Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.
—Jimi Hendrix
Let Summer Be Sacred
I’m standing on the edge of summer with my toes hanging over the edge of a cliff. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt like I have the expanse of summer before me. For many years it has filled up before it has even begun.
Let summer be sacred has been whispering in my mind. I’m not sure where it came from, but it feels like the brush of butterfly wings on my soul. At first it felt like a harsh correction. Then it seemed like a demanding challenge. Now it feels like an exclusive invitation.
Let summer be sacred.
In a world that is too busy and rushes so fast it takes my breath away, I don’t often pause to consider the sacredness of the day. What does sacred mean, anyway? In looking at a variety of definitions, the core seems to be something that is distinct from the ordinary.
I’m thinking about how I want to spend my summer days. I’m imagining small moments that will stack together to make sacred days. I’m holding the days loosely: I don’t want to pump them too full, and at the same time I don’t want them to be empty.
I scribbled this list in my notebook:
- A time to be still
- A time to move
- A time to create
- A time to consume
- A time to cook
- A time to eat
- A time alone
- A time to connect
- A time to give thanks
- A time to remember
- A time to prepare
- A time to tidy
- A time to settle
Some of us have started summer break, and others of us are still wrapping up the last weeks of school. No matter the timing of your summer break, I extend the exclusive invitation to let summer be sacred.
This week we consider ways to garner feedback from students—plus more, as always.
Ruth Ayres
Editor in Chief
Sometimes, in a world that feels divisive and intense, it is hard to sit before a rug full of children and teach the next phoneme sound or math strategy. Becca Burk shares practical strategies for navigating tricky conversations with young children. From books to read, conversation stems, and how to return to academic learning, Becca leads us all in knowing how to steady the room, and then teach.
Melissa Quimby offers structures to help elevate readers’ thinking through book club conversations. You’ll love putting these practical ideas into play in your own classroom—and be awed by the depth of your readers’ understandings.
New members-only content is added each week to the Choice Literacy website. If you’re not yet a member, click here to explore membership options.
Jodie Bailey uncovers the results of her student feedback survey. Jodie shares a simple and meaningful way to receive feedback from students and use it to affirm and grow your instructional practices.
A lot of talk and communication goes into building a classroom community that runs smoothly. Bitsy Parks shares these kinds of conversations to give a foundation for confidence and skills that contribute to successful learning and collaboration.
Gretchen Schroeder shares her big takeaways from reading Inspiring Dialogue. Now more than ever, we need to help students express themselves and claim their voices, because the classroom is one of the last places where we can engage in dialogue about big questions with those who might not share our beliefs.
New members-only content is added each week to the Choice Literacy website. If you’re not yet a member, click here to explore membership options.
Suzy Kaback thoughtfully reflects on how to introduce teacher candidates to high-quality instructional materials. In this third article in a series, she shares ways to rehearse the lessons before sharing them with students.
Heather Fisher is candid about her hesitation in embarking on a new literacy curriculum, as well as her commitment to continue living into her core values. She inspires all of us to lead with integrity by holding on to moments of self-reflection.
Quote It:
Listening is being able to be changed by the other person.
—Alan Alda
That’s all for this week!
