I have talked before about how Brett Vogelsinger’s work with finding ways to bring more poetry in the language arts classroom and use poetry beyond the classic poetry explications or once-or-twice-a-year freewrites has been transformational to my practice. This last week, Vogelsinger’s long-anticipated (at least for me) book Poetry Pauses was released, and I am…
Writing teachers have never had it easy. Pick any era and dig into its literature around writing instruction and it won’t take long before you find those who teach composition bemoaning how Herculean their task is. My favorite historical example (which I also begin Flash Feedback with) was when Dr. Edwin M. Hopkins asked the…
The largest tree in the world is the sequoia redwood, coming in at upwards of 2,600,000 pounds and heights taller than a football field. It follows that a tree that big must have an enormous root system to stay upright, especially in the face of the earthquakes, forest fires, and atmospheric rivers of California, right?…
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None of us can do it alone. We rely on the expertise of each other to be our best selves. This is the promise of professional development at its best. As a practicing teacher and experienced leader of professional development, I blend teaching theory and research with the practical to help teachers to teach writing better and faster.
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Matt has written several books and articles about teaching. He has also been featured on various podcasts.
Matthew M. Johnson 