The Good News Is I HAVE to Go to Bed Earlier. The Better News Was Seeing My Thinking on a Meme!

At 9 o'clock last night, I had to get the toothpicks out just to keep my eyes open. It's been a long time since I've set my alarm for 6 a.m., because I've turned into a 7 a.m. wake-up kind-of guy. It's hard for me to believe I used to be at the Brown School by 6:45 in the morning every day.

I am getting up, however, because I have work to do - work that is educational, inviting, inspirational, motivating, and productive. I'm dedicated this week and it's tiring, but rewarding on multiple levels.

I guess that is why I was surprised first when @NCTE posted my "Leading the Call" article for Voices in the Middle to its 90.000 followers, but even more alarmed (in a good way) to see that @VoicesNCTE put my thinking on a #Meme and pushed it out in the universe. For over 24 years, I've been lucky to be a K-12 teacher, first in a high school, then as a researcher, and now through my professional development and summer work with CWP-Fairfield. The Brown School did me right. There's no learning without an exceptional community...one that has to be built by the commitment of many. For me in KY, it also came from the Louisville Writing Project, mentors, my students, and the Department of Education. Writing was everything and everyone was committed to it.

I have to remember that most have not experienced the remarkable portfolio days in Kentucky where K-12 teachers taught writing in every subject and students had to write in multiple genres every year. It was so normal for us, that we didn't realize how special it was. The State of Kentucky was ahead of the game at that time. I loved every second I had teaching in the state.

Then, I met the boys. I met scholars Kathy Hinchman, Kelly Chandler-Olcott and Marcelle Haddix. I became an intellectual offspring of theirs and the rest is history. The work I'm doing in Connecticut is a no-brainer. Why? Because I experienced what works.

Community. Community. Community.

For an individual writer to succeed, they must be part of a larger community in which their writing can be read. Ha! Why else would I blog for 13 straight years?

I am so thankful to all who inspired me in so many ways (especially the students) and somewhat laugh that my thinking is influential to others - it's common sense to me now. In order to have a strong writing community in school, find ways to have young people write about their out-of-school communities. Guide the expertise they already have. Mentor them to communicate in the genres of varying professions. Encourage their individual voices and original ideas.

Okay, I have to go to work. The link to the article shared on Twitter is: http://ow.ly/E7Zw50xNgXV - they say you teach the grade level where you are mentally stuck (ha! maybe I write for that grade level, too). There's nothing wrong with having a middle school mind!