Monday's Mixed Bag

There have been a few changes in our household.  We are excited to have our dog, Indie, as part of the family. We got her from a pet shelter and she's been a joy.  My son is crazy about her and she's been really well-behaved.

Ciaran had a wonderful First Communion this past weekend.  His grandmother visited from Boston and we had a special day. 

I hope all the Moms, aunts, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and anybody who steps in, had a very happy Mother's Day.



                                                                 

Going From They Can't To We Can

"They can't do that!"

"Didn't I teach this already?"

These sayings can be heard across all walks of life. I think the best way to fix this mentality is to start by doing and we, as teachers, need to lead by example.

In our classrooms, students might struggle with various academic lessons.  It's easy to say they can't do that. I know... I'm sure we've all said this at some point.  I truly believe if you make writing a consistent part of your day, then students will begin to soar. In upcoming blog posts, I will discuss strategies I have found to be quite effective through all my years of teaching.

Our daily writing volume is substantial, but it becomes the new norm (a favorite kindergarten teacher friend of mine always says this).  Sometimes when we say they can't, meaning the students, what we really mean is- I don't know how... and this is OK.  This is when we turn to our colleagues, the people we see as experts, anyone that will listen, and lean on them for advice.  This goes for any subject matter.

Here are the topics of discussion

• Teach mini-lessons daily
• Provide anchor charts
• Use mentor texts
• Allow for student sharing
• Celebrate success
• Don't handcuff the writing with constant negative feedback
• Offer choice with the various text types (narrative, opinion, expository)
• Don't grade everything 
• Provide a model for the students to follow
• Put graded/ungraded practices in place
• Build writing stamina

Monday's Mixed Bag (mystery)

Hello,

I hope you enjoyed your weekend.  Today's focus is on three things that have gone well in my classroom this year. The students are willing to go the extra mile each and every single day.

• My mystery trash item continues to get the students up and moving at the end of the day.  I heard of this genius idea, a few years ago, from another teacher.  You write a mystery item on a post-it note.  The item the students are searching for could possibly be a crumpled paper, an open drawer, a chair not pushed in properly, items on the ground such as markers, crayons, pens, pencils, etc.  Whichever student(s) find the mystery item at the end of the day, upon the big reveal, receive positive recognition.  You can also have the student take a bow.  Our classroom gets tidy, students work together, and praise is given.  What could be better?  Click here to access my freebie!
• My students have been putting so much effort into their typing skills.  Many of the students are typing so quickly!  They are working on typing stamina as well as composing digitally written pieces through Google Docs and Google Classroom.  Digital composition is a different skill that students need to be taught and given time to practice.  When they write digitally, students are exercising different parts of their brain and thinking in new and creative ways.
• I play "Stand By Me" at the end of the day and students sing along and close up for the day.   They check to see if their desks are neat, mailboxes are emptied, homework is in their backpack, etc.  It ends the day on a positive note and everyone walks out with a smile on their face!

Finding the Positive in our Students' Writing

Sometimes we have to take a step back and find something positive in our students' writing. At times, we might be pulling our hair out... and we want to scream.  Personally, I don't have much hair to pull, but take a deep breath, pause, and reflect.  What can I say to this student to motivate him/her? How can I bring a positive spin to this written piece? You are saying to yourself, "This student could really use a boost."

Focusing on the positive builds student confidence and helps them continue implementing what is already going well.  Furthermore, it is refreshing, as a teacher, to look at a student's writing with an eye for the positive.  When you notice students are "getting it" and using strategies you taught in their writing; it will motivate you to keep going.  Remember, not everyone will get "everything" all at once.  But, when you are constantly on the lookout for what is going well, you are sure to find it!
These are suggestions to use with your students in finding the positive: 

• You started with an amazing hook!
• I like your use of figurative language.
• I see you mirrored Lois Lowry's (insert author) craft.
• That's a great use of "suddenly" in your writing.
• Did you use your thesaurus for this term?
• Your stamina is improving by the day.
• Your "writerly" moves are amazing!
• Are you beginning to self-regulate?
• You just took the house down with that lead!
• To quote Dick Vitale..."Are You Serious?" I mean this a good way with excitement!
• How did you think of embedding this idea?
• I see you used suggestions from the anchor chart.
• Are you willing to share this idea with the class?
• May I share your amazing writing with the class?
• Where do you see this piece going next?

How do you offer positive feedback?  Please feel free to share your own comments, suggestions, or ideas.  If you are looking for a great read about positive feedback, check out Katherine Bomer's Hidden Gems.

Monday's Mixed Bag

Hello,

In this week's Monday's Mixed Bag, I am going to focus on three positive things.

My son continues to make me laugh each and every day.  He has a great sense of humor and he's very quick-witted.  He gets that from his uncle Mike!

In class, I enjoy starting each day with a soft opening (S.Ahmed).  I like to play a song while the students walk around and say hello to one another.   This gives me an opportunity to hear about the many things they enjoy doing over weekends and breaks.  In addition, this comes in handy when it is time to write and a student is struggling with ideas.  Writer's block can be lifted instantly if you remind a student about a moment they shared.

Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in about a week.  I am huge baseball fan and can't wait for the next baseball season. I wish your team well!

Have any of you ever used baseball stats or league standings as a math lesson? Students can be in charge of keeping the information accurate and up to date.  It's a unique way to engage students with out of the box lessons.

Some of My Favorite Quotes

“Well done is better than well said.” Franklin

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” Disney 

“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” Franklin

“Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.” Roosevelt 

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you don’t stop.” Confucius

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” Tzu

“The secret to getting ahead is getting started.”  Twain

“Set your goals high and do not stop until you get there.” Bo Jackson

“Never, never, never give up.”  Churchill

“The way to getting started is to quit talking and begin doing.” Disney

“Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds.” Hinckley

“The people who influence you are the people who believe in you.” Drummond

“A goal is a dream with a deadline.” Hill

“Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.” Andrews

“Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.” Marshall

“After a storm comes calm.” Henry 

“Act as if what you do makes a difference.  It does.” James

“Always desire to learn something useful.”  Sophocles

“The more things you do the more you can do.” Ball

“You will never win if you never begin.” Rowland

“You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream the farther you get.“ Michael Phelps

“The most important thing in this world is family and love.”  Wooden

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.”  Keller

 “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career and lost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeeded.” Michael Jordan

Classroom Reads Part II

This is the reading list for grades 5-8.  As I've stated before, please feel free to email me any other amazing reads for any grade level.

Grades 5-8

• Tuesday's at the Castle (5th)-series
• Circus Mirandus (5th)
• Out of my Mind (5th)
• The Misadventures of Maude March (5th)
• A Single Shard (5th)
• The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (5th)
• Amelia Lost!: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart (5th)- non-fiction text
• Wonder (5th)
• Number the Stars (5th)
• Esperanza Rising (5th)

• Tuck Everlasting (6th)
• The Thing About Jelly Fish (6th)
• Holes (6th)
• Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere (6th)
• Where the Red Fern Grows (6/7th)
• The War That Saved My Life (8th)
• Chains (8th)

Great Classroom Reads

Is there anything better than diving into a great book with your students?  I am listing some books that have been recommended by other teachers as well as myself.  Teachers will refer to some of these books as core novels/texts. You might use the books for students to read independently or as instructional texts. 

Picture Books

• The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
• Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
• The Adventures of Beekle
• Mother Goose Bruce
• I am a Story
• A Child of Books
• What to do With an Idea
• What to do With a Problem
• Finding Winnie
• How to Train a Train
• Aberdeen
• Choose Your Days
• The Giving Tree
• Rosie Revere, Engineer
• Iggy Peck, Architect
• Ada Twist, Scientist
• The Invisible Boy
• The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles
• The Dark
• The Not So Quiet Library

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Grades 3-4

• Gooney Bird Greene (3rd) series
• The Hundred Dresses (3rd)
• Riding Freedom (3rd)
• Frank Einstein and the Anti-Matter Motor (3rd)
• My Father's Dragon (3rd)
• The Year of Billy Miller (3rd)
• Because of Winn Dixie (3rd)
• Fantastic Mr. Fox (3rd)
• Ruby Lu Empress of Everything (3rd)
• Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things (3rd/4th)

        

• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (4th)
• Mr. Popper's Penguins (4th)
• The One and Only Ivan (4th)
• Al Capone Does my Shirts (4th)
• Rules (4th)
• Turtle in Paradise (4th)
• The Ballad of Lucy Whipple (4th)
• Fish in a Tree (4th)
• El Deafo (4th)
• Bridge to Terabithia (4/5th)
• By the Great Horn Spoon (4/5th)

Writing Done Right

I'm excited to announce my writing curriculum is now on Amazon.  The book is available in paperback or on Kindle.

Writing Done Right is suited for teachers, parents, homeschoolers, or anybody that would like a comprehensive writing curriculum that teaches students to meet the rigor of current writing standards with flair and style.

Successful Summer Writing Camp

I'd like to thank the amazing parents and students for a successful Killeen Up Your Writing Summer Camp!

We covered opinion, informational, and narrative text types.  In addition, the students learned about author's craft, descriptive writing, and so much more.

The informational piece on "Pokemon Go" was a huge hit!

I am proud of what they accomplished.  They rocked!

I look forward to more sessions next summer!

The First Draft is From the Heart

I was flipping through the channels a few weeks back and noticed we had free HBO. You heard me! I'm sure I'm paying for it in one way, shape, or form, but I figured I'd scroll through to see what was on. I stumbled upon Finding Forrester with Sean Connery.  I'm no movie buff, but I watched this years ago and found myself glued again for some reason. There were a few spoken lines that resonated with me. In fact, I ran over to my post-its and wrote them down.  

"The first draft is written from the heart and the second draft is written from the head!" These words sent goose bumps down my arms.  I missed this the first time through, but this makes total sense.  

How often do we just write about what we are feeling on a particular day? Sometimes my pen seems to do the thinking while my head plays catch up.  Has this happened to you?  

I have a quick challenge. Write what comes to mind for five minutes and see where it leads.  I bet you'll tap into something you never imagined.  You can do this as a parent, teacher, individually, or with your class.

Coming Soon...

Coming soon...Writing Done Right!  I’m happy to announce my writing curriculum is finished…at least on my end! I hit some bumps in the road, but that is typical for writing a book. The book should be on Amazon in about a month. Many of you have been quite supportive along this journey and I can’t thank you enough. 
Details to follow...

Memorial Day

The aroma from charcoal briquettes, lighter fluid, hamburgers, and sausages, wafting across countless backyard grills this weekend, coupled with laughter, and reunions, sets the tone for a fun-filled Memorial Day.  Simultaneously, whispering winds silently push across this vast nation we call home, as “Old Glory” adorns museums, fields, schools, buildings, and homes. 

As we celebrate this Memorial Day weekend, let’s think of those who have lost their voice, as they rest peacefully, in marked and unmarked monuments throughout this nation, as well as overseas. The fallen… names obscure, subtlety scrolls across our screens each night, or on local news channels, but trust me… entire communities and families know the sacrifice and their names. Tears cling to swollen cheeks, hugs last a little longer, memories fade, years roll along, and memorials are erected, but we wouldn’t sleep peacefully in our warm, secure beds without these heroes. 

Thank you to all the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice to make our country what it is today!

God Bless America!

Summer Writing Academy

Hello,

The flyer, and registration/questionnaire form are now available for my Summer Writing Academy in Hermosa Beach. Please follow the link below to register.

Summer Writing Academy Registration and Parent Questionnaire

Students Want You to Read What they Write

Why do we write?  If you reflect for a moment, what are some reasons you write?  What form does your writing come in?  Do you write letters, emails, notes, texts, poetry, short stories, novels, or IOU's? If you answered yes to all the above, then you must be really busy. But, I do tip my hat to you.

More often than not, we write for the following reasons: to inform, to entertain, persuade, and to heal. Most of our writing fits into one of these categories.  If your students are writing each, and every single day, then they will more than likely touch on all of these reasons.

Students want you to read what they write.  There is never a day when a student doesn’t ask me to read something he/she wrote.  They want to see your reaction.  They will get excited!  Yes, they will be open to feedback because we have created that safe environment to share, therefore; students are more open to reading a piece, or a portion of their piece, with the class.

Have you experienced this?   I am guessing you have.  I know there aren't enough minutes in a school day to read every single thing students write.  Try to skim just one piece of writing.  If you can't offer feedback on each and every piece, then a smile, or nod, will do wonders.  

If you show excitement in what they write, then they will likely continue to share! 

I'm on Amazon!

It's finally here!  A Yearlong Guide to Figurative Language covers eight figurative language concepts.  It's user friendly, with easy to follow activities to enhance figurative language instruction. This book is a great product to use on its own or as a supplement to current instruction.

If you are interested in purchasing my book you can check it out here: A Yearlong Guide to Figurative Language.  Thanks for all your support!  It means a lot to to me.

A Yearlong Guide to Figurative Language

I wanted to share the exciting news that my book entitled A Yearlong Guide to Figurative Language will be available on Amazon in just a few short days!
Please feel free to give it a look! I can't thank all of you enough for your continued support!

Sentence Variation

I was offering a student feedback on her descriptive writing recently and something dawned on me. I always offer a compliment, as well as one comment, with my students, because you don’t want to bombard them with too many critiques. (More often than not…they’ll go back and rewrite the same thing they just submitted.)

I noticed this particular student started several sentences with “The” throughout the written piece.  I complimented her on her use of figurative language and I asked for a little sentence variation. It doesn’t mean she can’t use the word “The” to start her sentences; I just wanted her to see how differently the piece might look if she made any changes.  Maybe you already do this!

I always ask my students to read the passage out loud.  This, alone, will help catch many mistakes.  

I want to point out that this is her first draft with zero revisions or edits. This is exactly how the student wrote the original copy:

The sunrise in the sky

The sunrise in the sky shocked me with beauty. The pink cotton candy clouds floated across the sky.  The horizon was endless with excellent colors.  The big skies turned bright orange and the glittery waterfall reflected a great big rainbow.  Huge shadows came from a gigantic mountain. I froze with delite.  The sun smiled a mile wide and I headed for home.

After Revision:

The sunrise in the sky shocked me with beauty. Pink cotton candy clouds floated across the sky.  The horizon was endless with excellent colors. Big skies turned bright orange and the glittery waterfall reflected a great big rainbow.  Huge shadows came from a gigantic mountain. I froze with delite.  The sun smiled a mile wide and I headed for home.

I know changing the first word isn’t going to make or break a written piece, but I do want my students to think like authors.  In addition, it’s important for students to receive applicable feedback.

Additional Suggestions:

• Embed transitional or temporal words at the beginning of each sentence
• Start each sentence with a different letter
• You can always refer to my newsletter on 17 sentence starters

Foot Surgery

I am resting and taking it easy after my plantar fasciitis surgery last week.  I've had the disability for about three years and it was time to try something new.  Yes, I did physical therapy (3x's/week), orthotics, morning exercises, expensive shoes, rolling a ball under my foot, rest, ice, taped feet, cortisone shots (YIKES) and ultra sound, but nothing seemed to work.  It actually got worse each year.   

I'm hopeful for a full recovery and to be back on my feet, no pun intended, in about five to six weeks.  I already miss the class, but I am in contact with the substitute to answer any and all questions.

I meet with the orthopedic surgeon next week, but all signs are positive right now.  I have orders to stay off my feet and relax on the couch.  This is actually difficult because I am an active person. My wife and son have been extremely accommodating.  

Positive Post-It-Notes

There are several ways to give your students a good start to their day.  Today, I am sharing my post-it-note comments with you.  I will randomly select a few days throughout the school year and leave post-it-notes on students' chairs.  I either write the notes out after school, or I will get to school early and write them.  The notes are small messages unique to each student.  I walk the class and think about what I should write.  What might motivate this student?  What did this student do that made him/her stand out?  Every student receives a note.

I like how you showed perseverance on yesterday's difficult math problem.

You attitude in amazing!

How do you know so much about dinosaurs?

You're an amazing seat partner.

I can't believe how much effort you put into your writing!

Once the class pulls their chairs down, you will notice a change in the room.  Students will look around.  Some smile.  Some look confused.  Some will thank you and others won't say a word.  Trust me... they appreciate the notes!  I never say anything to the class and I go about our morning routine as usual.   Their faces will tell you how you made them feel.  You can do this activity as often as you like.

Don't be too surprised if the students keep them stored away.