The work of a gifted writer and teacher who did her homework
922261
As a former student of Dr. Susan Cayleff, I found the book to be a wonderful and informative read.  Knowing Dr. Cayleff and her constant search for truth and knowledge of women and their accomplishments, this  book is one more testament to her thoroughness, her brilliance as an  academic, and the passions that she imbues in her students - - the fire of  wanting to know more about women,who and what they are, who and what they  have been, and who and what they can become.  Anything that Dr. Cayleff  writes stands as witness to her intellect, her love of the written word,  and her desire to spread the joyous news of women's feats and  accomplishments. Is it any wonder that this book was nominated for a  Pulitzer Prize?  Keep them coming Susan. The next one will be terrific too,  after all, I had the opportunity to be one of your research assistants for  the next book.  Thank you for all of it, the books, the awareness that you  instilled and inspired in so many of your students and readers, for your  caring about humanity in general, and women in particular.
4647657
This is a well written book that enables readers to understand both the theory and the implementation of writing workshop. The authors provide  examples of children's writing as well as detailed information about the components of writing workshop such as mini lessons.
It's an inspiring book that makes teachers eager to introduce writing workshop into their classrooms.
4575741
This author has done her homework; the series and specifically this book has enhanced fictionally the historical events as known at the time.  Her research and visits to the area have been productive.
701054
As a school librarian, I shared this with teachers who used it successfully in their classrooms to model for students what is possible.  I had many copies in the library and teachers bought classroom sets for integration into the writing curriculum  The students enjoyed THIS poetry!
225853
The grade school teacher who kindly says of her  charge, "she is so talented" is not doing anybody any good. This is a very well written introduction to the powerful research started by Anders Ericsson in the acquisition of expertise. Psychology professors have spent a lot of time studying proplemed people, but this is the psychology of top performers. The good news is it is not talent - it's something called deliberative practice (which the author here calls the maybe better sounding purposeful practice). The bad news is that is takes ten years of such practice to get really really good. So it can be done, but there are no magic short cuts.

This is familiar turf to readers of&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Talent-Is-Overrated-What-Really-Separates-World-Class-Performers-from-Everybody-Else/dp/1591842247/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else</a>,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Talent-Code-Greatness-Isn-t-Born-It-s-Grown-Here-s-How/dp/055380684X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How.</a>,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Outliers-The-Story-of-Success/dp/0316017930/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Outliers: The Story of Success</a>, or&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Cambridge-Handbook-of-Expertise-and-Expert-Performance-Cambridge-Handbooks-in-Psychology/dp/0521600812/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance (Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology)</a>&nbsp;- but to folks new to the idea this is a great introduction to some very important ideas. The style is smooth, and the story is personal as the author actually experienced what it takes to perform at elite Olympian levels. It is well referenced for folks who want to read further and covers some interesting applications such as the failure of Enron and the success of black athletes. However the book doesn't move the subject much further forward, and does kind of run out of steam towards the end.

If you haven't read the books I listed, then this is a must buy, as this knowledge will truly change your understanding of humans get good.  If you have these books, well, it adds color but will not seem so mind-blowing.
1426666
This was a gift to a fifth-grade ESL learner who needs to increase his vocabulary to write compositions for school.  Although he is gifted in math, his English language skills are lagging, and I hope that this book will urge him to read and write with increasing efficiency and effectiveness.
2719969
Dr. Leaming is truely a gifted writer and instructor. He has given more to his students than some are capable of comprehending. The books he has written and  his experiences throughout his life make him a special gift to all who read his work or get to know him. He is an extremely precious gift to his students. He goes out of his way to encourage and teach his students. He makes sure his students are preparing for life within their current level,but more importantly,for their future endeavors. A gifted person who only wants to share what he knows in the hopes of helping others.
3954596
Far more than a biography, this book is also a history of gifted education and a snapshot of the life of the exceptionally gifted in our society.  I learned a great deal while reading it, not only About Leta Hollingworth and her contemporaries in gifted, but about myself, and my fit within my world.
As a biography, "Leta" captures the imagination, taking you to turn-of-the-century Nebraska during the westward expansion.  Life was not easy then, and Leta had a harder time of growing up than most.  They say "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger," and this certainly applies to Leta's young life.  Continuing to college at an early age, Leta faces a new challenge: she is a young woman in a man's world.  While she is highly successful there, many still will not accept her, and her struggles continue.
As a history book, "Leta" is just as interesting, and should be required reading for any education or psychology degree program. The relationships between many of the leading historical figures in gifted psychology and education are explained, and the reader learns how their theories and experiences intertwine to form the basis of gifted theory of today.
And most importantly, Ann Klein has done a terrific job combining the elements of Leta Hollingworth's life into an enjoyable volume.  Don't miss this book!
3628241
Nye's work would be a perfect tool to use in the classroom for a variety of reasons.  Readers will be fascinated as they read Nye's poetry portraying her experiences in the Middle East.  Her poems create a foundation for students to build on.  Her poetry will appeal to readers of a variety of ages.  If you teach middle or high school, I would highly recommending sharing this book with your students as a model to how you can share yourself through poetry.
703556
Television and cinema never quite get it right, that is, how it is to teach in an inner city school. If you want to know the real facts of life in such a situation, I highly recommend this little book, especially for those teachers who are just starting out. The author describes herself as "a five-foot, five-and-a-half-inch Jewish girl" with "a curly ponytail, freckles, and Harry Potter glasses." Okay, so she isn't exactly a Gabe Kotter. She is real! The book is a fascinating compilation of stories from the author's first four years of teaching. Don't forget, it is the Bronx! The stories range from tender to gritty. Again, all real, although the names have been changed, according to the author. As the author states in her "Final Thoughts" chapter, the book is meant "to show what it is to be in these schools on a daily basis as a young, inexperienced teacher, and a high school student." As the author is an English teacher, it should come as no surprise that the writing style makes for an easy read, in spite of the stressful situations that the author found herself in. Something of a must read for new high school teachers.
1659219
This is an intimate peek at the personal musings of an amazingly talented and prolific writer. It closely follows her career moves and family life for ten years with forays into her childhood and school years. It is a great privilege to witness the inspiration and thought processing of one of the great writers of our time about the dozens of books she worked on during that decade in which she was driven to produce continuously to prove her worth to herself, striving for perfection while fearing it was unattainable.
Embarrassed by her prolificacy after being criticized for it, Oates dives into other interests that happen along (piano lessons, playwriting, book reviews, etc.) to try to distract herself from her incessant writing. "My image is of someone obsessively writing and producing and publishing feverishly..." (p. 99). She wants very much to write more slowly, to be more "normal," but once she gets going on an idea she is unable to pace herself. "...Notes on "Bellefleur." More from Raphael's point of view. But slowly. Slowly. I want to take months, years, with this..." (p. 263). But despite her desire to write this 592 page novel slowly, her first draft would be completed in eight months and the revision completed in another month and a half.
By the time I reached the middle of the book I was fairly certain of her obsessive/compulsive tendency. Her urge/need to write has a stranglehold on her mind, except when she is obsessing on something else (like music). The hunger - so common in her early characters - is nowhere to be found in the Oates of the journal. What I do find is a marked lack of interest in food. Maybe the physical hunger and cravings for food, with which she endows her characters, is her way of exploring these emotions and feelings to find out what she is missing. In Oates, that hunger/longing is manifested in a powerful creative urge. Only when she is actively involved in classroom instruction or visiting with friends and colleagues, can she push her writing voice away from the forefront of her mind. But even then, the voice is not stilled - merely muffled. Her mind is always writing, writing, writing, the words tumbling over one and other, recording themselves, to spill out later at the slightest beckoning. "I have all I can do to contend with the images that rush forth, in the fullness and complexity of my ordinary days" (p251).
This journal is so intimate and soul-bearing, I am repeatedly struck by her generosity in sharing it with us. One wonders why, since she can't possibly need the money or the name recognition. Perhaps it is apologetics for her phenomenal prolificacy (she has written at least 70 books and probably closer to 100) - a need to convince her critics that she labors as hard over her work as any other writer does. Whatever her reason, as a longtime fan, I am grateful for a chance to get the story behind the writer. I closed the book reluctantly and with hope that more decades of her journaling will someday be published.
4323320
This woman should spend the entire rest of her life writing anything that she wants!  Two generations from now English Majors will be studying her style....
1871195
My 8th grade ELA class was honored to be selected to read Dreams Fulfilled before it was published.  "Reading like a writer," offered my students a new perspective. This highly engaging, nonfiction book brought past Olympic Games to life for them. Additional research, prompting of questions, rich discussion, and writing about personal connections to the values honored by these athletes motivated these students to become better individuals. I recommend this book as a MUST read for teachers and students!
4518359
As a teacher of literature I have access to many anthologies of literature, and this is one of the best.  Without doubt it provides the reader with a varied, yet still canonical approach to literature.  While one does not get everything wanted, one gets what is needed.

There are the standards, but there are also a good variety of modern English writers and users of the language.  I really have been happy with this anthology since I picked it up in college.  What is also lost in this anthology is not just the works but the vignettes on the authors and poets.

This anthology will provide the reader with a good breadth of the literature of this country, which is its goal.  I think all sides of the mishmash that is American life are represented.  I cannot think of a better choice for a teacher or student. And the brief biographical pieces on the authors do a fine job introducing the works.  I think this anthology would be effective for the self-educated reader or the reader who wants to enrich his knowledge on his own time.
638392
This has been one of my favorite and most influential books in my journey and education as a teacher. Her writing is beautiful and passionate and thoughtful. I committed the crime of highlighting entire paragraphs and chapters because almost every sentence is so vital and wise.
2903820
This book took me back to the fifth grade when my teacher would have us sit for half an hour every day pondering and imagining our responses to the creative writing prompt she provided. There are many interesting things to consider while reading through (and working through) this book. Need an idea to break you out of your writer's block? Look no further! Here are a thousand.
3595827
Reflections of a scholar who observed and studied the teaching techniques and learning habits of students around the world.