Celebrate #Hashtags

Join the celebration over at Ruth's  blog. You'll be glad you did!

Here I sit on Saturday morning, doing exactly what I dreamed about all week...

• drinking more that one cup of coffee
• watching The Today Show
• snuggled in a blanket on a chilly Iowa morning
• writing about celebrating my week

And this was one amazing wonderful week.

I don't really know why the start of this school year has gone so smoothly, why I'm enjoying the start of this year more than years past, but I am. Seems like I am celebrating daily!

My favorite celebrations came in hashtags this week...

#CWFierce
I try to come up with hashtags for each class. As I tweet out what we are doing in class, I have a hashtag we can use. It's mostly for our class, but parents catch on and so do other teachers.  #CWFierce is the hashtag we came up with for Creative Writing.

It's been quite active this week as we wrote 6 Word Memoirs and Twitter Memoirs this week in preparation for Expressive/Reflective writing.  Once kids got writing, there were many great words shared. Some kids don't have Twitter or they preferred to remain anonymous, so they wrote their memoirs down for me and I tweeted them.  They loved seeing their stories out in the world.

And then, my blogging community teachers asked if they could also use the hashtag for sharing out student work. Of course, I said yes.

So, please, follow our hashtag. The kids are (and will) sharing some amazing things.

#OMW1415
This is going to be a fun project for my 8th graders to participate in this year (I may get my writing kids doing this too). Out My Window is a creative project to help kids become more aware of the world around them. Each month there is a different theme for kids to write about, all while using the five themes of geography.  We've taken our pictures and started our poems. Look for the final products next week!

#BoysDontRead
Ever since I read Grasshopper Jungle and then Winger I have been a HUGE  fan of Andrew Smith. I followed him on Twitter (he followed me back!)  I followed him on Facebook (he followed me back again!). This week on Facebook, he told a story about meeting several adult non-fiction writers. They seemed to believe that boys don't read, especially boys don't read YA. All week, teachers have been writing and sending pictures to him of boys that read. So yesterday, during our ten minute reading time, I snapped a couple of pictures of football players reading in College Prep Lit.  I tweeted them out with our school hashtag (#2020HowardWinn, just in case you want to follow that one) and then, thought What the heck and I added Andrew's name to the tweet.

This picture has taken on a life of it's own. It's been retweeted MANY times and Andrew put it on his Facebook page. How cool is that?  Well, the conversation on his page was pretty fun too. Especially after he said he should consider coming to Iowa and author Geoff Herbach jumped in. He visited my room last year and recognized it!

As I'm writing this, Andrew tweeted a promise to visit Iowa. I'm going to hold him to that :)

Well, that was my amazing wonderful week. How was yours?

#CyberPD: Readers Need Other Readers

I'm joining professionals from all over the world for this year's CyberPD as they explore Donalyn Miller's Reading in the Wild. I'll be blogging and tweeting my thoughts out as I read. #Cyberpd is hosted by @cathymere at Reflect and Refine, @laurakomos at Ruminate and Invigorate, and @litlearningzone at Literacy Zone. If you'd like to join in, check out any of their blogs or follow the hashtag #cyberPD

Chapter 3: Wild Readers Share Books with Other Readers

Can I tell you how much I want my high school reading classes to look and sound like the classes Donalyn describes in the opening pages of chapter 3?  I want to create that environment, that culture that screams, "It's cool to read!  Reading is valued here!" I've been scribbling notes to myself for an hour. Things I want to remember to do in my classroom to enhance and share our reading community.

And don't you love the questions Miller shared from Jeff Wilhem?

"What's your bottom line? What do you really want to happen for your students? Now, how does what you do every day serve that bottom line?"

Those are such great questions for teachers to ask themselves each year before school starts. I know I will be thinking a lot about them in the weeks to come.

I've taught grades 7-12 for 25 years. I've taught remedial classes, gifted classes, and everyone in between. Here's what I know: Many kids don't like reading or won't admit to liking reading because they aren't very good at it. Others don't like reading or won't admit to liking because they don't want to be labeled as "smart" or a "nerd". Both groups feel like no one would listen to them when it comes to the books they like.

BUT

If you can create that reading community and make reading a valuable part of your class time, everyone's voice gets heard.  This year I taught two periods of freshmen English. We read every day. One of my "epicenter" readers was also very quiet and had been homeschooled for many years. She was smart and articulate but hesitant to speak out in class at times. Eventually, though, other epicenter readers began asking her about the books she was reading. And one on one she would share. By the end of the year, she was much better at sharing with others who were not in her small circle of friends.  I truly believe the reason was she knew and others knew that reading was valued in our room.

I need to do an even better job of creating community, of creating a reading valued classroom and I wrote down lots of ideas from chapter 3.

I loved my reading door this year. But it was all mine. The idea of getting kids to take it over appeals to me. I'd love to get them to create their own reading doors on their lockers, but I think that would be too much for high school students (at least this first semester of me teaching these classes). Taking over the door sounds like a great project for my new Individualized Reading class!

I also have plans for a graffiti wall. I think I have a great place for it. Right behind the couch on the wall beside the book cases.  Hope I can get it all arranged so it works out well.

I'm seriously considering having my students create Goodreads accounts and creating a group for them.  I know they will be writing some reviews and blog posts about what they are reading. Will have to think about the timing of it all and how to fit this into a 45 minute class period.

Other things to try: book commercials, book trailers, and more speed dating with books. But this year, instead of students passing books around and jotting down titles that sound interesting, I'd like to change it up once students have been reading a bit. I've thought about having half the class sit with a couple of books they have read. The other half of the class would "date"  them. The students with the books could quickly book talk them and the date could ask any questions they wanted about the books. Then the next time we could switch book talkers and daters.  I haven't worked this out fully in my head yet, but I think it could work.

And I MUST do a better job of conferring--especially in Individualized Reading. I like the idea of recording conferences. My ipad may be getting a workout this coming school year :)  

Chapter 4: Wild Readers Have Reading Plans

And here's where I "fail".  Although I make plans on what and when I'll read, I don't share this with my students, nor do I work with them to create their own. 

I MUST DO THIS

First, I want Individualized Reading and College Prep Lit to create a reading goal for the semester. How many books do they think they can read during the course of the semester they are with me.  I'll make one too and keep my results posted in the room. We can talk about how many books that reading rate can translate into if they plan their reading.

And I know that they will tell me they don't have time. 

Because sometimes I think I don't have time either....

We'll look at their day...at how much homework they normally have...if they are in sports....have a job....all the things that fill their days. 

And then, we'll work on carving out time to read. And, we'll revisit reading rates and reading time periodically throughout the semester to make sure those things are still working.

Speed dating and book talks will help them keep a list of what they want to read next. 

I WILL DO THIS.

Building a Personal Canon

I couldn't not (how do like that double negative?) write about this.....

My shelves at home and at school show this....

Part of my personal canon on display in my room

When kids ask me what my favorite book is, I always tell them I can't pick just one, that I have many. And if they keep pushing, I share a few with them.  I write about books that mean a lot to me. I want to find a way for students to share their own, something other than a blog post.  

Something I'll be thinking about the rest of the summer, I'm sure.

Celebrate Summer!

Ruth Ayres has created a wonderful spot for sharing moments from your week. She even has  a page to give you all the details you need to know about sharing your own celebrations. So head  on over and see what everyone else is celebrating. 

Simple celebrations this week....my first week of summer.

This week has been about taking time for me 

I've enjoyed beautiful sunsets

Dinner with friends

And lots of time to read. This week's first nonprofessional, nonYA lit book was The Shining by Stephen King. I read it when it first came out, but want to read the sequel that came out last summer.  It was just as creepy and scary as I remembered it.  I had to read it during the daylight hours, that's for sure!

When I finished that, I needed something a little lighter. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple fit the bill. I really liked this book and will definitely add it to my school library. While it's an adult book, it will appeal to lots of high school girls.  

And how about this to celebrate...

Two of my grandkids learning to paddle board. They made it look easy. 

I did spend a little time working this week. Via google docs I collaborated with my partners in a blogging community we created this year. We are presenting on Tuesday at a technology conference about an hour from the lake.  Since we are all in different places, sharing our presentation on google and chatting as we worked was a great thing.  Wish us luck!

Three Books

Oscar Wilde, an Irish writer and poet, supposedly once said, "Books, I fancy, may be conveniently divided into three classes: 1. Books to read 2. Books to reread 3. Books not to read at all."  

Make your own list. Add a few books to each category and explain your thinking.

Requirements for this post:

• 150 word minimum
• two books for each category
• an explanation for each book why it belongs in that category
• picture(s)
• Spell-check, edited

I asked my freshmen to write the above post for their blog this week. I thought it only fair that I write it also. I think it will be harder for me to narrow down my choices than it will be for my ninth graders :)


Books to Read:

This is my longest list because I have so many books on my TBR list. Here are the two that I think right now top the list:

I have a huge author crush on Maggie Stiefvater. I just love the way she writes. While this book is sitting on my desk, I haven't started it yet because I'm waiting for a day where I can read the whole thing in one sitting. Or maybe in two sittings. I want to savor it.

Fangirl  is also on my list because so many people have said great things about it. A former student said it was possibly the best book of 2013 and I trust her book choices. 

Others on the list: Gym Candy by Carl Deuker (my boys love it. have to see what the fuss is about) 

BOOKS TO REREAD:

Even though I have read this book twenty five times, I feel a Gone With the Wind marathon coming on. I haven't read it in years and I've changed a lot since the thirteen-year-old girl I was when I read it the first time--or even the forty-something I was when I read it the last time. Think it's time for the fifty-six-year old to see what she thinks and what she learns as she reads it.

I simply love this story. So the Inkheart series is dear to my heart. How can a reader not love the story of book characters who come to life? I've been thinking about Meggie and her dad a lot lately. A sure sign I need a reread.




Others on the list; The Harry Potter Series. Missing those characters also.

BOOKS NOT TO READ:

I have never been a fan of the British classics. I've read a few of them and find them stuffy and boring. Pride and Prejudice has all that, I think. I've tried to read it three times in the last few years, because it's one of Roomie's favorite books. I just don't get it. I hear by give myself permission to never try to read it again. 

With so  many fantastic young adult novels out there, with great characters and plots, can we just forget about this one?

#22 of 31 Just a Reminder

I've been reveling in the comments I'm getting from some of my students and some who aren't my students but know I have books...

"I don't read. But this is a good book. I liked it." (A freshman boy who read The One and Only Ivan)
"Isn't she done yet?"  (One of many waiting for The Diviners)
"What was the name of that book again?"  (The Diviners again. I'm going to post my review tomorrow)
"Mrs. Day, what should I read next?" (I need to work on getting them to make choices independently!)
"I've read more in two months than I read all of middle school" (sad, isn't it)
"Can we please just read all class period?"


I think I'm pretty good most of the time.

But today, one comment reminded me that although more kids are reading, there are still a few....

"Mrs. Day, I need a book."
"What? Do you just sit home and read on Friday night?"

The student handled it well, but it reminds me

There is work to be done....

#7 of 31: WRAD and Book Love

How did I spend World Read Aloud Day? Well, first, I picked up the two boxes of new books that my friend the At-Risk coordinator ordered for me. Once again I watched the live stream of the ALA Youth awards, so I wrote down books. And I followed the conversation on Twitter to see what books were mentioned and loved. I made my list.







I lamented on Facebook about wishing I had money to buy them all. And Mrs. At-Risk told me to bring her my list.  So of course I did. Never tell a reader to bring you a list of books if you don't intend to buy them for her!

And yesterday I was finally able to get them to my room. I spent first hour going through the boxes. I looked at each and every book. Reading the summaries. Reading first pages. Checking reviews out online. And 2nd hour, I was ready to share with my freshmen. The lesson plan got put aside. We were talking books!

First, we read our ten minutes. I love that time of day. Many times I can't sit and read because someone will ask me to help them find a new book. You know how I love that! I do have a few squirrelly kids who want to mess around during that time, but the other kids are starting to get tired of their antics.

And then I read aloud from The One and Only Ivan. I had heard so much about it that there was no way I was going to leave that off my list!  I fell in love in the first four pages. I'm going to have to wait to read it, though. It was checked out right away this morning! And the love didn't stop there. I also bought some Carl Dueker books for my boys. In my afternoon class, there was an arm wrestling match to see  who got Payback first. I never thought I'd see the day....

Book Thoughts:The Tragedy Paper

Posted these thoughts on my blog for my English classes. Thought I would share here too.

The Tragedy Paper

by Elizabeth LaBan 3.87  ·   rating details  ·  389 ratings  ·  159 reviews

Tim Macbeth, a seventeen-year-old albino and a recent transfer to the prestigious Irving School, where the motto is “Enter here to be and find a friend.” A friend is the last thing Tim expects or wants—he just hopes to get through his senior year unnoticed. Yet, despite his efforts to blend into the background, he finds himself falling for the quintessential “It” girl, Vanessa Sheller, girlfriend of Irving’s most popular boy. To Tim's surprise, Vanessa is into him, too, but she can kiss her social status goodbye if anyone ever finds out. Tim and Vanessa begin a clandestine romance, but looming over them is the Tragedy Paper, Irving’s version of a senior year thesis, assigned by the school’s least forgiving teacher.

Jumping between viewpoints of the love-struck Tim and Duncan, a current senior about to uncover the truth of Tim and Vanessa, The Tragedy Paper is a compelling tale of forbidden love and the lengths people will go to keep their .  Goodreads Review 

I bought this book after seeing a blurb on Amazon that said it was for lovers of Looking for Alaska by John Green and 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. How could I not buy it?  Those are two of my favorite books!

And you know what? I really enjoyed this book. I am a big fan of dual narratives. You know, those books that have more than one narrator. It seems I learn so much more about characters that way. I'm one of those people who wants to know what other characters are thinking. I became invested in Tim's story. I wanted to know if he ever got with Vanessa. I wanted to know how he was connected to Duncan. Duncan seemed so affected by The Game from the previous year. I had to know how he was involved.

The other thing I enjoyed about this book was its simplicity. It didn't have major violence, sex, or drugs. To me, the "love triangle", the romance, was secondary. It was just a good story, with characters I cared about and a little mystery that I wanted to know more about. And sometimes, that's enough.

Little Bits of Book Love Joy

As most of you know, I read Penny Kittle's Book Love over break and participated in the Facebook group conversation. It was an amazing professional development opportunity. I always thought I was pretty good at getting books into the hands of my students, but I am so much better now!  That 10 minutes a day just blows my mind. And my students are reaping the benefits--they're reading!

Thank you, Penny Kittle (she commented on my blog piece too. Feels like I've been visited by a ROCK STAR!)

How do I know (besides the record we keep of pages read)?  They tweet them out.

Two snow days and three late starts gave students lots of time to read. This student actually read outside of class!

And last night, I received this tweet

How do you like that? A student thanking me for getting him to read. So far, in the four weeks we've been back to school, this student has read Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick, Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson and Looking for Alaska by John Green.  Isn't that amazing?

Now I am on a continual hunt for books. My book gap is books for guys. Although I have many in my room, I haven't read as many of them as I should.  I'd better get going on that. I think these boys are going to keep me busy.

10 Minute Revolution

It's amazing to me what a difference 10 minutes make....

In 10 minutes you can
send an email
make a phone call
play fetch with the dog
sing along with a couple of songs on the radio
chat with a friend
eat lunch (if you're a teacher)
stare out the window
grade an essay
record a class of grades on the computer
begin a blog post
cuddle a dog
walk around the block
check Twitter
check Facebook
play a Facebook game
warm up leftovers for supper
make coffee

And

In 10 minutes you can read a book.
Quietly.
Purposefully.
Read a book.
And like it.
And ask beg for more time.

10 minutes
Transforming my classroom and my students.
Those freshmen who proudly proclaimed they never read a book.
Those freshmen who hated to read.
They're reading.
And they're liking it (well, most of them).

10 minutes
That's all it takes.
Set the timer and go.
Only now, after a couple of weeks,
The books get put away a little slower than they did at the beginning.
Finish a sentence, a paragraph, a page...

10 minutes
They went from dilly dallying to
"Don't start til I'm ready."
From "here we go again" to
"Can't we just read today?"

10 minutes.
Really. That's all it took.
10 minutes.
At the beginning of class.
10 minutes.
Started a revolution.
10 minutes.

Little Bits of Joy

I wasn't going to write today. Grades are due tomorrow. I've got lots to do. But two little moments happened today that I just have to share (and they make events of yesterday much less meaningful).

I went back to school this week invigorated after spending most of break participating in the Facebook/Twitter discussion of Penny Kittle's Book Love. I have spent two days talking books. We figured our reading rates, set our goals, made a plan.  We talked about the importance of reading and the amount of reading they will need to do in college. It helped in one class when the guidance counselor showed up at my door and backed up everything I was saying. I told students they needed a book picked out for next Monday. That's when we will officially start. I gave students time to find books or read.

A quiet, at-risk student came up to me as he was leaving and said, "Mrs. Day, would you pick out a book for me. I don't know what to read and you pick awesome ones."

My heart melted just a little bit.

I have several picked out for him that he can choose from tomorrow.

FYI, I gave him "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" last semester. He read it in a week.

The second bit of joy today happened in one of my speech classes as students were giving their introduction speeches.

A quiet, "A" student stood in front of the room, pulling items from her bag as she talked about herself.
"Like lots of you, I hate to read. Except for books Mrs. Day picks out for me. Those are awesome."

I gave her "Looking for Alaska" last semester. She fell in love with John Green. She wanted to know if he wrote anything else. He'll keep her busy for awhile....

Little reminders to myself:
Joy comes in small, quiet ways.
And we teach students, not classes.
One student at a time....

Build It and They Will Come

Reflections on Book Love by Penny Kittle

I'm participating in not one, but two online discussions about this book. I read it as soon as it came out, but these groups are giving me time to reflect and shape my thinking. 

I don't know what I was thinking when I left most of my first classroom library in the junior high where I taught.  Did I think high school students didn't need books? Did I think high school students only read classics? Did I think high school students didn't need easy reads?

I don't know. But I left most of that library on the shelves for the next reading teacher (bangs head on desk).

I moved into my new room at the high school, a room I shared with another teacher. She taught freshmen English in the mornings while I was in another room. I taught speech there in the afternoons. Roomie and I are very compatible, so the arrangement worked great.  At some point, we began bringing our books into the room.

And that is how the second classroom library began. A few books from home (high five).

Slowly, it grew.  We both taught a scripted reading program that we hated (poking eyes out with dull spoon). The only good thing about the program was 15-20 minutes a day of choice reading (Well, choice if you taught it with fidelity. Some who are teaching it now are bastardizing the choice component by assigning genres.) Because of that choice component, we began buying more books (I love Scholastic)  and the school bought many (woohoo!).

The library grew (cheers from the crowd).

It's hard to find good books for teenagers. Not what most adults think are good books. I wanted those books that high school students and their teachers thought were good books. Young Adult fiction.

This was about the time that I took Twitter seriously (@mrsday75). And do you know what I found?  People like Roomie and I. People that taught teenagers, respected teenagers, and, best of all, LIKED teenagers (It's amazing to me the number of educators who don't actually like kids.) And these Twitter people LIKED to read young adult fiction. And they wrote about it. They shared titles. They shared book trailers!

I began keeping a list. A long list. If all I did was read every day (I want that job) I might be able to keep up with the young adult fiction out there, but for now, I'll trust the opinions of others.

I started haunting garage sales and second hand stores. My husband knows that if we are in a town with a Goodwill, we have to stop. And I will be there awhile. My favorite finds have been a brand new hardcover copy of The Book Thief  (and it only cost me a buck). A copy of Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver (This resulted in my author crush on Maggie). An autographed copy of Dick Vitale's autobiography (My basketball players are SERIOUSLY impressed). 

The point is, you never know what you will find. You do your research. You keep your eyes and ears open.

And then you ask. When I taught seventh grade, I would ask parents to donate any books that they were going to get rid of (I can't imagine getting rid of books, but people do it!). I couldn't use all the books I received, so I took what I wanted and put the rest in the lounge of our K-8 building. They were scooped up. (It's about time I do this again!). Roomie and I have also had students donate books to the library when they are done with them.  We always write in the books "Generously donated by___" on the inside front cover so others can see where the books come from.

So, that's how it happens. One or two books at a time.

And now the books are nestled in their baskets on the shelves.

But, do they read them?

Roomie is now in her own room, teaching Spanish around the corner. She left her books with me because it was easier than moving them. She just comes down and grabs books for kids when they need them. Every once in awhile, a student will appear at my door during class.

"Schwade sent me to get a book."
"Do you need help?"
"No, she gave me a list."

Or
Someone will show up between classes...
"Help, Mrs. Day. I need a book."

Or a staff member will say, "What have you read lately that's good?"

And that's how it happens. One or two books at a time.

Book Love.

The Smiley Faced Box

The Smiley Faced Box.

It sat on the kitchen table

All night

Waiting patiently.

But,

I knew what was inside

So I left it where it was

So it wouldn't distract me.

7:15am

I bring it to school 

for that is where it belongs.

I didn't open it.

At First.

I planned

to organize my room

and clean the smudge

off my desks.

I would write lesson plans

and run off papers

and be ready for next week.

But,

There it sat.

The Smiley Faced Box.

Looking at me.

Whispering

"Just take a little peek."

So I did

(even though I already knew

the magic it held).

And there inside the

Smiley Faced Box

were whining children

waiting to be eaten by

MONSTERS!

And there was Ralph

who thought he didn't have a

story to tell,

but told me one anyway.

And 

best of all

waiting patiently

at the bottom of the 

Smiley Faced Box

Cassia

and

Ky

and

Xander

Reached for me

Ready to share with me

How they made it to the end.

Who needs lesson plans anyway?

                             

Where the Love of Reading Goes to Die

High School.

Ask a high school kid if they like to read. They will look at you like you are nuts. Like to read? No one wants to admit to that.  I've written about this before but after Ruth's post last week, I want to add a few more thoughts.

I blithely posted on Ruth site that high school is where the love of reading goes to die, but that's not the entire truth.  It's a slow lingering death. It starts earlier than high school.

I talk to my high school kids (I know, what a concept). They are extraordinarily honest about teachers and classes and how they think things should be taught. We talk about reading.

They hate being told what to read and they hate analyzing everything to death.
They hate answering comprehension questions about every short story and novel they read.
They hate discussing in lit circles.
They understand the need to do some of these things with some things they read. They just don't want to do it for everything.

Sometimes, they tell me, they just want to read.

• They want time to read the Hunger Games before the movie comes out.
• They want time to read The Fault in Our Stars because everyone on Twitter is talking about how great it is.
• They want time to read a book slowly and savor it. Not hurry up and finish so they can take the test.
• They want time to read a book overnight because it is so good they can't put it down.

And why don't high school teachers give them time?

• Some because they are trying to desperately get through an amazing amount of material because their class is a prerequisite for the next class. It seems frivolous to give a day "just to read".
• Some because they are told what to teach and when to teach it. They don't want to be seen as a "troublemaker" and break the rules.
• Some because state testing is cause for concern and they have to address those areas that students are low in.
• Some because they have 160 students to see in a day and finding the right book for each and every one of them seems an impossible task.
• Ditto on the reading conferences, book talks, etc.

I know this is pretty simplistic. I also know there are teachers at every level who

• don't read 
• who use the same materials over and over again because they don't want to have to bother to create something new
• who haven't read a YA novel since The Outsiders
• who think that YA literature is a vast wasteland with no redeeming value

I know how hard it is to give them time. But given the chance, we read.

The Scorpio Races (19/31)

A little different post for me today. I don't normally write books reviews, but I loved this book and must share a bit.

According to Maggie Stiefvater, she has been fascinated with the myth of the water horses for quite some time. She has tried to write about them before, but could never get the story right.  It wasn't until after Stiefvater wrote the Shiver trilogy that she went back to attempt it again. 

This time, success.

I loved the story of Sean, the boy who has won the Scorpio races four times. The boy who races for the joy and his love on a water horse.

And I loved the story of Puck (Kate, to those who don't her well) who must race to save what she loves.  

And, though, Stiefvater may not think she has written their story, I love the story of the water horses.  The majesty of their rise from the ocean and their drive to return. The violence of the races. The training days, the storm that brought horses inland, the race day.

And how can you not read a story who's first line is, "It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die."

Maggie Stiefvater says that she envisions The Scorpio Races as a stand alone novel.  I hope not. I am not ready to let go of the story of Sean and Puck and the horses....

Follow-Ups: Novels, Author-To-Be, and Inservice (15/31)

Today's post is in three parts.

Part 1: Young Adult Novel Unit.
My freshmen finished reading their novels yesterday.  Really. They finished.  And all but maybe two liked the books they chose. Really. Liked a book. Liked reading.

And the kicker is. THEY WANT TO DO IT AGAIN.  As they turned in their activities yesterday, I handed them a small square of paper.  I told them I wanted them to write me a note about this unit.  They were to be totally honest. I just wanted to know if they really liked the unit. If they thought I should do it again next year. What they thought about the timing and the activities. They could tell me anything they wanted to.

Only one student didn't like the unit. One out of forty. And I think her biggest problem was she didn't like the book she chose.

I may do it again before school is out. Maybe after Romeo and Juliet....

Part 2: My Author-To-Be
If you've ever wondered about the expression "Over the moon", I have the perfect example today--my author-to-be. She's dancing and giggling around school today because the book her poem was published in arrived in the mail! I'm sure she has shown every teacher at the school and most of the students.  I put congratulations in the morning announcements, just in case she forgot anybody.


Part 3:  What Teacher's Do at Inservice

Yesterday was inservice.  Our students let out at 12:15, but we don't have anything scheduled until 1:00.  Usually, most of us spend that time working in our rooms. But the last couple, our new principal and the Building Leadership Team have planned little activities for us.  Yesterday, being Pi Day, one of our math teachers brought pie (after another one got pie in the face! Fundraising at it's best!). So of course, we ate!

And, if you felt the need to work the pie off--or the stress of the week--there was badmiton set up in the gym. Not nearly as many people opted for the badmiton!

I'm hoping for "rolly" chair races next time!