Confession

I have been thinking about writing lately.

Thinking, but not doing. I have a great many things that need writing: letters, emails, my thesis, this blog. Yet I cannot summon the will to write anything. Which rather defies the first purpose of this blog –  to practice writing regularly.

But last Tuesday my students shamed me into writing.

We had been working on a “reasoning” worksheet using the book we are reading; Number the Stars. The students had to construct an argument proving that the main character, Annemarie, was courageous. The worksheet required a list of way that know things about a character, (description, actions, words, what other characters say/think, etc.,) a definition of courage, 3 example from the book (with page number!) that proved Annemarie’s courage, any example that might be used against our argument, and a final judgment.

Do you see where I was going with this worksheet?

The kids did not.

Worksheet completed, I had them each hold his in the air, touch his nose twice, turn around three times, and clap.

Voila!

The simple worksheet had changed into everything that was needed to write a kick-ass 5-paragraph essay!

(NB: I did not say kick-ass. I said awesome.)

They groaned. They tried to reverse the magic by doing all those calisthenics backwards. No luck.

So we started the in-class essay on Tuesday. I asked for an introductory paragraph, one that would make ME, the intended audience, want to read it. We discussed opening sentences, how to grab interest, and how to clearly state the purpose of the essay. They had 25 minutes to write.

At the end of the 25 minutes, eight of them had written the entire thing. EIGHT. Out of 23. Wrote a 5-7 sentence per paragraph 5-paragraph essay.

And these were not slouchers, either. Most had 3 whole sides of paper covered. They had even thought to ask me how to cite page numbers, and then did it perfectly.

My ten-year-old students can write faster than I can.

Shame.

And, their essays are pretty good. No incomplete sentences, and neat, if mechanical, transitions. The organization was mostly furnished by the worksheet, and they had the sense to stick to it.

I had to sit down and do a self-examination. Just because I don’t have a teacher prowling the edges of the room doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be writing. I am supposed to be writing more than my students! For example; I started this post last night, but took 45 minutes this morning to finish it.

Shame!

What I do instead? Er, grade. Eat. Make paper roses. Lesson plan. Etc.

I will go look over my thesis now. Bye-bye!

 

For Mother’s Day, I taught my kids to make these. I had to learn how myself first, and this is the result. Enjoy!

May the Fourth Be With You

In the interests of all things classic, punny, and awesome, happy Star Wars Day!

Today is a day to celebrate rogue smugglers and nice guys. Sometimes they are the same person.

Today is a day to find your old, (or new,) collapsible lightsaber, and have an epic battle on the front lawn. Even if you are by yourself, go kick invisible Sith butt!

Today is the day to read, or reread, one of the Timothy Zahn Star Wars novels. (All other Star Wars books are pointless.)

Seriously, before Disney ruins the post Ep VI Star Wars ‘Verse, read Timothy Zahn. Go enjoy Mara Jade.

Today is the day to weigh in on this discussion.

Today is the day to wrap your wrist in wires, and pretend you have a bionic hand.

Today is the day to wear a brown cloak, and walk around like you could mind trick everyone.

Today you stride up to the mall, hold out two fingers and use the force to push that door open.

Today, rock out to the Cello Wars.

Well, you can rock out to Cello Wars any day of the year. But today, it is a requirement.

Disney Wars

By this point, I am pretty sure you have heard that Disney bought Star Wars.

My reactions to this news are mixed.

On one hand, I do have to agree with The Blimey Cow Brothers, here.

 

 

But on the other hand  . . . .

 

 

After all, Disney has already done this to THE Ultimate Space Epic.

 

 

 

What thinkest thou? Any visions of the future of Star Wars?

 

 

 

The Reading Way

In the first week of teaching, I realized that Fifth Graders do not have a highly developed sense of reading comprehension. Or of reading enjoyment. I wasn’t entirely sure what was a normal level for such things, but I was soon certain that fostering these would be one of my goals for the year.

So, I embarked on a highly controversial method: I read out loud.

Please, contain your shock. Half of the parents complained that I was treating the kids like babies.

Because only babies like good stories, ya know.

I started by reading from The Hobbit. The advent of the movie garnered their attention. And, just so that they would try to remember, I created “Treasure Hunts”: a paper with questions about the chapter on one side, and a place to draw a character and a setting on the other.

By the second quarter, comprehension was improved. And some of the illustrations are priceless! See below:

We finished The Hobbit after Christmas, and since then I have been reading Rosemary Sutcliffe’s Black Ships Before Troy. With unexpected results.

For a group of kids who had to be coaxed into imagining a hobbit, they soon caught the hang of long, complicated epics.

They groan whenever Paris makes an entrance, roll their eyes at the golden apple, and question what the appropriate reaction to Odysseus should be.

They admired Achilles, and with little encouragement they all fell in love with Hector.

Oooh, the portending of tragedy.

Hector’s death caught them all by surprise. There were tears. As a sign of mourning, the class wore black accessories the next day.

But it was Achilles’ actions that horrified them to the core. I found their illustrations that had apparently started out as Achilles, that had been ex-ed out and stabbed with a pen so many times that was impossible to tell for sure. The horror of one hero killing another idol upset them deeply.

The day before Easter break, I announced that on our return we would be reading the chapter entitled “The Death of Achilles”. They cheered so loudly that Fourth Grade called to ask us to be quiet.

And then one student said something which made all the pain, stress, and struggle of first-year-teaching completely worthwhile.

“I can’t wait a whole week! Can’t we come to school over break?”

Saturday

Reblogged from WanderLust:

As soon as the wood was silent again Susan and Lucy crept out onto the open hill-top. The moon was getting low and thin clouds were passing across her, but still they could see the shape of the Lion lying dead in his bonds. And down they both knelt in the wet grass and kissed his cold face and stroked his beautiful fur - what was left of it - and cried till they could cry no more.

Read more… 210 more words

CinderAbe

I usually open my history lessons by announcing, “Once upon a time . . . “.

Unorthodox, I know. But I have discovered that my students only comprehend what was going if I get them emotionally and mentally involved. I often stop and ask them what they would do if they were in that situation, or to pass judgment on a certain political decision.

So I tell history like it is a fairy tale. To my students, John Adams has become a heroic figure who is revered alongside Hector. And the reasons for the Spanish-American War have been booed like a medieval villain.

Most importantly, the Fifth Graders seem to remember the history. And they can recognize the patterns of actions and stories!

But this type of education comes with its own perils.

While describing the life of Abraham Lincoln, I might have oversold the story.

In the middle of discussing Honest Abe’s determination to get an education, one of the brightest yet absent-minded students had a flash of brilliance.

“Oooh!” she exclaimed, “so Lincoln is just like Cinderella!”

So, replace a fairy Godmother with hard work, and the happily ever after with a strong moral sense.

Then yes, Abraham Lincoln is just like Cinderella!

november

Reblogged from ethelweard:

It seems that the few things I write these days, come out as supplications.

I guess that's okay. I guess there's not much else to do, but turn our broken syllables to the sky--and fall back on the Mercy that gives us both.

(Because without the Mercy, there is nothing.)

This is my November.

~

Grant us grace
To look out of clean windows…

Read more… 185 more words

Beauty.

Mouth Music

While we are on the subject of a capella music, I would like to point out that saying “making music with your mouth” is fairly redundant.

A few coworkers and I recently went to see the movie “Pitch Perfect”. Or “Perfect Pitch” . . .  I can never get that name straight. And throughout the movie, the peppy girls kept running around describing their a capella group by saying, “We make music . . . with our mouths!”

It drove me bonkers!

Um, all types of singing are making music with your mouths. Also, about a third of  types  of the instruments in existence require the use of mouths to make music.

What they really mean, is that the parts of the music usually performed the instruments is done with the voice.

Which actually is pretty cool.

So, I would like to share some of my favorite Mouth Music with you. Where not only has the performer played all the parts of the intstruments, but has also fitted words to the music!

 

 

And, of course, The Doctor Who version.

 

 

And of course