Author | Lightnews

Susan G Barber

@susangbarber.bsky.social

1.3K followers 320 following 170 posts

Caffeinated educator, author, and consultant influencing the next generation (and those who work with them) to love literature and live worthwhile lives MuchAdoAboutTeaching.com; #teachlivingpoets #aplit #stopteacherguilt #feetupfriday

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Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Aug 8

Using @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social to spark our thinking on why and how we read. #aplit

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Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Aug 7

LOLOL

Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Aug 7

Introducing analysis today #aplit

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Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Aug 6

It’s part of our district’s “back to the basics” initiative.

Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Aug 5

Correct - t acgers are supposed to do this for ALL of their preps.

Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Aug 5

We’re supposed to have all of this on our board daily. Does this seem excessive???

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Reposted by Susan G Barber

Zach Czaia @zachczaia.bsky.social · Jul 31

Some thoughts on the Instructure/OpenAI partnership.

open.substack.com/pub/zachczai...

Bots Over Books

In Which OpenAI and Canvas Steal from Real Artists—and Children—for their Mediocre Group Project, and the Schools Give them an “A”

open.substack.com

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Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Aug 4

First day of school!!

Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Jul 20

The Seductions of A.I. for the Writer’s Mind www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/o...

Opinion | I Teach Creative Writing. This Is What A.I. Is Doing to Students.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Susan G Barber

Chanea Bond @heymrsbond.com · Jul 14

One of my favorite getting to know you and back to school activities to do with students! #EduSky

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Reposted by Susan G Barber

Larry Ferlazzo @larryferlazzo.bsky.social · Jul 5

Inside prison walls, here's how a book program is changing lives www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/...

Inside prison walls, here's how a book program is changing lives

Accessing reading material in prisons is hard, but Freedom Reads co-founder Reginald Betts, a former inmate, went beyond books, creating libraries made by former prisoners.

www.nbcnews.com

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Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Jul 6

Life has a way of pushing through in the dark but it may ignore the laws of nature and not seem unnatural - even unexplainable - like "a congress of stinks!" Let's keep breathing and stink it up, friends, because life feels dark now. #PoemADayJuly

Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Jul 6

Then bookended with "Nothing would give up life" - extending beyond not sleeping but clinging to life in the dark, damp, dank space. Even the very soil the roots are growing in is breathing. #PoemADayJuly

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Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Jul 6

"Root Cellar" - I love how the poem is opened with "Nothing would sleep" before diving into imagery - this really gives the sense of life in this dark space - and somewhat sinister - disobeying in a way because the things in the cellar are ignoring the laws of life by not sleeping #PoemADayJuly

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Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Jul 6

Highly recommend!!

Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Jul 5

“The stretches of highway on the long drive home after burial.” - for sure feeling this both literally and figuratively as we buried my mom in Alabama 2 months ago then drove home to Georgia. Again a reminder that poetry stands in the gap when we lack the words. #PoemADayJuly

Marcus Luther @marcusluther.bsky.social · Jul 5

“What is static if not the sound of the universe’s grief?”

Our #PoemADayJuly today: “Places With Terrible Wi-Fi” by J. Estanislao Lopez

Maybe a bit different than the “poems” you’re used to but SO much within this gem to explore.

So let’s explore! 🔍

@heymrsbond.com @thevogelman.bsky.social

Intro image for “Places With Terrible Wi-Fi” by Lopez

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Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Jul 3

YESSSSS

Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Jul 3

Day 3: "One river gives/Its journey to the next" - I like this framing of the poem. A river makes giving a fluid act - not act(s) in isolation. The giving of the colors and the combination of them (again think of a moving river) emphasizes how giving naturally changes all involved. #PoemADayJuly

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Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Jul 2

I love the connection between the last lines of yesterday and today’s poems.
Also the zooming from big ideas (pull toward brink, time for everything) to small details (agave, persimmon, stick ball, purple okra) is so grounding for me. #PoemADayJuly

Marcus Luther @marcusluther.bsky.social · Jul 2

"No matter the pull toward brink. No"

Day #2 of #PoemADayJuly — let's go!

Today: "Sorrow Is Not My Name" by Ross Gay (a poem that very much responds to yesterday's poem by Brooks)

🧐 what do you notice?
🤷‍♂️ what do you wonder?
😍 what resonates?

@heymrsbond.com @thevogelman.bsky.social

intro image for "Sorrow Is Not My Name" by Ross Gay for #PoemADayJuly

full poem of "Sorrow Is Not My Name" by Ross Gay

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Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Jul 1

Today's poem is such a great way to kick off #PoemADayJuly. I have loved reading all of the commentary, but for me today, I just read and took it all in. No annotations.

Brett Vogelsinger @thevogelman.bsky.social · Jun 29

I’m excited for this! Join us for #PoemADayJuly 🙂
#NCTE #ELA

Marcus Luther @marcusluther.bsky.social · Jun 29

Starting Tuesday: #PoemADayJuly with myself, @heymrsbond.com and @thevogelman.bsky.social 😎

The first seven poems listed here—we'll discuss one each day, and everyone is welcome! Building community by talking about poetry is a pretty cool thing, so let's do it!

docs.google.com/document/d/1...

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Reposted by Susan G Barber

A Tired Teacher @leahat-thelibrary.bsky.social · Jun 29

I'm not in a super reflective place yet, just resting for now, but the big takeaway from this year is "say less." Not like how my teenagers mean it, but literally saying less. No more long explainy emails trying to soften what I need to say. Same in person.

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Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Jun 29

#amwriting

Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Jun 28

Looking forward to this - who else is in??

Marcus Luther @marcusluther.bsky.social · Jun 28

Tuesday morning we are diving into this slow-read: one poem a day throughout July! #PoemADayJuly

List of the poems for the first week here: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Reposted by Susan G Barber

Marcus Luther @marcusluther.bsky.social · Jun 26

Very much enjoyed this template for my own reflection as a teacher all year:

⓵ what is one new thing I wanted to try out?
⓶ what is something I want to get better at?
⓷ what is a strength I want to lean into even more?

Here's the full reflection document I used! docs.google.com/document/d/1...

New_Better_Stronger_Marcus

New? Better? Stronger? a three-part reflection lens to grow as a teacher going into a new year What will your new be? What will your better be? What will your stronger be? What is something that you ...

docs.google.com

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Susan G Barber @susangbarber.bsky.social · Jun 26

Same