One writer’s thoughts on writer’s block, and an infographic from StudyMode that breaks it all down. Reblogged from Street of Dreams’ blog.
the abyss.
a freshly fallen torrid
that stretches as far as a the eye can see.
a blank page
what do you do when the cursor
when the pen and paper
leave you snow blind?
Author of Writing Down the Bones, writing guru, Natalie Goldberg, has this to say on how to be a writer:
Here’s a great Writing Tips chart to share with your students. I like that it emphasizes adding your own style (Step 5) and enjoying your writing (Step 10). If you don’t say it with style, and you don’t enjoy writing it, chances are, folks won’t enjoy reading it.
Try something new during these last few weeks of the school year. It can be like a dress rehearsal to see if you want to blend it into your “teacherly bag ‘o tricks” for next year. I like this education infographic from the amazing Mia Mac Meeken.
Writing, at its best, is a lonely life.~~Ernest Hemingway.
What do you think–does writing have to be a solitary pursuit?
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?
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
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!
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:
College Ready 