This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We are here every month. The next Open Write is June 21-23. Our Host Sarah J. Donovan, PhD, is a former junior English …
Heritage Poems
This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. Our Host Sarah J. Donovan, PhD, is a former junior English language arts teacher of fifteen years and current Associate Professor of Secondary …
Forgiveness or Unforgiven
This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. Welcome. This year — May 2025 to August 2026– we are going to do just three days a month for the Open Write. …
A Decade of Writing, Teaching, and Community: Reflecting on Ten Years of Ethical ELA
In early May 2015, I started this blog as a way to document my teaching experiences after earning my doctorate. Unlike many who pursue a PhD and then transition into academia, I made the deliberate decision to stay in the classroom as a junior high …
A Poem for You: Unconstitutional by Stacey L. Joy
“Unconstitutional” by Stacey L. Joy is offered to educators and students as an open resource — free to share and print through Just YA on Open OkState. We invite you to read this poem and listen to the interview (including a reading and discussion about …
A Poem for You: Moonscape by Zetta Elliott
“Moonscape” by Zetta Elliott is offered to educators and students as an open resource — free to share and print through Just YA on Open OkState. We invite you to read this poem and listen to the interview (including a reading and discussion about the …
Rethinking Grammar Instruction: From Rule-Based Learning to Rhetorical Empowerment
Rethinking Grammar Instruction: From Rule-Based Learning to Rhetorical Empowerment by Sarah J. Donovan A Story of Two Classrooms In one classroom, students sit in rows, filling out grammar worksheets on subject-verb agreement, disconnected from the creative energy of their writing. The teacher, driven by district …
Six Ways of Poetry
What if words could heal? Poetry has the power to reach into our hearts, untangle our toughest moments, and turn them into something lighter, something shared. In classrooms, it does even more: it builds community, fosters vulnerability, and creates spaces where teachers and students can …
Everyone Has a Story to Tell
Our Host Denise Neal is currently the principal at Our Lady of the Way RC School in Belize. She has been in the education field for 29 years at the primary level and continues to do adjunct lecturing at the University of Belize from 2014 …
Let’s Community at NCTE ’24 in Boston
Join Me at the NCTE 2024 Annual Convention! 
I’m thrilled to announce my upcoming speaking engagements at the NCTE 2024 Annual Convention! This year, I’ll be sharing insights and exploring themes of hope, healing, and humanizing educational practices through various sessions. Whether you’re passionate …