How I became a rock star Rugmini says I have been here before. In a previous lifetime. She said it the first day when I told her the heat felt good after the coolness of our Indiana springtime. The next morning at breakfast, she repeated her observation, saying that I am adapting too well to…

A runaway mule team that nearly mows down two women? A quarrel between two sisters who claim to be pacifists? A public argument between a female Northerner and a male Confederate sympathizer? For several months, I debated about the best narrative hook for my novel based on the true diary of my Quaker ancestor who…

My Indiana Writing Project colleague Kathy and I are pushing for a change. From all teachers! With all the hoopla about the science of reading, by now, most teachers and administrators know that using explicit instruction is required for successful ELA skill development. In addition to reading with purposeful mini lessons, writing frequently with explicit…

The single-lane gravel drive through the line of trees gave a shady respite to the heat of the June day.  We snaked the car up the hill. According to the ochre-colored map, we had turned off old US 40 in the right place, but there wasn’t a tombstone in sight. In fact, as our tires…

With inspiration from my new young friend Today is Vishu, the Malayalam New Year. Yesterday, the streets of Palakkad, Kerala, India, were filled with newly constructed vendor stands selling fruits and vegetables for offerings to the gods and special meals. They were also crowded with people, budding entrepreneurs and consumers eager to make their last-minute…

It was nothing remarkable that I did. Nothing that I especially deserved. It just happened. That’s how my 3xs great aunt’s diary has become a novel. Over fifteen years ago, while visiting my parents one Sunday afternoon, I suddenly remembered that my mom had an old diary from her dad’s family that I’d heard about…

Reviving my Quaker roots “What’s all that dead time during your church service?” my soon-to-be-husband wanted to know. He had managed to slip out after his early morning Methodist service to sit with me during my Quaker meeting for worship.  As a birthright member of The Religious Society of Friends, I knew we had some…

Maybe more than you think! It happened again.  And what a powerful lesson our personalities hold! Every year when introducing my students to the elements of rhetoric, I use the Myers-Briggs Personality Test to make a much larger point, one I hope stays with them for the rest of their lives. About ten years ago…

A pandemic accomplishment to be proud of The school year always ends on a hectic, almost frantic note for me as I rush around with last-minute tasks. By the time the first day of summer vacation arrives, I revert to being a kid:  I want to toss my spelling book into the campfire, stay up…

Helping student writers create their own primary research Are you smart enough to spell these words?  Which Disney princess are you? Are you an official bookworm?  Which flower matches your personality?  Quizzes, questionnaires, and surveys are all the rage for the over-thirty crowd on Facebook. Taking surveys can be loads of fun. Who doesn’t want…