An Irish Blessing  May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of his hand. May God be with you and bless you: May you see your children's children. May you be poor in misfortune, Rich in blessings. May you know nothing but happiness From this day forward. May the road rise up to meet you May the wind be always at your back May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home And may the hand of a friend always be near. May green be the grass you walk on, May blue be the skies above you, May pure be the joys that surround you, May true be the hearts that love you. |
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Happy St. Patrick's Day
Sunday, March 13, 2011
What Kids Want Teachers to Know
Someone posted this video on Facebook and I loved it. Watch the video before reading the rest of the blog.
Top Ten Things You Don't Learn in College about Teaching…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lulUvYfRl_c
When I shared the video with my principal, she challenged me to do a top ten list with my K/1 class about what kids want teachers to know. Below is the list with an explanation about some of the items following.
Top Ten Things Students Want Teachers to Know
10. We want treat day everyday!
9. Kindergartners say, “No rest time needed!”
8. There should be Mo Willems books in every classroom.
7. We need longer recess.
6. Every class should have a Speed Challenge.
5. We need to do more plays in school.
4. Let us read at any level.
3. Teachers should not talk in the hallway or when on red in the lunchroom. We don't get to so teachers shouldn't either.
2. Red/Green cups are a bad idea. Have you ever seen a red/green cup in a restaurant??
1. NEVER HAVE SUBSTITUTES!
Some explanation is needed for a couple of the items on the list.
#10-The students get a treat day one day a week where they can get ice cream or a slushie with their lunch.
#6-Speed is a fast paced card game they gives the students practice with one more and one less. Another class challenged us to a competition.
#3 and #2-A committee at our school decided that we needed to do something about the noise level in the lunchroom. They came up with a red/green cup combination and when the red cup is on top, the students are to remain silent. When the green cup is on top, the students may talk quietly.
If you really want to know what kids think, just ask them!
Top Ten Things You Don't Learn in College about Teaching…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lulUvYfRl_c
When I shared the video with my principal, she challenged me to do a top ten list with my K/1 class about what kids want teachers to know. Below is the list with an explanation about some of the items following.
Top Ten Things Students Want Teachers to Know
10. We want treat day everyday!
9. Kindergartners say, “No rest time needed!”
8. There should be Mo Willems books in every classroom.
7. We need longer recess.
6. Every class should have a Speed Challenge.
5. We need to do more plays in school.
4. Let us read at any level.
3. Teachers should not talk in the hallway or when on red in the lunchroom. We don't get to so teachers shouldn't either.
2. Red/Green cups are a bad idea. Have you ever seen a red/green cup in a restaurant??
1. NEVER HAVE SUBSTITUTES!
Some explanation is needed for a couple of the items on the list.
#10-The students get a treat day one day a week where they can get ice cream or a slushie with their lunch.
#6-Speed is a fast paced card game they gives the students practice with one more and one less. Another class challenged us to a competition.
#3 and #2-A committee at our school decided that we needed to do something about the noise level in the lunchroom. They came up with a red/green cup combination and when the red cup is on top, the students are to remain silent. When the green cup is on top, the students may talk quietly.
If you really want to know what kids think, just ask them!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Room by Emma Donoghue
Ever wonder why we don't hear much about Jaycee Dugard and her children? I've often wondered how they are integrating into the real world after the kidnapping and abuse. After reading Room, I have a better understanding of the hardships of acclimating to the real world after such an experience.
The book Room is about a 5 year old boy and his mother who are living in a "room" and have no contact with the outside world except through their captor. The room is an eleven by eleven foot space and the mother has created a life for her child out of these unusual circumstances. Jack and his mother look forward to Sunday "treat" which is nothing more than necessities. Although the captor is aware that he has a son with the mother, he has little interaction with the little boy. The mother hides him in the closet each night in case they get a visit from their captor. Often the little boy is awake when the captor "visits" his mother. They have a TV but the mom explains to Jack that everything on TV is make believe. The world is simply their "room" which is actually a storage shed in the captor's backyard. When the room can no longer contain Jack's curiosity, the mother plans a daring escape and Jack becomes a hero.
What struck me the most was how hard it was for both Jack and his mom to adjust to life outside the room. That's when I thought of Jaycee and how hard it must be for her. This is a great book and I highly recommend reading this book. It will certainly stick with you for a while.
The book Room is about a 5 year old boy and his mother who are living in a "room" and have no contact with the outside world except through their captor. The room is an eleven by eleven foot space and the mother has created a life for her child out of these unusual circumstances. Jack and his mother look forward to Sunday "treat" which is nothing more than necessities. Although the captor is aware that he has a son with the mother, he has little interaction with the little boy. The mother hides him in the closet each night in case they get a visit from their captor. Often the little boy is awake when the captor "visits" his mother. They have a TV but the mom explains to Jack that everything on TV is make believe. The world is simply their "room" which is actually a storage shed in the captor's backyard. When the room can no longer contain Jack's curiosity, the mother plans a daring escape and Jack becomes a hero.
What struck me the most was how hard it was for both Jack and his mom to adjust to life outside the room. That's when I thought of Jaycee and how hard it must be for her. This is a great book and I highly recommend reading this book. It will certainly stick with you for a while.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Leaving Gee's Bend
Have you read Irene Latham's first book Leaving Gee's Bend? This book is for adolescents but our book club enjoyed reading and discussing it. It's about a little girl and her family who live in Gee's Bend and have many hardships. The little girl has to leave Gee's Bend for the first time to get help for her mother who is ill. She encounters an evil woman who is determined to destroy the residents of Gee's Bend. Although the book is fiction, it has some elements of real events. It's a great book to read aloud to your 3rd graders and up.
Irene Latham is busy writing her next book about a son whose parents work at the zoo. The Birmingham Zoo was her model and inspiration.
The author does school visits if you are interested. You can contact her at:
www.irenelatham.com
Irene Latham is busy writing her next book about a son whose parents work at the zoo. The Birmingham Zoo was her model and inspiration.
The author does school visits if you are interested. You can contact her at:
www.irenelatham.com
Happenings
I can hardly believe it is almost Spring Break! Where has this year gone??? My Kindergartners have grown so much and have learned so much from their peers. When I looked at their writing today, I noticed that some of them were writing better than my first graders. I wonder if the first graders have noticed that.
One of the first grade teachers has challenged us to a Speed Challenge. Speed is a card game that is played rapidly placing cards that are 1 more or 1 less than the previously played cards. We've been working hard to get ready for the challenge. My first graders are working with the K students to help them get faster when playing the game. We have done this in previous years but my kids don't seem to enjoy competition as much as kids I've had before. Maybe because we have worked so hard to have a peaceful classroom community while blending two grade levels.
One of the first grade teachers has challenged us to a Speed Challenge. Speed is a card game that is played rapidly placing cards that are 1 more or 1 less than the previously played cards. We've been working hard to get ready for the challenge. My first graders are working with the K students to help them get faster when playing the game. We have done this in previous years but my kids don't seem to enjoy competition as much as kids I've had before. Maybe because we have worked so hard to have a peaceful classroom community while blending two grade levels.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Joy Cowley
Friday, February 11, 2011
Reflections on "I Resign From Teaching" posted by Josh Stumpenhorst
This has been the best year of teaching I have ever had. EVER! It has been so much fun teaching a split class. But...I’m already dreading next year because nothing could possibly top this one. I had a rough start with juggling schedules and not knowing how to group students because I didn’t really know them yet.Not to mention the PR I had to do with parents. They had the same question as some of the teachers did and that is, how can you teach two grade levels at the same time??? As time went by, it got so much easier and it’s hard to imagine ever having a full kindergarten class without older peers to help with teaching and guiding them. EVER! Teaching kindergarten is an exhausting job. My hat is off to those teachers that do it every day and every year. Josh’s blog post http://stumpteacher.blogspot.com/2011/02/i-resign-from-teaching.html resonates with me as a first grade teacher. I feel it is much easier to learn beside first graders than to learn beside kindergarteners. They are a whole different animal! They need so much more guidance into “schooling.” So the secret is out of the bag! I’ve tried to keep it quiet but...this has been the best year ever! Thank you Linda for your vision. Thank you Jeff for your encouragement. And thank you Kindergarten and First Grade Teams for being flexible with my crazy schedule and for being so supportive. You are the best!
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