Monthly Archives: September 2009

The Autobiography of Murray the Fart is hilarious.  Just Mow the Lawn could become on of the many excuses my son would use not to cut the grass.  The concrete poems told a story with words and shape. The poem’s shape … Continue reading →

Words. I see beauty in words. I remember the first time I played Milton-Bradley’s Hangman with my cousin and our older teenage cousin, Jeff, was watching. The game came with a word list. I started to choose a word but switched it to … Continue reading →

  So much depends upon your late August arrival whispering summer’s end cool night breezes  rich autumn colors broken web, autumn is here

I am not sure what pages we were to read for last week’s class or this week’s class. I am enjoying the book and have read ahead. I am digging in the Toolbox now.  You can approach the act of … Continue reading →

   I enjoyed the book. It proves that a teacher’s job is not always a thankless job. Sharon Creech takes you on journey with a young boy as he discovers the power and beauty of words. She allows you to watch the ah-ha … Continue reading →

Mother to Son (Langston Hughes) Well, son, I’ll tell you: Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. It’s had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor Bare. But all … Continue reading →

  The Traveling Leprechaun

Change is difficult to embrace. Blogging is one change I have avoided for awhile.  Now, I am looking at blogging with an open mind. I introduced blogging to my science class this week.  We are investigating soil. We are observing … Continue reading →

I taught 1st and 2nd grade for six years. Writing workshop was always a stressful time until two years ago when I read Lucy Calkins’ writing lessons. The first lesson in Launching Writer’s Workshop Calkins models finding a writing topic. She names a … Continue reading →

When I started reading, I felt as though I was eavesdropping on a private conversation.  As I continued reading, I realized Stephan King was holding a conversation with me.  I was pleasantly surprised at the gentleness of the story. Stephan King and I … Continue reading →