Today’s assignment at Teachers Write! was to write for two minutes describing a very specific place. I thought about a number of places I might want to write about, but got busy with my day without making a decision. (Or writing anything, for that matter!) Then, on my way home, I heard a story on NPR that gave me my writing topic for today.

I love NPR’s quirky stories that bring tears to your eyes. This afternoon, I listened to “Remembering Mom and Dad’s Record Collection” as Mike Huckabee talked about how much his mother loved Glenn Miller. His comments got me thinking about the soundtrack of my childhood. We had a small portable record player on a metal stand in the dining room. My parents had different tastes in music, but there was no question that they both loved it. My mother was a Glenn Miller fan, too, and she played his records when she cooked and cleaned. She listened to other big bands and singers from the forties, but Glenn was definitely her favorite. She also loved soundtracks, especially “The Sound of Music.” My father, on the other hand, was a country and western fan.

So did any of these tunes have a lasting impact on my life? Absolutely. I still love harmonies and ballads. When I first heard She & Him (on NPR, of course!), tears came to my eyes. Their retro sound automatically brought me back to that sun-drenched dining room of the 60s, listening to that little blue record player. I don’t think I could ever choose just one song as my favorite or one that had a huge influence on my life. But, of all the songs my parents shared with me, and that I shared with my children, there is one that sums up my wish for them as they make their way in the world.

Thank you, Mom & Dad, for enriching my life with music.

Clearly something I haven’t been very good at over the past several months. But that’s all in the past. Thanks to Kate Messner and her incredibly generous writing camp, Teachers Write!, I’m inspired to turn off the TV, sit down and make some plans. School isn’t over for two more weeks, and I have a week of curriculum work after that, so until the end of June, my plan is to get up half an hour earlier than usual and write for 30 minutes. I’ll be at my desk in my small office. My husband won’t be up for another hour, but Lucy, my 7-year old beagle, will be snoring in her bed nearby to keep me company. You all are the first to find out about these plans. Everyone at work is busy thinking about report cards, packing up classrooms (did I mention I’m moving to a new classroom?), etc., and I didn’t really have a chance to talk to anyone else today. Once school is over, my writing time will shift to later in the morning, after walking, eating, and reading the paper.

I recently finished reading Mindset, by Carol Dweck. In it, she talks about the importance of having a growth mindset, or “the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts” (p. 7). Here’s to cultivating our writing through our efforts. I look forward to the learning and growing with all of you.

 

Welcome to Reading to the Core. The name is a bit of a play on words, as my goal for this space is to share thoughts about implementing the Common Core State Standards in English/Language Arts. Like many of you, I have plenty of questions and reservations about the CCSS. I am a reader and lover of literature to the core. One of the reasons I became a teacher was to share this passion with my students. Will this still be possible when the CCSS is fully  implemented? Will the CCSS make this easier? I don’t know. So, some posts will  address my thoughts and opinions about the standards.  Other posts will be my ideas about using specific books that I am passionate about (and may not be on the exemplar list) to teach specific standards. In either case, I hope to have a conversation with literacy professionals around the country about reading and writing instruction today. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!