SKW

...in the library, I found peace.

I visited a fourth grade classroom recently, and guess what I found? Readers! Excited, enthusiastic, voracious readers!  We hear a lot of...

It doesn’t sound like much time, but how we interpret 15 minutes is a matter of perspective.

A few years ago, I was introduced to One Little Word® – the idea of finding one word   to focus on throughout the year. In the past, I’ve...

Curiosity about an unfinished handmade banjo leads to a novel for all ages.

Welcome to March, a month of many observances, celebrations, and seasonal adjustments like pollen and daylight savings time. But did you...

Read historical novels in verse to deepen empathy and inspire wonder. The first quarter of each year is replete with reminders of...

What have you been up to? It’s a question I get asked a lot since I left the classroom. Do you sleep in? Do you travel? Are you looking...

Books recommendations in honor of Veteran's Day Perhaps the greatest power possessed by books is that they can help us see the world...

This piece appears in Lessons from the Classroom, a collection of teaching wisdom acquired during my first four years as an educator. I...

An open letter to the front line

Many people dream of writing and publishing a book. And once you've completed that process, you get asked a lot of questions about your...

Crisp air, multi-colored leaf piles, and unmistakable winds of change usher in the first full month of fall. And change is a curious...

In recognition of #nationalliteracymonth #internationalliteracyday We hear a lot about the benefits of reading proficiency, but reading...

"...all children need to identify with each other instead of learning to identify some children as the other."

The Big Bend Area Literacy Council, FKA Leon County Reading Council, sponsors an annual narrative writing contest for K-12 students.

On August 17, 2019, I celebrated the launch of my very first novel for young readers. For me, it was a dream-come-true. Over the course...

#ncte #nctevillage #ila #scbwi #nwp #amwriting As a teacher of writing, I have the pleasure of working with young authors who have...

The journey began on March 14, 2018. My mind was in a continuous loop: It’s got to be nothing. Breast cancer doesn’t run in my family. I...

“Why Are We Still Teaching Reading the Wrong Way?” This is the title of American Public Media journalist Emily Hanford’s dangerously...