….is to accept people exactly as they are.” Carl Rogers
…….especially if you haven’t had the opportunity to do it in the past. I’m working with quite a few teachers in different places this year who feel very much out of their element when they are asked to teach kids how to write. Sure, “all teachers are teachers of writing,” and I know that most elementary teachers were certified to do precisely this, but when did pre-service learning ever perfectly prepare any of us to…
At NYSEC last week, I had the good fortune to drop into Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski’s session. Listening to these men speak to the joy they were able to reclaim for themselves as they worked on a project that made them feel 13 again was beyond inspiring. I took away something much more important though–I was provided some guidance around my own work with writers, based upon their varied experiences. As you might imagine,…
“…you are teaching yourselves how you will live and work. Early habits take up residence and are difficult to evict later on.” Jim Burke I spent a chunk of this weekend getting inspired by the different approaches my favorite edubloggers are taking with back-to-school posts. The start of every year is filled with such incredible excitement and anticipation. There are goals to set and plans to shape and personal needs to attend to. We’re getting…
I have a confession to make. Last year, when my daughter made honor roll, I didn’t rush right out to the garage to slap the celebratory bumper sticker onto the back of my car. Instead, I quietly displayed it on our refrigerator the day that it arrived in the mail, and reminded her, once again, of how proud she continues to make us. “Aren’t you going to put that on the car?!” Her sister demanded…
The weather was distinctly fall-like this weekend. We just returned from a week in Allegany State Park, where I sat beside a campfire with my husband and reflected on the year behind us in anticipation of the year ahead of us. Every so often, a lanky young woman would wander past us and stop for a moment to plant a kiss on top of our heads. I caught myself wondering where she came from, and…
Identifying and nurturing future teachers of writing is one of the greater pursuits of the WNY Young Writers’ Studio. To that end, we’ve created internship opportunities for veteran fellows who are in high school and interested in pursuing a career in education or writing. We’ve also opened assistantships to veteran fellows who are in middle school and interested in doing the same. Today was their first day facilitating sessions, and I could not have been…
…I wore flip flops in a downpour and realized that rainy summers aren’t so bad after all. John spent the day making gelato with Laura, and Nina and I went to the salon to chop our hair short. As I’m writing this, I can hear the girls bickering in their bedroom, which is right above my head. For now, this is okay. For now, it’s simply good to be home again.
I arrived at the Communities for Learning Summer Institute Sunday evening, just in time to welcome my friend and new fellow, Ellen Gray. I met Ellen earlier this year, and over the last few months, I’ve come to enjoy the perspective she lends to the work that I do as a professional and as a mom. Spending a week immersed in thoughtful planning and discourse with her and with all of the fellows who are…
So…….as I was chatting with Alyssa and Sarah last weekend, they spoke to what many of us call authentic learning. Of course, they didn’t use that phraseology–they spoke in their native tongue, describing how some of what kids are asked to do in school is “boring” or “rushed” or “just for a grade”. They weren’t exactly giving their work with me great props either (just in case you thought I was getting off easy), and…