing it.
Inside the Wonder Studio: Life in Miniature
This month in the Wonder Studio, the 5th graders have been working on a small scale. No one mandated that they do so. They all just started making tiny projects.Â
Object Connections: Janet Wong’s Poetry
Last week, I had an opportunity to attend a poetry workshop presented by Janet Wong and sponsored by Rutgers University Center for Literacy Development, which is directed by Dr. Lesley Morrow.Â
A Gift for Story
John Schu has a gift for story, and he wants to share it with EVERYONE he meets. Throughout the hour, John drew us in and told us his story through the books he’s read. His mission is to connect readers to stories that will affect and change their lives.
Rainbow Writing with Kindergarteners
I count myself fortunate. My busy job includes spending time with kindergarten writers and there is no greater joy than that. Since September, these novice writers have grown steadily.
Show Some Love
The 10th also stands as a reminder for me to pause, take a step back and undo some of the knot of work projects. The work is important, but if I don’t take time for myself and show myself some love, the work will ultimately suffer. Here are 14 ways I'm intentionally showing myself some love this February.
3rd Grade Makers: Creating in the Wonder Studio
It’s January, and it’s finally time for the 3rd graders to have time in the Wonder Studio during recess. They are beyond excited. I look out onto a sea of eager faces, and they are literally bouncing with energy. I gather them on the porch before we venture inside.
Stirring the Senses – Part 2
Like each child, like each snowflake, each poem was different, exquisite in its creation. They took their experiences of snow and thought about how it looked, smelled, sounded, tasted, and felt. They thought hard, they experimented with words, and they formed meaning to share with others. This time to play is necessary and important for writers.
2nd Grade Poets: Stirring the Senses
I have been introducing young children to poetry for many decades, so I jumped at the chance to teach again and this time try a new approach. I spent the weekend thinking about ways to introduce sensory poems, which would engage these small, curious minds. I
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 