"All this happened, more or less."

You know that a writer has created something magical when you find yourself invested enough in a story to actually will a storyline along toward the direction you desperately hope it will go. I found myself really, really wanting certain things to happen to and for certain characters in Stephen King’s 11-22-63 . Did everything turn out the way I hoped it would? Nope, but I understood why King wrote the denouement the way he did, and that made it not only bearable, but also ultimately okay with me. As I finished the final chapter of this lengthy novel, I felt like things turned out the way they had to all along, and that the question of fate vs. free will had been adequately satisfied; we are both directed by forces outside of our control and simultaneously have enormous power to change the course of our lives and the lives of others . (Hey, students: that’s my informal thematic statement J ) I struggle to find anything more profound to say about this text than that – unless...

When students see the name of this activity on the board, they always seem a bit intimidated, yet intrigued. It definitely sparks interest and authentic engagement! I have played with other names, too, but this one seems to create the most buy-in. To be honest, I did not come up with the name on my own, as I had heard a colleague use “poetry deathmatch” before. As teachers do best, I adapted the activity to suit my needs, and I am happy to share my lesson in hopes that other teachers will do the same. First, I introduced (or reintroduced) students to the haiku format. We discussed the origin of this structure and the fact that, in America, haiku are usually written in 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables each. We talked about the fact that the plural of haiku is: haiku (this prevents my annoyance upon hearing “haikus”). We looked at several examples of haiku – both traditional Japanese haiku and more modern examples. Because we were already talking about the power of words in the ...

Last year, I began moving away from the formulaic TPCASTT and Somebody-Wanted-But-So methods of poetry analysis in my AP course. I still teach those methods of analysis; any tools my students have for decoding poems that serve as potential pathways toward understanding are valuable, and I want them to have as many tools as possible! However, I found that by emulating mentor texts, my students were able to find all of the poetic devices and reach a deeper understanding of the author’s work. This is simply a natural by-product of analyzing which parts of the poem – diction, syntax, theme, repetition and other devices – that they would like to mimic in their own work. My students came up with some of the most beautiful and deeply personal work I’ve ever experienced – some of which they performed at a poetry slam that they organized at the end of the year. To that end, tomorrow we will read “Forgive My Guilt” by Robert P. Tristram Coffin and “Prayer to the Living to Forgive them for B...

I read a lot of Stephen King's novels when I was young after my love of the characters in the movie Stand by Me led me to the short story it was based on, published under King's pseudonym. I quickly found what I think draws many to his work; King's characters are complex, and their thoughts, motivations, and dialogue are authentic. Recently, I returned to King's work to see how I feel about it as an adult whose favorite film is now  The Shawshank Redemption - also based on his work. When someone tells me that they don't like King's work, I often ask which books they've read. To me, that's like saying you don't like the Beatles. From which era? Which style or genre? With both iconic artists, there is simply too much variety for such blanket statements.  It is true that many of King's works - though not all - contain some dark element. He has brought us homicidal cars, vengeful prom-goers, vampires, and alcoholic fathers who attempt to murder thei...

My son turned 16 today. He didn’t get the keys to a car; that’s beyond our means right now, but he did get a pair of drumsticks and a practice pad so that he can learn to tap out rhythms. He recently joined the “School of Rock” club at his school, and though he currently plays the bass guitar in the group, he really wants to play the drums. My son at 6 months with his drum Before I get to my main point, let me back up several years. My son loved beating out rhythms since the days of his Little Tikes drum with connected plastic sticks. When he was about 5 years old, he advanced to a junior drum kit. I bet our apartment neighbors loved that! At 10, my mom gifted him with a more advanced drum set. It was still a learning model, but he had fun operating the bass drum and cymbals along with the drum heads. He began talking about signing up for band the following year, and as parents who met in high school band, we were only too happy to support his enthusiasm and musical ability. ...

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Genre: Historical Fiction Published: 2014 Major Awards: Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (2015) There are so many places I could begin in reviewing this book, so let me start with an informal phrase I uttered when talking about this book with friends: This is the least warry World War II book I’ve ever read . Simply put, while this book follows the plight of several characters before, during, and after the war, its focus is on those characters and how their lives intertwine – not on the vast scope of the War itself. Each choice that each character makes can and does have unforeseen and far-reaching consequences, and this book shares two major ideas with Rowling’s Harry Potter works, including the necessity of doing what’s right instead of what’s easy and the fact that it’s our choices that define who we are. Hmmm. It seems that within the course of writing this paragraph, I’ve talked myself out of my original statement. What c...

First, we wrote. Then we talked. Then we wrote some more, talked even more, and from this: great ideas were hatched and explored. This past weekend, I attended a leadership meeting for the North Star of Texas Writing Project. If you aren’t familiar with North Star, please take a moment to check out their website here: http://www.northstaroftexaswritingproject.org/ . Having previously attended writing workshop professional development, I had no idea what I was getting into last summer at the invitational institute, or how it would continue to change my life – even in the course of a brief Saturday-morning meeting. What sets NSTWP apart from any other writing workshop PD I’ve participated in is the fact that once in the company of Dr. Wickstrom, Dr. Revelle, Dr. Robertson, and other leaders and Teacher Consultants, I felt empowered. One teacher remarked on Saturday that the program “met each of us where we were at” – whether student-teacher or veteran teacher – and valued what we h...

It happens every year. In the month leading to the AP exam, I worry. Are my students prepared? Have they read a wide enough range of texts to support any Q3 prompt they might encounter? What could I have done to encourage them to read more? How many students missed good lessons because of the multitude of field trips -  especially  in the spring? How can I help students individually when they rarely attend tutorials? These are just some of the questions that keep me up at night, but then I realize: much of this is completely out of my control. Students know (or at the very least, they've been told) that it is necessary to practice reading and writing to become better readers and writers. They know that tutorials are available. While of course I will continue to revise lessons and look for better ways to teach course content, the real questions I would like answered are: How can I help students take ownership in their own learning? How can I make students want mo...

(I wrote this a week ago while recovering from the strep throat that my students gifted me. I suspect that I became sick while I cleaned up the snotty tissues that they left on tables. No worries, though. They also gifted me warm tea and chocolate to help me feel better :) ) I’m trying to teach class today with no voice. Why? Because I’m sick, but I’m also stubborn. I figure that even on a bad day, I’m probably better for my kids than a last-minute sub. Because I didn’t want to leave “busy work,” and we had something we absolutely needed to do today. Most of all, because I felt too lousy this morning to wrap my mind around creating sub plans and calling in. Too sick to call in sick : is this just a teacher-thing? I wonder. My 7 th period is (mostly) completing their collaborative and self-evaluations as instructed, so I thought I’d share my observations after a day of teaching with no voice. Here’s what I found: If you have successfully created a collaborative learning en...

I hadn't been to the nursing home that housed my great-grandfather, Pappy, since I was a small child. As I left his daughter and my grandma there today, I noted just how much smaller it seems. Once cavernous rooms and long corridors have, through the magic of time and perspective, become cramped and confining. This place that once evoked feelings of freedom and exploration now seems more warehouse, hospital, prison, waiting room. I often credit that nursing home with teaching me the patience that has come in so handy as a wife, mom,  friend , and  teacher . Visits there meant visiting not just Pappy, but a variety of other personalities as well. While Grandma gave her dad a haircut and a shave, Dorothy and I played ball. She dropped her arm down next to the wheel of her chair and rolled her soft, pink therapy ball to me. Sometimes, its trajectory was so far off that I would dutifully run down the corridor and fetch it before rolling it back to her. We played until I wore ...