HO HO HO

Heavens, it's the holidays. (Thank you for this beautiful present, Sarah!) All routine goes out the window in December, and life as we know it is suspended until January. And, right here in Atlanta, it's snowing! Over at One Pomegranate you can read the story. It's mind- boggling what we'll do here for a little holiday spirit.


I can't even concentrate on telling you the rest of the Canterbury Woods story. So I'll just sketch for you here some of the notes I took while I was there. Pretend it's a connect the dots game and you'll be fine.



From a handwritten list on chart paper in the gym (where I did all-grade presentations my first day). How many of these techniques do I use/talk about/teach? Most. Here they are:

--vocabulary instruction
--differentiation
--high-level questions
--manipulatives
--note taking
--engagement
--small group instruction
--cooperative learning
--technology used by teachers and students alike
--assessment and remediation

Cathy Case, sixth-grade teacher, was brave enough to sit down with me after day one and tell me, after my session with her kids, what "hit" for her students... and what didn't. From that conversation, I rearranged and punted in a different direction the next day. Better. Much better. This is team teaching -- I could hear her, she could tell me. We're both confident in our abilities, we both want to learn how to do even better, we each respect the other's skills. I was able to point out to her some of the more subtle things I was doing, using children's literature, to reach her students -- things she could expound on in the classroom later. And she was able to tell me how to better reach her particular classroom of learners. Excellent.

These two boys are doing what I call the talking/listening part of writing their stories. Hands in the yoga of writing. One talker/reader, one active listener. They will reverse roles next.

There is cognitive coaching going on here at Canterbury Woods. Collaboration. And -- this is important -- people LISTEN here. I was amazed at how much meaningful conversation I had with Barbara Messinger, the principal (in some schools I never even meet the principal), and how many times, during a conversation with any given team member, I realized I was being heard. Really listened to. This is no small thing. It means children are being heard, too. As I saw how intently I was being listened to, I immediately thought to sharpen my own listening skills. This is how it works.

Terminology used at Canterbury Woods that I will incorporate into my classroom management techniques:

Six-inch voices
knees to knees (eyes to eyes)
If you can hear me, clap once (twice, three times)
sometimes we could look for...

From Matt Radigan, from his Teach for America experience:
"Work smarter, not harder"
and more:
Thumbs up/down
Fist of five (four, three, etc.)

Overall, I learned so much here because faculty and staff are not afraid to say what they see, to ask high-level questions, to listen, and to learn. It's a dream for me, as I am always asking, always reaching, always wanting to learn, the perpetual student. It was a great teaching experience.

Back to your regularly scheduled holidays... but you haven't heard the last from me this year! Still working on One Pomegranate, still fiddling with the look and feel of it, still finding my voice.

Thanks so much for all the mail, y'all. I am slow to respond, but I carry you all in my heart -- I do. I'm a sketchy personal correspondent, I admit it. I appreciate all you have to say about the blog -- both blogs -- and I'm glad you'll come with me as I continue blogging on One Pomegranate. Thanks.

And now I need an egg nog.

Re-Examine All You Have Been Told

I'm still processing all I learned at Canterbury Woods Elementary School in Annandale, Virginia (outside D.C.) last month.

I came to teach personal narrative writing to the upper elementary grades, with a focus on grade 5, since fifth graders take the SOLs, or Standards of Learning, test (The Test) in the spring each year.

You can see me here, giving some directions to fifth graders, with some prompts written on my chart paper in the background, and an interpreter for the hearing impaired in the background -- at times we had three interpreters in the room at once, all walking around following me when I was walking around... we were like a tiny parade in the classroom.

I got used to them quickly, though, and it was clear that the students were used to this.I have been teaching in the classroom for close to twenty years, and I am still learning, still learning. Still re-examining all I have read, all I have been told, all I have experienced. Still discovering my mentors, making my own determinations, finding my own voice.

It's a thrill to feel myself stretching and growing as I am standing there in front of a classroom of writers, as I have conversations about the day with teachers, as I prepare myself for the next day with students, as they ask me hard questions or struggle with their stories... and I have strong opinions about the teaching of writing, and about teaching, period.




These folks have strong opinions, too. Here are Lisa Vasu, who teaches ESL at Canterbury Woods, and Matt Radigan, who is a counselor and instructional coach. There are three of these instructional coaches/mentors at Canterbury Woods. Principal Barbara Messinger has set up her staff in such a way that she has created a base of staunch support for her teachers and students... and they take advantage of that support. It's fantastic.

Until I can tell you more, just know that Lisa and Matt are amazing. When students begin to master their English skills, Matt gives them a congratulatory high-five and says, "You've been Vasued!" Matt comes to CW from Teach For America and from D.C. charter schools. He's full of energy, enthusiasm, and smarts. And he has good hair.

I'm still processing all I learned at Canterbury Woods; moreover, I'm processing HOW I LEARNED IT. The environment I was immersed in for four days was an amazingly open and generous one -- the conversations were rich and deep and meaningful. I will never know everything I need to know -- will any of us? -- about the teaching of writing or about improving my own writing, but when I know I am learning something that is key to my understanding, I am exhilarated by the thought.

I am a perpetual student. In every way. As regards the teaching of writing, the best learning labs for me are schools that are wrestling their writing programs to the mat, always learning. They bring me in for a sustained period of time to work with teachers and students. I get to share what I have learned. I learn from them as well.

I have had wonderful and difficult experiences in many schools over the past twenty years, but two experiences stand out as the best and worst over that time. And interestingly enough -- both the best and the worst have taught me so much. Life is like that, too -- I guess I shouldn't be surprised that teaching is the same way.

Canterbury Woods is one of the best teaching/learning experiences I have ever had. I'll be sharing with you why I think this is so -- I'll tell you what I learned.

By contrast, one of the most difficult teaching experiences -- and this was just a few years ago, in an elementary school not far from Canterbury Woods -- taught me the most as well. I'll talk about this, too. I remember going home at the end of each residency day and crying with frustration, filling a notebook with what happened and with what I'd learned and with ideas on how I could change things up and make the teaching more relevant, more directed, more prescriptive for this particular environment. It ended up being a great week. It turned me inside out as a teacher and a student.

In the meantime, I'm still processing. Still learning, while I'm enjoying time with my family this holiday season, home home home. I've written more about this on One Pomegranate, which is where I'll continue to chronicle my teaching thoughts in January, and my travels, and more.

Next: How we set up the residency at Canterbury Woods Elementary School, and why it worked so well... how teachers and staff are turning teaching on its ear and giving it a polish --- and what a difference it's making in the growth and learning of not only students, but faculty and staff as well.

There is a Cavafy poem I love called "Half the House." It's about growing and learning, and at first glance it doesn't seem like it makes sense, perhaps, but I find it distills my thoughts about teaching. And living. You can find the poem online, including at One Pomegranate's latest entry, this date.

I'll leave you with Whitman's words from the preface of the first edition to LEAVES OF GRASS. They are the words I use to open THE AURORA COUNTY ALL-STARS:

"This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, and dismiss whatever insults your own soul."

Go forth with an open heart. Learn.

Can't Sleep....

Beautiful mural at Shimek Elementary. There is more, this is just one panel. Great student collaboration.

Can't sleep. I think it's catching up to me, these days in Iowa City schools. Or maybe I'm excited because I'm going home this afternoon. Maybe I'm too congested to sleep -- I think I've caught something. Maybe.

Or maybe I'm worried about getting the packing done and getting out the door early enough for a breakfast in school, as I need to go straight to the airport after school number three today. Lots and lots of details swimming around in my semi-congested head.

In any case, I woke up an hour ago and can't sleep. What's a body to do? Blog, of course. Here are some photos from yesterday's schools. My feedburner stats are amazing this week. Who are you guys? Lots of visitors!

Feedburner tells me how many people visit this blog. It doesn't tell me who you are, it doesn't give me that sort of information and I don't collect information but there is a counter, just like there is on many web pages, and I suspect there are lots of Iowa City students checking in to see themselves. Here you go. Another post for you.




Here are some of my welcoming ambassadors at Shimek Elementary, with their teacher-librarian Sheryl Little. I was in such good hands there and had a great sound system! Thanks, guys. I know I have your names in my notebook ("Keep a notebook! Rule Number One!") but it's packed right now. Let me get it.


Okay. I unearthed my notebook. Thanks to Kelly, Abby, Hudson, Danny B., Austin, and Tytiana or Ty, who is pictured above, next to Ms. Little.

Thanks, too, to Dr. Charlie Towers, principal at Shimek, for coming to the assembly and being such an integral part of his students' learning experience.


Here's the team at Kirkwood that made our second session possible. We had fun -- I laughed a lot yesterday. These folks and their students gave me so much. That's teacher-librarian Kristi Harper in the middle.



And here's the reading club at Coralville Central, with their hip teacher-librarian Becky Gelman.






Here's the reading club enacting what they would look like if my three maiden aunts came running for them - "Come here and love my neck! I could just eat you up!"


I'm pleased to show you a photo that includes these three beautiful men. From left, principal of Coralville Central Michael O'Leary (who not only attended the assembly, he wore his Community Reads t-shirt and introduced me to Molly, the school dog), Becky Gelman, Becky's DAD -- may we call him Mr. Wonderful? -- and another Mr. Wonderful from Hills Bank, one of the major funders of the Iowa City Community Reads program. I wish I'd thought to take my own advice and used my notebook, Mr. Wonderful, as I would have your name captured in it -- please, someone rescue me. In the meantime, thank you, Mr. Wonderful, you and your generous colleagues at Hills Bank.

Signing Kobi's shirt.



I might go into the shirt-signing business. I like it.











Cool yellow hat. Handmade. I miss wearing a hat. Maybe I'll take it up again.





After three sessions in three schools, I went to the Iowa City Public Library which has a children's room to die for. Here there be heroes:
Librarians who put good books into the hands of children (and cds, and dvds and information and on and on).






I spoke about my love affair with libraries with children's librarian Katherine Habley as we taped an hour-long interview that will air on the library channel soon. Katherine is fabulous.

My nose is not fabulous. It's running. I drank two bottles of water. I'm going to try to get some sleep. See you soon, students at Lucas, Wood, and Weber Elementary Schools. Then I catch a Delta flight home. Six days home and then to NCTE in New York City.

See this sign? It's what I feel about my work-in-progress right now, and I'm sure it's what my editor thinks. The new novel awaits my concentrated attention. I'm going to switch gears soon. I promise.

Raise your hand if....

Wednesday in Iowa City. A beautiful, crisp, fall day full of Van Allen, Wickham, and Penn Elementary students... and one cow. Okay, so the cow didn't come to schools. But I did.





Put your hands in the yoga of writing....












Raise your hand if you've ever had your heart broken. Raise your hand if you've ever been angry. Raise your hand if you've ever been tortured by a brother or sister (as I was!), if you've ever been confused about what's happening in your world, if you've ever been afraid of something...



...if you've ever said, "I have nothing to write about...."







Raise your hand if you created a terrific poster or banner or painting! Raise your hand if you sat on the floor for an entire hour without squirming!

Raise your hand if you are a librarian par excellence (Here is Ann Holton at Penn, one of the many stellar Iowa City teacher-librarians)

Raise your hand if you love revision!









"Is she kidding?"











Raise your hand if you provided thses fantastic zinnias for our cemetery picnic!








Raise your hand if you need your shirt signed!







Raise your hand if you are a member of the LOVE, RUBY LAVENDER book group at Wickham. Raise your hand if you know where the lemon drops came from at lunch.



Raise your hand if you know how these Moon Pies made their way to Iowa City!





Raise your hand if you're pooped just reading this post!

Today, Shimek/Regina, Kirkwood and CorCentral Elementary Schools -- here I come, full of exclamation points!

Sharing Stories in Iowa City

Here are Jeremiah, Josh, Alli and Emmy from Lincoln Elementary. They scoured my website (the "Life Notice" in particular, written by Comfort Snowberger) and distilled it (Comfort is verbose) into fascinatin' facts about Deborah Wiles for the kids at Lincoln and their guests, 5th and 6th graders from Mann Elementary.

I now own a SHIRT, too! It's the 20th year of this Community Reads program in Iowa City, which includes not only an author visit (for which the students are so well-prepared) but lunchtime "Leaders as Readers" (today at the library -- I will miss it -- sob!) and much more. The partnership here between the public library, the university, the public schools and the sponsors, including Hills Bank, is generously creative and wonderfully exciting -- I'm trying to find words for it but it's too early in the morning right now --

Yesterday stretched my teaching sinews, from Lincoln/Mann to Lemme/Longfellow to Twain Elementary -- what a difference!




Five schools of 5th and 6th graders, and three very different locations. I love this look into the fabric of a community.





I love the challenge of reaching all students (sometimes I am better at this than others) and I love the "stay on your toes" aspects of the day -- there are students (and teachers!) from all walks of life in these public schools, just as there are in all public school systems across the country. How do we best serve their needs?

It's a perennial question. How can we best serve our own needs as we work with them and with each other? What are best practices? How do they change? It fascinates me to see the challenges that teachers face in the classroom, and to see the great passion they bring to these challenges. I feel humbled in their presence. I learn so much.


And, as every good teacher knows, our students are our teachers as well.







Last night we had pot luck together, the teacher-librarians and moi. WHAT a time we had. "There's nothing like an Iowa pot luck," said Julie Larson. "And an Iowa TEACHER pot luck -- you're in heaven," said I... and I was right.


Here we are, gathered for a photo. Here are the teacher-librarians who have been making this week possible for students in Iowa City Schools.




I hope to take a walk this afternoon to the cemetery -- cemeteries are some of my favorite places -- to find "the black angel" I've heard so much about. I also want to take a photo of the Vonnegut house for you. It's right outside my window. Think Iowa Writers Workshop, many years ago, a rented house, May Day parties on the lawn, and all those words, all those stories, all those glory days...

Librarian Barb Stein lives in Marilynne Robinson's neighborhood - be still my heart. "Maybe you'd see her out walking her dog if you walked through the neighborhood." Nah. Sometimes it's best to admire from afar. I have read GILEAD twice and need to read it a third time.

"What are you reading?" was the question posed at pot luck last night. Here is a partial list of the titles we shared, in no particular order and sometimes without author listed -- but I'll fill this in later -- got to go to school this morning!

POPULATION 485: Meeting your Neighbors One Siren at a Time by Michael Perry
GODS IN ALABAMA by Joshilyn Jackson
THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY by Trenton Lee Stewart and Carson Ellis
BLOOD DONE SIGNED MY NAME by Timothy B. Tyson
THE BOYS OF MY YOUTH
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen
THE TORTILLA CURTAIN
LITTLE HEATHENS
SUMMER AT TIFFANY
EAT PRAY LOVE
THREE CUPS OF TEA
A FRIENDSHIP FOR TODAY by Patricia McKissack
The new Gilda Joyce mystery
A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS
THE GIRLS
DREAMS FROM MY FATHER
Diana Mott Davidson (mystery writer)
DIGGING UP AMERICA by Anne Tyler
SUITE FRANCAISE
THIRTEENTH TALE
A SHORT HISTORY OF TRACTORS IN UKRANIA
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE THUNDERBOLT KID
BEL CANTO by Ann Patchett
SPLENDID SOLUTION (the story of Jonas Salk and the polio vaccine)

Lots to choose from here, including some Iowa writers and stories, when I go to Prairie Lights this afternoon to sign stock.

Off to Van Allen, Wickham, and Penn Elementary Schools this morning.

There are no hills in Hills

Here's the barber shop in Hills, Iowa. It's just down the street from Hills Elementary School where I started my five days in Iowa yesterday. I have lots to say about this Community Reads program and teacher-librarians in Iowa City and how they are working together and making a difference. I want to tell you about these wonderful students!

But I have to go to school, so I leave you with photos for now, but I'll be back.

This was Sunday, when I arrived.








I walked the neighborhood and walked through Iowa City, found Prairie Lights Bookstore where I'll sign stock on Wednesday, ate at a noodle house, then walked back up the hill to my bed. I called my husband, Jim, and said, "We're moving to Iowa City!"

The wind started on Monday -- a cold, hard, relentless wind that made getting from the car to each school an arctic challenge. I called Jim and said, "Cancel that move." Haha! But it was gorgeous, too -- I wish I had photos of the November sky to show you as the wind pushed masses of dark silver clouds across the end-of-the-day sky and the late-afternoon sun slanted through the clouds and sprayed the barns and cornfields with a golden glow. Stunningly beautiful sky. Remarkably overwritten prose. No time to revise.

Had supper with my good friend Jackie Martin (SNOWFLAKE BENTLEY) and her husband Rich (who played the vibraphone for me) in their home in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Jackie's new book, CHICKEN JOY ON REDBEAN ROAD, is pure delight. If you haven't read it, you must must must. Love the illustrations by Melissa Sweet as well.

More as soon as I can -- I love it here. I will see every fifth and sixth grader in Iowa City schools this week, all 18 elementary schools! Students have been well-prepared -- I'll tell you all about it.

Here is the Deborah Wiles Endowed Chair at Hills Elementary. I love these artistic depictions of my books, and I especially love the marbles! In FREEDOM SUMMER, Joe and John Henry "play marbles in the dirt until we're too hot to be alive." Then they run to Fiddler's Creek. "Last one in's a rotten egg!"




Here are some of the students at Weber Elementary, all wearing Community Reads t-shirts -- we had a great day yesterday (and a great pot luck lunch).



Here are Asijah, Tatyonna, and Ronetta, journalists and welcome committee at Roosevelt. Roosevelt hosted Horn Elementary students as well.



The kids at Roosevelt and Horn -- actually, ALL of yesterday's students -- knocked me over with their big love -- I love you right back. But more later -- gotta run!

You can read more about this week in schools in today's edition of the Iowa Press-Citizen.