March 2017's Online Professional Development Opportunities

I can't believe that March has started. Where I'm at, this means spring break, standardized tests, and starting to think about the second-half of the semester. It also presents a great time to take part in some professional development to refine skills and ideas or to learn (and try!) new ones.

February 2017's Online Professional Development Opportunities

With everything that is going on in the country and the world, it can be a little hard to focus on other things. However, I've found that, at times like these, it can be comforting to to find things that you can do that are proactive and that can help improve the future. I've been telling my students that, as future teachers, they have a unique opportunity and responsibility to help bring about change. In order to do this, it is vital to keep learning new techniques in teaching. So, without further ado, here are some very promising (and free!) online professional development opportunities for this month.

Getting Back in the Swing of Things

Hello, and a belated happy new year (such as it is)! I have to admit, I've had a very difficult time finding my groove this semester, particularly when it comes to writing and blogging. Besides being very busy, the news has been disturbing and distracting (to put it very mildly). However, I'm determined to press forward. In the upcoming months, here are a few things I'm planning:

• Each weekday on Twitter, I'm featuring a book using the hashtag #bookaday. These will range from picture books to YAL to PD books to trade books. Some of these books will be new, some will be relatively new, and some will be old favorites of mine. All will be ones that I think are worth noting.
• By the end of this week or beginning of next week, I'll resume the online professional development posts.
• I also hope to do a book roundup or book review each month. If you have any requests or thoughts, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Day 1 of #NCTE16: Honesty, Hope, & Renewal

Hi, friends. I'm sorry for the lack of updates. I always start the school year with the best of intentions, and then the semester starts and undermines these intentions. Someday I'll figure out the school-writing-life balance. Additionally, the news of late has made it hard to write.

However, I am writing this from my hotel room in Atlanta, where I am for the 2016 NCTE Annual Convention. While I had a hard time to muster up my usual enthusiasm for the conference this year, today's events reaffirmed the importance of having organizations like NCTE. Today, I had the chance to see Shakespeare's First Folio and participate in a workshop led by some excellent scholar-teachers from the Folger Shakespeare Library. I heard Doug Hesse's moving and powerful speech regarding the importance of teaching writing and critical thinking during a time when these things might seem optional (or even unnecessary) rather than fundamental. I got to see Maureen Downey interview Diane Ravitch regarding the state of education and the possible changes that might be coming under the new administration in a way that was both honest and hopeful.

Banned Books Week 2016

Today is the start of Banned Books Week for 2016, and as I've written in 2014 and 2015, it is a week and a topic that is near and dear to my heart. This year's topic, which is spotlighting diversity, is especially timely and relevant. Research indicates that minority authors are often victims of having their books banned or challenged. Additionally, the books that are most likely to be banned are books that focus on some type of diversity. Although this isn't surprising, it is disheartening, since recent events as well as many of the close-minded sentiments that are said in this country and in the world illustrate the importance of reading books from diverse perspectives and about people who are different from us. While I wish that this focus wasn't needed, I'm thrilled that this year's Banned Books Week emphasizes it, and I hope that it helps continue the dialogue about diversity in books.

Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association

YA Book Review: Ghosts

When I found out that Raina Telgemeier had a new book coming out this fall, I immediately added it to my wishlist. I always enjoy her work (as a former backstage theatre nerd, Drama rings particularly true to me), and I admire her ability to deal with topics in a way that is age appropriate and realistic. This ability comes to the forefront in Ghosts, her latest book, as she addresses themes of illness and death with compassion and sensitivity while tempering the seriousness of the issues with humor.

August's and September's Online Professional Development Opportunities

Despite my best intentions, class prep and beginning-of-the-semester meetings got in the way of posting this month. However, before the month is out, I wanted to do a quick round-up of the upcoming professional development opportunities that August and September still have in store!