Celebration in Action
August 30, 2014 by margaretsmn
Ruth Ayres invites us the celebrate each week. Click over to her site Discover. Play. Build. to read more celebrations.
What a wonderful week with students! It’s our second week together, and we worked hard. I am requiring three blog posts each week: It’s Monday: What are you Reading?, Tuesday Slice of Life, and Poetry Friday. I thought it might be too much, but so far, my students are meeting the challenge. I am more and more convinced that blogging is the way to get students writing. You can read their writing here. I want to share one of the fingerprint poems. I posted the lesson on Poetry Friday.
Unique Fingerprint
I am the expert: you are the rookie.
You will never see my treasure,
Invisible to you but
Everything to me.
My print shines bright like a diamond,
As beautiful as a bow.
My treasure is one thing I love more than gold.
Maybe one day you will see my unique design,
But for now you have to classify your own.
by Kielan, all rights reserved
I love to celebrate birthdays with my students. For her birthday celebration, Kielan wanted me to bring the apple peeler and apples. She remembered how much fun it was from last year. The kids loved it!
Kim Douillard’s photo challenge this week was action. I did a video of the apple peeler in action. At the very end of the video, you can hear Emily say, “You’re about the best teacher in the universe.”
We also celebrated Andrew’s birthday. Look at the lovely cupcake his talented mother made!
Emily brought me a special gift this week, a happiness box. She gave it to me on Monday which segued perfectly into a discussion of tone. She had turned my irritable mood into joy!
Come back tomorrow for DigiLit Sunday and our first Chalkabration. What are you celebrating this week?
Reflections on the Teche 
I LOVE the happiness box! Lucky you!
Even though it is early in the year, I can tell from your writing that your classroom already has a good feel and your students feel part of a community.
My students are gifted. I teach all the gifted students at 2 different schools. They come to me year after year so a community is formed easily when we all return.
I’d agree with Emily, “You’re about the best teacher in the universe.” LOVE that!! Also, the happiness box is priceless!! I am impressed that your students blog 3 times a week. Do they blog IN school or OUTSIDE of school? Love these celebrations! 🙂
Thanks, Michelle. Most post during class. I give them computer time at the beginning of class to post and comment. It’s not too difficult to manage with my small groups. Some do work at home, but that is not the norm. I’m not sure how long we will be able to keep up this pace.
I have been working on setting up our class blogs – 102 students! I was excited to go to yours and then to see all of the other blogs on the blog roll was just too much! I need for my students to read and see what the world of blogging is and you have made it so much easier for me! I will head back and read some of your students’ posts! Love the fingerprint poem and the happiness box is an awesome gift!
I only have to manage 10 students. 102 boggles my mind. Good luck!
[…] Poems: I received a poem in the mail this week from Margaret Simon. (plan to share next Friday). The Summer Poetry Swap was a great way to be connected to community […]
I love the happiness box. And I really loved getting your poem this week. May I share next Friday?
It’s so much fun to follow your blog as you start the school year, Margaret. That happiness box! I need one of those.