I've often been accused of using too many words. Well, for once, I'm speechless! What an incredible evening I've had. I received the e-ad for Thomas Newkirk's new book, Holding On to Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones - Six Literacy Principles Worth Fighting For from Heinemann. Gave it a glance and almost accidentally decided to print out the sample chapter. I read it tonight - OH MY GOSH, as morning show radio DJs would say! I was immediately transported to those first years when Donald Murray and Donald Graves and Thomas Newkirk and Nancie Atwell and Lucy Calkins and Jane Hansen first sprung into my life.
This chapter, "Finding a Language for Difficulty - Silences in Our Teaching Stories," is one of the most powerful pieces of inspired writing I've read in years, perhaps decades. His writing takes you right into his head and into the "small moments" he describes. He "gets it." He doesn't teach what I do, he doesn't work with students the age of mine, his climate is far different than mine, his state was a different color than mine...and yet Thomas Newkirk can cut through all the differences and zoom into your very heart and soul. I can't tell you how intense the chapter is, but what I can tell you is that none of you out there would find this chapter irrelevant or unimportant. I can't help wanting to shout it from the rooftops, "He gets it. He gets it. He gets it!" I can't wait to talk about it with someone. What a night! I "heart" you, Thomas Newkirk! Bev in Nebraska _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list Understand@literacyworkshop.org http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
