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Elisa Waingort

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A Teacher Musing Out Loud

  • Sunday Night

    Sunday night.6:20 p.m.Starting to get anxious,antsy,fidgety. It’s a familiar feelingas I head back to school tomorrowafter a week off for Spring Break. Most of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdaywill be spent getting ready for student led conferences. Thursday, the kids host their parentsto celebrate their learning. Friday will be my only real teaching day. There is… Read more

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  • My Birthday – A Celebration

    Today is my birthday.Another year.Another milestone.A promise of changes to come –transformational changes.I can feel it in my bones. My husband threw me a surprise lunch party.    He invited some friends.Friends he knew would count.Would matter to me. The food was delicious.There was a lot of it.And, it was gone in a flash! Then,… Read more

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  • A Confession

    I have a confession to make.I want to write a book. A professional book. I think I have a lot to say. I think others could benefit from my experience.After all, I have been an educator for over 30 years.But, what could I possibly say that hasn’t been said before?What new knowledge could I add to the table?Who… Read more

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  • Small Moments

    The small moments in our classroom are so important!They may not be part of our lesson plans or the curriculum guides. They are made up of what students bring to the table.To ignore them would be to do students a disservice. When we return to school on Monday after Spring Break, my students will have… Read more

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  • Goals – Private or Public?

    Disclosure: I am enrolled in the Innovative Teaching Academy. Although enrollment for this first round is closed, you might be interested in going to the link above to get detailed information about the Academy; it might entice you to join when it opens up again in six months! This post is about something I’ve been thinking… Read more

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  • Grateful?

    “I am grateful.” “Oh, no! Not another poem about being grateful?” “Yes, what’s wrong with that?” “Well, what’s wrong with that is that everyone writes a poem or a blog about being grateful when they have nothing else to write.” “So what?” “Well, you must have more important topics to blog about.” “Uh. Yeah, I… Read more

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  • First Day of Spring Break

    Today is the first day of Spring Break.I woke up early anyway.I made myself coffee.I sat down at my desk.I set a timer to check my personal and school emails – 30 minutes.I did OK for a little while.The timer buzzed.I turned it off.But, I kept checking my email.I forgot my resolve –to check for… Read more

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  • Discouraged

    I have been feeling discouraged, disappointed undone disjointed disheartened demoralized dispirited depressed confused troubled unnerved bothered dismayed. Note: This post was inspired by similar lists of words in Sharon Creech’s book, Hearbeat.  Read more

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  • "You mean, we don’t get to read today?"

    “You mean, we don’t get to read today?” Wow! I wasn’t expecting that response! Every year, I set four major goals for my work with students that guide everything I do in the classroom. These goals are: (1) that my students love to read. (2) That they love to write. (3) That they develop a… Read more

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  • The Reading Strategies Book – Chapter 12, Supporting Students’ Conversations – Speaking, Listening, and Deepening Comprehension

    The strategy lessons highlighted in Chapter 12, Supporting Students’ Conversations – Speaking, Listening, and Deepening Comprehension, in The Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo are critical to students’ engagement and comprehension, as well as their ability to write literary essays, or even book reviews, summaries and reflective pieces about books. If students aren’t able to talk… Read more

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