a person holding a shellfish

Hermit Crab Poem

This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We gather every month and daily in April — no sign-ups, no fees, no commitments. Come and go as you please. All that …

worms eyeview of green trees

Start With a Single Word

This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We gather every month and daily in April — no sign-ups, no fees, no commitments. Come and go as you please. All that …

clear light bulb planter on gray rock

Neurodivergence and Disclosure as Ethic of Care

by Alisha M. White, Western Illinois University Who Am I  I am a teacher educator at Western Illinois University focusing on literature and reading pedagogy as well as language diversity, young adult literature, and multimedia texts. Before graduate school, I taught secondary English for students …

people giving high fives

Ten Thoughts for Teaching Tough Kids

by Gayle Sands 1.“Always leave a man a horse to ride out on.”   I got this advice from my principal on my first assignment. It has served me well. When dealing with a student issue, it is important to leave them some dignity to walk …

chickadee resting on someone s hand on a wintery day

A Moment in Nature

This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We gather every month and daily in April — no sign-ups, no fees, no commitments. Come and go as you please. All that …

silhouette of mountains

What I Knew

This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We gather every month and daily in April — no sign-ups, no fees, no commitments. Come and go as you please. All that …

photo of hand loom

Memory Threads

This is the Open Write, a place for educators to nurture their writing lives and to advocate for writing poetry in community. We gather every month and daily in April — no sign-ups, no fees, no commitments. Come and go as you please. All that …

photo of a pupils sitting in a classroom with raised hands

Engaging Students in the Reading/Writing Classroom

Engaging Students in the Reading/Writing Classroom by Barb Edler Hello, readers. I am a retired public school Language Arts/Composition teacher from Iowa. Currently, I am an online writing tutor for Kirkwood Community College. My teaching instruction has been greatly influenced by the Iowa Writing Project, …

plane landing on runway

One Year to Live Differently: My Sabbatical Begins

I’m taking a one-year sabbatical. Not because I’m burned out or finished with my work, but because I want to return to it differently. With more clarity. More presence. More capacity for joy, for partnership, and for being in the world beyond my inbox. This …

kids playing with teacher in the classroom

What I Know to be True: Indulgence

What I Know to be True: Indulgence by Joanne L. Emery I’m not sure it’s because I’ve been teaching for forty-six years or that I’ve been at my present school for twenty-one years, or that I will be just one year short of seventy in …