Those who know me, know that I get anxious when people are sick. I even get anxious at the thought of getting sick myself. So, when all of the news starting coming out about the virus a couple of months ago, I found my anxiety spiking. This is my worst nightmare. An unknown virus, that …
Author Archives: edwardsabby
Observational Poetry
Currently, North Carolina has a stay-at-home order that is effective for 30 days. Sometimes, it’s hard to find joy and inspiration when all you’re surrounded with is bad news. I am fortunate in that there is a back patio and a yard for me to sit on where I am staying. Today, it was gloomy, …
* Poetry Reflection *
My Own Personal Feelings Reading Poetry When in school, I resented poetry. There, I said it. I did not enjoy poetry. In school, poetry was always linked to comprehension questions. I also distinctly remember feeling like the questions were trick questions. The poems the questions addressed always had some hidden meaning that I could never …
Engaging Children in Writing
I’ve enjoyed reading Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal, so much so that I have finished the book in its entirety already. Rosenthal’s entries in the book are short and witty, making it an easy and delightful read. Some of my favorite spreads/pages are pictured below: Rosenthal’s book showed me that anything can be a journal entry. …
Jump Starting Writer’s Notebooks
I’m continuing to discover the power of mentor texts and how they can help students in the classroom. This week, I read Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall. Using this book, I worked with some peers to create a short lesson that aids students in identifying writing topics. We focussed on hand maps. For this activity, …
Where I’m From Poems
Continuing with the theme of identity, are “Where I’m From Poems”. These poems are personalized by the writer, who identifies events, places, people, etc. who have had an impact on who they are. Lots of people choose to write about how they grew up. For example, their environment, favorite foods, and other things such as …
Identity and Self Recognition
In the book Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal, I’ve noticed that a lot of her entries are about her identity. The book opens with sentence starters such as: People say….. I’m trying to…… Please do not ask me to….. I loved this idea and toyed with it in my own writer’s notebook. I focused on the …
Writer’s Notebooks & Serendipity
I started keeping a journal on January 1st, 2019. It was my New Year’s resolution to document my thoughts and feelings on a regular basis. I had no strict rule- such as writing in it every day. I didn’t even make myself stick to a schedule of writing in it at a certain time. I …
“George” by Alex Gino
Alex Gino’s book, George, opened my eyes to how much we, as people, assume gender through our use of certain words. This book brought many words, that I even use with my students, to my attention. For some time, I have never thought to realize how these words might negatively affect another person. For example, …
Kid Activists
This past week, I read Amal Unbound, by Aisha Saeed, and Iqbal, A Brave Boy From Pakistan / Malala, A Brave Girl From Pakistan, by Jeanette Winter. First off, Amal Unbound was awesome!!!! I loved the story and the theme about the importance of sticking up for yourself and pushing back against injustice. I admired …
Children's Literature Blog 