#sol14 March 9 Spring's Ahead

This morning,

White mountains are ever present,

On the edge of the driveway,

Ice fisherman are out,

On frozen ponds and lakes,

Snowmen are standing proudly,

Confident, perhaps even cocky, these days.

Playgrounds, parks, ball fields, frozen in time,

Waiting silently, patiently, anxiously.

This morning,

The clocks spring forward,

A sign, a single sign,
Spring's ahead!

This afternoon,
Lacrosse sticks, baseball gloves,
Bats, balls, bikes
Will emerge hesitantly from hibernation,
More signs, assured,
Spring's ahead.

#sol14 #celebrate lu March 8 Friday Night Renditions of A Cold Lady

This morning,

There are still grades to do,

Power points to complete,

Quilts to finish,

Miles to go before I sleep.

Yet, this morning,

 I smile and celebrate

A Friday night date night

A moment in the spotlight,

A little girl proudly emerging a reader,

Multiple renditions of Little Rabbit's Birthday,

Multiple renditions of There Was A Cold Lady,

A bedtime story, catching up on the cuddling!

Ruth Ayres writes: Rescued {2 of 40 Stories}

When I share a post on this blog, it is as much for ME to remember and find it as it is to shared.  THis one is meant for both.  No matter who you are...
ruth ayres writes: Rescued {2 of 40 Stories}: Click here for the back story. I know what it's like to have prayed so long for a baby that you can't pray for it anymore. ...

#sol14 March 7 The Stop Sign

I always thought  EVERYONE learns to read this sign as one of their first "words"!

 

Now, I know differently.

As I drove down the Saw Mill Parkway, I noticed the black SUV in the "shoot," approaching the stop sign, on my right.  I never imagined that the driver did not know what that sign meant!  Rather than stopping or even slowing down, the driver gunned his engine, powering his car to fly through the stop sign and emerge onto the highway in the speed of light! 

Somehow, I did a "lateral" praying that there was no car to my left.  We missed by inches. I was so close I could not even see his license plate.  This time, we were all lucky.  

At school, I checked to make sure my pulse had slowed to within a normal range.
I check to make sure my legs had stopped shaking before I tried to stand on them.
Then, checked to make sure everyone, kindergartners included, could read this sign!

 

#sol14 March 6 Old School vs. New School Faculty Meetings

In the old days,

Faculty meetings were dreaded,

Principals droned about issues,

Read lists of events.

Discussed building concerns.

Today, we drew island maps

Included names in the title,

Mine had three beaches, 

(one designated for reading and writing),

A digital and a print library, 

A "Way Off TJ Maxx,"

Even a "Low Impact" Gym

(with no road to get there!)! 

You could hear a pin drop,

As we became one with our maps

To understand the power of rubrics. 

My mind wandered to an unspoken

Yet Central Idea,

 We (all) need to write, draw, paint, engage in

Personally meaningful topics

On our journeys to college 

And through careers.   

sol14 March 5: Love at first lick

I'm expecting, so to speak,
Waiting, patiently, anxiously,

For a new member of my "family."

She might be mature, trained,
In need of a loving home,
Rescued from a pound, from a shelter.

He might be tiny,
With paws suggesting something else.
Still seeking a mom's tender touch,
Waiting to be housebroken,
Learning to walk on a leash,
Ready to chew his way into our hearts.

She might have a long tail or short ears,

He might have long straight hair or never shed.

I'm expecting,

To fall in love,

Like I have before,
At first lick.

#sol14 March 4th I have a picture of those letters in my mind!

During the opening minutes of Fundations Reading sessions, students  recite the letter-key word- sound for every letter and digraph learned.  I say, "Readers, look over here at the sound board," and they begin "sounding off," so to speak! Their familiar "a-apple-ah and e-Ed-eh," grounds us before we head into new reading and writing experiences that stretch us. (The chart, on the left, is ever-present!) 

To monitor progress and assure assessment guided instruction, we use many CBM (curriculum based measures) such as the one that asks students to write the lower case letters of the alphabet.  They start with "a" and write as many letters as they can until I tell them to stop.  It takes just 60 seconds and gives me lots of information about how students are internalizing letter formations and about their "writing fluency."  

I turn the usual the easel sideways so that students will look "inside their minds" rather than copy letters during this assessment (see photo to the left).  As I told the students to begin the other day, one little boy leaned over closely and assured me, "I know some of the other kids will have a hard time doing this, but you can't trick me!  I  know all the letters, 'cause I have a picture of them in my mind."

"I bet you do," I said as I smiled, but I thought to myself, "I sure hope you do!"

#sol14 March 3: Dessert first

Yesterday, Melanie write about eating dessert first, and I instantly thought of my Aunt.  Every week, her Peapod order includes at least a half gallon of ice cream.  Sometimes it's strawberry and other times it's Chunky Monkey!  Every week, there are either bakery chocolate chip cookies or  Pepperidge Farm Milanos.  She is quick to order Little Debbie Crumb Cakes and Sara Lee "home baked" apple pies!   I have never had met rejection with an éclair brought into that house!

At 91, after a broken hip and a long recovery, my Aunt is "letting" me manage her household; however, she is "telling me" what she wants to eat!  She is keenly aware, these days, that there is no reason to waste your energy nor your time eating fruits and veggies!  Many nights, she skips dinner and just has a "light" dessert of some ice cream and a cookie or two.   

"Why not eat some dinner before your dessert?" I asked when I shared the concerns of her caregivers who think she should eat meat and veggies first.. 

"Life is short," she chuckled, "and I get full quickly these days.  So I should eat dessert, first. If I was still hungry, I'd have some dinner, but I don't want to fill up on soup or veggies!"     

#sol14 Day 2 March 2: Snow, snow, go away

We've had more "snow days" this year than I can remember. Most of them have been "announced" the night before so we haven't needed to do any of the "tricks" kids and teachers do to "make" those greatly anticipated snow days happen!  I am sure you've done them too!

•  Wear your pajamas backwards and inside out.
•  Brush your teeth with the opposite hand. 
•  Flush at least 6 ice down the toilet (one for each inch of anticipated snow).
•  Put a spoon under your pillow.
•  Pray for a snow day! 
•  Do all of your homework!

On the eve of another potential "snow day," in a year with too many of them, I figure we have to use our collective power to "push" the storm away.  I guess that means we should:  

•  Wear our pajamas the right way..
•  Brush and floss our teeth well.   
•  Flush the toilet, after you use it. 
•  Keep your spoons in the drawer where they belong.  
•  Pray for a school day (who would have ever thought of that!)
•  Don't do all of your homework! (Watch the Oscars, a movie or a basketball game!)  

#sol14 #celebratelu Day 1: Words, words, words

http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2014/03/01/sol14day1/

This morning, 

A month-long celebration of  words begins.

We'll be sharing "slices," 

Small "bites" filled with the words,
Sweetness, sadness,

Joys, hopes,
Images and sounds of life. 

This week, 

I have been reminded,

Again, and again,

Of the impact and influence of words,
Spoken, written.

We use them from our earliest of days, 

Learning that words can make others happy, 

Fulfill our wants and needs,

Learning that words are powerful,

Sharing thoughts, messages and ideas.

Words can be devastating,

Taking our breath away, 

The wind out of our sails,

Leaving us bereft, distraught, 

Saddened, 

Not sure of what to say.

Words can change the course,

Of history, of lives, of love,

Taking our breath away,

Filling us with anticipation,

Joy.

Today, 

This week,

I celebrate 

The potential of words

To do more good than harm

To heal, provide hope.