Testing Proctor

After reading word-for-word the assessment instructions,
I stated, “You may begin” and leaned against the window sill.
The ten 8th graders in my small-group setting
hoovered over their iPad or laptop
answering questions related to writing.

Every few minutes, I took a walk around the room,
noticing students’ progress
beelining it when I spied a raised hand.

After just 10 minutes, S raised his hand
and stated he was done.
What?? What’s the rush? I thought to myself.
Why can’t kids give this assessment their best try?
Instead R just click-click-click. Done:(

After 40 minutes, B raised her hand.
Once she submitted, I offered her three choices:
– draw, sleep, or read –
“I’ll read,” she responded as she pulled a book out of the hide-away desk space.
It was SHURI by Nic Stone
“Oh, did you get to meet the author?”, I whispered.
“Yep”, she replied. “She signed my arm!”

As B opened the fantasy novel by Nic Stone,
the one during the assembly where Nic commented,
“I had a lovely time during Covid.
I sat in my house and wrote Shuri,
It’s a book in a fantacy land where there is NO Covid!”

I smiled because, despite the state testing,
one child was going to spend a chunk of time now
enjoying a fantacy book by a New York Times best selling author.

Being a testing proctor isn’t all bad.

Literacy Life

As the head of the ELA department, I suggest to my middle school ELA teachers to post what they are reading. Because literacy includes reading, writing, listening and speaking, I started posting it like this (after seeing a similar chart on twitter by @tenilleshade):

All last year, I kept this chart going. Somewhere between the beginning of this school year and now, I’ve lapsed. This March, I will get back into this documentation of my Literacy Life. Mostly, because I want to reord that I wrote 31 times to my blog this month!! Also, my niece just started working for NPRs On Point, and I’ve started to listen to this smart reporting. I can add the movie I viewed as I flew to Amsterdam – The Woman King (WOW!) and I can post about the meetings I faciliate for speaking.

And thanks to Nic Stone, I will add Fast Pitch and Chaos Theory to the books I read this month. During my Friday’s 7th grade reading class, I read-aloud the final 3 chapters and we all enjoyed the ending! Then Saturday afternoon, I sat and read from cover to cover Chaos Theory, her newest. Nic mentioned during our assembly that the publisher like the diaolog when she pitched this book years ago, her first book to write. Yet, they didn’t think the content was right at that time. So she quickly pitched Dear Martin. They liked it and it became her first published book. Yesterday, I was hooked by the dialogue and the frequent back and worth text messages between to two main characters, both dealing with different mental illnesses. This is book I needed to read as I continue to understand the chemicals that flow through our brains and cause all to feel and act and react in certain ways.

How do you document your literacy life?
What have you read, written, viewed, listened to or spoken about recently?

NOTE: HERE is a template you could use

Nic Stone @DHMS

In my rush to organize the author visit, I didn’t have my notebook with me, only took a few photos and took no notes. Here’s a few things sticking with me from an amazing hour spent in my middle school auditorium filled with 350 students and the New York Times Best Selling Author of 13 books, Nic Stone:

• I love being a writer. I get paid to make up stories. A typical day is taking my boys to school and then coming back home, sitting in the corner of my sectional sofa and writing. Sometimes I go to the coffee shop to work. It is a great place to people watch and get ideas. I love that I get paid to write made-up stories!
• All you need to write is two words – What if…..
• This is my favorite tatoo. It is the arrest numbers of people I admire that got into good trouble – Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, ….I need to add John Lewis.
• At first I went to GA Tech for college but then I transfered to Spelman. It’s where my mom went which is why I didn’t go there first. Do you ever not do what your parents did simply because they did it?! I recommend attending an HBCU or even just taking a class at one. It will change you!
• My favorite color is orange. It is the combination of passion (red) and happiness (yellow).

Special thanks to the six fast pitch softball players who let me volunteer them to introduce and interview Nic.
Special thanks to Politics and Prose Bookstore for arranging this visit.

If you haven’t yet, read ALL of Nic Stone’s books!!!

PS – Happy St. Patrick’s Day – today at 5pm (EST), Fran McCrackin and I are hosting a Slicer Workshop.
Email Fran for the zoom link –

3/17

5pm

Fran McCrackinfran.mccrackin@gmail.com

Sally Donnelly

#StrongWomen

Ruth – Aden – Nic – Dhonielle – Ashley

Yesterday these five strong women inspired me!

#Marchiswomensmonth

Questions these five have me thinking about:

• What am I doing to keep RBG’s spirit alive? Somehow seeing my grandbaby wearing this onsie I purchaced at The Outrage gives me great hope!
• Attending the evening book event that brought Nic Stone to town (and then is able to visit MY SCHOO this morning) gave me great hope! She was interviewed by two authors, Dhonielle Clayton, the founder of #Weneeddiverse books, and Ashley Woodfolk, wearing a t-shirt, We Need More Thinkiers, to promote an organization that I’ll be donating to. I recommend reading ALL books by these three authenic, honest, amazing black authors.

Which women inspire you today, this month, always?!!

PS – More about Nic Stone tomorrow
PSS – I’m co-hosting a Slicer Workshop with Fran McCrackin on Friday
(St. Patrick’s Day at 5pm – Wear green and come join us to chat about writing)

“She’s looking for a school to visit.”

“Sally, I just got an email. Nic Stone will be in the area for an event in March and also wants to visit a school. Would you be interested in hosting her?” the book seller at my local independent bookstore asked.

I was visiting the bookstore on the day they announced the ALA book awards, naturally with a list in hand to purchase a few of the award winning books. I could not believe my ears. “Really? Nic Stone! Yes! When?” was my minimal, starstruck reply.

After jotting down the particulars and then the next day at school getting my administration’s approval, the date of the event was set – March 16th at 10am. An event to promote her newly released paperback novel, Fast Pitch.

Over the past few weeks, posters have been hung. The six fast pitch softball player/students are set to introduce her and ask her questions.Two welcome signs are hung. Some research about the Negro Baseball Leaugue has been completed. A parking space is reserved and a stack of preordered books await her autograph.

#AuthorsAreRockStars