#SOL21: Habits
Will they survive? Will they flourish?
Three nights of freeze warnings and this view in the daytime.
It’s spring. A time of growth. A time for blooming. And yet, a time for snow and freezing temperatures.
Do we let Mother Nature take her course? Do we try to mitigate the results? Plants, flowers, pleasing to the eye. What’s our response?
In our schools, it’s the season of standardized tests. Tests in the midst of the pandemic that continues on. A year+ like no other. What are the options?
What’s the cost? Check out Tim Wheeler’s blog.
What are our goals? What are the habits that we want students to develop.
Melanie Meehan and Kelsey Sorum have this gorgeous new book. We featured it on our #G2Great chat March 25th and Val Kimmel’s blog post is here. It was featured on TWT here.
One of my favorite resources in this book is Chart 1.9. It speaks to me of reasons why I write daily. It speaks to me of why students need to write daily. And it speaks to me of things that are not so easily counted. Not so easily measured. But habits that I want all students to have. In their writerly lives. In their daily lives. In their student lives. In their adult lives.
To name just a few habits:
Perseverance
Empathy
Resilience
What habits in life are you willing to identify today? What habits will you nurture today? What habits do you actively support? How do you do that?
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Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for this weekly forum. Check out the writers and readers here.
#SOL19: Fueling the Soul
I returned to #NCTE19 in the same site as #NCTE14 to present as part of a different panel group. Excited to rejoin face-to-face friends and colleagues. Exhilarated to learn with new friends and colleagues and just a bit exhausted from the prep and planning to take advantage of every single moment. Celebrating friends. Celebrating peers. Celebrating communities. Celebrating learning. So ready to lean into my #OLW: Celebrate!
NCTE: National Council of Teachers of English. So many folks from so many places. One night around the table, we represented Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Virginia, Virginia, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, California, Connecticut, and Michigan. That was the night of the Slicer dinner. Two new friends. Many face to face friends. Slicers all who intersect with #G2Great, #TCRWP, #CCIRA and our #NCTE presentation – the four of us together for the first time! Talking. Sharing. A laughing video of a grandson. Sharing of children’s artwork. Shared quotes. Food, drink, conversation, and fun. With just a touch of rain that did not dampen our spirits!
There is nothing like scintillating conversation, learning with peers, celebrating with authors, and after hours gatherings to fuel the soul . . . sparking a joyous celebration of friends, families, and ever increasing meet ups of social media friends. As the world shrinks when we write and speak collaboratively on social platforms, our knowledge base grows exponentially.
As I continue to reflect on my travel and learning while I sift through my notes, I will add three outside sources here.
One of my favorites from NCTE is Kelly Gallagher’s Top Ten Things he heard at NCTE:
Melanie Meehan, co-author of Two Writing Teachers wrote about three sessions here.
Stop and Think Reading List and Resources here.
How do you collect and organize your learning?
How are you refueling your professional soul?
Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for this weekly forum. Check out the writers and readers here.
#SOL19: Day 21 #SOLSC
I check the calendar.
Hmm.
Meeting coming up.
Do I:
a. Cheer and high five with excitement over a meeting
b. Have a mini eye roll
c. Yawn in anticipation of a lively session
d. Plan to arrive early, stay late and be totally energized?
Which one fits your feelings toward those regularly scheduled meetings?
At the TCRWP Saturday Reunion I deliberately chose Meghan Hargrave’s session titled: “A Session for Coaches and Teachers Leaders: Professional Development that Sticks” and like the theme for the day, Meghan talked about a clear purpose, relationships, facilitation, and cycles of learning.
The topic was important. The room was packed. People sat on the floor in the back, on the sides, and leaned in to catch every word.
What do your meetings look like?
The information that I found most intriguing was when Meghan talked about different methods for meetings. Just like in workshop, different methods for meetings. Here are the five she shared.
Methods for Meetings
Mini-lecture 5 – 10 min.
Demonstration & practice
Role play
Make and Take
ON-demand teaching – both coaching method and meeting method
Meetings
Could be faculty meetings
Could be PLC meetings
Could be grade level meetings
Could be collaborative planning meetings
And the methods could vary.
Does that happen in your world?
Or are your meetings pretty much structured the same way, with the same method, meeting after meeting?
What’s the best that could happen if you changed the method of the meeting?
What could be the potential impact for students?
Thank you, Betsy, Beth, Deb, Kathleen, Kelsey, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for this daily March forum from Two Writing Teachers. Check out the writers, readers and teachers here.
#SOL19: #OLW18 Finale
#OneLittleWord (AKA #OLW)
This post has more about the origin of #OLW and links to other past posts about the purpose and process. Today’s post is a reflection on my 2018 OLW. It was evident on my blog as it literally was a part of the wallpaper: Curious!
How did “curious” impact my life?
Seeing it at least weekly on my blog kept curious in my brain but even without the constant reminder, curious is in my bloodstream. Considering life and life actions through the eyes of others has always been a part of my repertoire so “curious” was the perfect word for #OLW18.
Where did “curious” take me?
My learning journey included:
3rd Anniversary #G2Great Chat
CCIRA in Denver – February
TCRWP Writing Institute
#BookLove Summer Book Study
Iowa Reading Conference
ILA
Everyday Practices that Engage and Empower Readers and Writers – Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle – DSM
Nell Duke – JCCL – Cedar Falls
NCTE
Read, Write, Teach – Ignite Curiosity and Instill Confidence in Freeport, Maine with Linda Rief and Penny Kittle
Reading, reading, reading . . . professional texts
Researching
Writing about my reading
Twitter chats: #ILA, NCTE, #bookaccessforall, #TCRWP, and #G2Great
What other words have chosen me?
- 2014 Transfer
- 2015 Focus
- 2016 Joyful
- 2017 Brave
- 2018 Curious
I’ve narrowed my 2019 word choice down to three . . . A Decision and More in the next post!
How did you put your #OLW into action in 2018?
What did you learn that will guide you in 2019?
What will be your evidence of learning / use of your #OLW?
Thank you, Betsy, Beth, Deb, Kathleen, Kelsey, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for this weekly forum from Two Writing Teachers. Check out the writers, readers and teachers here.
#SOL18: #NCTE18 Family
‘Tis the season to be Thankful. ‘Tis the season to count my blessings. #NCTE is the perfect kick-off for family events. #NCTE brings my work family together!
This year’s theme was:
But, for me, it has also ALWAYS been about finding my own voice. My own family of voices. A family that allows me to have a voice.
#G2Great
Slicers
Teach Write
Presenters and Authors
Students
so many facets to MY FAMILY!
How do you nourish your “work family”?
How do you continue to grow and learn?
Thank you, Betsy, Beth, Deb, Kathleen, Kelsey, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for this weekly forum from Two Writing Teachers. Check out the writers, readers and teachers here.
Additional Links to #NCTE18
#NCTE18: Saturday
The magical learning continues at #NCTE18 and a theme that emerged on Saturday:
Slow down . . .
Yes, there is a sense of urgency.
Make every minute count.
BUT stop counting every minute.
Stop.
Slow Down.
Look into the eyes, heart and soul of every student.
The day flew by and again there were folks that I never saw. Decisions about sessions were incredibly hard to make.
The #BowTieBoys, Jason Augustowski and Dr. Mary Howard
It is all about the heart. And paying attention to the students. Listening. And learning WITH them. This quote from Jason is a great snippet for teachers to consider.
Roundtable sessions planned and executed by the students. Simply amazing.
Articulate
Poised
Powerful
Interactive
Showing not just telling
Students from middle school through high school.
Not to be missed!
Responsive Teaching: The Courage to Follow the Lead of the Reader
The respect, love and joy of this panel made my day! Students at the heart of our work.
A perfect merger. And such important work!
“Think about a teacher who loved you into being. Responsiveness begins with heart . . .”
Don’t rush to “check it off”. Skill and expertise has to come behind. Don’t land on the side of “judgment”. “What’s going on?” “Wonder.” And then the learning that comes from the four quadrants.
“Step back so your students can step forward.” Jan Burkins and Kim Yaris
Tom Newkirk has been a favorite of mine from my first #NCTE conference when he bemoaned that “the hamburger graphic organizer is not only an insult to a paragraph, but is also such an insult to a hamburger”.
4 Battles Literacy Educators have to Fight
- Economy – Curriculum as Hoarding (add, add , add & nothing is deleted)
- Louise Rosenblatt – Model of Reading – Literacy as Transaction
- The battle for writing. Writing should not be colonized by reading.Literary analysis 795,000 fanfiction pieces about Harry Potter
- Battle for choice- Carnegie – “public library” Teachers will need to make it free!
Questions to Ask when you Write
When Phonics is the Foundation – in a Curriculum of Authentic, Deep Literacy
Lucy Calkins, Rachel Rothman-Perkins and Rebecca Cronin
Rebecca, Rachel, Lucy and Mabel
“To teach well is to rally your people with heart and soul to learn with courage and enthusiasm. Fear: Is this curriculum going to cover everything? Mastery? Proven? Everything? Fear-driven anxious place is far too common with NO place in child’s emergent literacy. Voice is the single quality that matters most. Voice matters for teaching, and learning (as well as writing). To teach phonics well, imagine yourself at kitchen table talking to someone right there with you. Teaching phonics is leading and teaching. “
“That sense of connectedness matters tremendously. Connecting matters. Connecting to reading and writing. TRANSFER – only reason to teach phonics for reading and writing. TEACHING kids identity. Language is a joyful world!”
And because this is not an “All About” post since I promised “snippets” I will write later about the fabulous session from Colleen Cruz, Kassandra Minor, and Cornelius Minor.
#NCTE18 Thursday
Opening Day of #NCTE18
Registered?
Program Dog Eared?
Social?
Here’s a collection of the #G2Great folks.
Afternoon sessions:
If you went early, you might have been found sitting on the floor.
If you went on time, you may have not gotten into the session.
If you went late, you were SO out of luck.
There were “bouncers” at the door
Their job
To turn back the crowds
To placate the fire marshal.
Fifth year
Fifth year of underestimating the crowds.
Each room
Packed to the gills.
For many, a chance to review the program,
Greet friends in real life,
Continue conversations.
Thursday General Session – Chimanda Ngozi Adichie
If you are not on Twitter, you need to go there. You need to search the #NCTE18 tweets for those from her talk. For more about Chimanda see her site here.
Think about this next statement for a minute. Read. Pause. Reread. Take a breath.
“We live in a world where a person can be murdered because of what he wrote.”
It’s 2018.
And this is our truth.
Not politics.
Our reality.
Literacy, more than ever, is critical
FOR LIFE!
Other quotes:
“When we value a student, we teach them to value themselves.”
Chimanda spoke of being curious. And that #OLW (One Little Word) of mine came to the forefront. In fact, my “curious” is with me.
As #NCTE18 continues, you will see where my curiosity leads me!
What are you curious about?
#NCTE18 Bound: #G2Great
Today’s the day!
#NCTE18 begins!
Have you chosen your sessions?
This sign will be greeting you in Houston!
If it’s your first time to attend, check out the “First Timer’s Breakfast” Thursday morning to make some new friends, meet a group of people at your table, and hear Donalyn Miller and Ernest Morrell.
Add your twitter name to your name tag.
Look for those folks you have seen on #NCTE chats.
Look for those folks you have seen on #G2Great chats.
Make these days be about your learning.
What do you need to learn?
Be kind.
Enjoy!
Say hello to at least three new people every day!
Welcome to Houston!
Welcome to #NCTE18!
Time Warp
5 years ago
My first NCTE
IRL: #G2Great at #NCTE15
