“The weekends are the hardest.” a young, new coworker friend of mine said, “I think I’ll get another dog, it’s too lonely.” I remember reading somewhere that some of the loneliest people in the world are those of the newly graduated college student, and it seemed that my young, coworker friend was no different. It made sense […]
Literacy
Posted inInstructional Strategies, Literacy, Uncategorized
Turning that Picture into Writing
On my bathroom wall at home, I have a large framed drawing my son made in first grade. It has a lot of underwater action, including thought bubble over the shark saying “I am the king of the ocean.” Another thought bubble over a fish close to the shark’s mouth reads, “I am going to […]
Posted inElementary School, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy, Science
The Beauty of Science and Art
This year our district has been focusing on integrating science with ELA. This is not a new idea, but one that has been a joy to implement. We spent three days over the summer looking at our standards, resources and designing lessons for students. Focusing on keeping science alive with inquiry and hands on exploration while adding a […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy, Uncategorized
Teachers Observing Teachers – A Closer Look
“How can we ask ourselves to go observe other teachers in other buildings, when we don’t even observe the teachers in our own building?” This question was recently thrown out by me at a PLC meeting where we were discussing teacher actions that we can take as part of our goal for our Professional Learning Community. When the […]
Posted inFeatured, Literacy, Opinion
Have you Read a Banned Book Yet This Week?
National Banned Books Week is upon us, and the American Library Association once again reminds us that the Freedom to Read is a right everyone deserves. Most school libraries, especially in high schools, used to celebrate Banned Books Week by making commonly banned books available or displaying them as a reminder. But nowadays, with massive […]
Posted inLiteracy, Opinion
A Reading Affair to Remember
My love affair with reading began underneath the dining room table. It was something I passionately desired to do, and my first glimmer of this new realm was in Kindergarten. There was some kind of power behind the flashcards Ms. Crowning was holding up and I had to have it. I attended Kindergarten in 1985 […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
The Basics of Writing
It’s no secret that writers are readers. Anne Lamott, American novelist and non-fiction writer, said “What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, High School, Literacy, Uncategorized
Teacher Professionalism (With a Twist of Occasional Humor)
I once read a quote that said, “People think I’m crazy, but I like to think of myself as normal with a twist of awesome!” Because I have an outgoing, flowery personality, I honestly feel that some people DO think I’m crazy, but the way I look at it is that someday I’ll be six feet under […]