An Unexpected Event

I didn't expect it. A phone call, twice, from my husband, John, today while I was grocery shopping.  I was in the checkout line and have this thing about talking on the phone while in public places. So I didn't answer it.

Then, came a text. "Call me ASAP."

Well as you can expect, I started to panic a little. Did something happen to one of my kids? Father? Mother-in-law?

As soon as the checkout lady gave me my receipt, I called John. Apparently, there was a shooting that had turned sour. And the suspect was on foot within a mile of my neighborhood. Police were all over the place, on the ground and in the air.

My husband called me because he wanted to make sure I was safe and to let him know when I was home, so he could walk me in the house.

At home, the shades were drawn and the kids were in the basement as John and I listened to the scanner. They had an eye on the suspect. He was hiding in an empty lumber yard 13 blocks from my house. I had the utmost confidence in the officers.

I live in the city. There are good pockets and not so good ones. Crime happens. I walk my neighborhood and take my kids to the park. I feel safe where I live. But today, it was a little too close to home.

While I sat in my home,  I thought about all those students I have and have had, who live this on a daily basis. The idea of not feeling safe whether it is from wondering when the next meal will come or where they might be moving to next, is something I am unable to fathom.

I began my teaching career 21 years ago. I started out in Detroit and loved it. It was a place that I wanted to be.  But at the same time, I saw things that I never knew imaginable. Kids who only ate during their free breakfast and  lunch at school. A second grader who watched his father kill his mother with a single shot right in front of him. A boy who called 911 because his mother collapsed then held her in his arms because EMS took 45 minutes to get to his house. He was 11, and she died. I remember how proud she was of her son at his first violin concert and how honored I felt when she  introduced me to her parents as her son's teacher. He was such a GREAT kid, and I wonder how he is doing today.

And these stories are only from my first two years of teaching. There are so many more.

This unexpected event that happened to me today, so close to home, was done in a bit over an hour.

But what about those students who live with this fear on a daily basis? And there is no end in sight?

Today I reflected on myself as a teacher. Do I listen enough? Do I hear what my students are telling me when they don't say anything? Am I picking up on subtle hints when they are trying to reach out?

I only hope that when they enter my classroom they always feel safe and know that I only want the best of what they can give me.

Little Plastic Bins

I am pretty sure that I am borderline OCD. I have this thing about things being neat. All the time.

I am unable to go to sleep if the kitchen is dirty or there are dishes in the sink. And we don't have a dishwasher.

I am unable to work in my classroom if I don't have everything set up for the next school day. Even if it is on the weekend.

I am unable to teach if there are things on the floor such as paper or pencils. It drives me nuts, and I find volunteers to pick these things up so I can move on with my lesson.

I often find myself cleaning out my cupboards at school multiple times a year, even though almost everything is in little plastic bins. Labeled.

I am just one of those people. I used to be worse. My husband has helped me realize that things don't need to be perfectly neat and organized all the time.

But today.

My first day of spring break.

I found myself helping all three of my kids as they cleaned their rooms. Really clean. Move and go through everything type of clean. After four hours. Yes, four hours and three large trash bags of garbage, we have one very calm mother.

Because I don't think I would have been able to relax until it was done.

Break Tired

Today I am tired.

Not tired because I stayed up too late or tired because one kid had a nightmare in the middle of the night, and I found her little body wedged between my husband and me.

Not tired because I was working another job last night or thought about the limited amount of time I have left with my group of students.

Not tired because I coached my daughters' lacrosse team and am trying to learn the names and behaviors of 16 first through fourth grade girls.

Not tired because I think of the loads of laundry that need to get done, the furniture that needs to be dusted, the floors that need to washed, and carpets that need to be vacuumed.

But I am break tired.

Emotionally drained and spent from teaching since January 2nd. Listening and solving problems, finding new ways to reach my students, bring them higher and push them to places academically they didn't think they could go. Working long hours, late into the night, to keep myself caught up with papers and planning, and emails and all the other things that go with being a teacher.

It only happens three times a year because it is only these times that I allow myself to completely relax.

It is much needed.

This rest that is about to come.

Because as of today, at 3:45 p.m., I am on spring break!

Those Words

Here they are
the words I want to say
but won't come out
because they are trapped
in my head

Maybe they are waiting
for another day
or time
to make an appearance

I can feel them
on the roof of my mouth
holding on tight
because now is not the time

And then those words
try to escape
through a run
with each step
quicker than the last

But what I want to say
won't come out
because those words
are trapped in each stride

Now those words
try to escape
through my tears
being held hostage
in my eyes

It's not time
not now
maybe never
those words
gone

Powerful Words

Today I had my students imitate William Carlos Williams' poem "The Red Wheelbarrow" during Sacred Writing Time. They speak for themselves.


so much depends
upon

the caring family
member

that took her
last

breath early that
July.


so much depends
upon

the bright flash
light

guiding you through
night

getting you home
safely.


so much depends
upon

the memories that
remain

of the sweetest
man

disintegrated in a
jar.


so much depends
upon

a pair of
shoes

sitting on my
feet

dancing while I
walk.


so much depends
upon

an orange furry
cat

skinny to the
bone

in our happy
home.


so much depends
upon

a black ankle
brace

glazed with
sweat

from a crying
dancer.


so much depends
upon

the gray storm's
rain

screaming with yellow
lightning

in the dark
sky.


so much depends
upon

a quiet little
girl

sitting on a
doorstep

beside the window
crying.


so much depends
upon

a navy blue
umbrella

keeping away the
water

while loud thunder
booms.


so much depends
upon

the teachers in
this school

to give you
an education

and get you through
times that are tough.


so much depends
upon

my dog at
home

waiting so
patiently

read to go
play.


so much depends
upon

the old stuffed
animal

that's there for
hugs

and there for
love.


so much depends
upon

the brushing of
pencils

across the white
page

forever drawing a
picture.


so much depends
upon

my parents loving
me

holding on to
memories

and making new
ones.


so much depends
upon

the nice clear
phone

playing all the
games

using all the data.

The Clicking Hand

I started reading my students Love That Dog by Sharon Creech today. If you are not familiar with it, the book is written in poetry form following a conversation between a student and his teacher, although you never know what the teacher has said, you can just infer based on what is written.

I love this book because it is simple yet tells a great story. This post today is inspired by a poem in the book.

The Red Wheelbarrow
by Williams Carlos Williams

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.


The Clicking Hand
by Elana Waugh

so much depends
upon

the movement of
time

with the clicking
hand

as it takes
forever

My List

I keep staring at my list of things to do that is kept on a small yellow sticky note. I am not sure how I haven't lost this piece of paper that has no stick. I decided to recreate it here, just in case.

1. Buy Sell Swap-Create a writing marathon based of the NPR show. I found this idea from another blogger and want to adapt it to fifth grade.

2. Young Author Day Books- Organize all fifth grade hairror stories into one document and include each class list. Upload and publish the book on lulu.com.

3. Move Wikis-Since wikispaces is completely disappearing in July, move fifth grade flipping wiki to a new platform and move any other wiki information I care about.

4. Weebly-Work on setting up new weebly to keep information.

5.  Re-certification-I should probably get on this sooner rather than later. Upload all information to the database so my certification is renewed by the expiration date, which would be this June.

6. Writing Marathon for Camp- Create plans for the writing marathon at camp. Email the plans to the director so he can use it for future schools.

7. Coaching- Finishing US Lacrosse Level 1 Training because apparently I missed a few videos.

8. Spartan Writing Camp- Fill out the google form by Monday morning with supplies and information. Send paragraph with information about me and a snapshot of my lovely self.

9. Report Cards-Due Tuesday by 5:00. Input small amount of papers from missing work turned in this past Friday and do comments.

Algebra X

Algebra X is what helped me get into college but not the way you might think. Algebra X was the slower version of math at the high school I went to. Everything was done at a gradual pace, and it took twice as long to get through the material. It was for those kids who struggled a bit. And I was definitely one of them.

I don't remember a time I didn't have a hard time in school. Even through my second year of sixth grade. I struggled in high school and college. The two things I was really good at were sports and art. I definitely was a right brained kid. I think I received points on my SAT because I put my name on the paper and scored below the minimum requirement on the ACT. And yes, I took both of those multiple times. Some might say that I needed to work harder, study more. But the fact was I just didn't get school. My brain wasn't wired the way most of the teachers taught.

I had Algebra X for two years in high school. And my teacher, Mr. Kisken, got all of us. He was straight and to the point with his instruction, often modifying the workload or making the worksheets himself. I felt successful in his class. It wasn't what he did in the classroom that helped me get into college, but rather what he did out of it.

Mr. Kisken made it a point to come to our extra curricular activities, whether it be sports, theater, or dance. He was an avid photographer and often took pictures of us during these events and gave us the prints. He wanted us to see ourselves how he saw us, as someone who can achieve greatness with the right work ethic. Because most of us in his class struggled academically, he saw us in the light where we shined.

Mr. Kisken was the first teacher who I felt knew and got me, so it was a no brainer to ask him to write me a recommendation letter for college. Honestly, with my grades and scores, I didn't think I was going to get in anywhere. I didn't apply to many, but there was one that I really wanted to attend and that was Albion College in Albion, Michigan.

It was during my second college visit there that someone in admissions sat down and talked to me. I told him my worries about getting into Albion. He asked me if I had received this letter. He proceeded to hand me a copied version of my acceptance letter. I didn't get it. My test scores and G.P.A. were lower than their minimum requirement. He then handed me the letter of recommendation from Mr. Kisken and said, "This is what got you into Albion." He let me read the letter and to this day I am forever grateful that he took the time to watch me on the lacrosse field.

As a teacher, I have tried to watch my students in their extra curricular activities. Before having my own kids, it was much more frequent, but now my kids have their own activities on the weekends and it rarely happens.

But today was one of those days where the stars aligned and between gymnastics and soccer, I was able to watch two students in a basketball tournament.  In class, they are both sweet, hard working girls. But on the court, I saw a different side of them. An aggressive side with the same strong work ethic. They fought hard to the end. And I wouldn't have expected anything less.

I Could Write About That

When I sit down to slice in the evening, I usually have something in mind to write about. I take notice all day of various things that I think would make a good story.

But today is different. 

I am tired. 

Really tired. 

Had conferences last night just can't really think and concentrate kind of tired. 

So tonight, I have a lot of ideas but can't muster enough energy to develop them. 

Here is what I could write about....

I could write about the book I read in college by Alfie Kohn called Punished by Rewards. This is a sore spot with me when teaching our students behavior expectations. 

I could write about the student in my classroom who took a new student under her wing to help her get through missing work because this is the last day of the marking period. 

I could write about the collaboration between the fourth grade writing teacher and myself. I can't wait to have those kids next year. 

I could write about the read aloud I just finished with my writing students, The Wild Robot. And finding out there is a sequel. One of my students came in and told me it was so good he couldn't stop reading it. 

I could write about going to the bookstore this evening to buy the sequel, The Wild Robot Escapes, because I really need to know what happens. 

I could write about how disappointed I am that my son was graded down for making a fragment in his realistic fiction story. It was a beautifully written fragment and fit perfect in his story. 

I could write about how I wish more teachers would teach and allow students to break rules in their writing. This allows for strong voice. 

I could write about the blog post I just read, end of the road, because a friend shared it on Facebook. It was eye opening and a little sad. 

I could.

I could.

I could.

But I won't. 

Because as you know, I am tired. 

I Almost Forgot

Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up tired?
And your eyes are already burning at 5 am like you never went to sleep?

Have you ever had one of those days where there was so much to do you didn't think you would get it done?
And you worked through your lunch so it would happen?

Have you ever had one of those days where you stop testing because your kids are antsy and it's only been 20 minutes?
And you try out a breathing meditation technique to refocus them and it actually works?

Have you ever had one of those days where your kids that don't normally get it, get it?
And you feel like what you are doing is making a difference?

Have you ever had  one of those days where you just want to go to bed but are too wired from the 12 hours you just spent at work?
And you wonder how in the world you are going to wake up tomorrow because you just can't fall asleep?

That's me. And it has been one of those days.

Outers, Inners, Switch, Rotate

Today in class I switched something in my plans completely last minute to get my students moving around, and it was very eye opening. We are currently in the middle of understanding how to write an argument paper. Using plans through NWP College of Ready Writers  to teach the process, we are at the part where students write their claims. To begin with today, my students did a thinking tracker.

They had originally done one the day we got started so today's thinking tracker was to show how their thinking has changed since we listened to everyone at the table. There were ten people (sources) at the table and each source had a different idea about our argument: Should chocolate milk be served in schools? I have taught the students that they can not join the conversation until they listen to what everyone else has to say.

It was interesting to watch how much they had to say this time around on their thinking trackers. After that, I created a conversation piece called Outers, Inners, Switch, Rotate. I had half the class line up around the room. They were the outers. I then partnered the other half with one of those students. They were the inners. The outers went first and never rotated. The inners always went second and moved from person to person. The outers spent 15 seconds to sharing their thinking about the chocolate milk argument and needed to explain why. After 15 seconds I said switch and the inners started speaking. After 15 seconds, I rang the bell to motion my inners to rotate. They moved to the next person. And the process was repeated. Over and over again until the students found themselves back  to their original spot.

Here is what I learned by doing this:

1. Some students have a hard time explaining why. They can tell what they think but are unable to verbally explain their thinking.

2. The students interacted with one another quite well. When it was not their time to talk, they listened intently, and only spoke when it was their turn.

3. This was the perfect scaffold to help my students understand they need to have reasons to support their thinking. When we came back together as a group and talked about reasons to support or not, many had a hard time narrowing down their thinking to the specifics.

4. They were moving and not sitting stagnant. It was the perfect activity for the afternoon so they could get up and have a change of pace.

The Unexpected

If you have been in a book store, I am sure you have seen them. Maybe you never noticed them or walked right by without giving a moment to reading them. You know the books, wrapped in brown paper. Usually there is the brown wrap with a little card that tells just enough about the book that you are intrigued. You buy the book based off that card, go home, unwrap, and read. It's a brilliant idea.

Today, while I was at the book store, I noticed them. Blind Date With a Book they are called. These ones were in the used book section and targeted towards kids. Instead of a little note card that gave information, it was written right on the book. It was straight forward so a kid could understand. And colorful!

Because they were used, I bought a lot. I thought about a variety of lessons I could do with my students using these books. I am glad I stumbled across this today. And even more glad that I  took the time to stop and read them.

Some of my find today.

A close up version of one of the books.

A Draft

I used to write a lot. I started writing when I was in high school. I have journals and journals of what my life was like back then. I continued to write into college, documenting my day with its ups and downs. I wrote through my first year of teaching talking about the joys and challenges I faced.

Then I stopped. 

It was June 5, 1998 to be exact; the day my mother died. 

And I didn't write after that. Many journals sat on my shelf, their unused pages waiting for a story. I couldn't do it, and I didn't know why. 

Fast forward to July 2015. I was going through the Red Cedar Writing Project Summer Institute at Michigan State University when I attended a writing homecoming. During that homecoming I participated in a writing marathon, and sitting on the banks of the Red Cedar River, I wrote about my mom. 

It was a story that needed to happen. As I wrote, I held back tears then cried. I cried for all of those years that I didn't have my mom. I cried for the times I went to call her and forgot that she wasn't there. And I cried because it was a long time coming. 

After sharing my story with the group, I finally felt as though I found my voice again. And I have been writing ever since. 

Over the weekend I participated in the commenting challenge through Slice of Life. I read a post about a woman who found drafts that she had written but never finished. So tonight, I went through my journals and found a poem that I had never finished. Until now. 

A Draft 

Have you ever had a day

when the sun don't shine

and sometimes, you wish you were blind

so you wouldn't have to see 

the beating and the hatred

of what the world is really made of?

Have you ever had a day 

when the sun don't set 

and all you want to do

is fly in a jet

high and far your jet will fly

up above in the stormy sky?

Have you ever had a day 

when the sun don't rise

and you watch the world 

with your eyes

wondering, questioning if there will be good

and then you realize, tomorrow should?

A Commenting Marathon Reflection

I took part in my first ever commenting challenge which I equate to a commenting marathon. I do writing marathons in my classroom each month and this commenting challenge was very similar. It was hard at first because let's be honest, 75 comments is A LOT! But the more I commented, the more I found I wanted to read what people had to say and the A LOT became quite doable. I learned a lot about people and how they think and how they write. I am most intrigued with a blogger from Australia who lives in India and opened up a school for children with her husband. I am sure I will be visiting her blog more frequently to see what she is up to. I am not sure I would have found her had I not taken part in this challenge.

Another thing I did during this challenge was keep track of different types of slices my fifth graders could do to vary up their normal writing routine and experiment. I made a list for them that I will print up and hand out tomorrow. Many of these ideas I saw multiple times from different bloggers over this past weekend. And I am sure I will experiment with them as well.

Ideas for my fifth graders based off of the commenting challenge:

Party-If you were to have a party and the following attending, what/who

would they be and why.

Favorite book

Favorite person

Favorite food

Favorite song

A Surprise

They’d see...

But wouldn’t know…

If someone were to come to your house what would they see? Then what would they not know about that thing they saw.

Example:

They’d see the butterfly made out of a clothespin hanging from the ceiling in bedroom.

But wouldn’t know my son made that for me when he was in preschool. It was a Mother’s Day present. It is one that constantly reminds me of him in his four year old days.

Six word stories/memoirs

Can you write a story or memoir in six words? It is harder than you think.

Example: For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn. -Ernest Hemingway

I could write about...For this, start each sentence with things you could write about and tell me why using because.

Things I didn’t do today...Title your piece: Things I Didn’t Do Today and write about all the things you didn’t do today because you were busy doing other things making sure to explain why you didn’t do them.

Then and Now-Think back to your younger days, maybe 1st or 2nd grade. What were some things you did then vs. things you do now? You can have a list of then things followed by a list of now things.

I can write with..-Notice the things around you at this present moment. Start each line with I can write with and continue with what you hear and see around you. Try to go for eight lines.

Example: I can write with the conversations from my son’s video game.

Poetry-Write a poem about something that happened in your day.  

Experiment with author’s craft.

A Collection of Slices-Write a collection of small slices that could be turned

into larger slices. These are one or two sentences that tell about your day.

Try to go for eight.

Example: My daughter and I had a tea party with her tea set that she has

had for years.

A List of Things I should Be Doing, But I’m Not-

Make a list of things you should be doing in your life, but you are not.

Go for at least ten things on your list.

Example: Reading 20 pages a day.

              Five More Minutes-Think of someone or a pet close to you that has passed

away. Think of the memories you had with them.

Make a list of eight of those memories.

Now if you had five more minutes with each memory, what would you have

done?

My record keeping

Sixty Percent Off

This morning when I checked my email, I looked at the one from Two Writing Teachers regarding the mid-month commenting challenge. As I read, I thought to myself that I could possibly do this. 

Commenting on 75 blogs is A LOT. But I like reading other people's posts. I enjoy seeing what they have to say and to get ideas for future posts. If I did ten an hour, that wouldn't be too bad. Furthermore, if I spread this out over today and tomorrow, it would be doable.

I don't need to go into school this weekend because, amazingly, I am caught up on most things. The papers that need to be corrected can be done from my couch. And all the other things on my list will get done sooner or later. So I thought to myself, why not.

Then it got me thinking. Why not do a mid-month commenting challenge with my own students who are participating in the Slice of Life challenge. My students are using notebooks and besides me or their parents, no one is reading what they have to say.

So I came up with a flyer that I will hand out on Monday, and I bought some prizes as an incentive. Each student who participates in the challenge will be entered to win. I went a little overboard on prizes because Michaels had them all 60% off, although I think it was more than that. 

I hope my student challenge turns out how I envision in it my head. 

Now, I am off to comment on ten more posts. Only 65 left to do!

Some of the prizes for my student commenting challenge. 

Taking Notice

When I attended an NCTE session in November at their National Conference, I was introduced to a video that I have used multiple times in my classroom. The premise behind this video was to teach students how to notice details that others pass by.

Yesterday, I pulled this video up again and showed it to one of my writing classes. I have watched this video so many times, but yesterday I noticed new things such as the water glasses on the table, the bird in its cage, and the bracelet on a boy's wrist. I wanted my students to notice things in the Kahoot we were about to play. I wanted them to read the questions carefully and figure out why I had written them.

So today, I did a lot of noticing.

I noticed how strong I felt swimming in the pool this morning.

I noticed the blue sky creeping up a little earlier as I drove to school.

I noticed my students reciting the class password over and over so they wouldn't forget it.

I noticed how well my students listened and followed directions.

I noticed a little more pep in one boy's step as he was excited for a sleepover tonight.

I noticed that I felt quite relaxed for a Friday.

I noticed the students in all of my writing classes who studied for their quiz today. They had a confidence about them.

I noticed the wind as it hit my face while out at recess.

And I noticed how tired I am.

When I stop and take notice, it seems as though time slows down.

Maybe I will do a little more noticing tomorrow, because life is flying by too fast.

Passwords

I wish I would have found what I had found at the beginning of the school year because it has changed my teaching a bit. But I am glad I stumbled across, regardless.

And that thing I found.

Passwords.

About two weeks ago I came across a website on accident. I was looking for something completely different, but what I found was a whole bunch of root cards. I had seen plenty like this before so it was nothing new.

What was new to me was the information that came with the cards. In the file, the woman who created it explained that she uses these root cards all week long. One root is put up outside her classroom on Mondays, and it is used as a password to get into the classroom. Every time the students enter the room they need to say the password (root and definition).

Well I just took that idea and ran with it.

And my students LOVE it.

Each morning I have a different password outside the classroom. Most of the time it is a root. Today, though, I put up IVTB. Each time they walked in today they needed to tell me the password. If they forgot, they needed to find someone to rescue them.

IVTB is the first letter of our strategy  when  writing a main idea sentence in a nonfiction summary. So when I taught reading at the end of the day, I asked the students what the password was for the day. "IVTB," is what I heard.

On the board I wrote:
I
V
T
B

I then added the words that go with it:

Identify text
Verb
Topic
Big idea

We continued to learn about and practice this new strategy. Then the students went off and worked on their own. The neat thing about it is when I was walking around helping students I only had to ask them what the password was. From that password, they were to remember their new found words in our strategy. 

Tomorrow the password is going to be all four of the words.

And I will be able to know which kids are struggling with it and which are not because they won't be able to get into the classroom without it.

Our nonfiction summary strategy from Crafting Connections

Chocolate Milk

Last week we started an argument writing piece in my fifth grade classroom. I posed the question: Should chocolate milk be served in schools? The words barely left my mouth before I heard kids asking if they were thinking of getting rid of chocolate milk in our school. I assured them this was not the case, but it was an argument we were going to look at.

I have been following NWP College, Career, and Community Writers Program for teaching argument writing. The plans are scaffolded incredibly well. I am thoroughly impressed with the material, and my students love it too. For this piece, I took the concept of the NWP plans and mixed it with Lucy Calkin's chocolate milk unit. I created organizers for my students to track their thinking and educate themselves with the conversation at the table.

For this particular piece there are ten people at the table and before the students are allowed to pull up a seat, they need to listen to what everyone has to say. We have watched video clips and read articles. We have been able to determine if the author of the article is for or against chocolate milk and we have highlighted facts that help support the author's argument. All four classes are at a slightly different spot in the process because each class has different conversations about what is being said. Once we have listened to everyone at the table, then the students can join the conversation and make their claim.

Right after I posed that original question, I had all the students take a sticky note and place it on whether they answered yes or no. Out of approximately 90 students, about 12 said no and the rest yes.

But today, I saw a shift happen in their thinking. We read an article that included very striking statistics about the amount of sugar in certain foods they love.  This article led my students to question other things about sugar intake. Things they didn't realize. And then there were more questions. It was a pretty powerful conversation.

The hardest part for me, though, is helping the students look at things objectively and not persuading them to think one way or another. Every day at least three students ask me what I think about the issue.

I answer them the same way each time. 

"I will let you know, after you write your argument."

The Snowball Effect

Yesterday I blogged about one of my writing students and the slice she wrote over the weekend. Her slice prompted me to write about my mentor teacher during my student teaching. Because of this, I reached out to him for the first time in 22 years. I posted my blog on facebook and he responded to my post with his own slice. I asked if I could share what he wrote. He graciously agreed.

Here is Mr. Petro's Slice from yesterday:

Longevity

As a teacher I entered the profession to make a difference in the world. I was young, naive, and green. I soon found out that my nights and weekends belonged to paperwork, my classrooms were full of challenges, and the profession never received the validation that other professions received. But, I promised myself that while in my classroom I would strive to make it a piece of heaven. I never, ever said I was going to "work".....I was always going to school. I taught for 37 years.....and, always in fifth grade, and started my first day in September always with the same statement. I told my students that what was in the books was important to learn.....but, they, as "in between agers" would learn more about who they were as a person growing into themselves. Sure, we did the paperwork, the assignments....and struggled through days. But, throughout I hoped to develop children.... emerging. I hoped to model patience, compassion, respect, inquiring minds, and acceptance of all. I confronted bullies and supported victims, denounced the word "gay" as a put down, taught sex education as a way to strengthen young people as they grew and matured. I advocated for the needy, provided lunches for those that came hungry. I attended funerals of parents.....and, sadly of some students. I willingly gave my life to my students......and have never, ever regretted one moment. I compare teaching to being pregnant. You labor for nine months and then deliver them.....

So, what? What matters?

Longevity.

Well after I have retired.....I find that connections made years ago.....find a way back into my life to touch and warm my heart. For example, a child stripped from his family, was thrust into child protective services, foster care, and my classroom. 25 years later he connects to tell me that I "saved his life". Two middle school guys disillusioned, and on the brink of self destruction, were entrusted to me during my lunch hour as their mentor. 30 years later, one a successful business man, the other strong in his church......connecting with me on Facebook and giving me the "thumbs up" for never giving up on them. Or, having coffee with a student from 30+ years ago.... a paratrooper having lost both legs during a tragic fall to earth.....telling me that he learned from me that life goes on.....and, we make the best of it. Or, the gay man (once a fifth grader), coming to me to thank me for understanding that acceptance was something needing to be taught. And, my stories never end......longevity.

And, then today, out of the blue.....another connection. And, such a sweet connection. And, why so sweet, you may ask? Because, Elana....you are on your way to longevity. You touch hearts every day. You make lives better. And, when you least expect it.........you'll find proof.

It's a Small World

On Monday I check in with all of my slicers who are participating in this month's challenge. I have a chart where we keep track of each slice written. Some of the students just show me their slice with no mention about what it is they did over the weekend, while many are excited to share. One girl in my first class of the afternoon wrote about shopping for an Easter dress with her sister and mother and having dinner at Mr. and Mrs. Petro's house in Albion.

I stopped right in my tracks and asked, "Mr. and Mrs. Petro who used to teach in Albion?"

She said, "Yes. My mom used to have Mrs. Petro for a first grade teacher. We see them a lot."

I couldn't believe it! Mr. Petro was the teacher I student taught for in the mid-nineties. And here was a writing student of mine who has dinner at his house.

I am always amazed by these chance encounters. Where the world seems much smaller than it is. All afternoon I thought about Mr. Petro. I was fortunate to be able to student teach for an outstanding teacher.

He was a calm man who had control of his classroom. In 1996, when I student taught in his fifth grade classroom, he had 21 boys and six girls. Yes, you read that correctly. And it wasn't a big space. But those kids were big. And some days I wondered if we were all going to fit. Especially on the hot and humid ones.

Students did not have assigned seats in his classroom, but instead they came in each day and found a spot to sit. The students didn't rush or push and shove. This was because he took the time to train them how to select a seat and eventually it became second nature.

Mr. Petro was a social studies and history teacher of the year. I think his love of bringing history alive through projects is where I found my voice in teaching. For many years I taught social studies, and I modeled a lot of what I did, off of how he taught.

I loved student teaching for Mr. Petro. He was honest and always straight forward with me. When I messed up or couldn't keep control of the class, he would always sit down with me after school and offer suggestions making sure to explain the why behind his what.

I hadn't thought of Mr. Petro in a really long time. And I am so thankful that my one student chose to write one of her weekend slices about him.

I like to reflect where I started out teaching. It makes me thankful that I had a great mentor teacher and happy to know that I have grown so much as an educator since then.

A Hidden Gem

A few weeks back my students finished writing their first literary essay using the book Bird Lake Moon. I posed the question: Do you think there is such a thing as the perfect family? Using evidence from the book and having to connect this to their own lives, my students had to answer the question.

Our first struggle came with the introduction. They all wrote a very strong hook and a solid thesis statement, but they struggled with bridging the two. Clearly, I did not scaffold this well. The same day that I was reading over their introductions, I saw a post on twowritingteachers.org about student written mentor texts. I often use examples of student work to model various writing techniques, but this one in particular began with using literary essays in the elementary classroom. After reading the post, I reached out to the author and asked if she had some examples she could share with me because I wanted to share them with my students. She graciously sent me a few. And they were just what I needed to help my students understand how to bridge between the hook and the thesis statement.

The next day, I shared a few of the literary essays with my students, and we focused on the introductions. It didn't matter that my students were looking at third grade examples, and if anything, it was almost better. They were written in such a simple way that my students got it. They understood how to write that bridge that we struggled with a few days before. They rewrote their introductions and did a remarkable job on them.

Flash forward to this afternoon. As my own kids were swimming, I was on the sidelines correcting literary essays. I was impressed with how strong their introductions were, the organization, and how they connected it to their own lives. Each body paragraph focused on a different aspect of their thesis statements and the students used evidence from the book to support their thinking. The one thing that I noticed, however, was the weakness in how they explained their evidence. Most tried hard and made an attempt, but they just weren't what I expected to see.

But I kept reading and correcting, and then, I found it! A hidden gem of a paper mixed in with all the rest. This student got it. Not only did she focus each body paragraph on one aspect of her thesis, she explained herself, connected her thinking to evidence, and justified why the evidence supported her claim. It was written beautifully.

As much as I could spend time rewriting a lesson plan on how to explain your evidence, I am going to ask her if I can use her essay and expertise to help her classmates. Because no matter how many different ways I can come up with how to teach this, sometimes having a student explain their thinking and the process they went through is more valuable than anything I can do.

A Hidden Gem in the Mix

And There Were Three of Us

When I was younger, my parents exposed me to an array of activities. Anything my sisters and I wanted to try. I took tap and ballet. I dabbled in art classes. I played soccer, softball, volleyball, and lacrosse. I learned how to play the violin, piano, trombone, and clarinet. I went to summer camp. If I wanted to try something out, my parents would find a way to make that happen.

And there were three of us.

As a mother of three myself, I don't know how they did it. Between my husband and I, we shuttle our kids to soccer, basketball, lacrosse, cross country, gymnastics, baseball, and Girls on the Run. And that is just during the school year.  But, I am not sure I would change anything about this. Yes, it gets hectic. We barely have enough time to eat dinner some days. If anything, though, it has taught my children how to budget their time and helped them to be more well rounded.

I am a firm believer that children should be exposed to as many activities as possible when they are younger. I know there are some children who specialize in one sport, and it is all consuming. I won't ever do that to my children. I would be afraid they may get burnt out or regret not being able to have played or participated in other things.

But this is just me.

And this is how I was raised. I am pretty sure my mother would be proud.

My youngest, currently taking gymnastic classes. 

A Reflection

Today as my students participated in Greenbelt Writing, I watched them.

I watched individuals work independently and collaboratively.

I watched stories being crafted, books being made, and projects being started.

I watched my reluctant writers happily work on a piece that had no directions.

I watched two girls that don't tend to work together, create a comic.

I even watched as apostrophes were used correctly.

And as I watched, I started to reflect on my year as a writing teacher. This is the first year that I have taught writing to all four sections of 5th grade. And it has been an honor.

There are a few things that I would keep if I am able to do this again.

1. My Read Aloud-I found that doing a read aloud as the students enter the room has made it easier to transition into our time together. There are minimal disruptions, and it helps calm the students.

2. Writing Folders-I have crates for each classroom where students keep their writing folders.  The writing folders hold everything they need for my class. That way I don't have to wait on students who need to go to their locker or homeroom to get their belongings.

3. Patterns of Power-My students love this take on grammar by Jeff Anderson and Whitney La Rocca. It is the first time they understand why grammar plays an important role in their writing.

4. Sacred Writing Time- In the beginning of the year, this is a key component in helping students to build writing stamina. The students love to have time to just write, and I secretly have a hidden agenda. It is a win-win situation. As the year goes on, our Sacred Writing Time is not as frequent but still loved by all.

5. Writing Marathons-These are one of my favorite things to do. Each month we set one class period to just write. We have done writing sentence starters by visiting different classrooms and taking notice of what is happening around us, Harris Burdick stories, figurative language posters, and Halloween writing to name a few.

6. Greenbelt Writing- This is probably my students' favorite. Each Friday students just write and create. We have a Greenbelt bulletin board where students share what they have done. Their creativity is endless.

The funny thing about all of this is years ago I told myself I would never be a writing teacher. Too much grading. Too many papers. Grading writing is A LOT of work. Especially when you have 90 students. But I love it. As long as they don't mind that it takes me forever to get to it all, I don't mind doing it.

Twelve

I have been thinking about drafting this post all day today and each time in my head it changes. I haven't quite found the way that I want to start it or say what I want to say. There are so many different avenues I can take with this one. 

Today my son turned 12. We both took the day off of school and spent time together. Over the past year I have realized that these moments are dwindling, and I am going to soak them up as long as I can. Because in the grand scheme of things, he is not going to remember what he did in school on his 12th birthday, but he is going to remember that we both didn't go and he had Mom's attention all day.

So in his honor, here is a list of 12 things about my son.

1. He is honest. One of the most honest people I know. Maybe because he is the oldest. A few weeks ago he was allowed to use a calculator on his math homework and refused to because he felt like that was cheating.

2. He is quiet. He always has been. When he was born, he only cried for a split second. Then he spent the next few hours staring at everything and everyone around him.

3. He is calm. Rarely have I ever heard him raise his voice, even when his sisters are bothering him.

4. He sticks up for others. One of my proudest Mom moments is when he was in 4th grade. His  teacher told me at conferences that he sticks up for other kids in class that are getting picked on. He often will tell others to knock it off because that just isn't nice.

5. He is athletic. Nothing brings me more joy than watching him run a race or play a soccer game. He is fast and a quick thinker.

6.  He is practical. He specifically asked that I not buy decorations or balloons for the dining room this year as he thought it was a waste of money. Decorating the dining room on one's birthday has been a tradition in our family since my kids were little. So I took that money that I saved and bought a ton of candy and scattered it on the table.

7. He is not a picky eater. He will eat  anything except raspberries and carrots. He always makes wise choices and fills his body with nutritious foods (unless it is his birthday and he eats candy all day)!

8. He loves to hike. This past summer when we were in Marquette, he couldn't get enough of the trails. He takes after his mom and dad on this one.

9.  He likes board games. One of the few things he asked for, for his birthday was a board game. Despite all the technology in his life, he enjoys a good game of Mastermind.

10. He is really good at chess. I am not sure who it was who taught him how to play, but he is exceptional at it. He can read the board and will always be two steps ahead of his opponent.

11. He likes things in order. He will not read a book series unless he starts with book number one. Even if the series allows you to read books out of order without affecting the story.

12. He is just a great kid. I am not sure how I got so lucky.  I can't wait to see where life is going to take him.

Happy 12th birthday to my only son. 

The Unexpected

I was at school very early for various reasons this morning only to find out that I had a snow day. I  easily could have traveled back home to the comfort of my house and crawled back into my pajamas. But instead, I stayed at school.

It was calm and quiet and a familiar place. It's a place that I know I can get work done. And work is what I got done. 

For the next six hours I copied, corrected, and planned. I checked things off my to do list and appreciated the huge block of time to work with no interruptions or places to be. 

It was completely unexpected but very much appreciated because tonight I feel calm. 

And caught up. 

Even if it is only for a little while. 

Lists

I love lists for the sole purpose of crossing things off of them. I just made one. For the third time this evening. I didn't like the paper that I had my other two on. And I kept thinking about what I had to do. So my list became longer. I sometimes think I make lists to avoid doing things that need to get done. Currently, I have 12 things that are on my list. They aren't urgent but things I would like to accomplish before Monday morning. Then there are things I should put on my list that I don't. These are things that need to get done by tomorrow morning such as my pile of never ending papers that are waiting to be corrected or the sub plans that I have to write. But somewhere in there I need to sleep. So maybe I will put that on my list. And it will be the first thing I do. Then when I wake up, I can cross it off and feel like I did something.

Slice of Life in the Classroom

A few days ago I wrote about the Slice of Life Classroom Challenge that I have going on in all of my writing classes. Each morning the students check in with me, show me their writing, and tell me about it if they want. Today's post is one of my student's entries. I loved the beginning line so much that I asked her if I could share it on my blog. She happily agreed.

The Ringlet

I only fine this story fitting for today as it was about my mother. She has been on my mind lately, so I thought I would share it.

When I was younger, three years old to be exact, I had Shirley Temple curls. These were long, black curls that when stretched made it all the way down my back. But when you let it go, boing, up they sprang where they settled on my shoulders. They are named after a young actress from the 1950’s named Shirley Temple. I remember loving those natural curls but my mother, not so much.

I was probably three and a half when she took the scissors to them because she could no longer get a hairbrush through my hair without an all out crying battle with me. At the time, I didn’t understand why she was doing this, but now that I have kids of my own, I totally get it.

My mother cut those curls off herself using the scissors from our medicine cabinet in the bathroom. I sat in a wood chair staring at the 1970’s black and white tile floor as tears flowed from my eyes like a river from too many days of rain. One after another. The huge ringlets fell to the ground with each snip, snip, snip. More ringlets.

Snip. Snip. Snip.

Until. The. Very. Last. One.

As the tears rolled down my face, I remember wondering am I bald? I was devastated. I was a puddle that no kid likes to jump in. I refused to look in the small, handheld mirror when my mother handed it to me. I sat there with my lip perfectly pouting that someone might have tripped over it.

“Now Elana,” my mother said. “This is no way to act.”

“I WANT MY HAIR BACK!” I screamed.

She new better than to argue with a three year old spit fire. I ran out of the bathroom and down the stairs to the comfort of my white blankie that was thrown on the black couch.

I moped around for a little bit until my little sister, Heather, teetered and tottered in the room saying, “Lana. Play dolls.” After that, I forgot all about my haircut and went back to being my three year old self.

The funny thing is though, my mother must have been upset about giving me that haircut as much as I was to receive it because in my memory box I have a blue hard plastic container. And in that container, is the first ringlet that she had ever cut off.

Twenty

I was inspired by a post I read yesterday to write this one today. The idea is that you write a number of things about yourself for how many years you have been a part of The Slice of Life Challenge. Instead of writing about me, I chose to write about my mother. And I am going to write 20 things about her because this June will be 20 years without her. 

1. My mother was extremely independent. Rumor has it she asked my dad to marry her!

2. My mother was a social worker, teacher, lawyer and business owner. 

3. My mother went through law school when I was in second grade. I still remember her studying for the bar examine one night while she was helping me with homework. 

4. My mother always saw the good in people. 

5. My mother was extremely generous. She liked to donate her time and resources to the less fortunate. 

6. My mother raised my sisters and I to ALWAYS send thank you notes anytime anyone gave you a gift. 

7. My mother loved to travel. She went to Europe when she was 18 and often took us on trips with my father up and down the east coast. 

8. My mother introduced me to the love of the outdoors. My family and I went camping every summer from the time I was two until I was a junior in high school. 

9. My mother loved her grandchildren. Although she was only alive to meet two of them, she would have soaked up the seven that came after her death. 

10. My mother married my father in August of 1968 and passed away a month and some change from their 30th wedding anniversary. 

11. My mother was thoughtful. When she knew she wasn't going to make it to Christmas, she had purchased gifts for my sisters and me that would be placed under the tree to let us know that she was thinking of us. 

12. My mother was one of the instrumental founders of the lacrosse team at my high school. I think she would be happy to know that this year I am helping to coach my daughters' lacrosse team. 

13. My mother always went out of her way to make our birthdays feel special. 

14. My mother worked. I don't remember her not working. Even when she became sick. 

15. My mother was very proud of her children. All three of us couldn't be more different from one another, but we each have a unique  part of her in our personalities. 

16. My mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer my senior year of college. 

17. My mother fought a long battle. Long enough to see me through my first year of teaching. 

18. My mother died in June of 1998. She told my father she was ready to go with her mother, father, and sister, Sally, who were apparently in the room waiting for her.  They had all preceded her in death. To this day I find comfort in knowing she wasn't alone. 

19.  My mother left my sisters and I a little sheet of paper with a phrase of how she saw the each of us. It was given to us after she passed away. It is the one thing I cherish from her. 

20. My mother was amazing, and I hope that I grow to be half the person that she was. 

Grill House

It didn't matter that it was 38 degrees outside and snow was still stuck to the lawn. My nine year old daughter had this idea that she would have her own restaurant tonight. And outdoor seating was the only option. Yes, I said that correctly. 

Outside. 

Where it is cold. 

Where the snow hangs on for another day. 

But, she created a menu, set the table, and helped with the preparation as much as she could. 

It was a lovely night. Not one I would have planned but that is what made it great. 

As we ate, we noticed the stars starting to dot the city sky as the sun went to bed. 

We noticed the calmness around as the trees didn't feel like moving. 

And we noticed the cold. The one that found its way to our bones after we had finished eating. 

So with a polite thank you for her service, we went inside and had dessert, the one she picked out. 

It's moments like these that remind me to slow down a little and enjoy life. 

Our waitress for the evening

Twenty-Eight

I teach writing to about 90 fifth graders in a small rural town in Michigan. For weeks I was trying to figure out how I was going to do the Slice of Life Challenge with all of them without driving myself crazy with the organization aspect of it. Last year, I had my first successful run with the challenge both personally and with my homeroom, and I knew I wanted to incorporate it again this year. So I opened it up to all fifth graders with an informational meeting on Wednesday during their lunch to learn more about it and to pick up a Slice of Life journal. I honestly didn't expect many. My Tuesday writing club has dwindled down to about eight kids, and I thought that was about as many as I would get.

Was I wrong.

Yesterday at 11:30 a few kids strolled in with their lunches and they didn't stop for the next six minutes.  One after another they entered the room, signed in, grabbed a journal and ate. I talked about the challenge, what it would look like at fifth grade, and showed them some of my slices from last year. Then the questions came and before you knew it, it was time for our afternoon schedule.

Fast forward to this morning. One girl came into my room and said, "Mrs. Waugh. I just wanted to double check that it was okay that I wrote my slice before school. I had this crazy dream last night and I woke up and just couldn't stop thinking about it."

Now move on to recess. "Mrs. Waugh, I've been trying to notice things like you do before you get an idea to write. I have too many ideas from today and it is not even over yet. I am not sure what I am going to choose."

And near the end of the day. "Whatever has been bothering you during our entire reading block, go home and write about it for your slice today. I can tell you need to get your thoughts out by the expression on your face. It hasn't changed in the last 45 minutes."

In all, I have 28 students up for the challenge. And I think all 28 will follow through. The thing I am looking forward to the most is hearing their stories when they check in with me each morning.

And maybe, one of them will give me a really good one to write about.