Tag Archives: write where we stand,

Wish Where We Stand

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Last weekend’s rain from hurricane Rachel has turned to dry Santa Ana winds and hotter-than-summer like temperatures. What feels like endless summer to beach goers is fire weather to everyone else in the county.

I watched the dark gray smoke gather and billow as I drove home today and my husband confirmed the wildfire on Camp Pendleton when I called. I changed into shorts and we headed to the beach for today’s walk. As we pulled into the parking lot we both saw it! A huge plume of splash offshore. Could it be, it must be, is it… First thought: gray whale. We rushed from the car to the edge of the cliff and watched. Splashes and more splashes. Whales–but more likely orcas (killer whales) than gray whales. There was clearly a pod. They were leaping and diving, close but not close enough.

The delight from the whales and the dread from the smoke began to braid. We are seeing so many impacts of climate change. Too warm ocean water (even though I am enjoying it), too dry land, weird weather, starving sea birds, beaches washing away, cliffs collapsing, the list goes on and on.

Today in the Write Now Teacher Studio the Write Out Challenge prompt was to make a wish for your place…or #wishwherewe stand. Here’s today’s effort:

Wishing

on orca plumes

splashes seen from shore

on gray-black smoke

snaking along the coast

on fire weather

disguised as endless summer

Wishing

for gentle rain that nourishes

instead of flooding

for winds that don’t

whip fires into frenzy

for waters just right

so that ecosystems thrive

Wishing

my students care for this earth

my grandchildren love this earth

our future thrives on this earth

#writewherewestand #writeout #wishes #smallpoems #wishwhereyoustand

Writing Out by Writing In

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In its name Write Out is about getting outside and writing under the influence of whatever nature happens to be around. But as a classroom teacher, sometimes I need to invite nature inside instead of taking my students out.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge proponent of getting students outside, especially for writing. But with a bag of acorns, carefully collected by a friend in another part of the state, sitting at tables with hand lenses and sketchpads was just what we needed today.

We started by reading Because of an Acorn…twice! My first grade students enjoyed searching for hints about what the next page would reveal. They noticed the life cycle and food cycle in the story, and it was a perfect time to talk about the ecosystem that included the acorn.

There is nothing like a hand lens to get students to look carefully. They looked, listened, smelled, and rattled these little nuts. They took out their sketch pads and carefully captured their observations, also including a number, what they noticed, and what the acorn reminded them of.

Later this week we will finish an Andy Warhol-inspired acorn art project and write some poetry inspired by our acorn observations. There is nothing quite like bringing nature into the classroom to help students connect and fall in love with all that the earth has to offer. After all, we want these 6 and 7 year olds to grow up to care about and take care of our planet.

How might you bring #writeout in if you are not able to get out?

Write Out and Kilo

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This afternoon I had the opportunity to learn more about the traditional Hawaiian practice of Kilo. Three educators from Hilo, HI hosted a gathering on Zoom to share this practice with educators through NWP’s Write Out.

Kilo is all about observation. Bringing your whole self and all your senses and attention to whatever nature is around you: sky, earth, water. After spending some time learning about Kilo, we were invited to find a window or walk outside to take the time to experience a moment of kilo ourselves.

I walked into my backyard, senses tuned, notebook in hand. I listened, smelled, felt, looked, and even tasted (without actually putting anything in my mouth) what otherwise feels ordinary. The intentionality of the kilo somehow intensified the experience for me.

From my notes, I wrote.

Wind calls, beyond a whisper

yet not a shout

urgently ruffling my hair

caressing my cheek with cool fingers on a warm afternoon

Sun peers over my shoulder

my hand casting a shadow on my notebook, my eye catches

sister orb weaver’s web dancing

light and wind holding hands

Sweet and tart blueberries

tease my tastebuds

a reminder of summer

lingering, hanging around

well into fall

#smallpoems #kilo #writeout #writewherewestand #inthebackyard

You can find more information about the Kilo on the Write Out choice board. I highly recommend trying it out. I know I will also be doing it with my students in the next weeks.

Write Out with a Mentor Text

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Getting outside to take photos, to walk, and to anchor my writing is a daily endeavor. With tides cooperating with my schedule, I was out walking on the beach this afternoon. The water was warm (more than 70 degrees F), the beach was wide, and today–because of the effects of the storm this weekend–the beach was sudsy.

I spent time during my walk videotaping the clouds of foam dancing along the shore, gathering and spreading as the waves chased and scooped. Then I turned to still photography to capture the foam in close up.

On the second day of the two-week Write Out experience, I turned to a mentor text to support my writing. My colleague Christina started a Google Doc with potential mentor texts when I asked whether we were starting a list for people to lean on as they participate in Write Out. I added a couple…and today tried another on the list to see where I would take my writing.

Using The Lesson of the Falling Leaves by Lucille Clifton as my starting point, I explored a different kind of repetition of words for my #smallpoem today.

the sea exhales
blowing bubbles
bubbling questions
questioning understanding
understanding complexity
I strive to become
a scholar of the sea
#writeout #writewherewestand #mentortext

What mentor text would you add to the list? Which will you use for your own writing? Which would you share with students?

Be sure to #writewherewestand this week!

Write Out 2026

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Today marks the beginning of Write Out 2026–an annual 2-week event with the National Writing Project and the National Park Service that urges all of us, adults and children alike, to get outside and do some writing.

New this year is the #writewhereweare challenge in the Write Now Teacher Studio. Every other day over the course of the two weeks, we are invited to write and post to a common prompt. Today’s prompt was to write a 6-word story about our place.

Southern CA has been dealing with the effects of Hurricane Rachel, bringing some much needed rain along with high surf, high tides, and coastal flooding. Some beaches are experiencing the loss of sand and parking lots filled with the ocean.

Today I was back at my local beach, hopeful that the low tide would offer a wide expanse for walking and that storm damage would be minimal. It was cloudy, but comfortable with plenty of beach for my walk along with inspiration for my photography and my six words.

After the storm, beach walking still. #writeout #writewherewestand #sixwords

And the weather was cool enough for me to wear my Write Out Write Where We Stand sweatshirt! (Thanks to @deathstr42 for the photo) You can purchase your own at the NWP shop!

Please join us for Write Out and the Write Where We Stand challenge. Everyone is welcome!