Ruth Culham's Blog, page 4

Another Year Bites the Dust

Another Year Bites the Dust

I don't care what the calendar says, life isn't organized January to December–the school year rules the day.  It's been years since I worked every day in a school, yet I still find myself experiencing the highs and lows of school–when it begins and when it ends.

So in the last month as many  of you have written about the mania of closing out the year, I empathize.  It's a huge countdown.  It begins with the rumor mill about how the district will balance the always shrinking budget–how many jobs will be cut, who will move to different schools, what curriculum can no longer be offered.  It's followed by the announcements that confirm those suspicions and fears.  And then, through the spring and summer, a few positions are restored, a few jobs are saved.  Sometimes its because of a retirement or a move, or sometimes its because those responsible got a whiff of what it would be like without that staff.  Regardless, the whole process is agonizingly hard on everyone.

Can you imagine what it would be like to teach in a place that didn't go through this dance every spring?  To know that your funding was secure and that essential educational opportunities for students were never, ever on the chopping block again.  That means every school, regardless of the grades, would have music, P.E., drama, and art for every student.  There would be a renewal in the band and orchestra programs and new sports, not just football and baseball, would be offered including yoga, fitness training, and dance.  Computers wouldn't be a class – they would just be.  The library would overflow with books and iPads and excitement.  Remember cooking and shop classes?  A 21st century version of both would blossom and students would sign up in droves.  Science labs would be able to expand past the basic curriculum, offering promising young students a world of wonder and mystery at their fingertips.  Math classrooms would hum with energy and investigation, while social studies classes would take place out in the world they are studying, not anchored in a textbook.  And English classes would be rich with books and ideas as students learned how to write from Traits Writing.  Everyone would be happy; everyone would read.  That's what stable funding would do.  That's what our students deserve.

Teachers and administrators deserve it to.  This time of the year shouldn't be about how everyone survived the year but rather a period to adjust, reinvent, and renew for next year.  Every educator has a right to be exhausted by the end of the year, but not from frustration–they should feel bone tired from teaching.

I celebrate you for your passion to help students learn.  May the close of this school year bring you a sense of fulfillment and purpose that you richly deserve.  Shrug off day-to-day frustrations for a few minutes and take stock of what you have accomplished.  Look at the faces of those students who drive you nuts right along with those who are so easy to be around.  They know how much of yourself you gave every single day.  They will miss you.

Then go home and rest because it all starts again before you know it.   That's the one thing you can count on.

Whoosh—And Then It Was June!

The other day I was checking my March calendar for an upcoming dentist appointment but couldn't find it. Then it dawned on me–OMG, it was already June.  This year is flying by in warp speed.  I don't mind since it's the year we finish the program so it's ready to share, but still.  I can't image where the last 2 years have gone.  One day I was at a meeting, agreeing to write a program on the traits, and now I am sitting here in the New York offices of Scholastic, looking at this magnificent work.  The staff at Scholastic has devoted night and day to creating Traits Writing since we first began.  The hard work shows; it's simply beautiful.

Schools are wrapping up for the year and the requests for staff development are rolling in.  I'm excited to be in Long Island next week working with K-8 teachers.  Then in a couple of weeks I'll be in Charleston, then Beaufort, South Carolina.  I'll be in several places in Georgia in August – hot.  But writing is HOT.  Everywhere I go, teachers are working so hard to help their students with writing — and it's making a difference.  Students write better now than they did 10 years ago.  We've got a good handle on why, too.  Traits, writing process, and writing workshop all rolled into one make a powerful instructional model at every grade.

I read a book the other day.  A real book.  Not an educational book – imagine.  It's been about three years since I was able to do that.  Anne Lamott's novel, Imperfect Birds.  If you love good writing and character studies, you might want to add this to your summer reading list.  Anne simply takes my breath away.  And on the children's book front, I highly recommend Brian Selznick's Wonderstruck.  It's two stories, weaving time and pictures together until they become one at the end of 629 pages.  It won't be released until September, but it's worth the wait.  Would love to hear about what you are reading.   – Ruth

News from high in the sky….

News from Ruth from high in the sky.  I am on the road again, this time back to Orlando for IRA.  I am arriving a day early to sneak in some fun at the Harry Potter Park.  From all accounts, it's a perfect place for a muggle like me.  Looking forward to a Quiddich game or two.

As I was packing last night — it's all about the shoes at conferences — I realized that this conference will be special in so many ways.  First, it is the launch of Traits Writing, a day I have been looking forward to for almost two years.  We're going public with the components and can't wait to hear the response.  Second, I get to present on the program for one session and mentor texts (my true love) for another.  And third, I get to reprise the 39 Clues event I did with the fabulous authors of those books for lots and lots of teachers.  What fun!

With the launch of Traits Writing, a whole new life begins.  I hope to be visiting many of you in the coming years as you implement the writing program and join the writing revolution. It feels amazing to know that the calvary has finally arrived to save anyone who has struggled to teach students how to write, and to fill in the missing pieces for those of you who have been teaching writing with the traits but find it hard to get it all done.

It also feels good to think that within a few months I will be on the other side of developing this work. I have missed a lot as I was holed up in my little office.  I missed the changing of the seasons.  I missed the luxury of waking up on a Saturday morning with nothing to do but meet friends for breakfast, do a few chores, play with Harper and Prim, and goof off. I missed the natural rhythms of everyday life.  Can't wait for that all to change, that is, if my friends are still speaking to me after two years of getting the brush-off for Traits Writing.

I hope to see many of you at IRA this week.  If your schedule permits, please come by the Scholastic booth and say hello.  Or come to one of the sessions. Exciting times ahead.  I packed my new good shoes just for the occasion.  They don't have those four-inch heels, but they are cute.  Come see!

Meet me in Orlando: May 9 – 11

Meet Me at IRA in Orlando, May 9-11, 2011 at  The International Reading Association 56th Annual Conference. Here's my schedule:

Monday, May 9, 2011


11:00–11:20am:  Traits Writing (Convention Center, Demo Theater, Scholastic Booth # 840)
1:00–2:00pm: Traits Writing: The New Complete Writing Program (Convention Center West Building W208c).
2:30–3:00pm: Book signing (Convention Center, Scholastic Booth # 840)


Tuesday, May 10, 2011


9:00–10:00am:  Reading and Writing in Middle School: Using Mentor Text Passages Selected by Trait and Key Qualities to Teach Students Great New Techniques to Improve and Fire Up Their Passions for Writing (Convention Center West Building W208C).




11:30–12:10: Trait-Based Interactive Whiteboard Activities to Teach the Craft of Writing: K-8 (Convention Center, 21st Century Classroom, Scholastic Booth #840)
1:30–2:00pm:  Book signing (Convention Center, Scholastic Booth #840)


Wednesday, May 11 2011


11:00–11:40am: Trait-Based Interactive Whiteboard Activities to Teach the Craft of Writing: K-8 (Convention Center, 21st Century Classroom, Scholastic Booth # 840) REPEAT

America's Teachers

Willie Nelson said it best, "On the road again."  That was the right theme for the last six weeks.  March and April are open season for state reading association meetings so I definitely logged some airline miles this year.  Michigan, Illinois, Virginia, South Carolina, Maryland, and Massachusetts.  Each stop along the way was remarkable.  It seems the world is waiting for Traits Writing!

As I traveled and spoke to teachers this last month and a half, I was reminded once again of the dedication and diligence of America's teachers.  You manage to do so much with so little.  Budget woes stretch from my coast to the East coast, yet you find a way to inspire students to become great writers.  Thank you for never giving up, for seeking new ideas, and for embracing the traits so completely.  It's for all of you that we're working day and night to get the new curriculum ready.  And ready it will be in your hands next fall.

I was inspired by what I heard and saw at the conferences.  Great speakers, great audiences, great venues.  What a rush to be part of it all.  Now I am back at my home office again, working on grades 6-8 of Traits Writing.  Can't wait to share it all, K-8, with the real audience – you and your students.  We'll be launching the program at IRA this year.  Hope to see many of you there.

Until then, be envious of my frequent flyer account but not my schedule!