In the summer, I do a lot of reading and writing, but as the school year gets going, I gradually replace my personal literary work for the work of the classroom. I spend more time planning lessons, listening to students, and reading student blogs, and …
“Last week I cut my hair, bought some boys’ clothes and shoes, wrapped a large ACE bandage around my chest to flatten my fortunately-not-large breasts, and began looking for a new name.” Some reviewers on Goodreads have written that Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger is unrealistic because of …
“When we confirm someone, we identify a better self and encourage its development. To do this we must know the other reasonably well. Otherwise we cannot see what the other is really striving for, what ideal he or she may long to make real.” — …
How do you respond to a student’s response? What do you say that indicates you are hearing the words and the being who is before you? This came up in a higher ed course last term when we were practicing some mini-lessons. It occurred to …
For Noddings, there is a distinction between ethical and natural caring. The act may come from “I want,” which is natural, and “I must,” which is ethical. Ethical caring comes from a belief that caring is a “right” way of responding to another human …
If you want your students to think like authors, then have them speak to authors by Sarah Dollah-Said Being a literature and writing teacher for middle school students is hard enough when you are competing with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumbler (whatever other social media networks …
