Write Away

May 5, 2015

National Teacher Appreciation Week

Forego the mugs, the trinkets, the gift certificates. I speak for many teachers when I say, “If you must give me something for Teacher Appreciation Week, I’d love a handwritten thank-you note.” It’s the soul of teaching that matters to us teachers. Who could stick to such a difficult profession if there weren’t more than Continue reading

Relationships, Social and emotional development, Teaching and Learning

teacher’s soul, thank teachers, thank you note
April 30, 2015

From Zymurgy to Zyzzyvas

Are you a dictionary lover? If so, you enjoy holding the book in your hands while browsing through its pages. You relish the distraction of looking up a word, because you see lots of other cool words along the way. I never mind when students do that; in fact, I encourage it. At their age, I’d visit Continue reading

English Language Arts, Interdiscipinary learning, Science, Vocabulary

discover, read dictionary, words
April 29, 2015

My Mother the Yodeler

“Yodel-ay-hee-hooo!” sang my mother in the car. She had a natural talent for it, learned it as a camp counselor, and once she got going, she’d spin the yodel part like this: Yooooo—de-yo-de-yo-de-yo-de-yo-de-lay-hee-hoooo! After The Sound of Music movie came out, and Julie Andrews sang “The Lonely Goatherd,” it was Continue reading

Arts, Music, Speaking and listening, Teaching and Learning

Alps, communication, Yodel
April 28, 2015

Buried Treasure: X Marks the Spot

Before students write a story, ask them to draw an illustrated map. Visualizing, creating, drawing, painting, coloring, and discussing a map stimulates the imagination in ways that words sometimes cannot. It worked for Robert Louis Stevenson (1854-1894), who spent a rainy day with his son drawing this map, which inspired his masterpiece Treasure Island: This marvelous text in Continue reading

Arts, History and Social Science, Storytelling, Teaching and Learning

children, education, illustration, writing
April 27, 2015

An Education Spring “Why Not?”

Your students take forever to settle down and start the Do Now. Or you wish there was something new to add to that unit on European history. Maybe there’s a certain dullness today that needs a spark. Try an Education Spring Why Not?—a semi-serendipitous drop of shine in your students’ day. They learn something new. It Continue reading

Interdiscipinary learning, Music, Speaking and listening, Teaching and Learning

classroom energy, Couperin, Why Not?

National Teacher Appreciation Week

From Zymurgy to Zyzzyvas

My Mother the Yodeler

Buried Treasure: X Marks the Spot

An Education Spring “Why Not?”