<p>Today’s podcast will be featuring a poem by Jacqueline Woodson, “Commercial Break.” As I read this poem, I want you to think about something you believe some people don’t understand. This could be a subject you have strong opinions on, something upsetting that happened to you, or a time you had a misunderstanding with another. Keep these ideas in mind as I read.</p>

Picking Blackberries

In this series, I will be reading mentors texts and providing you and your students some quickwriting and/or discussion-based writing ideas. Writing can seem very challenging, especially to students who haven’t had a ton of practice. So, providing short, consistent and relatively low-risk opportunities to write can make all the difference in eliminating the intimidation factor that often comes with on-demand writing. I usually like my students to start our sessions by beginning with a quickwrite or, what I like to call, Writing into the Day.