The Beginning of a Writing Process, WNY Young Writers’ Studio 2010 It happens every year. “We’re only here because our moms made us come,” they told me. “We hate writing. Seriously.” Seriously? I wonder if most kids are given much of a chance to consider what writing really is anymore or why they would even want to do it outside of the classroom. And so I suggest that writing isn’t just about linear text. It…
I just finished the last of five very different but very meaningful “opening week” sessions inside of the schools that I work in long term. It’s inspiring to watch teachers begin the year by engaging in collaborative goal setting and planning for a year of individual or team-directed professional development, particularly when not so long ago, conversations like this seemed close to impossible. Everything from wonky scheduling to tight resources to lack of protocols to…
Alice came to a fork in the road. “Which road do I take?” she asked. “Where do you want to go?” responded the Cheshire cat. “I don’t know,” Alice answered. “Then,” said the cat, “it doesn’t matter.” ~Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland Many of us use the start of the new school year to refine our vision of the difference we hope to make in our buildings and in the field as a whole. How…
She’s been a fellow of the WNY Young Writers’ Studio for three years now. Every August, she devotes a week of her life to the study of what learning communities are and how she’s grown as a result of her participation in ours. She comes back every other month throughout the school year. She visits our ning almost daily. She connects herself to those who can help her, and she reaches out to do the…
Two years ago, a writer I know showed up to one of our Studio sessions looking pretty glum. As one of the editors of her high school’s literary magazine, she was nothing short of disgusted by the behavior that some of her fellow editors were exhibiting. Having crowned themselves the school’s elite writers, they had taken it upon themselves to stand in harsh judgment of their peers, mocking the work that others submitted, and making…
Over the last few years, I’ve come to realize that my greatest duty as a teacher in any capacity is to create the conditions that enable relevant (or at the very least meaningful) and engaging learning and work. These words possess a distinct and critical meaning, too. This conclusion led me to another important discovery: I need to become very critical of my own practices and processes as well as those that are imposed upon…
Over the last several years, I’ve come to rely on the ARCS framework, created by Communities for Learning, for nearly all of my professional planning. I use it to establish a baseline assessment of the groups I work with, to determine entry points into our work together, to strategically plan, and to assess the influence of our efforts over time. This framework has also transformed the shape and structure of the professional learning experiences that…
“Meaning, like beauty, lies both within and outside us. The same experience might be more meaningful for some students than others because of differences in their interests, personal experiences, readiness, and existing relationship with the teacher and with what is being taught. That said, as learners, we all derive greater meaning from experiences that are engaging, relevant, and authentic.” “Meaningfulness relates to but is not the same as relevance. It concerns the extent to which…
We crossed this bridge in Connecticut on Sunday night, landing once again at the Trinity Conference Center for our annual retreat. This is where my year ends and begins. What will your legacy be? This was the question that greeted me upon arrival my very first year, and it’s the one I return to now. I’m wrestling with some questions right now. They’ve kept me quiet here and everywhere online this summer, and this is…
“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles with it.” –Winston Churchill This is one of my favorite pictures from last week’s Studio sessions. It was just one small moment that tucked itself into a flurry of other activity, but this visual speaks volumes. One of the interns in our program, Nate, is conferencing with two writers in our community about their vision and their goals while a local school administrator listens in. As…