Whatever happened to discussions that center around deeper understanding? Whatever happened to listening as a valued skill? Whatever happened to … More
Author: janellebence
First Week Project: Not Your Ordinary Start to the School Year
We all remember the first days of school. Seeing familiar faces. Meeting new teachers and students. Learning names. Getting lost … More
The First Three Days of School MATTER
It’s a rush of excitement and anticipation at the beginning of the school year. Parents, teachers, administrators, and students have … More
Reading, a Timeless Delight
Is there anything better or more promising than beginning a new book, the endless potential of falling in love with … More
Gratitude, A Place I Call Home
I am an eternal optimist despite my tendency to worry about the worst case scenario. I was recently asked in … More
Apple Camp of My Eye
One of the many joys of summer is being able to spend time with your kid. One of the stresses … More
I Don’t Know and That’s Okay
And I don’t know how, but I want to know… How many of you have said this? Learned this? Lived … More
It’s Not that I Haven’t been Writing…
I promise I’ve been writing. I have been negligent in adding my ponderings here, but here I go. If you … More
How to Engage Young Writers: Be Diverse. Be Authentic. Be Responsive.
(Please see original post of this article at Education Week Teacher.) It would be much more convenient if what worked … More
The Benefits of Sharing Student Work in Online Spaces
Please see my latest blog post for KQED EdSpace: Public education has long been scrutinized for how it is serving … More
Persistent Pondering 