You will forever be a character in the story your students will tell. I learned this from our brilliant colleague, Jim Burke; the things we do today will determine which kind of character we will become when the story is told later. Let’s consider for a few minutes how we
Why don't they give spelling tests anymore? * How come teachers don't correct student spelling? * What can I do at home? * Should I buy one of those workbooks this summer? I have been asked these questions more times than I can count. It makes
Choice is good for the soul. Once upon a time I was a wild child adolescent, standing up to every “should” that came my way. If I was told to do something, I actively sought out any and every way to do the opposite. Looking
Both knowledge and paint have no use until applied. I’ve always liked this adage, perhaps because as a teacher and a parent, I see firsthand that knowledge… is not enough. Application is everything or to use the trendy term du jour, transfer, is the hallmark
Last weekend my husband and I began shopping for a mattress. We bounced on mattresses, laid down on mattresses, pushed buttons so our head or our feet would go up and down on mattresses. We tried out mattress after mattress, going from store to store
“As I began research for this book, I realized this over-emphasis on strategy instead of purpose was not only affecting students’ ability to write meaningful pieces, it was also affecting their ability to infer and interpret the stories they read. When students see no meaning
A few years ago, I took the Writing for Children and Teens course through the Institute for Writers. There were nine modules in the course, covering everything from “How to Write Effective Description” to “Revising For a Different Readership Age.” Each module ended with a
A paradox: Students raise their voices when they have something personal at stake. But, to be heard outside the classroom, they must meet the expectations of a wider community. A personal stake is just not enough. In helping to prepare students in one urban school to
I worked with Yvette King-Berg, an urban school leader, for 20 years in Los Angeles schools. Yvette is the Executive Director of Youth Policy Institute’s Charter Schools (YPI). A primary focus of her leadership is to fully engage students and their families in their academic
We have a couple things to confess. Michael, he will admit, spends WAY too much time listening to sports talk radio. And in so doing he hears WAY too many bad arguments of this sort: “I just have this feeling that the Eagles will have a