Are you serious?

I saw this on someone else's blog and at times am shocked at the contraptions people come up with...Made my nose hurt just watching it.

Why I will continue reading workshop...

We adopted a series that they are calling a "stepping stone" for teachers to move into reading workshop. I will be attending a training workshop next week that will help show me how this series will help me fit it into my reading workshop (I need to work on my attitude). I will say that I am weak in guided reading groups and I am hoping that this helps. However, because of what I saw in my class, I will continue doing what I know is right FOR MY STUDENTS.

We spent a few days discussing informational text - finding main idea, details, and referencing pronouns. My students really seemed to grasp finding pronouns and they figuring out what the pronouns referred to. But I knew some of them had it when on a worksheet (yes, from the basal series), they drew arrows showing me what they referring to when they used a pronoun. I love it when they take what you taught and APPLY it to their own reading and writing.

Woo hoo!

These arrived (after I convinced one of our custodians to deliver them) in my room on Friday.


No offense, I know that the custodians are busy. They've had these for almost a month and I am just really excited...so I went in on Saturday and decided to try my hand at assembling the unit.



I did it! Now I just have to decide and organize what goes in there. All I know is that I will have a great way to display, write, and store materials needed for our reading and writing workshops! A big thank you goes out to my principal who had leftover money and allowed us to buy these!

Funnies from my students

We were creating the -ock family this week: sock, lock, flock, etc. I came up with frock and explained that it was a dress. One of my cherubs said, "I'm going to ask my mom for a prom frock."

They also had a funny discussion about Satan and 666, but I can't remember exactly how it went. I always love listening to their logic...And if you're wondering why they were discussing 666, we were working on math and they were working with 3 groups of 6 on their math paper.

Things that make me HOT!!!

Just talking about these topics lately make my blood pressure RISE...
1. The reading program that we adopted for our corporation next year. I just don't see how what they provide will push my students to grow in deeper thinking skills than what I did this year. Granted, I think the guided reading will be helpful, but when we aren't going to use the grammar component (you'll have to supplement), the writing component, and the spelling component, then why did we adopt it...
2. Next year - I love my class. I don't want to think about starting over yet. I don't want to think about how our community will be split up and I'll have to start again. I don't want to think of all of the things that I have yet to do for the end of the year.
3. Our writing prompt grading session. I received my class' prompts back. I am not happy. There were four papers that I read that received a 3 on the writing development portion that I feel should have had a 4. So, what's a passing score? A 4. I am upset because not all of the teachers who were "scoring" the prompt were mentored by our writing coach. I am upset because I worked hard with my students and they are great writers - writers who use time passes marks, dialogue, series, action, and description and they still end up with a 3. Ugh!!!
4. And after checking brightroom to see my picture after the half marathon...the photographer (I chose not to use an adjective) took my picture of where I wear my medal and smile WHILE MY EYES WERE CLOSED.

So...anyone else feel like venting? Why couldn't I have had kickboxing tonight? :)

Mini Indy

I traveled to Indy with 35,000 other runners and walkers to participate in the mini-Indy (13.1 miles). I finished in 2:43:37. I secretly wanted to finish in under 3 hours and run as much of it as I could. If I picked up a Gatorade or water, I walked through it so I could drink and not slosh it everywhere. I weaved in and out of LOTS of people and at about mile 12 I walked about half of a block to cool down my body a little. I then finished it up with a strong sprint at the end. I hurt now...especially my left knee. But...I finished!!! My sister and her boyfriend had come with me and surprised me at the end with a bouquet of flowers. They truly made my day (if you read old posts, this would be the same boyfriend that helped my sister dumpster dive). I've included a few photos.


Those are socks on my hands. My friend, Katie, recommended to wear them to keep my hands warm before the race. I threw them away as I began my journey. No, I did not create sock puppets and have them talk to each other.


On the journey...

Afterwards, with my sister at her apartment complex.