Note: I’m starting a new feature in the blog. I’ll share some bits from research that I come across that I think are worth pondering. We’re all busy–it’s hard to find time to keep up with the research in our … Continue reading
This post has been percolating for a while now, ever since I left NCTE in Houston. Until now, all I’ve been able to cobble together so far are a few disconnected notes in my writer’s notebook: I need to sit … Continue reading
Our students need to write frequently, every day even if we can swing it. But at a typical student load of 150 or more students for each teacher, it’s simply not possible for us to read and respond to every … Continue reading
One reason I go to NCTE every year is to listen. There are people I try to see every year, just to hear what they are thinking about and working on. Just to hear what they think the rest of … Continue reading
This will have to be quick. I need to get some other writing done. But there was a moment this week with my AP Lit students that really clarified why I don’t put grades or points on my students’ writing. … Continue reading
A palpable silence descended in room 811. Three classes in a row the silence fell, at the same moment in my plan for that day. It wasn’t a silent reading silence, or a working on a writing task silence, or a … Continue reading
I’ve had this post on my to-do list for months. To be honest, this is the piece of this whole process that I have the most questions about, so I just kept putting off writing it. I’m in a book … Continue reading
In conversations with teachers about alternatives to traditional assessment, especially skeptical teachers, I often hear, “there’s no way my students will work without points.” I get it. I do. My journey to here has been lengthy. Paradigm shift does not … Continue reading
We have two more days in our classrooms before we board a jet plane and head east to Atlanta for NCTE16! We’re thrilled to be traveling and presenting with a few of our colleagues this year, and we’re looking … Continue reading
As a follow up to a previous post about the process my students and I went through to craft our grade agreement for this year, I wanted to share the finalized grade agreement we ended up with. Here it is. … Continue reading
