Making Baskets

    I've got a piece in today's Fort Collins Coloradoan on fear and writing and basketball.  The best part is that my students were a big piece of this column -- I basically gave myself their first writing assignment and was able to model for them what I wanted them to do -- take an experience from their lives and relate it to writing -- while getting their feedback and participation in my process.  Real life workshopping in action.
    Some days, all the bits of the universe line up -- those are the best teaching days.

Comments

[Theresa Gray]

Great article! I just finished a two-day workshop with teachers on the 6 + 1 Traits and one of the things we talked about was teachers taking risks by sharing writing with their students. Big surprise - not too many teachers actually write WITH their students!! I plan to share this article when risk-taking comes up again - thanks!

[Brad Jolly]

Your piece was interesting, Bud.

It will be interesting to see how the district reacts to your charge that many students who have "never had a successful experience with words and ideas" have somehow been promoted to high school regardless.

I continue to be amazed that students are promoted to and through high school with major deficiencies in basic, essential skills.

On another note, did you see the 2006 ACT math score for OCHS? Yikes!