Save Some Space

The days at school go by so quickly. So many things happening! There are so many tasks that fill my day. But I've learned that I need to keep room in my schedule for those unexpected moments that make me pause and smile.

Example #1:
This week, a former student walked up to me in the hallway and said she had to share something with me.

She said she'd finally found her best reading time at home: half an hour before bedtime. She went on to tell me how calming it felt to read and then sleep. This was after school, in the busy hallway, as kids were going home.

I wasn't expecting this great moment to happen.

Example #2:

At recess one day, four students came to tell me that they were starting a book club. They asked me for a book recommendation. I gave them one, and then the next day, they'd formed a plan on how to get enough copies of the book. They would get one copy at the public library, one from the school library (interlibrary loan), and one from me. According to my math, they needed one more.

I happily told them I'd get them another copy. They walked away, happy as could be!

These moments were sweet and unexpected. As I experienced each one, I thought about what a privilege it was for me to be a part of them. They all were made possible by books---and my unwavering resolve to share good books with young readers.

My days are still filled, but there's always space for an unexpected moment.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

On Monday, I join up with Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts where we talk about what we've been reading for the past week. Teachers and librarians read a lot!

This week, I hit two milestones in my reading:

• I reach my goal marker of 400 books for the year. I'm more than halfway towards my calendar year goal of 600 books.
• I FINALLY finished Divergent.  (DIVERGENT is an exciting, well-written YA novel. I only had trouble finishing it because I stopped a lot to read middle grades and picture books.) By the way, this is NOT for my --or any-- elementary library!

What I read (besides DIVERGENT):

After reading some picture books this week, I am picking out two of the best. Not surprisingly, they are BOTH by Eve Bunting.

• GHOST's HOUR, SPOOK's HOUR: A really wonderful picture book about a boy who talks his way through a scary night with the help of his dog and finds comfort with his parents.
• DANDELIONS: Another great picture book! This one is told from the point of view of a young girl whose family is off to blaze the pioneer trail and start a new life.

What I'm reading now:

I'm reading JUNIPER BERRY by M.P. Kozlowsky now. It's a good middle grade book, but I'll write more about it when I'm finished!

What I'm rereading:

My students and I are participating in the Global Read Aloud of 2012. Our book is THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN by Katherine Applegate. As I read this aloud to my class, I'm appreciating its goodness all over again. My students are hooked on this book, and they want me to read it all the time! One of the things I've noticed is that I don't need to write/develop any discussion questions for our reading. My students bring up some great observations that send us off on terrific discussions. As is often the case, the students develop much better questions than I could have ever written. It's the very same thing that happened with THIS IS NOT MY HAT (see previous post).

What I WILL read this week:

My plan is to delve into THE RAVEN BOYS (also YA) since I started it this summer. But as is the case with my reading preferences, I never know where the week will take me.

What are you reading this week?

THIS IS NOT MY HAT

THIS IS NOT MY HAT--in one word --- is AMAZING.

I shared this picture book with my students recently. It was such a great moment because I witnessed my students' reactions to it. The laughter, the surprise, the delight! They said brilliant things! They saw things I missed. We enjoyed it together. Another strengthening of our classroom community made possible by a book.

 I hope you understand now why this title is so dear to me.

In THIS IS NOT MY HAT, Jon Klassen gives us the story of a very spunky little fish who steals a hat from a big fish. We immediately thought of Bear & Rabbit from I WANT MY HAT BACK (also written and illustrated by Jon Klassen).

It was impossible to capture every thought; but here is some of what they said:

"I really like the book. It made you think when the page had no words."

"This book is awesome. Jon Klassen is an amazing author."

"How did the big fish know his hat was gone?"

"This is very funny. Crab doesn't keep secrets well."

"I think the little fish is kind of dumb & the crab doesn't keep his promises."

"The little fish is crafty."

I didn't need to write any discussion questions for this book. All I needed to do was read and listen. I know we'll read this book again. I wonder what reactions they'll have next time.

Running vs. Reading

I love shoes--specifically: cute ones. Shoes with flowers. Shoes with polka dots. Shoes with flowery prints. Shoes with glitz. (See my latest purchase.)




But lately, I have been wearing a pair of running shoes. No bow or print. Just bounce & stride. Here they are:

I started running 9 days ago. (Yes, I am counting.) This is a streak for me, and I am rather proud of myself for sticking to this. I only skipped a day because of a late committee meeting.

Yes, I used this experience to be a better teacher.

I shared my progress with my students and they applauded for me! That felt great!
But what I want them to know is that I do things that are difficult for me, and that I will keep trying! I'm a good reader, so meeting reading goals isn't difficult. But meeting a running goal is different.

Setting this challenge for myself is helping me understand my learners. How do I feel about doing something that is difficult for me? What conditions make it possible for me to be motivated to improve? Can I persevere through something that doesn't come easily?

Running is helping me feel better, and it's also helping me understand my students. I will do my best to stick to my newest challenge! There's no turning back now!





 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

On Mondays, I love joining up with Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts.  We post our reading for the week, as well as our current reading selections. Keeping up with this regular meme is helping me reach my book goals! My students and I talk about setting goals for ourselves as readers, and I live this in my own reading life, too!

I got really SERIOUS about my reading this week. Even though I'm taking a grad class, and I love what studying/learning, I don't want that to keep me from another love: reading. So in free minutes here and there, I grab a book. I may choose it over other things, and I appreciate every opportunity to sit and enjoy a good book. I count reading time as precious.

Picture Books:

I went on a picture book frenzy this week, so I won't list all the titles here. I will show you my favorites:

I bought this book THE DAY it was released. After reading the first book
 (I WANT MY HAT BACK), I found out there would be a second. It's about a fish who steals a hat, and it will generate lots of discussion. Jon Klassen is amazing! I carry this book around with me to teacher meetings so I can "book-talk" it!

Have you ever read a picture book that just brightened the moment? This book did that for me! I read THE BOY WHO WAS RAISED BY LIBRARIANS by Carla Morris. It's about a boy who spends lots of time at the library with three of his favorite people: the librarians! They help him with projects and school, and always answer his questions. It's a lovely book!

I also finished PRAIRIE EVERS by Ellen Airgood. It is a wonderful story about a girl who raises chickens (!) and makes a friend. This friend changes her life. I loved the main character, and I enjoyed the writing. Friendship and family are the themes here. I recommend it!

What I'm currently reading:

 

I'm currently reading JUNIPER BERRY by M.P. Kozlowsky.  Juniper lives in a mansion with movie-star parents, but she's lonely. It's very intriguing so far! I picked it up at the Book Fair, and it seems like the right book for right now.

BOOK GOALS:
I'm very focused on my Goodreads Challenge right now. It's October, and I have until December 31st to reach 600 books. Even though I'm 215 books away, I know I can get there!

CUTE SHOES UPDATE:
Also, one last thing! I bought these SUPER cute holographic TOMS yesterday. My reward to myself for completing my grad assignment early!

What are YOU reading right now?

Global Read Aloud Connections

Since the beginning of October, my class and I have been participating in the Global Read Aloud of 2012. Classes from all over the world are reading the same book, then posting comments to Twitter and Edmodo. Pernille Ripp, an elementary teacher in Wisconsin, began this global project.

It's a simple and powerful project. The connections that are being made are the best part. We've connected with classes in Ohio, Nova Scotia, New Jersey, and Canada!

One group of teachers/classes is reading THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN by Katherine Applegate. (If you've ever read my tweets or posts here, you know that this book is one of all-time favorites! Katherine Applegate Skyped with my class last year, and I met her this past summer! So this one was an easy choice.)

We are all reading the same amount of pages per week and posting responses/ activities as we go. We're inspiring each other along the way as we each share.
One teacher will post that she discussed similes and metaphors as they read, then the rest of us will follow. Another may share a literature response method, while yet another will share a great video or website with helpful information about the animals mentioned in the book. Source to source! The sharing is awesome to see.

What is especially amazing, though, is this: It is very clear that this book is generating lots of rich discussions among our students. Our students are absolutely brilliant, sharing the most profound observations and responses. Expect great thinking from your students and that's what you will get!

A great added benefit of this project is the way we are connecting.* Since our class received a tweet from a class in Canada, we have been learning about the Cree First Nation. We are asking them questions, and they are replying!

Every day I see more and more great things occurring as a result of this project. I'll keep postin/tweeting about these along the way.
Read the #glread12 hashtags on Twitter to see the discussion!

*Another awesome thing? My class always asks that I "Keep on reading!"

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Although I didn't get to participate last week, I usually join in with Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts in their Monday meme called "It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" We join in to talk about our reading of the week and our reading plans.

This week, I read more than I thought I would! I had one late meeting, parent conferences, grad work, and various other deadlines. Somehow,  here and there, I found reading time. It wasn't as much as I'd like, but it was better than other weeks!  

What I read this week:

from goodreads.com

THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE
by William Joyce

I absolutely adored this book! It's about the love of books in one man's life. Glorious illustrations and a delightful story! I cannot believe I hadn't read this one yet. I really need to get my own copy of this book. I sat in the library after school on Friday and read our school copy. I almost bought it at the book fair, but had to put it down after buying so many!

from goodreads.com

 From the Who Was? series, I read WHO WAS STEVE JOBS? (by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso). I really love this biography series because they give you a lot of good informational text in a small manageable book. There are insets and diagrams, and my students really enjoy reading these! I picked this up at the Scholastic Book Fair along with several others in the series. I wish I had all of them!

WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON
by Grace Lin

This Newbery Honor book is wonderful in so many ways. I highly recommend it! It's full of beautiful storytelling, and the illustrations (color) are stunning. I read Lin's new book STARRY RIVER OF THE SKY this summer, and then heard about this one. I will reread it. One of my students is reading it now. She and I have had great discussions about it.

What I'm reading now:

PRAIRIE EVERS by Ellen Airgood

I'm really enjoying this book about a 10-year old girl named Prairie. She's moved to a new place, started school after being home-schooled, and she really misses her grandmother. She's also raising chickens! I'm halfway through and finding it to be very delightful! She reminds me of a younger Hattie from Hattie Big Sky!

I really need to step up my reading! I have two months to achieve my Goodreads goal of 600 books (I am 256 books away). It seems a bit impossible to me, but I won't give up. I have until December 31st after all!

What are you reading this week?

Capturing Our Thoughts

My students make so many interesting observations. They share profound things that make me literally freeze in my cute shoes. These thoughts must be captured. They must be considered by others. I shouldn't be the only one fortunate enough to hear them.
Thankfully, we have Writer's Notebooks. They are mobile and don't require charging or upgrades. We can be imperfect there. We can try out ideas like a new pair of shoes. We can pin down our thoughts with No. 2 pencil points.

But as writers of the digital age, we also have other tools to record our thinking. We have our classroom blog & a class Twitter account. We can't keep them in our desks, & sometimes, the websites are down, but they prove their own values. Indeed, with these tools, we've learned the power of an audience. A comment from a teacher in Austin sparks a geography lesson. A reply from a class in Ohio gets us thinking about similes. These happenings are powerful, for they fuel the next post, or the next tweet. Thus the writing lives on.
How is this maintained? What is the process? I wish I could give the exact steps. Quantifying these moments in a way that can be replicated is impossible. I go with the words spoken. I listen to my students as they talk, and I apply the thought to a concept. It doesn't take an expert ear, but it does take a willing one. Are you willing to let go of the way you planned to teach something? Can you share it in the form your students need to hear it?
A writer's notebook is where it begins. A writer's notebook is where the thoughts are tossed about. But sometimes the thoughts must go elsewhere.
Sometimes we must bottle them in electronic containers to be clicked open by trackpad or mouse.
Then they are free again.
Free to be considered by others. Free to amaze others. Free to be.

Layers of Learning

Students make connections in my classroom every day.  During our read-aloud or a discussion on a topic,  one mention of a word or place reminds them of an event or memory in their lives. They raise their hands, and their faces light up when they hear something familiar or have an experience to share. They cannot wait to tell you all about it! They are so happy to tell you. They MUST tell you.

The same things happens to their teacher ---me-- too.

For example, I might attend one committee meeting one day where we might discuss a topic I happen to be thinking about. Then at another committee meeting--on an entirely different day---I might hear the same term again. It continues in my reading. I might hear that same phrase in a blog post I'm checking out , or come across it on Twitter.
To really drive it home, I might be having lunch at a conference with people I've just met, and one of them will mention this same term yet AGAIN. I'm interested. I listen. I learn. I ask questions. The cycle continues. And then I know:

These are not coincidences.

Because I am constantly pursuing literacy, books, writing, learning, reading, technology, innovation, etc., my worlds are continually colliding--in a great way! One aspect feeds gloriously into the other. One avenue takes me down a path I've just traveled. The results: a constant layering of experience and learning that never gets too stacked up or unruly. I can pile on the stack because unlike a tower of cards, it won't ever topple.

I know what my students feel like when they say, "I've heard of that!" I know exactly how hard it is NOT to share it!

Now, I actively seek those connections. I've stopped waiting for them to appear. In every aspect of my day-to-day, I'm connecting one thing to another.

But I don't raise my hand to share it! All I have to do is BLOG!

Edcamps: A Great Place to Learn!

I went to my first Edcamp because the integration specialist at my campus recommended it.  She is someone who always has great ideas, so I followed her advice!

Edcamps are informal conferences where teachers share ideas. Anyone who wants to share a good lesson, tech tool, or strategy signs up on a board. There's no worry about having handouts or a full presentation ready. You can sign up that day to present. Or not! You can attend whatever sounds good to you, and then, if it isn't the right fit for you, you can try another session. It's all free!

The energy at Edcamps is contagious. Everyone there is an eager learner-- ready to exchange ideas. Attendees gain the benefit of everyone else's practice. People are willing to talk and answer questions. You can start great conversations over coffee or lunch. Plus you can also win some great door prizes at the end!

This past Saturday, I attended Edcamp Dallas--my third Edcamp. What an amazing day!  I met up with friends from Twitter, and we talked like we'd known each other forever. I connected with new people, too, and I was inspired by many. (These connections will continue!) I had lunch with a great group of teachers who are my new friends. I even presented! (I didn't think I would, but others encouraged me, so I gave it a try.) Even though I'd had a long week, I felt energized because I knew I was picking up some new ideas AND sharing something that meant a lot to me (classroom blogging).
If you look around at the people at an Edcamp, everyone looks happy to be there!  This is the big AHA moment of Edcamp for everyone. Shouldn't our students also feel this way about school? We should do everything we can to offer this same environment for students.

I woke up early on a Saturday to attend, and I had lots of other things to do (like a grad school assignment or two). But what I learned will end up saving me so much more time later. What I learned will make my classroom an even better place. I couldn't afford NOT to go. I would have missed out on so much!

So the next time you hear of an Edcamp in your area, check it out!

Have you been to an Edcamp before? I'd love to hear about your experience!