Oona Marie Abrams

Some of my favorites from this past month…

I'm so excited to be collaborating with Melissa Bryan to share our story with other literacy educators! See you on 3/10 at Drew University! hashtag#seekingbalance2026 hashtag#njctedrewteach26

There is nothing better at the end of a long day than to come home to #bookmail from @penguinschoollib.bsky.social Love the element of surprise too!!!!

@penguinschoollib.bsky.social Thanks for the #bookmail 💗

Looking forward to reading new titles in 2026, and reflecting on the great reads of 2025! What's on your list to read in the new year? #BookLove #TitleTalk #ShelfieTalk #celchat #nctechat #BuildYourStack @ncte.org

I have a 19 year old who was a first grader in 2012. What amazing young adults might these beautiful babies have grown up to become? 🙏 #NeverForget

Third and final #ThesisoftheWeek for December is inspired by Stuart Kestenbaum's poem "Prayer for the Dead." Use it if you'd like. Share it if you'd like! #PoetryasPractice #FormativeWriting #WritingtoLearn #celchat #nctechat #2ndaryELA #Poetry poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/09/intr...

The second #ThesisoftheWeek for December is based on "Myth of the Vanishing Indian" by Rena Priest. Use it if you'd like, and share it if you'd like! #PoetryasPractice #FormativeAssessment #WritingPractice #2ndaryELA #celchat #nctechat #poetry poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/09/intr...

Literally the other day, the only quiet place I could find was an elevator alcove. Kids going on and off in wheelchairs and on crutches and I’m like: pretend I’m not here 😆

2/2: Just for comparison’s sake: October audiobooks = 3. So, for me, headphones are a tool for increased access. I read more when I have them than when I don’t. Makes me think about what students need access-wise to have success as readers.

In November, I got my Bluetooth headphones replaced. When my last pair broke, I thought I’d just make do with listening directly from my phone when I was doing chores. Welp, I think the data shows that I listen to more books when I have the headphones. 7/9 = audio #ReadingWrap #readingaccess 1/2

2/2 Didn’t always pay 100%. My district would cover subs. But: flight, hotel, registration? No. And NEH summer institute = going without summer work wages for a month. All made me better at the craft of engaging students in content, but also required sacrifice of 💵 and ⏰ away from family.

It certainly is striking, and there are no easy answers. But creating the conditions where students want to engage is complex work, and frankly they never taught it to me in teacher school. I had to pay to attend the PD where I learned anything that advanced my teaching. 1/2

December's first #ThesisoftheWeek is inspired by "Kindness" by Anya Silver. Use it if you'd like. Share it if you'd like! #PoetryasPractice #2ndaryELA #CELChat #edchat #formativeassessment #writingpractice #poetry #formativewriting #writingtolearn poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/09/intr...

Last #ThesisoftheWeek for November is inspired by "It Matters," by Laura Foley, which pays homage to Mary Oliver. Use it if you'd like, and share it if you'd like! #PoetryasPractice #FormativeAssessment #2ndaryELA #WriteBesideThem #PracticeMakesProgress
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/09/intr...

The third #ThesisoftheWeek for November is inspired by Natalie Goldberg's poem "Home." Use it if you'd like. Share it if you'd like! #2ndaryELA #PoetryasPractice #WritingPractice
poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/09/intr...

No spoilers on the new Pluribus show on AppleTV, but the author signing event is ON POINT 😂

Educators & authors on a Saturday learning together! Thanks to folks who came to sessions on #nonfiction #visualliteracies and #independentreading What a pleasure to join a community who wants to innovate and grow professionally because #kidsdeserveit #nerdcampli #mypersonalpd #edchat #kidlit

#NerdcampLI ❤️

The first #ThesisoftheWeek for November is up on the #PoetryasPractice Blog. This week's poem is "Gate C22" by Ellen Bass. #writingpractice #formativeassessments #writetolearn #writetothink #createtolearn poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/09/intr...

TGIF! Just got home to my favorite kind of mail: book mail! Penguin Random House sent me this advance reader copy.

October's final #ThesisoftheWeek is up! This week's poem is "Dust" by Danusha Lameris. #PoetryasPractice #FormativeAssessment #WritingPractice docs.google.com/document/d/1...

First time presenting at NJSBA. What a gift it is every day to work with these amazing ladies. And a joy to share our journey with others and build our PLN! #professionallearning #NJEd #edleadership #presenttolearn

How apropos! I've finished reading & writing beside this brilliant book this AM for National Day on Writing! 30 notebook pages on my writing identity, why writing matters now more than ever, and the whats, whys & hows of the process #WhyIWrite #MyPersonalPD #PDBookClub #AmWriting #NCTEChat #CELChat

#ThesisoftheWeek for Week 3 of October is inspired by a beautiful poem by Marjorie Saiser entitled "Crane Migration: Platte River." Find this prompt & others on the Poetry as Practice Blog! (Photo credits: Chris Helzer/The Nature Conservancy & USGS) poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/09/intr...

Fun #YALit connection: www.gaepolisner.com/the-pull-of-...

Tim Dowling: I love books – but can’t remember anything about the ones I’ve just read In bed I lie awake, staring at the books on my nightstand, trying to remember a single salient fact about any of them

Tom Newkirk said it ages ago in The Art of Slow Reading. The act of reading is the act of forgetting. We can’t remember it all. We have to decide what to forget…

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

The latest #ThesisoftheWeek has been posted on my Poetry as Practice blog. This week's stimulus text is "Bread" by Richard Levine. Use and share if you would like! poetryaspractice.blogspot.com/2025/09/intr...

Job perk! Our middle school ELA, ESL, and special services teachers got to book shop for high-interest informational nonfiction this week. #BuildYourStack #ShelfieTalk #TitleTalk #BookLove #Nonfiction 📚🤓📖🛋️🛒🎒

Myron Dueck’s Giving Students a Say was a hit with us! I’ve even got a schedule for it if you decide on that title.