A Writerly Life: Words of Wisdom from Harry R. Noden
Writers are artists who craft artistic pieces with words the same way a painter would with paint.
-Sharon Williams (2107 Grammar Matters Participant)
Posts from the ‘PAWLP’ Category
Aug 19
A Writerly Life: Words of Wisdom from Donald Graves
This post is a reminder that conventions and content work together to give words power.
– Melissa Weathers (2017 Grammar Matters Participant)
A Writerly Life: Words of Wisdom from Ralph Fletcher
When writing is meaningful to us, we’ll work at it until it makes us smile (. . . or cry).
-Melissa Radico (2017 Grammar Matters Participant)
Aug 2
Teacher to Teacher: Time Change
By Janice Ewing
My husband and I just got back from the West Coast, and we’re still adjusting to the three-hour time change. Our 10:30 p.m. flight out of Portland, Oregon arrived in Philadelphia at 6:30 a.m., just in time to start a new day, or was it 3:30 a.m., time to go back to sleep? This recent experience got me thinking about the whole concept of time – how we perceive it, yield to it, and/or shape it to meet our needs. Read more
A Writerly Life: Words of Wisdom from Donald Graves
After an amazing week of learning from and listening to many unique voices in Grammar Matters, I am reminded how important it is to keep sharing what we have to say with others. I’m eager to continue to hear what these unique voices have to offer.
-Kelly Virgin (2017 Grammar Matters Co-Facilitator)
Jul 26
First Impressions
by Maria Walther
Today is the first day of my summer break (Woo hoo!) and, like many of you, I’m reflecting on the past year and already rethinking things for fall. What do I want to change, tweak, or keep the same? If you find yourself in the same mindset, I thought I’d offer a few ideas to ponder as you set up your classroom and plan the first days with students.
Take a Peek
Even after 31 years of teaching, I still rearrange my classroom to create the most kid-friendly learning environment. A few years ago, I noticed that the first thing my kids saw when they walked into my classroom was the trash can. Hmmmm! What message does that send? How could I fix that? I did a little rearranging and was able to change the view. Now, the first thing children (and adults) see when they peek into my classroom is an A-frame shelf filled with books—covers facing out. 
If you know someone handy with a hammer and a saw, my husband drew up the plans for this easy-to-make shelf and you can access them here. http://mariawalther.com/images/AFrameShelfPlansWalther.pdf
I realize that not everyone has enough room in their teaching space for a bookshelf inside the door. If this is the case, here are some other ways to place books up front. Set up an easel or small shelf outside your door, or simply display book covers of your (or your students’ favorite books) on the door. Read more
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