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Category: professional

25 Things to Do About Not Wanting To Write

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Last week I posted 25 Reasons People Don’t Write. As an after thought, I added a silly little list about what to do about not wanting to write. I’ve been thinking about that little list and realized I ran out of steam for the list. (I didn’t want to write it…how ironic!) So here is another attempt at the list. How about you? What do you do to keep going when you don’t want to write? Write anyway. Talk to someone else. Believe my words matter. Set and meet goals… Read more 25 Things to Do About Not Wanting To Write →

25 Reasons Why People Don’t Write & 25 Things To Do About It

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Why People Don’t Write No ideas. No audience. No purpose. No desire. No vision. They think their writing isn’t good enough. The blank page…they don’t know how to get started. They don’t want to sound dumb. Lazy. Tired. Stressed. There’s too much to write about. There’s not enough to write about.  Other people are better writers. Not enough tenacity. Believe the lies the writing monsters tell them. No inspiration. No living, breathing writers in their daily lives. No feedback. Fear. Not enough time. Little understanding of Standard English. (Embarrassed to… Read more 25 Reasons Why People Don’t Write & 25 Things To Do About It →

Reading Like a Writer

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These are three books I’m hoping to dig into a little more. If you click on the titles, it will take you to Heinemann’s website and sample chapters from all of the books. Falling in Love with Close Reading: Lessons for Analyzing Texts and Life  Notice & Note: Strategies for Close Reading Text & Lessons for Content Area Reading Since Deb and I have been asked to encourage and support middle schoolers in annotating text and showing their thinking while reading content area material, I’ve changed my reading patterns a… Read more Reading Like a Writer →

when i grow up

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First thing this morning  I was talking with seven 8th graders about reading. We were waiting to begin our state testing, because of late buses.  “Teachers just make us read books they want us to read. None of them are ever good,” one student said. She was quickly supported by other students. In the middle of the room sat a boy with a Christopher Paolini book. “Hunter’s a reader,” I said. He nodded. “I remember the year you became a reader. Third grade, right?” He nodded again. “How?!?” the girl next… Read more when i grow up →

writing life update

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Oh my! Can I just say I am now a huge believer in writing retreats? I wasn’t sure if it would make that big of a difference in my writing life. I have a solid writing habit, and I feel productive as a writer. I wasn’t sure if it was worth juggling schedules, hiring babysitters, and packing a suitcase. I couldn’t have been more wrong. My list was ambitious. Although I didn’t complete it all, there were many unexpected ways my writing life was nourished. So a little recap. (Well,… Read more writing life update →