@smirkes.bsky.social
Dad. Husband. High School English Teacher. Softball and Football Coach. #HighSchoolEnglish #softballcoach #footballcoach #edusky
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Most of the impactful, powerful classrooms I've stepped into were in many ways a result of a teacher genuinely and transparently leaning into what they loved.
(Giving teachers a chance to lean into what they love? Often the best way to make better classrooms.)
(Giving teachers a chance to lean into what they love? Often the best way to make better classrooms.)
This is a great piece.
Teachers could also hear the message: teach what you love. Chances are you became an English teacher because you love literature or a 2nd grade teacher because you love young kids— not because you wanted to teach students to use a tech for some future job you can’t predict.
Teachers could also hear the message: teach what you love. Chances are you became an English teacher because you love literature or a 2nd grade teacher because you love young kids— not because you wanted to teach students to use a tech for some future job you can’t predict.
"Learn to code" was always bad advice, unless you actually like to code. College students have the best chance of professional success if they major in topics that interest them. Today in @startribune.com. Please tell high school students and parents.
www.startribune.com/what-should-...
www.startribune.com/what-should-...
June 25, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Most of the impactful, powerful classrooms I've stepped into were in many ways a result of a teacher genuinely and transparently leaning into what they loved.
(Giving teachers a chance to lean into what they love? Often the best way to make better classrooms.)
(Giving teachers a chance to lean into what they love? Often the best way to make better classrooms.)
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This is something I love and definitely intend to do even more in the years ahead
we started with conversations about their reading habits, why we read, a few op-eds about reading these days, etc
June 25, 2025 at 2:16 PM
This is something I love and definitely intend to do even more in the years ahead
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For all those who helped me come up with this list of words—what a phenomenal way to begin and end our lesson today!
✔️ to begin: individual reflection, group discussion
✔️ to end: "what do you hope to be?" shift + each student shared aloud whole-class
Phenomenal, important reflective space ❤️
✔️ to begin: individual reflection, group discussion
✔️ to end: "what do you hope to be?" shift + each student shared aloud whole-class
Phenomenal, important reflective space ❤️
here's where I landed after all the suggestions! 🙏 (will share how it goes after tomorrow's lesson!)
April 4, 2025 at 2:50 AM
For all those who helped me come up with this list of words—what a phenomenal way to begin and end our lesson today!
✔️ to begin: individual reflection, group discussion
✔️ to end: "what do you hope to be?" shift + each student shared aloud whole-class
Phenomenal, important reflective space ❤️
✔️ to begin: individual reflection, group discussion
✔️ to end: "what do you hope to be?" shift + each student shared aloud whole-class
Phenomenal, important reflective space ❤️
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Hey, I wrote something about how student writers feel about the work of writing in school. And how to shift those feelings.
April 2, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Hey, I wrote something about how student writers feel about the work of writing in school. And how to shift those feelings.
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Baseball season is officially underway. To celebrate, we revisit this conversation from 2024 about the physics of baseball and how sports can be a gateway to scientific literacy.
A Cheer For The Physics Of Baseball
When you watch a baseball game, you’re also enjoying a spectacular display of science—from physics to biomechanics.
www.sciencefriday.com
March 29, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Baseball season is officially underway. To celebrate, we revisit this conversation from 2024 about the physics of baseball and how sports can be a gateway to scientific literacy.
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"What we are compelled to read, write, think, and communicate about in schools matters a great deal. So what does it mean to be literate – to read, write, think, and communicate – only about a narrow list of pre-approved strategies, activities, and topics? Approved by whom, and toward what ends?"
March 30, 2025 at 3:43 AM
"What we are compelled to read, write, think, and communicate about in schools matters a great deal. So what does it mean to be literate – to read, write, think, and communicate – only about a narrow list of pre-approved strategies, activities, and topics? Approved by whom, and toward what ends?"
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part of the reason AP’s taken off in public schools is that it’s a way to outsource thorny questions about mission and the value of a year and there’s something similar at play in giving up on literature in favor of “career readiness” skills
March 25, 2025 at 11:20 PM
part of the reason AP’s taken off in public schools is that it’s a way to outsource thorny questions about mission and the value of a year and there’s something similar at play in giving up on literature in favor of “career readiness” skills
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No, not Democrats being “bused in”—just regular Nebraskans waking up to the fact that their Social Security is on the chopping block to fund tax cuts for billionaires.
Great piece by PBS.
Great piece by PBS.
March 22, 2025 at 1:34 AM
No, not Democrats being “bused in”—just regular Nebraskans waking up to the fact that their Social Security is on the chopping block to fund tax cuts for billionaires.
Great piece by PBS.
Great piece by PBS.
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"How often children read is also at a historic low, with only 20% of children and young people aged 8 to 18 saying that they read daily in their free time. This marks another steep drop, a fall of 7.5 percentage-points from last year. "
Article: buff.ly/41gydAa.
Article: buff.ly/41gydAa.
March 1, 2025 at 2:00 AM
"How often children read is also at a historic low, with only 20% of children and young people aged 8 to 18 saying that they read daily in their free time. This marks another steep drop, a fall of 7.5 percentage-points from last year. "
Article: buff.ly/41gydAa.
Article: buff.ly/41gydAa.
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Wow!
So 1+1 really does equal 2.
The Texas measles outbreak is hitting the area with the highest vaccine exemption rates. Shocking—if you ignore science.
So 1+1 really does equal 2.
The Texas measles outbreak is hitting the area with the highest vaccine exemption rates. Shocking—if you ignore science.
February 24, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Wow!
So 1+1 really does equal 2.
The Texas measles outbreak is hitting the area with the highest vaccine exemption rates. Shocking—if you ignore science.
So 1+1 really does equal 2.
The Texas measles outbreak is hitting the area with the highest vaccine exemption rates. Shocking—if you ignore science.
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So, this morning, I used this #mentortext of a movie review to pull mentor sentences, name the craft moves I saw within each, and then write my own about a novel I just finished. Then, used those sentences to shape a mini-review I developed. 1/2
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Mentor Sentences from "Bridget Jones Never Gets Old" by Sophie Gilbert
Mentor Sentence from “Bridget Jones Never Gets Old” by Sophie Gilbert Craft moves: What does the author DO? Try it: My analysis: Protagonist Gifty in Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi Why? On paper, Bridget can be compellingly hard to pin down, inconstant and ironic, messily self-a...
docs.google.com
February 23, 2025 at 3:19 PM
So, this morning, I used this #mentortext of a movie review to pull mentor sentences, name the craft moves I saw within each, and then write my own about a novel I just finished. Then, used those sentences to shape a mini-review I developed. 1/2
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
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More of this in secondary writing instruction. It’s crazy to me that I used to ask students to write in a genre they’ve never read. Providing Ss with mentor texts has been revelatory. Activities like this set Ss to read/think like writers instead of having it artificially drilled it into them.
So, this morning, I used this #mentortext of a movie review to pull mentor sentences, name the craft moves I saw within each, and then write my own about a novel I just finished. Then, used those sentences to shape a mini-review I developed. 1/2
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Mentor Sentences from "Bridget Jones Never Gets Old" by Sophie Gilbert
Mentor Sentence from “Bridget Jones Never Gets Old” by Sophie Gilbert Craft moves: What does the author DO? Try it: My analysis: Protagonist Gifty in Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi Why? On paper, Bridget can be compellingly hard to pin down, inconstant and ironic, messily self-a...
docs.google.com
February 23, 2025 at 3:42 PM
More of this in secondary writing instruction. It’s crazy to me that I used to ask students to write in a genre they’ve never read. Providing Ss with mentor texts has been revelatory. Activities like this set Ss to read/think like writers instead of having it artificially drilled it into them.
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This is absolutely fascinating.
I think every designer should write a love letter to a font at least once in their lifetime.
This is mine: A 150-year-old font you have likely never heard of, and one you probably saw earlier today.
aresluna.org/the-hardest-...
This is mine: A 150-year-old font you have likely never heard of, and one you probably saw earlier today.
aresluna.org/the-hardest-...
The hardest working font in Manhattan
A story of a 150-year-old font you have never heard of – and one you probably saw earlier today.
aresluna.org
February 15, 2025 at 8:16 PM
This is absolutely fascinating.
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Another year of students reading each other's poems in our narrative poem gallery walk—and yet again, students showed up and showed out for each other (in complete silence for nearly 40 minutes!)
Big part of it being successful? Giving tools for affirmative, meaningful feedback:
Big part of it being successful? Giving tools for affirmative, meaningful feedback:
January 8, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Another year of students reading each other's poems in our narrative poem gallery walk—and yet again, students showed up and showed out for each other (in complete silence for nearly 40 minutes!)
Big part of it being successful? Giving tools for affirmative, meaningful feedback:
Big part of it being successful? Giving tools for affirmative, meaningful feedback:
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"Finland aims to achieve the best financial literacy in the world by 2030, and projects such as Yrityskylä are a big part of the push...She added that 'learning by doing' or through gamification was vital in addition to more theoretical lessons."
See: all the photos of kids *doing things*.
See: all the photos of kids *doing things*.
January 6, 2025 at 5:03 PM
"Finland aims to achieve the best financial literacy in the world by 2030, and projects such as Yrityskylä are a big part of the push...She added that 'learning by doing' or through gamification was vital in addition to more theoretical lessons."
See: all the photos of kids *doing things*.
See: all the photos of kids *doing things*.
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I’m curious about how this quick close reading activity will work tomorrow using an #AI image based on a bit of text.
Will they slow down and notice details in Miller’s words? I’ll keep you posted!
Will they slow down and notice details in Miller’s words? I’ll keep you posted!
January 2, 2025 at 7:17 PM
I’m curious about how this quick close reading activity will work tomorrow using an #AI image based on a bit of text.
Will they slow down and notice details in Miller’s words? I’ll keep you posted!
Will they slow down and notice details in Miller’s words? I’ll keep you posted!
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Can anyone jump in? We are starting with the understanding “Holocaust did not begin with killing; it began with words”. #edusky We use the timeline resource from the USHMM. www.ushmm.org/teach/holoca...
Lesson Plan: Holocaust Timeline Activity - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
This lesson is structured around a multi-layered wall timeline that encourages critical thinking about the relationship between Nazi policy, World War II, historical events, and individual experiences...
www.ushmm.org
December 31, 2024 at 2:09 PM
Can anyone jump in? We are starting with the understanding “Holocaust did not begin with killing; it began with words”. #edusky We use the timeline resource from the USHMM. www.ushmm.org/teach/holoca...
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I've used John Spencer’s SLIME Method each year, both personally and with my students to set goals for a new semester or year. Check out my 2025 SLIME goals! #SubstackSky #EduSky
open.substack.com/pub/adrianne...
open.substack.com/pub/adrianne...
The SLIME Method
An alternative to New Year's Resolutions
open.substack.com
December 30, 2024 at 12:40 PM
I've used John Spencer’s SLIME Method each year, both personally and with my students to set goals for a new semester or year. Check out my 2025 SLIME goals! #SubstackSky #EduSky
open.substack.com/pub/adrianne...
open.substack.com/pub/adrianne...
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Thanks so much! Honored to be in this company!
My favorite comics of 2024 included the wonderful “Man’s Best” by @jesselonergan.bsky.social @pornsak.bsky.social @boom-studios.com www.panelpatter.com/2024/12/jame...
James' Favorite Comics of 2024
Comic Reviews and commentary
www.panelpatter.com
December 30, 2024 at 12:16 AM
Thanks so much! Honored to be in this company!
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More and more this is my approach to thinking about AI: how do we create writing assignments that demand authentic analysis that make AI detrimental for students to use?
But this feels like an opportunity! If every assignment asks students to think with Fanon or Angela Davis or Edward Said and the AI deletes or bastardizes their ideas due to the political nature of their thinking, we've just made it impossible for students to use AI!
December 29, 2024 at 8:13 AM
More and more this is my approach to thinking about AI: how do we create writing assignments that demand authentic analysis that make AI detrimental for students to use?
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When I started researching pleasure reading and texts choices 20 years ago, there was so much resistance in the field of literacy to this research line. No one in the field wanted to admit that whether children read independently and for fun determined whether they would become avid readers...
December 29, 2024 at 3:11 PM
When I started researching pleasure reading and texts choices 20 years ago, there was so much resistance in the field of literacy to this research line. No one in the field wanted to admit that whether children read independently and for fun determined whether they would become avid readers...
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I think most humans, young and old, have to be judicious about what we spend our precious pleasure minutes ‘doing’ bc capitalism, and reading is often seen as a luxury for the privileged.
Unpopular opinion of the day. I think that a lot of young people don’t enjoy pleasure reading because a lot of adults don’t want them to enjoy pleasure reading.
December 29, 2024 at 3:40 PM
I think most humans, young and old, have to be judicious about what we spend our precious pleasure minutes ‘doing’ bc capitalism, and reading is often seen as a luxury for the privileged.