Getting the Hang of it September 9, 2008

School seems to be going pretty smoothly for me now. We have been in school for about 4 weeks. In each 6th grade class I have 24 students, which I am used to 18-20. I am amazed of how well my new middle school students are getting the hang of “middle school.” They love writing in their writer’s notebooks and want to share more than ever. I am so excited that they are excited about writing. I can’t wait to take up their writer’s notebooks to see the creativity going on.

I have been using Aimee Buckner’s Notebook Know How to get ideas on writer’s notebooks. I love her rubric she uses to grade notebooks too. I have also used her idea of cutting and pasting notes/handouts in the notebooks–what a time saver! Her idea on how to keep notes and entries separate is priceless. Last year I got tired of thumbing through notebooks to find their entries b/c their notes were mixed. I even told my students to turn their notebook upside down if they didn’t like writing from the back of the notebook. I have learned a lot from last year’s trial and error with notebooks — I am still learning!

Writing Workshop Questions July 30, 2008

I am in the process of revamping my writer’s workshop because it is not working for me. I am curious to how you manage your writer’s workshop. I teach middle school so time is a factor. I have read that it needs to be at a consistent time each week–whether you do it 3 days a week or 5 days. I am considering 3 days a week, but what do you do on the days you don’t have writer’s workshop? Do you incorporate grammar within your writer’s workshop? How do you manage the noise level? (you know middle schoolers like to talk and it’s not usually about school) Is writer’s workshop only for lower grades? Most of the books I have read deal with grades 1-5.  How do you incorporate writer’s notebooks into writing workshop? So many questions!!!!

My Summer is Nearing to an End July 26, 2008

Next week is my last week of being lazy. I can’t believe how fast the summer went. The crazy thing is–I don’t feel ready for the school year to begin. I haven’t planned a thing. I kinda got side-tracked, but for a good cause. I found out on July 3rd that I was pregnant. Since then my emotions and insides have gone on a very twisty roller coaster. This week has been the first in many that I have actually felt well enough to get in-front of a computer, go outside, and eat. My appetite consisted of pretzels and peanut butter for the past three weeks.

My goal next week is to start planning for the school year. School offically begins August 18; however, I have meetings to attend in Memphis and then of course in-service. I do have some thoughts in mind of how I want to manage my classroom this year. I have been reading literature on managing a successful writing workshop. I still need to figure out my kinks– time is always a factor.

Dog Days June 10, 2008

Dog

Days of

My summer

Slowly evolve

With lazy escapes

Under the sunny skies

Sun-kissed skin glistening bright

Afternoons quickly rush evenings

Of buzzing, chirping, and nightly sounds

Bringing contentment close to you daily

 

I wrote this etheree today at our annual writing marathon for The West Tennessee Writing Project. It was fun getting into groups and writing. I got to meet new people and it was invigoratingto my writing needs. I just love writing etherees because they force you to use good, concise words. They also make you edit and revise. I think students writing etherees would be a good first step to editing and revising their work because they have to choose what works best for them. My first draft of this poem wasn’t perfect the first time writing it. If my scanner was working, I would show you my revisions. I plan on doing more modeling of revision and editing for my students.

Wrapping Up 2007-2008 School Year May 29, 2008

Today I wrapped up all of the loose ends. I ended the school year by locking my door at 3:00. I checked out. The process of checking out is tedious, but worth it in August. I have to take everything down from the walls, wash the book cases & dry erase boards, take down bulletin boards, roll up the rugs, label everything, unhook computers, and cover the book cases with paper. I organized my desk by going through papers and files that I haven’t used. It’s so neat and clean–organized! It’s wierd seeing your room bare when you’re used to it being bright and colorful.

Even though I don’t like this process, it does have its benefits. The pros are you get to start with a clean slate for the next school year, you get to have a nice oorganized desk, and you don’t have as much purging in August.

I am not wrapped up with my teaching though. I have been thinking over in my mind of how I want next year to go. The third week in June I will be participating in our first advanced institute with teacher inquiry. I am eager to learn new things about my teaching and I expect a great outcome for my teaching too. In the school year 2008-2009 I plan on implementing my writer’s notebooks, but I am planning on tweaking them a lot. I did get input from my students on writer’s notebooks and can’t wait to look at that data.

An Odd Feeling May 28, 2008

Today I came home from organizing my classroom to an empty house. It was an odd feeling because no one was here to greet me as I walked in. Usually my two dogs, Belle and Mimi, are wagging their tails and smiling when I arrive. It’s going to be this way for a few days because they are visiting their grandma, Sophie. Tony and I are going out of town and my parents agreed to watch over them. I know that they will be happier with Sophie and not at the kennel. I will see my two girls next Wednesday when we go to pick them up in Kentucky.

Winding Down May 21, 2008

 

The school year is winding down. Today we had our field day and boy was it tiring. Our school does field day a little differently. They are divided into 24 teams where there are students from all grade levels. The goal for this was to be more family oriented. The teams compete against each other and they win by the best times. The past two years my team has placed 2nd, but unfortunately we didn’t place this year. It was a good day.

You can always tell when it’s the end of the year– students shut down 2 weeks before school is actually out. Tuesday I attempted to do this cool lesson on vivid verbs, but it bombed. I can’t blame the kids though–I’m ready for it to end too. This year was a good year over all–next year will be an even better year. I am already thinking of new ways to improve the year.

I was wondering what some of  you do at the end of the year to keep your students going. Please share your ideas.

 

Happy Anniversary April 9, 2008

Today is our 3 year anniversary. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone by. Tony is such a good husband.  I am so glad that I met him in 2004 and got to know him. We have had some good times together. He is not only my hubby, but my best friend too! It’s kind of funny how when we first met we would go out to dinner and a movie and stay up. Tonight, we went to dinner, shopped for more flowers at Lowe’s, and vegged out on the couch in our pjs watching our favorite Wednesday night shows.

Licking the Beaters April 8, 2008

Tonight I followed the recipe for making cookie cake. I could anticipate the end result–the batter. I am still like a kid when it comes to baking. I like to lick the beaters just like when I was a kid. My mom would let my brother and I lick them when she was finished. Well, that’s what I did tonight and boy was it good! I just hope the cookie cake tastes as good as the batter. Tomorrow we’ll have cookie cake for dessert at our slice of life pizza party. I can’t wait!

 

Spring Fever April 5, 2008

Every spring my husband and I get the green thumb. Today we spent 2 1/2 hours at Lowe’s choosing the perfect flowering shrubs for our backyard. We decided on a variety of azaleas, gardenias, rhododendrons, and preliuses. We also bought two rose bushes that smell delightful. I can’t wait to plant them tomorrow.