Putting @kpchandl in Conversation with @DoodlebugKRY in a Graduate Course on Writing: Motivating Us All

Sometimes, as an instructor, it is exciting to pair readings to see, exactly, where the most solidified suggestion might come across. The readings for the night was Ch. 1 of A Good Fit For All: Collaborating to Teach Writing in Inclusive, Diverse Settings with Ch. 3. "Motivating Writers" by Pietro Boscolo and Carmen Gelati in S. Graham, C. A. MacArthur and M. Hebert's Best Practices in Writing Instruction. Of course, another purpose for the night was to get students ready to compose their own book review (in brochure form) for a sequence of writing lessons they want to work on for the end of the semester.

Who'd I summon to 'save the day'? Karen Romano Young, whose illustrations and one-page informative texts captivated teachers during our summer institutes.

My hypothesis was that doodling thoughts from my reading of KCO's first chapter, would model a way to tackle the Boscolo and Gelati chapter on motivating writers. My thinking was that if I could doodle my response to what I thought was most important to KCO's work, then they could do the same when tackling how to best motivate writers. I told them, "This is the first time I'm trying this, but I am thinking that Karen Romano Young is onto something."

Doodling is thinking and can be instructional. The theme for the night was teaching informative and explanatory texts (Gallagher, Write Like This).

It worked.

My graduate students doodled their response to sections of the Boscolo and Gelati chapter, after I went over my doodle and thinking of Kelly Chandler Olcott's first chapter.

As I shared my doodle, and discussed how I filled my writer's notebooks, the students quickly saw that my comprehension of her work went hand-in-hand with the chapter lay-out, as she sectioned it.

After the students doodled their sections on the motivating writers chapter in Best Practices in Writing Instruction, they shared what was most important. They hit all the major points the authors were making. I wrote down all they reported as they worked off their doodles to tell the class what their section explained and informed.

My point? Pairing Kelly Chandler Olcott with Boscolo and Gelati, with the use of Karen Romano Young's doodle examples, brought all of us to the same page about motivating heterogeneous classrooms to reach informative/explanatory writing with the students they teach.

I was saved from lecturing. I was saved from being a sage on a stage.

What happened was the teachers saw themselves reading as writers and drawing out how it is the writers informed their readers and explained the points they wanted to make.

Wola! The evening was rich, communicative, influential and beneficial. Numerous educators said, "I'm so going to do this with my students tomorrow."

BOOM! That's what my instructional choices were after and, AND, we used out writer's notebooks (ala Ralph Fletcher) to accomplish this.

I'm so lucky to have such texts to teach with. My students benefit from their wisdom, and I get to simply conduct. I love it!

I Just Couldn't Get My Brain Moving Yesterday, Until I Found A Bigelow Truck Parked on Campus

I said all morning yesterday that I needed another cup of coffee. I couldn't get the ol' noggin working after the wonderful, but exhausting weekend with the Saugatuck StoryFest '19.

It wasn't until my colleague, Dr. Tracey Robert, stopped by my office to say, "The Bigelow Mobile Tea Bar is outside. Would you like to join me for tea?"

Not only did I join her for tea, but I also got a Tea-Shirt, which I will wear with tremendous pride. Who doesn't love Bigelow Tea while reading books, writing about books, and working with those who write books? It was a win/win/win that put more pep in my step and pride in my stride. I had ginger and lemon, then returned to my office to do a mailing, to plan a class, and to work on a presentation for a conference in Philly later this month.

Alas, if only that cup was true to scale. Actually, the tea I drank which did wonders for my throat and head, was decaffeinated, so my need for an energy pick-up didn't quite occur.

It occurred to me, however, that it would have been wonderful to have the Bigelow Mobile Tea Bar with us for last Saturday's events at The Westport Library. As far as food trucks (well, Tea Trucks) go, this is by far my favorite. Count me as a new-found fan who will be looking for this vehicle in more locations of southern Connecticut. Their crew was wonderfully happy, loved pouring hot water for Fairfield University faculty, students and staff, and seemed to enjoy every second they had working on our campus.

I now #TeaProudly and will continue to #TeaProudly from this point on.

I've found my afternoon vice!

Channeling @jarredamato On This Post, Post @StoryFestCT. ToMAYto, ToMahto, Let's Call The Whole Thing Off

Funny. Somehow, over the last week while welcoming writers and teachers and youth to southern Connecticut for the Saugatuck StoryFest '19, my tomatoes went on a growing frenzy. I looked out back Monday morning and I was like, "Holy Tomato Sauce, Batman. You've blossomed beautifully!"

You say Jarred AMayto or Jarred AMahto, and he just might get elected to office (that's a little trivia I got from the teaching genius from Tennessee this past weekend).

In all seriousness, though, planting seeds and gardens is all about harvesting the fruit that may one day come to fruition. This is why a gardening metaphor typically works for reading and writing classrooms. His #ProjectLit movement is doing just that - not only in his rooms, but across the nation.

Plant the love of reading great books (that is the fantastic young adult literature being written and published right now) into American classrooms and see a community of active-minds come to life.

How lucky was I to host him this past weekend for his panel? How lucky is any educator to have his excitement and vision shared in your own community?

I am waking up this morning still excited that all the guest writers and speakers and moderators and performers arrived exactly as planned. I'm sort of amazed the whole thing was achieved and am already looking ahead to next year's event.

If you plant it, it will come. What a great book chapter title that would be!

Well, hello, October. Glad to meet you once again. 

Whoops! Forgot to Blog! First Time in 11 Years! Here's To Exhaustion But the Beauty of Living Near The Beach

From a fancy plastic cup hosting a tequila-laden margarita, I toast any and all who helped to make the Saugatuck StoryFest '19 a huge success. Although they weren't with me, this glass was raised to Kim Herzog, Rebecca Marsick, Cody Daigle-Orians, and Alex Giannini. I'm hoping they found an opportunity on Sunday to do the same.

Yesterday, I woke early and went back to the Westport Inn to get the last of the authors to the Amtrak rail in Bridgeport. I returned to Mt. Pleasant to say goodbye to two of my Syracuse friends, then went to lunch with Rhiannon, Pam, Bev and Leo. We did a dog walk, too. I then returned back to Mt. Pleasant to say good bye to Rhiannon and returned to the beach to meet Kaitlyn, Bev, Leo and Pam for a sunset. This is where the tequila was brought to me - which was graciously accepted.

Now it is Monday morning and I'm reflecting on all that's been neglected for the last week as everything for Saugatuck came together (by the way, behind the scenes I was also applying rampantly for a new grant that is due this afternoon - I was brought into the grant's possibility early last week - what's 8 pages and a bibliography? Nothing. Why not add that to the work of the Saugatuck week?).

We are reporting attendance of 2,200 or so, and already named next year's keynote, Neil Gaiman.
For last night, however, I didn't think about any of that. I simply listened to the laughter of friends, called my son to catch up on how his award-event went, and forgot to write my daily blog.

I've been up since 6 a.m. working on the grant and am thankful to my mom for reminding me that I didn't do what I usually do. So here it is!

Hard to believe that all that hard work came and disappeared so quickly. Ah, but that's what happens. Meanwhile, the sun rises, the waves lap, the clouds move, and the sun sets.

I love the reminder that nothing matters more than a good beach. Thankful to have one so near my home and life.

Banking on R.L. Stine Advice. I'm Not Staying Up Late and I'm Going For a Good Night's Of Sleep

Saugatuck StoryFest '19 - a ridiculous success. I cannot capture the the last few day sin words, but I can channel this novel (I need to sleep and I can't stay up late - my brain was complete dead about 3 p.m. yesterday).

Neil Gaiman, next year. Okay. Let me process R. L. Stine and the crew of writers from this year.

I have one more objective to accomplish for this festival - the last writer needs to be brought to the train station for a departure for Virginia. His voyage begins at 9 a.m. (so will mine).

It is not possible to capture all the greatness, festivity, community, knowledge, and expertise that was delivered over the last few days.

Wow! The Saugatuck team! All hats to all of us who were behind the scenes to make all to it happen. It is vision. It is partnership. It is what it takes.

There will be a larger post after I get some sleep. In the meantime, I don't want to stay up so late. 

Not Sure How To Best Celebrate the Friday That Just Was: Perhaps - @JerryCraft @jarredamato @getnicced - All Panelists Today

Not going to lie. Yesterday, I was up at 5, out of the house by 6:30 a.m. and into two schools by 10 a.m..

Nic Stone, LL. McKinney and Tiffany Jackson were incredible. I could spend the rest of my career reflecting on what they offered the young adult writers and teachers in Connecticut schools.

But then we had the evening youth advisory board dinner, followed by the musical Monster Songs (Okay, listening to the sound track is one thing, but seeing it live - fabulous. There are no words).

This morning, however, is a debut of panelists and we start at 10 a.m. and end at 5. 60+ writers at the Saugatuck StoryFest and my house needs to get itself in gear.

Yep, I have the Syracuse Reading and Language Arts crew with me and I couldn't be prouder to have them on Mt. Pleasant. Glamis decided she'd take part, too.

There are many generations in one photograph, but Glamis, of course, wanted to hog the scene.

We're all here, of course, to celebrate the fabulous writers we brought, but also to show support for our Reading and Language Arts Crew here to cheer on Kelly Chandler Olcott. So wonderful to be able to host them all.

Ah, but yesterday. There are no words. It was amazing. The writers, the schools, the conversations, the dinner and the musical performance I'm very ready for the third and final day of Saugatuck StoryFest 19. The youth board did us proud yesterday day and the Orange and Blue crew made me extremely happy.

Phew.

Sometimes I feel just a little too lucky to be experiencing all that I do.

And We're Off! Great First Night of @StoryFestCT with @Sam__Weller, Kate Howells, and Balam Soto

The Saugatuck StoryFest '19 kicked off last night with Ray Bradbury biographer Sam Weller, space lover and writer Kate Howells, and new media artist, Balam Soto, with an evening of talking about science fiction, planetary possibilities (cool as f#$%), and galactic artistry.

This morning are scheduled school visits for Tiffany Jackson, L.L. McKinney and Nic Stone, followed by an evening of Monster Songs and Mallory O'Meara's The Lady From the Black Lagoon.

Author panels to come on Saturday.

I was intrigued by the ways that artistry, science, storytelling and possibility were woven by last night's speakers and couldn't help but wonder if there was a kid in the audience, a young mind like Bradbury once had, who attended the Westport Library already planting seeds for his or her futuristic imaginations of the future. What isn't a part of today's dreams and hopes, may have found potential in the young minds in the house.

Looking forward to the adventure of the day, welcoming out-of-town guests and sharing southern Connecticut with so many (but also hoping that the fallen-leaf mold allergies would leave my nostrils and chest alone - sorry for the coughing to last night's speakers).

But it's time to head to Westhill High School. And I'm Off.