When I wrote last week about cheating with my no-grades classroom, I talked about how I was using narrative feedback (written and verbal) to communicate with students about their learning and how, for the most part, the revision part was not happening. I was reluctant to …
“You can’t just declare that you have a growth mindset,” said Dweck. “Growth mindset is hard. Many educators are trying to skip the journey.” To do it right, Dweck says that many teachers have to change how they teach, offering more critical feedback and giving …
Reading as Activism: Bearing Witness to Trauma and Genocide in YA Lit Saturday, Nov. 21st, 11:00-12:15 PM, Minneapolis Convention Center, 205CD Five teachers discuss the importance of reading global literature, share their experiences reading unimaginable stories of genocide alongside students, and lead round table discussions …
Please join my round table discussion at NCTE this weekend: Reading Art to Access Hope, Wonder, and Significance in Writing Friday, 11/20, 2:30-3:45pm, Minneapolis Convention Center, 208CD Here is an overview, a sample lesson, and a few writing samples: Art can offer a grand and …
Beginning The Winston Community Story Project this week with seventh graders. We will be interviewing the people within and beyond our school to bear witness to the stories that make us who we are. Every story, every life matters. Today, I am unpacking and charging …
Dear Sarah, I’m writing with the good news that your contract for Genocide Literature in Middle and Secondary Classrooms: Rhetoric, Witnessing, and Social Action in a Time of Standards and Accountability has been fully countersigned. Indeed, friends, I have a signed contract to publish my …
If you had the attention of a thousand students and two minutes, what short film would you select to show and why? In our writing class, I occasionally use short videos to inspire writing, practice a writing skill, or illustrate a literary concept. For example, …
On Sundays, I invite Ethical ELA friends to do some creative writing — a stanza or story about anything you wish. I will, however, offer some inspiration to get you started: Think about someone you admire. It may be someone you know well or someone …
On Sundays, I post an idea to inspire a little creative writing among Ethical ELA friends. I focus so much on teaching at times that I forget to make time to nurture the being behind-within the teacher. So here is a little inspiration for today: …
After spending the summer researching assessment and grading, after meeting with colleagues and my principal about facilitating a no-grades classroom this school year, after resisting numbers and letter grades on student work for nearly nine weeks, after countless hours of writing narrative feedback to students …