Great Links

Click through links that were selected to peak your interest. You might also try some of the special topics links within each one of the blog posts on this site. Today's topic is storytelling. You probably noticed as a follower of this site that I am highly interested in digital storytelling. See E-Folklore at  http://efolklore.blogspot.com/. Of course, when you teach using digital stories, you bring in sights, sounds, and shapes in addition to the text. The storyteller blends what is inside the head with what is outside the head in your creation of their story. Sometimes students get carried away with personal details that need to be vetted before any public showing is done. Learning what is and what is not acceptable in school culture can be a great learning experience. Teachers must be vigilant to be part of the entire process so stories are a valuable learning experience and not something that students regret at the time or in later years.
Many domains support storytelling and it has become a very popular cultural phenomenon. StoryCorps http://storycorps.net/ is in partnership with National Public Radio in the USA. They encourage people to interview loved ones and other people of interest. The recordings are then put on compact disk and archived in the Library of Congress. The advantage here is that you can preview other examples of recordings and learn about the genre of this type of storytelling. 
Another site that had proved valued is Story Arts Online http://www.storyarts.org.
Lesson plans and activities for classroom, library, and outreach are provided on this site as an education resource. The significance of storytelling in curriculum is explored. 
This site includes lesson plans and activities for using storytelling in the classroom, a story library, articles about the importance and significance of storytelling as an educational tool, as well as a curriculum ideas exchange to share new ideas. Learn about upcoming storytelling events on this site, too. 
Another site is the International Storytelling Center http://www.storytellingfoundation.net. Here you will find information about festivals and resources for storytelling. The site shows how lively the art of digital storytelling has become. 
I hope you enjoy exploring these resources and begin to tell your own stories in the process. - K. Smith

Teacher/Author Lifestyle

Each year the Manitoba Association of Teachers of English (MATE) selects a teacher candidate (one who is in the final year of their certification program) who shows potential as a teacher who will also continue to be an author, as they teach. This tradition began during 2004-2005 when I was President of MATE and Sheldon Oberman, the embodiment of teacher/author, had passed away suddenly. In his honour we established this prize.

A teacher/author may appear to be a difficult lifestyle choice since there are demands on teachers beyond school hours and demands on authors beyond writing their books. If you choose this lifestyle, you do not have to look hard to find shining examples of those who are successful teacher/authors. I have been offered suggestions by several teacher/authors on how to balance one's life in making this lifestyle choice:

1. Teach part time/write part time and it will all add up to a full-time lifestyle. The un-named source of this comment says that the money may not be great until you have earned writing success, but your satisfaction level will likely be much higher than if you had to choose only one.
2. Be a model teacher. Ignore the notion of George Bernard Shaw, "He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches." and realize the fresh advice you have for your ELA students who themselves may be budding authors. It is difficult to provide this author-type advice if you have not participated in the publishing game.
3. Decide on distribution. I derive this advice from my own past experience in the music industry. Early on before I began to teach, I played piano at the Holiday Inn. One day, I was offered a contract to go on the road.  I had to decide if I wanted to go on the road and live out of a suitcase or if I wanted to sing locally. My decision was to stay here and enjoy music where I lived. Translating that to writing? Yes, you can decide to write for newsletters and other local venues of writing distribution. It might be nice to think you will become a writer as popular as J.K. Rowling or Steven King but if you really love writing, and I hope you do, then it is a great decision to just enjoy writing and not worry about the fame and headaches that might come with that. Writers clubs will support your writing ambitions at the local level. Another way to enjoy writing may be to start your own blog. Find your own preferred level of enjoyment by experimentation with the teacher/author lifestyle.

Three Big Cover Letter Problems

When you are applying for a job, you might think that the resume is what gets you to the interview stage. Most managers note that the cover letter is what gets the interview long before the resume is even read. Cover letters are discarded for three main reasons:

1. The applicant did not apply for the job in the first paragraph. Instead they used tag lines and did some self promotion. Use the Knock'em Dead series to find the best introduction to your letter.These books feature letters of applicants that actually got jobs. Do your homework and find out, through networking, what the school/division is looking for.

2. The applicant made a spelling or grammatical error. A spelling or grammatical error in the first twenty words will immediately present you as someone who does not have an eye for detail. Cover letter readers begin by looking for errors. Be sure to err on the side of traditional editing, too. For example, if you use a series of three, place commas between the first, the second, and the third items. The extra comma is acceptable. Invite friends to edit your letter but be the final editor.

3. The applicant did not know how to address and sign off the business letter. I have hired many people over the years and it is a surprise that the business letter is an often overlooked format. Take time to learn the structure, learn the title of the persons in the letter and use Mr./Dr./Ms. as appropriate. Use a colon not a comma after the address (e.g., Dear Mr. Canada:). Signing off using "Sincerely yours," is appropriate. Study the shape of the business letter and do not simply duplicate a generic letter format readily available on the Internet or in books. Instead, study the business letters of those who are already in the business where you want a career. Context is everything.

Job Application Hints

It is spring and it is job application time. New teachers and those who want a change are grinding out cover letters and resumes in the hope of acquiring the best job possible. Whether you are a teacher or not, here are some practical hints to focus your application process:

1. Read job descriptions carefully. Do a close reading. It takes time to make the ads for jobs. Some ads are carefully constructed to weed out particular weaknesses and/or attract certain qualifications. Imagine yourself preparing the ad to visualize the stance of the hiring committee.
2. Address one by one, each qualification asked for in a particular job description (e.g., newspaper ad) in your cover letter. Demonstrate how your own qualifications fit each qualification that is advertised. Careful reading of the ad helps you, too.  (a) It will help you to be more discerning about the place where you want to work, (b) It provides a guideline of what to say as you prepare for a possible interview.
3. Take the attitude of a winner into your interview. Getting an interview is an accomplishment. You might not get this job, but if you interviewed well then you have networked with a committee that might decide you are best suited for another position.
4. Aim for a good interview. Perhaps the person who finally gets the job is internal, next the hiring committee considers you to fill the position left vacant. Second prize is often the result of a good interview. 
5. Be positive. A teaching certificate opens many doors beyond public school teaching. You will get a job if you groom your application skills and persist.

Poetry Month

Yes, April is poetry month! Of course, you never need to wait until April to focus on poetry but having a month that is shared by other ELA teachers and students provides a great time to engage with other classes in your city, province, country, or internationally. Broaden your poetry audience by reading your poems to other classes via Skype or YouTube. Create a Ning of poetry lovers. Start a poetry cafe at noon or recess. Since it is April, you can even hold these outside in the spring air, a great atmosphere for poetic inspiration.
I found, in my own teaching, middle-school students wrote some wonderful poems. I was particularly inspired by student poems: (1) Ode to a Soccer Ball (by Jeff) and (2) Spring's First Worm (by Wenda). Their poetry came from the things that inspired them to think about energy and beauty.
Teaching ideas for poetry month abound. Take a look at the links on the side of this blog for your own inspiration. Also, here are some additional lesson plan ideas (click to download):

“Portals Into Poetry: Using Generative Writing Groups to Facilitate Student Engagement With Word Art” by Linda Young

“The Poetry Café Is Open! Teaching Literary Devices of Sound in Poetry Writing” by Beth Kovalcik and Janine L. Certo 

“Alliteration All Around,” a lesson plan by Rebecca Olien

  

“All About Alliteration: Responding to Literature Through a Poetry Link,” a lesson plan by Lisa Cranston

“Poetry: A Feast to Form Fluent Readers,” a lesson plan by Sheila K. Seitz

Time Management and the Fear of Not Having Enough Time

Many new English Language Arts teachers worry about not having enough time to prepare, read, write, and mark. Yet, it comes as no surprise that many long-term ELA teachers are good time managers.  Furthermore, ELA teachers that publish, are exceptional time managers. Finding a good mentor for time management can be very rewarding.

It is difficult to find time when there appears to be so little. How do some people manage to expand  time to fit in family, friends, leisure, and work whereas others are simply swamped by work? Why do we use this cliche; "If you want something done, ask a busy person?"

Well, it is easy to continue worrying about not having enough time but easier yet to find a new way of approaching work, different from what you might have been doing. Try this: (1) Watch people that are efficient managers but always seem to get a lot done. Notice what they do to avoid procrastination. Make notes and read these notes when you start to procrastinate; (2) Make a list of everything to do and choose only 2 things that will give you immediate results. Do these 2 things right away to self-motivate; (3) Approach your best hours for work as "focus time"; and (4) Schedule family and friends time, too. You will never feel like you are depriving yourself of family time because you actually scheduled it into your daybook.

We live in a world where time management is an essential skill. Gadgets and technology that appear to save time can sometimes take away our time if not used properly. Re-imagine yourself as a flexible person and good time management will emerge from your quest for freedom from worrying about not having enough time. In a daytimer or handheld, keep track of how much more efficient you are becoming. Having more time through time management is a gift you give yourself. Don't wait until you have no time left.

See Randy Pausch's Lecture on Time Management if you have time. ;-)

Quotes to Inspire

"If one is master of one thing and understands one thing well, one has, at the same time, insight into and understanding of many things." (Vincent Van Gogh). This quote was recently chosen by Kieran Egan who is the Chair of the Imaginative Education Research Group at Simon Fraser University. I found this quote intriguing because we often think of imagination work as the combining of our many ideas to form newness or something that requires imagination. With Van Gogh's concept, we are in constant combining of ideas with the one thing we master. The idea engenders a notion that we could be in a state of constant imaginative work by doing one thing well. We must, as a warning, be thoughtful about the one thing we choose to pursue.
Perhaps you have a quote to share.

What is English Language Arts (ELA)?

At first this might seem to be a simple question to answer; however, when you begin to ask teachers of ELA what they think it is, you will be surprised at the variety of answers. Similar to the teaching of reading and writing itself, everyone has  their own stance. Some of these stances are:
1. The Editor/Technician: Were you already thinking about editing "is" and replacing it with "are"?
2. The Historian: Were you already considering how ELA came about; wondering where you would find such a history?
3. The Genreman/Genrewoman: Were you thinking about how many types of "arts" there are and wondering how many of each could be taught in a school year?
4. The Designer: Were you thinking about how you would start the year off in an engaging way, then build toward an exciting end?
5. The Book Clubber: Were you thinking about what is the most popular book for adolescents?
6: The Diagnostician: Were you wondering about the individuals in your class and at what competency level they each could read or write?
Have you asked yourself the question, What is English Language Arts? Next, consider how your own stance is unique but not necessarily ubiquitous.