Reading and MORE Reading

I've found myself doing quite a bit of reading and writing (across a WIDE range of texts) this summer! 
In addition to the cookbooks I have been scouring (looking for kale recipes this weekend!), this week I read a number of articles on miscue analysis, running records, and reading records in preparation for our class discussion.  It started out as a quick review, but as I sat on the porch with a huge iced tea one afternoon, I found myself thinking a lot about this area of literacy assessment.  Now I am sure this does not sound like exciting summer reading to everyone, but it really got me thinking about the level of analysis we expect teachers to use in the reading /running records used to monitor students' reading progress.  In rereading Goodman's and Wilde's work on Miscue Analysis along with Clay and Foutas's work on running records, I was reminded that running records were meant to be an informal ongoing tool and never meant to substitute for a "good old fashioned" miscue analysis when trying to decipher the needs of an older or a struggling reader.  I do think this is where the DRA and now the F & P have tried to go with their "reading records" but I think that we need to differentiate our assessments of struggling learners even more!
Then, during a quick trip to Walmart, I picked up a copy of Heaven Is For Real.  Perhaps I got suckered in by the title or the morning talk show hype about the book, (yes I do catch Regis and Kelly sometimes on summer mornings) but I did grab the book (that was still in my car) as I went to check on my son after his early morning appendectomy!  While he rested from surgery, I read the book (not all that well written byt the way but a compelling story) and really would have loved to talk to someone else who had read it!  I encouraged my son to read it; but he quickly dismissed it as "fake" and written by the father.  I've thought a lot about this subject this week too and hope that the book is not a "fake"!  There has certainly been MANY situations when those who preach on Sundays have not maintained their credibility all week long; however, I really want to believe that NO parent would sacrifice their child for 5 minutes of fame and a bit of $$.
So to round out my reading and thinking about "running" and "5 minutes of fame" this week, I finished Running On Empty (started a while ago but never finished) because it ws sitting on my nightstand!  It really did help to put all my other reading this week into perspective as we all face challenges in our personal and professional lives. We ALL experience many diverse people and perspectives as we travel the "miles" of our lives.  While this book was a bit "boring" in the beginning, it did get me thinking....and reflecting....

What's Organic Anyway? | One Organic Mama

What's Organic Anyway? One Organic Mama

Just Eating Healthy Foods

I actually started the last post a few days ago but some beautiful weather, some marvelous sunsets and a children's story I am writing (about the White Pond Monster - to be posted here soon) have kept me from this blog!!
I am, however, blogging today about my "new reading" and passion for the Summer of 2011 which is eating foods that are "more" organic and healthy than ever before.  We have eaten in a pretty healthy manner for many years and as my kids used to note, we shopped mostly around the perimeter of the grocery store when they were growing up.  In recent years, we have done lots of shopping at stores that focus on fruits and veggies - even if they are not necessarily organic. 
This summer, partially related to my goal to promote health in any way I can and partially related to my summer CSA at the Fishkill Farms, we are eating in a newer and even more healthy manner.  We are getting a lot of "new" veggies to try (garlic shoots ? chard ? ) and we are eating them all!  Last night I tried cooking organic Swiss chard (yummy).  Tonight, we are doing a beet and arugula salad!  I know that I am not alone in this trying to eat healthy (more organic) food as noted in the blog post of someone I watched grow from a pigtailed girl to a wise woman!  http://oneorganicmama.blogspot.com/
I am however in need of some good recipes which means shopping for cookbooks! 
I guess I am exploring a new genre this summer! 

Just Reflecting

At the end of the school year, I always feel a bit overwhelmed with all the assessment and wrap up tasks that must be done.  It's not just the physical packing up of the room that will be "unpacked" in just a few weeks; it;s also the definition of learning as a phenomonae that "comes to an end" rather than as something that changes for a few weeks.  Let me explain what I am thinking.  Right now, there are teachers sitting on beach chairs who have bags filled with juicy novels and the latest from Heinemann.  There are children off at camps with bags filled with Wimpy Kids and comics.  The ads for back to school supplies have already hit the Sunday papers and most of us have not yet unpacked the bottoms of our school bags!  In addition, there are students and teachers in classrooms and outside of classrooms who are learning new ideas and reflecting on their past thinking.  There is a whole lot of "learning" that happens outside of classrooms!
As I looked around my not so perfectly clear house, I was reflecting that teaching is a lot like the household chores we all face.  Both are projects that are ever changing and demand we are always thinking about our next stepts!  There is always something to learn - and always something we could do - but most of the time it is best to reflect on where we have come - and what our next steps might be! 

Just reading.

In preparation for a new schoolyear or a new semester, I am always reflecting on what I have done in the past and what I might be able to do better!  To this end, I revisit the texts I have used and consider what new texts I might use.  For my grad school teaching, I can sometimes get texts to "review" and consider for adoption but often I end up buying a text in order to get it more quickly or because I have already used up my "freebie" allotment from publishers!  I always find sometime new or interesting in my professional reading even if the text I am reviewing / reading is not goign to work for the course I am teaching!  This was the case with a VERY interesting book I just finished: Differentiating Reading Instruction (Laura Robb).
Differentiating has become a bit of a "buzz concept" in schools during the past few years and strategies to move teaching away from teacher centered instruction and more towards student centered learning are clearly described in this texts.  What I liked most about the book is the way Robb describes assessment driven individualized and small group reading coupled with reader responses as essential parts of classrooms where all students learn to be readers.
I will definitely use her assessments and some of her strategies next year with my own students! 

http://www.amazon.com/Differentiating-Reading-Instruction-Teach-Student/dp/0545022983#_

Just Thinking

I have been quiet on the blog for a while; however, that does not mean that I have been reading and thinking!  I've been busy wrapping up the school year (that is the topic for another post - note to self) and preparing for a new semester (Summer II).  In theory, it should be easy.  I have taught the course that starts anew on Tuesday for about 7 years!  I know the course requirements and should (theoretically) just be able to show up and teach; however, that is NOT the way it is for effective teachers OF ANY GRADE.  The well kept secret of teachers everywhere is that we are ALREADY thinking about what we will do next year / next semester.  We are the one profession that "restarts" every year and thus we are always trying to get "it" better!  I am confident that there are both kindergarten teachers AND high school teachers AND college professors EVERYWHERE who are thinking about how the next year / semester might be better.  In fact, the irony of all this is that the MOST effective teachers are the ones who are MOST reflective of their practice.  Perhaps that really is not all that ironic as I bet the best surgeons, plumbers, and cleaners are the ones who are reflecting and planning for the next time...all the time....
My reading for today: Interactive Storybook Reading....it's not enough to just "read" to kids...

Assessing and Teaching

As the school year winds to a close, I find myself struggling with the balance of assessment to determine whole year progress and continued teaching to assure that every day matters.  I guess I find myself in the conundrum every single year and it certainly makes me THINK about the strange, agrarian model of education that has persisted into the 21st century.  Our kids are not off the farm work in the summer and that is not likely to change in the  near future!  PLEASE NOTE that I love a good summer week at the beach as much as the next person and I also think that ALL learners (kids and teachers) need to get away and let the learning settle in while they relax with a good read or two (see last post)! HOWEVER, it is time that we rethink our teaching and assessment model on a bigger scale so that we do not lose June and September as teaching months!

Reflecting on The Help

Usually, I have a few books I collect during the year to devour during "vacations" because there is nothing that says "vacation" like a good read!  So, as soon as I finished my grad school papers last semester, I started The Help.  It had been on my bedside for a while and I had heard that the "movie" was coming out soon so I really wanted to "read" it first!  I was indeed a compelling read and my life was put "on hold" as the characters became part of my world during Memorial Day Weekend. 
The characters were so well developed that they joined me in the living room as the story unfolded.  I "saw" the worry lines in their faces and angst in their eyes as they faced fear and the unknown.  Quietly strong women, changing the world. 
Perhaps I connected with the story a bit more than most readers as I lived in Meridian, Mississippi during the early 60's, this story's setting!  I remember driving to Jackson a few times but more importantly I remember how this little girl from Spring Valley had a zillion questions about the shanty homes that lined sections of every small city in the south.  I had a zillion questions about the separate schools and separate churches and separate entrances to stores.  I had questions that my parents could not answer and questions that I could not ask at school.  It's been quite a few years; however, those images also came back to me clearly as I savored the story's somewhat predictable outcome. 
We talk so much about background knowledge as a tool for comprehension building in reading and this thought bubbled to the surface often as I read this book.  Certainly, my comprehension and enjoyment was augmented by my background knowledge; however, the subject is compelling and important for all of us who share this planet.  While we have come a long way from the segregation of the early 60s, we as a human race still have a long way to travel before we respect the differences and embrace the similarities of all  members of the human race. 
I suggest you read it before the movie comes out and THEN catch the movie, too. 

Perceptions

Today, my lead is the question that is lingering in my head all week.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with expectations you perceive other people have of you?  Specially at this time of year, I often do!
In my teaching world, the spring season brings not only nicer weather and more opportunities for outdoor recess!  It is the time when we start to see the end of the year in focus.  There are students who are making HUGE personal gains in reading and writing and yet, their parents (and I) want them to be "on level."  The students, in spite of all our work, are not yet there, but they are making progress.  At times, I feel like I should do more....
In my job as a professor, I TRY to be supportive and give feedback and opportunities to revise and to read and reread work.  In spite of all my efforts, I can't make everyone happy all the time.  At times, I wish there were more hours in a day!
In my home life, I try to be a  cheerful and supportive wife but it is hard when the papers and emails are demanding my immediate attention.  At times, I order Chinese food and at times I feel inadequate.
In my role of mother to adult children, I try to be a cheerful and supportive mother who is always there when needed, but it too is hard with busy lives and I think my children might see me as "too" busy.  At times, I feel inadequate.
In my roles of Auntie, Sister, Daughter, Niece, & Friend I have the same feelings at times.  If there were a few more hours in every day I might have that bustle finished and would have breakfast with my dearest friends.  I'd stop by more often and call more often and be there for others.....
If I really start to REFLECT on my life, these perceptions are more likely MY feelings than others. 

I am not perfect in any aspect of my life; however, I am doing my best in all aspects of my life!  SO, if you are waiting for a return email, a note about student progress, or a good dinner, please know I am working to get it all done and I am my own worst critic.  In reality I really am doing my best on this journey called life.  I am just not always the "bright light" I wish I could be.   

Readers Who Read About Writers!

I could NOT have made this one up! 
About 6 months ago, at Costco, I picked up a copy of Elizabeth Berg's Home Safe.  Why did I buy it?  It said, on the cover, that the book was a NYTimes Bestseller!  Good enough for me I thought but the book sat on my nightstand and kept falling below whatever book I was currently reading! Sometimes that does happen to me and so this wonderfully crafted tale of a WRITER was almost lost to this semester or writing focus! 
This weekend, I needed to escape into a book before the onslaught of final projects that will be coming my way and so I grabbed the text as I dusted off the nightstand to "look at" while I got my feet prepared for spring!  I started it yesterday morning and in true great book fashion, it was done after breakfast today.  The laundry is NOT finished and there is NO ironing done and the dust bunnies are still hopping around in their glory....but I escaped into a great book about a writer!