Author Archives: Sara Holbrook

December 13, 2016

If the Streets Could Talk: Poetry with Cops and Teens

Poetry was never meant to be parked in academia. Too dry. Too proper. Too overdone. Real poetry is more raw. As real as a flag at half mast hanging limp above dirty snow gathered on a concrete palette under a gray winter sky. Poetry doesn’t belong on a pedestal, it should be better grounded. Experience put […]


August 25, 2016

The Poetry of Hope

  Visiting family in Virginia and the lead story on the D.C. noon news is that 8 people die per day in OH from opioid overdoses, more than 3000 this year. Watched my home state fall in line with other troubled places in the world, Italy, Syria, Nigeria, and . . . Ohio. Just finished […]


May 30, 2016

Growing Gratitude in Adolescents

We all come into this world crying, “me, me, me.” Insistent cries of my bottle, my grapes, my toys gradually (hopefully) grow into a feeble understanding of the concept of compromise. We call this turning point adolescence. Teaching adolescents requires that we help awaken kids to the awareness that there is a world on the […]


January 7, 2016

Engaging Reluctant Writers

Will the writing be good enough? Will I look foolish? Is it what the teacher wants? What if it’s not right? The internal conversation of the blocked writer.


January 7, 2016

Thinking Small

“The more specific your story, the more universal the message.” I’m not sure who said that first, but it is one of those truisms that keeps me revising and revising – always for more detail.


Testimonials

“Sara and Michael bring infectious energy and joy leavened with deep knowledge of best practices in literacy to their work with children and teachers.” Ellin Keene – Author of Mosaic of Thought and The Teacher You Want to Be
“Sara and Michael bring magic, and a contagious love of words to both students and teachers alike!” Georgia Heard - Author of Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School More testimonials...