On a site where most of the letters spell the word together, we try to make connections with others in this sometimes very isolating profession. It used to be that if you didn't have a coach, a staff developer, an instructional principal, a someone who could engage you in true professional collaboration right there in your own school, it was very hard to engage in collaborative learning. However, today, when you can't reach across the hall to a colleague, you can reach across the country through professional organizations and technology!
Over the last few months, I've done most of my professional reading online, via Twitter and blogs. On today's post, I'd like to share with you some of my professional friends, whose blogs I've enjoyed, and which have nourished my teaching soul. Hopefully, they'll do the same for you!
Over the last few months, I've done most of my professional reading online, via Twitter and blogs. On today's post, I'd like to share with you some of my professional friends, whose blogs I've enjoyed, and which have nourished my teaching soul. Hopefully, they'll do the same for you!
Vicki Vinton's blog, To Make a Prairie borrows its title from an Emily Dickinson poem, and offers us a chance to reflect on what's important in teaching and learning, in reading and writing. I think Vicki's power comes from not writing about one program, but about the real work readers and writers do. She is the author of many great go-to books about these topics, but she is also one of the authors who brought us The Teacher You Want to Be, and there is no finer voice to talk about what learning looks like on the inside of the student's soul! Sign up to follow her!
(Twitter: @VickiVintonTMAP)
(Twitter: @VickiVintonTMAP)
Two Writing Teachers is an amazing resource that was begun by well, two writing teachers, to provide resources for us. They now have ten (don't let the title fool you!) contributing writers who are teachers, coaches, and staff developers who send out daily (yes, daily!) tidbits on best practices. These are very real posts, because they are written by teachers who live their work every day with real children! Every Tuesday, they have their "Slice of Life" posts, sharing real-life reflections on well, life. If you want good resources for writing instruction, or for yourself as a writer, follow them!
(Twitter: @2writingteachrs)
(Twitter: @2writingteachrs)
Next is Kristine Mraz with Kinderconfidential. Kristi and I just missed each other at the Reading & Writing Project, but I'm so glad we got to connect in our post-Project life! A master kindergarten teacher at PS 59 in Manhattan, Kristi is the author of many great books, as well as a pioneer of mindset theory and the importance of play and inquiry in the classroom. She processes both what she learns at national conferences where she is often a presenter, or when listening to others, and what the 3-foot something teachers in her kindergarten class teach her every day! The subtitle of her blog is The Good, the Bad, the Planning: make no mistake about it...teaching is hard work, but Kristi's insights bring new layers to our work!
And if that's not enough Kristi Mraz for you, take a look at her other blog, Chartchums, which she writes with Smarter Charts co-author, Marjorie Martinelli.
(Twitter: @MrazKristine)
And if that's not enough Kristi Mraz for you, take a look at her other blog, Chartchums, which she writes with Smarter Charts co-author, Marjorie Martinelli.
(Twitter: @MrazKristine)
Shana Frazin and Katy Wischow, TC staff developers have created Turn and Talk, a blog that always starts with real-life situations they as teachers, or the teachers they serve, encountered...with musings and solutions, always with great reflections about what matters. Their subtitle says a lot about their mission: Exploring the intersection between teaching about talking and talking about teaching! Check them out!
(Twitter: @sfrazintcrwp @kw625)
(Twitter: @sfrazintcrwp @kw625)
Welcome to the Poem Farm, where my friend Amy Ludwig VanDerwater harvests poetry and has a section called, Sharing Our Notebooks, breathing new life into these critical tools of writing. Amy really lives on a farm, and reminds us just how important poetry is to teaching and to life! You'll love it!
(Twitter: @amylvpoemfarm)
(Twitter: @amylvpoemfarm)
Donalyn Miller is a hero to classroom teachers, especially at the secondary level! She single-handedly fought the middle school "teach the novel, not the student" wave to become the Book Whisperer! She created a legendary classroom of high engagement for all students through choice. Her books The Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild offer very real ways in which to create this for all students. Donalyn speaks regularly for NCTE and Scholastic, and posts right here.
(Twitter: @donalynbooks)
(Twitter: @donalynbooks)
Coach, Actually is a blog I just discovered where my former colleagues Christy Curran and Monique Knight share very detailed, very real, very relevant step-by-step plans on how to create classrooms that maximize learning with a slightly coachy spin! Their most recent post was about building leadership from the bottom up! It's just what we really need! I just subscribed. You should, too!
(Twitter: @christy_curran @monique_knight)
(Twitter: @christy_curran @monique_knight)
A little something for the leaders out there...Matt Renwick writes on Reading by Example. Matt has published books on technology in education, and blogs about technology, but also about reading with the spin of an elementary principal. He has a section of the most memorable blog posts from others, an A-1 reading list of professional books for principals and teacher leaders, and technology tutorials. A school administrator who's into learning?? Nah, it'll never work! :-) (Twitter: @ReadByExample)
Chris Lehman has taken the education world by storm with The Educator Collaborative. It has consulting services, online courses, and so much more, but don't neglect the blog! The monthly posts, many written by guest bloggers, are all about revising the way we teach and how we can implement positive change the right way!
(Twitter: @TheEdCollab)
(Twitter: @TheEdCollab)
Heather Rocco is a fairly new professional friend of mine. She has more of a background in secondary education and currently works as a K-12 language arts supervisor in New Jersey. She is also a consultant for the Educator Collaborative and Associate Chair of the CEL (Council for English Leadership) of NCTE. Heather's blog has good advice that has its roots in literature, research, and professionalism.
(Twitter: @heatherrocco)
(Twitter: @heatherrocco)
Gravity Goldberg and her team of staff developers and teacher leaders has a wonderful blog based in real classroom practice. Sharing the pen, this team has very sound advice for all, offered by multiple perspectives. You will always learn something!
(Twitter: @drgravityg)
(Twitter: @drgravityg)
The blogosphere (can you believe that's now a word?) is filled with so many new professional friends! It's impossible to list them all here. Who do you follow? Share your favorite blogs and Twitter handles right here, so we can come together, right now!
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