by Erica Johnson 2015 was the year I was first introduced to the National Writing Project. That summer I participated in a two week program with the Little Rock Writing Project, focused on helping teachers support their student writers. In working on this blog, I …
by Ashley Valencia-Pate Partner–a word I cherish and center my teaching style around. In the past eight years, I have learned the most successful relationships I have with my students centers on becoming partners. As the teacher in the room, I have to enter my …
Jessica has been a special educator in Arkansas for 15 years. A newly published author, she is employed at a school district in Morrilton, Arkansas. I stumbled upon a poem that has now become a favorite of mine. My daughter, who was in 5th grade …
by Kim Johnson Hello, readers! I’m thrilled you’re reading the EthicalELA blog today, and I’m honored to have an opportunity to share a little about myself and my EthicalELA journey with you. Allow me to introduce myself using a Hashtag Acrostic with the letters in …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
From Then to Now: How ELA Teaching Has Evolved to Center Students’ Voices and Experiences by Jolie Hicks Jolie Hicks, Ph.D., is a Teaching Assistant Professor of Secondary Education at Oklahoma State University, where she focuses on mentoring future teachers. The COVID-19 pandemic opened our …