All-en-A-Day's Work

A Patricia MacLachlan Expert

2012-02-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

He waltzed into the classroom today, a huge smile on his face. "I got it, Mr. Allen, I got it! I've been waiting and waiting for it to come... and last night it did!" He put the shiny new book Kindred Souls in my hand. "You have no idea how much I've been bugging my mom since I heard about it... Patricia MacLachlan's new book!"
     I listened in awe as Nolan told me the story of the pre-order, his adoration for Patricia MacLachlan's writing, his constant nudging... It was Valentine's Day and it was obvious he was in love!
   Nolan's adoration for Patricia MacLachlan started early this year. Three Names quickly became a favorite. Then there was All The Places to Love and Through Grandpa's Eyes, which I read as a notebook nudge. Soon, it was his personal copy of Word, after Word, after Word, tabbed with sticky notes (his own choosing) and annotated with thoughts and questions and ah-has (his own choice) that enveloped him, engaging him in the kind of reading we can only hope to watch develop in our students. Of course, he soon discovered Waiting for the Magic on the shelf and devoured it... it's magical, watching him spread the beauty of Patricia Maclachlan's writing around the room. It's contagious.
     Workshop, after Workshop, after Workshop, I've watched Nolan breathe his reading life into the words of his new favorite author. When he has free time, he sits with the "Maclachlan" basket spread around him, looking... studying... searching. For what? For words. For mentorship from another author. For language. For the kind of passion that comes from falling in love... with writing!
   Nolan is slowly becoming our resident expert on Patricia's writing. He knows her. "I've tried Baby a couple of times, but I don't think I'm quite ready for it." "I LOVE Sarah, Plain, and Tall." "Isn't she the most amazing writer?" What I love is that Nolan has discovered that her words fill his heart and mind with amazing curiosity and joy. And, he's not afraid to share it with his fellow classmates.
   So, Nolan's become Kindred Souls with Patricia MacLachlan... and she doesn't even know him! But he knows her... and "what he knows first" he'll take with him forever.

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Kindred Souls is MacLachlan's latest book about Jake and his grandfather, Billy. It's about growing old... and having someone young with whom to share life. Haven't we all had that "person" we've wanted to live forever? Jake does. I just glanced through Nolan's book today... and now it's on my ORDER TODAY list. But if I have any questions in the meantime, I just have to ask Nolan. After all, he's the expert... and he beat me to the punch on this one!

Happy Birthday, Joy! or Happy Birthday Joy!

2012-02-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, my first blog post was about my sister, Joy. It was called "I Know a Lady" and it was in celebration of her 80th birthday. Well, today she turns 83. I called her earlier to wish her "Happy Birthday" and since hanging up I've been thinking about...

Joy. What a great name! In Luke, the angel said, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Joy for ALL the people. What a grand statement. In fact, the NIV version of the Bible has 244 instances where joy is mentioned (155 in the King James Bible); how many times is your name mentioned?

Joy. Defined it means, "a source of happiness or a deep feeling of happiness or contentment." And, at 83 what else can you be besides content? Knowing that you've done your best... that you've shared so much of yourself with those around you. That's exactly what Joy has done, she's so smart!

Joy. Henry James said, "The joys we've missed in youth are like... lost umbrellas; we mustn't spend the rest of our lives wondering where they are." When I talked to her this evening, she didn't dwell on the past. She said, "My mind is still 25, but my body just isn't remembering how young I feel! I wish it was cooperating a bit better." We always laugh when we talk on the telephone.

Joy. Joy in learning matters. Donald Graves reminded us to find joy in learning. I love my conversations with Joy about learning... she's a learner for a lifetime. She said, "If everyone would read a book every week, the world would be a better place! And, their minds would stay young." And she reads PLENTY, her house is full of great books and she can talk to you about them with clarity and understanding that can only come with wisdom and sincerity.

Joy. Did you bring joy? Good question. Usually it's a question someone asks at family get-togethers, "Are you bringing Joy?" or "Who's bringing Joy?" But, today it's about the 83 years of the joy she's brought to others... which hasn't always been easy, she's worked hard! Joy is the ONLY one of my nine siblings who can tell me stories of my Grandmother, Jennie Bell Bloomer Allen. Joy tells me stories of quilting on Jennie's lap and her stories can take her back to the time she was three when Grandma told stories of pioneering in Kansas. Joy's our family historian!

Joy. On Amazon there are 42,223 books with the word "joy" in the title. But, I only think of one thing when I hear the word. My sister. We are the bookends. A thirty-one year span between us. We have a private little joke about that, but that's a story for another day. For today, it's all about Joy. And I just wanted to say, "Happy Birthday."

Find time today for a little...

Put Thinking to the Test - Revisited

2012-02-11T03:10:00.000-07:00

“At onetime, the purpose of the public schools, at least theoretically,

was to educatechildren; now it is to produce higher FCAT scores,

by whatever meansnecessary. If school officialsbelieved that ingesting

lizard meat improved FCAT performance, the cafeteriaswould be serving gecko nuggets.”

Dave Barry, Miami Herald, August 4, 2005

This is one of my favorite quotes from Put Thinking to the Test a book Lori L. Conrad, Missy Matthews, Cheryl Zimmerman and I wrote a few years back (Stenhouse, 2008). Writing a book with three trusted friends and colleagues was one of the highlights of my teaching career. Honestly, the four of us had a grand time writing the book.

As a team, we'd write... sometimes together and sometimes separately... and then gather to revise and "put the pieces together." We'd laugh (a lot), cajole, debate, respond, question... all in the spirit of collaboration and friendship. We'd share a glass of wine and a light snack. We'd talk about our frustrations or share our quandaries about our own writing. Our process was to put a chapter together then read it, out loud, listening to the rhythm and flow of the words. We must have read the book ten or more times to one another... listening carefully as each friend took the prosodical role as reader for the day. Taking the writing risk with three people whose opinion you value was such a blessing... and a truly humbling experience. I wouldn't trade that time for anything (click here for a podcast).
Our goal was simple: to write a book that addressed high stakes testing through a thinking lens. We weren't out to write a "test prep" book. Instead we wanted to share the ways in which we infuse our work with the thinking behaviors. We knew that all learners ask questions; create mental images; draw inferences; synthesis new learning and ideas; activate, utilize, and building background knowledge (schema); determine most important ideas and themes; and monitor for meaning and problem-solve when meaning breaks down. We knew that, "Strategic, active, flexible thinking occurs as learners make specific decisions to understand--especially when they negotiate the particular demands imposed by high-stakes, standardized tests" (p. 4). Put Thinking to the Test was and is about:

Responding to the high-stakes testing environment in a professional, forward-thinking way;
Understanding the kind of thinking our students need to do well in any learning setting;
honoring our own professional inquiry and integrity.

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     It's that time of year again here in Colorado. We're gearing up for the CTAP (formally the Colorado Student Assessment Program, now the Colorado Transitional Assessment Program) season and once again we're developing a hankering for gecko nuggets. All across the state, I'm sure teachers are swallowing hard and saying, "What'll it be this year?" or "Transitioning into what?" I'm sure it's the same in every state. That's why I had to pick up our book this past week and reread it... to remind myself not to get consumed by fear (read Cheryl's brilliant essay "Education Fear Factor Style" on pages 5-6). As I reread, I found myself being drawn back into the writing process with my friends and realizing that I had to bring thinking back to the forefront of my work during "hunting season." What did I discover? It's a wise and practical book.
     On pages 13-14, I shared a letter that was originally an exchange between my daughter, Anneke, when she was in fifth grade in her "Nothing Book," a back and forth journal between home and school, "ostensibly designed to extend the famous questions-and-answer exchange between parents and children everywhere: 'What did you do in school today; dear son/daughter?' 'Nothing, Mom/Dad.'"
     I reread this letter and it reminded me about what's really important:

Dear Mom and Dad,

How was your week? Mine was good. In math, we’re still doing CSAPpractice; it’s giving me an aching headache! Also we’re doing time tests every day. In reading today [Friday], we had aRead-a-Thon to celebrate Read Across America. In writing, we’re also doing CSAP practice, it seems likeeverywhere I turn, I hear, or see the horrible, haunting word CSAP. Aaaaagh! I’m in Mrs. McKee’s group for CSAP writing.

In history we’restudying about colonies, and maps, and slavery. On C-track we got a mailbox so now I can write letters to myfriends. I don’t have to deliverthem, so they stay a surprise. I’ve gotten four letters and written two.

Sincerely,

Anni

Dear Anneke,

CSAP, CSAP, CSAP . . .as Aunt Randi would say, “Oy Vey!” I agree that it’s haunting—isn’t that just terrific! Wouldn’t you rather be haunted by thesound of beautifully written text, the thrill of closing a novel with a tearrolling down your cheek, or learning about how Cynthia Rylant or JonathanLondon or Eve Bunting use writer’s tools in their work.

What’s better thansitting in a group talking about A Taste of Blackberries, On My Honor,or Prairie Songs? What’smore important—learning to question text, to create sensory images, toinfer—than learning about how readers comprehend? What’s better than filling a notebook with dreams, andwonders, and memories? What’sbetter than hearing a beautifully written poem, a laughing poem, and a poemthat touches your soul? What’sbetter than exploring your passions, your life topics, or just something you’reinterested in? What’s better than“real” writing? I can’t think ofanything!

Anni, I honestlydespise what we’re doing to learning in the name of CSAP. Is accountabilityimportant—certainly?! Should wemeasure growth—certainly?! Butwhat are we doing to you—the learner?

Poor teachers—we’reunder such pressure and we’re throwing out research and the orthodoxies we holddear with “the baby’s bathwater!” And so, we see the joy of learning turned into hours of “stuff” just to“raise” scores. Sad. I guess I need to speak up as aparent—write to our fearless leaders and say, “Enough is enough!”

As a teacher, I feelnervous and jittery and nauseous at this time of year . . . and I know yourteacher must be feeling the same way. As a parent, all I can say is “Do your best!” “Eat a good breakfast,” and “Show what you know!” Mostly, I want to tell you I’m sorry!

In a few weeks it’ll beover—until next year. Then you canget back to the real joys of learning, of being a child. It goes by so quickly, childhood. I want you to read, to write, to learn... and to enjoy being eleven. ‘Cause someday you’ll turn 42 and feel the same tug in your heart that Iam feeling writing this note to you... I just hope it’s without the wordCSAP haunting you!

I love you! If you score a partially proficient or advanced, you’ll scorewhat you're meant to score. Frankly,your score is not what matters to me. In the meantime, read a poem, sing a song, share agreat story with a friend—let those be the things that haunt yourchildhood. We’ll stand up andhandle the rest!

Love,

Daddy

      Well, that was written ten years ago. Anneke is now a senior in college majoring in Applied Physiology and plans to become an optometrist. She's grown into a fine young woman... independent, wise, thoughtful, charming. Sadly, her childhood is over (heavy sigh), but she's got lots of fabulous adventures ahead of her. And, though she still takes a test periodically, my hopes and wishes for her remain the same... to read a poem, sing a song, share a story with a friend (she's actually spending time this evening with several of her good friends from high school sharing a bit of laughter I'm sure). Oh... and I can barely remember what her fifth grade CSAP scores were... and to think there was such pressure on her at the time!
   So, as you begin testing season, perhaps you'll pick up your copy of Put Thinking to the Test and reread it. I did. And, I think I'm all the better for it.

Just a note: On pages 159-60, we ended the book with a brilliant essay, "Passing the Tests That Matter," by Dr. Carol Wilcox of Carol's Corner.

Learning with a Friend

2012-02-05T12:58:00.002-07:00

I woke up today with a headache. Jet lag, perhaps? Flying to Atlanta and back within 24 hours can't help but cause one, but it's worth it. Yesterday, Cris Tovani and I presented to a group of teachers in Auburn, Alabama for their reading association's "February Fling." It was my first trip to Alabama and the people in Auburn were gracious and smart! It was a pleasure meeting them. And, it was a pleasure getting to talk and listen to Cris, she always makes me think (and laugh). I'm so glad we didn't reschedule our trip because of the snow!
     I always learn so much from Cris. Listening to her share her beliefs about teaching and learning yesterday made me think so much about my own teaching. She talked eloquently about strategy instruction, accessible/engaging text, formative assessments, and systems/structure/planning being the strongholds in her work with learners. She's so wise as she works with students. It's always gratifying to hear her talk about the students with whom she works. She's willing to dig in and say, "What do these kids need? How can I best meet them where they are and move them forward?" And, she's willing to ask big questions.
     Cris works with many students for whom school has not been as joyful as we all hope it is for our students and thankfully she takes up the reins and says, "Whoa..." And then she guides them as much as she can in the short time she has them. Personally, I think Cris's gifts are blessings bestowed on her students. They know that she truly cares about them and their learning. She works with some tough kids.
     The funny thing is, we all ask those same questions in our classrooms every day. It was ironic that both of us talked about the practices that we hold at the pinnacle of our instruction, the ones that we are willing to fight for because we know they work with our students. In Conferring (and during my presentation), I shared the two guiding questions that Randi Allison challenged me to think about as I was writing Conferring: The Keystone of Reader's Workshop. What are your guiding principles? What are you willing to fight for?
     Cris and I both talked about the inane things we do TO children instead of with children; things that don't move them forward toward a goal, a target, or a love of learning. So often we let a "program" or "programming" guide our interactions with children. Instead of taking a look at a learning target or a standard and asking, "How might I weave this into my instruction?" or "How might this play out in our current context?"
    We often fall back on methods that include no discourse, no relevance, and no thought about the very students with whom we are working. Teaching transactions often dictated by someone who sits outside our classroom or our building. What would you put on your list? (Dare I say, your "stupid" list?) Things you do that you know aren't "best practice," but you do them because... because... because you've always done it that way? I've started compiling mine...

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An added note: If you haven't purchased Cris's latest book So What Do They Really Know? get it today! It's a fabulous look at ways to "assess" students thoughtfully and wisely! Cris and I were talking about our top ten professional texts at dinner... my list would have to include one of her three books!
By the way, the picture I added to this post is a doorway on William J. Samford Hall. Cris challenged me to find a keystone arch in all the cities I visit to present... so I'm going to try!

Joy for Beginners

2012-01-21T17:21:00.002-07:00

Joy for Beginners. Joy. There's something about those three little letters that just make you smile... whether you're talking to your oldest sister (my sister Joy turns 82 in February) or singing a holiday song, there's something about the word "joy" that makes you happy. When my friend, Mimi from Seattle, introduced me to Erica Bauermeister, little did I know how much I would love Ms. Bauermeister's writing.
   I read The School of Essential Ingredients and it blew me away! Brilliant. The same can be said for this book. So rich. Images fill your mind when you read Erica Bauermeister's words... "Sara's kitchen was a chicken farm of chaos..." or "The little girl was talking happily, the flow of her words bright and shiny, like candy falling from a pinata" or "...the ways their gazes floated over the crowd and then caught at the strangeness of her solitary situaion." Page after page, I had to stop, think, and ponder the beauty of her writing.
     This book focuses on Kate's survival after being ill. At a celebratory dinner, her six friends challenge her to start anew by going river rafting... facing a fear! She, in turn, gets to choose the challenge that each of her friends will take. Today a friend posted the following... The phrase, "Do not be afraid" is written in the Bible 365 times. That's a daily reminder to live everyday being, "Fearless!" I thought it was a perfect parallel to this book.
   That's what this book is about... being fearless. Listen to these words from the prologue, "But life is persistent, slipping into your conscious sideways, catching you with a fleeting moment of color, the unexpected and comforting smell of a neighbor's dinner cooking as you walk on a winter evening, the feeling of warm water running between your fingers as you wash the dishes at night. There is nothing so seductive as reality." Reality. Fearlessness. Two things that create an interesting juxtaposition.
     You should read this one! Why? Because it's brilliantly written and might just make you ask a few questions. The whole time I was reading, I was thinking about both my personal life and my professional life. Personally, I think there are some things I need to get done... get back to exercise, start swimming again, and learn to kayak .   Professionally, I think I need to stand up for my beliefs... get a little pissy, take some action, and challenge the status quo. And... wait for Ms. Bauermeister's next book!

Thinking About Our Reading Goals

2012-01-09T22:45:00.000-07:00

Last week, my 4th graders and I spent some time thinking about our reading goals for 2012. We began by jotting some thinking in our reader's notebooks around the guiding questions, "What can I do differently as a reader? What can I do to get better?"
We wrote... shared our thinking with one another... talked as a group... and then thought of a one word synthesis that best captured our hopes as readers. We had some grand conversations about the thinking that might guide our reading lives for the the next few weeks.
I had my students jot down their thinking, using their one-word as a heading. They wrote a synopsis of their reading wishes for the coming weeks. What an important way to gather thinking from my students in an authentic purposeful way. Here are a few of their ideas:

"Expand" Thinking about expanding helps as a reader because it lets your thinking flow more easily onto paper as if you were pouring water. Expanding means to try new things and to do different things... that connects to choice because sometimes you need to try or change new genres. (Brooklyn)
"Footage" Footage is like a giant web because it connects to a lot of circles. If I want to picture (or create footage), I might want to read a more descriptive book. I want to think about words when I choose books. If I can find the right book, my footage becomes more clear in my mind. (Nolan)
"Simplify" I want to somehow simplify my reading life because I think I'm taking too much of a challenge for myself as a reader. I can't just read a big fat book to get better, I have to understand to get better. I want to work up to where I can read thick books, so I just need to start out with a simple book. (Josh)
"Journey and Discover" Thinking about journey gives me a picture in my mind of a metaphor of walking into a forest and discovering new thinking for the book. I chose these words because I hope they will help me become a better reader than I am now. (Molly)
"Thinking" Thinking about my thinking and the responsibilities that come with reading is one of my goals as a reader. If I want to truly think about my book I also need to think about the choices I am making as a reader. I need to write more. I need to continue writing responses, but in higher levels. My thoughts and understanding can strengthen, but only if I make the proper choices. (Lauren)
"Sophistication" This is something that I need to watch myself on with the complexity of my text. I need to use my sense for it more often, to do so I must think carefully about not just the text sophistication, but my thinking sophistication. I will use this by not just grabbing some random book and start reading the words with no intention of thinking about "What in the world did I just read?" and actually going back to reread it. I must look through a wide variety and see what the book is about and carefully choose the one that fits best; like a puzzle. Then I must slowly read it and take the time to slow down. (Libby)
"Locked In" My new reading goal as a reader this year is to get locked into richer and better texts. Because, some of the books I was reading last year were like gloop (too easy). I want to get "locked in" as a reader and finish more books. I want to get "locked in" to new strategies. (Jack)

Nell Duke once said, "I don't think there's any goal we have for students that's greater than the goal of having them be able to make meaning from, and critically evaluate, the text that they're going to experience and encounter throughout their lives." My two word synthesis was "Choice and Voice" because those are the two things I want my students to discover for the remainder of the year. And, like Nell, I want my students to critically evaluate who they are becoming as readers... so that they can grow and continue thriving long after they walk out the door of our classroom in June. in Conferring: The Keystone of Reader's Workshop, I included a quote that we have hanging in our classroom, "Where choice lives, learning prospers!" It's so true...

Here's to a prosperous, reading-filled 2012! Cheers!

Forgotten Bookmarks... A Treasure

2011-12-15T14:56:00.001-07:00

I know what book I'm getting Christmas Eve. It's Forgotten Bookmarks by Michael Popek. Every Christmas Eve, my children open three gifts... a book, new pajamas, and an ornament. It's a tradition we started when our oldest was born 24 years ago. Of course, mom and dad get a book too. And, we always get a new family book to add to our Christmas book collection.
While we were shopping last week at the Tattered Cover, I slipped this gem into my shopping basket. MIchael Popek is a bookstore owner in New York and this book offers a collection of tidbits he's found in the used books they sell... stories, photographs, bookmarks, etc.
     In Forgotten Bookmarks the authors shares a collection of tidbits he's found. Of course, the readers, who long ago tucked the bits and pieces in the books they were reading, never knew their forgotten treasures would be captured in a book as lovely as this one!
     Poems, photographs, recipes, love letters... the items that Michel Popek includes in Forgotten Bookmarks are personal, humorous, and fascinating. It's like "pickers' for book lovers! I can't wait until Christmas Eve so I can dig deeper into this book. I know I'll laugh, cry, and ponder. I love old books... and I love when I find secrets within their pages (just last week I was reading a used book to my students and we found three four-leaf clovers someone had pressed in its pages)!

By the way, Mr. Popek as a website here and it's a perfect site to keep "bookmarked" as you read this book!

A Wonderful Endeavor...

2011-12-01T03:30:00.000-07:00

"The fledgling perched on the edge of her nest preparing for possible flight is a situation I can feel in the pit of my stomach: possible glory, possible failure. We all find ourselves there, and we make a decision. This story is about that choice, the internal debate that accompanies it, and one possible result." —Holly Meade

     Another wonderful book from our friends at Candlewick Press. This one I found at The Tattered Cover in Denver and it was the first book that I put in my basket on that shopping trip.
     Holly Meade is an incredible artist (check out her artwork by clicking on her name... some of my favorites prints are Shaker Joy, Stand Jackson, and Holy Trinity... beautiful). And, she's also an incredible illustrator and author. If I Never Forever Endeavor speaks to you on so many levels... risk taker, decision maker, contemplation seeker. It's the perfect book to nudge someone gently into a new phase of life or to overcome an obstacle. The line, "If I hadn't endeavored and found my wings clever, I never a sky would have scaled, never a world would have seen, and never a friend would have found," blew me away, made me want to fly! Friends of a feather, indeed!
   Do you ever run across a book at exactly the right time? Exactly when you need a nudge yourself? That's what happened to me when I read through this beautiful book. And, in the classroom I can see it used in some many ways... as a book to develop endurance... as a book to read aloud and let its words soak in... as a book to serve as lyrical text... as a book that deserves a special place in your classroom library. It has one in mine!

Just Fine the Way They Are...

2011-11-30T20:58:00.001-07:00

One of the books I picked up at NCTE is Just Fine the Way They Are by Connie Wooldridge. It was one of the books that caught my eye... first the subtitle From Dirt Road to Rail Road to Interstates. Then I was struck by the last page, which reads

"And then what do we get but a pack of crazy thinkers coming up with ideas about how to make cars run on things like electricity and fuel cells and even corn. Next thing they'll be saying is we don't even need cars or roads anymore because they've come up with something better.
All of which is plain nonsense. Because things are just fine they way they are..."

This book focuses on the question, "Change. Who needs it?" It begins with a tavern keeper who has a business along a rutted dirt road and it moves to the stage coach era of the mid-1800s then to the railroads... model T automobiles... and so on. It's really a book about movement... movement through the changes in the transportation system in our country.

And here we are today... moving briskly along super highways throughout the United States... and beyond. The author has captured the historical perspective of transportation and its role in our history, and she's done it beautifully. I love the illustrations by Richard Walz... whimsical, fitting, and inviting.

This book is going in the "Endurance and Stamina" basket in my classroom! I think students will love reading this enjoyable "history" of transportation and the role its changes have played in America!

Cousin Texts - Old and New

2011-11-10T20:46:00.001-07:00

I love using "cousin" texts... for writing instruction, thinking strategy work, read aloud, craft study, etc.

Last night at The Tattered Cover, I ran across Sammy in the Sky by Barbara Walsh (another winner by our friends at Candlewick Press). What a beautifully written book! As I read it to my students, we were struck not only by the story line, but by the craft itself. Afterward, I told my kids I thought we could use this book to learn a lot about the "tools" we need as writers... complex sentences, unique punctuation, etc. Of course, it's the kind of book that you have to let "drift into your heart and mind." The story of Sammy is touching and heartwarming... and serves as a launch for incredible notebook writing. I had to have it when I read it in the children's section... tears streaming down my face! By the way, it's illustrated by Jamie Wyeth, Andrew's son.

A cousin? Another book we shared this week Saying Goodbye to Lulu. Written in the same vain as Sammy in the Sky, it's an equally touching book written by Corinne Demas and illustrated by Ard Hoyt. We used it as a launch for a memory write and for many of my students, it unlocked that "saying goodbye" theme. Not all sadness by the way. I think sometimes a text likes this leads to writing that is poignant, but based in happy memories. This book tugs at heart strings, but influences young writers in a special way.

And another cousin? I'll Always Love You by Hans Wilhelm is another book that I loved; it's an older book, but it's always been a favorite. It was one of the first picture books in my collection and one I rely on often. Do I always use a "cousin" as a writing launch... no. This one is often a book I slip into a child's hands after he/she shares the pain of losing a pet with us. It's a wonderful book that helps young people realize that "it will be okay."

It was my friend, Colleen Buddy, who introduced me to the idea of "cousin texts" and it's a lesson I've never forgotten. But, what defines a cousin? Perhaps it's a cluster of books similar themes (like in this case), perhaps it's a cluster of books that follow the same structure, perhaps it's a cluster of books that share certain punctuation techniques, perhaps it's a cluster of books that share a specific content (ala text sets)... but however you define a "cousin," you can't go wrong when you invite your students to look for and notice how texts can become the best of companions... to enhance their reading, writing, and thinking!

I've linked all these authors on this entry, be sure to check their websites out!

Stars...

2011-11-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

What if you could have a star?

They shine like little silver eggs

you could gather in a basket.

What if you could find another brilliant book written by Mary Lyn Ray? What if it was illustrated by Marla Frazee? Well... Some days you feel shiny as a star. If you've done something important, people may call you a star. And that must be exactly how Mary Lyn Ray and Marla Frazee felt when they first say there collaboration in print. It's definitely a star!

I found this book at The Tattered Cover and is mysteriously found its way into my shopping basket. I felt in love with it. When I turned to the page that says Blow a ball of dandelion and you blow a thousand stars into the sky, I was sold! I know I say it all the time, but this could become one of my favorites! It's beautifully illustrated and beautifully written.

To me it speaks as a metaphor of stopping to observe, stopping to breath, stopping to take in the beauty around you... your child's smile, your dog's nudge, your wife's hand in yours. In this case, stars.

Put it on you list! It's a must have...

2011-11-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

11 Experiments That Failed by Jenny Offill & Nancy Carpenter is another whimsical book to add to your collection! I picked it up at The Tattered Cover on Friday night. What a fun book! Like 17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore, it is just a joy to read. I know, I know... the main character is a bit naughty. But her curiosity, innocence, and sincerity far outweigh the little things that make you cringe a bit when you read about some of her unconventional interactions with others. And, the beaver is back! The illustrations are absolutely amazing and make me smile!

I love the question/hypothesis format of the text. Based on a series of "experiments," with questions like Would gerbils like a bigger wheels? Can a live beaver be ordered through the mail? Is there a way to make stinky cheese smell better? the character explores unique ways to answer her questions. My favorite? When she sprinkles the dog with glitter... no, when she tests the aerodynamics of bologna in the lunchroom... no, when she washes dishes in the washing machine! Throughout this book, I found myself laughing out loud.

I found this book just in time for our study of How do wise readers use asking questions to enhance understanding? Jenny Offill writes with incredible insight and coupled with Nancy Carpenter's illustrations, this book is a great one to add to your shelf. I can't wait to share it with my students (Of course, my 7th grader took it off my pile while I was blogging and my wife read it aloud to her while cuddling on the sofa... which could be the cutest thing ever... I love that my 7th grader daughter still loves reading my new picture books).

A letter found in my files

2011-11-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I was looking through a few of my files and ran across another brilliant piece of writing by my friend Lois.

I've blogged about her before... she was a mentor, friend, and fellow teacher for many years. Lois died on June 23, 2008 after a lengthy battle with breast cancer. I wrote about her strength and endurance in Conferring: The Keystone of Reader's Workshop. And, not a day goes by that I don't think of my teaching days with Lois, Judy, and Randi (under the incomparable leadership of Laura)... those were the days... thinkers and learners, together! We mentored one another and asked big questions and children were always at the heart of our work and conversations and inquiry into "What can we do next?" I yearn for the professional discourse we shared... "all for one and one for all!"

Lois had a masters degree in Gifted Education and an amazing knack of meeting the needs of all children--those who were "dormant" and those who were "highly-abled." She looked at children as individuals (including her own three children). She was always reflecting on her teaching. She was always reflecting on the needs of her students. She was a writer, artist, mathematician... a teacher's teacher... and constantly honed her craft. Yet, she was one of the most humble and nonjudgmental people I've ever met... she was shy, until it was time to stand up for a child. She was not afraid to take a stand. I admired her courage.

In 1999, she wrote a letter to our "Student Support Team" (at that time part of the pre-referral process) after referring a child for "support" and she shared a copy with me. In kind, I thought I'd share it with you. Why? I find it apropos. I think it speaks to our need to support the learners in our care. I find it thought provoking. I think it's intriguing. I think Lois was a thinker before her time.

I'm using this letter as a bookmark in my current professional read. I've read this letter at least ten times in the last few weeks. Like Donald Graves, Lois was a teacher whose work will always remain current... the words of great thinkers continue to inspire me. Please enjoy her words, they speak for themselves!

I think Lois wouldn't mind my sharing it (I removed names and pronouns to make it generic):

January 31, 1999

Dear Members of the Student Support Team:

Even though many of the members are my close friends and respected colleagues, I have found taking a student to this committee a frustrating experience. In my opinion, issues of timeliness, purpose and respect are important for us all to examine.

First of all, dealing with this committee has caused extreme delays in getting help for my students. I submitted three names to the committee two months ago. You just got around to the first of my students this week. Now we have another six weeks of "interventions" before the follow up meeting on March 11. In my opinion, twelve weeks of delay is unacceptable and unnecessary. Who knows when you plan to begin my other two students?

Secondly, the purpose of my referral was misunderstood. The student I referred is not failing. ___ is not failing because of the many interventions (which apparently you do not count as interventions) put in place my myself, by specials teachers, by previous teachers, and by very concerned and conscientious parents. My point, as stated on the pre-referral form, was that all these interventions should not be necessary for a student who appears to be competent in many ways. I believe there is something wrong with ___ processing of information and am concerned that the middle school staff will not be as diligent as we have been. This ___ with so much potential is in danger of getting lost in the system and may give up. More interventions, while welcome in many situations, were not appropriate in this case.

Finally, there is the issue of respect. Brainstorming, in front of parents, such solutions as preferential seating and presentation of directions auditorally and visually was insulting and demeaning to me as a classroom teacher. If this is necessary for some teachers, parents do not need to be present to hear it.

In conclusion, the present system for S.S.T. is cumbersome, ineffective and insulting. Please withdraw the names of my other two students, ___ and ___ from future consideration. I will find other ways to deal with their problems. With all the criticism of public education today, we do not need to do this to each other.

Sincerely,

Lois

Grief Points

2011-09-12T21:31:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was sitting in church listening to our pastor talk about "grief points." He posed the question... What are your grief points? Death of a loved one. Loss of a good friend. A tragedy in your family. He got us thinking a bit about how we've dealt with our personal grief points and moved forward... filled with faith, hope, and love. I spent some time reflecting on the points in my life when I was grieving and I can filter each one through those three words.

He reminded us of the grief points our nation has experienced, there have been many... most recently the events of September 11, 2001. And how, although we can never forget the events of that horrific September morning, we've found strength to move forward as a nation. Not forgetting, but moving forward. Each of us dealing with the tragedy in our own way... filtering things through our own beliefs systems.

He read us Paul's words, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13: 12-13

Last night, as my wife and I watched television, we chatted about the amazing stories that emerged from across the nation in response to 9/11... and the events that unfolded across this great country. Amazing stories... of faith... of hope... and of love!

- - - - - - - - -

Most of my fourth graders were born in 2001, so on Friday I spent a few simple minutes talking to them about the events of that day. I reminded them it was important that they go home and talk to their parents.

I told them I was on my way to an all-day staff developer's meeting that morning and heard the news on the radio. I remember driving to the foothills and watching the temperature gauge in my car rising, little by little. When I arrived at the destination, obviously we canceled our meeting (many of my fellow colleagues tried to reach their loved ones across the country, including family members who worked in Manhattan). So, I drove home to see my own children, but on the way out of the hills, my car's water pump went out... and I spent the rest of the morning waiting for a tow truck to pick me up in a Safeway parking lot. It gave me plenty of time to craft an entry in my writer's notebook, a simple reflection of what I still didn't know was going on across our nation.

I shared several entries from Messages to Ground Zero with my students on Friday. It was compiled by Shelley Harwayne. A brilliant collection of writings and drawings from children that she, as superintendent, collected and categorized. If you haven't seen it, you should get a copy. It's a brilliant tribute! And, it's told through the voices of children. Beautiful.

I also shared three poems I saved that my third and fourth graders wrote when we returned to school in November (we were tracked off - year round school). I'm so glad I saved them... enjoy their words!

Firefighters

I always thought of firefighters as people

who save other people from fires,

but now I think a lot more than that

when I hear the word

firefighters.

I think of brave men and woman risking

their lives for others.

I think of people who were

searching through rubble hoping

to find someone alive.

I think of going into that

burning building.

Most of all, I think of the day

when terrorists

took over our lives and hearts.

September 11, 2001 is a day I’ll never forget.

I don’t think anyone will forget that terrible day,

but what ever happens,

those fire fighters

will always be there to protect

our beautiful country.

Ashley I.

November 2001

The Terrorist

Planes crash. Children scream.

I turn to see a burning building.

I shiver--part angrily, part scared.

Questions pop up like popcorn,

but none I can answer.

I wake up to find that I’m safe

in my bed and my family is all right.

I try to fall asleep again, but I can’t stop thinking about the terrorist.

I shiver once more.

Rowan C.

November 2001

The Flag Still Stands Tall

The Moment Strikes.

The horror comes.

Terrorist pictures run through my mind.

As I watch the t.v. blanklishly, I wonder,

What will happen next?

I look in the background to see

the flag still stands tall.

Ashley W.

November 2001

The Story of Charlotte's Web

2011-08-31T20:48:00.001-06:00

I remember years ago when my friend Cheryl shared a photograph of E.B. White with me from her classroom calendar. Famous writers writing in their favorite "writing spots" filled each month's pages, black and white photographs coupled with a quote by the featured author. E.B. White sitting alone at a typewriter at a plain oak table in his barn was one of the images. It was poignant.
I've always loved E.B. White's writing. It's charming. It's simple. It's often poignant. And, sometimes strange subject matter aside, his writing is just brilliant. And, like most of you, I think Charlotte's Web is his most endearing piece of work. His description of the barn is, by all accounts, the most delicious, detailed, and delectable text I think I've ever read (of course, it helps that I spent summer's exploring the nooks and crannies of my sister's barn)! I shudder when I read it!*
   When I was at The Tattered Cover a few weeks ago, The Story of Charlotte's Web caught my eye... perhaps because of the simplicity of the cover which includes the picture of E.B. White as a child. It made it into my shopping basket. And, I'm so glad it did!
   Michael Sims has paid humble homage to White in this book. E.B. White, shy and unassuming, makes for delightful subject matter. Sims explores White's life, his writing, and his connection to nature with depth and candor. He spends most of the book exploring Charlotte's Web from both the point of view of a writer and a philosopher. Michael Sims writes about White with utmost respect.
     I love that White describes himself as a "writing fool" as a child and I think my students will love to hear that. In today's program-oriented climate, I worry sometimes that we're not nurturing our students to become "writing fools" as much as we are nudging them into the realms of "foolish writing!" Sometimes it takes a detailed account of a writer's life to remind us what that life can and should look like... full of words, poetry, essay, exploration, research, and writing! Sometimes we have to be reminded of what a writer is... and, in turn, help define for our students what power writing brings to their young lives (and ourselves perhaps)!
NPR did a wonderful story on this book. Why not take a read and a listen! "It's not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both" (White, 1952, p. 184). In this case, both White and Sims are tremendous writers!

*White's description is a great cousin text to the beginning pages of The Winter Room by Gary Paulsen.

Me... Jane - Patrick McDonnell... Brilliant!

2011-08-06T10:08:00.000-06:00

My daughter knows Patrick McDonnell because "Mutts" is one of her favorite comics (and she was happy to learn that there is the possibility of a Mutts movie). I know Patrick McDonnell because he is a brilliant author and illustrator. Together, we discovered Me... Jane (check out the video on Patrick McDonnell's site) on our recent shopping spree at The Tatter Cover here in Denver.
     We have enjoyed The Gift of Nothing and Wag! and Art... but we both fell head-over-heels in love with Me... Jane. Perhaps because it tells the story of Dr. Jane Goodall from a different perspective, beginning with her stuffed chimpanzee named Jubilee and ending with a subtle "to awake one day... to her dream come true." The text ends so softly and beautifully! When we read it together, side-by-side at the bookstore, an audible gasp could be heard between us... my sixth grade daughter and I breathing in the brilliance of Me... Jane as we read it "once for our heads... and then again for our hearts." (Conferring, p. 52 - and, thanks to my friend Randi Allison for introducing me to this concept).
     The book tells us the story of Jane Goodall as I've never read it before... and it's written with rhythm, simplicity, and gentleness. When you open to the page with the drawing of Jane lying with Jubilee hand-in-hand, the words, "It was a magical world full of joy and wonder, and Jane felt very much a part of it," you, too, will gasp! Patrick McDonnell takes us on a journey through Jane's childhood that I can't stop thinking about... and I keep wondering, "Are we instilling the same sense of wonder, passion, and inquisitiveness in our own children or students?"
     I can't get this book out of my mind. As I started school this week, looking into the faces of 29 different learners, I pondered this book and its message of hope. Are we, as teachers, doing enough to nudge and encourage the future Janes of the world, given the fact that our world is so ever-changing? Are we, as teachers, given the time, authentic resources, and freedom to let children explore their passions? Are we, as teachers, providing enough choice in our classrooms for inquiry to flourish? And, how can we, in a place called school, do more... esp. when more and more our teaching transactions are dictated by mandates, programs, and achievement pressure knocking on our doors daily telling us what's important and how exactly to teach. Important to ponder, no?
     For me, it's books like Me... Jane that I need to keep in mind as I begin this school year. It's the joy that my daughter and I felt when we read this book together that I have to keep in mind as I try to blend the "mandates" with my real purpose as a teacher. I can't wait to read it to my students... it's going in my "Endurance" basket.
     Check it out... it's lovely! As you read it, like Jane, you will feel "your own heart beating, beating, beating."

No One But You

2011-07-26T22:11:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow I go back to school. As usual, I'm pondering the new year a lot. My mind has been racing for the last week! I still have about 100 things to do... and a short time to do it. It seems as if summer just started. Tomorrow I have a ton of work to do!
      To relax a bit today, I spent the afternoon at one of our local independent bookstores, The Tattered Cover. It's always such a treat to spend the afternoon shopping with your children, perusing the shelves. My youngest son and daughter went with me! We had a great time drinking coffee (and hot chocolate), perusing, and chatting about books. My son came with us and then I dropped him downtown to join his friends at Tha Myx (His youth group joins them periodically for service events). It was a great afternoon.*
   My daughter and I found ourselves in the children's department for nearly two hours... just long enough to fill two bags with books. My son hung out in the music section...
     No One But You by Douglas Wood is one of the books that made it into my overflowing basket. There was something provocative about the book... from the the cover illustration to the narrative text to the last line, I was hooked. I was looking for a book to start out the year with... (last year it was Necks Out For Adventure by Timothy Basil Ering. We used it as our "theme" for the year... rereading it several times and asking "How are we sticking our necks out right now?").
   This book ends, "And no one – no one in all the wide world but you - can feel the feelings in your heart, knowing that someone loves you…and saying words only your lips can say; 'I love you, too.' No one but you." It's a perfect sentiment, "No One But You!" As I read through the book, I realized that it's going to be our "go to" book this year. I'm reading it the first week as we talk about ownership, exploration, and growth. Who's in charge? "No one but you..."
   I think it's the perfect book to start out the year (thanks again, Candlewick Press for publishing such great books). I love the text (even though it's not school specific) and the illustrations are amazing. I can't wait to share it with my students!

- - - - - - - -

Thanks for the gift certificate... you know who you are! It was a special treat even though it's taken me this long to get there!

I'll be blogging a bit about some of my other finds! Stay tuned.

Tales of a Gambling Grandma

2011-07-01T09:25:00.000-06:00

Tales of a Gambling Grandma by Dayla Kaur Khalsa is one of those books that you find in your stacks and say, "Oh, I love this one!" It's a story told through the eyes of a young girl who loves and adores her grandmother as "told to her by her grandmother."
   I love using snippets of this book during a study of memoir or personal narrative. I've also used snippets when encouraging children to write about one of their "heroes." It also lends itself to a study of worthy sentences or grand punctuation.
     It's a delightful read and as you move through the pages, you can't help but think about your own grandmother, grandfather, mother, or father. It's perfect for nudging a ten-minute write in writer's notebook... in your own or in a student's. It's a perfect read to stretch any writer.
     My friend Cathy recommended this book to me. And, I'm so glad she did. It's endearing and charming, funny and sad, complex and captivating. Lines like, "My grandma sat like a flowering mountain in her big green garden chair." or "There were occasional visitors under our willow tree--other children in a quiet mood, the next-door cat on its way somewhere else, the mailman, and two tall nuns who lived around the corner." or "I sat in a chair in her silent kitchen, with no soap opera, and ate a sandwich cut only in two."  The writing is often explicit, often simple... a perfect text to mentor young writers.
     Although not everyone will have the experience of having a "gambling grandma" or growing up in New York, everyone can experience the gift of good writing. I'm so glad I picked up this old favorite from my stacks and read it again...
     I can't wait to use it in writer's workshop next year. Now just to fit it into the right study...

Guest Blogging - Two Writing Teachers

2011-06-27T19:41:00.001-06:00

Hello Readers,

I am "guest blogging" on Ruth and Stacey's blog on or around the first of July. I spent a little time reflecting on my journey with my friend, Randi Allison, and the learning we've done together for the past 25 years.

Randi just retired after 27 years of teaching, learning, and growing. I can't wait to see where her journey leads her for the years ahead.

Take a gander! I think you'll enjoy it...

Patrick

Ahh... Van Allsburg!

2011-06-15T12:39:00.000-06:00

I've been a fan of Chris Van Allsburg for most of my career. I remember listening to him as I sat on the floor of The Bookies (our local bookstore) more years ago than I like to count (he looked so "bookish" in his tweed jacket with leather patched sleeves)! He was one of the first children's authors I saw up close and personal. I remember my first encounter with his work when my wife, then girlfriend, shared Jumanji with me when we were both in college. She read it for her children's literature class and we were both in awe. Since then he's become one of my (our) favorite illustrators and writers (My favorite book is Bad Day at Riverbend).
   What I love most about his work is that he stretches curiosity. He piques interest. He expands vocabulary. He takes risks. He weaves surrealism into the every day lives of the reader. He moves beyond ordinary to extraordinary. He always takes me on a journey of thought and challenges me as a reader. And his illustrations are always amazing and unique!
     I was excited to see Queen of the Falls! And, it doesn't disappoint... Once again, Chris Van Allsburg moved be through an exciting journey (leaning on nonfiction this time) as a reader. In the book, Van Allsburg tells the story of 62-year-old Annie Edson Taylor, who in 1901 becomes the "first" person to go over Niagara Falls! What else was a "charming" woman to do when her charm school closed? Make a name for herself. She becomes the "Queen" after attempting something only the bravest daredevil might consider... what a lady! It's written and drawn beautifully.
     This is the perfect book to add to your Van Allsburg collection. I can see using it when we talk about "endurance and stamina" as learners. I think it shows the kind of persistence, courage, and introspection that learners need to be successful. I'm so glad Chris Van Allsburg decided to take on this exciting topic with his genius. I hope it's not the last time he tackles a story like this one. I remain a fan!

It Takes Commitment

2011-06-14T10:54:00.004-06:00

I’ve been thinking a lot about commitment. The commitments we make are sometimes overwhelming—teaching, parenting, relationships. While I was exploring the meaning of the term commitment, I found an interesting article online (on a leadership site, which, by the way, I know nothing about, but I liked the premise). It stated:

A great business leader once said: "...the basic philosophy, spirit, and drive of an organization have far more to do with its relative achievements than do technological or economic resources, organizational structure, innovation, and timing. All these things weigh heavily in success. But they are, I think, transcended by how strongly the people in the organization believe in its basic precepts and how faithfully they carry them out." (from Thomas J. Watson, Jr., A Business and its Beliefs - The ideas that helped build IBM).

As true as this is for the success of a corporation, it is even more so for the individual. The most important single factor in individual success is COMMITMENT. Commitment ignites action. To commit is to pledge yourself to a certain purpose or line of conduct. It also means practicing your beliefs consistently. There are, therefore, two fundamental conditions for commitment. The first is having a sound set of beliefs. There is an old saying that goes, "Stand for something or you'll fall for anything." The second is faithful adherence to those beliefs with your behavior. Possibly the best description of commitment is "persistence with a purpose".

I love the term “persistence with a purpose.” In the classroom, I’ve done a lot of work with my students around the idea of “Learning with a Spirit of Endurance” (see Conferring: The Keystone of Reader’s Workshop for more information). And, while I’ve explored stamina and endurance with students, in terms of their learning, I think I’m going to go after the idea of persistence with a purpose with them next year. To strengthen endurance, I think it takes both commitment and persistence.

Case in point – Exercise. The dreaded “E” word!

For the past five weeks, I’ve committed to exercising every day. I’ve started doing P90X© for the SECOND time (I didn’t have right attitude the first time). And, now I’m committing to not giving up. In fact, to strengthen my commitment to getting in shape, I signed up to be coach with the Beachbody organization. I’ve also started incorporating another exercise program, RevAbs©, an at-home exercise program designed to burn fat and strengthen core abdominal muscles. Why become a coach – it’s made me accountable both to myself and to others. Isn’t accountability an important aspect of commitment?

For the past year, I’ve been sedentary, a couch potato. I admit it, it’s been longer than that (but one year makes it sound a bit more forgiving)… but, because of the encouragement of my friends, Troy and Jarod, I’ve gotten up off the couch. Through our conversations, text messages, and consistent nudges, we’ve all made a renewed commitment to exercise. Mind you, I don’t look like the guy on the DVD; in fact sometimes I curse him when I’m working out. But the point is, I’m trying. Taking a 51-year-old body and putting it through daily rituals and routines, can’t help but improve my health!

I’ve also committed to better eating. I am an eater. My mother was a restaurant owner – one fine and dandy cook. And, fortunately/unfortunately, she passed the love of cooking and eating on to me! So I’ve decided to make better choices. I’ve committed to drinking a Shakeology© shake every day as a meal replacement (it's an amazing product by the way, click on the link and read about it). This choice alone has strengthened my endurance as I exercise. I feel so much better energy wise (it’s doing a lot internally that I don’t even realize). I’ve tried to be flexible and try something new.

My older brother immediately responded, “Not interested!” when I told him about my new health regime. But after watching our father have his leg amputated from complications of diabetes (according to the National Diabetes Association, more than 60% of nontraumatic lower-limb amputations occur with people with diabetes) and seeing our mother suffer through complications of diabetic gangrene, I realized that I had to become a decision-maker. I had to commit to making sure that I’m doing what I can to prevent the same fate. Eliminating body fat is one step in the right direction. Perhaps my demonstration and modeling will help my brother change his mind next time we see each other.

Commitment is gradual. I’ve seen my friend Troy journey through a complete transformation of mind and body (we originally started at the same time, he kept going, I gave up… Then I made excuses, “You’re ten years younger!” or “I don’t have time!”). Recently, I've watched him and wondered, “Why couldn't I do that?” Through sharing and cooperation, he has helped me see that the benefits of making a commitment will pay off in the long term. Troy checks in with me, he supports me, and he listens. He’s a good coach, and more importantly, a good friend—he’s given me a tremendous amount of support as I begin making exercise an important part of my daily life! In turn, he has encouraged my independence and I’ve passed my learning on to Jarod.

So what does this have to do with learning? Everything. The article I found also said, “Commitment is most difficult and most readily proven during tough times. How someone weathers the storms most clearly demonstrates their basic beliefs. In antiquity, Epicurus stated: "...a captain earns his reputation during the storms." So as I end this school year and begin a new one, I’m going to take this idea of commitment and incorporate it into our workshops. As I continue my new regime, I'm going to explore what other aspects of my new learning I can bring to the conversation.
As learners, persistence with a purpose will be a moniker of our time together!

Finding a Voice - The Clever Stick

2011-06-12T06:54:00.001-06:00

The Clever Stick by John Lechner is another sweet little find that my students loved when I shared it with them recently. We've done so much talk about creating metaphor to explain our thinking that my students immediately started wrapping this text around the work we've done as learners this year. Case in point, one of my students said: "The stick is like me, Mr. Allen, sometimes I have something really important to say and you always make sure that I get to talk about my thinking, write about my thinking and share my thinking with others."
     This book is almost fable-like. It's really about finding your voice. In the text, a stick that is "sharp" has so many things to say, but can't think of a way to get his thinking out... until he comes up with a creative way to let all his thinking flow for others to see. It starts... "Once upon a time there was a clever stick. Ever since he had fallen off the tree he had been sharp..."
   From the beginning, this simple text is filled with humor and wonderful lines. I can see using it as a mentor text in writing. But, more importantly, I'm thinking it will be a wonderful launching point to our discussion of "trust, tone, and respect" next year as I begin with a new group of learners. Bringing clarity and honesty to our workshops is something I work on with my students on a regular basis. Helping them find their voices as learners is such a critical aspect of a well-running, "trust-filled" learning environment. The Clever Stick is a perfect addition to a constantly growing list of books that I've collected that illustrate the importance of building independence... slowly, gradually, and metaphorically.
   This is a perfect book to add to your classroom picture book collection, whether you're a first grade teacher or an eighth grade teacher. It's quaint simplicity adds to its richness!

LIterature That Supports the Workshop Structure

2011-06-07T22:15:00.001-06:00

I'm always searching for books to use to reintroduce my students to the workshop structure... books we can compare to our work as learners. Next year as I revisit the rituals, routines, and roles of the workshop structure (reader's, writer's, mathematician's, etc.), I've found two new choices. It's important for us to talk about the specifics of the structure of the workshop (crafting, composing, reflecting) and to define our roles within that structure as learners (I wrote about this in Conferring: The Keystone of Reader's Workshop). Although the structure of the workshop is a familiar one, I think students need opportunities to explore the structure in new learning environments, contexts, and with varied expectations from teacher to teacher. I've run across two nice choices:

     The first book is Workshop by Andrew Clements (recommended by my friend, Lori). It's a simple book that describes the "tools" necessary to have at the ready in a workshop... the book is written in free-verse, wonderfully written. The late David Wisniewski's artwork is beautiful cut-paper. Throughout the text, a young apprentice assists in the creative of a carousel. It introduces the reader to the "tools" necessary to create something worth building with pride and care. I'm thinking it will be a nice companion text to use during our beginning of the year discussions of the "tools" we use as learners... comparing and contrasting a wonderful metaphor for learning.
     The second book is Wendel's Workshop by Chris Riddell. In this book, Wendal is a mouse inventor... who experiments, starts over, experiments, starts over. He invents a robot name Clunk to help tidy up his experiments, but eventually sends Clunk to the junk pile after he makes a few frustrating mistakes (Clunk is, well, Clunky and awkward). Wendle then builds a bigger, more aggressive robot named Wendelbot, who goes a bit "wacko" and sends Wendel to the junk heap only to be reunited with Clunk. Using the remains of his previous experiments--broken pieces and parts--he creates an army of robots to take over the workshop. In the classroom, I will use this text to discuss the decision-making involved in experimentation and developing endurance as learners. It's a quaint little book. Simple story line, but with a message that can be easily compared to the workshop structure!
It's important that we talk to learners about the workshop structure. It's important that help learners their roles and responsibilities within the workshop structure. It's important to challenge students to view their learning through the lens of literature and how their responsibilities fit within the workshop structure.
     Is there a better way than through the use of literature?

Junonia - A Gem

2011-06-01T16:11:00.001-06:00

I just picked up Kevin Kenkes's Junonia. It's a wonderful little story about a girl named Alice who vacations in Florida each year. As she turns ten, she's worried about her birthday... worried it won't be the perfect birthday.

As she goes to celebrate with her family, she has to deal with a lot of changes occurring in Sanibel Island (her family's yearly vacation spot)... this year's vacation is different from vacations of the past. She comes to love the cottage neighbors, but this year one of her favorites is not there. Alice has to deal with her mother's friend and her boyfriend's daughter... a six-year-old! There's an awkwardness to turning ten that Henkes captures beautifully in this book... about the changes children go through and how they handle it.
He helps Alice move through the changes she's experiencing beautifully. Henkes writes about Alice's life in such a poignant and stunning way. During her trip, Alice longs to find a rare junonia shell for her collection, but takes with her so much more... memories and remembrances to last a lifetime. From the pitter patter of rain to the feelings that Alice experiences, Henkes captures the life of a ten-year-old in such a gentle and thoughtful way. I loved this book!

You can listen to Kevin Henkes talk about the book and why it's so important to him. Such a purposeful and thoughtfully written book. I just gave it to my daughter to read and I can't wait for her review!

Making Learning Whole - "Light" Summer Reading

2011-05-25T19:28:00.001-06:00

David Perkins is the co-director of Harvard's Project Zero*. In Making Learning Whole, he introduces seven principals of teaching that take a revised look at wise practice. Building the book around a baseball metaphor, Dr. Perkins offers a compelling look at what we can do to enhance learning. Thank you to my friend and colleague, Missy Matthews, for recommending it at our last "Friday Freaks" get-together.

This is not a "how to" book, it's not filled with easy answers that provide a step-by-step notion of teaching. BUT, if you're interesting in taking your philosophy to new depth--to rethink how you look at learning and to reflect thoughtfully on your own practice--this is a terrific read. It's fodder for thought!

Dr. Perkins develops a framework for teaching that is both practical and research-oriented. And since it's a framework, it's not explicitly developed as a "do this" type of text, but more of a "think about this" guide. His seven principles for making learning whole include:

Play the whole game
Make the game worth playing
Work on the hard parts
Play out of town
Uncover the hidden game
Learn from the team... and the other teams
Learn the game of learning

     Dr. Perkins talks about approaching the complexity of learning with wonder and placing a focus on understanding. He ends each chapter with a one-page "Wonders of Learning" synthesis related to the seven concepts he espouses. He talks about motivation and the importance of sustaining learning. He talks about the importance of knowing and emphasizing sustained learning. He talks about how to develop self-managed learners. I think Making Learning Whole is a perfect cousin text to Ellin Keene's To Understand.
     If you're like me, you plan on spending some time reflecting on your practice over the summer. If you're like me, you're always looking for research-oriented support for your deeply held beliefs as a teacher and learner. If you're like me, you're looking for "real-world" applications of learning and trying to identify the needs of the 21st Century learner.
   Some of my favorite quotes from the book are:

"Do not read this book too carefully. By all means look through it, but if you discover ideas that seem provocative, try something soon."
"The problem of content is simple: Teach today what learners will need to understand and act on tomorrow. Unfortunately, both as individuals living our personal lives and in a larger social sense we only know roughly from trends and guesses what tomorrow ill be like. Tomorrow is a moving target."
"Good work on the hard parts is one of the fundamental structural challenges of teaching and learning."
If much of what we taught highlighted understandings of wide scope, with enlightenment, empowerment, and responsibility in the foreground, there is every reason to think that youngsters would retain more, understand more, and use more of what they learned."
Here is a simple but surprisingly revealing plan for such a dig: 1) What is one thing you understand really well? 2) How did you come to understand it? 3) How do you know you understand it?

I can imagine reading Making Learning Whole with a small group of colleagues and having rich conversation about the purpose and practice of wise teaching... any takers? I can't wait to dig deeper into this book! It may just nudge my thinking in a new direction.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

*Ron Ritchhart also works as a researcher at Project Zero. His research focuses on understanding how to develop, nurture, and sustain thoughtful learning environments. He is the author of Intellectual Character: What it is, Why it matters, and How to get it. Check it out if you haven't read it!

Katherine Hannigan... and Her Plans to Enrich our Reading Lives

2011-05-24T23:16:00.000-06:00

Don't you love Katherine Hannigan? Ida B. is one of my favorite books for children. And with True (Sort of...) she's added a compelling new book to my growing list of "must haves." I secretly love the covers of her books, books that are as beautiful between the pages as they are on the outside!
There's something endearing about Delly, the main character of this book. She's got a rough edge about her and makes decisions to change. She forms special relationship with Ferris Boyd, her little brother Brud, and RB which creates for us, the reader, something special. Together, the four characters teach us so much about compassion and caring... and by the end we grow to love them. Four friends who eventually help each other deal with life.
I love that Ms. Hannigan writes about teachers with such honest light. Lionel Terwilliger is the teacher in this book. I read that Ms. Hannigan says about the teachers in her books, "I focus on the wonderful ones, though, because that's what I'd wish for every kid every day!" Perhaps that's why I find her books so intriguing, because she finds those of us in our profession so intriguing!

When you read a book by Katherine Hannigan, you leave for the better. You leave with a little more compassion. You leave with a little more insight about childhood. You leave with an understanding of smart writing craft. You leave with some laughter. Most importantly, you leave knowing that her next book can't help but be beautifully written.

In Ida B. . . and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possible) Save the World, Katherine wrote: "I closed my eyes, put my right hand on top of the book, and passed it lightly across the cover. It was cool and smooth like a stone from the bottom of the brook, and it stilled me. A whole other world is inside there, I thought to myself, and that's where I want to be." That's exactly what I did when I picked up True (Sort of...). I knew I wanted to be in her book as soon as possible! It's a great find.

Around the World... Matt Phelan

2011-05-22T21:10:00.004-06:00

Matt Phelan has a wonderful blog, have you seen it? If not, check it out by clicking on his name. He's become one of my favorite illustrators.
Of course, when I saw his latest graphic novel at IRA, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It's a whimsical journey about three adventurers--Thomas Stevens, Joshua Slocum, and Nellie Bly. Thomas Stevens traveled in 1884 from San Francisco to Boston on a 50-inch bicycle. Joshua Slocum was the first man to sail solo around the world in 1895. Nellie Bly was a pioneer journalist who traveled around the world to beat the record of Phileas Fogg in 1889. In typical Matt Phelan detail, he captures their adventures in graphic form. It's beautifully drawn (as was his previous graphic novel, The Storm in the Barn) and he captures each tale in the spirit in which each adventurer must have lived. He weaves an exciting story of three historical characters who whose bold endurance and stamina go beyond bravery. Their willingness to focus on tasks some thought were unattainable paved the way for others who dared to dream! The first line... It all began, as many great adventures begin, with a story... is perfect!

I have the Advance Reading Copy from Candlewick Press and I can't wait to see the full color copy (coming October 2011). If you're like me, you'll fall in love with his artwork. Brilliant!

I can see using parts of this book during a study of inferring. But, mostly, I think it will help learners see how important it is to have a dream... and to go for it!

And thank you to Candlewick Press for the copy of the book!

Passing it Down...

2011-05-20T23:16:00.002-06:00

Passing the Music Down by Sarah Sullivan is a wonderful book published by Candlewick Press. As I was perusing the display at the Candlewick Press booth at IRA in Orlando, this text caught my eye. I knew immediately it was a picture book I needed (even before I opened to the first page I knew I had to have it... Ironically, I read a quote this week that said, "You can only judge a book by its cover until you open it up and read it.")! Sarah Sullivan's lyrical words, combined with Barry Root's illustrations portray a lovely relationship between two musicians and describes a tie that binds them together... their love of music!
   The author based the book on the true story of Melvin Wine and Jake Krack, who performed together and became friends (although they were 75 years apart in age). The author's note in the back of the book describes their relationship and their musical journey together. Jake first met Melvin when Jake was nine-years-old and Melvin was 86-years-old. Together they played fiddle tunes... Melvin taught Jake what he knew so he could carry on the "old tunes"... and since Melvin's death, his legacy continues because of Jake's love for the fiddle (and his parents support of his musical interest)!
     Like a katydid in spring, the boy's heart dances. "Will you teach me all your tunes?" he asks with a gulp. "Will you show me how they go? I want to play like you." And so he did.
   Passing the Music Down made me think about legacy. It pays homage to the kind of skills that can only be passed down from generation to generation, person to person, mentor to "mentoree." It reminds me of what we do in our classrooms every day, the things we pass on to the learners in our care. Things that can't be measured, documented, or collected. The things that children leave with tucked in their hearts that they'll carry on long after they leave our classroom. And, I thought... "What are the things my students are leaving with this year?" That's a question I'm going to explore in my notebook!

   I have book on my personal writing shelf called Legacy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Personal History by Linda Spence. It's a guide to capturing memories by writing in response to open-ended questions. Though meant for adults, I've used parts of it with children to get them writing in their notebooks, planting seeds for future writing projects.
     Passing the Music Down reminded me that as writers we need to explore our legacies on a regular basis. Perhaps it will be the perfect text to inspire children to write about something that they've learned from someone else... perhaps legacy writing will be a genre I'll have to remember as I think about next year's plan for writer's workshop. I may have to couple these texts.
   In the meantime, I'm going to reread Passing the Music Down. It's a great metaphor for our teaching. It's a great picture book. It's a beautifully written story.
   The fiddler lifts his bow and plays the old-time tune. There's an echo in his heart as he saws out a rrrrip! He hears the old man's voice in a memory deep inside. Play that fiddle, son. You got to pass the music down.

And thank you to Candlewick Press for the copy of the book!

From a Friend...

2011-05-19T12:30:00.001-06:00

I have a group of ten colleagues (we call ourselves the "Friday Freaks") that gathers on the first Friday of nearly every month (for the past ten years) to share books, writing, thinking... and friendship! One of our rituals is to bring "new finds" that inspire our lives and our teaching. Our friend, Missy, brought The Book That Changed My Life: 71 Remarkable Writers Celebrate the Books That Matter Most to Them to our last gathering. It's edited by Roxanne J. Coady and Joy Johannessen. I immediately ordered it!

In the book, 71 influential literary professionals share their thinking about the most influential books in their lives. It's an amazingly rich and diverse collection of contributors. And, it's a grand collection of books that each person lists as they describe how it "influenced" their lives. From The Little Engine That Could to Atlas Shrugged to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn to The Bible, each contributors describes how his or her reading and writing life has been changed because of one book. Roxanne J. Coady ends her introduction by saying, "Apart from the sheer beauty of the essays, they are a dramatic reminder that everywhere, every day, someone is changed, perhaps even saved, by words and stories." It's so true.

I think I'm going to be using this one as a launching point for my students as readers next year. Mentor text to guide them to write about the books that have shaped who they are becoming as readers. I shared it with my fourth graders today and we talked about the "books we must read before we leave fourth grade." Given the fact that we have only five weeks left, we've decided that we need to refocus, reconnect, and revitalize our reading lives as we finish the year. I think this book will provide a springboard for our continued growth.

What's the book that has most influenced your reading life? Why? It's a wonderful question! And, it's worth exploring...

Like, um, Pickle Juice...

2011-05-06T12:28:00.001-06:00

"I had a bad August.

A very bad August.

As bad as pickle juice on a cookie.

As bad as a spider web on your leg.

As bad as the black parts on a banana.
I hope your August was better.

I really do."

So starts Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie by Julie Sternberg. There's something pleasantly sweet and enduring about this little novel. It's the perfect example of a writer taking childhood moments and expanding them in to a rich and well-woven story. I may be reading it aloud to my sixth grader at home. Why? Because I think it's exactly the kind of "chapter book" that a sixth grader could write, if he or she wanted to write one!

There's a sense of warmth and gentleness and humor woven throughout this tale. And, I think it's a text that young readers and writers can connect to... simple, well-written, free verse. Young readers will find the text accessible. Young writers will say, "I think I can write something similar!" It's charming.

I chose it because "pickle juice" is a favorite term used around our house. You're so full of pickle juice! You smell like pickle juice! What's it in this chicken that makes it taste so good... um, pickle juice! And while I solely chose it for the title... within its pages I found a delightful novel. A great read aloud for young readers too. I think it captures the spirit of childhood perfectly.

Thanks again, Don Brown!

2011-04-03T11:56:00.000-06:00

Another great book by Don Brown. He's taken his rightful place on to my list of all-time favorite authors. Gold! Gold From the American River! is just one of the reasons why.

In this book, Don Brown recounts the time when James Marshall finds a small shiny rock in a stream in California. The result? The California gold rush.

In this book, Brown recounts the amazing journey of the gold rush and its significance in our history. He tells about the difficult journey of traveling across the country to find fortune. He tells the stories of wise entrepreneurs who made their fortune and those whose hard labor made it happen. Using accounts from archives of actual firsthand accounts, he captures the true essence of this important aspect of our country's history.

Don Brown's website says, "Don connects history to student's lives. He introduces them to the struggles of real people, and explores the nature of perseverance and its importance to achievement." And, no matter the subject, he does just that.

I first discovered Don Brown's work with Odd Boy Out, one of the books I use to talk to my students about "endurance and stamina" (I write about this in Conferring: The Keystone of Reader's Workshop). And, with each subsequent book he's written, I've added Don Brown's work to my growing stack of books that show learners why developing endurance is important.

I love the personal accounts of the forty-niners and their experiences during the gold rush... it was treacherous, arduous, and filled with toil. The illustrations add to the difficult, often tragic, account of the gold hunters and miners as they encounter difficulties. And, Don Brown, recounts the story without "glamor," but chooses instead to include the darker tales of this time in history.

Thank you, Don Brown, for focusing on major historical events and people... and bringing these stories alive so brilliantly for young reader!

Salt... And its Story

2011-03-16T20:38:00.002-06:00

I picked up Mark Kurlansky's children's book The Story of Salt on the bargain shelves at The Boulder Bookstore. It's the children's version of his bestseller Salt: A World History. Why did I pick it up? There was something intriguing about the illustrations by S. D. Schindler. They caught my eye (he's the illustrator of Three Pebbles and a Song, Is This a House for Hermit Crab, Olive the Other Reindeer, Every Living Thing). Schindler's illustrations are always exquisite, varied, and inviting.

This book takes us through salt's important role in history. Salt, one of the most common substances on earth, has often taken on a critical role--being traded, horded, and revered. We take salt for granted (My big questions... Should I buy ionized or not? Sea salt? Kosher?), tossing it over our shoulders after a spill, but throughout history it's been as precious as gold in some cultures. In the text, it says... Salt, or NaCl, as is it know chemically--has been the object of wars and revolutions! One of my favorite pages in the book shows Gandi making salt in defiance of British law.

This is a complicated text. It's a great piece of nonfiction written in a narrative mode. I think that students will enjoy learning a bit about something they, too, take for granted. Salt and its amazing history in our past. The last line... But the next time you pick up a saltshaker, remember that not only do you need salt to live, you are holding rocks that shaped the history of the world! says a lot.
I love when I find a crystal while perusing the shelves of the bargain books!

By the way, Mark Kurlansky has written a great book about Hank Greenberg for adults. One of his essays "Where Champions Begin" appeared in Parade Magazine in 2007. His writing is intriguing, sometimes a bit controversial, but always interesting.

Repent... At Reading Homework Taketh Another Look...

2011-03-10T04:00:00.005-07:00

It’s Lent.

And, according to Lutheran tradition, our church takes on a more penitential mood throughout this season. We use purple on the alter to signify the penitence we observe, we don’t sing a “Hymn of Praise” on Sundays, and there are no “Alleluias” uttered during the Lenten season… not until Easter. Lent is a time for meditation and often serves as a time to reflect on our transgressions and shortcomings as we prepare for the Hope that comes on Easter, when all things are made new!

So, it's somewhat ironic that Mary Lee and Franki at A Year of Reading have asked us to reflect on the issue of "reading homework." Not to be mocking or insulting to my faith, but I think it's the perfect time to repent for some of the mundane, mindless, and frankly stupid, things I've asked children to do in the name of reading! I admit it, over the years I've asked students to "prove" to me that they've read, rather than trusted that they'll read at home without my nudging!

I have done a lot of thinking about this issue AND over the years I've asked my students to do some rather silly things to "prove" to me that they read at home. In the past, I've required students to keep a log of minutes read, titles read, and genres read. I've asked parents to sign the logs to further indicate that students are, indeed, reading at home. I've asked students to respond in a response notebook and to keep accurate records of their "at-home" reading. I've asked for book projects. I've asked for lists. I've asked for number of pages. I've done everything but ask students to, well, READ! Basically, I've eliminated all the things that matter in reading... choice, interest, pleasure... and to what end?

So, this year my homework requirement for reading is simple... try to read for 20 minutes a day! That's it! Read.

Now, I know what you're saying, "But how do you know..." That's the beauty. I do know.

Rather than ask students (readers) to complete something that wasn't really for them (it was for parents and for me), I've asked them to simply spend some time reading each day. And, I have to trust that they are doing it. I've offered up the following suggestions this year:

• Start a blog and include some of your favorite at-home reading

• Join Shelfari and comment regularly

• Bring in the books you're reading from home and share them

• Write about your reading in your "Write-at-Home" notebook (their writer's notebook that they use at home each week)

• Reflect on your reading on our classroom blog

• Bring in a book from home and explain to us the strategies you are using to comprehend it

• Invite your parents or siblings to read together with you

At first I felt a little guilty, but then I realized, I'm asking my students to do the same things I like to do as a reader. It's not rocket science. Of course, we have discussions about the types of things we're reading at home. Of course, I have parents who want more specific tasks. Of course, I don't have something I can hold in my hand... but I think that I have helped encourage kids to read at home more peacefully and thoughtfully. How do I know?

• Readers are bringing in more titles than ever before to share with their peers

• Readers are talking more with language like, "Last night while I was reading, I..." or "When I was trying ____ at home in my reading, I..."

• Readers are talking about their at-home reading with more enthusiasm and purpose

• Readers are seemingly more accountable for actually doing some at-home reading because they know I trust that they are reading

• Readers are modeling their "at-home" habits during our morning greeting

• Readers are reading books of interest and sharing their learning with their peers

• Readers are talking about their at-home reading during reading conferences

A few years ago I read a post by a frustrated parent and a frustrated mother and they stuck with me. Alfie Kohn has also done a lot of writing about the myths of homework and the research behind it. Articles like these made me wonder, "How many parents are feeling the same frustration?" I know as a parent, I did. I saw my own children reading and loving it, but every Monday morning (the day their "reading whales" were due) we were frantically stacking books in piles and trying to fill in their reading logs. Trouble was, they WERE reading, not because they had to, but because they wanted. Trouble was, they had to PROVE it! As a parent, I started questioning the actual amount of reading my child was doing in school. That's what their teacher was doing to me, right?

Now, don't get me wrong. Do I think reading at home is important? Absolutely! But it has to be individualized and worth a student's time!

However, his year I've just decided to let my students read. I don't need them to spend time filling in a reading log to prove it. I trust that they are reading. Reading homework is simple.

It's time to repent! And reconsider...

Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic

2011-03-09T21:57:00.000-07:00

I just received a copy of Night Flight written by Robert Burleigh and illustrated by Wendell Minor. It's a beautiful picture book published by Simon and Schuster. Wendell Minor discussing the process of illustrating the book is definitely worth the watch (click on the title and his name).
   I've always been fascinated by Amelia Earhart's story and this book only adds to the magic! It's written as a lyrical account of her most famous flight across the Atlantic in 1932. She became the first woman to cross the Atlantic solo (and was the second person to do so) and her name has gone down in history as one our most famous aviators.
   I was intrigued by the way the author captured every detail of the flight using such rich language, poetically and purposefully. Written in mostly third person narrative mode, the text draws the reader into the flight with lines like, "Her stomach churns from the smell of leaking gas," and "Amelia Earhart leans back in the cockpit. There is an unbelievable stillness inside her." It's beautifully written.
   And, Wendell Minor's illustrations are captivating. Starting from the first page with Amelia's eyes gleaming through the windshield of her red Vega to the lightning that flashes across the sky in the middle of the ocean to the look of worry on her face partway through the flight to Amelia's victorius wave at the farmer at the end of the book, Minor uses color and light to create the perfect sense of what the flight must have been like for Amelia. I found myself as captivated by the illustrations as I was by the author's words.
   Night Flight will be the perfect edition to my collection of books that show how important "endurance" and "stamina" are to become successful (especially as learners). I can hardly wait to read it to my students. Amelia's story is an amazing combination of courage and strength. And, both author and illustrator captured her story in a unique and beautiful way!

Words With Friends ala Dublin

2011-03-01T20:41:00.001-07:00

Look closely... what do you see? I see a representation of the Dublin Reading Conference this past Saturday in Dublin, Ohio. For those in attendance, you'll understand the connection... that each of us is only a small piece of the larger whole. That when educators come together to learn, to laugh, to share... amazing things happen! It was such a pleasure to spend a day with everyone involved in the conference.
   Since "Words with Friends" seemed to be a topic of conversation at dinner on Saturday, I thought I'd share some of the "words" and names I've been contemplating since I left...
     MNA - not to be confused with men. The Irish must really get confused when they have to use the restroom in America.
    Pinkney - illustrator extraordinare. Hats off to Brain's grace, creativity, humor... and sincere love of his art. And for nudging us to explore the rhythm of his craft. I wish we could say to our students, "I want you to just play..." as his parents said to him.
   Buckeye - not only an important moniker for many Ohioans, but also a delicious treat to leave in a gift bag at the hotel desk for a speaker - when chilled and accompanied by a cup of coffee, delicious!
   Comraudarie - amazing collaborations between learners. I learned so much just by being in amazing company.
   Friendships - new and old!
   Readicide - Kelly Gallager is so thoughtful. His words, "The only way for struggling readers and writers to survive is to do twice as much reading and writing..." stuck with me.
   Word Poverty - Another of Kelly's nudges... to build the background knowledge and experience of all readers at the word level.
   Jr. Library Guild - $5.00 hardbacks. No other words needed.
   Committee - Laura and her entire team - amazingly organized, thoughtfully planned, and extraordinarily gracious.
   BalletMet - lest we forget that the gifts children share come in all forms. How can we better nurture creativity?
   Oscar's - Saturday at Oscar's and Sunday with the Oscars. Saturday was better!
   Chauffeur - Thanks Lisa (double-sided tape, Starbucks, brush... enough said).
   Allison and Miles - Never a better introduction! Such darling children who will remember introducing the speaker when they were in fourth grade.
   Featured Speakers - Kelly, Troy, Christian, Loren, Wendy, Brian, Amy... such grand company.
   And the rest - An amazing list of "locals" to complete the program - Bill, Karen, Franki, Karen, Mary Lee, Scott, Julie, Tony, Max... and the rest. What amazing gifts to share with your own colleagues
Look closely... what do you see? Too many words to mention. Too many people to thank. Like a field of clover the day was a mixture of color and richness! Thanks for the invitation, Dublin!

Valentine for...

2011-02-14T05:48:00.004-07:00

Naomi Shihab Nye's poem, Valentine for Earnst Mann, has always been one of my favorites poems. I first heard it in a workshop years ago when Georgia Heard shared it with us. And since then, I've become a fan. Her poem "Famous" is also a favorite of mine (thank you Donalyn Miller for sending it to me just when I needed it most)!

Valentine is one of those pieces of poetry that has become memorable for me as a reader and writer. I wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day today. Why not write your loved one a poem, or two. Wrap your words with a bow across a page just for yourself. Or better yet, write a poem and "put it in your pocket" and hand one to a stranger you meet today! What a surprise that would be...

Valentine for Ernest Mann

You can't order a poem like you order a taco.
Walk up to the counter, say, "I'll take two"
and expect it to be handed back to you
on a shiny plate.

Still, I like your spirit.
Anyone who says, "Here's my address,
write me a poem," deserves something in reply.
So I'll tell you a secret instead:
poems hide. In the bottoms of our shoes,
they are sleeping. They are the shadows
drifting across our ceilings the moment
before we wake up. What we have to do
is live in a way that lets us find them.

Once I knew a man who gave his wife
two skunks for a valentine.
He couldn't understand why she was crying.
"I thought they had such beautiful eyes."
And he was serious. He was a serious man
who lived in a serious way. Nothing was ugly
just because the world said so. He really
liked those skunks. So, he re-invented them
as valentines and they became beautiful.
At least, to him. And the poems that had been hiding
in the eyes of skunks for centuries
crawled out and curled up at his feet.

Maybe if we re-invent whatever our lives give us
we find poems. Check your garage, the odd sock
in your drawer, the person you almost like, but not quite.
And let me know.

This poem is published in Paul Janeczko's book The Place My Words are Looking For, which is a wonderful collection of poetry and advice from poets. I'd forgotten what a great book it is. This book and Seeing the Blue Between are two important books to have in our collections. Helping young writers find that "place" is something I think we need to focus on more... a child's writing place isn't necessarily found in a "power paragraph" or a "five paragraph essay." With our state tests looming around the bend, let's not forget the real reason writers write. Let's not forget to help children learn to fall in love with words and language and their own creativity. Let's not forget to read beautiful poetry out loud to students. Let's not forget to model our own writing and the ways our writing gives us a voice.
Happy Valentine's Day. And, thank you Naomi Shihab Nye for your beautiful voice and for sharing your words with us. I can't think of a better way to start today!

Happy Birthday - Jane Yolen

2011-02-11T21:05:00.002-07:00

Birthdays come and birthdays go... but a February birthday, well, that's something extra special. Who was born in February?
     Lots of folks, famous and infamous. My sister Joy, who turns 82 on February 13th (she was the subject of one of my very first blogs). Lincoln. Washington. Clark Gable. Langston Hughes. Cindy Crawford. Larry the Cable Guy. Tina Louise (Ginger!). Sarah Palin. Mark Spitz. Laura Ingalls Wilder. Ida Lupino (For all you movie buffs). Jim Backus (The millionaire). Longfellow. Bernadette Peters. Dinah Shore (golf, anyone?). Johnny Cash. Carrot Top (really?). Judy Blume. Oh, and there's me, on February 20th!
     But I can't let February zip by without wishing one of my favorite authors the happiest of birthdays. Today is Jane Yolen's Birthday! Of all the people born in February, I owe her more than gratitude. I owe her a standing ovation. Without her dedication to story, and language, and children, my teaching life wouldn't be as rich or as blessed. So, I chose to wish Jane "Happy Birthday" with a little blog tribute. As I reread my older posts, I noticed that I've blogged about her several times (12/9/10, 10/12/10, 8/10/10, 8/17/10, 10/14/09), but wanted to once again thank her!
     Today, I read All Those Secrets of the World to my students in celebration of her birthday. As I shared, I found several emails tucked safely inside (correspondence between Ms. Yolen and me from 2002). I was having trouble finding copies of All Those Secrets of the World and Before the Storm and I emailed to ask her about the availability (subject line: A search, A request, A frustration). She graciously offered to send me a copy of both books stating, "Cover price, and I will take care of the postage. Autograph is free!" As I read the emails to my students, they were in awe, "You emailed Jane Yolen and she ANSWERED!" It was the beginning of a wonderful read at the beginning of writer's workshop. We did a memory write after I read the book. Several students wrote wonderful pieces.
     Tucked inside was the memory write I wrote about our daughter, Anneke, on January 27, 2003, it read: "I remember the day you were born. You came swimming out of your mother with arms and elbows flying. And we were so happy. We had our little girl and you were beautiful. You cried until your mom held you close and the sound of her voice made you stop and look and listen. We both stared at you and couldn't believe how perfect you were, how absolutely lovely your skin was, and how soft and cuddly you were... we were amazed!" Anneke is now 20.
   Today I wrote: "Oompah, pah! Oompah, pah! I miss tuba sounds floating through the house. The tuba has paved the path for more eclectic noise--that of an electric guitar. Instead of John Phillip Sousa, now all I hear reverberating through the house is AC/DC, Metallica, and periodically, The News Boys.

I long for those innocent days when Jens's musical career was more about playing marches in bass clef rather than raucous strumming of the bass itself!"

"Turn down the bass!" I yell up the stairs. But he doesn't listen (can he hear?). Oompah, pah has transformed into "Drrrrerrr, drreeereee, drreee, derreee!" The back beat has changed in clarity--with the hidden tune that of "Seek and Destroy" rather than "Ode to Joy!"

In the concert band, I could always hear Jens. His "oompahs" holding the beat of each piece, each song. His cheeks puffed as he filled the twisted labyrinth of the tuba with air. In the rock band, all I see is head shaking, all I hear are riffs, and all I understand are the mumbled versions of what was once someone's poetry.

     Screaming has replaced clarity for these old ears. BUT, what hasn't changed is the love Jens finds in his music. That's the joy!"
   So, I must thank Jane Yolen, for giving me the nudge to write about my own children. When I have my students do a "memory" write (really to build and strengthen our writing muscle), they briefly jot possible thoughts in their notebooks as I read the story. I give them a few minutes to chat with a friend to "get their writing out into the air." Then together, we spend 10 minutes in our notebooks, jotting fodder for future work. Today was such a day.
      And, so again... Happy Birthday, Ms. Yolen! Happy Birthday to you!

-------------

By the way... it was a tough job narrowing down from so many titles, but here are my favorite Jane Yolen books. Which ones do you love?

At the Write Place...

2011-02-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

Sitting in the general session at CCIRA on Thursday morning turned out to be one of the highlights of our local reading conference. Little did I know, Kevin O'Malley was sitting at my table. And, to my surprise, I soon discovered he was doing more than just listening! As the keynote spoke, he was drawing on a brown drawing pad, chuckling, and creating the most magnificent sketches. Next to the pad, he had several drawing pens and white Prism colors at the ready. I was enthralled! He handed one drawing to Stevi Quate (seated on my left), then drew another and handed it to the lady (retired teacher from Brush, Colorado) on my left. He handed me this drawing... Poor little Timmy! I was stunned, not only was it beautiful, it was brilliant!
As the keynote concluded, he handed a final drawing to a woman who walked in at the end of the keynote (it was of a rooster and I secretly hoped he would hand it to me and say, "Have another!"). He was absolutely passionate, engaged, and thoroughly enjoying himself! After the keynote, we chatted a bit about how he had always drawn while he was learning (does that speak to the doodling our children like to do in their notebooks?) and it was how he "survived" school. I started thinking about often teachers might squelch a student's need to doodle, to draw, to create.

Kevin just won the 2010 Colorado Children's Book Award for his book Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude. On Friday, when I returned to school (my wife went on Friday to CCIRA, we tag-teamed), I discovered more than half of my students had read it... and loved it! He had two other illustrators work on the book with him. He drew the main characters, but the publisher enlisted two other illustrators... one to draw the girl's story ("because if I drew her, she would have looked just like me, but wearing a pink dress") and one to draw the boy's version ("a marvelous illustrator who captured the story magnificently"). In fact, one of my students read it to us and we did an impromptu reader's theatre!

Then my fourth graders told me about all the Miss Malarkey books that he illustrated, which many of them had checked out from our library. We also rediscovered that he wrote and illustrated one of our favorite read aloud books, Velcome! If you haven't read it to your students, get your best Boris Karloff voice ready and try it out. The perfect book to read to your students, letting them see that prosody plays such a crucial role in the opportunities we have to share books with other readers... they love the part of the book when it's time to throw a cough drop at the coffin and the coffin stops! Stop reading if you are scared... such a fun text to read and it inspires some play on word writing from students!

Another hilarious book by O'Malley is Gimme Cracked Corn & I Will Share. It's full of rather slapstick writing (which after meeting him, I see why) and it makes me laugh! One night chicken had a dream about buried treasure--a treasure trove of corn. I enjoy the playfulness of the language, the quirkiness of the illustrations, and the fun of this book.
You never know when you're going to be in the "write place at the write time"... and on Thursday morning I chose just the right seat! I am off to buy a frame to protect my drawing... and to search my library for more of Kevin O'Malley's books!

Growing Up Laughing

2011-01-30T18:24:00.001-07:00

From 1966 until 1971, "That Girl" was a regular on our console black and white television (it was a Sears model and boy did we think it was fancy). Does anyone remember the "That Girl" episode where Roger took Ann Marie to a party and told her to mingle? She walked around saying, "Mingle... mingle, mingle... mingle!" I still laugh when I think about that one. And, I don't know why it sticks in my head! There's something endearing about sitcoms of the 1960s; I miss them!
   Today, while I was wandering the bookstore, I picked up Marlo Thomas's book Growing Up Laughing: My Story and the Story of Funny. I sat in a comfy chair with a cup of coffee and, for the next hour and a half, I was hooked! The creator of Free to Be... You and Me and other "best selling" books has documented a creative look at her childhood through the eyes of the "laughter" that surrounded her family. But, of course, if Danny Thomas was your father, you would have to laugh!
   What I enjoyed about the book was the fact that she included anecdotes and memories about Bob Hope, Sid Caesar, George Burns, and Milton Berle (and other famous comedians of her father's era). Imagine having them as family friends... imagine the dinner parties! I laughed out loud at some of the jokes and stories she included... I guess because I remember watching these same comedians when I was growing up... still love catching them on re-runs or You Tube. Watching comedians work their magic was something that bonded our family as we sat and watched television together (well, that and Gunsmoke, Carol Burnett, and Bonanza). My parents loved a good joke and we laughed together a lot!
   Thomas includes interviews with many of today's "hot" comedians... which is an added bonus. Among her stories of growing up with the greats and her family memories, she intersperses interviews with Jerry Seinfeld, Ben Stiller, Jay Leno, Tina Fey, and several other contemporary comedians... all of them share how they were influenced by the same actors and comedians that Marlo Thomas had been, except that she knew the "greats" personally via her father! Who doesn't love a good joke? Who doesn't love a good story?
   Not my typical blog post, but I certainly could see using bits and pieces of this book as a mentor text for writers. Imagine students adding tidbits and "interviews" with family members and friends as part of a memoir study. I think it would add a delightful twist to a study of memoir.
   I may be adding Marlo Thomas's book to my "have to buy it" list! "That Girl" sure got me thinking about a new twist to make memoir writing come alive... for myself and my students.

A Recent Professional Development Day with Administrators...

2011-01-23T19:57:00.005-07:00

Captive audience, no?

Two weeks ago, a snowstorm (albeit slight in Colorado terms) co-mingled with a planned day of professional development, so I ended up working with a group of school administrators in Missouri. I was planning to work with a wonderful group of elementary teachers who are working to blend thinking strategy instruction into the work they are doing with writers in writer's workshop. Instead, the principal called me while I was on my way to the airport explaining that school had been canceled in the district in which I was scheduled to work. So, he asked, "Would you mind working with a group of about 20 elementary administrators instead? We have to come to school and would love the opportunity." Without hesitating, I immediately agreed.
     We forget that administrators need wise professional development just as much as we do. I thought about the plans I had already organized for teachers. Some aspects of the day would work. I knew I would invite them to take part in a reader's workshop (I worked on inferring with a meaty piece of text). I knew I would have them them take a blank model of the workshop structure and identify three things, "What would children be doing? What would teachers be doing? What would I (as administrator) be doing?" during crafting, composing, and reflecting. So, I did a bit more planning on the plane and when I landed and got to my hotel, I immediately "tweeted," emailed, and called some of my colleagues for suggestions.
     Karen Szymusiak (OH) tweeted a great suggestion, "Talk to them about the hallmarks of good reading and writing workshop. What do you look for in an effective literacy-based classroom."
     Franki Sibberson (OH) and Carol Wilcox (CO) both suggested I use conferring as a basis for discussion, "How can principals utilize the same theories of a good reading conference when talking about instruction?"
     Donalyn Miller (TX) replied, "Administrators must understand what best practices look like in order to help us."
     Lori Conrad (CO) suggested asking, "What does a reader look like at ______ (insert name) elementary?"
     Using their suggestions as guiding questions, I framed my day. Then I had a long telephone conversation with Dana Berg (WY) about the ways her former principal, Christine Frude (our friend who is now retired, splitting time between WY and FL), provided and encouraged opportunities for ongoing, systemic, and thoughtful professional growth (I've worked with their school for six years).
     Ahh... when collective minds come together! The result... together, adminstrators and I spend the morning talking about reader's workshop... focusing on specific rituals and routines, strategy instruction, and some of the nitty-gritty aspects of reader's workshop.
   We ended our day using, in part, a document my colleague Missy Matthews (CO) and I had created entitled, "What do I expect from someone facilitating a group of learners in my classroom?" To it, I added the results of my conversations with friends and colleagues. Here is the result:

Pondering: How can my administrator best support literacy work?

During classroom visits:

name the things I may not have noticed I did – name the brilliance
ask questions that will encourage my best thinking
talk with me before and after formal visits… debrief and plan… know my classroom and who I am as a teacher
focus the prebrief and debrief on specific areas of instruction... ask me about the “data” I hope to glean from our visits
provide feedback – 'here's another brilliant thing I noticed that you did'
together decide on a focus -- one or two 'look fors'
be prepared, on time and friendly
let me in on the purpose of the visit
write my students and me a note after the visit
bring calmness, humor and sincerity to the visit
understand the workshop model and where we are on the gradual release of responsibility model
notice underlying rituals and routines, and bring them to the forefront of the discussion
help me name specific observations – beyond “I liked how…” or “Johnny seemed to be…”
understand thinking strategy instruction

In terms of Professional Development:

understand how children think and learn
provide opportunities and time to talk with other colleagues
provide resources – books, fund workshops, etc.
focus the prebrief and debrief on specific areas of instruction
be creative in scheduling large blocks of time for literacy
be an active participant in the learning process
differentiate – look for ways to meet specific needs
eliminate “yes, buts” – encourage collegiality
communicate
take it slowly – know that growing takes time
model the role of a learner – look for growth opportunities
step out of administrator role into role of a learner
build systems for continued growth
focus energy on the “naysayers”
act as a political “filter”
be present – not just “nice” – understand instruction
participate in study groups – provide resources and time

Not the actual....

.... administrators!

Our day turned into a productive day of learning, a day of great conversation, and a day of professional development that can't help but impact the work principals do with their staffs. In fact, several of the participants took their learning and used it with their staffs that same week. They appreciated the time to talk, to ask questions, and to learn alongside their peers. And, who could ask for anything more? A perfect snowy day!

Home, Home on the Range...

2011-01-20T18:29:00.003-07:00

In my classroom, I have a basket of books labeled "About Country Life"... and in it are all my favorite "cowboy" books. When I was little, I remember saying, "I want to be a cowboy when I grow up, just like Curtis" (he's my brother-in-law and I've written about him many times, if you search my blog archives you can read all about him... and, by the way, he's still hanging in there). Mrs. Cannon had our entire class interviewed in "Heckart's Market" by the local radio station. And, something about that six-year-old dream still sticks with me. I haven't ridden a horse in years, I haven't helped brand cattle since I was about 16-years-old, and can you imagine what a pair of size 13 cowboy boots would look like? But, there's a part of me that still remembers... especially the songs! I'm still a country buff and loves "old" country music and I'm partial to the Sons of the Pioneers.
I also happen to love Deborah Hopkinson's work. In this book, she writes a delightful "biography" based on the life of John Avery Lomax, a "musicologist." She brilliantly captures his life growing up in Texas and his love for music. John Lomax didn't grow up to be a "cowboy" either, but he did grow up to be a searcher of songs. He was a music hunter (sounds like a good show on TLC, eh?)! Traveling, collecting, recording... he was a collector of folk songs! Lomax attended the University of Texas and later Harvard. He focused his efforts on documenting the cowboy songs that drifted through this childhood memories... and even attempted to collect recordings of them being sung by real cowboys. Now that's a hobby!
And, I'm so glad Deborah Hopkinson captured his story... in detail, based on fact, and brilliantly inviting!

Jean Fritz... 95 years and still ticking....

2011-01-17T23:36:00.001-07:00

What are you going to be doing when you're 95 years old? Breathing, perhaps? Living? I hope so.
   If you're Jean Fritz you'll be celebrating the publication of your 45th book. This month Jean Fritz added Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider to her repertoire. In this book, she writes a detailed account of Alexander Hamilton's life... from his arriving in New York to Study from the West Indies, to his political career, to his death in a duel.
     Jean Fritz has won many awards for her writing, including the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award and the Newbery Honor. I've always enjoyed reading her writing... Shhh! We're Writing the Constitution to The Secret Life of Pocahontas to Surprising Myself to The Cabin Faced West. Homesick: My Own Story her autobiographical "story" of her young life is nothing less than brilliant.
     Ms. Fritz has found her niche and has brought history alive for many young readers. I'm amazed at her ability to capture history in such a rich and varied way. She once said that she researches like a reporter... she looks for a scoop, notes clues and details, digs deep into her subjects and the result is her incredible list of books, many of which have become part of our classroom libraries. She writes about real people and searches journals and letters for "real" dialogue. She only uses the actual words of her subjects to recreate history and making it accessible for her readers. And, she often surprises us with humor and unique situations that even the most "adult" biographer skips.
   As she begins her 95th year, I think we need to all tip our collective hats with a huge "thank you" and wish her continued blessings. I can't wait to read Alexander Hamilton... I wonder what secrets she'll reveal? She always does...

dear world

2011-01-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

I love Tokayo Noda's work. I love dear world. It's one of my favorite books of poetry. I use with children often... because within its simplicity lies a tremendous amount of complexity of thought.

Using her poetry for inferring makes so much sense to me... the text is short, easy to get in the hands of readers, and filled with just enough of a nudge, both in vocabulary and content, to get readers contemplating.

Her poem "dear sun" always makes learners think beyond just the text... dear world is one of those books that I've come to rely on often, no matter what strategy we are investigating as both readers and writers. I use it in my own classroom and while doing demonstration teaching in other classrooms. Simple complexity. That's how I would categorize this book. Plus, it's just beautiful... I can imagine children delving into an illustration study of collage after close study of her artwork.

Her illustrations using cut-paper collages are stunning! If someone wanted to make me happy, they'd give me an original piece of framed piece of Tokayo Noda's art. Trust me, I've perused her website often... just to take in the wonder of her creativity.

If you don't have dear world in your collection, it should be. Along with Song of the Flowers, you'll have two books by a children's author and illustrator who I hope will continue to add to her repertoire.

dear world
please tell me
why and how
you keep our earth
so beautiful

You might be a book fiend if...

2011-01-09T15:18:00.003-07:00

Keeping up on all the new titles that cross my path via my Twitter account, the blogs I read, and the emails I receive is next to impossible. I read blogs and say, "Oh, I have to have that book!" I receive Tweets from colleagues with recommendations and reflections and say, "Oh, I have to have that one!" I read emails and say, "Oh, I have to have that one!" I meander a bookstore's aisles and say, "Oh, I have to have that one!" My friend texts me and I say, "Oh, I have to have that one too!"

Sometimes it's a bit overwhelming... and a bit tricky when I open my wallet and there's no cash, or I check my online account and the funds are running low! It's like the Erasmus quote on the bag my children gave me for Christmas, "When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes." I'm not alone... it happens to us all.

I was talking to my friends Dana, a first grade teacher, and Barb (@bgail59), a literacy coach, while I was working in Casper, Wyoming this week. All three of us were laughing about our obsession with books! Barb plays a bit of "Pong" with the UPS driver, having him deliver to both home and school... so that there always seems to be a little brown box waiting to surprise her. Dana, she has a similar passion for beautiful books... and her first grade classroom is a garden of literacy... there are few teachers that display them so beautifully, throughout her classroom there are thoughtful invitations for children that softly cajole, "Pick me up, read me, enjoy me!". We love sharing titles and I brought so many that I had to stop at Evansville's Wal-Mart on the way back to the hotel (after dinner at 9:30 p.m.) to buy a plastic tub to reorganize the books I had taken with me because my book bag ripped as I was trudging into the hotel (one of the pitfalls of doing staff development in a city nearby).

So, this "gotta-have-it" mentality is not just an obsession that I share with locals that I learn with and from on a daily basis... it's a widespread mania that all bookstore and Amazon denizens possess. But, unlike other addictions, I don't know if being a "bookie" can cause much harm, can it? Of course, if it comes in combination with being a "foodie" that could cause a problem... the more you weigh, the harder it is to run to the bookstore (I'll let you infer the other combinations with book-obsession that could cause either mental or physical anguish).

Hmmm... maybe it's just a simple a process of identifying the 12 things that make you a book fiend. Here are 12 ideas you might consider before 2012 rolls around (my apologies to Jeff Foxworthy):

If you peruse blogs and order new titles at random without previewing the book, you might be a book fiend.
If you clean your bookshelves and find you have four copies of the same book AND you realize you've never read it, you might be a book fiend.
If you have six bags of books "ready to take to school" that never seem to leave your at-home library, you might be a book fiend.
If you sit in a quiet corner with a cup of coffee and look for possible crafting lessons in picture books and spend time labeling them with sticky notes, you might be a book fiend.
If you spill coffee on a book and replace it, but never find the need to recycle the wrinkled, stained book, but simply say it's "a first-edition, well-loved book that I've antiqued," you might be a book fiend.
If you buy your friend a book for his birthday and then buy yourself a copy too (or worse yet, ask to borrow it before he even opens it), you might be a book fiend.
If you race to peruse the library discard pile when your librarian sends out an email that says it is "first come, first served," you might be a book fiend.
If you've ever gotten in a physical tussle with your best friend on the floor of the children's section at the Tattered Cover or The Bookies or The Boulder Bookstore (insert your favorite local bookstore) because there was only one copy of a title and there was bleeding or punching involved (yes, it's happened), you might be a book fiend.
If your friend finds a book and says, "It's out of print!" and you spend $55 or more for your own copy, you might be a book fiend.
If you hide books in the trunk of your car and then sneak them onto the shelves before your spouse finds out you spent more money on books, you might be a book fiend.
If you find elements of craft in a book and giggle out loud, drool, squeal, sweat, or turn to a complete stranger and say, "Listen to this..." and don't care if she stares at you in fear or disdain, you might be a book fiend.
If your best friend says he has come down with an illness that perplexes his physician and your first question is, "Can I have your books?", you might be a book fiend.

So, if anyone is interested, you might join me by adding your own "You might be a book fiend if..." comment to the blog. Otherwise, I guess it's okay to say, "What the hell! At least I've got something to show for it" and keep on, keeping on! As for me, I have 12 books in my Amazon cart that I need to prioritize on this snowy, Colorado afternoon... race ya!

My Reading Life

2011-01-08T23:39:00.004-07:00

Two weeks ago, my friend Carol send me several emails listing quotes from Pat Conroy's book, My Reading Life. Each time one of her emails came through, I couldn't wait to read it. Two of my favorite quotes that she sent were:

Writing is the only way I have to explain my own life to myself.
From the time I could talk, I took an immense pleasure in running down words, shagging them like fly balls in some spacious field.

I knew I had to have the book, the lines Carol was sending me were just too brilliant to ignore! I had to read more! I love when the authors we've come to enjoy spend time explaining, dissecting, reflecting, and exploring their early lives as readers and writers. I've always had a strong regard for people who can capture in words the journey of falling in love with either reading or writing... Ralph Fletcher, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, Anna Quindlen, Eudora Welty, Gary Paulsen. And, Pat Conroy.

Pat Conroy's collection of 15 essays is beautifully written. Each essay gives us a glimpse of his love of reading and, more importantly, how he became the teller of tales he is today. The book is peppered with the titles he remembers fondly. He shares the words that shaped his love of language. He shares stories of people whose influence made a lasting impression, both good and bad, on his life. He shares why he is who he is today.

This excerpt is a perfect example of the careful crafting of Conroy's: I had witnessed with my own eyes that a poem could make a Colonel cry. Though it was not part of a lesson plan, it imparted a truth that left me spellbound. Great words, arranged with cunning and artistry, could change the perceived world for some readers. From the beginning, I’ve searched out those writers unafraid to stir up the emotions, who entrust me with their darkest passions, their most indestructible yearnings, and their most soul killing doubts. I trust the great novelists to teach me how to live, how to feel, how to love and hate. I trust them to show me the dangers I will encounter on the road as I stagger on my own troubled passage through a complicated life of books that try to teach me how to die. (pp 10-11)
I am so happy that Carol send me some her favorite lines from the book. As I read, I'm collecting my own. Pat Conroy has done a brilliant job of capturing his journey, which is vastly different from my own... but as I read, I'm reminded of Mildred Hache, our small town librarian, who let me spend hours perusing the wooden shelves in our small town library. I'm reminded of Downie Bishop, my third grade teacher who read us The Boxcar Children. I'm reminded of my father, a biblical scholar, who read stories from the bible with sincerity and passion. I'm reminded of the hours my mom would spend telling stories, usually over a game of Canasta or Racko. I'm reminded of Mildred Henrie, my second grade teacher whose voice I can still hear sharing stories, she had a delightful laugh and her eyes twinkled when she noticed I discovering a new word!

And, that's the real beauty of this book... it causes you, the reader, to want to think more deeply at your own journey as a reader and writer. I just may have a little notebook writing to do!

Copper...

2011-01-04T01:45:00.001-07:00

I was never drawn to Kazu Kibuishi's work, although I know Amulet is very popular these days, but there was something special about Copper that I couldn't resist. Perhaps it was the "Behind the Scenes" section at the end of the book that provides a detailed glimpse of his work and his studio. Perhaps it was the look in the Fred and Cooper's eyes on the cover. Perhaps it was just because once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down!
What started as a webcomic has expanded into a this collection of "stories." And, they reminded me so much of the comic book adventures I read as a child. I immediately became enthralled with Kibuishi's artistic abilities, his attention to detail, his sense of space, his perspective, his use of color, his portrayal of childhood. One of my favorite "stories" is Picnic... a mainly army green portrait of one of Copper's dreams... or is it? One look at the dog's eyes at the end of the story and you're not sure. Or "Bridge" a delightful, one-pager dealing, I think, with childhood crushes. There are so many great, graphic stories in this book.
Of course, it would be fun to do some inferring lessons with Copper, but it's more fun to sit and read and ponder Kazu Kibuishi's genius. Perhaps I should give Amulet a chance?

The Book of Qualities

2011-01-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

On December 10, I attended the PEBC's Winter Seminar with Penny Kittle. Some of my best learning has come about as a result of my relationship with the Public Education and Business Coalition here in Denver (check out the institutes and seminars available on their website - particularly the four-day Thinking Strategies Institute). The day I spent with Penny Kittle was no exception. It was a perfect day of revitalization as a writer and a teacher of writers. I think, too, that Penny's close connection to Donald Graves added bit of light to the day!
     One of the books that Penny shared with us was The Book of Qualities by J. Ruth Gendler. It's a collection of third person pieces written around a variety of emotions... beauty, compassion, discipline, anxiety. Short vignettes that describe each "quality" with simplicity and complexity... perfect springboards for our own writing or for the writing of our students. Penny selected a few pieces to nudge us to do a quickwrite in our notebooks.
     It's interesting that this book is found in the "mental health" section of the bookstore (of course, I went to three bookstores and it was either sold out or on hold, so I had to order it from The Tattered Cover). The book's original intent was likely to bring clarity to our "emotions," but I think Penny had the "write" idea to use it as a springboard for experimenting with words and language. We don't often focus specifically on an emotion and have a go with third person writing. And, we don't often focus enough on building fluency as a writer by doing some writing practice (I learned about the importance of practice from my friend and colleague, Randi Allison, author of Tastes Like Chocolate thoughts from young people). It was such fun to play around with bringing human characteristics to the most human of all qualities - our emotions - in my notebook.
     My day with Penny was exactly what I needed that December day, not to get into the holiday spirit, but to get into the writing spirit. If you work with adults or older children, or if you want to revitalize your own writing, this might just be the perfect book for you. Thanks, Penny, for introducing it to us!

Storyteller: Roald Dahl

2011-01-02T22:53:00.001-07:00

First off, Storyteller: The Authorized Biography of Roald Dahl by Donald Sturrock, is written for adults. I love reading biographies that are "authorized" because they are filled with details, anecdotes, and interviews that many biographies lack. And, this book provides hundreds of details about Roald Dahl's life... details that we, as fans of his children's books, might find interesting or that might taint our view of one of our favorite writers.
   Roald Dahl led an extraordinary, unusually chaotic, life. Donald Sturrock writes about the triumphs and tragedies that shaped Dahl's life. Storyteller shares many personal details of Dahl's relationships with others, his marriage to Patricia Neal, his life as a pilot, the deaths of family members, etc. Sturrock tells the story of a man who led an eclectic and complicated existence. And, throughout the read he uncovers just how difficult a man Roald Dahl was and he isn't afraid to take a look at Dahl's "darker" side. Knowing that Sturrock had full acess to Dahl's archives makes this an interesting read. He synthesizes Dahl's journals, correspondence, and papers into an intimate portrayal of an complex man. There's a great review on the book on NPR's website.
   There are hints about what made Dahl tick as a writer, but that wasn't the purpose of the biography. This is not a book to read to find out more about Charlie, Augustus Gloop, or Aunts Spiker and Sponge came to be. For that, we'll have to rely on other accounts of his life, like Boy or Going Solo or D is for Dahl: A Gloriumptious A-Z Guide to the World of Roald Dahl.
     Based on this read, Roald Dahl probably wouldn't have been the person we'd have on our friends list... in fact, he likely would have been "unfriended" by many of us. But there's no denying that he'll remain one of our favorite children's authors. If you like "tell all" biographies, you might find this a great one to check out from the library!

Happy New Year! 1-1-11

2011-01-01T15:24:00.005-07:00

Resolution. Each New Year's Eve I share my resolutions during our New Year's Eve toast and usually forget what they are by the second day in January. Typical, right?

But that's because I usually try to abide by the traditional definition of what a resolution is, "a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner." Usually resolutions involve ideas like, "read more, exercise and lose weight, spend more time with the family, pay bills on time, write every day..." Not that these are bad ideas (they are things I need to do, should do, and hope to do), but I usually discover quickly that life gets in the way... guilt sets in... and I forget my promises to myself!

And when I looked on the internet I found some humdingers, funny resolutions, like:

Eat healthier by adding more lettuce to my BLTs.
I will answer my snail mail with the same enthusiasm with which I answer my e-mail.
Keep in contact with old friends who have lost more hair than I have.
I will not sit in the living room all day in my pajamas, but move to the family room instead.

Poets write poetry about resolutions, columnists write columns about resolutions, comedians write jokes about resolutions... everyone writes about resolutions!

My favorite resolution quote was by Dave Berry in the Miami Herald, "To succeed, you must believe in yourself. Write this motivational statement in large letters on a piece of paper and tape it someplace where you will see it often, such as on the inside of your eyeglasses: 'I CAN do it, and I WILL do it! Starting next year!'" And, of course, "next year" comes and goes... and I always realize that time has gone by too quickly.

So this year, I have decided to choose two other "definitions" of resolution: 1) The act or process of solving, and 2) The state of being relaxed. If I look at my typical resolutions in a problem-solving manner and I relax about them, I might just actually stick to them. Simply put: Think and Relax! I think those are two resolutions that make sense!

Happy New Year to all my readers! I'm looking forward to another year of All-en-A-Day's Work! Perhaps in a more thoughtful and relaxed manner...

From Readers Digest

Ludie's Life... From My Stacks

2010-12-31T00:10:00.001-07:00

Ludie's Life. I forgot how much I love this book. In it, Cynthia Rylant takes us back to West Virginia through powerful poetry about a woman named Ludie... walking us through Ludie's life at each stage. From childhood to old age, we get to know this character well... her heartaches, her loves, her losses, her joys, her laughter. The images that Rylant evokes through this bit of narrative poetry plants us in the hardscrabble life of a woman living in a coal-mining town. It's poetry that reads like a novel. Beautifully written. Beautiful story.
   In Ludie's Life, Rylant reflects on the lives of the Appalachian people that she so often writes about. As you read it, you can't help but wonder how much she drew from her own schema. The stories she's heard. The stories she's lived. The stories she imagined.
   Each time I read it, I think about the woman I know who lived similar lives, though in different places and different times. I can't help but be reminded of the stories I've heard that float through my heart and mind. Each time I read this book, I place it back on the bookshelf with a heavy sigh. There's something appealing about it.
     Perhaps its the simplicity. Perhaps its the honesty. But I like to think it's because it's classic Rylant... sincere, simple, sweet.. with just a hint of her secluded life, a life that true Rylant fans want to be a part of so desperately. She's on my top ten list of people I'd like to meet. Someday, I just want to chat with her, sit and talk for a bit, bring my own children for a visit, and enjoy a cup of tea. Don't we all?
     BUT, for now we have her writing. And for some of us we just can't get enough of writing like that found in Ludie's Life.

Shh... Let's Have Some Quiet

2010-12-30T20:23:00.000-07:00

The Quiet Book is exactly what I needed to read after the holidays. I've been longing for a bit of quiet and this book was the perfect find. Simple. Quaint. Just plain delightful!
"Sleeping sister quiet," or "First look at your new haircut quiet," or "Pretending you're invisible quiet..." Quiet comes in many forms.  Deborah Underwood describes quiet found in ordinary things on ordinary days. And, Renata Lewski, the illustrator, is amazing (she has a lovely little blog called "Pandas and Such"). Together, they've created a little read that deserves a look... no matter what grade level you teach.
     There's something peaceful about this book. As I was reading it, I thought about using it as a mentor text with young writers. I can imagine my fourth graders spending some time in their notebooks describing "loud" times, or "peaceful" times, or "filled with laughter" times. I wonder will happen when I read this book to my students at the start of writer's workshop and then ask them to have a go in their notebooks. At maybe beyond? I may have to have a go in my own notebook to see where my thinking takes me. A good old-fashioned memory write or quick write... a chance to explore language as a writer, trying to use simple text, exploring those times in my own life that give me the "quiet" that we all crave.
     After the hustle and bustle and running and dashing we've done during the holidays, don't we all deserve a little quiet? Shhh... what does your quiet sound like?

The Sea of Sleep - Another NCTE Find...

2010-12-12T22:01:00.002-07:00

I couldn't resist this book, The Sea of Sleep, when I picked it up at NCTE. There is something mesmerizing about Jim Lamarche's illustrations coupled with Warren Hanson's words. The cover is as inviting as the rest of the book.
     Baby Otter is sleepy and cuddles his mother as he gets gently rocked to sleep in the sea. The stars, the schools of fish, the dolphins... Otter sees them all as they drift through the book. It's a poetic lullaby. A breathtaking book.
     How would I use it? I think it could be used in a study of writing with a repeating line. The images it creates would certainly nudge students to evoke sensory images... you can almost close your eyes and be there... Drifting, Floating, Lightly gliding, On the Sea of Sleep.
     During an illustration study... well, otters are adorable! I love Jim LaMarche's work. And, like all the books he's illustrated, he gives readers an open invitation to jump in and explore the author's words (in this case not his own).
     Can't wait to hear what my students think about this one...

Happy Birthday Freda

2010-12-11T00:01:00.002-07:00

Last year, I wrote a little birthday blog tribute to my mom, Freda, on December 11th. I always get a bit nostalgic when her birthday rolls around. Still miss her.
     For years, she ran a little cafe` in my hometown called Freda's Cafe. The story goes... when my dad went for the business license and was asked what the name was, he said, "Hell, I don't know... she's the one who wants the darn thing, call it Freda's Cafe." So they did. Of course, it was also dad (while driving back to Kansas) who stopped to eat in another local restaurant called Mother's Kitchen... Ma Haynes (the owner) had a sign in the window that said "cook wanted" and my dad talked her into hiring my mom, sight unseen (I can only imagine her surprise when he got home and said, "I got you a job, we're moving to a little town in southern Colorado!").
     Freda's Cafe. It was a typical small town cafe'... but it was extraordinarily good. Comfort food. Two homemade specials a day - Ham and Beans, Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes, Chicken Fried Steak - always fresh and piping hot. Homemade pies with clouds of meringue and lightly browned tips shining in the display cases (she must have made 20 or more pies a day). Small tables lining the outer walls with seating for a family of four or a pair of couples out for the evening. Small, glass jukeboxes dotted the counter with flip cards and push buttons. Naugahyde stools. Hot rolls, fresh donuts, hand-cut fries (I liked curlicue) were staples.
   Freda's Cafe. The waitresses - Velma, Kay, Phyllis, and Norma Jean - all wore starched uniforms (dad was known to ask them to go home and iron if necessary), frilly aprons, and hairnets. Mom did the same. Her gray hair was neatly pulled into the mesh net, held in place with thin elastic and the rims of her black glasses. Since she was the cook, her apron was always white (unless it was a special day and she dressed a bit fancier - then it was embroidered calico or flowered cotton), always a touch of Pink Carnation lipstick from Avon. The waitresses had their own table in the back corner. They'd sit down for a break, grab a Pall Mall from their cigarette cases waiting silently on the table (the kind with the fancy silver snaps). They'd have a quick smoke. And laugh! Count their tips.
     Freda's Cafe. One of the first things I remember learning to read was the menu. Even when I was little, mom would sometimes let me load the typewriter with two sheets of paper (purple carbon paper sandwiched between) to type out the daily specials. Ham and Beans with fresh cornbread ........................................ $2.00 (typing the dots was fun). Patiently, she taught me to capitalize the letters, put in spaces, etc. I remember sitting at the counter, flipping through the songs, reading the charts, and begging for a dime to play Big Bad John by Jimmy Dean. In 1967, I learned sight words like don't, sleep, in, the, subway, darling, it's, such, a, pretty, world, today... simply by reading the hits that were waiting to be played. I'd make fake tickets on green and white pads of paper.
     Freda's Cafe. I remember the decorative plates (one from every state) and college banners that lined the high ceilings. I remember my 9th birthday when mom decorated a table in the restaurant and served my friends hamburger deluxes and all the "Big Red" we could drink. I remember flicking a piece of bubblegum off my knife and it hitting a customer in the back of her neck (um, mom was NOT happy, I was bored). I remember playing in the empty apartment upstairs four hours. I remember going to the basement to fetch vegetables or canned goods for mom (it was scary). I remember when she'd hear a certain whistle, she knew the "train crew" was stopping the train to run up the street for a quick "whistle stop" meal. I remember watching her stand at the workstation my dad built and shout out orders as they were ready to serve.
     Freda's Cafe. I remember the phone call. "Your restaurant is on fire!" And, the fear in mom and dad's eyes as they dashed out the door to go see the devastation. I think that's when I developed my fear of fire. But, like the resourceful folks they were, it wasn't long until they had the whole thing remodeled and up and running again. A fresh start. The grand "reopening" was a hit! I think Mom got more flowers that day than she did at her funeral!

Freda's Cafe. If I close my eyes right now, I can still picture her there, a small bead of perspiration on her forehead. Hard working. Amazing cook. Steam-covered glasses. So, Happy Birthday, Freda! Until next year...

It's Two, Two... Two GIfts in One (Well, Three Actually)

2010-12-09T04:00:00.002-07:00

Another great find at NCTE (thank you again, Candlewick Press) was Switching on the Moon by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters. It's a wonderful collection of "bedtime poems," but really is so much more. 60 poems, old and new, in one place... poems rich in warmth, peace, and hope that only "bedtime" poems can bring. And an added bonus, it's illustrated by G. Brian Karas, who is on my top ten list of illustrators (oh... that could be a future blog... watch for it)!

When I picked this book up at NCTE, I just knew I had to have it... and my friends at Candlewick Press made it happen! The cover art is absolutely delightful and inviting. I could spend a week with my students just writing from the cover. But open it up and the delight continues. Some of my favorites are "Naughty Soap Song" by Dorthy Aldis, "Mama Bird's Lullaby" by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, and "Snuggles" by Penny Kent. Of course, there are many others by some of our favorite poets. I love "Who Sings in the Night?" and "Night Noises in the City" by Jane Yolen. I love Andrew Fusek Peters's poems "Rain Song" and "Wonder." Such simple and delightful poetry.
I wish I was Jane Yolen or Andrew Fusek Peters and could just ring up a few close "poet" friends and say, "I'm collecting bedtime poems... and I'd love your suggestions," or "Hi Lee, I need a bedtime poem, search your notebooks!" Or perhaps this is the perfect book to nudge the writers in my care to "collect" poems on a favorite topic and to write a few of their own. For now, I'm going to savor it with my students... let the words float through our minds and fill the air for a bit... like incense... and let the beauty of their simple words linger in our hearts and minds for a bit."

Where Does a Month Go?

2010-12-08T05:52:00.000-07:00

I just noticed that it's been exactly one month since I've added a blog post... unbelievable! I think that I may have to do a little blogging about TIME.

Snook Alone

2010-12-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

When I attend NCTE (or any other convention) and I walk into the exhibit hall, I always tend to avoid the "glitzy," "come-and-try our program," or "free (but really not worth carrying home) teaching ideas" booths. I tend to hit my favorite exhibitors, one of which is Candlewick Press. I tend to spend a lot of time in the booths that sell real literature without the hype. And, I always leave Candlewick with new titles I can't wait to share with my students and family.

   One of the books I chose this year was Snook Alone by Marilyn Nelson. The reason? It is illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering and he is one of my favorite artists and illustrators. I find something magical and inviting about his illustrations. They are so captivating! He's not only an amazing illustrator, but a fine artist (check out his website and look at his oil of Moby Dick... wow!). There is something that draws me to his illustrations and when I saw the dog on the cover of Snook Alone, I knew I had to add it to my collection (and the salespeople at Candlewick Press are always gracious in their commitment to putting fine books into the hands of teachers and children).
     Written by poet Marilyn Nelson, Snook Alone was the book I used to begin a study of Asking Questions last week. It was the perfect book to use as a think aloud to get children's minds thinking about asking questions as we read. In the book, a monk named Abba Jacob lives on an island with his loyal terrier, Snook. All day and into the night, Snook and Abba work together, until they are separated by a devastating storm. When they are separated, Snook longs to hear the voice of his friend Abba again. It's a wonderful and thought-provoking tale of friendship, loss, and endurance. It makes for a great think aloud! It's provocative and beautifully written. It's lyrical and challenging. It's emotional and poetic. The line, "In the morning there were only faint sips of his friend's scent left for Snook to drink in here and there," blew me away! It's a wonderful story of friendship.
   Snook Alone was such a lovely NCTE surprise for me to find!

By the way...

I used Timothy Basil Ering's book (you just have to type out his full name) Necks Out for Adventure to begin our school year. Not only is he a wonderful illustrator, but a superb writer as well. We read this book the first week of school and several times since... it focused our year on risk-taking, endurance, problem solving, and wise decision making. Now my students and I talk a lot about "Are you sticking your neck out?" It's almost become a moniker for our work together this year... a wonderful tale as well!

Day by Day... A pre-NCTE interview with Ruth Ayres and Stacey Shubitz

2010-11-08T16:41:00.006-07:00

I have been waiting for Day by Day - Refining Writing Workshop Through 180 Days of Reflective Practice by Ruth Ayres and Stacey Shubitz for the longest time. I have been a reader of their blog Two Writing Teachers for some time and when I heard they were writing, I couldn't wait! And Day by Day is well worth the anticipation! As soon as I heard it was out, I couldn't wait to interview them for my blog.

Ruth's and Stacey's motto on their blog is "Write: It's good for you!" And, now they can add, "Read this book: It's good for you too!" In the forward to the book, Carl Anderson says, "This is a book that asks readers to take an active stance toward their learning, a stance that will reward them with new knowledge, new teaching points, and new techniques that become part of their teaching repertoire."

It is a time in our profession where pundits and programs are slowly slipping into our writing workshops with promises of higher test scores, ridiculously complicated rubrics, formulaic writing, traps and targets, and misconceptions of what it means to be a writer. Ruth and Stacey take an active stance in their writing and invite us to create writer's workshops where students are writing for authenticity. Mem Fox said years ago, "I wish we could change the world by creating powerful writers for forever instead of just indifferent writers for school!" It is colleagues like Ruth and Stacey that help keep that dream alive!

I asked them to respond to a few "brief" questions. Here are their thoughts... enjoy!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Patrick: Your book is organized in such a thoughtful, purposeful manner. The book is both practical and reflective… and offers such choice for the reader and his/her teaching. As you were writing, how did you decide on the organizational structure?

Ruth: Thank you! The structure of the book was important to us. We knew teachers were drawn to our blog, so we wanted a book that tapped into the short nature of our blog posts. As we looked back at the topics we blogged about, we soon found almost any post could be categorized in one of seven topics: routines, minilessons, choice, mentors, conferring, assessment, and celebration. As we thought more around the idea of pillars of writing workshop, we realized celebration is woven into the other six areas. Voila, the structure of the book was born.

The idea of a daily guide for writing teachers led us to create cycles for each of the six pillars. We met in person for these brainstorming sessions and developed the main topic for each of the three cycles and then the ten discussion topics within each cycle.

Stacey: We mapped out the chapters and the cycles for the book in advance of writing it. The only cycles that changed from our original plans were the ones contained in the mini-lessons section. Originally we had the mini-lessons chapter broken out very differently (e.g., cycle one was going to be about connections, demonstrations and active involvements; cycle two was going to deal with narrative, non-narrative, and poetry mini-lessons; cycle three was going to deal with process, craft and conventions), but we realized our original plan was very messy. We took a step back and asked ourselves what would be most meaningful to readers of the book. “Teaching Conventions in Mini-Lessons” is a course of study designed to help teachers embed instruction about conventions into mini-lessons. Finally, “Making Our Teaching Stick” is designed to make our teaching last in our students’ minds for years to come.

Patrick: Throughout the book, the cycles you include are rich in skill and strategy. Is there one cycle that you find more challenging than the rest? Which cycle is your favorite?

Stacey: I think the “Peer Conferring” cycle is very challenging because it is about relinquishing control, which is very hard for many educators to do. With a little faith in the process and trust in your students, this cycle should yield some glorious results.

My favorite cycle is “Teachers as Mentors.” I think this cycle is one of the most important cycles in the book since being a teacher-writer allows one to relate better to the young writers they teach daily.

Ruth: Stacey and I were talking about the book a few weeks ago and one thing I noticed in our discussion is how each of the six pillars is woven around one another – each depends on another for growth.

So when I think about a cycle that is most challenging, it is hands-down assessment. Really, will we ever master assessment? But so much of assessment is woven around conferring, which is one of my favorite parts of writing workshop. I can use my understanding and strength in conferring to improve in assessment.

This year my focus as a writing teacher is to understand the writing process more deeply, which is an element of choice. As I offer more choices to students, my conferring becomes richer, and my understanding of assessment is influenced.

They all wrap around one another. I think this is a comfort to us as writing teachers because whatever area is most challenging it is only a step away from an area we claim as a favorite. Just like we encourage our students to do, we can use our strengths as a stepping stone to growth.

Patrick: As you were writing Day by Day, what was your greatest new learning? Tell us about the part of the book that you’re most proud of as a writer yourself.

Ruth: The part I’m most proud of? Well, it’s done. . . we wrote an entire book cover to cover. I’ve learned writing is about tenacity. I must sit down with my laptop and put words on the page – even when I don’t want to, especially when I don’t want to. It’s about making a choice to write for at least fifteen minutes a day instead of doing something else.

Within the book, my favorite parts are the Closing Thoughts and Dedications.

What surprised me the most in writing Day by Day was the way my ideas developed as I wrote. Now this is something I’ve taught in writing workshop for years; however, writing Day by Day solidified my belief. I love the way new learning can happen simply by putting words on the page.

The other crucial realization for me is how very different Stacey’s and my processes are. In fact, we are almost opposites. However, we are both successful writers. It makes me more determined to help students find an individualized process for themselves.

Stacey: I had a lot of trepidation about the assessment chapter of the book. I wasn’t sure how much I had to say on the topic. While I assessed my students constantly when I taught full-time and understood what meaningful assessments should look like, I was still nervous about writing this chapter since I knew that it would probably be the one most people turned to first (even though it was going to appear last in the text).

As the weeks went on when we were writing assessment, I think my confidence about this topic got stronger. I realized I knew more than I gave myself credit for when it came to assessment and therefore, I’m quite proud of the work we did in this chapter.

Patrick: The “challenges” and “reflective practice” you suggest throughout offer both depth and inquiry for those of us who work with writers on a daily basis. How important is it for teachers take a reflective stance in their teaching? How might you nudge a teacher to be more reflective?

Stacey: When I was in graduate school obtaining my first master’s degree I heard many professors tell us that we should keep a reflective journal. I scoffed at the idea because I thought it was a waste of time. When I started working on my second masters, it was required that we do reflective writing about our teaching. It was only then, when it was mandated, that I began to recognize the power of reflecting daily on my teaching. I found it made me more aware of my impact as an educator. Additionally, it allowed me to take a step back and look at my teaching practice in a more critical way, which enabled me to make better decisions that affected my students’ learning.

I think the best way to nudge someone towards becoming a reflective practitioner is to set them up with a blog. Blogging allows you to reflect on your own teaching in writing, but it also gives you the power to share your reflections with a larger group of people who can push your thinking (i.e., when they leave comments on a blog post) even further than you could do on your own.

Ruth: Reflection is the key to evolving as a teacher. It is the difference between being mediocre and great. I believe this is true for any profession, not just education. Those who become great are those who engage in reflective practice.

Reflection comes in a variety of forms. For some it is talking to a friend after school, others it is thinking on the drive home, and for many it is writing in a journal or on a blog. The secret is to slow down and notice the details. Then ask Why and consider many different answers, beginning with Maybe . . . or What if . . . For extra inspiration, I recommend spending some time with a preschooler in order to develop the panache of noticing details and asking Why.

Patrick: I love the idea of charting my learning as I read the book and I can't wait to get started. Reflection is an important part of learning. I'm always trying to refine my own instruction. When it comes to your learning process (about young writers, your own inquiry, etc.), what do you "chart" your new discoveries and wonderings? How do you fit reflection into an already jam-packed schedule?

Ruth: I believe reflection is a state of mind and it fills in the gaps of my life. I engage in reflection when I walk through the hall or am driving to or from school. I jot myself notes after a lesson and send an email to a colleague in order to refine my instruction.

However, I am also intentional about carving out a time for reflection. When I was a classroom teacher, I used the first 15 minutes of my prep to write in a journal I kept solely for reflective practice. Now I blog. Stacey and I are committed to posting daily on Two Writing Teachers, so even when I don’t feel like taking the time to reflect, I have to in order to write a blog post.

Patrick: Of course, I love chapter three, the conferring chapter. Knowing children on an individual basis is so important. What similarities do you see between reading and writing conferences? Differences?

Stacey: There are so many similarities between reading and writing conferences.

The largest difference is that reading conferences usually about trying to make the invisible work of the reader visible to the teacher. With a writing conference, you usually have a better sense of what’s happening with the writer from the second you sit down beside them since they have some writing in-hand. However, since writing conferences must always be about “teaching the writer, not the writing,” I believe it’s imperative to ask every writer lots of open-ended questions to learn about their process and intentions so we don’t rely on the writing to tell us what to teach the child.

Ruth: It is important in both reading and writing conferences to be an active listener and see the intent behind the student’s work. I love looking for what students’ are attempting as readers and writers and then helping them to do it better. Another similarity I see is in focusing on the student – teaching the student as opposed to the text.

For me, reading conferences seem so much harder. One reason for this is because I’ve had a lot more experience in writing conferences. I’m fortunate to be in a district that has both a writing coach (me) and a reading coach. It just proves the more we confer the easier it becomes.

Patrick: Who are your writing mentors? If you could suggest one professional text about writer’s workshop that’s impacted your thinking, which would you choose? Why?

Stacey: There are many teacher-authors whose writing I looked to while we were engaged in writing this book. A few, whose books I referred to again and again, were: Dan Feigelson, Ralph Fletcher, Georgia Heard, and Katie Wood Ray.

Aimee Buckner’s book, Notebook Know-How, changed the way I used writer’s notebooks when I was a classroom teacher. She gave me the courage to make the notebook a tool that writers could use to improve their skills while still finding a way to make it a place to collect meaningful writing. I hope to meet her sometime in the future since her work really had a huge impact on my teaching.

Ruth: For Day by Day, my writing mentors were Penny Kittle and Katie Wood Ray – I love the lyrical nature of their writing style. Often I read a portion of one of their texts before I wrote so I could have the sound of their voices in my head.

One text about writing workshop, are you serious? You realize that on any given day I may suggest a different title, right? So today I choose Public Teaching: One Kid at a Time by Penny Kittle because it is an example of reflective practice in its most elegant form – through noticing ordinary stories that happen every day in classrooms and realizing how they impact us as teachers.

Patrick: I asked both Ralph Fletcher and Katie Wood Ray this question recently, “What are some of the practices you see being implemented in classrooms in the name of ‘writer’s workshop’ that send shivers down your spine?”

Ruth: There are so many resources touting the guise of writing workshop, which teachers can follow the “curriculum” laid out without ever taking the time to reflect on the needs of the students in their classrooms. What sends shivers down my spine (and back up again) is the ease of lock stepping through a pre-determined order of minilessons without ever considering student need.

I’m also concerned with the pressure teachers put on students to write to a specific prompt or assignment for writing workshop. This places the focus on the product and conferring becomes about the product produced, instead of the writer. With the emphasis to perform, some writing workshops have unfortunately become places to produce things perfectly for the teacher’s grade book.

Reflective practice and knowledge of best practices in writing is how we will keep our writing workshops pure. It is important we continue to build our understanding of how students learn to write by reading professionally and then reflecting on our understandings and practices.

Stacey: Practices that diminish choice send shivers down my spine. For example, I walked into a school earlier this year that had a beautiful display of fourth graders’ writing. It was colorful and visually appealing. However, when I got close enough to read the writing I noticed all of the kids had written about rain. Apparently, their teacher tasked them to write about rain and took them through the entire writing process (i.e., over the course of a few weeks) writing about rain. If any of the kids were like me, and weren’t fond of the rain, then I could imagine them being frustrated by this since the writing probably lacked meaning or value for them since it was written for the teacher, not for them.

Patrick: What’s your greatest hope for the readers of Day by Day?

Stacey: I hope educators who read this book will find other like-minded colleagues who will use this book alongside them as a springboard to ongoing reflective practice in their professional lives for years to come.

Ruth: That they teach writing workshop with joy and purpose.

Patrick: What project is next for you?

Stacey: I’m working on a fiction picture book that deals with present-day immigration issues.

Ruth: Two Writing Teachers continues to be a primary writing project and I look forward to seeing how it evolves as more teachers join our community. However, the writing habit I developed while working on Day by Day took hold and won’t let go. I’m playing with all sorts of projects.

Last April, when the manuscript was finished for Day by Day I found myself wondering what to do with the extra time (although sleeping should have been the first choice!). Instead, I set a goal to read and study 100 YA books so I could have a better understanding of the genre. Then at the end of July, around book number 57, a good friend of mine died unexpectedly. He was 20 and made me stare the fragility of life straight in the eyes. My husband and I spoke at his funeral and when we came home, I found myself needing to put words on the page.

There were so many new emotions and questions inside of me, and I realized the only way I could discover the answers was through writing. On the day of the funeral I began writing and what is emerging (every day, usually at 4:40 am) is a YA novel. I don’t have any plans for it, except to write the entire story and discover the truths I need to learn.

Then I’d like to write another book for teachers of writing. I’ve been collecting ideas on note cards for this project.

And, as always, I collect bits and pieces of my wonderful ordinary life through pictures and words in scrapbooks. Christmas is my favorite season, so throughout December I’m planning to document the holiday each day. This will be my priority, so my other writing projects will slip to the back burner.

Isn’t this the nature of being a writer? The energy for different projects ebbs and flows and it is our job to ride the waves as they come.

Patrick: Thank you both for taking the time to "chat"... Energy, indeed! I can't wait to hear more about Day by Day on your Official Blog Tour. Day by Day should be on every writing teacher's must-have list.

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2010-10-28T16:21:00.000-06:00

Who doesn't love Douglas Wood? I picked up Where the Sunrise Begins last week and, like many of his books, it's sure to find a spot on my shelf of favorites. Wendy Popp's illustrations are calm, serene and match her motto of, "Find work with good purpose and create with passion." It's a lovely book.
   Like A Quiet Place, this book is written in a lyrical, rhythmical, and predictable voice... answering the question, "Where does the sunrise begin?" Douglas Wood captures everyday questions and events in the most surprising way. Added to Nothing to Do and Old Turtle and others, this makes a grand addition to any classroom collection.
     I think Douglas Wood's books are filled with possibilities to encourage children to fill up their own writer's notebooks with language that's rich, purposeful, and extraordinary. There's a flow to his writing that might just nudge the most reticent writers in the classroom. His writing is filled with images, inferences, and insights.
     Check out his website. Paddle Whispers is on my list for my friends that trek to Boundary Waters with their family almost yearly. And, many of his songs might just make it into the background of your reader's or writer's workshop. What a talented man.
   Some say pictures books are a dying entity... But they haven't read Douglas Wood, I would surmise.

Books that naturally create a sense of song...

2010-10-15T15:41:00.000-06:00

My dear friend, Randi Allison (click on her name to see her poetry website) just bought a house in the desert. Palm Desert. When I read this book by Tony Johnston, I thought of her. Day is Done. Twilight Comes. The perfect first words for a lyrical, poetic piece.
   It's a beautifully illustrated book by Ed Young in beautiful colors, simple lines. And his illustrations match Tony Johnston's words perfectly. There's a stillness and quietness that created for me the perfect sensory image for desert life. I'm sure as Randi looks out at the surroundings near her new home (away from home), she gets the same feeling I get, sitting here on my front porch reading.
   I love a book like Desert Songs that creates a crescendo then a lull, a crescendo then a lull... it's reminiscent of The Whales by Cynthia Rylant. Hmm... perhaps they could be tied together within a study of picture books that create that sense of peace for the reader. I may have to consider a unit of study using books like these as the anchor...
     If it brings such an incredible sense of peace to the reader, perhaps as a writer it will create that same gift. I may have to do some experimenting in my own notebook! See where it leads...
   What other books create this same sense? Ideas?

Happy Birthday, Doris!

2010-10-14T06:04:00.004-06:00

Happy Birthday, Dear Doris!
     Dear Sister, Dare I acknowledge #65 in public? What can I say to you other than, "Thank you!" I wish all the world could share the gifts you have shared with me... smiles, laughter, stories, songs, memories.   Thank you, Dor Dor.
     You have been a beacon of light. A pillar of strength. A creator of joy. A singer of songs. A poet. A story teller. A prayer warrior. A giver of hugs and smiles. A disciplinarian. A counselor. A voice of reason. A purveyor of truth. A comic. A caregiver. A role model. A baker. A friend.
     Today and every day, I count you among life's blessings! So, celebrate today, Dear Doris, knowing there are hundreds of people celebrating you... especially your little brother! All brothers should be so lucky!

Birthday Blessings Instead of counting candles,
Or tallying the years,
Contemplate your blessings now,
As your birthday nears.Consider special people
Who love you, and who care,
And others who’ve enriched your life
Just by being there.Think about the memories
Passing years can never mar,
Experiences great and small
That have made you who you are.Another year is a happy gift,
So cut your cake, and say,
"Instead of counting birthdays,
I count blessings every day!" By Joanna Fuchs (c) poemsource.com