The National Writing Project - Wasatch Range Writer's Institute

Ok, Because it is summer I know I should be dying to sleep in each day, hang out and read the newspaper each morning and eventually get dressed, but I am not. I am actually sad that the Wasatch Range Writing Project will conclude next week. After meeting with about 18 other teachers Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm for the past two weeks to talk about teaching writing, you would think I would be done and over it. However, it has been a great process. We participate in demonstration lessons given by our peers each day so we go through the same process a student would in our classes. It is a chance to experiment, try something radical or improve a lesson you have given numerous times before. The teachers range in age, years of service, types of experience, and schools they represent. What a cool group of people. All of these teachers are interested in doing a better job. Yes, there are sometimes digressions into various frustrations of the job, administrators, bureaucracy, etc. But all in all, the people are positive and inspiring.

We are bringing up all kinds of revolutionary ideas by asking "burning questions." These questions sometimes seem elementary but the root of all of them is the key. We really want to find out how can we help students learn enough about themselves through our classes to become confident writers. We are exploring the many ways we can help students use writing to learn, to express, to clarify, to process, to create, to instruct, to become better thinkers. If you want to find out more visit http://www.nwp.org or http//community.weber.edu/WRWP/
If you are a teacher, I highly recommend this institute. You will become a better writer and teacher of any subject. You also gain a community of like-minded teachers who are always looking to better themselves for the sake of their students.

I also have to do a big shout out to Weber State University as they offer the four-week institute for 6 graduate credits for free! Thanks WSU!

Finland's high test scores

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8601207.stm

Is Finland's big secret the high socio-economics, the two teachers in the classroom or the shorter work day? I'd love to hear from you all about what you think!

Welcome to my new Blog!

Welcome to a blog created in order to facilitate discussions of great ideas about education. I hope everyone will feel they can post positive stories, experiences and ideas they have had or their children have had here. I am often involved with informal conversations regarding educational issues and ideals. Because I am a teacher and a mother I often read about, think about and want to talk about various issues in education. As a Montessorian I am often one of the only non-traditional voices involved in conversations, but I also want to become more of a listener in the conversation rather than the defender of my choices in educating my own children. Issues related to education are much more complex and deep than can be discussed in passing. These passing conversations often leave me feeling incomplete and sad that I was not really able to express my point of view in an objective way, but I either say something too negative about things I do not actually have experience with or I have a feeling others felt too defensive about their own choices to really hear my point of view. Thus, I thought, why not create a place where many voices could be heard in a more meaningful way. I began my teaching career as a teaching assistant in Chicago, IL, working with some students that came to college on the weekends for enrichment. Later, I taught middle school in Brooklyn, NY and today I teach in a private Montessori school in Ogden, UT. I have also taught remedial English to college students. Needless to say, I have heard a lot and thought a lot about how things should be in the classroom. To begin this blog I think it would be great to open the dialogue by asking readers to share their experiences in education. Tell us about a great educational experience you have had or your child has had. And if you are a teacher, tell us about a wonderful experience you have had in the classroom with your students. This forum is meant to be a positive and constructive discussion of these issues, not to be used for political rantings. Living in UT, you can imagine that I may have an opinion on these issues as well, but this blog is intended to help people explore philosophies and goals for the education of our future generations. This is my hope anyway.