It's Not All Flowers and Sausages: First Dates

It's Not All Flowers and Sausages: First Dates

Reading this blog made me smile and cry at the same time. I may be a bit emotional, if you didn't know. These are the moments that make up for all the other moments that make you want to scream in frustration, that make you want to quit.

Conferring Reminders � TWO WRITING TEACHERS

Conferring Reminders � TWO WRITING TEACHERS: "A Mid-Workshop Share is always a good way to redirect students who have started chatting during work time."

A wonderful idea if you are in reading or writing workshop.

Amazon.com : Entertainment : "The Invention of Hugo Cabret"

Amazon.com : Entertainment : "The Invention of Hugo Cabret"

Amazon has a four and half minute video of Brian Selznick talking about his book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. This is book is different from other chapter books you have read. Selznick seamlessly combines text with pictures. There are sections were there are only pictures to tell story. You cannot skip past these pictures or you will loose part of the story. If you haven't read this book, then you should definitely check it out.

Teachers Love SMART Boards: SMARTBoards and Scholastic Interactive Whiteboard Activities

Teachers Love SMART Boards: SMARTBoards and Scholastic Interactive Whiteboard Activities

Check out this blog post about what Scholastic has to offer in the way of SMART Board activities. As teachers, you are extremely busy and I appreciate this. I hope to post ideas that help your planning time go more smoothly and more quickly.

Tales from the School Bus: Overheard - Two for the Price of One

Still catching up on blog reading....This reminds me of why I love teaching middle school students. They are unpredictable. You never know what the day will hold. Sometimes that isn't a good thing, but in the following blog it is. After reading it, I couldn't help but smile.

Tales from the School Bus: Overheard - Two for the Price of One

I did get to take the 7th graders bowling. This trip was a reward for good behavior. As always with trips, lots of random and unexplainable things happen. This happened on the bus en route to the bowling alley:

7th Grade Boy(standing up randomly): When I say Hillshire!, You say Farm!

7th Grade Boy(continuing after a pause): HILLSHIRE!

Whole Bus(including myself and the teachers): FARM! GO MEAT!

Complete with pumping arms in air victoriously.

Yes. It was a good ride.


The Bus Driver

How the author "built" the text....

As I was getting caught up on the blogs that I follow, I found this tidbit.  I really like how she describes nonfiction text structure in a way that kids can easily follow.

Recently, I have worked with kids a lot on nonfiction text structure. We talk about how the author "built" the text-- whether it is a house (all about one thing), a duplex or triplex (comparing several different things) or an apartment (a little bit of information about a whole bunch of different but related topics (e.g. all about bears, with one page devoted to grizzlies, and one page devoted to polar bears, and one page devoted to brown bears).
---Blog:  Carol's Corner (January 26)

Taylor Mali: What teachers make | Video on TED.com

Taylor Mali: What teachers make | Video on TED.com

Teachers make a difference every day in students' lives. This is one poet's response to the saying "Those who can't do, teach." I dedicate this to all the teachers I know and those I don't because I believe we are here to help students in anyway possible.