Author: Claire Sakelson

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The Curtains Close on Autumn Artfest

This Autumn, we’ve used a smattering of artistic ephemera to embrace the season of yellowing leaves and waning days. Ideas are everywhere, if only we have the eyes to see them! We’ve found inspiration in great poets, painters, and composers, as well as inspiration in each other. 

Each week, we’ve inhaled a different breath of Fall:

One note from one bird

Why do the white beeches in Fall sigh? 

But I am done with apple-picking now…

Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang…

Three sunflowers in a green vase. 

 

Creating mini art projects like these remind me that art—be it writing, painting, beading, or composing—is a practice, not a product. Isn’t there so much joy in that knowledge? By sitting down each week to create, we are not striving to change the world, but to change ourselves. With each repetition, may we become more in touch with our hearts, more willing to take risks, more awed by the world around us. Art teaches us to pay attention and to marvel.

Savor this little chapbook of Autumn. Keep it somewhere safe. Pull it out and flip through when you need a burst of creativity or an escape from the winter blues. 

And don’t forget to send a picture of your favorite entry to our email or social media! We would love to share your art with a wider audience. 

~ Claire S. 

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The October Teaching Slump

In the land of teaching, October has quite the reputation. The October Teaching Slump. The October Blues. The month of disillusionment. 

In October, the excitement of beginning the school year has passed. The jaunt from summer to Thanksgiving seems more like a forced march than anything else, lacking breaks to catch a breath. And the once-theoretical workload of lesson planning, grading, and managing behavior is at an all-time high. Our best laid, well intentioned plans have a way of going awry. It’s no wonder educators hit a wall!

If you’re feeling discouraged, burned out, tired, know that you’re not alone. Even the most seasoned teachers—in both the classroom and homeschool space—experience disillusionment this time of year. The October slump is just part of the teaching cycle; it doesn’t mean you’re not cut out to be a teacher!

Here are a few tips to mitigate the October blues. You got this!

  1. Put your energy where it matters. All of our teaching tools, routines, and curriculum plans are there for a reason—but we also have to think about the actual needs of our classroom and students. Take a moment to analyze which teaching techniques most resonate with your students and which ones seem to glance off. Put your energy towards what works. Leave behind what doesn’t.
  2. Take care of yourself. Teaching can be all consuming. There’s always more work to do! That’s why it’s important to spend some time taking care of yourself, be it through exercising and walking, eating nourishing foods instead of relying on caffeine, and prioritizing sleep. Everyone, both students and teachers, seem to get sick in October. Do your immune system a favor and carve out moments for yourself!
  3. Notice the little wins. October isn’t usually when we see the fruit of educating our students (which contributes to that feeling of endlessly pushing a boulder up a hill). This is the time for planting seeds and watering sprouts—the harvest will come. In the meantime, celebrate the baby steps your students take in becoming readers, writers, and thinkers. Little wins are there when you look for them!

Stay strong. Educating the next generation isn’t easy—but nothing worthwhile ever is!

~ Claire S.

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Announcing: Reveal 2026 is LIVE

“To create art is to have courage.

“If art is a window to the soul, then artists take a great risk every time they pick up their pencil, throw clay on the wheel, or brush a white canvas with that first stroke. Because to be fully known is to be vulnerable—both to love and rejection. 

“Yet somehow, despite this risk of hurt, you can’t find a time when humans haven’t created art. This suggests that for centuries and millennia, people have found that the risk inherent in creating art is worth taking. Because maybe, just maybe, baring your soul to the world is the only way to become who you are meant to be, the only way to become radically vulnerable and authentic and brave. The only way to become radically human.”

So begins Reveal 2026. 

For those of you who are new to Blackbird & Company, Reveal is our annual student writing and arts journal. We believe writing is an artform that is meant to be read by a reader. Therefore, we aim to get our students’ writing into readers’ hands!

This year’s theme is ideas. In Reveal 2026, you’ll see a collection of writers and artists who dared to share their ideas with the world. Expressing one’s inner, most vulnerable self isn’t easy. It’s a tenacious affair, an affair that sometimes involves dragging ideas onto the page kicking and screaming. I couldn’t be more proud of all of our students who found the courage to share their world with an audience. 

 

And good news—Reveal 2026 just went to press. You can order your copy of Reveal HERE to share your student’s work with family and friends, or to catch a glimpse of what our Blackbirds are up to. 

Lastly, a big thanks to everyone who helped these students take flight, from our teachers to parents, to our supporters and cheerleaders. You’re making a difference!

~ Claire S.

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But I am done with apple-picking now.

Robert Frost writes this line in his poem, “After Apple-Picking.” The speaker in the poem narrates their weariness after a long day of apple-picking, drifting in that in-between state of being not fully awake or asleep. Even the rhyme scheme reflects the speaker’s disorientation; the end rhymes are all over the place! This poem is like a pool of crystal clear water: you can gaze deeper and deeper into its depths, and you might even catch a glimpse of yourself staring back.

Take a few minutes to read “After Apple-Picking” at the end of this post. I promise it won’t disappoint.

Frost’s line, I am done with apple-picking now, serves as inspiration for this week’s Autumn Artfest prompt. One of our wonderful Blackbird & Company artists, Kelly, found her imagination sparking at this line. She took the apple-picking idea and ran with it to create miniature beaded red apples—so cute!

Need a refresher on what exactly Autumn Artfest is all about?

Each Monday morning, we will post on the blog a prompt for you to ponder and respond to, along with one of our artist’s renditions as an example. Every prompt is a quote or homage to a published poem, painting, or musical piece about Fall. Collect your creations in our downloadable chapbook, Six Breaths of Fall. Embrace the Autumn spirit!

Feel free to vary artistic mediums each week. Here are some art forms to consider:

  • Poetry
  • Painting – watercolor, acrylic, etc.
  • Drawing
  • Microstories
  • Embroidery
  • Beadwork
  • Music composition

Send in photos of your creations to our social media or email. We would love to highlight YOUR breaths of fall on the blog!

~ Claire S. 

 

After Apple-Picking

 

My long two-pointed ladder’s sticking through a tree

Toward heaven still,

And there’s a barrel that I didn’t fill

Beside it, and there may be two or three

Apples I didn’t pick upon some bough.

But I am done with apple-picking now.

Essence of winter sleep is on the night,

The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.

I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight

I got from looking through a pane of glass

I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough

And held against the world of hoary grass.

It melted, and I let it fall and break.

But I was well

Upon my way to sleep before it fell,

And I could tell

What form my dreaming was about to take.

Magnified apples appear and disappear,

Stem end and blossom end,

And every fleck of russet showing clear.

My instep arch not only keeps the ache,

It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.

I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.

And I keep hearing from the cellar bin

The rumbling sound

Of load on load of apples coming in.

For I have had too much

Of apple-picking: I am overtired

Of the great harvest I myself desired.

There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,

Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall.

For all

That struck the earth,

No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,

Went surely to the cider-apple heap

As of no worth.

One can see what will trouble

This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.

Were he not gone,

The woodchuck could say whether it’s like his

Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,

Or just some human sleep.

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Why do the white beeches in fall sigh?

Great question…this sounds like a query that can only be answered in the form of art! Week two of Autumn Artfest finds us ready to paint, draw, sew, compose, bead—in other words, ready to create. 

This week’s prompt is inspired by German painter Christian Rohlf’s White Beeches in Fall. He completed this expressionist oil painting in 1910. Yet over 100 years later, we still find the painting’s warm, vivid hues and remarkably colorful white trunks to capture the same Autumn of today. 

Here’s the poem this prompt sparked in me:

Why do the white beeches in fall sigh?

 

Worn out by

winter’s ice cold glare,

spring’s manic joy,

summer’s weighty breath,

we beeches have strength

in our white bones

for nothing

but a soft sigh—

and a resigned fall.

 

Need a refresher on what exactly Autumn Artfest is all about?

Each Monday morning, we will post on the blog a prompt for you to ponder and respond to, along with one of our artist’s renditions as an example. Every prompt is a quote or homage to a published poem, painting, or musical piece about Fall. Collect your creations in our downloadable chapbook, Six Breaths of Fall. Embrace the Autumn spirit!

Feel free to vary artistic mediums each week. Here are some art forms to consider:

  • Poetry
  • Painting – watercolor, acrylic, etc.
  • Drawing
  • Microstories
  • Embroidery
  • Beadwork
  • Music composition

Send in photos of your creations to our social media or email. We would love to highlight YOUR breaths of fall on the blog!

~ Claire S. 

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Happy birthday, James Harriot!

All Creatures Great and Small

James Alfred Wight (who used “James Harriot” as a pen name) lived a life worth remembering. You might know James Harriot as the author of All Creatures Great and Small, which happens to be one of my all time favorite books—it’s hilarious, poignant, insightful, and beautifully written. Harriot finds significance and value in the smallest of moments, showing us that we don’t need to travel far and wide to experience the good life. Living deeply starts in the mundane, in the now. All that to say, All Creatures Great and Small is a must-read.

Back to the man behind the book, James Alfred Wight, called “Alf” for short. While All Creatures Great and Small is labeled a memoir, only about half of its content are from Wight’s life. The other half is fiction. 

On his birthday, here’s a glimpse of Wight’s life you might not have caught from reading his books:

  • After German air raids targeted his home cities, Wight enlisted in the RAF (Royal Air Force) in 1942 to serve as a pilot during World War II. He was a skilled pilot but was discharged a year later for health reasons. Going from the RAF to the Yorkshire countryside is quite the change!
  • Wight started writing in earnest after twenty-five years of working as a veterinarian, in his fifties. For the first three years of his writing journey, Wight struggled with rejections. After a publisher advised him to write in the first person and take a more autobiographical route, he struck a tone that resonated with his readership and the rest is history.
  • Wight’s books have sold over 100 million copies! His first six books have all sold over a million copies. 
  • In the book, Siegfried Farnon brought James into his veterinary practice as a partner. Siegfried is portrayed as cantankerous, eccentric, and loveable. Siegfried is based on Wight’s business partner, Donald Sinclair, who fits the bill for this characterization—which might even be a toned down version of what he was like! Wight’s son recalls that the reason Sinclair was “such an eccentric character was that he didn’t think he was.” At first, Sinclair took offense at his characterization in All Creatures Great and Small, saying to Wight, “This book is a test of our friendship.”

If you haven’t had the chance yet, crack open All Creatures Great and Small, a high-school, Level 4 read (Check out the book and guide bundle HERE). I promise you won’t be disappointed!

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Autumn is in the Air—and so is Autumn Artfest!

September 22nd is a big day. It marks the shift from lounging in a beach chair to sitting up straight at a desk, from catching whiffs of sunscreen to enjoying pumpkin spice. In other words, September 22nd is the first day of Fall!

One of my favorite parts of Fall is the art associated with it. This might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think “Fall,” but for me, Fall is inextricably tied to the National Arts and Humanities Month of October. I remember drawing each day of October as a high school art student, when art enthusiasts across the country unite to create art every day of the month. October offers us room to slow down, take a deep breath of every-crisping air, and create. 

So, starting today, we are launching our own Blackbird & Company twist on National Arts and Humanities Month. We’re calling it Autumn Artfest!

For the next six weeks (starting on September 28th and running through November 9th), we will shape an art chapbook full of Autumnal ideas. Download this free Print Shop template HERE to create a miniature chapbook with an envelope, titled “Six Breaths of Fall.” Although a chapbook is usually a little book of poetry, we’re using all kinds of mediums—because isn’t all art a kind of poetry?

Each Monday morning, we will post on the blog a prompt for you to ponder and respond to, along with one of our artist’s renditions as an example. Every prompt is a quote or homage to a published poem, painting, or musical piece about Fall. Embrace the Autumn spirit!

Feel free to vary artistic mediums each week. Here are some art forms to consider:

  • Poetry
  • Painting – watercolor, acrylic, etc.
  • Drawing
  • Microstories
  • Embroidery
  • Beadwork
  • Music composition

Lastly, submit a picture of your favorite Autumn Artfest creations for a chance to win a featured post on the blog! We’d love to highlight your hard work and creativity. (Submission link coming soon!)

Here’s to Autumn Artfest!

~ Claire S.

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Today is the deadline for Pages registration!

It’s the first day of September! And you know what that means…today is the deadline for Session 1 Pages registration!

What exactly is the purpose of Pages? Pages live online classes foster competence, creativity, and confidence in students as they press into the important work of becoming literate. Being able to communicate an original, BIG idea is the ultimate goal of English Language Arts. 

At Blackbird & Company, we offer dozens of Pages classes each year taught by our expert teachers. From Literature to Research to Art and more, there’s a class for every student. You can peruse our course offerings HERE. And of course, don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about where to place your student. We’re happy to help!

As a Pages teacher myself, I’ve found that our small class sizes really give students the opportunity to be known, to not only develop as writers but also as humans. Students are both challenged and supported—for what better way can we nurture young minds than by encouraging them to think deeply about ideas? Than by taking risks in their writing? By reading great books?

I, for one, can’t wait to see my students again this September. 

One parent writes, “Thank you for making class so enjoyable and personal. My daughter’s writing has really expanded since being in classes with you.” – Brit

Here’s to the 2026/2027 Pages school year!

~ Claire S.

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Summer Bingo closes August 31st….so cross off your last boxes!

Quick! Before summer thumps shut like a dusty book, one more deadline approaches: the end of Summer Bingo! 

Summer Bingo submissions close August 31st (Click HERE to submit). Finish off the season strong by journaling about your day, lending a book to a friend, or making a craft—all with the chance to win some wonderful prizes! 

Here’s a reminder of the prizes you can win with a Bingo submission:

With every bingo you get (which means you’ve completed five activities in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally), you’re entered into a raffle to win the Corduroy book and stuffed animal set or the Matilda book and pencil pouch. The more bingos you submit, the more entries you have! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But that’s not all: If you get a blackout (which means you’ve completed every activity on the bingo square), you’ll be entered into a raffle to win ANOTHER Solo Stove—this one being a Mesa Tabletop Fire Pit. With a blackout also comes a 20% off coupon code for one item!

Download Summer Bingo for free on Print Shop. Let’s soak up these precious days of freedom!

~ Claire S.

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We love (and support) our teachers.

The first day of school is right around the corner. Your curriculum is selected, your books assembled, your students in their seats (or near them, at least)—but, as you know, there’s so much more to teaching than having the right materials. 

A good teacher is inspired. And they pass that inspiration on to their students. 

We at Blackbird & Company are here to walk alongside you, lightening the burden of planning and logistics to create room for your imagination to soar. Let us support you through this adventure of a school year.

Here are some of the support resources we offer on our website:

  1. The Blog — You’re already here, which is a great step to take! BUT, chances are, there’s more to the blog than you would have guessed. Filter by category to peruse the topics that are most relevant to you, like Pages, Print Shop, Write Ideas, and Writing Resources. Glean new teaching strategies and learn more about the resources at your fingertips.
  2. Schedules and Lesson Plans — Fitting together teaching schedules and lesson plans can feel like putting together a puzzle in which none of the pieces fit together. That’s why we created these resources for every grade level collection AND individual subject. Take a moment to peruse our expertly-assembled teaching schedules and lesson plans. 
  3. Online Pages Classes — Whether you’d like to learn how to use Blackbird & Company guides by seeing another teacher apply them, or you’re homeschooling and want your student to find community with peers and another teacher, our online Pages Classes might just be for you.
    We offer 5-week (and longer) classes for every student. From our CORE curriculum of Earlybird to Level 4, and our Application materials like Essay, Research, and One True Sentence, our friendly teachers can’t wait to meet this year’s students.
    But keep in mind, the deadline for Session 1 sign-ups is September 1st—so take a look now!
  4. Print Shop — We’ve been abuzz with the Print Shop news lately, which you’ve probably picked up on if you’ve kept an eye on the blog! With a slew of downloadable ABCeDarian crafts, Reader’s Guides, One True Sentence worksheets, and more, we aim to create thoughtful, high-quality learning supplements that will deepen students’ engagement with the arts. 
  5. Video Collection — Learn more about how to adopt a literature-based language arts education with the Video Collection on our website. We offer professional development videos, including how to teach phonics, and videos that supplement units like Operation Lexicon: Traits of Character.

So amidst the whirlwind of educating young minds, draw on these resources to take time away from planning and stressing, and channel it into inspiration. Let us not forget that learning—and watching others learn—is one of the greatest joys of this life!

~ Claire S.