December | 2014 | Reflections on the Teche

Archive for December, 2014

A Little Christmas Story

Posted in Writing, tagged romance short story, self-publishing, Stephanie Fournet on December 15, 2014| 2 Comments »

I have a new writing friend. Stephanie Fournet is a high school English teacher. She self-published her first romance novel with the help of a Kickstarter campaign. I love how she is jumping in with both feet and pursuing her dream of being a writer. Here is a sweet story she sent the group, a little lagniappe as we say in South Louisiana. She wrote the story for a 200 word or less challenge with her faculty. She won first place. Congratulations, Stephanie and welcome to Reflections on the Teche.

Stephanie Fournet is a college counselor, English teacher, and novelist. She lives with her husband, daughter, dogs, and bird in Lafayette, Louisiana, which is the setting of her debut novel, FALL SEMESTER. When she isn’t working or writing, she can often be found running or curled up with a romance novel.

Erin said goodnight to the last customers. It was 10:55 the night before Christmas Eve, and the rush of last-minute shoppers had kept her busy. Now, she would wipe down the remaining tables and lock up.

He wasn’t coming.

Of course, he isn’t coming. Male customers flirted. That’s what they did.

Erin shook her head to clear the foolish thoughts. Erin Parish was lucky; she had more than most: a home of her own and a successful coffee shop. Business at Parish Perks had boomed from the start. She didn’t need Luke and his devil-may-care-curls and teasing smile.

Still, it had felt good the first day he’d come in, ordered two peppermint lattes, and handed one to her.

The next day, he’d swiped her Sharpee, leaving his number on the cup. She’d laughed, but ignored him.

This morning the note had read, “Go out with me tonight?”

“I work ‘til 11. Sorry,” she’d said.

“We could get a drink. I’ll be here before you close.”

But so much for that, she thought, rolling her eyes.

The bell on the door jangled, and Erin turned.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said, clutching a green bundle. “It took forever to find mistletoe.”

–Stephanie Fournet, all rights reserved.

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Origami Gift

Posted in Digital Learning, tagged Christmas gift, origami on December 14, 2014| 5 Comments »

Please use this button on your site for DigiLit Sunday posts

For the past several years, my students and I have made origami poppers out of wrapping paper, stuffed them with Hershey’s kisses, and delivered to the teachers for a holiday treat. I wanted to teach my nephew how to make them over Thanksgiving, but I had a brain freeze. So I asked Matthew to give the instructions on video. Now we can share it with the world.

Please join in the Digital Literacy discussion by linking with Mr. Linky.

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Celebrate this Week

Posted in Celebration Saturday, Solomon House, Writing, tagged satsuma salmon, Solomon House, The Shadows on December 13, 2014| 8 Comments »

Ruth Ayres invites us the celebrate each week. Click over to her site Discover. Play. Build. to read more celebrations.

Every week when I sit down to write this Celebration post, I am amazed at all there is to celebrate, even with the stress of the season settling in. My stress started when I slept a whole hour late on Tuesday morning. I managed to get where I was going in time, but it set a hurried tone to my day that was uncomfortable.

Yet, there is much to celebrate.

On Monday, my students performed their play at the Shadows. They were so wiggly and full of nervous energy, but they all did a wonderful job. After our performances (Each scene occurs multiple times for different sets of first graders), we walked downtown to Bouligny Plaza. I told the students that the plaza was named for the founder of New Iberia. I allowed them to play a healthy game of hide-and-seek but said there would be a quiz at the end about the plaques in the plaza. Here a student photo bombs Bouligny.

On Tuesday, Glenae spoke! If you follow my blog posts, you know Glenae was seriously injured in a car accident. She has had a ventilator then a tracheotomy, so speech was not possible. A new smaller trache allowed her to say, “Hi Momma.” What joy and celebration! She has now been transferred to a rehab hospital. Today I received a praise text that she has had the valve shut off to see how she can tolerate it. She is on her way to a full recovery.

On Wednesday, Jeff and I learned the Western Two-Step at our dancing lessons. We have found a Texas swing band that we enjoy, so we asked Lou to teach us some new steps. It’s keeping us young.

On Thursday, my writing group welcomed a new member. She is a good writer and a willing participant. Also, Maggie made dinner. She is an imaginative cook. She used the abundance of satsumas to make a delicious sauce for salmon.

On Friday night, I attended a faculty Christmas party at a local restaurant. It is always fun to relax and talk to colleagues about non-school things.

Today, I started this post but had to hurry off to our Solomon House Christmas party. Without Ellen, Glenae’s mom, to organize the whole thing, I think we did a pretty good job. St. Nicholas came and my husband showed up with chicken fingers galore. Not to mention all the church members who donated time and gifts. Our clients are going to have a better Christmas due to their generosity.

Solomon House volunteer, Betty, holds precious Melachi.

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Terza Rima after Robert Frost

Posted in Poetry Friday, Teaching, Writing, tagged collaborative poem, Robert Frost on December 12, 2014| 11 Comments »

Find more Poetry Friday with Paul at These 4 Corners

Silence in the Snow by John Gibson

We don’t get snow here, but the colder weather made me think of presenting Robert Frost to my students. I started with the beautiful Susan Jeffers illustrated book, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Then we read together Frost’s poem Acquainted with the Night and talked about rhyme scheme. A terza rima is a difficult form to write even for gifted kids, so we worked together. We started with a line from my own poem, Snow Day from Illuminate. My first group of students incorporated a repetitive pattern that I reminded them is called anaphora.

Collaborating, stealing lines, playing with rhyme, and writing from an image worked together to result in a nice poem.

Lost in the Snow
a terza rima after Robert Frost

I wake to a field of white
where a bunny rabbit hides,
where a night owl takes flight,

where Santa’s sleigh slides
where I stand on the ground
where a snowflake above me glides,

where something is lost, not found,
where sight begins to fail,
where a whisper is the softest sound,

where dreams set sail
and miles to go before I sleep
I am strong, not frail.

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I wake to a field of white.

–A collaborative poem by Mrs. Simon’s class

Acquainted with the Night by Robert Frost

My second group of students was larger, so the collaboration became more cumbersome. Too many different ideas don’t mix well with strong wills and sensitive writers. I don’t think the poem is as strong, either; however, I am struck by the sense of loss and sadness and overcoming that permeates each one. The images of snow covering the page and the words of Robert Frost set a tone for both of these poems.

Winter

Snow fell silently through the night.
These streets I have walked across
into the darkness, out of sight.

The sun I have lost,
Frosting over the glass in this faded frame,
The windows are covered in frost.

Each pattern has its own fame.
Sun rises, suddenly the cold vanished.
Once it is gone, it will never be the same.

Stars above shining bright.
Snow fell silently through the night.

a collaborative poem by Mrs. Simon’s class

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Counting Up

Posted in Poetry, Spiritual Growth, Writing, tagged Annunciation, Christmas poems, Illuminate, John Gibson on December 11, 2014| 6 Comments »

Click here to read more #spiritualjourney posts. Thanks Holly for hosting this roundup!

There is a construction paper chain outside the principal’s door, visually counting down to Christmas. I prefer to count up. Advent helps us count up as we light one more candle each week. Every time one more candle is lit, we say a blessing. O Come, O Come Emmanuel. O Come, thou Dayspring. Come and enlighten our hearts. Come and save us.

I discovered a hashtag for an advent word of the day, #adventword. Consider following this hashtag on Twitter for inspiration and meditation each day.

Last year I released a poetry book, Illuminate. This little book is special to me. I wrote poems to accompany my father’s Christmas card drawings. His drawings are done in pen and ink pointillism. Today I share a favorite, The Annunciation. This is one of the last ones I wrote. I was struggling with it, so I visited my parents and interviewed my dad about the drawing. “I conceal lost edges” came from this interview. He talked about his efforts in the drawing to keep it fluid, losing the edge of the wings. This discussion made me contemplate the real/ unreal, the sensed/ the imagined. Advent is a time to conceal lost edges, to imagine something new, light coming from the darkness.

Annunciation by John Gibson

Annunciation
An angel appeared out of the night.
I am not real
I am a dust, a shadow,
a sprinkling of dots on a page,

A lonely seraphim
with open arms
at the royal gate.

I am crowned
by the moon’s light,
draped in the darkness of forewings.

I pray
my message is welcomed.
I conceal lost edges.

The sacrament,
this new birth
unveils me, makes me real
as breath.
–Margaret Simon, from Illuminate

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The Nonreader

Posted in Gifted Education, Slice of Life, Teaching, tagged reading, reluctant readers on December 9, 2014| 30 Comments »

Join the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Challenge.

I’m sure there must be one in every classroom, right? The nonreader. The one who pretends he has it all together. The one who keeps the same book for weeks traveling to and from home.

I am having a hard time writing about this. I’ve already gotten up twice to make tea, to eat a cookie. My heart wants to talk to you, but my head is not sure how.

I made a student cry last week. I don’t like to make students cry. This one came about unexpectedly. I asked Mitch (name changed), a 6th grader, about his reader response post. He explained that his post about “The Elf on the Shelf” was his reader response. I thought it was his Slice of Life story. I said, “We need to talk about your book selections.” His face turned red. His eyes welled up. We moved out to the hallway.

I want to honor free choice. A few weeks ago, I allowed him to read “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” But even then I said, “OK, but next time you need to pick a book on your level.”

“I’m just not much of a reader,” Mitch told me, “I’d rather play outside.” We talked about ways he could work reading into his nighttime routine. When we returned to the classroom, my other students rallied around him with book choices.

Most of my gifted students are avid readers. I gave up the nightly log last year when it became burdensome for both me and my students. Every day we have discussions around books we are reading. This student, however, has not caught the wild reader fever. Quite the opposite. He is a closet nonreader. Now we all know, and he felt the chastisement. I’m not sure if things will change very quickly. Mitch has to find the right book. He will flourish only when he is understood and accepted. So how do I make him excited about reading, honor his choices, and advance his reading skills? Please give me your advice in the comments.

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New Student, New Blog

Posted in Digital Learning, Gifted Education, tagged Kidblog, NCTE on December 7, 2014| 6 Comments »

Please use this button on your site for DigiLit Sunday posts

Julianne Harmatz, Fran McVeigh, me, and Mark Flannery (Kidblog President)

I have been a devoted Kidblog user for three years. My students love blogging. When I was at NCTE, I had the privilege of meeting Mark Flannery, Kidblog president. He invited me to try out the new Kidblog interface. I was thrilled, and so are my students.

I teach elementary gifted academics, and twice a year when testing is completed, I may receive new students. This week Jacob, 1st grade, started coming to my class for his morning ELA block. Jacob knows a little bit about my class because I taught his older sister, and his mother teaches across the hall from me. What a joy to have him officially be my student. After his first day, his mother texted me a picture saying “Look who just finished his first chapter book.”

But she told me he writes like a first grader. Well, she couldn’t have been more wrong. On Monday, I asked my other older and more experienced students to read some of their slices to him. I told him he should write about himself for his first slice to help everyone get to know him. He came in on Tuesday with a whole paragraph. When I asked him to add another paragraph with one detail about each person in his family, he did not hesitate. (He has three sisters, so he had to add 5 more sentences.) Then on Tuesday he told his mom he had to write another blog post. She gave him the topic of pets. And on Friday, I taught him how to write a haiku poem. Whew! First week and he already has 3 blog posts.

I continue to believe strongly in the power of blogging to inspire student writing. I also believe by this daily writing practice, skills improve. When we were talking to Jacob about blogging, Tyler, a 6th grader, said, “It’s a way for us to connect to each other.” I love it when students have discussions and say exactly what you want them to say.

The connections we make, the stories we write, and the support we give each other makes blogging top priority in my gifted classroom. Thanks, Mark and Kidblogs, for giving us the opportunity to connect in such a meaningful new way. I hope the new interface will be available for everyone soon. Take a look at our site here.

Add your own DigiLit Sunday post here with Mr. Linky:

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Recovery, Discovery, and a Rescue

Posted in Celebration Saturday, tagged duck rescue, Glenae Nora, Gofundme, The Shadows, Wat Buddhist Temple on December 6, 2014| 6 Comments »

Ruth Ayres invites us the celebrate each week. Click over to her site Discover. Play. Build. to read more celebrations.

My phone is like a visual diary of my week. I take pictures of things I care about. I finished the prayer shawl I was making for Glenae. It is easily one of the most beautiful things I have ever made. I could tell she loved it by the way she held it close and fingered it. She signed the word “soft.” She is making progress slowly and will be moving to a rehab center soon. Seeing her, talking to her, and feeling her gentle spirit gave me hope for her recovery. If you have added her to your prayer list, keep it going. I believe she feels the strength of many.

A Go Fund Me was set up for Glenae’s expenses. In just 7 days, they have far exceeded their goal. People are reaching out to help. I am encouraged by the number of students and parents who are donating. We have a strong and supportive community.

On Tuesday, my students and I toured the local Buddhist Temple, Wat Thammarattanaram. This amazing temple is set back in a quiet neighborhood in Coteau, which literally means country. We know very little about Buddhism and about our own community. My students, their parents, and I were fascinated to hear about this hidden gem.

We also went to the Shadows, a local plantation home and tourist attraction. Every year, the gifted elementary students in the parish perform a historical play for the first graders. My students love dressing in the period costumes, learning their lines, and feeling the joy of performing. I love this picture of the white camellias blooming.

My friend was vacationing at Orange Beach in Alabama and sent me an email about her duck rescue. I shortened it into a found poem here.

Along the beach yesterday
I saw a duck trying to swim,
obviously in distress.
The bird’s leg and wing were all tangled
in fishing line.
I waded out into the waves.
The water was dragging her in.
We managed to cut the line.
Wildlife and Fisheries came to the rescue.
She was given a clean bill of health.
We watched her waddle back to the water
and head for Florida.

A wonderful week filled with loving, learning, and rescuing.

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Poetry Galore at my Door

Posted in Poetry Friday, tagged CYBILS award, Eve Bunting, Irene Latham, poetry books for children on December 5, 2014| 15 Comments »

Find more Poetry Friday with Anastasia at Booktalking #kidlit

Round one for the CYBILS judging has begun. I am a round one judge for poetry. What this means for this poetry lover is there is a new book at my door every day. My collection is building, and I love reading them all. I look forward to discussions with other judges to see what they are thinking. I also love poetry people.

Today I’d like to review two of the books I have received. Note that this review does not in any way reveal where these books will go in the line-up for the CYBILS award. It is merely my opinion.

I have met Irene Latham thanks to a quick pass at a session at NCTE. She is as lovely as her picture. I did not know what a wildebeest was until I got her new book of poetry. It is a good thing that each page not only features a poem but also factual information.

The poetry bounces with the impala “twig pops/grazing stops” and peeps like the meerkat, “I sing my song:/peep peep peep/ It means, we’re safe!/ Forage! Sleep!”

Word play with “Saw-scaled viper/ rubs, shrugs,/ sizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzles.”
Form play in Triptych for a Thirsty Giraffe.
Humor of “Dung Beetle lays eggs/ in elephant poop.”
And even danger, “Siren-howls/ foul the air./ Vultures stick to task:”
Children will love the language and learning that wanders in this book along with the animals of the watering hole.

You may be inclined to say enough with the ABC books, and I was too until I saw this delightfully evil book by Eve Bunting. The seven to eleven year old boys that I teach would love this book of short poems and loads of nonfiction commentary about pirates. I am saving it for next year’s Talk Like a Pirate Day. The illustrations by John Manders are full of action and character. My favorite one is the Movie Pirates. There is a hidden cheat sheet at the end of the book for identifying the actors.

What I love about both of these poetry books is students can gain a love of language while reading about an interesting and engaging topic. I am off to read more poetry!

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Advent Coming

Posted in Spiritual Growth, tagged advent, Hallelujah, spiritual reflection on December 4, 2014| 7 Comments »

Click here to read more #spiritualjourney posts. Thanks Holly for hosting this roundup!

Advent is here. I never feel ready. I haven’t bought my purple candles. I don’t have a Christmas tree yet. I do have some greenery, only because I ordered it in October, and it was delivered this week. I am always caught by surprise.

Advent means coming, the time to prepare for the coming of Jesus. This happens every year. Why do we come back year after year? I reflect as I unwrap the baby Jesus for the traditional creche. I wonder while I wrap the tree in twinkle lights. Why do we keep doing this?

December has only just begun and already I feel behind. I take a moment to watch the sun set and find comfort in the knowledge that Christmas will come even if I don’t put out the creche or decorate the tree. Christmas will come even if I don’t sing a single carol.

I decide to be intentional.

I will decorate slowly.
I will buy a few gifts every day.
I will celebrate the coming of Christ
while realizing he is already here.

Advent is a magical time,
a time to be reflective and intentional.
A time to open my arms
and welcome God’s presence
whether wrapped in paper, a blanket, or a smile.
A time to embrace hope and look for a star.

This beautiful rendition of Hallelujah was posted on Facebook. Listening to it helped me to stop, slow down, and write this post. Christmas is coming. Christmas will come. And with that coming, a new life begins again. Let us remember to rejoice.