Writers & Teachers: Keep On Anyway

April 19, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Lately I’ve been noticing a similarity between writing and teaching—you set out to do something great with some ideas of… more »

Strategic or Prefigurative Politics?

April 18, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“Should we fight the system or “be the change we wish to see”? Published on Wednesday, June 04, 2014 by… more »

A good story

April 17, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time… more »

My Brave Colleagues

April 16, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

In appreciation of my colleagues…..The power of the human spirit is a formidable force to behold. In recent years, I’ve… more »

Surprises & Creativity

April 15, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“If you want to be original, then you have to get past the first layer of predictability.” Charlan Nemeth, Professor… more »

Keeping Perspective on it

April 14, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Life will go on as long as there is someone to sing, to dance, to tell stories and to listen… more »

What really matters

April 14, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

In the end, what really matters to you and your students? While you carry a million tasks, assessments, rubrics, mandates… more »

Shift Perspectives

April 12, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Carrie Symons reflected on one small thing that changed her students’ growth as writers. “When I let go of my… more »

Reading & Risk

April 11, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

One of the decisions slaves in the American South made was whether and/or how to resist the power of the… more »

Stamina & Fate

April 11, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Origin of stamina: Latin, plural of stamen warp, thread of life spun by the Fates.Origin of stamina: Latin, plural of stamen warp,… more »

A Good Night’s Sleep

April 10, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” Vince Lombardi Working with student teachers as they dig deep for stamina to keep going… more »

The Hope in Joining

April 8, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

We are a family and tribal species. For millennia, human beings lived and worked in groups—they shared the load of… more »

Inquiry

April 7, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

From a student teacher with a lucky lesson about inquiry for student learning and as it turned out, for her learning… more »

Safety: Structure, Support, Stubborn

April 6, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“A good rider can hear his horse speak to him, a great rider can hear his horse whisper, but a… more »

We Rise

April 5, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Presence

April 4, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Just like a writer finds his/her writer’s voice, I see every teacher intern find his/her teacher voice. The concern on almost every… more »

Emma Goldman

April 3, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution. I did not believe that a Cause… more »

Angry Laughing

April 2, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

100 quotes from George Carlin to let go and laugh at the frustration of injustice. What he said so many… more »

Silver-lined heart

April 1, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Taylor Mali’s poem with, I think, his generous a permission (“If you would like to use one of my poems… more »

Smallest Good

March 31, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

My son went to a comprehensive high school with about 2,000 kids. As a senior he told me this about… more »

A lasting quote

March 31, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“Better late than never,” is an adage that comes from as early as the 1200’s. No matter what we’ve managed… more »

Hearts, Guts, Glory

March 29, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

I have been listening to teachers’ stories. A theme of resilience and insistence of life appears –not about compliance and control… more »

heart, hero's journey, story, transformation

Resistance, Love, Energy

March 28, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Resistance to oppression is often based on a love that leads us to value ourselves, and leads us to hope… more »

Paulo Freire

March 27, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

I wanted to choose one quote from Freire to write about in connection with a school today but I couldn’t… more »

Dream Keepers

March 26, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

One way to imagine our role as teachers. The Dream Keeper by Langston Hughes Bring me all of your dreams,… more »

Big Problems (math)

March 25, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

WhatI learned from a great math teacher today: mathematics in life (and in college) is not about discreet one-operation problems… more »

Triple bottom line: People, Planet, Profit

March 24, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

If school reformers insist we follow a business model, I propose a more current model and reporting system– the concept of triple bottom… more »

Cynicism: Enemy of Action?

March 23, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Lately cynicism threatens to overwhelm me so I looked for some help from writers, poets, comedian/philosophers. As I gathered their quotes about cynicism,… more »

Congregate

March 22, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

World Cafe reintroduces us to a world we have forgotten. This is a world where people naturally congregate because we want… more »

Survival of the Soul

March 21, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Spring arrived while testing took over Denver Public Schools–not just in the last two weeks when kids took the tests… more »

Spring Passages

March 20, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.” ― Pablo Neruda In the midst of… more »

Perspective and Compassion

March 19, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

‘We watch the entire drama that is our lives we watch the illusion with unbearable compassion’ Ram Dass more »

What breathes fire?

March 18, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“Even if there is only one possible unified theory, it is just a set of rules and equations. What is… more »

Faith through hard times

March 17, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Wisdom from the Irish who know what it means to find ways to persevere through hard times. He who loses… more »

Memories from The Prospect School

March 16, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write if he is to be ultimately at… more »

education, Froebel, TheProspectSchool

Testing….testing…

March 16, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Shakespearean tragedy, comedy, love story? I can’t help but note a fatal flaw in the sweet story teacher ed applicants imagine in interviews during… more »

Wish

March 15, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Graduation is in sight for seniors and teacher interns. Though they have a mountain of work to climb before the end,… more »

Dream No Fear

March 15, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“They have misjudged us. Just because our political heroes were murdered does not mean that the dream does not still… more »

Imagine

March 13, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“As great scientists have said and as all children know, it is above all by the imagination that we achieve… more »

Happy

March 12, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.” Omar Khayyam How? How to be happy when hours and… more »

Laugh

March 10, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Today I was personally confronted in an email from someone who not only disagrees with my views on social justice and equity,… more »

The Call to March

March 9, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“…the winds of change blow many kinds of people together.” My father responded to the call for people across the country… more »

Sunday quote

March 8, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“Writing is a struggle against silence.” ― Carlos Fuentes Through millennia, we have turned our words and thoughts into symbol… more »

Remember

March 7, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“Your words I will remember.” Nioeye Weksuye I have heard so many stories from people of something a teacher said… more »

Fall 7 times

March 6, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

To be a true horsewoman, you have to fall 7 times. A Japanese saying: fall 7 times and get up… more »

Counteract the Narrative of Despair

March 5, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

First thing every morning before you arise say out loud, “I believe,” three times. Ancient Wisdom from Ovid I have… more »

action, activist, believe, hope, inspiration, persevere

Staying engaged

March 5, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Gathering thoughts from teachers about what they’re still doing that they believe is good for kids in spite of constraints… more »

City Kids City Schools

March 3, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

If you were deserted on a desert island with your urban school, and you could only have one book, I… more »

Direct Action

March 2, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Where do you you draw your line and take a stand with direct action such as we’re seeing more parents… more »

Mark Twain advice

March 1, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

‘Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just… more »

Hope?

March 1, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

TO BE HOPEFUL in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history… more »

Sticking together

February 27, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together.” … more »

same

February 26, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

– “Underneath We’re All The Same,” by Amy Maddox (16 years old) He prayed—it wasn’t my religion. He ate—it wasn’t… more »

“Children under, say, ten”

February 25, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Cartoon Physics, part 1 by Nick Flynn Children under, say,… more »

Resolve

February 24, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

One hour with a former colleague and friend who I haven’t seen in a couple years. In the 2 or… more »

Words live on

February 24, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“Better late than never.” Matthew Henry, an English non-conformist clergyman who lived from 1662-1714, is actually credited with coming up… more »

What would Malcolm X advise now?

February 22, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“Without education you’re not going anywhere in this world.” Malcolm X I’ve always wondered what Malcolm X was thinking of… more »

Someone to Believe in You

February 21, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

In everyone there sleeps A sense of life lived according to love. To some it means the difference they could… more »

Weary? Try a little tenderness

February 20, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

I am sharing my little story of a moment in October in 2008 because I have a sense there is… more »

campaign, hope, persevere, testing

More love

February 20, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

‘Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.’ Oscar… more »

What we need

February 18, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“A couple years ago, I was asked by students if I’d go into teaching if I had it to do… more »

Emerson on flowers & snow

February 17, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“Earth laughs in flowers.” Ralph Waldo Emerson The Snow-Storm BY RALPH WALDO EMERSON Announced by all the trumpets of the… more »

“Oh the World Owes Me a Living”

February 16, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

In the Disney version of Aesop’s fable of the ants and the grasshopper that I listened to on vinyl as… more »

Radical

February 15, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

The label “radical,’ has been used in a variety of contexts to discredit movements and individuals. The dictionary definition offers… more »

Susan’s Alternative Valentines Party

February 15, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Susan Marion and her 6th grade Advisory students decided that instead of a Valentines Party just for their class they… more »

Chaos on the Rise

February 13, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

If I could draw, I would draw a cartoon of a teacher standing in the middle of lots of people hurling programs,… more »

Ancient Poetry

February 12, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“Originally, the poet was the leader of a totem-society of religious dancers. His verses were danced around an altar or… more »

So you want to be a coach…

February 11, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“I want to do what you do. How do I get to do that?” I got this question again today…. more »

Courage

February 10, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Courage originally meant “To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.” The root of the word courage is cor—the… more »

“Political Miracle”

February 9, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“A year ago, the FCC had sold out. Now it’s pushing real net neutrality. What happened in between proves that… more »

Purpose

February 9, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand… more »

Illusions of Safety

February 8, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that is… more »

Longing

February 6, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and… more »

Let’s Be Real

February 5, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

In our hearts there are capillaries called collaterals that can continue blood flow when arteries become too clogged. Blood flows… more »

Getting Unstuck: 12 Suggestions from Kids

February 4, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

My list from 4th graders of ‘what to when you’re stuck in your writing,’ includes simple suggestions that are useful… more »

On Time/out of time

February 3, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

What if time were not something you could run out of? How often do I hear “If we had time,… more »

Those Who Won’t Quit

February 2, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Periodically, I google “teachers who don’t quit” and variations on that theme. Most of the sites that pop up are… more »

When school life is good

February 2, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

What makes life good is not different from what makes life in school good for kids. When I see kids who… more »

Dancing

February 1, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

If you can talk you can sing, if you can walk you can dance Zimbabwean proverb I’d like to set… more »

Writing as a physical activity

January 31, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Even though there is something that draws me to the stereotype of the alcoholic slovenly writer, I went for a walk this morning… more »

CPR: Content, Pedagogy, Relationships

January 30, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Today I asked student teachers to share one thing they’d learned in this last month that they could use. As… more »

Possibility of coherence

January 28, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Who is more to be pitied, a writer bound and gagged by policemen or one living in perfect freedom who… more »

Surviving Evil

January 27, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

When I look at what is going on in our world today and in our schools, I am not sure… more »

Weather & the Universe

January 26, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism. Thinking about everyone affected… more »

Too Many Scrooges

January 25, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

I really wonder what gives us the right to wreck this poor planet of ours. Kurt Vonnegut …or take more… more »

Myths & Lies or Truths

January 24, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

There is a craziness in our system that is creating suffering in our schools. Crazy because it often doesn’t make sense,… more »

$$ or Meaning –Teacher evaluation tools

January 23, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy… more »

Girl writer

January 22, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

A 7th grade girl tells me this is the narrative she is writing. “She walked by a dark alley, was called… more »

From bread bags to….riches?

January 21, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Last night we heard Senator Joni Ernst (R Iowa) offer her life story of rising from beginnings so humble she had to… more »

January 21, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“The father is always a Republican toward his son, and his mother’s always a Democrat.” ~Robert Frost Watching the President’s State… more »

6th graders on test makers

January 19, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

In a 6th grade math class while observing with teacher interns: Teacher: Why would we use this procedure when we could… more »

Honor Dr. King–Break Our Silence

January 18, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“Our lives begin to end the moment we choose to be silent.” Martin Luther King To honor Dr. King in the… more »

Opening Doors

January 17, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

Talking with a student in a new, small rural school that was seeing success, I asked him what it was… more »

Begin

January 17, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“We can begin by doing small things at the local level, like planting community gardens or looking out for our… more »

Student Teacher Questions

January 15, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“Why don’t teachers just say no to what isn’t good for kids?” When a student teacher asked me this a… more »

Self Righteous

January 14, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“I cannot believe she did that. Doesn’t she realize the real consequences for kids?” Oh I love those moments of… more »

John Lewis: don’t put it off

January 13, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“If something is just, you don’t put it off. You always demand the here and now and continue to push.”… more »

Action

January 12, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

I must lose myself in action, lest I wither in despair.” –Alfred, Lord Tennyson When I had too many disturbing… more »

To be a person in school

January 12, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“To be a person is to have a story to tell.” Isak Dinesen Before we had schools, school boards or… more »

There will come a time…

January 10, 2015 / Marjorie Larner / What We Can Do

“Life will go on as long as there is someone to sing, to dance, to tell stories and to listen.”… more »

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