Further Jottings From A Writing Life


These random writing thoughts are gleaned from various sources connected to my writing life- my writer's notebooks, blogs, Twitter, Facebook. They represent some of my recent writing related activity in these places. Not all these observation as memorable, but they are mine. I collected them. I share them to demonstrate the broad and enduring influences upon those of us who choose to be, teachers who write:
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I would hate to live a life so full of time pressures that I couldn't possibly expend the time to return a shopping trolley after visiting the supermarket.

 You can choose to teach according to curriculum (or school based mandates), adopting a tick the box mentality, or you can teach according to what you know about the particular needs of learners. Without doubt, the difference is significant, the impact lingering! Blindly adhering to curriculum mandates does not make your pedagogy authentic. Let curriculum inform your work, but never let it ‘be’ your work. It must be shaped to fit the learning needs of learners.


 Feeling somewhat wrecked this morning following successive nights on an emotional roller coaster ride with the fluctuating fortunes of Uhtred, son of Uhtred in The Last Kingdom (Netflix).  Addiction reveals itself in many forms. Then again, I have finished work for the year, so such viewing indulgence is easier to justify. Ah,the gory days of history...

The idea of only conducting share time at the end of writing workshop may be limiting its potential to influence writing development. Sharing should be strategic. Consider purposeful sharing at various stages of the writing workshop. Sometimes writers benefit from sharing their intended actions before beginning writing. Sometimes we can take a break to share thinking around problem solving. It can be used to resolve a common concern.


'I've been thinking about a character and suddenly a thought came to me- in the supermarket!’ Young writer Alex shares his special moment with me.
It's great when writing moves beyond the walls of the classroom and is no longer just a thing we do at school.

Commit to reading more. Children read more when they see other people reading. Parents and teachers who are visible readers are more effective at engaging kids with reading.


There is no magic formula to becoming a confident writer. It is more about developing a regular routine or habit- a habit that enables one to create a little magic.

 As words swirl and collide in my head and I revel in rehearsal, this quote from an earlier poem bubbles up... The world needs its poets to each play a part.


I love writing, but sometimes it’s plain hard work- challenging and messy. Other times it’s an absolute joy. The words flow easily and seem to fall in all the right places on the page. Sometimes I need to take a break in order to return later with renewed purpose and a clearer vision. I regularly share these understandings and practices with students. Writing is all about persistence. It involves both the mud and the flowers

 Consider setting up a ‘Writing Cafe’ in your classroom. Invite teachers and other interested adults to write alongside student writers. Each table inspires ideas for generating entries in the writer’s notebook. A powerful way to engage writers and launch a broad range of writing projects. Great way to use some of Grandma’s tablecloths, or some old beach umbrellas at the same time. I love writing in cafes...

There she goes
High on her toes
A finger probing up her nose
Ballet princess
Tutu pink
Doesn't care what people think.
* Paint Sample Card Poem

 In the space of 30 words a waiter in a Maroochydore Cafe managed to assign me three different titles- captain, chief and sire! Such a wordsmith.

 The simple act of turning over a rock can lead us to discovery. Hold fast to your spirit of curiosity.

Allow your poems to act according to how they feel when they arrive on the page of your notebook .Some strut boldly, others may roar, while a few may choose to tiptoe quietly across the open space of reader consciousness. Such are the many moods of our poems. Poems consistently break rules and challenge expectations. That is part of their enduring appeal.

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