Transferring their Knowledge

I have two great stories that illustrate the transferring of what happens in class to my students' brains...A mom shared with me as her child was drinking out a Styrofoam cup that had a lid on it. She took off the lid and was staring into the cup with one eye. When the mom asked what she was doing...she replied, "I am going to peer into my cup." I put up our vocabulary poster and peer is one of our words...Go vocabulary!

Then this morning in our morning meeting, I greet the children, sometimes with new languages. Today, we practiced Aloha...which means: hello, good-bye, and I love you. After the students practiced it...I turned our attention to our reading workshop. We wrote all of our schema for Cinderella. One boy stated that the prince wanted Cinderella to stay because he liked her. I said, "Yeah, he liked her, he loved her." Then one of our boys said, "He aloha(ed) her." (not sure about correct spelling, but putting it how he said it)

Deep Thoughts

On a snowy, wintery day, where I am at the library working on school stuff since we have no school...my brain is overwhelmed with many thoughts. Thought I'd write them out because then my brain always seems to feel better.

• After attending the Carl Anderson study group, I want to make sure during my conferences that I am showing kids in their writing (and reading) how a writer does something, why, and how I do it (since I'm also a writer).
• I am amazed at how patient I think I am, but yet I'm not. I was checking my e-mail to see if my friend wrote me back yet and was surprised when I was disappointed that she hadn't...it's only been 10 minutes since I sent it. I feel like in this day and age and especially in my own life, there are things that I expect to happen right away...students to learn basic math concepts (don't you know how to borrow YET?), losing weight (but I ran more than I did last week), spiritual concepts and discplines, and even receiving phone calls (however, I am starting to convince myself that even though he got the number, he won't be calling...I mean, come on, it's been over 10 days since he got it...but out of all of the things I want to wait on, that's the one I really don't want to).
• The other night I just felt restless...one of the things I enjoy the most (when I actually do it) is reading over past journal entries, reflecting, and then writing. I feel like most of the junk that I am carrying around is then lifted off of me and vanishes. So I got my journal out and wrote. I think I haven't journaled in a while because that journal is almost full. Did you know that I have NEVER completely filled a journal? I am almost sad. When I look back and reread, I am sometimes amazed at what I write in it...some very profound thoughts come out of me (thanks only to God). I do have a new one...it's green (my favorite color) and says the word LIFE on it. I am hoping that in my new journal that I begin to see what the abundant life is all about.
• Wish I would have started sooner - I saw in another elementary classroom where they post ONE vocabulary word a week for kids to practice using in their vocabulary. They then keep up the past 9 others and bag the old ones. Kids have access to them if they want to use them in their writing. We have two words up: peered and jubilant. More info will come as I discover how it affects my students and their work.

On just another note, I just want to say thanks to all who read my blog. It means so much to me, that you would take time to hear what I have to say and then even possibly comment on it. I've actually had a couple of parents who read my blog and I also want to say, what an honor it is to have your child in my class. I am blown away by my class this year and it makes me want to be the best possible teacher for them. They deserve so much!

Enjoy!

I love my class! I know that I say it often, but yesterday was just another one of those days that I was able to just enjoy my kids for being who they are. One of my boys found an item in his pocket. He was showing it to the class and they were trying to decide what it was...they came up with a dinosaur's eye, a coffin for a mummy, a space rock, a clam (because it partially opened)...in all actuality, it was probably a napkin that got put into his pocket and then put through the washer. But I loved the ideas that my kids came up with!!!

I'm in Love!

I'm in love...with Skippyjon Jones. These books, by Judy Schachner are amazing! My kids love them and they make me laugh! We have all four now, thanks in part to my mom who donated a Borders gift card. My kids are actually modeling their writing after these books and it's hysterical! Can anyone say author study???

Any ideas?

As I am thinking about where I want to take my reading curriculum...where does cause/effect, problem/solution, and these types of reading skills fall into my teaching? Under what strategy would relate well? Asking questions? which will lead to predictions? This is where my lack of experience comes into play.

However, tomorrow at church, I am really excited because I am going to meet and just talk with another second grade teacher who has done reading workshop and writing workshop before and is fabulous!

Funnies from my room

I absolutely love my class! They bring me such joy and I just have to share some fun little stories that my cherubs or siblings of tell me.

• One of my boys wasn't there yet, but his brother walked by the room and told me that his brother wouldn't be there because he had the 21 fever...don't know what that is, but I bet I don't want to catch it!
• Another one of my boys, who is extremely bright, but sometimes the common sense isn't always there, was in the restroom. I heard a thud, then a few minutes (and yes I mean minutes) later, I heard other noise coming from the bathroom. I decided to investigate and just listened in with my ear close to the door...the noise was humming. As I listened and tried to catch the tune, a distinct song came to my mind...The Star Spangled-Banner!
• Every morning I greet the students, "Good morning, name of student," and they reply back with "Good morning, Miss Laker." Well, this same boy (from the bathroom) decided to one up me. I recently began greeting them in new languages, French and Spanish to start off with. He came up one morning and greeted me, "Buenos tardes"...the next morning it was "Buenos tardes, Senor Laker." I didn't have the heart to tell him that he said, "Good night, Mr. Laker." I just had to smile and greet him back.

Choose my attitude!

Once again, a little more on the personal side. While I am so excited for all of my friends that are currently dating (and might I say, wonderful guys who treat them well), sometimes I just get a little curious as to when it's going to be my turn...if it will be. Today, and right now, I am going to choose to have a good attitude and enjoy what has been handed me. I have an amazing class that I adore...I really do cherish them most of the time, a house that fits my needs and that I can afford, parents who love and would do anything for me, friends who encourage, support, and challenge me, co-workers who show more support than I do for them (I need to work on that), a church that has helped raise me and provides support (tomorrow I am going to a seminar on disordered eating, I'm really excited about), a cat who runs to the door when I get home (even if he tries to bite me), and my health (I'm able to run more than 4 miles...I never would have thought of that a year ago), and I can't forget my amazing small group girls that challenge me.

Why do I get down about one thing that is not there in my life (and from what I've heard of married friends, sometimes isn't everything that it's cracked up to be :) - the grass is always greener on the other side)?

Today, I will choose my attitude!!!

Thanks all for listening!