New Challenges Are New Opportunities

Earlier this week I blogged about our classroom community. I'm not only the leader: I am also a member.
So as a member, I am also learning. My learning is different from my students' learning in many ways, but in some it is the same. Don't we learn the same lessons? Here are some lessons I've learned these past few days:

• Read all you can. You never know when you'll have the opportunity to talk about what you read.
• If you accomplish something you're really proud of, it was more than likely very tough to do.
• Be strong!
• Ask questions. They lead to learning you didn't expect.
• Listen to the people around you. You'll discover good things about them you never knew!

When I face a challenge, I sometimes wonder: have my students ever faced something similar? Do they experience the same frustrations, successes, and questions?  Yes! This realization inevitably helps me be more aware of my students' needs.  That makes me a better teacher.

Now, here is a great book I finished this week:

FIG PUDDING by Ralph Fletcher

This isn't a new release by any means. It's been out since 1995. But I'd heard about it on Twitter, and I already knew Ralph Fletcher as a great writing teacher. So I figured any fiction he wrote would be excellent. I was right. Fig Pudding is the story of a boy named Cliff and his large family. We get a glimpse into their daily lives---funny, chaotic, filled with normal family events.  But it turns into something so much more. It was a rich book, and I think every writing teacher should read it.

I also recommend Ralph Fletcher's books on writing, particularly Writer's Notebook:Unlocking the Writer Within You.