#sol17 Commencement Day

I purchased my eight,

Distinctive, marbled notebooks,

One for each of my groups,

One extra, just in case,

Space for goals, plans, 
Running records,

Conference notes, 

Informal assessments 

Planning for progress monitoring

Way back in July 

In anticipation of this day.

I purchased a new, 

Back-to-school-style dress,

Sleeveless, just in case it's hot,

At an end-of-the-summer sale

Then cleaned out my closet,

Organized shoes,

Sorted mismatched socks

Knowing I will not need them for awhile,

Way back in August

In anticipation of this day

I swam, yesterday, even if it was cool,

Noting I would be in school in 24 hours,

I soaked up the last rays of summer vacation,

Before I showered and headed to bed,

Noting I would be leaving home in the dark,

I felt those ol' familiar butterflies of excitement

Mingle with saying goodbye to a long respite

Filled with new adventures, sights and books.  

I cleaned the fridge,
Did a load of laundry,
Loaded the dishwasher,
Ran the vaccuum
Gave myself a pep-talk,

Promising to find time to exercise,

Pack lunches, eat breakfast,

As I headed to bed, 

Anticipating a fitful sleep.

Grateful for another opportunity

To make a difference.

Thankful for this

Commencement Day.
Thinking that good endings

Make good beginnings
Yet, secretly wondering about
The chance for a "snow day?"   

@performingineducation Mentor Texts for Persuasive Thinking

I had already been immersed in the thinking about reading clusters of books around themes/big ideas/ enduring understandings as I prepared for this spring semester when I cam upon this Performing In Education post about mentor texts for teaching persuasive thinking!
http://www.performingineducation.com/2014/12/10-mentor-texts-for-teaching-persuasive.html
You really should check out the whole list......I'm ordering this, new-to-me, text right now!

  

. 

The First Thanksgiving: Wisdom From the Wampanoag About Wearing Fur

It's no secret that this site is one of my late November favorites.  It's a winner for close reading and determining meaning from complex texts.

http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/webcast.htm


Another reason I return year after year is that Scholastic keeps updating the site!  This year, I learned that we've been wearing our "furs" all wrong!  You need to wear the FUR side next to your skin in cold weather for maximum warmth and the fur side to the outside in rainy weather as fur naturally repels water.  Now I know!

Wampanoag Homesite: Witness the day-to-day life of the indigenous people who were part of the Wampanoag Nation in this 17-minute video for all grades

Grammarly: Just another Spellchecker, or your path to better content?

To all of us who may have gotten a little "sloppy" with the old grammar in the past generation or so,

   You should read this article: 
   Grammarly: Just another Spellchecker, or your path to better content?  It starts with this pretty great quote:

Grammarly is an Online Tool that claims to “reviews and improves your text, correcting grammar, spelling, word choice and style mistakes with unmatched accuracy.”  There is a free trial even if it will be a bit pricey after that.  I am doing the free trial right now myself.   starting a free trial. 

This program picks up not only subject-verb agreement, but also dangling modifiers and better word choices.  One thing that has become abundantly clear to me is that our written English ha become quite sloppy over the last hundred years or so.  As I tried this program last night, I could imagine my Grandmother, a teacher long ago, smiling from ear-to-ear. "Thank goodness grammar is back in vogue," she'd say.   

#celebratelu2014 Breathing, Reading and Treating

Another week is coming to a close and thanks to Ruth's urging, I am linking up to "Celebrate This Week" and thinking about how amid the stress and strife, there really are things to celebrate!

• My mother has not been doing well. She's been struggling for every breath and often tired of the "fight" to live. Then, she tried the Prednisone her doctor suggested, and as is possible with the magic of pharmacology, her breathing eased and her talking increased.  The women sitting in her chair last night, looked and sounded like "my mother."  So, I celebrate  Arthur Nobile and the Schering Corporation.  
• One of my struggling beginning readers joined me on the journey to becoming a reader yesterday.  He turned the page, confidently and began.  "Mmmme..mmy..lllllll..little...dd..dog...llll.likes to s.s.s.sssleep with me. My little dog likes to ...get..e.e.eat with me...."   I watched him point to each word (a first) without me urging (forcing) him to do so.  I glanced at his mouth "getting ready" for each word by making the sound of the first letter. I looked at his confidence as he looked at pictures, read ahead, tried again and literally "wrestled" each and every word to the ground.  Perhaps it was because he was dressed as Captain America, or perhaps it was just his "time" to put those strategies to work  Whatever it was, I celebrate assessment-guided- differentiated instruction and a great B level story! 

 

• Last but certainly not least is this:  Yes indeed, teachers (but not parents) are celebrating that THIS Halloween was on a Friday.  They MIGHT just come back down to earth by Monday.  

#celebrately2104 Perhaps I was a little scared

As I reflect on this busy week, I realize that even though my sinuses are working overtime and I am exhausted from my day "off," I am also excited about the "challenge" ahead and reflective as to why we all need to "step away from the classroom" and into the role of "learner" every once in a while.

I took a bit of Dayquil before I headed to the Google Apps for Education (GAFE) conference yesterday and sure was glad that I could "override" the side effects of the little-people in my life who graciously share their colds. I wondered, for a bit, if I were too ill to go....but, perhaps, I was a little scared?

Of course, you have to "prep" to take a day off (if you are a teacher and caregiver) and then there are the logistical issues of carpooling and traveling to a "new" location by 8 AM.  Between all the work and the cold, I was thinking it was not worth all the effort......plus, perhaps, I was a little scared?

The presenters talked fast about the magic they had created with Google Apps and the potential to transform learning environments.  I took notes, on my tablet and contributed to a shared Google Doc about the day, but I also jotted a few things in a notebook. ........perhaps I was a little scared of remembering it all?

I am embracing the challenge of becoming a Google Educator even though I have a longer, steeper learning curve than many.  I am NOT a digital "native" and thus that "intuitive" part is not really there.  I have to have some explicit instruction, guidance, and feedback in order to "navigate" this digital work.

Certainly, I was disappointed I did not win the Chromebook give-away.

Certainly, I am a little scared because that is HOW we ALL feel when we are learning something new outside of our comfort zone.  

Certainly, I inadvertently sent a Google Hangout request to my "virtual friend" Linda Baie. Sorry about that. But, certainly, I would love to do that someday!

Certainly, I am reminded that my response is similar to my students, reluctant readers and writers, who do not find navigating the reading-writing world "intuitive." 

      

Certainly, it is easier to stay in our comfort zone, avoid risks, and avert failure.  It's hard to embrace "new" roles, relationships, and routines.  Even if you think you want something, it can be overwhelming when you finally have it!  

Perhaps, Certainly, Perhaps, Certainly I am a life-long-learning and I will get "there" - wherever it is I am going - with a little scaffolding, guidance, help.....  

Now I maintain Beary's Blog

I wasn't planning on Beary writing a blog.  

I wasn't planning on kids 

Talking to him all day long

I wasn't planning on him

Holding book bags so carefully. 

I wasn't planning on using him

As a reward.

Yet, quiet as he is,

Beary has quite a bit of power.

With a little help from his friends

He's busy not only with his Readerly Life

But also with a Writerly Life!  

 

 

#SOL2014 Words Matter

You probably know this story as it has been around a long, long time. I've read it more times than I could count  Yet, last week, I saw the story through a brand new lens.  

A group of students was working on finding words that mean the same or nearly the same as key words in the story.  I referred to swamp, marshes, pond.....and then we  landed on the word UGLY woven throughout the story and making a powerful impact on the reader.

"It's not nice to call someone ugly," my student offered.  "It would hurt their feelings." 

"What word should the author have used to describe the swan-hatched-with-ducklings?" I asked.
They knew right away what word they wanted for this context.  It was clear that he was merely DIFFERENT.  

They took it upon themselves to change one word and suddenly, the story was not nearly so sad and the central message glared at all of us.  It really is OK to be different.  .

I must admit that Peter Johnston's central message (from Choice Words, Opening Minds) was ringing loudly in my head as my students took it upon themselves to change the words in the story because indeed Words Matter.  

#celebratelu Impulse Purchases and Little Voices in our Heads

This week, I celebrate "impulse" purchases 

and those little voices in our heads! 

"You don't need him," the practical side of my brain reminded me as I tucked a huge teddy bear into my already laden Costco basket. 

"The kids are going to love you," I thought as I buckled the seat belt around his soft belly Monday morning. 

"I hope you won't be too much of a distraction," the practical side of me wondered as we drove down the interstate listening to the morning news together.  

"Grandma's old rocking chair will be perfect for you," I thought as I nestled Beary into the rocker and put a book in his lap.  

"You can model what good readers do," I told Beary sternly as I got ready for the day, "no goofing around when the kids are here."   

It's been a few weeks now, and Beary has become an integral part of "Reading Club."  He's more focused than I could ever have imagined and is either busy with his own reading or busy watching over the readers and writers who come into and out of our room!
He's always has time for a "good morning" and to listen to the stories of his friends. He eagerly holds onto take-home-book-bags so kids can focus on their reading or writing!   Sometimes, he nestles comfortably next to reluctant or resistant readers and encourages them to take risks and stretch their own reading (I wonder if they can hear his voice in their heads?).  He listens attentively to reader responses and usually sports a "good job" sicker or two, gifts from his friends.
People stop by in the morning, on their way to lunch, and on their way home to check on his progress or to turn the page of his book for him (He may need some OT to help with fine motor issues).
On Monday, I'm told, he will begin writing Beary's Book Blog. I think his first post will be about that ol' familiar tale, Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  I can hear his little voice (in my head) composing that first post!      

#celebratelu Date Night at the Depot

Thanks to Ruth Ayers, I am reflecting on the small celebrations of my week:

* Students, even the ones who struggle mightily, have not only recovered their "summer slide" but also soared ahead assuring me, once again, that good foundations for reading and writing hold up through the summer!

* My mother, who had taken to her bed just a week ago and assured us all that she was "done," decided it was time to get her hair done the other day assuring me, once again, that a good hairdresser will carry you through many of life's adversities!

* I spent the morning with a dear friend sharing memories, stories, lives, and books.  Our lives were bonded by our shared love for reading, writing, our families and books.  Things haven't changed one bit even if I only get to see her a few times a year assuring me that real friends share a bond that surpasses distance and time.

* Then there was "date night" at the Depot in order to pick up a water heater!  This week, my husband will go beyond the "requirements" of his "job" but will certainly make this world a better place when he installs it for someone who really needs it!  

* As we pulled into the "Depot" parking lot, a fireworks display, in the distance, was there to mark the occasion.  I know that they did not do this for "him" but it somehow assured me that good deeds, no matter how small, do not go unnoticed.  http://poughkeepsiejournal.com/ http://pojonews.co/1phGUzt
  

#celebratelu At That Moment

photo from Google images, not my phone!  

If my day is off to a good start, I reach a milepost on the Interstate as Charles Osgood shares his Osgood File.  I was right on schedule the other day when he started talking about one of the top wide receivers in the country, Malcolm Mitchell, who was reading things he never dreamed he could read and was eagerly participating in a book club consisting of 40-50-60 year old women! http://osgoodfile.com/  (You Can't judge a Book By It's Cover, September 17, 2014)

I work with kids who find reading challenging, so my focus was heightened.  I took a mental note of the name thinking maybe I'd try  to get a picture and create a bulletin board about him...or maybe I could get him to autograph a picture and offer it as a reading incentive....but the last thing I remember about the Osgood File that day was something about football coming naturally to him, ...a gift....unlike reading....he had to work hard to read.....

It was a good thing my mental acuity had been heightened because at that moment, traveling with the pack well above the speed limit, a little black car right next to mine began to enter my space. Somehow, I knew I could not move left as another car was in that slot.  He or she was not looking and my heart began to beat outside of my chest. Somehow, I placed the palm of my hand firmly onto my steering wheel and laid into the horn as if pressing harder would somehow create a magic bubble around my own silvery transporter.  Yet, he kept coming, and while I pumped my brakes and hoped the guy or gal behind me was also experiencing a moment of enhanced acuity, I saw, for a moment, my life, my future, my hopes, and my dreams vanish.

Somehow, at the very last possible moment, with only a sliver of space between us, the black car corrected his course.  Perhaps he or she had been talking on the phone or maybe even texting (although for the life of me I cannot figure out HOW someone could do that at 70+mph on a crowded interstate no less). Perhaps he or she was entranced by the sunrise where fuchsia encased clouds were surrounded by gold fringe.  Perhaps he or she was listening to another radio station!

Thanks to Charles, Malcolm and a Guardian Angel or two, or three, the rest of my trip was uneventful.  I finished sipping my coffee as I stopped at the light nearest to school and marveled that I had made it to school on schedule.  I celebrated small not always acknowledged moments of the day like lunch duty!  I celebrated Open House where I assured parents that sometimes learning to read is hard work, but working together, miracles happen, every day.

I made it to today and I really need to acknowledge Charles, Malcolm and Guardian Angels, everywhere, who not only were hard at work at that moment, but who were also using their gifts, helping small miracles to happen for so many, all week, in all the corners of my life. 

http://www.ruthayreswrites.com/

Pinning or Pining for PD!

I could never have imagined, pinning for PD; however, Pinterest really is a powerful and ongoing means of diverse, yet focused professional development!  The inspirational quotes are really just the tip of the iceberg and yet they catch me, at those weak moments, when I forget how important teachers are.  The practical bulletin board, classroom, and activity ideas inspire me, they really do, just like the old Instructor magazine clippings I used to keep in a recipe box!  The difference is that on Pinterest, I will see them again, and again and yet again as my "friends" pin the best of the best and the great ideas spread across the internet!   

I'm "using" (well maybe "keeping" is a better word here)  my old box for recipes these days :)

#celebratelu2014 A week filled with Looking Ahead

Earlier this month, I did a 7 day Positivity Challenge on Facebook writing about 3 things that were good for 7 days.  I found it uplifting in spite of my August funk and quickly connected to why I do this Celebrate each Saturday, thanks to Ruth Ayers inspiration!

http://www.ruthayreswrites.com/

This week I celebrate Smart Phones, New Friends, and Looking Ahead.

1. I celebrate my new phone. My old Droid with the cracked screen had become possessed and begged for retirement.  I did have to give up my unlimited use of data on my own plan, but now, people can call and I can answer! Plus, I can text, monitor Twitter, and even answer emails again.  Best of all, when I access the driving directions on Maps, it takes me to streets that really exist rather than saying, "turn left on East Manchester Grove" when I am in the middle of an interstate! 

2. My husband also upgraded to his FIRST ever smart phone.  At first he was excited because texting became FAR easier as he could abandon the multiple hitting of keys to find letters. Then, he realized it took great panoramic pictures and amazing videos.  Last night, he announced he answered an email on his phone.  Welcome to the 21st Century! I suspect we will need that extra gigabyte of data they gave us as a "thank you" for making our phone bill bigger!    

3. We have lots of new students in my school this year. They have moved from the big city, small towns, apartments, farms and places far away/  People are choosing our district!  That is a sign that even though our school is far from perfect, we are on a positive trajectory!    

4. Even better than all those new kids are the NEW TEACHERS.  I am looking forward to their new ideas, energy, and enthusiasm for life and learning. I am lucky to still be around to learn from them. Plus, they can show me how to get my work email on my new smart phone!  

5. When the alarm goes off at 4:40 on Tuesday, I will not be happy!  I'll lay in bed thinking, ""The summer was too short" even though my vacation was much longer than most people could imagine!  The morning will be dark and most likely cold.  I will have had a fitful night sleep (always happens before the first day of school)! I will think about pulling the comforter over my head, but I won't. I will lay there for a few minutes and remember that my new back to school skirt (it's blue and lacy) and notebook (with the Steve Jobs quote) are waiting for me.  I will begin to feel the butterflies flapping in my stomach as I brush my teeth. I will feel the excitement build as I shower. I will likely leave a few minuets early as you never want to be late on the first day.  I will splurge on a coffee at DD (perhaps with pumpkin spice).  I will know that I am one lucky lady as I have the chance, again this year, to make a difference in the learning of children who find reading and writing challenging.  I really do have a lot to celebrate even as I THINK about Tuesday morning!      

Welcome Back: What did you do this summer?

For those in education, 

"How was your summer?"

Rolls off the tongue,

Those first words to each other.

Off the pen.

The dreaded first essay

That first assignment:

If I'd gone to Europe, 

There'd be too much to say.

Too many "small moments" to share.

If I'd stayed home,

Watched movies,

Read books,

Who'd care?

"It was good," 

I'll respond again this year.

Ever grateful that I chose the profession

That assures prolonged summers.

Knowing that so many others are envious.

I won't bother those with details of 

Dreams, Hopes, Prayers,

Trips to Europe, 

Backpacking tours of Nepal,

Oceanfront stays in Bali,

Expeditions to the South Pole,

All those stories are my own,

In my head.

I'll tell them of picking blueberries,

Snippets of love in the heat of the day,

Filling our buckets, hats, 

Eating our weight in warmed by the sun sweetness

That gushes in your mouth.

Toasting marshmallows under the Super Moon,

The warmth of the fire dwarfed 

By the power of family love. 

Sleeping under the stars,

Swarmed by mosquitoes, 

But not bothered,.

Snippets of View, Chew, Today,

What Not To Wear

Ice bucket tipping,

Great novel writing,

Great book reading,

Rocking on the porch

To the rhythm of summertime.

8 Weeks of Free Teacher Resources for Back to School

8 Weeks of Free Teacher Resources for Back to School

#celebratelu The week when the butterfly hung around all afternoon

I’m once-again joining up with Ruth Ayres for her weekly link-up, Celebrate This Week, .HERE

after a summer-writing-blogging-link-up-break because I've noticed as I have been "lurking" over at Celebrate that reflecting and writing really does help me to focus on the joy, rather than other emotions, in my life!

1. This Summer.  It's been remarkably cool, calm, and quiet! I'm actually a little bored and a little ready to go back to school even though I cringed, rolled over, and said some not lady-like words when the alarm went off the other morning!  I'm grateful for the opportunity for another year shaping lives through the power of the written word.

2. His Phone.  My husband, finally got a smart phone this week.  His old, flip top, "dumb" phone (as he called it) still worked like a charm in spite of the fact that you needed to hit the key three times to write a "C" and so it was very hard for him to make this change.  Within an hour, he was excitedly sharing 180 degree panoramic photos and exclaiming the wonders of his phone-camera-computer-keyboard-computer-text friendly-WiFi ready-calculator strapped securing on his belt in a Gorilla case. "Did you know it finds itself when it gets lost?" he commented just a few hours later!  Once you move ahead into the 21st Century, you can't go back!    

3. The Story. I've written, revised, edited, cut, rewritten and reflected on my "book" this summer.  It's different and yet every time I reread, I find myself drawn into the story. I'm hopeful and optimistic it might just get somewhere someday!

4. The Butterfly My hopes, dreams and prayers do not always turn out exactly the way I hope, dream and pray; yet, when the largest butterfly I have seen in a very long time hung around all afternoon yesterday, I was confident that my hopes, dreams and prayers have been acknowledged.  

Mastering the Teaching Game

Mastering the Teaching Game

Over on Edutopia this week, Tomlinson shared a post, Mastering the Teaching Game.  It's a good one for this time of year as we "gear up" and "psych up" for a new year with new challenges and all the potential that new learning can offer.

I spent some time in the past few days setting up my room.  There is a lovely, inviting reading area and the charts and books are ready to go.  While it may not be Pinterest worthy, I think it looks inviting and enticing.....and I was proud of how it looks.....and thinking I was all set.....until I read this article and was reminded that we also need to prepare our HEADS and our HEARTS to teach......and to learn.......it's not just about pretty spaces and images.....

This article, which you really should read, is based on a successful tennis coach, Coach Groeneveld, because as we all know, what teachers REALLY DO is to COACH learning!

"All human beings can achieve far more than they believe they can."

"Success comes from the desire to work hard to achieve a goal." 

"It's not enough to only teach skills."

"Make sure the player [student]takes responsibility for his or her decisions."

 
"Being a good coach [teacher]means dissecting the player's [student's] game"

"When there is resistance from a player [student], don't take no for an answer." 

"There's no single way to coach [teach]players [students]."

How to live and work effectively

 I'm a support teacher, 

Sharing classrooms and students.

I observe, I reflect

Thoughts on sticky notes.

Here are a few

That appear to impact

How to work effectively with

And live happily with

People

Laugh, Smile

Be fair, Be kind

Be nice

Share

Don't boast

Think before you react

Protect, Trust

Respect property

Respect ideas

Respect words

Clean up after yourself

Admit when you are wrong

Overlook when others are wrong

Forgive and forget

Be patient

After I wrote this list, 

I thought it sounded kind of familiar

....it was!  

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten 

    

close reading: snippets and resources

So, I've developing a grad course....and searching for resources.  Just in case this might interest a reader or two, I am sharing.  CLOSE READING RESOURCES 

http://www.learninga-z.com/commoncore/close-reading.html
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec12/vol70/num04/Closing-in-on-Close-Reading.aspx
http://www.mhecommoncoretoolbox.com/close-reading-and-the-ccss-part-1.html
http://www.teachingthecore.com/close-reading-common-core-2/
http://www.achievethecore.org/ela-literacy-common-core/sample-lessons/close-reading-exemplars
http://www.teachingthecore.com/non-freaked-out-common-core-close-reading/
http://iteachicoachiblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/five-simple-close-reading-strategies.html
http://www.commoncorereadinglessons.com/
http://www.teachability.com/community/cc/blog/2012/02/22/close-reading-a-topic-of-lively-discussion-among-teachers