Twitter

   Every teacher should get on twitter.  There's a lot of reasons why this is true, but I'm going to retell a story that happened in my class this year.  It involved the following:


COMMUNICATING WITH AN AUTHOR WERE READING ABOUT HOW HER BOOK CHANGED MY STUDENTS' LIVES.
                             

Speak Loudly--Update

 
   We're also reading Speak.  I think a lot of us are finding it a very powerful experience.  I know the poem "Listen" brought some emotions to the class that are pretty special.  It's an important book, I think many of us realize that.

   And then those two things, social media and literature combined.  I tweeted the following today: 

@halseanderson I teach Speak to a class of all boys. Your poem "Listen" was extremely emotional and eye opening for them today. Thank you.

  I was communicating directly to an author.  Thanking her for her work.  Thanking her for creating art that changed my student's lives.  Amazing.

   Better: she wrote back.

@MrFlynnWave Thank you for sharing that with me!

 Unreal...

I am so moved by this experience as an educator and a life-long learner right now, I hardly know how to express it.  I guess I just feel so blessed to be working at a time when this is possible.

  It truly is an amazing world out there.  Reading and writing helps us understand it and express it.  Days like today are why I love what I do.

               ....YES THIS HAPPENED.  

                                      ...THAT IS ALL.