“Be more specific,” I used to tell my writing students. “Don’t say cereal when you could say Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Don’t say your character walked into the room when you could say he sauntered in. Don’t say you were reading a book, say you were...
Full disclosure: I woke up feeling overwhelmed today, fixating way too much on hustling and keeping up the illusion of holding it all together. Then The Twelve blog posted a darn essay I wrote (just a few days ago) about breathing, laughing, and taking refuge in...
I remember the exact moment of fifth grade — sitting in my desk, watching my teacher explaining a spelling game — when I promised myself that if I ever became a teacher, I would not forget what it felt like to be a student. But I do it all the time. Our desks and...
Hands down my favorite moments as a teacher are those of authentic engagement — that rare intersection of attention, curiosity, interest, and passion. Every lesson plan, every strategy, every procedure is an attempt to mix a potion that will help...
inˈten(t)SH(ə)n(ə)l/ adjective: done on purpose; deliberate. Synonyms: calculated, conscious, intended, purposeful I talk to my writing students about audience all the time — “Know your audience,” I tell them, “Your tone, your style, your voice...