I’ve been in graduate school for the majority of my adult life. I started my masters degree in 2007, my second year of teaching, and never left academia. So even though I technically graduated in August, walking at graduation in a few Fridays ago was a special kind of bittersweet. People have started to call … More The End of an Era
I’m in a situation today where I can’t take a book. Where have you been where no books were allowed? What did you do? … More No Books Allowed
Ever since my superintendent talked about principals reflecting on what they did over the course of a week on Friday, I’ve been thinking about how I can use this to celebrate the things I’ve done over the course of the week that I’m excited about, or that I’ve learned, or that I just feel good … More Five Things on Friday: Celebrate Good Times
One of the things the superintendent of the school district where I work asks the principals and cabinet members to do is come up with a list of five things they did during the week. This process facilitates reflective practice and provides space for celebration of accomplishments. This isn’t necessarily bookish for me, even though … More Five Things on Friday
I discovered something about my life as a library user today. That is, I hate digital holds. This might have to do with my desire to have everything planned out; I may over-structure my reading life. I get stuck in an agenda and when a wrench (albeit a wrench I’d been looking forward to) gets … More When All Your Holds Come in at Once
My 2016 reading year in review. … More 2016, A Year in Review
I’ve been away from the internet for a while — finishing up coursework and passing my comprehensive exam — and I come back to find out that NCLB is going to be repealed and a new plan, Every Student Succeeds, will be signed into law. Its name alone inspires a more positive approach to working … More Every Student Succeeds | Monday Musings
On Friday, my department spent half the day updating our curriculum map. In looking at the novels we’d chosen as anchor texts, one of our number wondered aloud the point of teaching novels when what we’re preparing students for is the PARCC. The PARCC, as with any K-12 standardized test, doesn’t require students to read … More Why Teach Novels: Part I
Happy Monday (well, Wednesday. I’m a little behind this week), everyone! An interesting question was posed over at YALSA last week, and I want to spend the bulk of my musing space talking about it: Who Is Young Adult Literature For? I’m going to argue that, while the protagonists of young adult literature are teenagers, … More Young Adult Lit's for Me
Teachers in my district went back to school last week, and today is our first day with students. I’ve always had challenges with get to know you activities, not because I don’t want to get to know my students, but because I feel like, sometimes, there’s a disconnect. Most of my students know each other … More Literacy Autobiographies
