Hopes, dreams, and commitments

Hello sweet friends...

I wanted to drop in with a quick post! We have spent more than our fair share of time focused on procedures and expectations, but the majority of our time has been on building solid, positive relationships with each other. We spend so much time together; we become a family!

This was one of our morning messages last week. After spending so much time the few days before talking about hopes and dreams and reaching our goals, I asked students what we could do to help each other reach them. These are a some of the ideas the kiddos came up with....we used these as a starting point for building our commitments to each other. Both classes participated in these discussions and contributed what commitments were most important to them.

Here is the final result! I am so proud of my kiddos...both my homeroom and Mrs. Whitt's babies! I can honestly say that there are some super, sweet kids in this group! I am excited for the year ahead!

Our commitments to each other....
tomorrow we will all sign this together!

I can just see their precious faces as they said, "Never underestimate!" Or..."Be confident." And ..."Be truthful."

Now...don't get me wrong! No rose-colored glasses here...I have a few non-stop-talking, little toots, too. But they are deep down good kiddos...with just a bit extra in the vocabulary department. No worries...that's were all the procedures practice and practice and practice....and even more practice will come in. hahaha.... I'll make them practice until they are too exhausted to talk anymore. ;)

Just another morning message...I LOVE Responsive classroom. Morning messages are such a quick way to put a finger on where most of my kiddos are in their thoughts and practices of reading and writing, all the while helping me build a positive relationship with them.

Ok...well not exactly sure how "quick" that was, but I just had to take a moment to share.

Happy reading, friends.

Springing into Earth Day

Happy Spring! Such a pretty day! I sure am loving the cool, gentle breezes and the smell of my blooming wisteria...even if trying to contain the wild, aggressive vine takes a lot out of a person; I should emphasis TRYING since it refuses to cooperate. ;)

Sweet jasmine, too!

This week was slow and easy for the most part. Well, as easy as it can be with me aching to get back into my class. Our student teacher has begun his full teach, and boy do I miss my sweet kiddos.  Mr. Hall is doing an awesome job, but sometimes it takes all have not to walk back in and selfishly take over reading James and the Giant Peach.

My kiddos are enjoying one of my all time favorites! I just love the mischievious magic of Roald Dahl. The language and characters of James and the Giant Peach are so fun and full of life that I can just imagine them as being real. Only Roald Dahl could do that!

Reading this treasure has become an annual event for my class. So much so that as I greet my new students each year, I am always asked about James and the giant peach party they have heard of in rumors passed by siblings and friends. Each year when we complete this story, we celebrate by watching the movie (don't get me started on the movie though ~ NEVER judge a book by its movie!) and eating all things peach! Peach ice cream, peach yogurt, fruit salad loaded with peaches, peach candy, fresh peaches ...you name it ~ we try it!

 

I will be sure to post pics of this year's celebration!

Because I have not been in my room much this week, I have lots to share from my teaching partner, Mrs. Whitt. She has both of our kiddos gearing up for Earth Day, Monday.

 

We sure have some talented kiddos in our rooms!

This is how my kiddos came back to me from Mrs. Whitt's
after planning ways to save the earth! :)

In honor of Earth Day, I have a few great picture books to share.

Of course one cannot think of Earth Day without thinking of The Lorax by Dr. Seuss! I love sharing this with my kiddos each year, but usually Mrs. Whitt beats me to it. ;) Seuss has a way of really driving home his message wrapped in the magic of fanciful language and creatures, and I just love the magic of his messages! 

The next book I have shared once before in a previous post. I love this story for a number of reasons. How perfect it is for reaching for and achieving our dreams, but it fits just as perfectly in the celebration of Earth Day! I love following Liam's quest to be outside and turn our busy and sometimes gray world just a little bit greener. The Curious Garden by Peter Brown is a beautiful masterpiece with its creeping, green gardens!

Still in honor of all things green and earthy I have to share a new addition to my library. And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano and illustrtated by Erin E. Stead is a breath of fresh air! I enjoyed this sweet story even more that I thought I would. Just as with The Curious Garden, we follow the patient hopes of a sweet boy tending his garden. Erin E. Stead is an amazing illustrator and this sweet story is now one of my spring favorites!

I have enjoyed a little reading myself this weekend. I picked up The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch. I am a huge fan of the Dystopian genre, and this is a great, action packed read! ....Can't wait to do a book talk on this with my kiddos tomorrow! 

With that I will say good afternoon: for now...until next time :) I am off for a walk with the hubby and a little more reading for the night...Happy Reading yourself!

Workshops and rainy nights

Thursday afternoon I rushed around my classroom, planning for a substitute. If there is anything I hate more, I cannot think of it. Trust me, I would so much rather be in my classroom! 

I will say; however, that this day and a half in workshops was well worth it. I feel lucky to be a part of the Arkansas Benchmark Review Committee. The entire process of creating, field testing, and then launching an exam of such importance seems so daunting, but to be a part of it for a year now has very eye-opening. 

I knew I wouldn't make it back up to the school this afternoon, so I stopped back by Thursday after our first round of meetings to plan for Friday's sub and took a quick snap shot of some of the books we've read in class that I knew I needed to share here. We have had a very successful week in reading and writing workshop, and every week I am more proud of my kiddos. I know that I have mentioned how much I love these few weeks in writing workshop as we begin really looking at the craft of writing. We really focused our "writer's eyes" to see what we might glean from so many amazing authors.

As I wondered around my room planning Thursday afternoon, I realized just how much this very spot is one of my favorite places to be. Sitting here with the kiddos right next to me, I know that I couldn't imagine doing anything else!

 

My little goody basket right next to my chair. This is where I keep the mentor texts that I will be using in the very near future. Lots of great books for looking at themes in reading throughout the year are packed in the bottom of my anchor cart.

Our morning message Friday morning 

    

This is what I asked kiddos to turn around and take in. We have accomplished a lot in a small amount of time! We still have even more great reading and writing ahead of us next week! After spending a week focused on how to add sensory detail to our own writing, we will be focusing on figurative language, and I just can't say enough how much I love teaching this part of writing.  

One of the advantages of being out during the school days is being able to sneak away and have lunch with my favorite guy! Josh and I managed to make it to our favorite restaurant before I headed back to get more work done! 

Now to share some of those great stories packed full of all that sensory detail our heads have been swirling in all week!

Come on, Rain! by Karen Hesse is story easily connected to just full of sensory detail and figurative language. Most of Arkansas can make strong connections with this story last July. Just not sure we would have said it as beautifully as Karen Hesse. We will definitely be looking at this one again. 

 

My Brother Dan's Delicious by Stephen Layne is a fun one for the senses of taste and smell. Delectable, delicious, a mouthwatering flavor factory is how Joey tries to convince his imagined monsters that his brother would make a much more satisfying meal than him. Excellent word choice and the theme jumps out at you! Can't beat that in a mentor text!

 

My Father's Hands by Joanne Ryder is moving little story of a girl and her father as they work in the garden. The sensory detail expressed as she shares her feelings of safety and comfort with her father are so sweet. The Perfect Bear by Gillean Shields is much like The Velveteen Rabbit. There is something very moving in the rich illustrations, and as we see the "No Touch" bear transform into just "bear," we are moved by his transformation. The figurative language and sensory detail help show us, and the theme is usually pretty easy for the children to grasp.

Here is another perfect look at theme. I love Big Al by Andrew Clements. I am all around a huge Andrew Clements fan anyway! Big Al wants so badly to have friends and be accepted! Don't we all! This is also a perfect example of how many times a book may have more than one overall theme. Could we say that acceptance would be the most fitting, or would it be that Big Al persevered until he did exactly what it took to reach his dreams? Great story for Responsive Classroom and hopes and dreams with those kiddos that have more social hopes than academic.

This next one is just for fun! Let's Do Nothing! by Tony Fucile...I was hooked as soon as I saw the precious illustrations, but the characters won me over forever! They are too cute, and somedays, I just wish I could have a "do nothing" kind of day! This is always a favorite of my kiddos. Check out the cute little book trailer on YouTube,

Now this last book, well, it just plain ol' cracks me up! I mean you have to giggle because if you can write an entire book (very successfully mind you) about dung, well then you can write about anything. I tell my kids after they hee-haw and giggle over this one - NO Excuses, you have plenty to write about. hehe All grossness and silliness aside, the word choice in this is absolutely perfect, and I do not care if it is about dung - I LOVE it! Who Flung Dung by Ben Redlich is also packed with amazing opportunities to model expression and fluency.

I am going to wrap up tonight with what seems to be the new normal for my Friday nights. I am wondering this football season if I will ever complete a busy week without trying to stay dry in the stands.

 

Happy Reading my friends!

More Hopes, Dreams...and peace, love, and harmony ;)

Just a real quick post tonight to show off the hopes and dreams of Mrs. Whitt's class, the wonderful teacher I share students with! She has made the cutest display of their thoughts regarding their goals for the year - their hopes and dreams. How encouraging to see this bright and hopeful board every day. I just LOVE it!   ~ "I hope I will make lots of new friends and have a great year." ~"My hope and dreams are that I get better in writing." ~ "My hope and dream is that everyone gets a chance to fill buckets." ~ "I hope we all become friends!"

So sweet! She claims it was a happy surprise at how wonderfully it all turned out, but I'm not sure I am buying it, wink wink!

  

While I am here, one or two quick picture books for the day. :)

 

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman and The Curious Garden by Peter Brown are both wonderful little examples of working hard to achieve your hopes and dreams. Not only is it important for us to verbalize our hopes and dreams or set goals, it is just as important for us to work hard for them!

Happy Reading!