Looking for a Class

Wanted: one classroom, prefer 4th or 5th grade, who knows how to implement workshop model. This class must be able to demonstrate mini-lesson, guided reading group, strategy group and have lit circles going on. Plus the teacher should display evidence of conferring with students. It would be helpful if the class was fairly close to St. Louis area, but not neccessarily a requirement.

Does anyone know of such a class? I have a teacher who would like to visit such a place because she doesn't think it can be done. Today was the introduction to small groups in my 4th and 5th grade class. I didn't get "Are you out of your mind!" but neither did I get "Yes, this is what I've been waiting for!" Of course it doesn't help when you don't have leveled texts to use. Oh wait,
they do have leveled text, it came with the basal. There are little books on, above, and below grade level. Isn't that leveled text? Besides, we love the basal and don't want to give it up. We know students are getting what they need when we have that.

I feel like I am "spittin' in the wind" and you know you shouldn't do that. A few are excited and anxious to try the groups, but most are shaking their heads saying "This won't work." Now I think we all know it's a who that doesn't want to work. Groups are hard and teachers have to THINK.

Okay that's enough ranting for tonight. I will work through this, but I may need counseling before it is all said and done. Thanks for listening.

Who Needs a Laugh?

I'm heading back out for a collaboration tomorrow, and I should probably walk all the way to Pleasant Hope because I ate so much the last few days...It was incredibly nice to hang out with family, though, eat, and start the Christmas decorating. You know you're getting old when you think about how long it's going to take to get the tree, etc. all down before you put it all up...

I'm sure you've seen this video clip before, but I thought about watching this one again after finishing up coaching before Thanksgiving break.

See you all next week!

Ben Stein, Choice Words, and Coaching: What Do You Notice?

What do I notice? I'm due for a break! The "classroom discussion" played out in the clip above from Ferris Bueller's Day Off is more common than not, and I guess that's why I always thought it was so hilarious...until I had to find ways to "coach" after observing this painful ordeal in many of my classrooms.

Approaching the coaching session as an opportunity to invite teachers to talk less...and invite kids to talk more, touches only the tip of the teacher-centered classroom. In Choice Words, Peter Johnston calls the pattern of interaction (IRE: teacher initiating [usually a question], student responding, and teacher evaluating the response) very controlling behavior. The underlying premise is that the teacher already knows what needs to be known, and he/she is therefore in the role of the judge, or in other words, the teacher is the knowledge giver and authority, and the students are the receivers without any authority. This system holds a subversive message to students that "children know about the world only through the knowledge that is transmitted to them" (54).

Hum...Where to begin..Johnston suggests a tape recorder to play back and listen to the dialogue...Gosh, I tried (as an observer) to script like crazy to catch as much of it as possible, trying to count hands in the air, position of students in classroom, and as many of the words from the teacher as possible. One of the strongest messages I get from the Johnston book is to notice the good (just as you would in your classroom) and name it...He talks about how sad it is that often teachers can't verbalize what they are actually doing in their classrooms.

I guess we could all be better at noticing what's really going on...and see what positive effects spring from our interactions. At the same time, we can take better control of our words, which have enormous power over the identities of our students as readers, writers, and learners. I think this applies to our teachers - and trainers - as well. If some of my stressed out teachers could just lighten up and enjoy what their kids can discover on their own...Johnston also discusses "wait time," something I need to revisit during my collaborations.

So...I plan to rest, eat, and look for the good that "refueling" during Thanksgiving break will bring me. I know I need a break when all I can see during observations is Ben Stein up there in the front of the class. I know also that laughter is healing and energizing... We could all use some of that, too!

BD

Hi! I have a teacher at one of my first-year schools that has been coming to all the collaborations...she teachers BD 2nd and 3rd graders and she has asked me if I could put her in touch with any other BD teachers that have implemented "MRI" and are beyond year 1. Does anyone have any teachers that I could put her in touch with??

I hope everyone is doing well...I miss you all! We haven't seen each other in FOREVER!

Here is a pic of Gav and Aubree at the Farm Park (Rutledge-Wilson) Pumpkin Patch! :) I LOVE fall!

Ok....Here is one more pic...Halloween costumes! They had SO much fun on Halloween....candy, candy, candy!

What is God telling me?

As I sit at my computer with broken foot propped up to keep the swelling down, I question the November 1 event which, once again, totally put the brakes on my life. I realize it is not up to us to question God's motives, just to accept them as a sign. I'm not sure what the sign is but I'm thinking out of order priorities may be pretty close to the top.

With the help of my mother, I am continuing to go to my schools. Since I am part-time (by the Grace of God) I do not have schools day after day after day, otherwise I would have to quit, but I am giving it a try. I will see how the Doctor thinks the healing is progressing at my visit next week then reassess my schedule if needed. I certainly do not want to risk surgery if the bone does not heal properly. He indicated this was the worst kind of break to have since tendons are connected to that bone. If I put weight on the foot the tendons move the bone keeping it from healing.

Prayers are welcomed.

It's almost Friday!

Well girls of the road, it's almost Friday and that will bring a break from business for at least a minute. I have realized that I'm very thankful for the continuing contact schools I have because I've realized that first year schools can be so "needy." I keep trying to remember what it was like for me to go through those first years, but it is hard because it was so long ago. The other question I am fielding is "So how many schools actually keep this after three years?" I know that my situation may be different because I was blessed by working in a building that kept comprehesive literacy at the forefront of everything they did. So my view of that question is quite jaded.

For the most I do know that their questions are just one more attempt not to change. I try to understand and be sympathetic, but there are moments when I want to just say....DO IT!
(Sorry that my post was messed up....)

Oh, Dear, Jennifer's Foot IS Broken!

This is just a short post to tell you that I just returned from Jennifer's, and yes, she broke her foot, and she has a big, red, heavy cast...on her driving foot!

So...once again, she's grounded from driving, and actually, I think from walking, too. She found out today that not only was her foot broken, but it's crucial to her healing that she stay off of it so that it will mend.

As always, she's moving forward, (she's been hobbling around on it for a couple days...)but keep her in your positive thoughts and prayers!

Collaborating With Skeptics

I don't remember where I ran across this article, but I was thinking that it might be helpful in collaboration, especially in new schools where teachers are still skeptical about "teaching reading" instead of serving as language interpreters and literature experts, ready to guide students through the classics...I really like Cris Tovani's work; it seems so practical and useful and real. (Note to my readers: I originally linked this post (two days ago) to an article by Tovani, but in checking back, I see the article is no longer available for "free" online, so the link no longer works. I printed out the article, but didn't copy and save it in my documents, so I can't share it here. So, instead, I've linked you to a useful chapter about content reading - I love the Three Bear story!)

I'm still trying to catch my breath in the midst of a very hectic fall schedule. (My car operates on auto pilot on I-44.) I'll be thankful for Thanksgiving break!

Oh, yes, here's a funny video(another Barry Lane)about what standardized testing does to schools!



...and, in case you missed it, here's CBS's "All Children Left Behind"

CATS

Hundreds of cats, millions of cats, billions and trillions and zillions of cats. I'm not sure that is exactly the way the book goes but it certainly is a "Text to self" connection. Someone "kindly" left two 7-8 week old kittens on my doorstep last week. I can't have two babies running around outside, taking a chance of getting hit by a non-noticing driver so where are they? In my house. When we are home they are out running around and playing, when we are gone they are content to sleep and play in our kennel-type cage. Signs have been posted over the neighborhood: FOUND: 2 KITTENS: 1 SIAMESE, 1 WITH TIGER MARKINGS. Have we had any calls? Guess! Of course not. With persistence we will hopefully find a home for these babies.

OOPS! I've done it again.

Age, Aged, Aging. Look any of those words up in good ole' Webster's and I'm almost sure the first definition will be clumsy. The second definition will be Jennifer. Just another event in a long history of "clumsiness" struck Saturday. No, nothing fell on me. No, I didn't fall down walking my dog. Clumsy me, I fell out the back door of my house. Now one would question how that would be possible. Refer to Webster's. As I was working in the backyard, I took off my gloves to come into the house for a minute. My pups proceeded to use them as a chewy but unbeknownst to me Steve took them away and placed them on the kitchen table. When returning to the yard to finish working I searched in the doghouse, under the deck and all around the yard. After realizing I was searching for, probably, my gloves, Steve informed me they were on the table. I opened the door, reached in for the gloves, backed out and misjudged the distance between my foot and the step and proceeded in slow motion to fall out the door onto my butt, rolling onto my back and possibly fracturing one of the bones on the outside of my right foot. I iced it down hoping for just a little sprain which it could be since I have not been to a Doctor. That will most likely be one of my errands Monday--the Doctor. I am thinking positive-- "I am positive I am clumsy!".

Help me get the teachers talking. What are some ways you get a discussion after a classroom modeling. No one wants to say much. I don't know what they are thinking. I would like to get more conversation out of them. They take notes during the lesson, but they don't really share their thoughts. Any suggestions out there?

Back to teambuilders. Here are some teambuilders. Maybe someone can use them at some point this year.

Literacy Timelines (for times when you have all day, this takes some time)
Teachers will create a timeline of friends, colleagues and family members who have
influenced their literacy development. These timelines will then be used as a catalyst for discussion about what is meaningful and memorable in influencing the literacy of others.
Begin by asking everyone to draw a line across a blank sheet of paper (providing a stack of blank
oversized sheets of paper and baskets of markers is helpful). On this line, ask everyone to mark a starting point with a vertical line labeled “Birth” on the left-hand side, and another labeled “Present Day” on the right-hand side.

Ask participants to think of at least five people who influenced their development as readers and writers during their lives. Participants should then map out on the continuum when they met each person. Below the timeline, everyone should list the names of these mentors with a one-sentence description of how and why that person affected his or her literacy.
This task should take no more than 10-15 minutes. Ask everyone to write silently. Often it takes at least a few minutes for participants to clear their heads and begin remembering names (especially those of distant mentors).
After everyone has completed their timelines, meet in small groups or collectively discuss the following questions:
· What did your literacy mentors have in common?
· What are some striking differences?
· What connections do you make to how you mentor students?
· What connections do you make to how you influence the literacy teaching and learning of your
colleagues?

Where I Draw the Line

Prepare some statements on the blackboard, whiteboard or chart paper before participants arrive (see examples below).
Once everyone arrives, draw an imaginary line across the front of the room. Tell everyone that this line is a continuum, with one end designated for those who “strongly agree” with the first statement, and the other end of the line reserved for those who “strongly disagree.” The middle territory is for those who are neutral or ambivalent. Ask participants to place themselves on the line based upon their response to the statement.
Statements to post might include:
· Teachers must know and use research findings to inform their practice.
· Reading comprehension strategy instruction is a fad that will pass in time.
· Every teacher in the same grade in our school should teach reading in the same way.
· There is enough phonics instruction in our school.
· My experiences as a writer influence the way I teach writing.
· My experiences as a reader influence the way I teach reading.
· Research is only valid if it is objective.
· Not enough attention is paid to grammar and spelling skills in our school.
· Boys’ literacy is of greater concern to me at the moment than girls’ literacy.
· I have never experienced as much pressure as a teacher as I do now in the classroom.
· The standards movement has been a positive force in schools over the past decade.
· Parents are becoming more involved in our school.
After each person has lined up for the first statement, have people share why they feel strongly or are
ambivalent about the statement. Take no more than five minutes to discuss each statement. After the
discussion of a statement is completed, read aloud the next statement, have everyone rearrange
themselves on the continuum, and discuss the new topic.
Ideally, you don’t want to post any statements that lead to a herd of teachers at one end of the continuum.
Sometimes the statements that are the most fun are those that are most polarizing, or lead to a chain of participants all along the line. You can easily adapt these statements to reflect current literacy initiatives in your building.

Now for a fun teambuilder. List the desserts on cards and have them go to the card of their favorite dessert. Then read the traits for each dessert.

Angel Food Cake - Sweet, loving, cuddly. You love all warm and fuzzy items. A little nutty at times. Sometimes you need an ice cream cone at the end of the day. Others perceive you as being childlike and immature at times.

Brownies - You are adventurous, love new ideas, and are a champion of underdogs and a slayer of dragons. When tempers flare up you whip out your saber. You are always the oddball with a unique sense of humor and direction. You tend to be very loyal.

Lemon Meringue - Smooth, sexy and articulate with your hands. You are an excellent after-dinner speaker and a good teacher, and also a great leader. You are very loyal, but a bit of a diva at times. You are a very outgoing, loving person and have loads and loads of friends.

Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Icing - Fun-loving, sassy, humorous, very grounded in life; very decisive and motivated. Everyone enjoys being around you, you are a practical joker. Others should be cautious in making you mad. However, you are a friend for life.

Strawberry Shortcake - Romantic, warm, loving. You care about other people, can be counted on in a pinch and expect the same in return. Intuitively keen. Can be very emotional.

Chocolate on Chocolate - Sexy; always ready to give and receive. Very creative, adventurous, ambitious, and passionate. You can appear to have a cold exterior but are warm on the inside. Not afraid to take chances. Will not settle for anything average in life. Love to laugh.

Ice Cream - You like sports, whether it be baseball, football, basketball, or soccer. If you could, you would like to participate, but you enjoy watching sports. you don't like to give up the remote control. You tend to be self-centered and high maintenance.

Carrot Cake - You are a very fun-loving person, who likes to laugh. You are fun to be with. People like to hang out with you. You are a very warmhearted person and a little quirky at times. You have many loyal friends.

Teaching Writing With Barry Lane

I've been taking Barry Lane's After the End to collaborations and workshops because his humor and practical advice speak to so many of us. I especially love to do a read aloud of his chapter (at least the first couple of pages) "Don't Fix My Story, Just Listen To Me" because most teachers start nodding their heads and chuckling because so many of us have dragged student papers home only to cart them back to school ungraded...and the best part is the realization that this isn't the most effective use of teacher time since there is little learning for students in all that time teachers spend marking up papers.

So...this year I've been able to make great use of his new book But How Do You Teach Writing? He includes simple, easy to implement writing exercises that we can use in our collaborations, and then teachers can take them back into their own classrooms and have a model to share.

In the process of digging around online, I also discovered a site with additional workshop ideas. Truly, these are all fun, and I don't know about you, but I'm all about finding some joy to spread!

If you have a few minutes, visit UTube and type in Barry Lane. There are a number of videos you could share at your collaborations, and fun or not(they are hysterical), the message rings true.



By the way, I love the fact that he still writes about his fourth grade teacher. I'll try to upload that clip here as well. Enjoy!

In Just a Few Minutes...Find Connections!

So...no one is posting. It could be a number of things:

l. Who has time to create a post? (I've decided to look at the clock and time this blogging event.)
2. I don't want to have to polish my rough thoughts...(I have cast reckless abandon and decided to risk your judgment. I'm hoping you see content and ideas, not so much how I might need to revise my writing in this format!)
3. I'm too tired...
4. I don't know how to mess with all the features - pictures, linking, etc. Who cares?...Just talk...

I have to say that I have found great help on this site. Several weeks ago I posted some thoughts about how I wished I had more ideas about community building. Several trainers wrote back about ideas they've used to build community, and I have used them all. Thank goodness for your generosity! I've used Shonna's index card idea for telling why you became a teacher on one side and on the other to write a career you'd never do. It's quick and easy! Jennifer, I've used the T-shirt, which is also very clever. Thanks for sharing these ideas!

So...my point is that it was totally worth the fifteen minutes or so it took to write about how I needed more ideas for community building. Just think how cool it would be if even more people contributed to the pool! So...I've been on for ten minutes now, and I'm going to wrap this up before I hit the fifteen minute mark.

I've been wanting to post about something that has been surfacing for me lately...Isn't it a small world? Last week I met Elsie for dinner in St. Louis. Just the week before I had learned that her sister-in-law was a friend and colleague from a school where I had worked. It was such a nice occasion to be able to share dinner out of town and get to talk to a friend about our training experiences. What a wonderful surprise it was, though, to discover in casual conversation that our fathers had worked together...What are the odds that both our fathers would be FBI agents? Even more powerful...they knew each other. In a later phone call, my dad told me that the judge's gavel he still has in his guest bedroom was made my Elsie's dad. Small world...I love discoveries like this.

OK...this has been twenty minutes total, not fifteen. But that's not so much time, is it? Go ahead. Live dangerously. Post your thoughts.

What Do You Call Jet Lag When You're Traveling By Car? Car Lag?

I've been in a school every day for who knows how long...and today I looked out at my group of teachers and thought, "Let's see...if it's Wednesday, I must be in*****(unnamed school...). Truth is, I could see that these teachers, like me, were also on overload, and fortunately for all of us, I was able to remind myself that sometimes this is the only day these guys have to connect with each other, build community, collaborate on challenges that face them, and generally refuel.

So...I asked if I could start the day with a "community builder" of pictures of my grandbaby. I explained that this was kind of indulgent on my part, and even though we had no technology because we didn't have the big meeting room, they were kind enough to gather around my laptop with their writer's notebooks in hand, ready to record the photo number of their choice. I gave them a few minutes to quickwrite the reason for their choice - what the picture meant to them and why it connected to how they felt about their classes. Afterward, they shared in pairs and then we were going to discuss as a group.

Next, I asked how many chose photo number one, and it was amazing what happened. (This is a picture of Hailey's second day of life!) First of all, most of them chose that picture, and in explaining why, one veteran teacher broke down in tears. Her kids were nightmarish, incapable of being students; they were infants, like Hailey, but they didn't care about life, school, or anything about writing. Their parents were meth addicts or alcoholics and didn't care about their kids. Other teachers who chose that picture said that they felt like infants with the new strategies they were asked to adopt, not knowing or trusting where it would all lead...Oh, my, this was the teachable moment, and my lesson plan of covering the 6+1 traits seemed like it was shot to hell...Ever been there? (Actually, I like it when everything is out on the table, so to speak.)

So...I thought to myself, "Better regroup!" I asked the teachers, "What can I do to help?" The answer was to model in the nightmare class, which was scheduled to meet in moments. I told the group that I'd oblige, but they must use this time to observe and study the students, their interaction with the teacher (me this time), and we'd go back and debrief as a team of experts. I didn't have all the secrets of classroom life, but maybe in watching, we as a team could come up with some answers. (I wanted to be sure that this didn't look like I was going in to "show up" their regular teacher...or to be slaughtered for entertainment -however their teacher was the one who asked that we look at her class...and after all, if the kids were incorrigible, we'd get an idea of what was happening.) I reached in my bag and pulled out a cloze poem entitled "I Meant to Tell You," and we waddled down the hall like a line of ducks in a shooting gallery.

So...after introductions and a read aloud of the original poem, we took a few minutes to quickwrite in writer's notebooks about a person we wished we'd said something to but for whatever reason we didn't. Kids all wrote -really- for a few minutes. We stopped, turned and shared the identity of who we wrote about with a partner if we wanted...most did. All turned and at least listened. Then I gave them the poem with blanks drawn in where they could all add their own lines of poetry. Kids asked all the right questions. Does the person have to be alive? Does it have to be a person? (The kid was thinking of a beloved pet.) So...then I set them loose to write what they wished. I tried to write at the same time and did for a bit, but then I circulated to see (unobtrusively, I hoped) what was going on. All but four were writing fast and furiously, and like Dr. Woods advises, I watched for the crest of the wave.

As pencils were laid down, I asked if there were questions or comments about the writing. A teacher raised her hand and asked if there was a student sample that I could share with everyone. I said yes, but I gave the kids a few minutes to turn and share with a partner what they thought of the poem and the writing...and if they wanted, they could share a bit of their own poem or all. (I wished it were my class...I didn't know where they were with safety and comfort!) After students chatted, I read the student sample (which was written by a student who lived in a motel while his mom and his dad were seperating, and his dad ended up getting arrested when he came to reclaim the family...) I circulated around the room while I was reading, and when I finished, I whispered up close to the boys who had written nothing if they'd mind please writing at the bottom of their blank pages why they hadn't written anything.

I collected up the papers, and we filed back out and down the hall to our meeting room. Someone asked if I'd read the student work, so I began, and before I was through even two of them, we were all in tears...a note to Mom who never smiled or laughed anymore...dad who went off to Iraq...a best friend who moved away...grandpa who was a best friend but died...a favorite teacher (I'm not kidding) who was the only one who understood...and so on. The boy whose dad went to Iraq wrote in his last line line..."I'm glad we have money now, but I miss you, Dad. Thanks."

OK...so what's the point? Our kids carry in so much baggage sometimes that it's humbling...Would this come out in a survey? Maybe...maybe not. Will this come out in writing? Maybe...I hope so...Someone asked what should be done about the kids who didn't write. Another teacher answered that that would be a great place to start the conferencing...(thank you)...By the way, they wrote on the bottom of their papers, "I don't have anything to say." Someone else asked about how to motivate kids without a cloze poem...I was dizzy watching the questions go back and forth, but relieved that solutions kept coming back to teaching the kids that are in our rooms now...not where they are supposed to be next year...not where the plan always leads us...but where they appear to be now.

So...here I am, back in Springfield, light years away, a presentation tomorrow...what is it on? Gosh, it's lonesome out there when you keep driving out to schools and home before and after dark. My family keeps me grounded, though they have gone out on their own. Baby Hailey who lives up the street keeps me grounded, so I peek at her pictures when I can. Thank you, Hailey, from all of us today. We are all infants in a way, finding our way, trying to spread light when we can. I didn't have to say much today. So glad you led the way, Hailey. I'm tired!

One final postscript...the NCTE newsletter had an interesting article about teachers who blog about their classrooms (by the way, our is private...) and I thought you might be interested...

I finally seem to have a day that I can be little lazy. I knew that my September looked crazy on paper and now I realize it was REALLY insane! However things seem to slow a bit next month. I am wondering if everyone else went through some adjustments as they came onto the initiative. One of the biggest is the obvious change in financial planning!!! Wow how that gas can add up. Plus, I am hoping the planning gets easier with more experience. I seem to be going a day at a time and feel like I am barely keeping my head above water. Please don't take my comments as if I am not happy where I am because I can't imagine a better change in my career. This is a great mission and I can't believe I actually get to do it. I am just hoping that those who have traveled the path before me can send some advice my way.

I also have to include a picture of my beautiful nephew, Jackson. He's "helping" Aunt B today. Maybe by the end of the day he will be calling the dogs...dogs instead of "cat"!!!

Katie's Blogging By Herself!

Hello out there! Anybody reading me? If you are, click the comment box at the bottom of this post and please say "hi" or something...Katie is sitting at the computer alone, waiting to see if you will appear...

Any of you subscribe to NCTE inbox? Listed in this week's articles is a piece about 21st century literacies, and it includes goals stating that readers and writers should:


Develop proficiency with the tools of technology;
Build relationships with others to pose and solve problems collaboratively and cross-culturally;
Design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes;
Manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information;
Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multi-media texts;
Attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments.

And so, my friends, even Katie is moving forward...or at least trying to...

Clueless in Springfield: Who Needs Help With Community Building?

I am now learning what it really means to walk into a building for "year two" and to attempt to appear "fresh." Oh, I know that year two is all about writing, my passion, but I am now facing the challenge of finding new community builders, something that excites and inspires...

With my own students in my own classroom, we seemed to get into a rhythm, and we all knew how to revisit commmunity building. In the arena of professional development, we seem to "rebuild" as we go along monthly. In other words, I am continually looking for something clever and new...

So...what are you guys doing? I have become shamelessly self-centered and could use some fresh ideas. I'll share today's version of Kae's "faces" community builder, though. (Kae is a wealth of generous ideas, by the way...) She supplied me with four cute pictures of different children making extreme faces. The directions go like this: choose a picture (facial expression) that best reflects how you feel in the classroom right now...or best reflects how you feel about some of the strategies we've studied so far...and so on...Participants can quickwrite or simply record on an index card or simply turn and talk...

Last year I ran out of clever ideas for opening activities, so I took Kae's idea and googled weather pictures and asked participants to select a picture that relates to how they feel... This brings up a nice conversation about inferences and metaphors about weather.

Today I shared the "face" activity using pictures of my sweet grandbaby, a totally self-indulgent activity. I have to say, though, that we had a good comprehension discussion about inferences and interpretations with Hailey's pictures. (It also gave me an opportunity to enjoy my sweet grandbaby pictures as well as share a part of myself with the group.)

Oh, well...I hope that anyone out there who may be checking in on our blog might find some help...and share some help, too! I'm thinking about moving on to pictures of my animals...pictures of favorite movie/book characters...etc.

Hello All
This is all you have to do to add something to this great site....You can do it, I have faith.

Looking for Energy and Inspiration?

At this time last year did I feel this busy, or was it simply that I was floating in an outer body zone brought on by a midlife shift in careers? Who knows? It’s a blur. Where does a trainer go to refuel? (...metaphorically speaking, of course, although if you feel like sharing a location for cheap gas...that would be helpful, too...)

So...I'm making a list of what "centers" me:
• Chocolate?...No, I'm trying to give up the "table treats"...
• Meditation?...Ouch...I'm out of practice. If I actually find fifteen minutes,
I nod off, or I feel guilty about what I'm NOT doing...
• Reading?...That's a good one, but I'm still not caught up on my stack of
professional texts...
• Writing?...How quickly I feel rusty, and I need an occasional (and kind and
loving) audience...
• Blogging?...Hum...Yes, I have experienced the brilliant exchange of insights
and ideas from colleagues, but this means I need to cultivate
the practice and find others willing to "check in" occasionally
to read, respond, and share if they feel like it.


So...I'm thinking our weblog could be such a powerful resource for us as trainers. Say that I have a successful day at a school (Yes, some of those are not a blur...), and I want to tell my trainer friends about what happened and what I did. I have the ability to link you to a text I used or video I showed or PowerPoint I created, and so on. You, on the other hand, can make comments, suggestions, additions, pose questions or make corrections. Collective intellect is always better than my own thinking alone.

If you have technology available to you at any of your schools, you might be interested in the Utube clip about the seventy year old man from St. Joseph, MO who joined a first grade class because he wanted to learn how to read. If you click this link, you have to let that video run through and then the pictures of the other videos come up underneath the screen so you can look for the Ellen one. It is 8 minutes long and has a cute conversation with him and he gets 10,000 dollars and is so happy. She talks to him a lot about needing the right teacher to learn to read. I think it was good inspiration to get teachers ready for DRA testing! We closed the day with the two minute clip summary that first shows up when you go to this site.

I'm lucky I have technology available at all of my schools, and I also have people who can help me out with it! Speaking of help, I owe huge thanks to Jennifer who accompanied me to Pleasant Hope last week. She took my group through the steps of running records and gave us an opportunity to practice as part of her demonstration. (I heard a couple of the teachers mumbling in the back, "This is actually interesting!" and "She makes this look easy!") This is something I simply could not have done...THANK YOU, JENNIFER!

So...short of taking another trainer along with you, this might be a great place to seek help, inspiration, and new ideas. Join in! The more the merrier!

First Weeks of School

Here are the page numbers for our manuals and Laura Robb's new book for the first weeks of school. Thanks, Liz for getting it together for us!

K-3 First Weeks of School

4-6 First Weeks of School

7-12 First Weeks of School

Leaders surround me...

What a mind boggling two weeks I just experienced. I can't believe that I actually have been graced with such an honor and privilege. To be working along side the masters of literacy is truly a blessing. All of you gals are one of a kind and I hope that with time I will get to know each of you a little bit more. Thanks for making me feel welcomed and wanted....Until next time Live life, laugh often, love much

Am I a Blogger yet?

Am I a Blogger yet?

I'm feeling bold and fearless as I give this blogging thing a try. I'm too involved in how to blog to give much thought to the content of this post. (Is "post" the correct term?)

If this works, next time I'll give more thought to the content of my post.

Ann

Sleep Perchance to Dream ~Shakespeare

I've been trying to find time to paint that phrase (or use "wall words")on the wall over Hailey's crib in my spare bedroom, which is her room away from home... In fact, I've been thinking about all the small remodeling projects I thought I was ready to tear into as soon as I found a break in the MRI action...I have a couple of pieces of furniture I want to recover...mulch to spread when the blisters subside...closets to clean and organize...a hole in the garage ceiling from when I fell through last fall...windows I'm having installed finally in the whole house...and great trinkets and treasures waiting for me at the flea markets...daily writing I promised myself I'd find time for...

But the truth is that this picture represents what I'm doing right now (well, besides blogging), and I may not be able to get up off the couch (Katie, too) for some time. Gosh, what a month, what a year...and I'm grateful for every day!

I hope all of you can take some time for yourselves...and maybe you'll blog about it. What a joy it has been working with you this year. Who knows...maybe you'll take Mr. Shakespeare's advice and sleep to catch a dream or two...

Here's a copy of Day 1 Upfront--half-day for K-3.

Authors, Authors Everywhere: What a Month!

Video: MRI KWR Workshop

Finally unpacked from an incredible, wonderful, but hectic week, I'm facing the attack of garden weeds. Gosh, it seems like everything is growing so well this year...including the weeds and my reading list... So...I'm procrastinating from yard work to take a peak at our blog and to post something I've been meaning to get to: our slide show from Katie Wood Ray's visit. Not thinking about copyright infringements (yes, I should have known), I originally had the pictures set to Eric Clapton's "Change the World," so it has taken me a bit of time to find something good but harmless.

So...my summer leisure - ha - will be spent with weeds and yard work...and finishing up the books in my "to read" stack.

Let the Organizing Begin...

So, cognitive coaching buddies...my garage organization is well under way. I'm turning out 3-ring binders by the dozens...ok, maybe at least 12. Anyway, I just wanted to share with you the sense of accomplishment I have. I am so excited that I am going to start next school year with so much already planned and ORGANIZED. Have I mentioned how much this organizing is exciting me?? I've been spending my mornings wearing Gavin and Aubree out and working like crazy during (long) nap times to 3-hole punch every piece of paper I have! It's going great...just a couple more days and I'll be dangerously armed with an arsenal of (organized) balanced literacy resources...look out Missouri!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
p.s. I tried to attach my word file with all the labels of the binders, but it wouldn't let me! Barb, HELP!

The Catalonia Royal Tulum on the Riveria Maya is a georgous place to visit. Walk to the beach anytime of day and this is what you see (not necessarily with the sailboat in the background, but what a photo opportunity that was).

Doggies

My doggies were feeling left out! The daschund is Bella Serra, named after a wine by the same name. She is my daughter's dog and lives in Chicago, so when she's at my house, she thinks laying by the fire is like being at the beach. Libby is my black lab and the love of my life. She is a rescued dog, by actually she saved me after Stephanie moved to Chicago. Dogs are funny like that. Traveling mercies to all of you out of towners and let me know if you need Pet Meds. Anita

Memorial Day

A lot of you have been asking about my book, so I am sending the link. If I can get some in by Literacy Camp, I will have them there for sale as well.

ALSO, since so many of us are pet lovers, I want you to know that my sister works for a vet and is happy to get Frontline/Heartguard at her cost for anyone that I ask her to. So just email me at laelsas.1@sbcglobal.net if I can help you with that. It is a huge savings.

Judy

Hi, I am Judy. I have just recently been adopted by the nicest family. I have a sister named Sandy and 2 "cat" cousins, Mr. Snow and Ms. Jinx. I'm not sure Sandy really likes me though. She will let me sleep with her but don't get close to her food!! I have been in several homes so I hope I get to stay here. When a stranger comes in-- I run and hide. I don't trust anyone except my new mom and dad. I may just need a few more months of adjustment before I begin to feel comfortable with knowing that this is my home and when someone strange walks in the house, they are not going to take me away.

For I Ne'er Saw True Beauty Till This Night: Finding True Beauty

So...you might be thinking...What's with all the dog pictures and Barb? and I have to admit that I just love an excuse to share personal pictures...and Blogger makes it so easy. When you click the button "new post," you will see a row of icons in the tan area above the box where you can type your text. When you hit the icon that looks like a picture (second from the end on the right), you will get another screen that offers a button to "browse," and that's where I can go to the pictures that I've uploaded to my computer... or you can also just "google" an image and paste the location in the URL box. I have a very cooperative dog -and grandbaby- who provide me just the illustrations I want (sometimes) for a point I want to visually make. So...in the picture above, Katie was a perfect model for a subject on beauty.

The topic of beauty comes up so many times in our culture, and I don't know about you, but it also comes up when discussing what happens to our students in school when they hit that "dress code distraction" age and their idea of beauty becomes a whole new issue. (When is that...about second grade now?) Sometimes the discussion comes up in my schools when we talk about classroom atmosphere. Last time I was in Waynesville, we talked about some of the clothes kids wore (or didn't wear). This led to a focus on body image and issues like that.

I forwarded them the web site on Dove's campaign for true beauty and self-esteem. It sure has a lot of relevance, and my own students really connected with it. (In fact, one boy's aunt saw this on our blog and used it in her Sunday school class! Several moms commented that they appreciated this lesson.) I actually introduced it when we were studying the gods and goddesses and discussing beauty. It just seemed to be popping up in our all shared literature... To Kill A Mockingbird (as Scout ages, they expect her to dress like "a lady")...Romeo and Juliet( the title to this post comes from Act I scene v. when Romeo first sees Juliet, and up to this point in the play all he can talk about is another girl's beauty...poor, shallow Romeo).

Anyway, I was wondering whether you had seen this site and the films on the site. It reminded me of the book Reviving Ophelia, a must read for anyone interested in adolescent girls...oh, heck...maybe anybody.

So...I just wanted to share this with you, fellow trainers. So many of us are mothers of daughters...or aunts...or some, like me, a grandmother!

Have a great weekend!

Moving into this Century!

I don't have a clue what I am doing or if it will even work, but here goes nothing! I tell my teachers to jump in and try things, so I guess I should do it as well. Thanks to Barb for her patience and trying to teach an old dog new tricks. In some ways, I think my dog might learn it faster. Isn't it funny how dogs really do have an edge on most things in life. I think we could all learn many lessons if we would just listen and live like the dogs. (It would just be great to have

my food bowl full when I walked up to it !! : )

I'm not going to go on forever because I am curious to see if this even posts, but word for today...

Live like the dogs!! : )

Hello Everyone!

I just had to try this blogging again today before I forget how to do it. Also...I am looking for the just right family to adopt this sweet lab-mix female dog that the Haseltine's rescued from peril. Her name is Chloe, and she would make someone a wonderful companion. Our home is overflowing with pets right now or we would keep her. So...any takers out there. Let me know, and I'll even include a bag of dogfood.

Crap

I had a message typed, tried to import some Mexico pictures then somehow deleted my message. Of course the pictures never made it, hence, the deleted original message. It is absolutely too late (11;30) to learn anything new so it is bye-bye for now. I may need a private lesson on how to upload pictures into the blog. I don't even have a camera phone or know how to text, let alone upload pictures to send in a blog!! I did, however, phone in my American Idol vote for the first time. It has to be the 17 year old cutie pie!!

Hopefully I can eventually figure out all the ins and outs of this this website.

Doodoo
AKA Jennifer

You Are The Bomb!

You can tell by the title of this post that I have probably been watching too much American Idol! (Side note: I still can't believe that Michael and Carly have been voted off! Who will go next? I'll be watching tonight...that's for sure.)

So...kudos to our new bloggers, Dr. B and Shonna...and as Randy Jackson would say (judge on American Idol for you nonviewers), "You are the bomb!" The more of us sharing, the richer our site. I can't wait to see the possibilities unfold...

Barb
a.k.a. Katiedog

Trying this out...

Hi Everyone!
The focus for the coming year sounds great and perfectly applicable to a school like Highlandville. They have smart boards in every room. I've used them several times during modeled lessons, but pretty much have to ask the teacher to totally get it ready for me. :)
I love the blog idea...that would be a great thing for us to have going with each school.
Barb, how do you find time to keep up with it??
Willing and WANTING to learn,
Shonna :)

Embedding Technology in MRI Training

MRI has come so far in the nine years it has been in existence. I am proud of the work so many trainers have done during the program's history. However...it is time that "this old dog" starts learning some new tricks, namely in TECHNOLOGY. Many of our schools are using so many technological tools that we need to utilize in our training. Sooo...this year we will be doing some professional development work related to the use of different elements of technology, and how it can enhance what we do. It is time we start to rethink how we can better connect to our teachers and the students that we serve. I know we have all been invited to this blog spot. This is the time I would like to see everyone facing the excitement of "new learning." Let me know who is out there and who is using this great tool. I would love to hear from each trainer what you think of our focus for this year. Leave me a comment.

Secret Pal Strikes Again!

So...I have a fabulous secret pal...She is perfectly poetic (her notes are thoughtful and full of alliterative language)...and she has absolutely artistic handwriting...and she seems to know exactly what I like. But...most of all, I love the surprise of getting a thoughtful something when I'm not expecting it. Thanks, secret pal.

This past week we had a writing marathon, and I absolutely LOVED the sharing part. Of course, we didn't evaluate our words in any way, so I'm taking this opportunity to say that my group ...and the experience...was delightful and inspiring.

Some of you asked about Peter Elbow's map of writing, so I thought I'd upload it here for your use, if you are interested. It spells out the importance of providing a variety of experiences for our students.

I also have a link to the National Writing Project's review of the New Orleans writing marathon. This provides examples from that first marathon, and a clear picture of the experience.

So...kind thoughts to you all...especially my Secret Pal!

Barb

Young at Heart

During last night's edition of Night Line, an interview with a choir director absolutely mesmerized me. He had worked for years with a group of senior citizens who loved rock and roll, alternative and contemporary music. I thought... What a great idea! They had video footage, and sure enough, when I looked it up on YouTube, there they were. So...this version of "Fix You" (by Coldplay) is my inspiration for the day. I love the song, but somehow the lyrics took on a new meaning in this performance. The interview revealed that three weeks earlier, the soloist's partner (it was meant to be a duet) died, but the performance went on...

Here's a link to a movie trailer about the group.

So...I was thinking...Wouldn't it be interesting to actually study the lyrics, then watch the original video version of this tune (with the lyrics in front of you), and then watch the Young at Heart version of the same song (again with the lyrics in front of you)? I think my students would have had a great discussion (some interesting blogging) about how the lyrics took on new meaning, depending on which version they watched.

...And I think that if I were still in my own classroom, I would have been excited to teach this lesson (I'm a nerd), especially when we studied Romeo and Juliet. Think of the possibilities....What would these lyrics have meant to Romeo? Juliet? Paris? Lord Capulet? Lady Capulet? etc., etc., etc...

Finally found it!!

I don't know how I did it but I finally found our blogger site. I am such a computer genius...it is actually frightening. I hope those of you who were having flooding problems are "back to normal". Wow, what a week that was. When I figure out how to put pictures on this site I will post a picture of our new rescue dog "Judy" (Boston Terrier). she is cute but still hasn't quite figured out that the yard is where we do our business!!!

DooDoo
AKA Jennifer

On the Road Again...

I've been down this week...really down with the stomach flu. I don't get sick very gracefully. Since I never get sick, when I do, I think I'm dying. Anyway, I've not commmunicated with anyone, and I'm sorry I missed Kim when she was in town (I saw I missed a call). This afternoon was my first to finally feel human...

I was going to play with Photo Shop and see if I could superimpose my face on Willie's, but then I thought...Gosh, I'm starting to look kind of like him anyway.

You might see this picture on the blog and get it...Hey, there's Barb...

Well, I'm stalling...I must finish up end-of-the-month reports and expenses!

Adios,
Barb

Cleaning Up the Mess

The water is the basement is finally gone. We've spent the last week cleaning up after the sump pump could not keep up with the rainfall. The entire finished basement flooded. Who knew that baby quilts can float in 6 inches of water? Or that cardboard boxes come apart and those important teaching materials that you've stored so carefully to go through some day tear so easily when you try to flatten them out to dry! What a mess! All of the furniture and storage items are now piled upstairs in our main living areas. My husband and I are eating upstairs in our bedroom because the kitchen and dining room tables have things like TVs, lamps, etc. sitting on them. And the restoration people just told us it would be two weeks before they can get back to us to fill in the hundreds of holes they drilled in the walls to pump heat and air to dry out the drywall.

Looking on the brighter side--I don't need to clean house for awhile!

Hope everyone is dry and enjoyed a few days off!

Writer's Block: Anybody Out There?

I'm sitting in front of a blank computer screen today, struggling to "get going." I have a million things to do, but I promised myself that I'd write every day...and not just reports or email.

I find that the computer can sometimes be a bad place to try to compose because it's so easy to stray off the screen...as I am doing right now. I opened a new window to our weblog to see if anyone had been blogging (justifying this because I'm looking for inspiration) and NO ONE IS BLOGGING...

So, I'll close by saying that I'm anxious for us to meet as a group so that we can talk about how to use this site as a place to share thoughts. I'm looking for some right now and don't seem to have any. (When my students would complain of this, I'd send them to their territories, their writing notebooks, their reading...or the blog!)

I'm going to return to my timer and my blank screen. We'll see what comes.

Happy Easter! At Last...Happy Spring!

I don't yet have an Easter picture uploaded to my computer, but here is my happy little Hailey, enjoying the pleasure of family...and new toys. I've gone from empty nest to full house this week, and along with all of this, of course, came cooking, EATING, Easter baskets, and decadent desserts. Oh well, the sun is out, and maybe I can force myself to walk the dogs.

I'm looking at an odd upcoming schedule for the next weeks...makeup days for ice and snow where I can fit them around the MAP, and yet wrap up days for my St. Louis schools. Seems impossible that the year has gone so quickly.

I hope all of you are well and that you, too, enjoyed Easter...and a little sunshine.

Class Blogs

Since our last meeting, two more of my schools have expressed interest in setting up blogs. I am so excited about the possibilities! Right now we are focusing on getting kids to respond to what they are reading in literature circles and sharing their thoughts on the blog. It's a great time to be a teacher!

Planning for next week is calling, so bye for now!

Glad To Be A Part of This!

Wow! Why didn't we do this before? What a great way for all of us to connect! It is so nice to hear from you guys during the times we aren't together for East-West meetings. We spend so much time in front of our computers anyway that to take a few minutes to find out what's new will be a real treat!

I've already checked out the poetry link--great resource. Great idea to add things we think others could use. I am so honored to work with such great minds!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Maybe the snow is about over.

I have a picture, I think.

Who's with me?

Thanks for dinner, katiedog. You're a good friend. It has been a heck of a week. Collaboration in a school. Texas Roadhouse with Kathy. SNOW! New trainers meeting. Cognitive coaching with Sue. New fingernails and Chinese food. More Cognitive coaching. A dozen roses and one husband. Bad news phone calls. And macaroni grill. More snow is called for tonight. I am going home tomorrow if I have to walk. Who's with me?

Screen Cleaning Link!

I am snowed in right now as are many of you. Even though I'm in the throes of the flu, I thought I'd get caught up on organizing my office. I was sent this link to a great "screen cleaning" site, and felt I must share this with all of you!

Van Gogh and Poetry...Katie Paints With Words

Katie actually dressed up for this photo shoot last summer when a fellow art teacher brought paints, paper, and a print of Starry Night to our writing group and asked us to make a list of our impressions and thoughts...What is the message of this piece? ... What feelings do we get from the colors, lines, shapes? What does the setting remind us of, and what are interesting things we find in the work?

After we wrote, she took the print away and asked us to paint our version of Starry Night. All of us painted our own renditions of the scene, each of us remembering different details, and some of us much better at capturing the essence of the original piece.

The part I loved, though, came afterward when we wrote about what we had painted, describing the message the painting might convey and what might make a good story from the setting. We then lifted words and phrases from the writing and painted them into the piece, up in the clouds, along the tree line, around the moon and stars...however the writing fit in.

Wish I could remember mine...my son was home from school and liked my painting and took it off with him ...

Ah, well...it's a beautiful Saturday and time to work in the yard. All of these thoughts came from a journey into my office to check my email when I came across this picture of my incredibly loyal friend Katie dressed as Van Gogh... (At least I left her ear alone!)

Thunder and Ice?

It's amazing how clean my kitchen and office are today! I'm grateful for the quiet day at home, but I'm now up to three ice days to make up in my schools. Poor little Kirbyville seems to get slammed every time we get weather. This picture was posted on our local news by a photographer in Nixa. I still have a huge walnut tree cracked over on my roof. I guess I'd better get someone out here to lasso it off. I wish I could figure out how to do that myself.

Kathy, I'm so glad that you and Susan were at least together on the road yesterday. Do you follow each other, or was that mere coincidence? Well, at least you're home safely. I wonder if most of us are really at home today...I'm also glad you'll do a "tutorial" to get Susan signed on!

So...from me and the blog team, stay safe!

Sliding for Home

Barb,

I'm so glad you now have "heat" in your life! Funny how we don't think about some of life's "conveniences" until we don't have them. With the weather like it is, those conveniences transform into necessities rapidly! Susan and I both ended up in Farmington last night b/c we were scheduled to work in Bonne-Terre and Desloge today. The weather changed those plans and we ended up driving home in the snow/sleet/rain/ice. We experienced all kinds of weather and driving conditions on the way and were relieved to arrive safely at home (after almost 6 hours of driving 30-40 mph). So... we both have an unexpected planning day tomorrow--best gift ever! :) I hope you are safe in your travels or keeping warm at home with your new furnace. Take care out there in trainer land.

Kathy

Next time I see Susan, I'll help her get logged on. I didn't know she needed help until I read your post.

Baby Steps: An Easy Lesson in Google Documents...I Think!

I opened my big mouth and talked about how easy I thought it might be to upload documents on our site here by either using google docs or something like that. Wouldn't it be nice to see other agenda ideas from each other - especially when you think you really had something great that worked - and we could access them here? (By the way, I posted what I thought might be convenient links we could use on our homepage, so let me know of other ideas.)

Anyway, here's an article I used with my schools when I saw that teachers had not thought of leaving the security of the rigid seating arrangement of desks in rows only! We read the article using a strategy called structured indexing and I was pleased at the response this got. Hope you enjoy it; let me know how it worked. Here's a sample so that you can see what it looked like in a history class with a piece about westward expansion.

OK...so all that I did here was go to my gmail account (which you created to get on blogger) and then I went to the tab at the top which read "documents." From there it was really easy...I hit "upload" and then "browse" in the next window and then I scrolled through documents I had stored so that I could hyperlink them here for you. (The hyperlink is the little symbol at the top of this new post window...it looks like a link and it is between the italics and the quotation mark...

I'll try to post now to see if it worked!

Let There Be Warmth...and Internet and cable!

Here I sit in my freezing cold office on Saturday morning of the WTL conference...but I have fabulous news...drum roll, please. A FURNACE IS BEING INSTALLED AS I WRITE THIS! The world is already looking brighter... and soon to be warmer, too.

After Becky's bday party last night, I took off for home, despite the good company, warm hotel room, cable TV/Internet. I learned that we are supposed to get a roaring thunderstorm this afternoon, and the nice young man (don't I sound old?) that I hired to put in a new furnace called to say he'd like to get at the job early. I'm relishing the thought of the warmth that is soon to come, but feeling kind of badly for leaving the warmth of friends so early. OK, forgive the schmaltz, but it really was uplifting to listen to all of you talk about your adventures this year. Susan, "mud" is a perfect word choice for me, too. Thanks! Seriously, don't we work with KIND and SMART people? Sometimes I really am washed over with that feeling of... I can't believe I am doing this... which I guess is better than...Am I doing this right? ... which sometimes hits me, too. It really can be kind of lonesome, though...

So, I really am going to look forward to hearing what's going on with all of you through this site. I'm sorry I didn't get to go through a "tutorial" with Susan on getting signed on. I'll send her an email, but in the meantime, if you see her (maybe Kathy?) would any of you help her find our site and get signed on? Also, Shonna, I know you are out there since you are now listed as a contributor. So let us "see" you in a post!

Love to you all,
Barb...or Katiedog...whatever!

WTL

Hey Barb--The latest email from WTL has us down for different rooms. Also I was thinking about that other cord that I didn't use. I think it's for audio. I don't need audio so it doesn't matter for. Do you need audio?

Hello all. I finally did it. This is great! Now when I come "home" to my hotel room, I'll be able to destress with people who understand what I'm talking about. Is everyone ready for the WTL.

It worked this time! I'm not sure what I did different... Here's a "hello" from Quincy and Zoeie.

Kathy

Finally Time to Post

I'm like Jennifer and trying to figure this out. Hope all are doing well out there. I'm in St. Louis this week and actually have a "planning day" on Friday. Last week, I received a special "gift from God" b/c my school had an "ice day" and I was frozen in my motel room for the day. It was wonderful and I actually got caught up on some of my site notebooks. It was almost like the blessing of a snow day when teaching--nothing really can compare to that though!

OK... I have a picture of Zoeie (little girl we keep when we are home) and Quincy (with her full winter coat on) that was taken a couple of years ago. I'm going to try to add it to the blog and we'll see what happens. It's not a great picture of Quincy since she is so hairy--I'll try to find another one later.

Hope everyone is doing OK out there and be safe in traveling the latter part of the week--calling for snow it seems.

Kathy

Having trouble with picture. When you see it, I finally figured it out! :)

Tah Dah for Doo Doo!

Baby Hailey and Jennifer share the same sentiments about accomplishing something new, although I don't think either one of them is clueless...

Right now I have my night and day mixed up, which sometimes happens when I'm traveling...I came back to my hotel room this afternoon, utterly exhausted from a half day of coaching and a half day of collaboration. I stretched out with the intention of watching the evening news, and I ended up sleeping the evening away. So, here I am, wide awake but thinking I might try to finish The Glass Castle . The narrative is nothing special, but the story is compelling, and I picked it up because my teachers in St. Louis were using it in the classroom. I finished reading Middlesex over Christmas. The writing was amazing, though the story was bizarre, interesting, but bizarre.

So that's it. I guess we're all about good books. Any recommendations?

No Clue

Well, I signed up but have no clue what to do from here. I read Barb's messages and felt pretty impressed with myself that i could even do that. I was more impressed with the pictures and will have to figure that out sometime soon. Hope you had a good week.

Jennifer

Traveling Time: Anybody Encountered This Sign?

As I write this post, I'm settling into Cuba and watching the weather report. It looks as if January weather may be surfacing. I LOVE snow, but I HATE driving in it. We'll see...

Since our meetings last week, I've intended to spend a few minutes in front of the computer to put this weblog together for us, and so my apologies if you were wondering what happened to me. I got my son to the radiologist for tests (which turned out to be fine), got him packed up and off to school, and then I jumped back into my own schools. I felt rusty after such a nice break, but I know part of that is being new, too.

It seems like such a long time since I sat in my own classroom...In putting together this weblog tonight, I started looking back through some of my old stuff. (That's the interesting thing about weblogs. It all stays right there -unless you delete- and you can look over all the old posts in reverse chronological order.) I found this old post written by my friend Katiedog (hummm...) last fall when I was thinking how much I missed corresponding on the blog with my students. I thought I'd go ahead and cut and paste it on here. Besides, I'm dying to see Kathy's horse, and I'm hoping this will be the inspiration to initiate that!

Well, my friends, stay safe. Be prepared to be annoyed!

Welcome From Katie!

Barb is out on a training trip to Fort Zumwalt, and she misses connecting with her friends, so here I am, sitting at her computer, creating a blog spot for Barb and her trainer friends. It's pretty easy. This blog has great potential for us to share ideas.

I've been blogging with Barb for the last three years as she looked for ways to find opportunitites for her students to go beyond the classroom and outside the confinement of the bell schedule. We discovered so much more than we ever imagined.

Barb and I are "newbies" in the blogging world. I know there is a lot you can tell us...about literacy...strategies...professional development...driving directions...workshop ideas...coaching challenges...links to articles and research...and other sage advice drawn from your personal and professional experiences.

So...here it is! Happy blogging!