When I was a little girl, I often heard my grandparents say that life just goes faster and faster every year. That seemed so odd to me at the time, I mean–a year is a year, right? Twelve months for every one. But now that I am their age (ye gads!) I realize it is true. 2011 is a blur for me. It was filled to the brim with Traits Writing, presentations, and workshops. I hit 2.5 million miles on Delta and still, no George Clooney as a seat mate. What’s up with that?
As I look back on the year, I’m proudest of how hard I worked to create Traits Writing–harder than I thought possible. Everyone on the team gave it everything they have–and the result is stunning. 40 years of thinking, exploring, reading, writing, dreaming, and wishing, and we’ve created a writing curriculum that actually does what teachers and administrators want: a writing program that works. And from what I’m hearing and seeing as I travel these last couple of months, you like it. You really like it! You have no idea how good that is to hear.
2012 is just around the corner and I hope it is a good one for you. My plans are to get out there with you as much as I can, and share this work. The traits are a great gift to all of us who care about helping students learn to write. Whether you are using the books and materials that are core to the way we assess and teach, or if you are heading down the road with Traits Writing, I thank you for what you do every day to help students learn.
A New Year’s resolution: Be a better blogger.
Happy holidays to all,
Ruth
