“It doesn’t solve anything in an overly neat-and-tidy kind of way; rather, it honors the fact that sometime we are in a place where we are not okay.”
Category: writing community
Rethinking Writing Genres
Some thoughts on how to help our students become writers in modern contexts as well as traditional ones.
Some strategies for motivating writers to engage in meaningful revision.
F.A.Q. (Or How to Take Ownership of Writing)
At my school district in Michigan, we’re in the home stretch. Just a few more days of instruction, and then we’ll be on our final exam schedule. So, for this post, I planned to write about creative lessons that will keep your class engaged and fresh throughout these dog days. From my past tense, […]
All the Culture Wars We Cannot See
When asking students to write about topics that require a lot of context, we have to consider not only what THEY might not know, but what WE might not know when we give students freedom to write about their world.
O Captain, My Captain
I love showing Dead Poets Society to Grade 12 students. There’s something special about that movie and that group. They’re not much longer for my building, and will soon be sallying forth to “Carpe diem.” But, if I must be honest, I’ve always applied the Stink of English class to it by attaching an academic […]
Beyond the Baked Goods: Appreciate Teachers by Supporting Them
Don’t get me wrong; at this time of year, a lunch or a coffee cart can seem like a godsend. But, I’d argue that more than appreciation, we need support.
“Once you’ve made the decision, just swing the sword” (or bring along your shrimp puppet): Writerly Wit and Wisdom from a Weekend Book Festival
As Jay said in his last post, the spring is full of Snake Men, stealing classroom time we’re desperate for, and, unfortunately for some of us in the midwest, this spring has also been devoid of sunlight, so I’m feeling like a bit of a nocturnal, cold-blooded creature myself. Thus, I was grateful for a […]
Writing Center Update: The Good, The Bad, and The Tricky
My IB teaching partner dropped a calendar page on my desk yesterday morning that reminded me–in its stark black-and-white boxes filled with Easter vacation, early release days, and special schedules–that we have very few weeks left in our semester. That somewhat panicked calendar also means that the Triton Writing Center, the fledgling dream I committed […]
The Door of Chaos: Responding to Original Ideas
The Door of Chaos allows students to respond to and collaborate with their peers in other classes throughout the day.
moving writers 