The Power of Rereading!

Between snow and illness, I've been absent from school for 7 days.  While I could do little but lay in bed, I was able to read.  I had finished all the books I got from the library, so I went to my shelves and grabbed some "fun" reads again.  I never tire of rereading some genres.  They aren't heavy reads, but quick.  I anticipate the pivotal moments.  I get lost in the setting and even imagine myself there.  I lose myself in the books, even if my head is ready to explode!

Throughout this past week, I started thinking about the power of rereading and my own practice.  I read the same series of books every June, to acclimate myself into summer mode.    My treasures need to reread, like I do.  It helps their fluency.  It helps their comprehension.  But mostly, it's helps them enjoy and relish the book.  Newsweek had an article in June, "The Pleasures of ReReading." David Gates shares some of his favorite rereads and why.  We all have our reasons for our book choices and rereads. 
Question:  What books do you reread?

It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.  ~Oscar Wilde

IWEB WONDER: Part Deux

These past few weeks, my treasures have been working diligently creating their Iweb portfolios.  They've been adding pages, graphics, and text to make this project completely personalized.  Some have created movies where they've read their own writing.  Others learned how to import documents they've created from other applications.  There are some drawbacks, but it's something that is working for my students.  All in all, it's been a learning experience for everyone, including myself.

I am grateful for our tech specialist.  She is truly a gem and I am thankful for all her help and guidance.  I can throw out an idea and she knows how to get it from my head to their computers.  I wanted their portfolios published to the intranet and linked to mine so that I could share them at parent- teacher conferences last evening.  By 3pm, we were good to go.  Thank you, Laura.

I projected their iwebs onto the smart board for each conference.  My favorite moments were watching the parents' eyes light up as they read about their child and what they had created.  They were able to see a "Books They've Read" page, science experiment reflections, writings, and more.  I shared the process, purpose, and evaluation tools of the project.  I shared how we'll burn this to a dvd at the end of the year.  I shared how I'm going to use this from here on out.  All the parents were excited about this project.

However, some concerns were brought to my attention about the security and safety of children during one meeting and together we found some alternative ways for the child to continue.  Since then, I've been doing some heavy thinking in the last 24 hours.

First, this new 21st Century world is scary and unknown for those who grew up in the 20th Century.  The "what could possibly happen" in the online world, whether INTRANET or INTERNET, is a valid concern for parents that cannot be discounted by educators.  If we want to be 21st Century thinkers, we also need to be prepared to find some alternatives that would serve the same purpose if parents are uncomfortable with some of our projects.

Second, I need to learn and move at the speed that works for my needs and comfort level. Lately, I've felt so inadequate with my Smartboard knowledge and other online learning tools.  BUT,  I am doing something that will move my students to 21st Century thinking.  I may not be doing everything out there, but I am doing something.

Lastly, TRY.  Some ideas may work for you, and some may not.  But, be willing, open, and flexible to try.  It's what we'd want our students to do.

50th Anniversary of Woolworth Sit-In

This morning, I was mentally preparing myself for what my mini-lesson would be during Reader's Cafe when I was stopped by a teacher down the hall sharing with me that today marks the 50th anniversary of the sit-in at Woolworth's.  She showed me this book was in our book collection.  My mind began working in overdrive because earlier this month we listened to the book March On by the sister of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Here's what we'd do:  I'd hook up the elmo so they could see the pictures enlarged and we'd jot our thinking and questions throughout the book.  I wanted to see what information they could pull from the previous read aloud and draw conclusions on their own.

I'd never read this book before but the illustrations brought the experience to life.  My treasures could see the difference between the white and black drinking fountains.  They began to recognize how hard it was back then for folks of different color.  Later that day, we were reading Time For Kids when the back had a timeline of the Path To Freedom.  The Greensboro Sit-in was on it.

But, for them it's a topic of study as for me.  During a professional development time with Lester Laminack, he was sharing how everything can be taught using picture books.  He began sharing some wonderful literature about the Civil Rights Movement.  He made a statement that I've been marinating on ever since...for those 40 and under, the Civil Rights Movement is a topic of study. It's not real to them.  For those over 40, we lived it. 
For students to understand history, they need to read about it through powerful literature and read alouds.  They need to read fiction, non-fiction, and literary non-fiction.  Getting a collection of books for your unit of study will make it real for your treasures.  Tomorrow, a follow-up discussion.  Some things cannot be planned!  Live in the moment and enjoy your treasures!

"Watch out! I've got my spy book!"

I love when everything goes right! This week, after over 9 months of planning, children's author, professional writer and unofficial comedian, Lester Laminack came to our school for 2 whole days. As the chair of the Literacy Committee, I helped organize this amazing event for our students and staff. This was a new, scary experience for me, but I am so glad that I took the plunge.

In preparation for his visits, our teachers decorated the hallways like Christmas was a comin'. There were beautiful displays! Little "first grade" snowmen adorn with the kids' photos were tacked up all along the main corridor to welcome our new friend, Lester. There were displays of interesting collections of 100 that included snowflake chains, 100 ways to say "Hello!", equations that equal 100 and much more. Upstairs, there was poetry written by children, life stories inspired by the author, precious "doily" snowmen and even podcasts that were done on student laptops. The school climate was electric!

Lester is a pro! During his time with our Pinney students, he established his expectations right from the start. He crouched down in front of them and looked every student directly in the eye and said with his thick, serious southern drawl, "While I am here, you will be kind to one another. That means you will not be rude! You will not try to talk over someone. You will not prevent someone else from participating. I will not tolerate rudeness!" With eyes as big as saucers, the kids, big and small, nodded that they got the message! Then, as if he had been stung by a bee, he then propelled himself into ACTION. For eight 45 minutes sessions over two days, he preformed. Sometimes he stood on one leg in a yoga pose. Other times his thin legs were turned in pigeon toed and he would sway back and forth like a young child, while he shared, entertained, acted, explained and inspired our students and staff to write!

Although it is difficult to explain his sessions, because most of the time his thinking was like his body, a blur of motion. (He explained to the children that his brain is wired differently. He has A.D.D.). One common theme was carefully, artfully woven throughout his presentations...You can write and I am going to show you how. With all the drama one man can muster up, he whispered to the children that he was going to let them in on a little secret....He's a spy and he has a spy notebook! He showed them how he keeps it in his back pocket and everyone thinks it is his wallet. In his spy notebook with his carefully concealed spy pen, he records real observations about real people. He proceeded to show us all how his spy notes allow him to record observations that he can use later to weave amazing stories.

Watch out! Our students and staff now have Lester Laminack inspired "spy notebooks and pens" (aka $.25 pads from Big Lots and Bic pens)in our pockets. But, more importantly, we have Lester's messages and memories of his visit carefully etched in our hearts.

PS He also did a hour and one half professional development session after school. I will blog about that at a later date. Of course, all I have to do is look at the notes in my "spy notebook."

All Things At Once

Previously, I wrote about my avid interest in news and news media.  I wake up every morning early enough to catch a hour of my favorite news show, Morning Joe on MSNBC.  Since we only subscribe to the newspaper on the weekends, this is how I keep up with the current news and  political viewpoints on all issues.  Mika Brzezinski is one of the cohosts, so I wanted to read her new book she wrote about working moms and choices we make.  While we strive to have All Things At Once, it's difficult to balance.

She writes about choices she has made and how they are right for her family.  She tried staying home for a while, but her family was miserable. She cannot cook, clean, or fold laundry very well.   She shares her struggles at being a woman in the media and trying to always prove herself worthy of every story, every promotion, and describes her constant feelings of self-doubt.  The one line I remember when she was describing her climb and fall up the journalistic ladder was..."Keep your head down and let your work speak for itself."  Her daughters realized being a journalist is who their mom is.  They understand that the news stories complete her.  Her daughters are seeing a strong women compete in the media world and succeed.

As a mother myself, I am constantly fighting that working mom guilt.  I try to be balanced all the time between work and school, but one always wins.  I even tried to make jello jigglers in the letter A for my daughter's birthday treat instead of the quick Kroger ones.  A week of nightly jello making, 10 pans wasted, and we ended up buying the cutout bears at Kroger, which she wanted in the first place.  The kitchen may never be where I succeed in life, yet it's not for lack of trying.

BUT, my children will see a woman leave for school everyday with books in her bag.  My children will have a love for learning because they see me researching online.  My children will learn from experimenting because I try my school ideas on them first.  My children will have a passion for reading because their mother is always reading, going to the library, and buying books.  My children will see someone who is excited for those one or two weekends where I can attend professional conferences to become better at my practice.  My children are loved and know that being a teacher is who I am.  While I am a wife and mother first, being a teacher is the other third that completes me.  For every woman out there, All Things At Once is a motivational book to read, to think, and to celebrate your choice and place in this world. 

The more you praise and celebrate your life, 
the more there is in life to celebrate. 

Oprah Winfrey

Making Connections

Last night I finished a book that my friend gave me for Christmas. Cowboy & Wills by Monica Holloway, is a true love story about a boy and a dog. Sounds simple right? Well that is what I thought until about half way through the book. Wills, the boy, has autism and his constant companion, a golden retriever puppy, Cowboy, has doggy lupus. Can you see where this is heading? I did and I couldn't stop reading until I was finished.

It got ugly...not the book, ME! Big ugly sobs were flying vertically out of my eyes as the author described her own emotions of telling her precious son, Wills, about his beloved, Cowboy. This coupled with congestion that would put the Hoover Dam to shame, I was a hot mess and I loved every minute of it. At one point, it was down right comical. I was crying so hard that my glasses were actually fogging up, making it impossible for me to read. I tried taking them off, which helped clear the fog, but then the words on the page were so blurred I still couldn't read. I finally perfected a simple procedure of wipe, blow, wipe, etc. It reminded me of the time when I was a kid and my mom's windshield wiper broke. She had her balled-up jacket in one hand wiping the windshield as she steered with the other. Needless to say, we made it to our destination that day, and I finished the book.

This experience made me think about the powerful connections readers make with books and how important and motivating that connection is...As an educator that works with promising readers, kiddos who learning to read has not been easy, I strive to find books that children can connect with in their own lives. Many of my readers haven't had an experience with a book that compels them to laugh out loud, get mad or even, as in my case, get ugly!

Alvin Ho: Allergic To Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters

He CRACKS me up!!   Monday, after a delicious breakfast visit with my blogger friends, my family headed to the library.  While they were looking for their choices, I was thinking of my treasures as I perused the shelves.  I grabbed Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters on the way out.  (I, too, am allergic to camping!)

I began reading it that evening and was laughing hysterically.  My husband (an avid camper who does not read fiction) picked it up and finished it in one sitting. He, too, found humor in this quick read.   I've been raving about it to my class and will bring it to school tomorrow.

Alvin is like Scaredy Squirrel, Moxy Maxwell, and Clementine all rolled in one human form.  He makes lists, plans, and thinks of the worst possible scenarios on every adventure.  Alvin has an imagination that can take him to Mesopotamia during a dream, enlists his uncle for secret survival tips, and persuades his entire recess gang to go "camping" on the playground in their underwear.  I can definitely see my boys and girls laughing hysterical during reading workshop.  Because I think my treasures could identify with Alvin, my next read aloud may be  Alvin Ho:  Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things! 

I'm at the point where Alvin thinks he's in a tornado, when actually it's a thunderstorm.  Gotta go finish it before tomorrow!  Happy Reading!