history of teacher education: or it has not always been so hard!

#SOL2013 Did you tell her what you told me?

When I arrive on a Saturday night, it is usually for a coveted "date night" for their Mom and Dad.  The girlies, have plans to craft, color, play games, and read books. It's always a special time when "Auntie" zooms in for a good-old-play-date.  Over the years, it's gotten easier as they no longer need bottles, rocking, diapers and dressing.  Yet, in another way, it is getting harder and harder! 

When I arrived, this last time, their dad asked, "Did you tell Auntie what you told me this morning?"
"Not yet," one of the girlies said sheepishly as if the words might spoil the surprise ahead. 
"Well," dad continued, "I heard that you, Auntie, tell the BEST stories."  As he wrapped his scarf around his neck and scurried out the door for a long-coveted date night filled with adult-conversation and food, he smiled, "No pressure or anything, just thought you should know!"

I've never really considered myself to be a storyteller and truth-be-told, while I read to them until they refused to sit through any more books, my own personal children did not have nightly storytelling.  For the girlies, my stories, coming at the heels of bedtime story reading, were originally a way to distract suddenly-sullen-small children who seriously-missed their parents.  Over the years, these stories have grown in length and improved in quality!  Now, they might even be considered the coveted! 

I usually craft some characters, roughly similar to the girlies and what they have done that day.  I usually craft a setting that we can all "see" and have some problem or conflict that we can unpack and solved in just a few minutes

The other night, the story was set in a castle with 101 books, 101 toys, 101 steps, a bathtub swimming pool and a master bedroom trampoline bed!  I spent an enormous amount of time elaborating on the moat filled not with alligators, but with goldfish, because they asked questions about the moat.  I elaborated on the castle's floors and bedrooms when they seemed to want to know every detail.  I must admit that the black-as-night bedroom with twinkling star lights I described sounded pretty cool and that shower complete with rainstorm sound effects sounded like it might be a best seller at Castle Depot! 

As I finally, wrapped up the story, there were two smiling customers and I knew I had secured my title for at least a few more months!   I could feel the influence of writing guru, Donald Graves, who long ago proposed we all find that voice inside us to be a little stronger when we have a purpose and an audience! 

Two Score and Ten Years Ago

Two score and ten years ago, a school bus dropped some kids at St. Joseph's Church.  Back in those days, Friday afternoons were early release times.  Some kids went for religious education classes.  Others went home to prepare for Seders. While all this sounds strange today (even to me), it really did happen, back in those days!  As we got off the bus, red-eyed nuns hurriedly pinned tissues into our hair to assure no one went into church unless they had something in their hair.  While all this sounds strange today (even to me), it really did happen, back in those days! 

We were hushed and ushered into the church where women in long black veils were sobbing and lighting candles. The priest, his back to us, preformed, perhaps, a silent mass.  The church slowly filled with people who looked as if the world was about to end.  While all this sounds strange today (even to me), it really did happen, back in those days!   We were told to get on our knees and pray.  We did so without questioning.  Kids did not question a habit-clad nun who seemed to be holding the whole world on her shoulders.  While all this sounds strange today (even to me), it really did happen, back in those days!  Nothing was said to us about the horrific events of the afternoon as we were herded onto buses.  While all this sounds strange today (even to me), it really did happen, back in those days!

 

Later, the whole family huddled around our tiny black and white TV and watched as a first lady, covered in bloody clothes swore in a new president.   We ate quietly in front of the tiny TV from which we rarely moved all weekend.  It was as if time stood still for all of us.  While all this sounds strange today (even to me), it really did happen, back in those days!     

 

No one talked of his transgressions and no one questioned his illnesses or personal weaknesses.  Reporters did not do that in those days.  While all this sounds strange today (even to me), it really did happen, back in those days!  No one wanted our innocence (as a country, as a people) to be shattered and so we sat, in silence and hoped that somehow, through naming schools, airports and roads after our fallen hero (whose life was cut short and whose dreams were not fulfilled) we could remember the good and somehow, find the strength to go forward. While all this sounds strange, it really did happen!     

#Slice of Life 2013 A Trip to the Mall

 
 
"Do you want to go to Danbury this afternoon?" he asked with the tone of someone who would rather be riding bikes or out pulling weeds, but who wanted to do something on a dreary, drizzly Sunday afternoon.  "We could go to Home Goods and then Macy's for that make-up you've been talking about getting," he volunteered knowing we needed both coffee mugs and makeup desperately (think 2 weeks of mineral oil stretching)!

I felt a bit like Rip Van Winkle as explored stores filled to the brim, prepared for the onslaught of shoppers.  There were new-to-me-stores throughout the mall and I mused, "You get more choices here than you do shopping on Amazon" (the best invention for busy people since sliced bread)!

The crowd, at Home Goods, maneuvered carts, filled with blankets, pillows, toys, pots and trinkets. At Macy's, the AFLAC ducks greeted me, and I hadn't even been injured!  Santa was engaged in discussions with children dressed in holiday-photo-card-apparel.  Shopping bag carrying customers scurried about scoffing up sales that seemed to be everywhere (10 days before the mall would open at midnight for sales?)   

I came home with 4 white coffee mugs and some fresh make-up; however, I did get the wake-up call that the holiday season is bearing down on us at breakneck speed.  I guess that is why everyone was scurrying and the AFLAC duck is awaiting a busy season! 

 

CCSS Controversies: Cursive Writing

Washington Post

1. Should all students learn cursive? Some states say yes

   

   
   In today's Poughkeepsie Journal, an article about cursive writing.  One of the NEW CCSS inspired controversies!   

    

Silent Sunday: No Words

Story boards

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/collection/visual-tools-differentiating-reading-and-writing-instruction

Lots to Celebrate

 

It was a three-day weekend,

Followed by a four-day-work-compressed week.

A zillion running records inter-mingled with

Word lists, phoneme assessments,

Writing assessments, IEP assessments,

The stress of report card time,

Mid-term grad-student papers,

And a relentless sinus infection.

 

Yet, I have much to celebrate including

A family birthday party

(with a rainbow cake that has gone viral)

Dinner with my son

(and his friend Jake)

Brunch with my daughter

(on her way to a friendship bracelet making party)

A financial planning meeting with my aunt

(who was cooperative)

Quality time with my mother

(who I am lucky to still have)

 

 

 

Resources for Understanding the Common Core State Standards | Edutopia

Resources for Understanding the Common Core State Standards | Edutopia

A Sweet Slice of Life

Thanks to the TWT Slice Of Life Challenge,

 

This is

Not a slice of cake

Laden with sugars, calories.

 

This is

A sweet slice of life,

Layers of love, luscious chocolate,

A one-of-a-kind cake,

Made by a one-of-a-kind mom,

 To celebrate a once-in-a-lifetime birthday,

Filled with laughter and love,

 

This is  

A reminder

 That life can be sweet,

For those who watch their heart

Multiply and divide.

 

This is

A promise from above,

Rainbows follow storms.