It's Poetry Time!!!!!

I haven’t blogged in a long, long time. Actually, that’s not true!!!  I’ve blogged in my local newspaper!!!!!  

Wild Rice with a Wild Side

That’s kept me super busy -

not really the writing….

or the cooking……

or the photos…..

Nope.  What kept me busy was the WORRY!!!!  

But there it is.  It’s out there, so on to something else!

It’s time to teach poetry in my classroom.  Hear the collective sighs of many adolescent boys as they think, “Yippee!”  Here’s what’s going on in class -

·      I’ve jumped onboard with Jeff Anderson’s “Mentor Sentences,” and I LOVE IT!!!!!  I will keep this strategy FOREVER.  Check out his book…..

Mentor Sentences

·      I’ve also jumped onboard with Kelly Gallagher’s thoughts on mentor texts and week-long, current-event texts.  Check out his book……

Readicide

·      I’ve been onboard with interactive notebooks.  I will never get rid of them in my classroom.  I will, however, strive to improve them every year!!!!!

After combining all of these strategies that I’m currently using in my classroom, I’ve created two new products.  One is a week-long study of Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Hope is the Thing with Feathers.”  The other is an updated study of Langston Hughes’ poem, “Mother to Som.”  Here are links to them….just in case you are interested.

Fun and Figurative Language

Well, it’s 7:00am, and I’ve been working since 5:00am.  Time for more coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Happy teaching!!!

Complaining Parents and Upset Students......All In A Day's Work!!!

Every teacher knows the feeling.

When that email pops up from a parent…….no subject line…….no reason in your mind for the contact!!!!!!

You check the calendar.  Nothing coming up soon to warrant communication.  No payments due.  No picture day in the horizon. 

Check the gradebook.  Grades are good…..up-to-date…..

No bad behavior.  No negativity floating around like a bad aura.

THEN WHY ARE THEY EMAILING ME?????????   What is wrong?

What have I done?

What have I NOT done?

What have I said?

Every teacher KNOWS this feeling!!  There is NO WAY there is anything good coming from opening that email!!!!

You put it off for that Loooonnnnngggg  22 seconds, but that’s as long as you can wait………..

And then you open it.  You read it once……twice…..three times.

Your smile begins at the corners of your mouth -------you know the smile------the one that only Jim Carrey makes------no teeth but the mouth muscles are performing acrobatics like Mary Lou Retton.

You are beaming.  You are blushing.  You are preparing your speech and making a mental note to thank the Academy…….

You…………(ME!!!!)  have received an email to compliment you!!!!  Thanking you for getting their child to READ so much!!! 

But wait……….the day gets better. 

THE SAME DAY!!!!

It’s the end of the day.   The very, very end.  A student comes up and hands you a well-worn, folded piece of notebook paper.  It’s been through a lot. 

They hand it to you and inform you that you CANNOT read it till they leave.  Pleading eyes.  Please don’t read it in front of me.

Ok, teachers, back to the opening of this particular blog…….

“Every teacher knows the feeling.”

You are holding one of the following:

1.  Well-worded hate mail complete with advanced vocabulary and superlative adjectives.

2.  Confessional meant for their clergy  teacher.

3.  The beginning of tomorrow’s conversation with the student about the confusion of the opposite sex and how they just don’t understand them!!!

4.  Other.  (Read the word “other” with a negative tone.)

So…….here I go.  Unfold it.  Realize it is TWO PAGES!!!! which means SEVERE ALERT!!!.  It’s even STAPLED for goodness sakes!!!!

We shall repeat the above steps. 

And then you open it.  You read it once……twice…..three times.

Your smile begins at the corners of your mouth -------you know the smile------the one that only Jim Carrey makes------no teeth but the mouth muscles are performing acrobatics like Mary Lou Retton.

You are beaming.  You are blushing.  You are preparing your speech and making a mental note to thank the Academy…….

Ladies and gentleman……..I received a two-page letter from a student CITING EVIDENCE of how happy they are that I’m getting them to READ.

 On the same day as the email from a parent saying basically the same thing.

Are you a Book-Lovin Babe?

How much do you enjoy a good, hot cup of tea, a little something sweet, and a really, really, I MEAN REALLY good book?  That’s exactly what I enjoyed this afternoon.  A cup of green tea precisely steeped.  One package of sweet-n-low.  One teaspoon of honey.  One exceptionally delicious cupcake (maybe two - who’s counting?)  And a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird. 

Sound good? 

What if I told you that I enjoyed all that with 13 beautiful teenage girls who had their first book club meeting this afternoon? 

 Ladies and gentlemen……..presenting…………….

The Bibliophilic Bèbès of Surgoinsville Middle School

Meeting # 1.  First and foremost…….establish the ground rules.  My number ONE rule……don’t read ahead and spoil it for everyone!!!!  We proceeded to come up with other rules regarding attendance, relevant conversations, and the all-important - IF-YOU-SIGN-UP-TO-BRING-SNACKS-YOU-BETTER-SHOW-UP-THAT-DAY rule. 

Moving on.  I handed out little notebooks and instructed them to document anything and everything as they read.  Record their thoughts and come to the next meeting prepared to share.

Next up.  Assign readings for the next few weeks - working our way throughout the book so that during the last meeting before Christmas break we can watch Gregory Peck dazzle us as Atticus Finch, one of the greater men in literary history!!!!

Finally.  I gave a little background.  I read to them about Harper Lee and her infamous friendship with Truman Capote.  I shared some of the more shocking Jim Crow laws. We discussed banned books - what makes them banned - do you agree/disagree - what topics will be found in TKAM, etc. 

Then………let the reading begin.  Mrs. McConnell, our fearsome librarian, began Chapter One.  Before you know it, she had them hooked!!!!  We were so surprised to look up and realize 90 minutes had passed, and it was time to wash the teacups and push in our chairs.

More discussion ensued on the way out about a certain special guest possibly joining us next time - They yelled with excitement!!!!  We also discussed the literary blog I’m working on for them to discuss and share ideas with other book clubs.  They even asked about getting a t-shirt order SOON.  What a great time.  I’m so looking forward to hearing their comments at our next meeting, and I’m praying they will love this classic as much as I do. 

Until then………This Book-Lovin Babe is off to read.  See ya!!!!!

THE SECRET REVEALED! How to get students to read!!!!!

Here it is….. Groundbreaking advice on how to get students to read.!!

It’s remarkable.  It’s phenomenal.  It’s actually THE TRUTH!!!!

Just a little background.  You all know these teachers  people.  The ones who have said OUT LOUD at one time or another in life the following:  

·       I lost so much weight over Christmas.  I can’t seem to put back on those last 5 pounds.

·       I dread the day I find a grey hair.

·       My kids NEVER act that way.  Tsk tsk tsk

·       I’ve got to stop planning so many lessons.  I’m about three months ahead. 

Or they at least have the following:

ü An Erin Condren lesson planner in colors that coordinate with their classroom.

ü Gel pens that their husband got them for Valentine’s Day that were died specifically in the colors that match the above mentioned Erin Condren lesson planner. 

I’m not slamming these!  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM!!!!!!!

ü Vera Bradley’s home phone number to keep up-to-date on when the newest pattern is being released for that Triple Zip Hipster.  (I’m not a fan of Vera, btw)

ü A dog they carry in a tote bag.  (Also known as a “snack” for my pit bull)

Do you get the picture? 

So, you ask this…………………..

“Do your kids enjoy SSR in your classroom?”

Their response…….

Please read the following in the voice of Thurston Howell III.  Really jut out your lower chin and teeth and DRIP with your voice………

Their reponse…….

“My students loooooooooovvvvvvveeeee to read.  I have absolutely no problems at all.” 

I slither away.  Here’s what’s going down in MY room. 

Me:  “Students, you have 10 minutes to check out a book.”

Play Jeopardy music in your mind right now…..for 10 minutes. 

Me:  “Ok, for the next 15 minutes we are going to enjoy SSR.”

SSR: 

Silent Sustained Reading (public definition)

SSR:  SitdownShutupReadthatbookandincreaseyourvocabularysoyouwilldobetteronstandardizedtests (teacher definition)

Me:  “I mean it.  Let’s get quiet and enjoy our book”

---While they are reading, I spend  15 minutes 30 seconds grading one answer on one test of 25 questions for 90 students.   

Student:  “Can I get another book?”

Me:  “You just checked that one out!”

Student:  “Yeah”

Me:  “Well, how much did you read?”

Student: “Three words.  It got boring quick.”

Me: “ly”

Student:  “Do what????”

Me: “Quick-ly.  You became bored quick-ly”

Student:  (Gives me a look.  You know the look.  Gets another book)

I move on to grade a 2^nd  question of 25 out of 90 tests.

Student:  “I’ve got a book in my locker I need to check in.  Can I go get it, and take it to the library?”

Me:  “If it was so important to turn it in today, you would have brought it to class.  Sit down and enjoy your book, please”

Student:  (Hearing only the Charlie Brown teacher voice stands and waits for another answer)

Me:  “Sit Down and ENJOY that book!”

Moving on to the 3^rd question of 25 out of 90 tests.

Look at the clock and realize the 15 minutes of SSR ended 3 minutes ago. 

Here comes the secret……….How I finally enjoyed -  SUCCESSFULLY - a full 15 minutes of SSR

Ready?

The big secret is………I read, too.

That’s right.  I sat down, opened my book, became completely engrossed in it (truth!), and dared anyone to interrupt.  They truly learn from modeling, right!!!!!????!!!

Guess what?????  They all sat there and copied my actions.  Of course, there’s always one in every crowd who has to test the waters.  Here’s how that went.

Me:  reading, reading, reading, reading

Student:  “Can I go to the lie-bury?”

Only teachers and mothers have this super-power that I whipped out at that moment.  It’s called the “Peel a Hairy-Eyeball.”  Teachers and mothers have special muscles IN the eyeball, AROUND the eyeball, and in that special “twitch” that happens in the cheek area.  So I look up at Mr-Can-I-Go-To-The-Liebury? dude and whipped it out. 

It had force.  It had a laser attachment.  It had POWER.  Unable to take his eyes off the wonderment of the eyeball, he backed away slowly, picked up his book and READ!!!!!!

What a thing of beauty!!!

Keep reading, people. 

One Month Without Technology

Yep.  I’m that kind of teacher.  I planned all summer.  Sure, I worked on products for my TpT store, but I only have products that I will actually use in my classroom………I mean, come on, why would I not??????? 

So I enter the classroom in August ready to

Rock and Roll   

I’m ready to head home on Friday afternoon…..that Friday…..the one before students come on MONDAY!!!!  

I’ve got my cute little power point that I use every year to break the ice.  A little humor…….A little sarcasm……A little wit…..A little bit of me……..A lot about my classroom expectations…….

I’m verifying that everything in the room is READY……..

And suddenly it rears its ugly face………

The Green Blob of Death………THE PROJECTOR HAS DIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, the horrors.  No promethean board.  No ELMO.  No power points.  No daily edits.  No ActiveInspire.

 NOTHING!!!!

I’m forced to do some serious soul searching.  I’m the first one to admit that I’m addicted to technology in my classroom.  I had a personal laptop and projector that I was using in my classroom in seventh grade before Promethean boards ever appeared in our building!!!!! I was showing videos and PowerPoints before it was even COOL!!! 

 I’m  HOOKED.

 I’m a junkie!!!!!

And now, the weekend before school begins, I’m searching my soul, my heart, my brain, my pocketbook (EMPTY) for the ability to SURVIVE THIS HORROR.   What to do.............

Here’s the motto for my district this year……

Here’s what my administration has shortened it to for our building…..

Be Positive!

Every time a teacher comes crying to the principal or assistant principal or another teacher or an aide or a custodian or a lunch lady……………and screams……….. “For the love of humanity, can’t you see how bad this is……?????”

The response is …..”Be positive”    Some days it is said with passion and feeling and gusto!!!!!

Some days it is said as a joke.

Some days it is said as a prayer to the teaching gods that it will make you leave the room.

But it is truly said!!!  Over and Over!!!  and Over and Over!!!!!

So I’m claiming it.

 It’s my chant.  It’s my matra.  It’s my prayer.  It’s my incantation.  It’s my warble.  It’s my song. 

I’m being positive.  One day the technology gods will shine down upon me and get me a new projector.  Until that time, I have found that I can truly live without it.  We have studied the HECK out of commas.  We've worked HARD on setting up the perfect Interactive Notebooks. 

No, we aren't arriving to school in horse-and-buggies,  and we aren't using a "slate", and we aren't fetching water in a pail, and we aren't dipping pigtails in the ink well........It's not that bad YET!!

But here's what I am doing.  This has made me

PUSH PUSH PUSH PUSH PUSH

my true passion in the classroom, my love of reading. 

Be positive.  


http://funfoodfigurativelanguage.blogspot.com/2014/08/our-reading-journey.html