I think I’ll just let the video speak for itself. Fed up with school book bans and school board meetings that look like day-time talk shows. Even more fed up with the resulting attacks on authors, librarians, and teachers. Beyond … Read more
An education blog recently published an open letter to new TFA corps members that is causing quite a stir. Here’s how Katie Osgood begins her message:
Dear New TFA Recruits,
It is summertime, which for those of you newly accepted … Read more
It appears I have a new authorly addiction: Skyping with students. In the last month or so, I’ve been lucky enough to have a Skype author visit with students almost every Friday. Forget chicken soup for the writer’s soul–these chats … Read more
Today’s post offers a review of ANNEXED·by Sharon Dogar and suggests pairing it with NO CRYSTAL STAIR by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson.
(Note: this is part of my “If I were a librarian” fantasy in which I would always … Read more
I’m wrapping up a semester of teaching here in Paris, which always gets me reflecting on my practice–and on the relationships I’ve formed with students and other teachers. Recently someone asked me how I could put up with a certain … Read more
I don’t teach high school anymore, but I can’t break the habit of looking for companion texts for books (my own and other). A while back, this description of The Pregnancy Project came across my screen via the School Library Journal… Read more
There it is, What Can’t Wait, my first-born, looking sweet on a Houston book shelf. It’s also the focus of attention–after being elbowed aside by her loud and proud little brother, The Knife and the Butterfly, who has … Read more
I just read a scathing critique of the coming Common Core standards, which would propose to standardize education across the nation. Since I’m not in the public school classroom at the moment–and I’m not even in the U.S.–I’ve been pretty … Read more
Every time I meet a new group of students, I ask them to tell me about themselves. Where are they from? What have their experiences with English or literature been in the past? And what’s something most people don’t know … Read more
For those who don’t know, I taught high school in Houston for a number of years. I also ran a Teach For America content team to support new teachers, and I still post regularly on TFA discussion boards for teachers.… Read more
