I’m taking part in the weekly Slice of Life Challenge sponsored by Ruth and Stacey over at Two Writing Teachers, where teachers write and share each Tuesday. Join in yourself or head over to check out what’s happening with other slicers. If you’re taking part in the SOL, leave a link to your post. I’d love to read it.
43) Lincoln’s Grave Robbers by Steve Sheinkin – weirdest, wackiest history ever
44) For What It’s Worth by Janet Tashjian – I have some music lovers who will love this story
45) The Underdogs by Mike Lupica – I’m not a football fan, but even I ended up cheering for the Bull Dogs
46) Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman – very readable, entertaining, and informative
47) Black Cathedral by LH Maynard & MPN Sims – not my usual reading preference, but a student donated it to my library
I’m keeping my Slice of Life post short and sweet this week–just like my list of books I’ve read. I’ve had some shoulder/arm pain that make typing difficult. Then after two days of complete fiasco with online testing for ISTEP+, I’m so angry I might write something I regret. I definitely need to sleep on some of what I’m writing in my head before sharing it with the public. Rest assured, there will be writing and action forthcoming.
I never kept lists of the books I read (except for summer reading challenges from our public library) until a teacher friend invited me to be a part of the Centurians group on Faceebook. It started as a challenge to read 100 books during the calendar year of 2010. I wasn’t sure I could do it, and my husband thought I had completely lost my mind, but I did ii! And I loved it. I loved seeing the titles that other readers enjoyed. I loved the community we grew. I loved the challenge, especially since all reading was celebrated. It didn’t really matter if we met the goal of 100 books or not, as long as we were reading and sharing.
That sense of challenge and community is one I strive to develop in my classes. Maybe next week, I’ll reflect on how well I succeeded. Now I’m back to reading Tom Newkirk’s book, Holding Onto Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones. After the last two days, I’m ready to fight to get rid of bad ideas and make room for more good ones.
DPG Week 27 (Daily Grammar Practice): parts of speech. Today we are going to set a weekly reading goal that will be a homework grade. To determine your goal, you are going to figure out your reading rate for the book you are currently reading. Read for 10 minutes and count how many pages you read in that amount of time. Read at a comfortable rate for good comprehension. Then multiply the number of pages you read by 6 to determine the number of pages you could read in one hour. Next, double that number to determine the number of pages you could read in 2 hours. You should read at least 2 hours outside of class each week. You will record the page you are on each day in class. At the end of the week you will total the number of pages you’ve read. If you change books, you will need to figure a new rate of reading and adjust your goal accordingly. Go over Exercise 1 for Parallel structure. Homework: Read. Start reading toward your weekly goal.
Tuesday
DPG (Daily Grammar Practice): sentence parts. Poetry Scavenger Hunt. Using your literature book, find an example of each kind of poem on the Poetry Scavenger Hunt.
Homework: Read. How are you doing toward your weekly goal?
Wednesday
ISTEP Testing. Homework: Read. How are you doing toward your weekly goal?
Thursday
ISTEP Testing. Homework: Read. How are you doing toward your weekly goal?
Friday
Read first fifteen minutes of class. DPG — Diagramming. Celebrate the end of ISTEP. Homework: Read. Have you met your weekly goal?
Friday night while I was browsing Facebook, I saw this video shared by author Gae Polisner. Teacher Beth Shaum created the video and her blog to let teachers’ voices be heard. In a time when nearly half of new teachers leave the profession within the first five years and in a time when more and more veteran teachers are publicly sharing their resignation letters, Shaum invites teachers to share why they choose to stay in education. I am honored to know several of the teachers through their blogs and Twitter. I have enjoyed reading their reflections on why they stay in the classroom and want to add my voice as well.
I grew up playing school with my dolls and dreamed of being an English teacher like my grandmother. Once I began college, I discovered many more opportunities. I kept the degree in English, but did not pursue education. After various jobs in mission and not-for-profits, I found myself called back to teaching. I returned to school to earn a second Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a Master’s degree in English. I’ve been teaching middle school language arts for the past fourteen years. I continually work to be the best teacher I can be and to learn more. I devour professional development books and attend conferences. I am a part of the National Writing Project through IUSWP and have even presented at conferences. I have found my people–passionate teachers and book-lovers–through my PLN on Twitter.
I love teaching, but after the past several years of hearing the constant barrage of teacher-bashing and seeing laws passes that undermine public education, I have questioned my decision to stay in the classroom. If people do want to attract and keep dynamic, passionate teachers in the classroom, the first step is to change the discourse to one that respects and values teachers rather than one that belittles them.
Here is why I stay:
I want to share with my students the power of words and stories to change their lives.
I want my students to fall in love with reading.
I want my students to be able to harness the power of words with their own writing. And yes, I do give a *!@& about their stories.
Students tell me, “I read the best book last night, the first book I’ve read on my own.”
Students ask, “Have you read…”
I teach with some of the most dedicated and hard working people who give generously to our students, school, and community.
I’m still learning and want to model lifelong learning for my students.
I can share ideas and learn from some of the best people in literacy education thanks to my PLN.
Sometimes a student will come back and say, “You inspired me.”
My students deserve a teacher who sees them as more than a test score or a collection of data.
I love inspiring students to do more than they dreamed possible.
I am a teacher. It is who I am. I stay for my students.
I’m taking part in the weekly Slice of Life Challenge sponsored by Ruth and Stacey over at Two Writing Teachers, where teachers write and share each Tuesday. Join in yourself or head over to check out what’s happening with other slicers. If you’re taking part in the SOL, leave a link to your post. I’d love to read it.
I’m taking part in the weekly Slice of Life Challenge sponsored by Ruth and Stacey over at Two Writing Teachers, where teachers write and share each Tuesday. Join in yourself or head over to check out what’s happening with other slicers. If you’re taking part in the SOL, leave a link to your post. I’d love to read it.
I have always enjoyed watching plays and musicals. Even though I have no desire to act on stage, I have thought it would be fun to dress in black and move stuff around the stage. I’m still not on stage, even in black, but I am getting a new perspective from the orchestra pit in our high school’s production of The Music Man.
As soon as I got the music I knew I was in way over my head, but I have enjoyed seeing how all the parts of such a large production come together. I’ve been practicing on my own and with the rest of the pit crew. The actors and actresses have been learning lines and blocking. The stage crew has been building sets and collecting props. Last week I got to see how it all comes together as the pit started practicing with the cast.
It’s slow at first as cast and musicians learn each other’s cues and timing, but I can see how the magic will happen when the curtain rises. Each practice something new is added–a new piece of the set with a fresh coat of paint, new props to carry on. Next week comes the addition of mics and lights and costumes. While the cast practices dialogue, those of us down below in the pit practice making faces at an imaginary audience.
DPG Week 24 (Daily Grammar Practice): parts of speech. Today we are going to set a weekly reading goal that will be a homework grade. To determine your goal, you are going to figure out your reading rate for the book you are currently reading. Read for 10 minutes and count how many pages you read in that amount of time. Read at a comfortable rate for good comprehension. Then multiply the number of pages you read by 6 to determine the number of pages you could read in one hour. Next, double that number to determine the number of pages you could read in 2 hours. You should read at least 2 hours outside of class each week. You will record the page you are on each day in class. At the end of the week you will total the number of pages you’ve read. If you change books, you will need to figure a new rate of reading and adjust your goal accordingly. Would you want to live in the 1920’s? Watch this video and decide. Preview the article “The Race Against Death” and complete the Before Reading questions on the “Read, Think, Explain” handout. Homework: Read. Start reading toward your weekly goal.
Tuesday
DPG (Daily Grammar Practice): sentence parts. Read “The Race Against Death” with a partner. Point out parts that you each find interesting. Complete question 5 under “During Reading” on the “Read, Think, Explain” handout.
Homework: Read. How are you doing toward your weekly goal?
Wednesday
Read first fifteen minutes of class. DPG – Clauses, Sentence Type and Purpose. Finish the “After Reading” section of the “Read, Think, Explain” handout. Homework: Read. How are you doing toward your weekly goal?
Thursday
DPG – Capitalization and Punctuation. Library Day. Review genres. How many books in each genre have you read? What are your favorites? least favorites? Which genres do you still need to read? Homework: Read. How are you doing toward your weekly goal?
Friday
Read first fifteen minutes of class. DPG — Diagramming. Preview quiz questions for “The Race Against Death.” Label each question as Right There, Think and Search, or Author and Me. Answer each question. Homework: Read. Have you met your weekly goal?
DPG Week 24 (Daily Grammar Practice): parts of speech. Today we are going to set a weekly reading goal that will be a homework grade. To determine your goal, you are going to figure out your reading rate for the book you are currently reading. Read for 10 minutes and count how many pages you read in that amount of time. Read at a comfortable rate for good comprehension. Then multiply the number of pages you read by 6 to determine the number of pages you could read in one hour. Next, double that number to determine the number of pages you could read in 2 hours. You should read at least 2 hours outside of class each week. You will record the page you are on each day in class. At the end of the week you will total the number of pages you’ve read. If you change books, you will need to figure a new rate of reading and adjust your goal accordingly. Would you want to live in the 1920’s? Watch this video and decide. Preview the article “The Race Against Death” and complete the Before Reading questions on the “Read, Think, Explain” handout. Homework: Read. Start reading toward your weekly goal.
Tuesday
DPG (Daily Grammar Practice): sentence parts. Read “The Race Against Death” with a partner. Point out parts that you each find interesting. Complete question 5 under “During Reading” on the “Read, Think, Explain” handout.
Homework: Read. How are you doing toward your weekly goal?
Wednesday
Read first fifteen minutes of class. DPG – Clauses, Sentence Type and Purpose. Finish the “After Reading” section of the “Read, Think, Explain” handout. Homework: Read. How are you doing toward your weekly goal?
Thursday
DPG – Capitalization and Punctuation. Library Day. Review genres. How many books in each genre have you read? What are your favorites? least favorites? Which genres do you still need to read? Homework: Read. How are you doing toward your weekly goal?
Friday
Read first fifteen minutes of class. DPG — Diagramming. Preview quiz questions for “The Race Against Death.” Label each question as Right There, Think and Search, or Author and Me. Answer each question. Homework: Read. Have you met your weekly goal?
My afternoon classes approached our author research project a little differently. They chose the book first. Groups read the same book and discussed it. Quite a few students read more books by the same author once they finished the first one. (Yes, my evil plan for reading to take over the world is working.) Since we were crushed for time, groups divided the research in order to conquer the research paper.
I’ve grouped them by author. Some students copied the entire group research paper (using Google Docs to collaborate was quite interesting) while others copied just their paragraph. Either way, you can discover new tidbits about some favorite writers.
Ann E. Burg has a very private life that made it difficult to find enough information to research.
I am now officially a Steve Sheinkin fan. I’ve read three of his books (all nonfiction!) this school year, and each one is better than the previous one. I wish all history was written like this. Lincoln’s Grave Robbers records one of the most bizarre incidents in US history that brings together counterfeiters, the Secret Service, and a plot to steal Abraham Lincoln’s body out from under his memorial monument.
The book is a little confusing at first because of the large cast of characters to keep up with. Fortunately, Sheinkin includes a list of important characters before the story begins that is helpful to refer to. The plot begins when the new Secret Service agent Patrick Tyrell takes down the best engraver of counterfeit plates, Benjamin Boyd. With Boyd in jail, the rest of the counterfeiting gangs saw their business plunge dramatically. James “Big Jim” Kennally was determined to do whatever it took to get Boyd out of jail and back in business again. His solution? Steal Lincoln’s body and hold it for ransom. One of the ransom demands (in addition to real cash) would be the release of Benjamin Boyd from federal prison.
Both the counterfeiters and the Secret Service (Did you know the Secret Service was founded to deal with counterfeiting, not to protect the President?) had elaborate networks of informants and coworkers. Kennally recruited Terrence Mullen, Jack Hughes, Bill “Billy Brown Neely, and Lewis Swegles to help steal the body. Unknown to him, two of his gang were also recruited as “ropers” or informants for the Secret Service. Patrick Tyrell recruited two ropers to bring down the counterfeiting gang and instead discovered the plot. Even though is supervisors didn’t take the threat seriously, he saw it through to the arrest and conviction of the gang of body snatchers.
There are even more characters and intrigue, but you will just have to discover the wacky, bizarre details on your own. I wish I had known this story before I went to visit Lincoln’s grave and memorial in Springfield, Illinois. I would have paid much more attention to the level of security today. This case proves once again that truth is stranger than fiction.
The competition is heating up between the toughest book characters around. Here are the results from the latest round of voting on Monday. As you can tell, most of the contests are getting closer.
Region 1
Jacob Black (Twilight) defeated Peeta Mellark (The Hunger Games), 55% to 45%.
Cinder (Cinder) overcame Jason Grace (The Lost Hero), 55% to 45%.
Region 2
Katniss (The Hunger Games) crushed June (Legend), 83% to 17%.
The Hulk muscled over Batman in the most hotly debated contest, 55% to 45%.
Region 3
Day (Legend) edged out Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit), 53% to 47%.
Dumbledore (Harry Potter) spelled over Gale (The Hunger Games), 75% to 25 %.
Region 4
James Bond outmaneuvered Sherlock Holmes, 64% to 36%.
Eragon (Eragon) out fought Edward (Twilight), 74% to 26%.
Heading into the Final Four, here are the matchups:
Jacob Black versus Lihn Cinder: the werewolf versus thecyborg.
Katniss versus the Hulk: the girl on fire versus the man in green.
Day versus Dumbledore: street smart fighter versus spell smart wizard.
James Bond versus Eragon: the ultimate spy versus the dragon rider.
