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May 6

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Teacher to Teacher: What Can We Do to Support Tomorrow’s Students?

By Lynne R. Dorfman

How will we adapt to the needs of our students in the age of Common Core State Standards?  What should we be doing differently?  What about all the things that are not specifically mentioned in the Common Core but are necessary to achieve global economic competition and to prepare our young people to be the future guardians of our planet? Big ideas such as creativity, curiosity, responsibility, social justice, altruism, and the courage to stand alone, if need be, to defend something you believe in with all your heart.  Will we make time to investigate these ideas and learn more about ourselves, our peers, our community, and our world?  What can we do to support tomorrow’s students? Read more

May 4

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Monday in the Middle: Roller Girl,

Another installment of Monday in the Middle with librarian and media specialist Gabija Fischer!

RollerGirlCVRRoller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

In Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, Astrid Vasquez and Nicole are best friends. They do everything together, like suffer through Mrs. Vasquez’s Evenings of Cultural Enlightenment. Waiting for one of these “boring” events to begin, Astrid and Nicole goof off, like usual. When the lights dim and the Rose City Rollers skate into the arena, Astrid is mesmerized. At that moment, she knows she wants to participate in a roller derby, but first she and Nicole will have to attend the Rosebuds (the junior Roller League) summer camp to learn the sport. This is all a dream-come-true…except Nicole doesn’t want to go to roller derby camp; she dreams of ballet. Differing interests highlights not only the fading of Astrid and Nicole’s friendship, but also the start of many other changes that accompany the turbulence of middle school. Astrid must develop her identity–as independent, as confident, as athletic. Bumps and bruises along her journey of self-discovery give her an excuse to give up, but she doesn’t. Instead she fights for her dreams learning invaluable lessons along the way, and ultimately she becomes tougher in many respects.  Read more

Apr 29

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A Trio of Poetry

As National Poetry Month draws to its close, we thought we’d share a small trio of poems, written by two of our own here at PAWLP, Lynne Dorfman and Kathy Barham. As you can see, Lynne’s “Country Inn: Imagining a Different Life” draws on rich sensory detail—the “fireplaces crickles and crackles” and “pageantry of brilliant color.” Meanwhile, Kathy’s “Spring” brings the reader up close and personal to Nature in an encounter with a cardinal in springtime, while “Hard to be a Cod” takes playful inspiration from, of all things, a typo.  Read more

Apr 26

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Celebrating 35 Years of Teachers Teaching Teachers

On a beautiful spring Saturday, more than 75 educators, teachers, and friends gathered together to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the PA Writing and Literature Project. The luncheon, held at the West Chester Alumni Center, was hosted by Fellow and master of ceremonies, Bruce Perlman, and featured musical entertainment by Pat Bove, Gaetan Pappalardo, and Rob Levitt. Guests enjoyed a trip down memory lane with a photo slideshow as well as a poetry reading from PAWLP poet-in-residence Don LaBranche. PAWLP also raised money for its scholarship fund through a silent auction during the event. Many past and current PAWLP coordinators shared their thoughts, including PAWLP founder, Bob Weiss, who had a vision 35 years ago of a professional community of teachers and writers, a vision helped to make PAWLP what it is today. Remembering those early days, Bob shared:  Read more

Apr 22

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From the Classroom: One Poem, One School

By Tricia Ebarvia

Every year as April approaches, my colleagues and I gather together to make a decision. What poem will we choose to celebrate National Poetry Month this year?

For the last nine years, students at Conestoga High School have marked National Poetry Month with a celebration known as “One Poem, One ‘Stoga.” Each April, every English class takes a break from its regularly scheduled programming to study one poem together. That means that more than 2,000 students, from 14-year-old freshmen to 18-year-old seniors, read the same poem. It’s one of the few shared experiences students have that transcends age, grade, and academic level. Read more

Apr 15

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Tools of the Trade: Poetry

By Rita Sorrentino

“Poetry doesn’t belong to those who write it, but to those who need it.” These are the sentiments of Mario Ruoppolo in the film Il Postino. Mario, the temporarily employed peasant postman, is introduced to poetry late in his life through a developing friendship with his only client, the briefly exiled Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Neruda’s passion and Mario’s urgency combine in this tender tale of friendship, love and the power of poetry. In a significant segment of the film, Mario enthusiastically tape-records the beautiful sounds of the Mediterranean island. Seagulls, church bells, waves and fishnets symbolize Mario’s life, love and loyalty, and initiate his desire to express his thoughts and feelings in poetry.  Read more

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