I herded the last kindergarteners onto the bus and passed through a shower of bubbles amid cheers from the crowd of teachers who had gathered to send off our students for summer vacation. After pro…

Poetry can feel intimidating to teach, but simple, replicable strategies can make it accessible and enjoyable for all writers. By using mentor texts, sensory images, and playful list poems, teacher…

In the fall, I gifted tulip bulbs for every birthday and anniversary, A gift that would keep on giving. I gifted myself bulbs, just because. Summer was neverending, the Earth so thirsty It was Nove…

Last week, a fourth-grade lesson in the science lab meant that the regularly scheduled writing lesson I was supposed to be part of was postponed. This freed me up to tackle my long to-do list. Afte…

Maybe you’ve read about my pal Dawn and some work she has been doing to share the joy of writing with a particular student at our school. You can read about that in her posts, Incentive Part …

“I have my own irony post brewing,” I commented to Peter last week in response to his Irony piece. Yesterday, I wrote about a bush that our neighbors removed from the end of our drivewa…

When we moved into our new house, over three years ago now, we did some yard work early on. The many trees in the yard were a selling point, but many needed trimming. At the end of our driveway, be…

This March, I’ve made an effort to read through each day’s daily call for slices. I try to take in each day’s tip and check out the inspirational post highlighted. I know each TWT…

“If you’ve commented on a slice this week, please report to the main lobby for a special drawing,” Mela’s voice boomed through the intercom. Dawn and I left the office, comp…

My middle daughter, Adi, is in fifth grade. My kids have always loved school, but I’m not sure if it is the age or what, but fifth grade hasn’t been a big hit for either of my older kid…

It feels like this sick season has wore out it’s welcome. Even though my crew has remained relatively healthy, dodging germs feels like a full-time job. Last month, Wren tested positive for C…

Yesterday, I received this text from my husband. Seeing Arnauld’s face with the words, “I think I finally have my first gray hair,” was a bit of a surprise. He doesn’t usually send selfies. G…

A couple of days ago, I wrote about how our school is taking on a writing challenge for the third March in a row (read more here). I’m so grateful to have my buddy Dawn to navigate the extra …

This is the first day of the challenge I have struggled to write. Every year, for the last eight challenges, I have written a birthday slice for my mom on March 9th. I’ve wracked my brain all day, …

Three February’s ago, Dawn and I asked the question, “What happens when we invite our school community to write with us during the month of March?” We quickly found out what happe…

Today, I had the chance to teach a full writing workshop lesson because the teacher I was scheduled to work with had a meeting. As I quickly scanned the unit resource, I realized the lesson was a r…

In an era where we hear all about the downfalls of technology and the dangers of putting devices into the hands of our children, I want to share a positive story. Our oldest daughter Wren has had a…

Have your anchor charts become wallpaper? When used intentionally, anchor charts can be powerful tools that guide learning, foster independence, and support assessment.

Have your anchor charts become wallpaper? When used intentionally, anchor charts can be powerful tools that guide learning, foster independence, and support assessment.

I came downstiars this morning and saw a box of crackers on the counter. “Do you need me to put these in a container for you?” I asked Adi as I scrambled to get us out the door. For som…

My middle daughter is our athlete. This year, she joined a travel soccer league and right now, she is ending her rec basketball season. At the beginning of the basketball season, after her first ga…

My daughter’s basketball team played in a tournament this weekend. The complex they were playing in with right on space. My family, including my parents, stood huddled in an entrance area, waiting …

I remember the weeks leading up to my reentry to work after my first maternity leave. I was an anxious new mom, and I shed many tears that feel around my sweet new baby. I was sad I wouldn’t …

This is the start of my ninth challenge. Here is my very first spontaneous post from 2017, when I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Then, I was a mom of two daughters, ages two and four. …

I stood at the water refill station, filling up my water bottle after four straight hours of presenting and facilitating professional development…the day after our weeklong February break. As I tur…

“What are you going to do with all your time off?” my husband asked as we sat side by side in the front seat on our way home from a weekend in Boston with our girls. “Go to the de…

Focusing on the architecture of a mini-lesson has led to powerful coaching conversations and immediate classroom impact.

If you’re tired of hearing the phrase, “I’m done!” echo through your classroom, this post is for you! Getting your students writing with sky-high volume using these three, easy-to-implement tips.…

Last week I was in a fifth grade classroom, watching the end of a mini lesson when I found my eyes wondering to the various charts around the classroom. A few charts behind the teacher’s desk caugh…

Jess Carey and Sarah Valter, Two Writing Teachers Co-Authors, join Stacey to unpack the transformative insights from the 2024 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention, diving d...

A random trip to Home Depot on this blustery snow day ended with another round of Paint Chip Poetry. It has been a few years since we explored this type of poetry, but it turned out to be a nice ad…

What role do mentor texts play in the writing lives of our youngest children?