Writing, at its best, is a lonely life.~~Ernest Hemingway.
What do you think–does writing have to be a solitary pursuit?
Monthly Archives: April 2014
How to be a Scholar. 6 Steps to Encourage Critical Thinking
As we get to the end of the semester and school year, we are expecting our students to demonstrate higher order thinking skills, or Critical Thinking. I like this infographic from Learning Commons at the University of British Columbia.
Thanks to its simple flow chart style, students can use it to clearly reflect on their own thinking. Students need to constantly question their own process, and those of others. They need to ask questions about the text they read, test possibilities, and allow for new discoveries.
Higher order thinking skills (HOTS) push our students beyond simple responses and elevate them to scholars and critics in their own right. Part of what’s vital in education is for students to learn to trust their own voice, while still questioning their thinking. What strategies do you use in your classroom to encourage critical thinking?
It’s World Book Day today!
This was SO me!!
Happy #WorldBookDay. Make sure to read something just for fun today. Or pass a book on to a friend, a child, a co-worker, a student…well, you get the idea. Books rock.
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter to all those who celebrate. Have a wonderful day of rest and renewal with your family.
This beautiful illustration is from the classic storybook The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. It captures both the innocence and joy of youth & Springtime.
Find Your Happy Today
My happy is:
In the classroom, connecting with students. 
The “Aha Moments” when that student finally puts it all together.
The struggle that finally leads to success.
A little creek with some big rocks for sitting on and thinking.
The path, the journey, and sometimes the destination.
A cup of coffee with a friend.
Pages of a book, sometimes filled with notes I’ve made.
Smiles of children that are my heart beating outside of my body.
Writing just one word that makes a picture.
Finding beauty along the way.
What’s your happy?
If it makes you happy, go for it.xo~Lisa
“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” -Aristotle
“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” Dalai Lama
April is National Poetry Month. What Makes Your Soul Sing?
Hope makes my soul thing.
April is National Poetry Month. In honor of one of my favorite poets, here’s one of my favorite poems.
Emily was a very wise woman. Hope is always the thing. In education and in life!
What’s one of your favorite poems or poets? Let us know in the comments. It would be amazing to start a list of Word Artists here!
Mavericks, Outsiders & Rebels. Wise Words on Writing
Getting to the “heart” of writing. Here’s why outsiders, rebels and mavericks make the best characters. Some advice from writer Isabel Allende, who knows a thing or two about good writing:
50 Essential Books of Poetry That Everyone Should Read
April is National Poetry Month. Here’s a list of 50 Essential Reads! Happy reading. And hey–make sure to open up some Jack Prelutsky, too, for the simple & not so serious “fun” of playing with words and language! 🙂
No Net Around the Future. Simple Ways to Help Students Soar to Their Potential
Students Need the Power of Belief to Soar to Their Potential
Teachers. It’s hard. We ask a lot of you. We ask you to keep getting up in the morning and showing up in that classroom and bringing your A Game.
We ask you to notice the students who need the extra help and notice the students who need the extra challenge. And to do it with a smile and a magical “Mary Poppins” like presence in a classroom. Do all that but do it with fairly little community support and for not that much financial compensation, either. But do it all the same
because
Every
Student
Needs a Hero.
Keep helping our students realize that their potential is unlimited. They can soar and achieve any dream as long as they have someone in their lives that supports them. Our goal at College Ready is simply to let all students know, regardless of socio-economic background, there’s no net around their future.
They can soar to unlimited heights.
College Ready 