It Was A Good Day

You know it’s going to be a good day when you tear up three times in the mini-lesson in reading class, right?

So, I shared my letter with my students. (Read it HERE) I wasn’t sure what type of reaction I would get from fifth graders. Mostly it was along the lines of… Wow, that was good. Or… Sorry, I need to read more. Several kids thanked me for thinking of them. I thought that was sweet. For ten-year-olds, I figured it was a good reaction. I hadn’t anticipated tearing up as I read it the first time, I just love this group of kids so much it makes me even more emotional than usual – which is a lot already. J

Then today’s lesson I wanted to have the students connect themes of two different shared “texts.” I read Penguin and Pinecone last week. Then yesterday I saw this video about two brothers. I immediately thought of the connecting themes between the two “texts.”

For our lesson I had the students take notes, in any format they chose. (We’ve been learning about note taking in class.) I read aloud our picture book first. We talked about possible themes for the story and evidence that would back them up. Then I played the video. Again the kids took notes on the video, deciding possible themes and evidence of them. (And if you are keeping score, teared up in the book AND the video. 

Finally, the students wrote an essay comparing the Penguin and Connor. Many discussed the similarity of Penguin’s love for the Pinecone and Connor’s love for his brother. How in the face of obstacles their love grew stronger. They were able to use their notes to provide evidence of the themes they had selected.

At the end of the day my reading group table had stacks of reading responses to grade, piles of essays, and my iPad open to Evernote from reading conferences. I would normally feel overwhelmed when I have stacks – items where I am not caught up yet. But not today. I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. I delivered my letter to the students, and whether they “got it” or not, they clearly got the message that I cared deeply for them. And their insights in their essays showed me that they are doing some deep thinking in reading. Add that to overhearing one of my boys recommending Found, Sent, and then Bomb to others and today was a good day.

And for your enjoyment, his recommendation of Bomb… you should read this. Somehow this guy makes history interesting. Feel free to use that if you need to book talk it. J

Finally, thanks so much for the amazing feedback in the last few blog posts. You all make a girl feel good! 

Slice of Life - Why should you read?

Today as I checked my students in for reading class I noticed several hadn’t read over the weekend. I talked to them, explaining that we need to develop a reading habit, that being a life-long reader has countless benefits. But how to tell them everything I know? It is impossible. Finally, I decided to write it down what was in my head and in my heart. Here is what I am sharing with them on Tuesday.

Dear Students,

You know I am a reader,

And I want you to be one too.

But you are busy,

And sometimes don’t read.

What is to be gained from books?

It is through books we learn about others,

And the world around us.
We travel to distant places,

And houses around the block.

Through books I learned what I cannot comprehend

Divorce, sickness, heartache, loss.

Lessons pour forth from the pages,

I absorb them like a sponge.

From Rebecca I learn about divorce.
What it must feel like to have your dad

Stand by the car, crying, as you drive away.

From Fern I learn of strength,

Of loss.

Of Family,

Of loyalty.
And I hug my children.

From Hazel and Augustus I learn what love is.

That our hearts can be broken in ways that are unimaginable.

I fell in love with them the way you fall asleep:

Slowly, and then all at once. *

From Auggie I learn everyone deserves a standing ovation.

That people are more than their outsides suggest.

That you never know what people are carrying around inside.

From Early and Jack I learned what true friendship is.

How much loss can ache inside.

And that sometimes you need to hold true to your beliefs.

From Ivan I learned that bad guys are more than one-dimensional.

That we are all fallible.

But when the stakes are high,

We can achieve more than others believe.

All of this I have learned between the covers of books.
I learn about others.
I learn about the world.
I become empathetic, understanding, aware.

More than that, through books,

I can find myself.

I wish, dear students,

That I had met Mattie from Hound Dog True

When I was your age.

Just to know that it was OK to be quiet.
And that I needed to find my voice.

See, what you need to understand,

What you must understand,

Is that books make us become better people.

They teach us how to love others.
They teach us how to love ourselves.

I can think of no great gift as your teacher,

Than to help you find the way to becoming a reader.

Once you are one, a true reader, you will never look back.

Won’t you join me?
With love,

Mrs. S

*Quote altered from The Fault in Our Stars

Slice of Life is sponsored every Tuesday by Stacey and Ruth from Two Writing Teachers.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

I’m joining Jen & Kellee (and many other bloggers) in discussing what we are reading this week. Join us! Go to their site and link up your own blog.

Goodness. Sometimes I am apprehensive as I go to read a book lately. I’ve read so many amazing books I worry others won’t measure up. This reading week was bookended by two amazing books: The Runaway King – sequel to The False Prince, being released in March AND Navigating Early. Simply beautiful books.

Up next, one of the classics to work on my book gap challenge, Catcher in the Rye.

Happy Reading! 

Katherine 

Give them wings

 I remember when I became a parent how quickly I fell in love with Luke. I had imagined, of course, what it would be like to have a baby. I loved him before he was born. But something about looking at his eyes took my breath away. And every day that passed found me more and more in love with this tiny being.

And then we had Liam. I was anxious on how I would be able to love both equally, although you are always assured that you will. I worried about Luke, would he feel that we were not there for him as we took care of the new baby? Sure enough, fell in love immediately and my heart was big enough for two.

At some point during the raising of these two little boys I realized, if I did my job well, they would leave me. I mean that’s what we’re working towards, right? That they will grow up and not need me? Talk about a punch in the gut. As the hormones calmed down I knew that I was right, but it is as it should be. And I’m ok with it.

I watch them becoming boys, and pre-teens. I am so proud of who they are. I love spending time with them, talking about dreams, friends, books. They are the best parts of my day.

The same holds true for teaching. I have the honor of meeting these people when they are around ten years old. They are just on the cusp of becoming teens. So much lies ahead for them. And, if I do my job as their teacher well, they will become independent.

This weekend I had the pleasure of running into several former students. I saw two seventh graders and one sixth grader while running errands. A high school junior bagged my groceries for me. And at the library I saw a college freshman, home on break. I was able to talk to them all. Ask what they are reading, how they were enjoying school.

The college freshman told me I should read a certain book I was considering, that it was one of his favorites. When I arrived home I ordered it. I remember his reading habits and trust his recommendations. After ordering I sent him a Facebook message to thank him and to, once again, tell him how proud I was of him. His message back ended with this line:

Thank you for educating me. I think you own a part of my success.

No, thank you. Thank you to all of my former students. I wish you all the best in this life. I am so grateful that my heart is big enough not only for those two little boys I adore at my home, but all of my “kids” – at home and at school. Watching you grow up from the kids I met in fourth/ fifth grade into the adults you become is an honor. 

The Power of Laughter

The first week back is almost over – one day left. For some reason this week after Christmas break is as exhausting to me as the first week of school. My body wants to sleep in, curl up with a book, and graze on sweets all day long. Instead, we’re back at it; jumping into a new unit on non-fiction; holding Skype visits and guest speakers; reading, reading, and reading.

Today the students entered the room after playing on the playground before the bell rang. One of my students, who is a bit of a daredevil and tends to be injury prone, came up to show me his elbow. We’ve joked all year that I don’t want a concussion or front teeth knocked out during fifth grade. Not on my watch. J His elbow was bleeding. I looked at him, raised an eyebrow, asked what happened. Basketball, it seems, is a dangerous sport. He looked at me, grinned, and said that there were more scrapes where this came from. I asked where. Yep, sure did. What was I thinking? His grin widened and he said, “On my butt.” I looked at him, at his friend who is like Velcro to his side, and hooted with laughter. Told him he was on his own with those injuries.

And the day took off from there. It seemed one experience led to another and laughter over took. Raced my students on the playground to the door (we were freezing after checking out something outside.) Tongue-tied during read aloud to the point I made no sense. Comparing war stories with a colleague after school. Singing with a student and realizing we were both singing The Duck Song. Laughter filled my day.

Coming home Liam and I compared happy dances in the kitchen. A dear friend called and a five-minute conversation stretched to over an hour. As I cradled the phone by my ear, lying prone on my bed, laughing so hard that my stomach ached and tears streamed down my face, I realized that I felt lighter. (No thanks to the batch of cookies I just baked.) Laughter really is the best medicine. I think tomorrow I am going to show my students the last twenty seconds of this video and we’ll see what their happy dance is. Nope, not on any standards I know of, but I have a feeling we will all be better off as a result.