When my youngest was still in elementary school, she began the countdown to summer vacation with so much eager anticipation that one would have thought she hated school. She didn’t. She just loved summer, too. This was evidenced by the fact that each year, on the last day of school, she would step off of the school bus and promptly burst into tears, right in the middle of the street. “I’m going to miss my…
It all started when we were about two weeks deep into our new pandemic lifestyle. John and I were sitting in our living room, which sits about twenty feet from the tree-lined sidewalk that edges our street. That sounds quaint doesn’t it? The tree-lined sidewalk that edges our street. And it is most days. Some days though, those huge trees fall down. The fall down on top of our houses. Like our house, for instance.…
“I just ordered my first box of those weird under eye gel patch thingies that everyone from Rachel Hollis to Oprah to Brene Brown seems to be sporting on social lately,” I laughed, leaning away from the screen. “I mean, if Brene uses them, they have to be good, right?” “Do they sell them in extra-strength Covid-size?” my friend asked. “There is no eye gel patch thingy made for this moment,” I admitted. “But buying…
Hey–happy Friday! How was your week? Mine was productive. Very productive. And productive feels so much better than just about anything else right now. I just wrapped my first week as an Instructional Designer at Daemen College, and I am loving it. I mean, talk about serendipity. There may be no better definition of just-in-time professional learning right about now. I’ll try to pay as much of it forward as I can. My first recommendation?…
“I’m feeling better,” she said, and I had to agree. I’m feeling better, too. We’re adapting, as much as we’d rather not, and I don’t know about you, but I’m noticing that my days have a rhythm now. The weekends are distinctly different from the weekdays, and when I read, I’m able to concentrate again. I live in New York State, and our first days on PAUSE left me feeling simultaneously stunned, adrift, and eager to…
Last week, a teacher that I typically get to work with face to face reached out to me through email to let me know that I was still needed. “We’re about to begin an information writing unit,” she said. “I really need some help.” So, I helped. School isn’t closed, and I’m still here, everyone. I will help however I can. Please don’t hesitate to ask. Here’s Where, and Here’s How: 1. All of my…
What’s Culture Got To Do With It? Before I share some of what I’m learning here, I need to make myself clear: When I use the word culture, I’m not referring to race alone. That very fact—the fact that I’m not speaking to race specifically–is problematic, too. I know. I knew it when I was drafting today’s post. I will write that piece separately, I thought. I will write that one next. Why? Well, because…
Last week, I started a conversation that I promised to continue throughout this month, one post at a time. It’s about privilege, power, and print inside of our writing workshops and classrooms. Where we’ve been, where we need to be going, and what I’m trying to do, in order to help people get there. My ideas are a small contribution. I know this. I have much more to learn and others have so much more…
When we embrace diversity, we strive to make the demographic of our schools and classrooms diverse. When we embrace inclusion, we ensure that diverse people are seated at the tables where learning is happening and decisions are being made. And when we embrace equity, we create environments and cultures where diverse people can show up authentically, as their complete, and wildly diverse selves, in order to be seen and appreciated, and in order to make…
Last week, I shared some thoughts about how we might speak with makers about the things they create in our writing workshops, in order to help them improve their writing. If you’re new to these parts, then you might be wondering: Why would anyone make anything other than words in workshop? Well, because quite a few of us who have been doing this teaching writing thing for quite some time now have found that when…