An Amazing New Journal for Students and Teachers, and Everyone Else Really

If you have not seen Ember: a journal of luminous things yet, you should order a copy or peruse their website immediately. This amazing work of art is administered and published by the Empire & Great Jones Creative Arts Foundation, which is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Brian Lewis is the editor-in-chief.

Ember is published semiannually with a primary focus on writing for and by readers aged 10 to 18. Fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction can be submitted by authors aged ten and above. I have both the issues that have currently been published, and absolutely can't wait for more. I devoured both issues in less than two hours. I simply could not put them down. The journal is divided into two sections: one for younger readers and one for young adult readers, but every piece of writing will be thoroughly enjoyed by readers of all ages. If you are running out of material for story time with your children, grab this publication at once. It would also make wonderful reading for a classroom at any grade level. The illustrations are beautiful pieces of art and make the stories and poems even more pleasurable to read. Certain pieces are also available for purchase.

I find the writing creative, beautiful, inspiring, and surprising. The stories range from amusing to poignant to enthralling. The spectrum of writing I have seen in the two issues I have received has been exceptional. Truly, there is something in this journal for everyone of any age, probably more than one something.

I am always searching for material that can be placed in my classroom library, but the wonderful thing about Ember is that I can also use it to encourage the writers among my students. Since Ember accepts submissions from anyone aged ten and above, it is my hope that some of my more talented authors/students will be enticed to submit their finished pieces for publication. Ember pays authors for submissions they publish, another enticement. I will also be contacting our school librarian to see about purchasing a subscription for the school library.

Information on submission guidelines and procedures can be found on the website or in the back of the journal. Empire & Great Jones Creative Arts Foundation also sponsors a scholarship for high-school-aged writers to allow them to improve their craft. It is a full annual scholarship to the California State Summer School for the Arts Creative Writing Program.

If you love Ember as much as I do, and you will, please consider supporting their mission. Their website lists several ways to do this, including crowdfunding, patreon, and one-time donations, which you can ear-mark for author payment, the scholarship fund, or as needed.

I don't normally use my blog to advertise, but this journal is truly an exceptional piece of art and deserves to be supported, subscribed to, and read by everyone. It is truly a place where "luminous things" can be found, and those places are becoming increasingly hard to locate. I will be telling everyone I know about Ember, and hope you will all do the same.

The Two Weeks of Christmas Come to an End...

I spent Christmas break visiting with fellow educators; some former teachers, some current teachers, and a former principal it has been my great honor to have taught under. Surprisingly, try not to be shocked, our conversation always managed to meander around to education.

Some of us have experienced education abroad; some have been educated in America alone; some were educated privately, some publically. All of us worry. We spoke of the lack of rigor in many classrooms today; the idea that “content-free” time was something to aspire to; that whether a child was having fun was more important than if they were leaning; the view that students shouldn’t be pushed, challenged, or held accountable - can't damage their self esteem, sarcasm intended. We debated the pros and cons of Common Core; “no homework” policies; “grade free” or “no zero” policies; parent involvement and/or the lack thereof; the politics so prevalent in many districts that handcuff teachers who want desperately to do what’s best for kids; the way a few “nutters” give the rest of us a bad name; the way parents, legislators, and alas, some administrators, have no clue what really goes on every day in classrooms across this country. We discussed “teaching to the test” and how this causes American education to be, in large part, a million miles wide, but only a quarter of an inch deep. We discussed the growth of the charter school movement and what that meant for the future of public schools. We solved all of the problems with education at least three or four times; then had another cookie, a glass of eggnog, and played another hand of Rummikub.

As I think back on the hours of conversations had over a two week period, I realize that salaries, or the lack of, was never mentioned. The focus of every conversation was kids, what was best for kids, what they needed to be successful in school and life, and what we could do to make that happen. I was reminded of why teaching is a calling, not a job, and why I became a teacher to begin with. It was good to remember that there are many fantastic teachers who love kids and want them to learn, grow, and be successful. In short, it was good to remember that I am not alone. Teaching, for all that you are surrounded by kids, can be a lonely profession. For those of us struggling daily to do what’s best for kids, sometimes against insurmountable odds, it can be overwhelming, depressing, and thankless.

I will return to the classroom on Monday refreshed; with a renewed sense of purpose and desire to fight for my kids and their right to an excellent education that will help them be all I know they can become. I return with the knowledge that one teacher can change a child’s world, and that love is an amazingly powerful thing. And isn’t that really what this season is about: refreshing, renewal, reflection, and most of all, love.