This video, which I’ve now shared with all of my co-workers, Facebook friends, and Twitter followers, moved me so much, that I want to share it with the rest of the world as well. Rita Pearson, long-time educator, discusses the impact that building relationships with students has on their lives. Teachers who care truly are champions for their students.
I have an issue I’d like to get your opinions on… I’ve had a handful of students over the years with diagnosed ADD or ADHD (okay… more than a handful…). I know there’s a lot of concern in the education world right now about overidentification of students with ADD/ADHD. For a while, it seemed like every kid had it and that parents knew what doctor to take their kid to to get him/her put on Ritalin. My district has recently put some stricter mandates in place to keep this from causing us to have so many Special Ed. students who qualify only for this Other Health Impairment (OHI), and that should help with the overwhelming number of these kiddos receiving Special Ed. services when a 504 placement would suffice. But that’s not the issue that concerns me today…
What I want to hear your thoughts on are students who probably have AD(H)D, but whose parents either can’t or won’t do anything about it. As a teacher, I’ve witnessed many cases over the years of students who I knew were on medication and how they function with and without it. I have had students who refused to take their medicine for a day or two, and once the effects wore off, they were an entirely different child. While I understand that many parents are fearful of over-medicating or needless medicating, I can testify to the fact that some people in this world NEED these medicines. And if the parent is averse to medications in general, how about trying to find other ways to help the child be successful?
Some studies suggest changes in diet can help
I have seen both extremes: 1) a student who needs it, but can’t get it or won’t use it, and 2) students who have such high doses that they become zombies.
At what point does it become parental neglect to allow your student to be unable to progress academically because he/she cannot focus in class?
Hear me correctly… this is not the “woe is me” frustrated teacher rant that you may hear elsewhere. This is genuine concern for students. I’ve seen kids get so frustrated while trying to learn with severe and untreated cases of AD(H)D. I’ve had parents tell me that they don’t see a problem at home, so the problem must be at school and we should fix it. Which means the child suffers.
Teachers need as much support from home as possible. We understand that parents are busy and that the problems at home may not be the same as the ones we face at school. And we know that there are other things going on in your lives. But, for your child’s sake, take the time to work WITH the school to find a way for your student to be successful.
So, what are your thoughts on this? Have you had an related experiences as a teacher, as a child or as a parent?
So, being an English teacher, and having studied grammar a LOT in high school and college, I have a soft spot for it. There have been days in class that I’ve gone off on ranting tangents about why my students are killing me with their use of “txt talk” in essays or short stories.
As it turns out, I’ve been wrong. I know, right?! Me? Wrong?! LOL….
Here, watch this…
So, you see… As readers, writers and teachers, English teachers especially, while we have a passionate affection for our beloved language, we cannot be so profane in our hatred of the emergence of what is an ever-changing, ever-evolving organism… Language.
Good morning, friends!
Today, let’s talk about the fine art of the Spin-off novel. In case you’ve been hiding under a rock since the 70′s, a spin-off is a novel that takes a character or subplot from another novel and creates a new story around it. The most classic example I can think of for this would be the Star Trek novels. In 1967, Bantam began publishing adaptations of the original TV series written by James Blish. Since then, if you go to Amazon and search “Star Trek Books,” about 11,000 titles appear from a ton of different authors (I lost count at 100-something). Talk about milking it! Star Trek has a huge fan base from the 70′s, as well as new Trekkies who come aboard all the time. I have 15-year-old students who saw the most recent Star Wars movie and have been hooked.
#trekkie #fangirling
More recently, however, novel spin-offs happen on a smaller scale, but achieve the same result of “milking it.” Some of the most famous and current Indie examples are Abbi Glines’ Sea Breeze series, Kristen Proby’s With Me Series, and Olivia Cunnings’ Sinners on Tour and One Night With Sole Regret series. What we see with most of these is a tertiary character from a novel who becomes the main character of another novel.
While I definitely prefer an unplanned or unexpected spin-off to an unplanned sequel, I definitely think there are some general guidelines that can make or break the effectiveness (and sales) of such a book.
1. Let it Stand Alone.
If you want your Spin-off series to be successful, then each novel in the series should possess the ability to be read as a stand-alone novel. Your readers shouldn’t have to stress over which one came first, or have to read that one in order to understand the current one. This allows you to spend less time covering back story or refreshing our memories. Creating each novel as a stand-alone helps it feel less like a sequel and more like a new novel.
2. Let it Be Original
If it feels too much like the same storyline (same conflict, same resolution) as the other books in the series, then it won’t hold the same appeal as the first. Right now, especially on the Indie Romance scene, it can feel like Groundhog’s Day. If you’ve read one, you’ve read them all, so to speak. As a reader, I’m always on the hunt for those gems that stand out just a little bit. Olivia Cunning hooked me with the bisexual spin in her most recent book in the Sinners on Tour series. Abbi Glines is not so good at the shockingly different plot, however. Most of her books seem to follow the same plot recipe, but where she hooks me is with the characterization. All Most of her virginal/innocent female protagonists are different enough (or have different enough backgrounds) to be interesting.
3. Let Them Be Bad
One of the best pieces of writing adv
ice I’ve ever received was: “Don’t be afraid to let your characters make very bad choices.” If ever there was a great spin-off plot, it began with a tertiary character, in his or her own story, made a seriously big mistake. The master of big mistakes, in my opinion, is A.L. Jackson. Her characters not only suffer for years from their mistakes, but she spins such a dark tale that we suffer right along with her characters. While many of her novels are stand alone, they could easily have spin-offs, which I would gladly read. More to the point, what I’d like to see in a really good Spin-off is the Bad Guy/Girl from another book in the series as a protagonist. Emily Giffin touched on this a little bit with her Something Blue, but I wouldn’t have really called Darcy an antagonist (although she was annoying as hell).
4. Leave the Past Behind
In a successful spin off, we don’t need to hear or see the characters from the other books unless they are vital to the current plot. My students read the Bluford High books a lot (as they are high-interest/low-reading level), and in those we see many of the same characters that carry over, but only when necessary to keep consistency. If in one book character X is in character Y’s math class, then he/she should be there in the next book as well, unless it’s a new school year. The same applies to adult fiction. I don’t want to hear all about Rush and Blair in Abbi Glines’ spin-off of Woods in Twisted Perfection, and so far (I’m halfway in at the moment) I have only heard Rush mentioned once. Thank you, Abbi!
Obama approves.
5. If It Ain’t Broke…
There are a bunch of spin-off/adaptations/sequels out there based on Pride and Prejudice. Unless you have something truly unique (like ZOMBIES) to add to the plot, then leave it alone. (But you can always add ZOMBIES… because… ZOMBIES!)
If you’ve been hanging around here or the Brain Candy blog for very long, you’ll know that while I may read and review a lot of Indie romance, I also have a deep-seeded love for really great, thought-provoking literature. You may have noticed my passion for Hemingway in my “Instruction Manual for Self-publishers” posts, and you probably read my gushing compliments of George Saunders’ short stories, and John Green’s YA novels. All of these authors have made an impression on me as a writer in some way or another. None, however, have made as great or as lasting an impression as Cormac McCarthy.
Before college, I’d never heard of him. In 2002, I took a literature class in which we studied All the Pretty Horses. I was hooked from then on. To date, I’ve read every book he’s written that is still in print. My favorites are Blood Meridian, The Road, and Outer Dark. Often, when working on my own writing, I’ll go back and re-read parts of his novels that inspire me. Below are six lessons his work and life have taught me.
Lesson 1: Be elusive. (Or: Don’t let the limelight corrupt your work.)
“The writer himself, however, has proved more elusive. He won’t be found at book festivals, readings and other places novelists gather. Mr. McCarthy prefers hanging out with “smart people” outside his field, like professional poker players and the thinkers at the Santa Fe Institute, a theoretical-science foundation in New Mexico where the author is a longtime fellow.” John Jurgensen
“McCarthy is famous for two things: his omnivorous curiosity and his extreme reclusiveness. In his 74 years, he’s given a total of three interviews.” Lev Grossman
Here’s a clip of his appearance on Oprah in 2008, one of only three interviews he’d given to date:
Lesson 2: Don’t sell out on your beliefs just because someone else thinks you should.
“A fiercely private man, he refused to do book signings, lectures, or interviews. One former wife, British singer Anne DeLisle, once lived with McCarthy on a pig farm. She recalled that, ‘Someone would call up and offer him $2,000 to come speak at a university about his books. And he would tell them that everything he had to say was there on the page. So we would eat beans for another week.’” Steve Davis
“…McCarthy describes (in Child of God) Ballard’s halting, almost comic reactions until, finally, he becomes a ‘crazed gymnast laboring over a cold corpse. He poured into that waxen ear everything he’d ever thought of saying to a woman.’ [Albert] Erskine (McCarthy’s editor at the time) has written in the margin: ‘Mac: Here I would expand; describe; too abrupt. Done right, this could have a real impact—dimension.’
“I consulted my copy of Child of God. Yep, McCarthy had ignored Erskine’s advice. The scene appears in the book exactly as in this draft.” Steve Davis
Lesson 3: Be a perfectionist, even if perfection takes a long time.
“Returning to the McCarthy archive, I begin to look more closely at the screenplays. Though McCarthy couldn’t sell them, that doesn’t mean that they are failures. A few of those early scripts evolved into his biggest successes as a novelist. His acclaimed Border Trilogy, which began with All the Pretty Horses, was inspired by a screenplay he completed in 1978.
“Another screenplay, No Country for Old Men, was finished in the 1980s. Yet nothing happened with it for nearly 20 years, until McCarthy rewrote that story as a novel, published in 2005.” Steve Davis
“McCarthy doesn’t mind insulting literary giants. Here’s what McCarthy had to say about Henry James and Marcel Proust: “I don’t understand them… To me, that’s not literature. A lot of writers who are considered good I consider strange.” David McMillan
Lesson 4: Never give up.
“WSJ: Earlier you referred to the role luck plays in life. Where has luck intervened for you?
“CM: There was never a person born since Adam who’s been luckier than me. Nothing has happened to me that hasn’t been perfect. And I’m not being facetious. There’s never been a time when I was penniless and down, when something wouldn’t arrive. Over and over and over again. Enough to make you superstitious.” Wall Street Journal Interview
“McCarthy’s books are testaments to the importance of courage and endurance. For McCarthy, they are the two essential ingredients for human survival, and without them nothing noble or great or difficult could ever be accomplished.” David McMillan
Lesson 5: Trust in your work.
“That’s your signpost and your guide. You can’t plot things out. You just have to trust in, you know, wherever it comes from.” Cormac McCarthy
via biblioklep.org
Lesson 6: Do the work.
“I don’t think it’s good for your head. You spend a lot of time thinking about how to write a book, you probably shouldn’t be talking about it. You probably should be doing it.” Cormac McCarthy (on why he rarely gives interviews)
Sometimes, as an administrator, it’s easy to forget what it’s like in a classroom. We’re focusing so much on the “bigger” picture and worrying about how to accomplish all of the seemingly infinite tasks required. It’s important to remember where the term Principal comes from: Principal Teacher. The head teacher, overseeing all other teachers. Never neglect that.
“I’ll Fight You For the Library” by Taylor Mali
It’s no secret that the Indie book scene is rife with sequels these days. In the indie romance world, in particular, it seems like every author feels the need to write the same story from a different point of view, continue the story, or write a spin-off that focuses on another character from the original. Now, I’m certainly not saying there’s anything wrong with it, but I’ve read far too many sequels/spin-offs that have completely flopped. So, dear authors, over the next few days, I present you with a What Not to Do, of sorts. Ready?
1. Do not continue the plot line unless you’ve set us up for it.
Let’s take a look at some famous series for a moment. Probably the most famous is Harry Potter. JKR, while not the best writer around, certainly does weave a nice plot line. Each of the individual novels has an internal goal, but each one also follows a larger, more complex storyline as well. It’s the reason we rooted for Ron and Hermoine’s relationship to bloom for years.
It’s the reason we never suspected that Snape would do the unthinkable. We felt satisfied after each novel because Harry is still alive and will go on to fight another day. And because Harry’s alive, and Voldemort is still alive, we know there’s probably going to be another book. The bigger plot is still unfinished, while the minor plot feels concluded.
Other examples: Twilight does this, as well, but on a smaller scale. The minor threat (James, Victoria, etc.) is conquered, while the larger threat (the Volturi) remains. Lord of the Rings is similar, but as an epic, it has less to do with a minor threat and more to do with the end of a journey.
Ok, so where are indie books falling short? (And I’m talking mostly about indie romance because that’s where I’ve seen most of these problems.) Let’s take Abbi Glines’ (who you know I adore) Fallen Too Far, Never Too Far, and the still unnamed 3rd book as an example here. Fallen and Never were written specifically as a duo. We’re set up for Never at the end of Fallen, so we are prepared. The 3rd book, however, was not set up at the end of Never, and is the result of thousands of women begging for more of the two characters. I wanted to scream “It’s peer pressure, Abbi. Don’t give in!”
Alas, she did, and has promised a third book.*
Yes, I realize this is not high-brow literature we’re talking about. And yes, I appreciate the desire to please your audience. And yes, I understand that she’s making a killing on these books.
BUT… Not only was the second book a flop, in my opinion, but because were haven’t been set up for a sequel, Abbi will be fishing for more conflict for the third book. If you’ve gotta fish for it, it shouldn’t exist. As an author, when beginning a series, it’s important to have a vision in mind for the final end result. This vision drives all of the characters’ actions and all of the narrative throughout the series. Since this is romance, it won’t necessarily be difficult to find conflict, but that doesn’t mean it will make a good story. This is a case of “Sex Sells,” and because so many people have fallen in love with her characters, Abbi can write anything with them in it, and people will buy it.
Moral of the story: Writing a series is all about set up and pay off. Contrary to our Capitalist minds, pay off without the set up, is not a bonus.
—-
*Don’t worry, I’m going to use Abbi as a good example for some of her other work later.
When I tweeted that my students (the delinquents) are digging your books, I wasn’t expecting anything from you. So your offer of bookmarks for my students is wonderful, and yes, I would love some. Thank you.
Just so you know, though, and please don’t take it personally, but they will probably tag them, or tear them up to throw the pieces at one another. And any faces on the bookmarks will be branded with gang numbers across the forehead. It’s not you, it’s them. They’re not used to gifts. Besides, what’s a kid who only reads once or twice a year going to do with a bookmark?
You see, the only reason they read while they’re in my class is that I’m part saleswoman. I can sell the heck* out of a book like Perfect Chemistry because I teach Alexes and Carloses and Luises. At least, I teach them before they become who they are by the end of your novels. And, though they would never admit this, they are suckers for the love story.
They read when they’re with me because it’s one step up from jail and one step removed from real life. Their homeboys aren’t around to give them shit** about reading a book in general, and a love story in particular. These kids don’t go to the library unless they’re forced. They don’t pick 
up a book in the real world unless they’re going to make fun of it. But I’ve built a classroom library that meets their unique tastes. Made up primarily of realistic fiction that revolves around tough issues, like guns and gangs, death and abuse.
Simone, your books are at eye level. That’s because I want them to read something that they can not only relate to, but that they can aspire to. If I could turn all my kids into post-high school Alex, or get them into the military like Carlos, I would do just that. I believe in product placement almost as much as I believe that these kids can change their destiny if they really want to. Most of them will have to do it alone, though. They won’t have Brittany to push them out of the gang life and into college. And most of them don’t have Luis’ mind, so they have to rely on something else to get them out of their predetermined fate.
That’s us. You and I together.
So, yeah, send me some bookmarks if you want. But if you want to go bigger, do more… send me a book just for Colton or Jose or Jesus or Daniel. Address each one and tell them, “Yes, kid, you CAN do this, too. You CAN be like Alex. Or Carlos.” They’ll hide it in their binder, carry it home and stash it somewhere that their friends won’t see it. But it’d be theirs.
If not, though, that’s okay, too. They aren’t very good with gifts.
Yours sincerely,
Kelli
It’s always seemed strange to me how a piece of writing can take off on its own. When I had the idea for this novel, it was very different than what I’ve put down on paper so far. The characters seem to be creating themselves through me, rather than me creating the characters. The excerpt below is subject to change… in fact, it mostly likely will change several times before I’m finished with it. Here’s the first chapter from a novel that may or may not be called The Self-Destruction of Joey Martin.
Enjoy.
——
Chapter 1
Jenna
Joey Martin walked with a limp. At thirteen, he was already more confident than most of the adult men I know. The day Joey limped his way into my classroom would change my life forever.
Eighth graders in general are my favorite age group to teach, but along with the fun we can have in class come the mood swings and hormonal cyclones of the 13-14 year old multiplied by about twenty-five at a time. They can gang up on you in a heartbeat. And even if they like you – even if you are their favorite teacher, they can still be as unpredictable as an untrained puppy. And when they bite, it stings.
The group I have sixth period, however, are fantastic. They are energetic and have genuinely big hearts. They look after one another in a way that I have only witnessed a few times in my decade of teaching experience. See, this group has Benny, one of only two Down Syndrome students in the entire school. And these kids have grown up with him. Not a single student in this class bullies Benny. Any other students in the building who do… well, they have twenty-four angry peers to deal with if they try it. Suffice it to say that these kids who protect Benny are like a miniature gang, and if you value your kneecaps, you leave Benny alone.
So, the day that Joey Martin limped into my sixth period classroom, cock-sure and chin held high, and sat down next to Benny, twenty-four pairs of eyes narrowed to see how he would react.
When Benny’s slow gaze finally fell on the new face sitting beside him, his face lit up in recognition. He clambered out of his seat, leaned down and gathered Joey in a tight hug. The rest of us looked around as if to question whether we were being punked or if Benny had mistaken the new boy for someone else. When Joey chuckled and wrapped his arms around Benny, a collective breath escaped from us.
“That’s my neighbor!” Benny exclaimed, still gripping Joey tight.
Joey chuckled again, patting Benny on the back. “Okay, buddy, let go so I can breathe, huh?”
“Oh! Sorry, Joey. Sorry.” Benny let go, but pat Joey on the shoulder a few times before returning to his seat. “Guys,” Benny said in his drawn out syllables, “this is Joey. He’s my friend, so you be nice.” Benny tried to look stern, but it fell short on his always-smiling face.
I stifled a snicker and walked to the front of the room. I have the student desks arranged in a semi-circle around the stool where I sit when I teach. “Welcome, Joey. I’m Miss Graham, but feel free to call me Miss G.” I motioned to Joey, “Would you like to introduce yourself?”
Joey looked around to his new classmates before standing and wove his way through the desks toward me. His slight limp had the effect of a confident swagger, and he had the posture of an athlete. Most of the girls were already giggling and whispering, while the boys glowered at him. Should be interesting, I thought to myself, stepping aside so Joey had the floor.
“I’m Joey Martin,” he said smoothly, hands shoved deep into his pockets. “I moved here from Dallas last week with my dad. So far, it’s alright, but I’ll get back to you on that.” He looked at me questioningly, wanting to know if there’s anything else I wanted him to say.
“Do you have any hobbies, Joey?”
He reached up to rub the nape of his neck, considering this before answering. “Um, I used to play soccer at my old school…” He trailed off, as if there’s more he wanted to say, but chose not to. He looked back at me, his confidence wavering slightly.
“Thanks, Joey. You can sit down now.” As he heads to his seat, I add, “Let’s all make Joey feel welcome, yeah?” I pause, and they muttered that they will. Benny nodded vigorously and pat Joey on the shoulder a few more times. Poor kid’s going to have bruises from all the patting, I thought. “Okay, everyone, let’s take out our journals. The writing prompt for today is on the board. You have ten minutes.”
While they wrote, I walked around, making sure they weren’t doodling or repeating the same phrase over and over in their notebooks. When I got to Joey’s desk, I was surprised to see that he had taken out a worn Moleskine that looked to be already half-filled. Most students used a plain spiral notebook or sometimes the girls would buy a fancy journal from the bookstore, or use those awful collage books that are popular now, but this was the first Moleskine I’d had in class. He’d opened it to a fresh page and was busy writing.
Usually, students new to my class need a lot of prodding and persuading to get into journal writing. The prompts I pick are usually not anything that will delve too deep into personal issues, but are thought-provoking and seek opinions. They are designed to help them write quickly without worrying too much about grammar or style, something that many of these students still struggled with halfway through the year. Joey, however, seemed to be a natural. I found myself wondering if this was the other hobby he was hesitant to share with us. I was curious to see what he was writing, but I have a strict no-read rule. Student journals are to be private, unless they request that I read it.
An egg timer dinged, announcing that their journal time was up, so I headed back to the front of the room and grabbed an armful of books, passing them around the room. “How many of you know the story of Romeo and Juliet?” Most of their hands went up. I stifled an eye roll when someone mentioned the Leonardo DiCaprio/Claire Danes movie version. “Okay, great. How would you describe their story? What kind of story is it? Jonathan?”
Jonathan glanced around and blushed. “Uh… It’s a love story, I guess.”
“A love story, huh? Why do you say that?”
Poor Jonathan blushed even redder. I’d put him on the spot. It’s what I’m famous for. “Uh… W-well… I guess… because they fall in love? Right?”
I nodded slowly and turned to the SmartBoard, pulled up a new Notebook file, and wrote “LOVE” in capital letters at the top, using a heart for the O. The girls snickered, mimicking me in their own notebooks. The boys rolled their eyes and wrote nothing.
“So, does anybody disagree with Jonathan’s opinion that Romeo and Juliet is a love story?”
Twenty-four blank or confused faces stared back at me. (Benny was still smiling, as always.) I smiled at them, then turned back to the board and crossed out the word “LOVE,” writing “tragedy” beneath it.
“We’re going to read Romeo and Juliet over the next few weeks. And as we read it, I want you to read it not as a love story, like everyone tends to think of it, but as a tragedy, as Shakespeare intended it.”
For the rest of the class period, students chose parts, or I assigned them, and began reading the play aloud. As class comes to an end and the bell rings, I frown as my favorite class leaves and seventh period students trickle in.
As a veteran teacher and future principal, one of my favorite mottos is “when you lose heart, quit teaching.” A teacher who doesn’t have the desire to continue growing, learning, and caring for his/her students is the most damaging force in a classroom and a school. It can take years to get it right, but even beyond that, it takes a lifetime of learning and improving right along with the ever-changing student population. In teaching, there’s no such thing as “good enough.”
As with any job, it’s easy to get comfortable. To get into a groove and forget why you even started to begin with. So, in teaching, it’s important to constantly reevaluate and reflect. I can remember vividly my first couple of years and picture the glaring mistakes I made. But I can also remember the things I learned from those mistakes. The moment that a teacher stops learning from those mistakes is the moment that they should leave teaching behind. That’s the moment they can either become hypocritical and disillusioned, or can make the choice to go in a different direction with their lives.
I don’t care if you’ve been teaching for five years or fifteen, if you have just lost your passion for teaching or never had any to begin with… if you don’t care, why should your students?
