The Problem of Audience and Purpose

Arizona Schools Now: Sign the Petition to Restore Funding to AZ Schools

2017-07-01T07:06:00.000-07:00

"Branding" Myself. Resistance or Mental Laziness?

2017-02-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

Despite teacher leadership trainings and general awareness built by cruising Twitter in the wee hours, I have not spent a lot of time developing a personal "brand" on the web. Sometimes, I feel like I should maybe break my web identity up into teacher leader, dabbler in possible money-making ideas online (ebay, teacherspayteachers, craigslist or whatever) and... what? "Me"? Mom?

Thinking about Audience and Purpose

2017-01-12T21:44:00.000-07:00

Sooooo...I haven't really been writing here lately. I'm not sure why, but I haven't been doing a lot of "personal" writing at all (poetry, musings, rants). I have continued to write about how education policy impacts practice on "Stories from School Arizona" And for the most part, that's it. Life has been so full of ups, downs, movings, growings, mowings and schemings that there

Driving... Yes Driving... to Puerto Vallarta

2015-06-12T09:35:00.002-07:00

Why on earth did we decide to drive almost 2400 miles to and from Puerto Vallarta this summer? The answer isn't especially flattering. The short version: Our kids had the passport cards, and my husband, mother and I all had full passports. Because my mom started asking questions the night before we were scheduled to fly out, we figured out that the passport cards were not good for

I gotta go to bed.

2014-11-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

I gotta go to bed. I gotta go to bed. Sleep is best for stress, weight loss, mood. Why is it so hard to stop adding to my lists? I'd love to get back to writing. I just bought a new Moleskine notebook. We will see... But for now, to bed.

Portal

2014-10-07T09:03:00.001-07:00

An impossibly clear day Out of PDXThe black green growthCresting and falling belowCovers and softens A small lie floatingIn the remnants of memorySpinning in urgent currentsOf vast truthsThe logged forestQuilt patches Prickly as a shaved vulvaStark and uncoveredBuild the home where We liveThrough a small portalDarkly the land Swells by inThe bright sunshine.The ancient

All I Heard

2014-10-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

All I Heard What wild creature I must have seemed, raised by searching souls who eventually came home. I wonder what Grandma wanted to say sometimes to me, or later, my own slightly feral small creatures. I don’t remember much sage advice. All I heard was love. I wonder, did she ever want to scold us for not rinsing the fine beach sand from our feet? I wonder, did she ever

Leaving

2014-05-10T22:43:00.001-07:00

Leaving my grandmotheris like leaving the city behind as the plane banksThe orange street lights winking through the treesThe trees change to waterThe water is heavyThe water reflects the bridges and the orange street lights wink until the mist takes overThe mists which carry me homeleaving her there, tilting off her pillow in the night.

Minor Peeve of the Week #1

2013-12-15T15:19:00.001-07:00

Minor Peeve of the Week: It makes me depressed that all the kids flannel jammies are polyester. I mean, I know my children are in danger of bursting into flames as they sleep each night, but sheesh. And the secondary peeve that is part of that peeve is that to shop for cotton flannel jammie pants for my kids I have to shop for "cotton flannel lounge pants." And also that apparently J.C.Penney

A Thought from Emerson for Thanksgiving Day

2013-11-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” Ralph Waldo Emerson I am grateful I have had so many days to blunder and be absurd. Thank you to all the people in

How to Behave in Public as a Female Professional

2013-11-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

Wow. I am sad that this type of thing is still happening. This is from the New York Post. Firm to female staffers: Learn hard words By Natalie O'Neill October 25, 2013 | 1:08pm Smart women don’t show cleavage — or at least that’s what one high-powered Manhattan law firm is telling its female employees. The legal firm Clifford Chance sent female associates a

Dear Page

2013-11-25T17:10:00.001-07:00

[flash fiction]Dear Page/ Dear Screen/ Dear Void,I'm writing because I haven't written. You poor neglected beast.I haven't been writing but I've been thinking my head.Thoughts that are better left unsaid.Those hasty generalizations and anxious bursts of feeling that can only cause trouble. Averse to trouble as I am I have a way of finding it, probably because of those thoughts. They nip at my

Apology to Non-Idiots

2013-10-30T14:25:00.002-07:00

Dear J, D, C and J, Today in class, I slipped and called you idiots. You are not idiots, and I apologize for that.What I intended to express was that, because you are not in fact idiots, you should not act in such ways that degrade your own intelligence and capability. All three of you were not acting like students today.You were listening to your classmate

Playing with Infographics

2013-10-28T15:58:00.001-07:00

I'm going to teach my students how to make infographics next week. I found a couple of great sites. Here's one I started... (work in progress-- It doesn't make much sense yet.) | Create infographics Sites on Infographics:

How I Became a Teacher. A Webcomic.

2013-10-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

My newest Stories from School blog entry answers the question of why I became a teacher. The webcomic doesn't display very well on that blog, so I'm going to also put it here: I forgot to post my last two entries on this blog... about the limitations of using release time to get teachers to do good innovation and leadership work. Teacherprefakeurism: Sound Awkward?

Random Photos From my Phone, and other Alliterations

2013-10-23T21:08:00.001-07:00

Where are the other alliterations, you asked? Ha. Ha. Sucka.

Text Complexity Resources

2013-09-29T11:01:00.003-07:00

I thought I'd start an entry about text complexity, where I could gather the resources I'm finding. Here's a start: Here's a playlist from Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwIychIT3ICg1rbJRo3gZGmwTt5gvn4Fp

Visit to the Homestead

2013-08-31T18:31:00.001-07:00

Temps in the nineties down in Double Adobe feel pleasant after Tempe's wet 110's for weeks on end, and teaching in my "sustainable" eighty-degree classroom. Brother Bill took us out on my sister's quads and we found paths through the green grasses, gourds, wild flowers and thorny clumps of Mesquite. The mesquite, usually lacy, low and and semitransparent, is woven with vines of what must be an

Easy Blueberry Flax Pancakes

2013-08-11T10:28:00.001-07:00

Yummy!2 c. Bisquick1 c. Milk2-3 tablespoons finely milled golden flaxseed2 tablespoons sour cream1/3 c water1 1/2 c. BlueberriesMix ingredients except blueberries. Lumps okay. Adjust liquids for desired consistency. Fold in blueberries. Cook on a griddle and top w butter and syrup.Add daughter.

Having it All, as a Teacher

2013-08-07T06:39:00.003-07:00

Here's my newest Stories from School blog entry. I have more resources than I've ever had in my new teaching job. In this entry I reflect on the implications of that a bit. http://www.storiesfromschoolaz.org/2013/08/what-if-4-what-if-teachers-had-it-all.html Enjoy!

Cherries

2013-07-19T22:22:00.001-07:00

Flash fictionShe knew this was supposed to be like eating summer cherries, fleeting but sweet, the hard pits something to roll around in her mouth until all that remained were small bitter shreds of flesh, like the hole in the gums when a molar comes out. It was supposed to be sweet like that, pregnant with its own nostalgia. It wasn't terrible, torturous, or an aching grief. But instead of

Family Camping Trip Packing List

2013-07-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

Some of my fondest memories in Girl Scouts are of preparing for camping and backpacking. I've written before about the "stuff" involved. Although getting out of town puts me on edge and makes me almost unbearable to be around, I actually enjoy the mental preparation for a trip, and I like going over the checklists. I enjoy the anticipation of breaking routine, exploring, thinking about where all

"Beating Them All" Mostly Hype. Create Your Own Study Plan!

2013-07-13T14:32:00.002-07:00

Beating Them All! Thirty Days to a Magic Score on Any Elementary Literacy Instruction Exam for Teacher Certification by Chris Nicholas Boosalis My rating: 2 of 5 stars ****snore***** I briefly referenced most of the book, but read all of Chaper Two: Magic Content. In addition to my review below, I was surprised at the number of editing errors or omissions, and surprised to see that Pearson

What I Learned This Week(ish) #7

2013-06-20T15:02:00.002-07:00

1. Tempe Splash Playground will make summer bearable. It is large, in charge and staffed with lifeguards and a first-aid station. We finally got over there for the first time this afternoon. Olivia particularly enjoyed the slide. 2. Strange things are afoot. Based on casual observation, I'm guessing there must be 50 Circle K's within a 1 mile radius of where we live in

Sites and Resources for Reading Endorsement AEPA

2013-06-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

I'm gathering websites and resources to study for my AEPA reading endorsement exam (More materials available here). I'll add more as I find them, so check back. 1. Professional Standards. Here are the NBPTS standards (though they are for early-middle childhood): http://www.nbpts.org/sites/default/files/documents/certificates/nbpts-certificate-emc-lrla-standards.pdf The IRA