Mark Twain Nominee #2

Hide & Seek by Katy Grant was a scary and bittersweet novel. Chase lives in the White Mountains of Arizona with his mom, step-dad, and two sisters. Nothing exciting ever happens at the cabins his family own, so Chase can't wait to do a geocache by himself using a new GPS unit. When he finds the cache he gets a surprise mystery that leads him on a trip that he will never forget. Ms. Grant uses the popularity of geocaching and the unpleasant fact of child kidnapping to create a suspensful story that keeps the reader turning pages all the way to the end.

score: 5 out of 5 books

Mark Twain Nominee #1

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, written by John Grisham, was a fast-paced and detailed novel that had plenty of action and suspense. The main character, Theo or Teddy, as his mom calls him,  is well-known in his neighborhood and middle school for knowing his way around the local courthouse as well as most of the legal proceedings going on within their walls. Theo dreams of being a great judge, being able to take all the facts from the prosecutor and defense attorneys and making a wise and unbiased decision.  However, when a very important murder trial begins in his town, Theo unwillingly becomes a big part of the final verdict. This is the first book in a series.

score: 5 out of 5 books

Rough Week=Lots of Reading

This past week my husband's stepmom, Ruth, (we called her Nona which is Italian for grandma) passed away. While her death was not unexpected--she had a rare disease called amylidosis, which she was diagnosed with last summer--it nonetheless was a sad time. Coincindently, it was also the last full week of dance lessons for my daughter and the recital was held over the weekend. That all being said, it was a L-O-N-G and very emotional week for my family. When not attending to familial matters or dance rehearsal, I was lying in the sun with my nose in a book.
Among the multitude of normal summer to-do lists I create at the beginning of each summer, this year I committed to reading the "Twilight" series (a little behind the times, I know, but better late than never) as well as the 12 books that are Mark Twain Award Nominees (http://www.maslonline.org/?page=marktwain_readers). Since I will be teaching 5th grade this year, I thought it would be great to create a blog for my students that would allow them to 'talk' about the books on the list, as well as any other books they have read. Using technology to foster a communication about literature is something I have wanted to do for a long time, and with older students, now is my chance.

As I feel it is important to be able to connect with students personally when encouraging them to do something that may not be their first choice ("You mean I have to read a book, a whole book, with no pictures and lots of pages!! AND you want me to talk/write about it?!?"), I have completed 3 of the 12 (2 in one day!!) and afterwards I will blog about each. It is my hope that reading my blog (really just my reading response) will inspire students to keep reading the quality literature on the list and maybe find authors, genres, subjects, characters, and/or themes that will leave them wanting more!

Magic House = Constructivist Learning

The Magic House came to my school, much to the delight of both my students & I! As I was trying to find a hands on, engaging way to learn about simple machines to my kiddos, the Magic House came to my rescue! I presented a mini lesson about the six simple machines, reviewed the expectations of behavior while participating in the activities, and then POOF! The kids were off and learning!! When they had participated in all the centers, a follow-up group discussion helped the students to reflect upon their learning. Each student wrote about their experiences, and then (to satisfy my requirement for an assessment) I gave a short quiz where the kids were allowed to use their science book & each other to complete the 'assessment'. So, in one day I was able to present, explore, reflect, and assess a major component of my science curriculum! Gee, if only this could happen on a regular basis!!

Welcome back (to me)!

WOW! I didn't think it has been that long since I last posted.
After another year of teaching, I feel stronger, more prepared. I am hopeful for the next upcoming year, as I take what I have learned and apply it to yet another school & grade!
In the past year, I was hired to teach 2nd grade, was moved to 4th grade two days before school started, hired for another 2nd grade position and moved to 5th grade! The best news of all, however, is that I am back at the school where I did my student teaching & where my best of friends also work. I truly am home...according to my hubby, I am NOT moving again. That's okay with me, especially since I have purged so much stuff. The move from one school to the other took 2 trips with the jeep & truck. Not bad considering that last year's move took the jeep, the truck, AND a large trailer stuffed to the gills!! Not to mention the amount of stuff I left behind!!!!
I read through a bunch of blogs recently, and while their formats were beautiful and inviting, I found the substance to be quite lacking. There were some awesome ideas in a few, but in general, it seems that blogs have become very commercial, not very personal. That being said, I made a decision.
My mother-in-law blogs about anything that piques her mind, and I love to read it, even when I have probably witnessed the inspiration first-hand. Reading her 'take' on the things that make her happy, sad, reflective...it's a glimpse into her very creative mind!
That being said, my decision is to blog for me! Not to be cutesy, not to make money, but to be, as I stated in the title, reflective. Will I earn any followers? Probably not. Will I have any comments? Again, probably not. But that was not & is not the motivation for beginning this blog. So, from hereafter, here is my goal...to blog weekly, being reflective about the classroom, the profession, and the thrills & chills I get when doing what I love--TEACHING!