I have been told am “old school.” Seriously, I have been told that in the middle of a day of substitute teaching for someone I knew well who had asked me to take her class for several days in a row. It was a tough time. The class was hard to corral; behavior problems abounded….
Acrostic poems aren’t as easy as they seem. At the end of my last garden club meeting in mid-January, I gave the students a mini-lesson on writing acrostic poems. We had just discussed and planted flower bulbs and I wanted to incorporate some language arts into are lesson. The directions were simple, as I used…
Today is Poetry Friday. We are headed into the time of year when I really miss writing poetry with students. For six years, I led a Third Grade Writer’s Circle at the elementary school my boys attended. It started when my youngest was in Third Grade; I was trying to support the love he and…
An Ode to Milkweed Milkweed growing oh so strong, welcoming Monarchs with your fragrant song! Leaves so tasty, green and bright, filling caterpillars with certain delight! Life will grow on leaf and stem, then flutter off to begin again. Milkweed, milkweed growing strong, thank you for bringing Monarchs along! Haiku Niagara Falls Spewing,…
Going out of doors? Dress Warm, The Fall has Begun Take a Blanket, too! He runs! He scores! Goal! All for One, and One for All! Fall Soccer Season Crisp Leaves of Yellow Red, Orange, and Greenish, too. Dot our Hillside Now Eagles Soar and Dive Mississippi Provides Meals Amazing Nature Dark…
As with other educators, I am spending time getting ready for a new school year. Yes, even non-formal educators, such as myself, do this. This morning I revised my garden club membership – permission slip letter for this coming school year. I am hoping for an increased enrollment as this is my second year at…
As I gave up my long-term volunteer positions at one of our local elementary schools this year, one of the things I have missed most is having Third Grade Writer’s Circle. Once a week for the last six years, I was fortunate enough to teach a group of third grade students, two from each of…
Deb Frasier, one of the authors on the TwoWritingTeachers.org Blog wrote this week about writing environments. She dove into how and where she decides to write and then wrote about student writing spaces. Her points about having spaces comfortable and conducive to writing struck a chord with me for a few reasons. Firstly, I encounter…
Recently I was called on twice in as many weeks to serve as an educational consultant. The topics in question were in separate disciplines but both have ties to my boys and their capacities as learners and individuals. Both instances made me feel good and reinforced what I believe is my true calling – teaching…
What kind of feedback do you offer your students on their writing? Are you red pen crazy? Do you mark up the paragraph, page, or essay with slashes, carots, and circles every where there is an error? Do you do this with another color pen – trying to conceal your zeal for marking the page?…