bird by bird; a reflection

In Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott really challenged me to rethink some of the traditions to which I held fast as a teacher and writer. For example, she advises to just begin. No fancy pre-writing rituals required. Just start writing. And keep writing, doing so on a regular basis. Not everything will be brilliant--but that's OK. Eventually, something meaningful will emerge.

And that brings up a second theme Lamott hammers home (and yes, I meant to say "hammer.) Publishing should not be the end-all, be-all to writers. While it may be nice to be published, and it does bring legitimacy to what we do, the journey is what's important. That's not to say that being published (many times as it turns out in order to really make a living as a writer) isn't admirable. It's just to say that if we lose sight of why we write that can make what we write fraudulent. And fraudulent writing may sound pretty, but it will lack the power to transmit long-lasting meaning.

I found Bird by Bird to be humorous, inspiring, and just what I needed at this stage in my journey as a writer. I recommend it particularly for those who may be hesitant about just diving in.

Workshops: A Reflection

What a privilege to see my colleagues present workshops that not only were engaging, but highly beneficial in terms of what I can bring to my own classroom. Gloria and Mercedes reminded me how studying a second language can bring understanding to the structure of a primary language. Not only that, but honoring other cultures can be a fantastic way to increase student interest and engagement. I will hope to increase my students' sentence savvy by encouraging them to measure the importance of each word. My writer's notebooks will be more organized, purposeful and useful to my students. I will have a more focused plan to prepare my students for the Direct Writing Assessment. Finally, I will use media to teach my students the art of persuasion in a fun, motivational way.

The above only touches the surface of what I will be able to incorporate into my writing instruction next fall. I'll need time to go back through all the handouts, to reflect about and possibly modify activities to meet the needs of my students.

Top Ten Grammar Grabbers

10. Commas, are often overused. When in doubt leave them out.

9. Grammar should be taught contextually.

8. Vivid verbs make writing pop, sparkle, sizzle.

7. "Rules" of grammar can be taught to help students succeed on standardized tests.

6. The same rules of grammar can be taught to help students improve their writing.

5. Specific nouns specify specificness specifically.

4. Appositives, nouns or phrases that add descriptiveness to writing, can help students decrease their dependence on adjectives.

3. Mind quivering, the author added an absolute to the otherwise boring sentence.

2. Grammar shy? Descriptify!

1. For a free cup of coffee, correctly edit sentences two through ten.

1/2. Not.