Reflections on the Teche

SOL16: #5 Celebrating Badges

March 5, 2016 by margaretsmn

Join the Two Writing Teachers blog for March Slice of Life Challenge.

Stacey Shubitz, the fearless leader of the Slice of Life Challenge designed badges for our students who are doing this work of writing a blog post every day. I was looking for something to motivate them. My students come back to me year after year, so some of them have done this slicing before, and they were gasping, “Ugh. No. Not again!”

And here comes Kathleen Sokowolski, another brave teacher on the Two Writing Teachers team, sharing pages of badges in Google docs. She also made a Picassa Gallery for sharing the badges. Click here.

I showed the badges to my students on Monday and told them they could make a chart to mount them on. I opened up the art supply cabinet. Some made charts. Some made booklets. And one of my students made a bucket out of construction paper that hangs in her cubby. They were primed, ready, motivated.

As the week went on, we found other things we needed a badge for. On Tuesday, one of my younger kids, a 3rd grader, got his slice done along with commenting and had free time. I announced, “Andrew is the super student of the day!”

“We need a badge for that!” Emily opened up Canva and created this badge. And also a badge for me, how sweet, Super Teacher of the Day.

One of my students wrote a slice of 612 words. He’s only in 2nd grade, but he had a lot to say about his field trip. I told my students that the slice needed to be at least 200 words. We needed a badge for writing more than 300 words. Here it is!

Lani made this badge on Canva.

I also noticed that some of my students were writing outside of class. There’s a badge for that!

I’m not sure how many more badges we will come up with. They may lose motivation for the badges by mid-March, and we will need to find a new way to encourage and cheer for Slice of Life writing, but for this first week, badges are gold!

Thanks, Kathleen and Stacey.

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

Posted in Blogging, Celebration Saturday, Slice of Life, Teaching, Writing | Tagged badges, Slice of Life Classroom Challenge | 17 Comments »

SOL16: #4 Horses

March 4, 2016 by margaretsmn

Join the Two Writing Teachers blog for March Slice of Life Challenge.

Julie’s horse Abbie

I am not a horse person. Every day I drive down a country highway to my school. In fall I watched the swaying sugarcane. Now the fields are bare, and my attention turns to the pastures with horses. In one of these pastures there are three mares and two foals. They gather around the hay bale together.

I am reading The War that Saved my Life and riding alongside Ada on her pony, Butter.

I am writing a verse novel and decided I want my MC to go horseback riding. Having little experience with horses, I turned to my friend and writing critique partner, Julie Burchstead. Julie lives in Vermont, and she has horses. Here is a link to a poem she wrote about building the barn.

Her expertise will make its way into my WIP, but in the meantime, I played with her words and created a found poem.

In the Saddle
a found poem from an email from Julie Burchstead

Feel and smell leather reins.
The horse is warm.
Western saddles creak like leather shoes.
Even through the saddle,
you can sense their mood and their power.
You are on horse time, a different time all unto itself.
Your body falls into rhythm
of the horse’s movement
like being rocked.
Their bodies warm as their muscles warm,
sweat has a rich friendly scent-like hay and summer.

Find your center-like a dancer-a yoga practitioner-
Sit deep and tall.

I miss the days
galloping down the beach,
hair streaming, bareback,
the rhythm of hoofbeats,
the splash of water,
the connection you have
with a powerful living animal.

There is something healing
about a horse,
this huge animal
that trusts us.

Julie riding Abbie. She and Abbie have been together for 15 years.

Poetry Friday round-up with Linda Baie at Teacher Dance.

Posted in Poetry, Poetry Friday, Slice of Life, Writing | Tagged found poem, horses | 15 Comments »

SOL16: #3 Admiration

March 3, 2016 by margaretsmn

Join the Two Writing Teachers blog for March Slice of Life Challenge.

I met Julianne first on her blog, To Read To Write To Be. She writes about as often as I do reflecting on her life and teaching. I really do not remember why we connected so easily. We met in person at NCTE14 at the Kidblog.org booth in the grand exhibit hall. Then last summer she was coming to New Orleans with her daughter to look at colleges, so I made plans to meet her. We spent the whole day together and never stopped talking. What fun to show her parts of the city I love. We decided then to be roomies for NCTE15. And now we are close friends.

Today is Spiritual Thursday, a day created by another blogging friend, Holly. We are writing about each other’s One Little Words. Julianne’s word is the theme for today, Admire.

It fits Julianne so well. She is one of those people who stands beneath your wings and helps you fly. She does this for her friends. She does this for her family and for her students.

I think the reason Julianne chose this word was completely unselfish. She wants to admire others in the same way you notice a sunset.

Admire, notice, see, celebrate.

In my own life, I surround myself with people I admire, my family, my friends, my communities. I evaluate and then emulate.

But there are always times when I fall short. I am not the person I want to be, especially when things are not as they should be.

On Sunday, a group of women I belong to, The Berry Queens, held our annual Hats and Hallelujahs brunch. I wasn’t planning to go until a colleague offered a hat that she had won a few years ago at the same event. Like Goldilocks, the hat was just right.

I was so glad I went and not because of the food (delicious cheese grits, bacon, egg casserole, and biscuits) or the singing (a local gospel choir) or the raffle or any of those superficial reasons. I sat next to a woman whom I hadn’t seen in a while. She has been through a great deal of loss (her husband, then her mother), and she moved away. We were talking about tough stuff that you go through and how life can be a cruel teacher. She talked so honestly about her growth and her faith that instead of me offering her comfort, she was giving that to me.

In the end, we stood together and sang “Amazing Grace” knowing in our hearts the true meaning of the words we were singing, “I once was lost and now I’m found. Was blind, but now I see.”

Admiration is opening the window and looking out, letting God speak to you through others. He always will. You just have to notice.

Join the Spiritual Thursday round up at Reading, Teaching, Learning.

Posted in Slice of Life, Spiritual Growth, Writing | Tagged admiration, Amazing Grace, Berry Queens, friendship | 13 Comments »

SOL16: 2 Skype with Nikki Loftin

March 2, 2016 by margaretsmn

Join the Two Writing Teachers blog for March Slice of Life Challenge.

For World Read Aloud, I followed a link to a page of authors volunteering to read aloud to students by Skype. I selected Nikki Loftin to contact because I had read Wish Girl over the summer and loved it. All set…until…I checked the calendar. World Read Aloud Day was set for February 24th which was a WOW day. We do a project with our gifted 6th graders and meet once a month. No problem, said Nikki. We rescheduled for Friday, February 26th.

Then Monday last week, my students informed me the state Beta convention was happening on Thursday and Friday, and they would be out. Quick email to Nikki. No problem, said Nikki. We rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 20th.

I thought all would be well, but when it comes to technology, one never knows. On the morning announcements, “Teachers, the internet will be shut down today.” What? You’ve got to be kidding me. In a panic, I called the school board office. Transferred to tech department, no answer. I resorted to email, hoping someone was out there listening. He was. The tech director came into my classroom. He promised to hold off disconnecting my classroom until 10:30.

Scrambling off a triumphant email to Nikki, we were all set.

The visit was a complete delight. Not only is Nikki personable and engaging, she also loves narwhals. Let me explain. My student, Erin, has a borderline obsession with narwhals. She wanted to ask Nikki if she liked narwhals. Against my better judgement, I let her ask the question.

This is where Nikki won all our hearts. She started reciting the words to the narwhal song. And then she turned around and came back as a unicorn. Look closely at the image and you can see Erin’s amazement.

Authors are my heroes. I’ve said this before, and I haven’t been proven wrong yet. They bring a love of story, an enthusiasm for writing, and love narwhals, too.

I’ve ordered Nikki’s other two books because my students can’t wait to read them. And it’s the least I could do for her for being so accommodating and entertaining. When we came back to school on Tuesday, Nikki had left a Skype video (since we had been so rudely disconnected at exactly 10:30) to tell us how much she enjoyed meeting us. What a thrill!

Posted in Slice of Life, Teaching, Writing | Tagged Nikki Loftin, Skype, World Read Aloud Day | 11 Comments »

SOL16: #1 Sun Beams

March 1, 2016 by margaretsmn

Join the Two Writing Teachers blog for March Slice of Life Challenge.

I try to take a photo of the sun coming through the clouds. My photo can’t capture the beauty. It can’t capture the moment. So I will try these words. Maybe they can tell you what I see and why it is magnificent.

The sun is a bright yellow-white light shining through a bluish-grey sea of clouds. Beams of light reach from the sun to the ground below, spotlighting the golden fields fallow now in winter. The clouds are white-capped waves dancing on the surface of the sea.

When the sun does this, no matter my mood or what I am worried about, my breath calms and sighs. Because of the magnanimity of it. How can I stay moody, anxious, or worried? Like when the geese fly with Mary Oliver and “announce my place in the family of things.”

I am driving to school. My car slows. Another driver passes me, honks the horn, zooms the engine, but still I slow down. I should slow down, enter my day like this sun plays on the sky’s monkey bars.

A dedicated science teacher I knew had a bumper sticker that read, “I stop for road kill.” My bumper sticker should be “I slow down for sun beams.” How else are we to be present in this world? How else can we say “thank you” to our creator? Recalls to mind a church camp song, “This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Glad! That’s it. Be glad.

Posted in Photography, Slice of Life, Spiritual Growth, Writing | Tagged OLW, spiritual presence, sun photo | 16 Comments »

DigiLit Sunday: Safe Classroom

February 28, 2016 by margaretsmn

Please use this button on your site for DigiLit Sunday posts

Yesterday I was searching for a one word topic for today’s DigiLit posts, and Kimberley suggested “safe.” At first I was thinking about digital literacy safety as in how we teach our students to be digital citizens. But there are lots of resources already out there for that, rules to share with your kids like using a pseudonym or only their first name. Digital citizenship is important. We must teach it so that our students can work safely on the internet.

However, my gut is telling me that safety in the classroom is a bigger issue. How do we create an atmosphere in which our students not only learn, but they also thrive, in which they find a soft, safe place to land?

A growing, active classroom library: Two of my students have taken on the role of librarian. They have sorted and arranged the book shelves. They have claimed ownership. My students share books. They talk about books.

Soft pillows and blankets: I realized the significance this year when I brought in pillows, a blanket, and a kid-made quilt. My students curl up with these comfy things during reading time. Even the 5th grade boys love the feel of a soft blanket when they are reading.

Personalized notebooks: At the beginning of the year, the marbleized notebooks are covered. My students decorate their own and claim these notebooks. I do not grade these or even read them. Their journals are their own. A friend recently donated tiny notebooks to my class, so we decorated these for capturing Slice of Life moments.

A classroom blog with a special name: Our kidblog site is Mrs. Simon’s Sea. The site is kid-friendly and inviting. My students have learned how to navigate it, and they interact with their written words as much as their spoken ones. Blogging (Writing) is valued, honored, and shared.

Kindness: I insist on the practice of kindness. Probably the one thing that makes me angrier than anything is when one student is unkind to another. I also have to watch my own tone and words to make sure they are kind. Kindness leads to respect and when students feel respected, they can do amazing things.

This post strayed somewhat from digital literacy, but in truth, the beliefs of a classroom contribute to the success of digital literacies. I welcome your additions to this conversation. Please leave a link.

Posted in Blogging, Digital Learning, Teaching, Writing | Tagged blogging, classroom philosophy, safe classroom | 6 Comments »

Grandmother Oak: A Photo Poem

February 27, 2016 by margaretsmn

Poetry Friday round-up with Liz Steinglass.

Kim Douillard who blogs at Thinking Through my Lens hosts a photo challenge each week. The theme this week is “One Tree.” Armed with my new camera, I decided to create a photo poem about the Grandmother Oak who stands in my backyard.

Mr. Jim tells me this oak is more than 200 years old.
Her name is Grandmother.
Yes, my tree has a name.
Her name defines her
as strong and old and able to bear
the weight of the whole world
as gently as she would hold
a small child
or a cardinal’s nest.

She holds the weight of the world as gently as she holds a cardinal’s nest.

A rope swing waits
swinging in the soft breeze
remembering the children
taking turns to ride
and lean back to view the sky,
squealing delight,
making Grandmother smile.

Rope swing

Branches as wide as she is tall
twist and reach across
the yard, a place of shade
protection form the harsh sun
or the whipping wind
of hurricanes; she’s seen a few.
She knows when to shed and when to hold.
She knows how far to bend before she’ll break.
She knows.

branches wide and open

When I look up, the smallest branches
spread a canopy of tiny leaves
high and open to the blue
of sky, clusters of brothers
and sisters, a playground for squirrels,
a nesting place for Mr. Jay and his mate.

Branches high and small
open to the blue of sky.

Grandmother Oak holds her jewels
of resurrection fern and Spanish moss
like modest ornaments.
As a grandparent would, her home
is clean and fresh,
waiting and wanting
for you to stop by
and have a cup of tea.
–Margaret Simon

For Celebration Saturday, I offer this celebration of Grandmother Oak.

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

Posted in Celebration Saturday, Photography, Poetry, Poetry Friday, Writing | Tagged celebrating live oaks, Grandmother Oak, photo poem | 14 Comments »

Spiritual Thursday: Mindfulness

February 25, 2016 by margaretsmn

Join the Spiritual Thursday round up at Reading, Teaching, Learning.

For Spiritual Thursday, we are writing about each other’s One Little Word for 2016. Today we are exploring Violet Nesdoly’s word, Mindfulness.

Mindfulness

My mind is full
like the bayou after a long rain
that today blows wild
waves, cold and moving.

My mind wants to rest
like the dog at my side
snoring softly,
warm and content.

My mind seeks to understand
like that student who questions
and questions, driving me
to stop and think.

My mind is aware
of light coming through the window,
a spotlight on my hands,
open and close.

My mind turns to you
like the wind chimes chanting
Om mani padme hum
carries me across the rough water
to a place of peace.

Mindfulness, much like my own One Little Word present, means to “be still and know that I am God.” I sing this mantra over and over, making my mind clear to notice the spirit within me, to notice that I am not alone, to notice my love is enough. Stillness leads me to understanding. Presence to mindfulness.

Morning birdbath by Margaret Simon

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Spiritual Growth | Tagged mindfulness, One Little Word, Spiritual poetry | 10 Comments »

Slicing builds Writers

February 23, 2016 by margaretsmn

Join the Two Writing Teachers blog for Tuesdays Slice of Life Challenge.

Recently I heard through the grapevine that Ralph Fletcher was looking for student samples of informal writing. I jumped at the chance. I emailed him three student slices. (I require a Slice of Life post on our class blog each week.) When Ralph saw the student work, he responded with questions to survey my students themselves.

I was remiss that I had never really done this before. Asking my students to reflect on how writing a slice each week affects them was worthwhile. With permission from Ralph Fletcher, these are the questions he asked.

What do you like about this kind of writing?
Does Slice of Life writing feel different from other kinds of writing you do? How?
Do you think having the opportunity to do Slice of Life writing has made you a stronger/better writer? If so, how?
When you are doing Slice of Life writing are you thinking of an audience (who you wan to read it)?
Do you ever try out a Slice of Life piece at home?
Please answer TRUE or FALSE: I am a writer. ____TRUE ___FALSE

I read through my students’ responses and came to some conclusions.

Slice of Life writing frees you to write about your own life with the support of your classmates and other bloggers.
Slice of Life writing is different from other writing because it is about your own life, your own feelings, or almost anything you want to write about.
Slice of Life writing makes you stronger because you are aware of an audience and so you care about the commas and stuff. It also helps you express yourself and not hold everything inside.
The Slice of Life audience are your classmates, so you try to be funny and casual and normal.
Slice of Life writing can be done at home, but most of my students do not write from home.
Some of my students hesitate to call themselves writers because they do not have any books written. This response surprised me and made me realize my own hang-ups with calling myself a writer. I need to be more intentional about telling them that they are writers.

If you are considering doing the Slice of Life Story Challenge with your students in March, I have a few tips.

Give parents a heads-up and encourage them to support their children by giving them computer time for writing.
Tell your students often that they are writers. Post it on the wall. Call them “writers.”
Encourage classmates to support each other through comments. We occasionally have a comment challenge. How many comments can you do in 30 minutes? (Once I brought Skittles, but I ran out. And I was only giving one Skittle per comment.)
Ideas! I gave my students a tiny idea notebook that they decorated, but you can also do an anchor chart or Padlet. I’m thinking about doing an idea box, too.
Share your own experience. I participate in the teacher’s Slice of Life Challenge, and I share my writing and my struggles with my students.
Have fun! If it’s not fun, regroup. and evaluate.

Posted in Slice of Life | Tagged Ralph Fletcher, Slice of Life Story Challenge | 11 Comments »

DigiLit Sunday: Process or Product?

February 21, 2016 by margaretsmn

Please use this button on your site for DigiLit Sunday posts

Process or Product? What is our focus in digital literacy? I wrote about this in regards to poetry on Friday. My students had me thinking about process this week. The value of the process.

With inspiration from Laura Purdie Salas, I introduced the idea of a found poem from Wonderopolis to a small group of students. I modeled the process for them: Select a Wonder, copy and paste the text into a Word document, and use the strike-through tool to black out text. The idea was to find a poem within the text.

What I thought would be a one day activity covered almost three days. I was not satisfied with the products. They had done the assignment, but the poems weren’t really poems.

I decided we would work on revision together. I put the draft on the Promethean Board. We tabbed to the Wonderopolis article to have the reference to go back to. At first I was doing all the work, making suggestions for cuts, asking if there were more ideas that should be included. However, by the time we got to the third poem to revise, my students talked like experts.

“This line is too long. Should we make a line break?”

“This is a repeated word. Can we cut it out?”

“I like the way this word sounds. Let’s keep it.”

My students felt a sense of ownership as each of their poems were projected and revised. I continually checked in with them. “Is this OK with you?”

This was work. In fact, one of my students said that very thing. I responded, “Yes, but it’s good work. Aren’t you happy with your poem now?”

Who knew that found poems could be so tough. My dissatisfaction with the product led to a much deeper thinking process. My students not only had to gather information; they had to synthesize and evaluate it.

I wish now that I had saved the first drafts to show you the before and after. All I have to share is the after.

Giraffes

Yikes!

Giraffes have tongues

as long as their necks?

Not quite!

If you liked to eat leaves like giraffes do,

Then you would understand.

Acacia’s tasty leaves have very sharp thorns.

Watch out!

While reaching the highest treat,

the giraffe’s tongue

protects itself from being cut.

If a giraffe’s tongue does get cut,

it will heal very quickly.
–Noah, 4th grade