Choice Lit Topic: Big Fresh Archives
Here is where you can find all the Big Fresh enewsletters from the past six years archived, with the most recent issues on top. If you haven’t already, sign up for the Big Fresh! It’s been the go-to resource for tens of thousands of teachers around the globe for over 12 years. We never send subscribers anything but the weekly newsletter, and we absolutely never share your email address with anyone else.
Results
June 16, 2023: Independence in Writers
Be infinitely flexible and constantly amazed. —Jason Kravitz The Tension of Holding Space I’ve been trying to become more flexible. Every morning for more than three months, I’ve been stretching...
June 9, 2023: Graphic Novels
I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way—things I had no words for. —Georgia O’Keeffe The Magic of Image Last week...
June 2, 2023: Uplifting Student Voices
Life is not for the faint of heart. —Natasha Lyonne Commencement My son Jordan graduated high school last week. I was invited to present him his diploma because of my...
May 26, 2023: Extending Empathy
I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance...
May 19, 2023: Celebrations
Let’s Connect For those of you who don’t know, my husband and I have adopted four children. Our youngest was with us first, being adopted at birth in 2006. Then...
May 12, 2023: Opinion Writing
When in doubt, overdress. —Vivienne Westwood Plenty of Time? My son Jordan is a senior, and on the Wednesday before prom he received a manila envelope in the mail. “What’s...
May 5, 2023: Our Youngest Readers
I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better. —Maya Angelou The Many Nuances of Learning For those of you who don’t...
April 28, 2023: Family Connections
Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts. —Nikki Giovanni An Apology and Thoughts About Mistakes First, I want to offer an apology...
April 21, 2023: Slow Down and Listen
A lot of people are so used to just seeing the outcome of the work. They never see the side of the work you go through to produce the outcome....
April 14, 2023: The Beauty and Brilliance of Students
Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. —Howard Thurman I...
March 24, 2023: Poetry
Poetry is the mother-tongue of the human race. —Johann Georg Hamann The Color of the Sky I answered the phone and Jordan, my senior-in-high-school son, said, “Mom! Look outside. You...
March 17, 2023: Strengthening Turn-and-Talk
There’s a thin line between mockery and endorsement. —Dawn Foster Turn and Talk I once sat in a staff meeting where the principal used a turn-and-talk video as an opener....
March 10, 2023: Students as Teachers
I wouldn’t say anything is impossible. I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and put the work and time into it. —Michael...
March 3, 2023: Nobody Wants to Write
Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit. —Vince Lombardi Nobody Wants to Write “What do you do when kids won’t write?” This was asked by a teacher who...
February 24, 2023: Do Hard Things
In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. —Mary Poppins Wisdom and Whimsy Four portraits hang in my office: Walt Disney, Harry Houdini, Helen Keller,...
February 17, 2023: Literacy Toolkits and Meaningful Lessons
Facts can be helpful, but rarely are they soulful. —Bob Goff Soulful In my opening keynote for CCIRA, one of the statistics I shared is that on average human knowledge...
February 10, 2023: Rural Education
It’s our roots that really give us our identity. —Rosalia Deep Roots of Rural Life Recently I was working with a group of middle school writers and found myself drawing...
February 3, 2023: Informational Writing
Write what you know. —Mark Twain Everyone Writes Nonfiction I have a soft spot for nonfiction writers. My reading life has a steady diet of nonfiction, and I am addicted...
January 27, 2023: Powerful and Fun(!) Assessment
It’s kind of fun to do the impossible. —Walt Disney Powerful and Fun(!) Assessment Hands up if you’ve ever been to a data meeting. Unless you retired from teaching while...
January 20, 2023: Story Elements and Author Studies
Purr more; hiss less. —Linda C. Marchman Skin a Cat? “There’s more than one way to skin a cat! That’s what he said to me! Can you believe it? I’m...
January 13, 2023: Novels in Verse, Book Clubs, and More
In a turbulent world, there’s another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn. —Adam Grant The Ability to Rethink On Fridays I take...
