It's an evolution...

If you've ever attended a teachers' conference, then you know what it can do to motivate and invigorate the mind. Just surrounding yourself with other people who do what you do and actually enjoy it, can give you the jump start you'd been craving. I recommend it for ANYONE, no matter what your field...meet people who understand what you do. I love my co-workers, but getting an outsider's point of view really helps put things in perspective!

I was a presenter at the Tennessee Association of Middle Schools Conference, and while I spent a large portion of the weekend rehearsing and rewording what I was going to say, the majority of it was spent absorbing the positive energy from the other presenters and attendees. I came with a message to share, but we all left rethinking the way we approach our kids.

Middle school teachers everywhere would benefit from hearing what Jack Berckemeyer has to say about teaming and how teams who provide consistency benefit their kids. He truly understands the middle school student, and we were all entertained by his high energy and use of humor. I think I speak for everyone in attendance when I say I wish I had a teacher like Mr. Berckemeyer teacher when I was in middle school.

I was equally affected by Ken O'Connor and what he had to say about grading. I now recognize that late work, missing assignments, completion of classwork and homework are behaviors. Ken says the grade we report to parents should be based on student achievement: whether or not students grasp the concepts we are teaching. In Canada and Australia, they do exactly that. They have separate columns on their report cards to notify parents as to whether or not their kids are completing work and how timely. They do not count classwork and homework as part of the students' grade!

Everyone in the room had the same question for Ken: if you don't grade classwork and homework, how can you expect your kids to do it? His answer was that if completing work is a BEHAVIOR, not completing it should result in a CONSEQUENCE, not a GRADE. He would call home, and have the kid stay after school every day until he completed the assignment. What a completely different way of thinking about how we grade. And it makes good sense.

As for my presentation, I have to say, I'm pleased with the overall result. The teachers and administrators who attended my session were very kind, willing to share, and I received a great deal of positive feedback and suggestions I will incorporate in the future. It was clear to me what worked and what didn't. The audience was the most responsive to specific suggestions they can use in their classroom. They especially seemed interested how to let kids know you are on their side and creating a positive classroom climate. I was pleasantly surprised to find this out, as that pretty much sums up my philosophy on how a classroom should be run. I will try to gear future sessions more in that direction.

One thing is for sure...my message continues to be an evolution.

Finding Cover

When I first met Yvette, my fabulous cover artist, I shared my concept for a plain (possibly white) background, with a large amber prescription medicine bottle that POPS on the page. The label of the bottle would contain my book title and name.

She was relieved I didn't want the stereotypical apple or classroom of kids (not that there's anything wrong with that), and I was relieved she saw so much possibility in the vision.

Today we met at our "office" (Starbucks), and shared ideas. She was very modest in saying the initial designs were rough, lots of things she would like to improve. What I saw was amazing. Until today, I had no idea how many variations were possible: open bottle, tilted bottle, spilled bottle, shelf of bottles, bottle that wraps around the spine, bottle that wraps around the entire cover, bottle floating, bottle on table, old glass bottle, stock image bottle, photograph a bottle, bottle with homemade label...the list went on.

We both left enthusiastic, inspired, and caffeinated, although I'm sure Yvette would want you to know she's not a coffee drinker (green tea). :D

Two Worlds

A writer lives the life of a recluse. Days, weeks, months, (and in my case years) were spent curled up with a laptop...writing, revising, proofreading, formatting...sacrificing time with family, friends, determined to get my thoughts on paper and out to those who will benefit. Sometimes I felt as though I was an open channel, the words flowing supernaturally out of me; it's indescribable. I never felt such a sense of urgency or responsibility to complete anything in my life.

Now I live the life of a publisher, and let me tell you, it's quite a ride. Since school has let out for the summer, I've gone completely OCD, micro-managing every single detail. I can hardly sleep, the excitement in my chest is so intense...I feel like I could burst. Thoughts constantly rushing through my head..to do lists for the next day, marketing strategies, what I will say at my next public speaking engagement.

Two very different worlds: the quiet life of a writer, the fast-paced life of a publisher. I look forward to sharing a glimpse of both. I'll keep you posted through all of it. :)

Yet Another Milestone...

I read a quote the other day, "If you don't have a website, you don't exist." Well, I'm thrilled to say we do exist. We've officially launched our website!

Check it out: www.baywestpublishing.com

Like every other aspect of this process, designing our site has truly been a learning experience and a labor of love. Every day presents an exciting new challenge.