NCTE Roundtable Session
I was thrilled by the opportunity to present alongside such amazing teachers, researchers, writers, and leaders this morning. To those of you who participated in our “speed-dating” roundtable fun, thank you for stopping by. I hope I was able to give you a brief taste of how I have used blogging with middle school students. […]
What Do You Want to Learn?
This was already a short week with Professional Development and end-of-semester grading scheduled for Friday, while students had the day off school. Throw in a snow day Monday, and three half-days for middle and high school and it’s a pretty charged atmosphere, especially considering the upcoming Student Faculty Basketball Game following their mini-schedule! So what […]
Shattered
The house is cold tonight. Even under the weight of my favorite fur blanket and with my fuzzy puppy snoring by my side, I feel the cold through my pink plush socks. My feet bear the brunt of cold it seems. I can feel the coolness in the air around me, but my fingers on […]
The Truth According to US!
Throughout the first quarter, we spent time talking about truth. What is it? How do we know? Where can we find it? Does it change? Is Truth (with a capital T) different than truth (without)? After all was said and done, students spent a few days reflecting about their own personal truth. They created these […]
Artistic Interpretation
We’re well on our way through Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan as a class read aloud. Actually, it’s a class read aloud 2.0. Throughout our reading we are listening for stand out lines that represent excellent language, word choice, training our ears to hear the figurative language and the deeper meanings beyond lines […]
Adopt-a-Classroom Feature
Several years ago, I joined Adopt-a-Classroom as a way to streamline the way parents can support our efforts in the classroom. We’ve had a handful of donors support our classroom and we’ve been able to purchase new materials from time to time. This year, I have approached the school year and funding opportunities with a […]
Help Our Classroom – Vote!
Throughout this first month of school, I have mentioned to students that I am always seeking funding opportunities such as contests, crowdsourcing, and grants. This year alone, I have already submitted applications for at least three different grants. I have already heard that my Portland Area Education Fund grant has been approved, another grant from the […]
Building our Reading Community
In my opinion, successful communities begin with a sense of unity and a set of guidelines upon which they agree. As part of our classroom this year, we are a learning community – a group of readers and writers. One part of our learning is connecting with books. Rather than tell you all the rules […]
Happy New Year!
I’ve always loved the way the start of a new school year seems like a new beginning in life. Just like those January resolutions, I find myself being more mindful of healthy habits and taking on new challenges like resolving to stay more organized or carve out time for reflection and wonder. This summer, I […]
Going with the Flow
After months of planning and a promising weather forecast, our seventh grade students were able to enjoy a fantastic day on the Grand River. Students chose who to partner with and set off for a 45-minute cruise from Thompson Field to the Portland Municipal Dam. Some of the highlights were spotting geese (and lots of […]
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