It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 07/26/2021

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA! 

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly blog hop I co-host with Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers. The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It's a great way to share what you're reading and get recommendations. We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Last Week's Adventures:

Last week I listened to more of A Song Below Water and read Counting Descent by Clint Smith. Whoa. It's seriously so good and there are a lot of poems I'm going to use as mentor texts for our identity unit to start the school year. I also read Layers of Learning and essays from Roxane Gay in Hunger. I also read Awkward and I have no idea why I never read that series before. It was so cute!

Teachers Write Weekly Check-In #4 2021

This Week's Adventures:

I have a ton of graphic novels to read this week and I'm so excited to dive in! I'm also going to read Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher.

What are you reading this week? 

Link up below and check out other blogs to see what they're reading!
To help build our community and support other bloggers,
we ask that you comment on at least three other blogs before you.
Also, if you tweet about your Monday post, don't forget to use #IMWAYR!

#TeachersWrite Weekly Check-In #4 2021!

Welcome to our fourth and last Weekly Check-In! It's the end already!

I've been in PD this week and didn't spend time with my novel this week. BUT I have been thinking a lot about identity and what it means to live with integrity as part of a community/communities. We're starting the year launching reader's and writer's workshop and writing poetry related to who we are and how we show up in our classroom community and other communities.

Here's my thinking:

And here I was exploring essential questions:

Kate asked us to capture one small moment and I've been collecting resources for students to think about how to capture a small moment as we co-create our workshop space together this year. 

Yesterday I went home and crawled into bed (yes at 4:00 in the afternoon after two full days of curriculum writing...) and I grabbed Counting Descent by Clint Smith and started reading. It's exactly what I needed and exactly the mentor text to help me as I reflect back and think forward. 

I'm so glad you joined us this summer and I'd love to hear what your next steps are now that our official summer of Teachers Write is over.

Teachers Write Weekly Check-In Agreements:

1. We respect each other and the type of writing we each do do.

2. We are positive and encourage each other.

3. We recognize and maintain this as a safe, inclusive environment for all.

4. We have fun!

Ideas for today in the comments section:

What was the pit of your week? (The hardest part, the non-fun part?)

What was the peak of your week? (The best part, the most-fun part?)

What are you hoping your writing life will look like beyond summer?

I can't wait to hear how this summer's Teachers Write experience was for you! Thanks for writing with us!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 07/19/2021

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA! 

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly blog hop I co-host with Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers. The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It's a great way to share what you're reading and get recommendations. We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Last Week's Adventures:

I'll be attending three full days of PD this week but am planning to finish A Song Below Water and read more of Layers of Learning. I really do want to read Counting Descent by Clint Smith, I have a mini stack of graphic novels to explore AND I've been thinking a lot about Captain Underpants and Big Nate and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I really want to do a deep dive into funny books with illustrations and think about what reading ladders look like as students shift from middle school to high school. (Not sure this will happen this week...but we'll see!)

This Week's Adventures:

What are you reading this week? 

Link up below and check out other blogs to see what they're reading!
To help build our community and support other bloggers,
we ask that you comment on at least three other blogs before you.
Also, if you tweet about your Monday post, don't forget to use #IMWAYR!

#TeachersWrite Weekly Check-In #3 2021!

Welcome to our third Weekly Check-In! On Monday, Kate shared a video for us to try some play in our writing. I'm obsessed with play right now so this was perfect! I've been exploring ideas for play and just shared some of my exploration on Instagram. 

I decided I'd take Kate's three-column idea and try it with characters from the YA novel I'm drafting. I may have made it easy on myself and added a panadería for setting and jealousy for a mood because that's exactly the scene I needed to happen next. Actually, I didn't see the story headed this direction but it's perfect!

Here's what my notebook entry looked like for this exercise:

After I had the idea for the scene, I wrote it out in my notebook.

If you did the prompt from Monday, I'd love to hear how it went for you! What stories came up? Please share in the comments!

Teachers Write Weekly Check-In Agreements:

1. We respect each other and the type of writing we each do do.

2. We are positive and encourage each other.

3. We recognize and maintain this as a safe, inclusive environment for all.

4. We have fun!

Ideas for today in the comments section:

What character, setting, and mood/big idea did you play with this week?

What was the pit of your week? (The hardest part, the non-fun part?)

What was the peak of your week? (The best part, the most-fun part?)

My Weekly Check-In: This week I actually worked more on writing I'm doing about teaching and it was really cathartic. I looked over notes and anecdotes I collected throughout the year and saw a big theme emerge. I started to write about that and explored a couple of ways into what I'm writing about. It's neat to see how sometimes I need to write things a certain way to then see a different way to start.

I loved how the playful exercise from Kate helped me move forward in my YA novel. This is why it's so important! I'm very much practicing not taking myself so seriously. This might just mean I'm missing being around tons of kids all day. :)

I can't wait to hear how Teachers Write is going for you! If you have any questions or if I can help with anything, please let me know!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 07/12/2021

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA! 

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly blog hop I co-host with Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers. The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It's a great way to share what you're reading and get recommendations. We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Last Week's Adventures:

This week I read the graphic novel adaptation of Octavia Butler's book Kindred. Wow. So good. And I listened to some of A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow. I also reread parts of The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and dipped my toes into Layers of Learning by JoEllen McCarthy.

Writing with Dr. Fauci

Teachers Write Weekly Check-In #2 2021

This Week's Adventures:

This week I'm planning to finish listening to A Song Below Water and then start The Barren Grounds. I'll read more of Layers of Learning and read Counting Descent by Clint Smith. I also have How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith...so maybe I'll listen to that after Counting Descent. I enjoyed listening to his interview on Brené Brown's podcast Unlocking Us. 

Also, I'm hosting a FREE workshop TODAY, July 12th at 7:00 pm CST via Zoom. It's called Explore: Free Writing and I'll show you my twist on free writing that is sure to bring confidence to you and the students writers you work with. Sign up here.

What are you reading this week? 

Link up below and check out other blogs to see what they're reading!
To help build our community and support other bloggers,
we ask that you comment on at least three other blogs before you.
Also, if you tweet about your Monday post, don't forget to use #IMWAYR!

#TeachersWrite Weekly Check-In #2 2021!

Welcome to our second Weekly Check-In! On Monday, Kate shared an absolutely amazing activity to go along with her new picture book Dr. Fauci: How a Boy From Brooklyn Became America's Doctor. 

I really enjoyed spending time thinking about my life and things that I did and experienced as a kid and how that influenced the teacher I am today. When something feels hard, like this last school year, I pause to think about my why. Whenever I feel lost, having a purpose helps me feel grounded. Doing this activity reminded me that being a learner and a teacher is part of who I am. It reminded me that I love learning and sharing that experience with others - kids and adults. 

My parents definitely had an impact on the type of person and teacher I am today. I love asking questions and using questions to guide students to think and reflect on their own learning and that definitely comes from my dad. He'd take me to the bus stop everyday. We'd sit in his car and talk. When I'd share something with him, he'd often say, "And how did that make you feel?" I think now maybe he was just being funny but it would make me think and it's part of why I'm reflective today but also why I love asking questions instead of asserting myself as a teacher who has all the answers.

My mom is the one who taught me to value community and being in community with others. I remember going to work with her and in the hallways or on the way to her desk, she'd say hi to everyone. She is kind to everyone. She makes sure everyone feels seen. Community and making sure every student feels seen and valued and included in our classroom is so important to me. It comes before anything else but also as we explore what it means to be readers and writer and citizens of the world. 

Here's what my notebook entry looked like for this exercise:

All of this reflection and thinking about stories and how they stack up got me thinking about a timeline so I flipped my paper and started a timeline, plotting big events that I'd include in my biography if I was going to write it (I might still go back and write it). I love timelines! They're useful in so many ways.

If you did the prompt from Monday, I'd love to hear how it went for you! What stories came up? Please share in the comments!

AND if you want to write with me, I'm hosting a FREE workshop on Monday, July 12th at 7:00 pm CST via Zoom. It's called Explore: Free Writing and I'll talk about my favorite writing strategy that is useful at any point of the writing process. You might be familiar with free writing but I'll share how you can use this to get words onto paper but also to affirm your and your students' writing identities. It's a game changer and I hope you join me! Sign up here.

Teachers Write Weekly Check-In Agreements:

1. We respect each other and the type of writing we each do do.

2. We are positive and encourage each other.

3. We recognize and maintain this as a safe, inclusive environment for all.

4. We have fun!

Ideas for today in the comments section:

What stories came up for you this week while doing Kate's prompt?
What was the pit of your week? (The hardest part, the non-fun part?)

What was the peak of your week? (The best part, the most-fun part?)

My Weekly Check-In: Ah! I didn't get any words added to my manuscript. BUT I've been doing a lot of journaling and reflective writing similar to Kate's prompt. I've also been thinking a lot about what it means to be a writer and consolidating my thoughts about this. So the pit for me was not making progress towards my goal but the peak is that I have been writing. 

I can't wait to hear how Teachers Write is going for you! If you have any questions or if I can help with anything, please let me know!

Dr. Fauci: How a Boy From Brooklyn Became America's Doctor

Title: Dr. Fauci: How a Boy From Brooklyn Became America's Doctor

Author: Kate Messner 

Illustrator: Alexandra Bye 

Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers 

Publication Date: June 29th, 2021 

Genre/Format: Nonfiction Biography/Picture Book 

GoodReads Summary: The definitive picture book biography of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the most crucial figures in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before he was Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci was a curious boy in Brooklyn, delivering prescriptions from his father’s pharmacy on his blue Schwinn bicycle. His father and immigrant grandfather taught Anthony to ask questions, consider all the data, and never give up—and Anthony’s ability to stay curious and to communicate with people would serve him his entire life.

This engaging narrative, which draws from interviews the author did with Dr. Fauci himself, follows Anthony from his Brooklyn beginnings through medical school and his challenging role working with seven US presidents to tackle some of the biggest public health challenges of the past fifty years, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Extensive backmatter rounds out Dr. Fauci’s story with a timeline, recommended reading, a full spread of facts about vaccines and how they work, and Dr. Fauci’s own tips for future scientists.

What I Think: Honestly, until the Covid pandemic hit I didn't know of Dr. Fauci. One of my friends is writing a book set in the 80's and 90's which centers the AIDS pandemic and she told me how influential he was. I love that we now have this book to share his work with young people. 

     Last week I shared my review of Furia by Yamile Saied Mendez and I talked about how the snatch of text is an opportunity to think of ideas or messages from families that are passed down. Guess what? That's exactly the same activity you can do with this picture book biography from Kate Messner and Alexandra Bye. If you didn't check out Kate's Teachers Write blog post from this week, be sure to read how she thinks about the subject of a nonfiction picture book biography and looks for stories from their childhood that led to their work as an adult. You can do some reflection for yourself. I absolutely loved it! 

    And then when I read Dr. Fauci, I had to pause when there is a page where his dad gives him advice that he applies to his life. It made me think of last week and the words of wisdom I heard from my family. Asking students to think of words of wisdom from the adults in their life would be a great way to start the year and get to to know each other. It would also work at any time during the school year as a way to share what values and beliefs they bring to the classroom community. I bet there are many ways we intersect that we might not realize. 

    To take this even further, invite students to write a scene where we get to see them practicing this or an adult reminding them of this idea. Or invite them to interview that adult who shared this with them and hear how it has showed up in their lives. I can imagine this turning into a piece with the message in hand-lettered font and the text to go with it. I LOVE the funky letting for this in the book. It stands out and it can't be missed. It would be cool to show that to students and see what they notice and ask why they think this bit of text is presented the way it is.  

Snatch of Text: 

    "Anytime Anthony struggled with homework, his father reminded him that every problem has a solution. 

    'Don't get discouraged. Don't run away because you don't understand the problem. Think about it carefully and try to work it out.'

    Anthony learned to start with wondering, then gather evidence and keep an open mind."

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 07/05/2021

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA! 

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly blog hop I co-host with Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers. The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It's a great way to share what you're reading and get recommendations. We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Last Week's Adventures:

I read more of Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses. I finished listening to I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L Sanchez and I also read King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender which was the first read for the Book Love Summer Book Club. I also started reading The Black Friend by Frederick Joseph

Writing with Furia

Teachers Write Weekly Check-In #1 2021

This Week's Adventures:

I'll be reading more of The Black Friend and Craft in the Real World this week. I want to listen to A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow. 

If you are participating in Teachers Write (sign up here). Don't forget to check Kate's blog for today's post from her and then come back here Thursday for the Weekly Check-In. I'd love to hear how your writing is going!

Also, I'm hosting a FREE workshop on Monday, July 12th at 7:00 pm CST via Zoom. It's called Explore: Free Writing and I'll talk about my favorite writing strategy that is useful at any point of the writing process. You might be familiar with free writing but I'll talk about how you can use this to get words onto paper but also to affirm your writing identity. It's a game changer and I hope you join me. Sign up here.

What are you reading this week? 

Link up below and check out other blogs to see what they're reading!
To help build our community and support other bloggers,
we ask that you comment on at least three other blogs before you.
Also, if you tweet about your Monday post, don't forget to use #IMWAYR!

#TeachersWrite Weekly Check-In #1 2021!

You’re here! I’m here. We're here. We. Are. Here. 

I'm so happy you are here for our Teachers Write Weekly Check-In! If you aren't officially signed up here, please go here.

If you’re new to me, hi! I’m Jen Vincent. I just finished my 19th year in education and I’m currently a middle school LA/SS teacher. This upcoming school year, I’ll teach 8th grade and will have one section of monolingual (all English) and one section of one-way dual language (Spanish and English). In 2011 I jumped into NaNoWriMo and have been writing novels and picture books and essays ever since. I've gained confidence in myself as a teacher of writers because I have experience writing all sorts of stuff myself. Living the life of a writer was a complete game changer for my writing instruction. And that's why I'm here! To spread my love of writing because I want YOU to be a confident writing teacher too. In doing so we can bring joy to writing and impact student writers. Yay!

Let's dive into the Weekly Check-In! On Monday, Kate asked us to pause and breathe because we have been through a lot. And then she asked us to notice and remember a time when we were whole and write. My mind went back to my childhood, running barefoot in a grass field near my house, dandelions daring to exist in all their glory. My skin is dark brown from all the time outside and my hair frizzes around my fave. The sun washes over me and the warmth seeps in along with my daddy’s words, “Look at her go.”

Here's what my notebook entry looked like for this exercise:

Sidenote: Having a writer's notebook made me feel like a real writer when I was started writing. I was excited to fill it up and share with students. If you can treat yourself to a special notebook to devote to gathering up and exploring ideas, I definitely recommend it. Moleskine's are my favorite but I also love the yellow legal pads from the dollar store. You don't have to be fancy, just intentional.

While this school year was exhausting and challenging for me, I did it. We did it. We are here now looking back and I am using writing to process and heal while also to have some fun. Being in community with you and other teacher writers is helpful to me. I love knowing I’m not alone and I love learning from others. You give me comfort. You inspire me. You energize me.

In celebration of being here together, I'd like to offer Pink's song I Am Here. I found myself listening to this again and again this school year and it reminded me how beautiful and special it is for us to be here. Thank you for sharing your awesome! 

Here’s how the weekly check-in goes. I share a bit of my writing life and I invite you to reflect on your writing life this week and share the ups and downs in the comments. It’s been pretty much the same since 2012 when we first started and if you’re at all interested in the resources I’ve shared over the years, this link will take you to all my previous Teachers Write posts, starting with the most recent first.

Teachers Write Weekly Check-In Agreements:

1. We respect each other and the type of writing we each do do.

2. We are positive and encourage each other.

3. We recognize and maintain this as a safe, inclusive environment for all.

4. We have fun!

Ideas for today in the comments section:

What are your goals for Teachers Write?

How did you do this week? Did you meet your weekly goal(s)?

What was the pit of your week? (The hardest part, the non-fun part?)

What was the peak of your week? (The best part, the most-fun part?)

My Weekly Check-In: My goals for Teachers Write is to follow along with Kate's posts and to add words to the young adult novel I'm drafting. I usually aim for about 50,000 words and I currently have a little over 7,000 so I feel pretty proud of myself! My goal for next week will be to get to at least 15,000 words total. The hardest part has been getting myself motivated but the fun part has been scheduling time to go to Panera in the morning to write. I missed being able to write in a coffee shop! I think more Panera time will help me reach my goal.

I can't wait to hear how Teachers Write is going for you! If you have any questions or if I can help with anything, please let me know!