Last week, I shared how fun it was to write with my students online. I can't wait for later this month when we reunite! I also promised I'd share my writing. I chose the prompt of writing a family story that's often told, and I was surprised by the way it chose to present itself. As I mentioned last week, stories in my family are what someone might kindly call “a team effort,” begun by one person but elaborated upon by all with questions, challenges, fabrications, fact checks, detours, and embellishments.

Last Thursday, I got to host an online writing group with some of my students. I'm still smiling.

Today my younger son turned 22. And while tributes take many forms, this was the one my fingers told me to write.

Yesterday I presented at the NCTE-NCTM Joint Conference in Chicago with the always-amazing Leah Thomas and Sarah Valter. Our goal was to get teachers interested in and excited about becoming writers. How? Through writing, of course. Here's my stream-of consciousness work from yesterday.

School is officially out for me! I've been looking forward to this time since...well, spring of 2024, to be honest. And of course, around school the conversation at this time of year is, "So...what are you doing this summer?" My response? As LITTLE as POSSIBLE. Ideally, I'd do more weightlifting, but my back is not cooperating. Or I'd be baking, but we're doing a renovation.

For the past several weeks, I've been posting my allegorical short story in serial form. Today I bring you the conclusion as Flora comes to the rescue...

This week marks Episode Three in the Floofs vs. Naysayers saga. Will Flora's appeal to her fellow Floofs succeed?

Last week, I mentioned that I finally - finally! - completed a work of allegorical fiction, and I posted the first installment of it here. This week, I bring you Part 2, in which Flora, our ever-intrepid protagonist, finds herself in the right place at the right time. Enjoy.

I did it! I finally crafted a work of allegorical fiction. I've published the first excerpt this week, and I'll publish the next part of the story on Slice of Life Tuesdays.

Today's #VerseLove prompt, "Look Closely," comes from Joanne Emery. Her poem for the day tells the story of the house of her loved ones. As I read her work, a poem I've been percolating on the back burner might be ready to come to the surface. So I'll give it a go.

Today's #Verselove poetry challenge is to compose a "depending on when you met me" poem. It's a good way to think about all of the "me's" I've been over the years, and to whom.

Today's #VerseLove poem explores a gesture (along with a few other choice things) I inherited from my dad.

Today's poem is a challenge on #VerseLove to write a poem about a scar. I chose to write about my scars as tourist destinations...

Today's #VerseLove prompt is to take inspiration from travel. I knew which travel I wanted to write about - when I stayed in Sandusky, Ohio while my son was in the hospital there. I remember how otherworldly it felt being out one morning on a kayak. Not gonna lie: this poem WRESTLED me.

Today, I wanted to write something deep and pithy. Clever, however, butted in line and stole Pithy's number at the deli counter. Here it is...

I wrote this tricube (3 verses, 3 lines each, 3 syllables each) in response to Ethical ELA's Verselove. I've long lurked and read, but finally jumped in and added my two (twenty-seven?) cents...

Today, for the start of poetry month, an etheree.

This is only my fifth year doing the challenge, but it's enough time for me to see changes and patterns. The act of writing each March has given a window into myself at the time.

Yes, I thought i'd dust off a writing format I've used before. No, I have no guilt about it...

If I could have something named after me? oooo this was a fun one!

Ask me what was best about today, And I could tell you it was a sunny day Or the crocuses in bloom Or a good workout Or a delightful dog walk But the best part, by far, Was having to set the table for four once again. It’s good to have my guy home, if only for a weekend…

Muddled through memories and grief while gardening today, and (metaphors being what they are) I grew a poem...

Yes, my house needs a cleaning, but...have you seen the day outside?

Forgive me colleagues, for I hath sinned...

What did I want to be when I was five? No idea. But boy, have my plans changed over the years...

This was a fun one!

Today, some musings about skylines and what they mean…

It wasn’t expressly planned, but it was a very happy coincidence that the days before spring break turned out to be the days my fourth graders and I constructed the artwork for our Leo Leonni anthology. We're still a work in progress (I mean, aren't we all?) but I thought I'd share the latest.

Today, I asked my fifth-grade students for advice on how to move forward with my story. Boy, did they deliver!

Writing is like ice skating: As soon as you think you look cool, that's when you fall on your keyster. Today was one of those humbling days.

In searching for a post today, I decided to be inspired by Cathy and Erika, and I crafted my own twist on a 5-4-3-2-1 daily review.

Today was #OneOfThoseDays where the writing didn't come to me as easily as I wanted it to. #ThemsTheBreaks

Pedantry is the quality of being too interested in formal rules and small details that are not important. Given the grudge I've held against my math teacher for almost forty years, that might describe me...

Today's post takes inspiration from a fellow writer. I got to play with some poetic forms and I loved it!

How did I celebrate Pi Day? I got Pi-d in the face...

I didn't think this post would come together, but here it is...

Daily writing prompt Who is the most confident person you know? View all responses Who's the most confident person I know? I'd name them here, but that wouldn't be nice. Let me explain. I looked at this daily writing prompt, and the way it asks about confidence, it gives the impression that more is better. Confidence is good. I work to build it in students plagued by perfectionism.

The last few days, I've shared a draft story, along with my fourth graders' responses to it. Today, I've got my revisions ready to go. The biggest changes I've made: I've given more background about the dogs I've cleaned up the punctuation and language to be more clear. I've tried to be more descriptive and articulate about setting. I've tried add more humor to the scene where Ralph distracts the dogs, so they can look more comical and ridiculous.

I didn't think I'd stick with a gratitude journal as long as I have. But here I am, and I'm signing up for more...

Today was an absolute gorgeous day. A rare, early-spring holy-cow-this is-what-we’ve-been-waiting-for-all winter-day. A hip-hip-hooray-Daylight-Saving-Time-has-finally-come-and now-we-can-celebrate-the-light day. A play-frisbee-with-the-dogs-in-the-yard kind of day. A find-a-friend-and-go-for-a-long-walk-and-catch-up-session kind of day. A skulk-around-the-corners-of-the-backyard-looking-for-signs-of-spring kind of day. And I, in my infinite wisdom, messed around too much yesterday and forced myself into a Get-Stuff-Done day today. If you see me, and I’m a crabbypants, well…now you know why.

Yesterday, I posted a fictional story I crafted along with my students in the style of Leo Leonni. I put myself in the hot seat and let the kids do a "table read" of my work. I sat to the side with and zipped my lip while they read and discussed my story.

Fiction is not my favorite thing to write. In fact, I avoid it at all costs. But when the time comes for me to set an example for my fourth graders, I suppose it’s time to roll my pride into a ball and get on with it. I’m sharing the story I drafted for their review.

The other day, I failed a lift at the gym. And it made me proud...

Parenting older children means that most of the work is done… Until duty calls…

Today I had my students “translate” the Pledge of Allegiance into fifth-grade language. It was an exercise in: -Using the online dictionary-Simplifying words by thinking, “That’s a fancy way of saying ______”-Learning how syntax (word order) affects the tone of writing-The benefits of simple clear language Oh. And.-We’ve been saying this thing for how many years without understanding it?-We’re saying it to a flag.-Which symbolizes our nation.-Freedom.-Fairness.-For ALL.

Life...has a LOT going on, in every direction. Today's post is a moment of gratitude for some big-little things.