tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71075227894536447412024-03-13T15:06:11.500-07:00Endeavors of Innovative TeachingChelsea is a fifth grade language arts and social studies teacher. She is excited to collaborate with colleagues and other teachers to inspire young readers and writers.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10672717379268359592noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7107522789453644741.post-28724719631211635782014-10-30T17:56:00.003-07:002014-10-30T17:59:14.376-07:00Inspiration from Cynthia LordFor the past three years, we've been lucky enough to have author Cynthia Lord visit our school. Her visits are always inspiring, and it's certainly a treat to see my students' reactions to meeting a REAL AUTHOR for the first time. <br />
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Authors are mysterious people. When beginning a new novel with my kids, I always introduce the author by explaining what little information I can dig up about him/her. But how often is it that you really feel like you KNOW the author, or that you have a true connection with him/her? Don't authors typically seem to feel like a figment of your imagination? Like they can't be real? Well, as I walked up to welcome Cynthia to our school once again, I stuck out my hand for a formal handshake. Instead, she wrapped both arms around me and embraced me with the most sincere hug. Her hug was a gentle reminder that she's just that kind of person, both in her writing and as a person in general. <br />
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Weeks ago, when I began reading Cynthia Lord's novel <u>Rules</u> to my students, I found myself withholding information about her, in fear that I would ruin the surprises that I knew were to come in her presentation. Needless to say, I know that my students weren't disappointed in her presentation. I can't say that they have been many times that my students attentively listened for an hour straight, but this was definitely an exception! She spent an hour with my students discussing how she came up with her plot for <u>Rules</u>, the ways she developed her characters and settings, and she even taught my students a formula that seemed to fit in perfectly into my plans for realistic fiction writing: <br />
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The WOW Formula<br />
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<ul>
<li><b><u>W</u></b>ant? </li>
<li><b><u>O</u></b>bstacles: What is in your character's way?</li>
<li>What does he/she do, trying to get it? </li>
<li><u style="font-weight: bold;">W</u>in?</li>
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Although I feel like I've been trying to teach this structure to my students, I know that my students will take advice from an author over their language arts teacher. I'm excited to bring this formula into my workshop lessons as my students begin drafting their stories. After we got back from Mrs. Lord's presentation, my kids were eager to continue developing their ideas for their story, and the energy in the classroom was at an all-time high. <br />
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I wish we had the opportunity for more authentic learning experiences like this week's author visit. It's days like this that encourage me to continue to look outside the box to find ways to inspire my students to be writers.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10672717379268359592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7107522789453644741.post-27666266091156941012014-10-26T07:16:00.004-07:002014-10-26T07:16:40.474-07:00Realistic Fiction WritingAs much as I tried to make character analysis essay-writing fun for my students, it was SO refreshing to move on to our realistic fiction writing unit this week! I love to hear my students respond, "YES!" when I ask them to get out their writer's notebooks for workshop. But I have to say, I was a bit nervous to teach realistic fiction writing because I haven't taught it since my first year of teaching FIVE years ago. This year, the unit was added to our writing calendar, and with the craziness of the school year, I decided to jump on TpT to see what I could find. I knew that I wanted a variety of resources that mirrored our realistic fiction reading unit that we just concluded. I also wanted something that I could easily copy for my students to glue into their writer's notebook. So far, I've really enjoyed using these <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Realistic-Fiction-Writing-Unit-Common-Core-Aligned-1232478">resources from TpT</a> along with other mentor texts and activities. <br />
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Students started the unit reviewing the components of the realistic fiction genre, then jumped right in to brainstorming for their stories. <br />
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The real fun began when students were able to explore their characters by coming up with their external and internal character traits. Since we studied characters so deeply in our reading unit, I was excited to see that the kids were eager to transfer what they had learned to their own writing this week. </div>
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The kids were able to quickly brainstorm character traits and were excited to sketch out how their characters will act, look, and feel throughout their story.</div>
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Next Wednesday, Cynthia Lord, author of <u>Rules</u>, will be visiting our school, and will speaking to all fifth graders about the process of writing a book. This is the third year that we've been fortunate enough to host Mrs. Lord, and I'm so excited for her to share her passion for writing; it's simply contagious, and I know that my students will be inspired to write even better stories after meeting and hearing her speak! </div>
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Until next time!</div>
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<ol>
<li>Students must choose a book from the list provided that meets their reading level (Students are given a Fountas & Pinnell reading level; they're asked to say within two reading levels of their letter.) For this book club, there were 10 different book choices. Most students have anywhere from 2-5 books that fall within their reading level. </li>
<li>If a student realizes that he/she has chosen a book that does not interest him/her after the first few chapters, he/she may trade it in for another book club book.</li>
<li>Students are encouraged to read as many of the book club books as they wish, but they are only required to read one per unit.</li>
<li>Once students have read at least two book club books, they may choose any book that they'd like to read. (Although, with the high-interest book list this year, many of my students are on their fourth of fifth book -- and we're only on the third week of the unit!)</li>
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Students are reading their character book club books at home and at school. For reader's workshop time, we read a mentor text together and I teach a lesson specifically about character development. Then, students are asked to try that lesson on their own book club book using guiding questions, graphic organizers, etc. For the past several years, I've been using <u>Rules</u> by Cynthia Lord as our mentor text. We're so lucky to have Cynthia Lord coming to our school at the end of the month! Even though this will be my third year hearing her talk about her books, I'm beyond excited!!</div>
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Although the kids seem to enjoy their independent work with their book club books, this year they have been looking forward to Friday book club meetings the most. My teaching partner and I decided that we would try our best to allow students who are reading the same books to meet every single Friday. Each Friday, we have an activity that allows them to discuss and analyze the characters in their book. The kids love working with students from another class, and it's great to see the kids discussing their books on such a deep level. </div>
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This past Friday, my teaching partner suggested that we try a<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FAKEBOOK-CHARACTER-ANALYSIS-Creative-Assignment-For-ANY-Fictional-Reading-1220054"> Fakebook Character Analysis </a>activity that she found on Teachers Pay Teachers. I loved watching the students really "get into" their book's characters. This was such an engaging activity, and every single kid was involved throughout their work time. They were super disappointed that they didn't have enough time to finish their pages, but we promised more work time for next Friday.</div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Sample Fakebook Page</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Students working on their Fakebook page. (</span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><u>Hoot</u> by Carl Hiaasen)</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Another book club group: <u>Every Soul a Star</u> by Wendy Mass</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A work in progress.</i></span></div>
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Overall, I'm excited that book clubs are going well. I think it's going to be a great year for reading and writing!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10672717379268359592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7107522789453644741.post-76707239763247866642014-09-28T14:47:00.002-07:002014-09-28T14:47:33.270-07:00Pay it ForwardEach year, I read the novel <u>Rules</u> by Cynthia Lord aloud as a mentor text for my character analysis unit. This book is about a girl named Catherine who has a brother with autism. It focuses on the struggles she faces because of her brother's differences. Catherine befriends a boy in a wheelchair, whom she treats just like "any other boy". This book allows me discuss the importance of being a good friend and the power of giving back to our community. Each fall, I'm excited to launch the "Pay it Forward" project.<br />
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This past Friday, I introduced the project, and my students were so eager to get started! I give the students a list of random acts of kindness that they could perform on their own, but it's always fun to do a team service project as well. This year, since my students and I have LOVED <a href="http://mrswirtz.blogspot.com/2014/09/make-time-to-dance.html">Kid President</a> so much, I figured we'd hop on board with his Socktober campaign. <br />
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My team's four language arts and social studies classes will be competing to see who can bring in the most socks and/or food items for the Mason Food Pantry by the end of October. I can't wait to see what a difference my students will make in our community!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10672717379268359592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7107522789453644741.post-70974411469933589992014-09-12T18:46:00.001-07:002014-09-12T18:58:57.215-07:00Make time to danceThe craziness and fun continued this week in fifth grade! But, to be honest, I found myself stressed out much of the week, trying to fit in everything that I needed to teach. Just in my class alone this week, my kids had a social studies <u>and</u> language arts quiz. It wasn't until Thursday night that I came to the realization that <i>If I'm stressed out trying to TEACH my students, I know that my kids MUST be overwhelmed to learn it.</i><br />
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Kids are required to do so much more in school than ever before. The days of Halloween parties or "just for fun" movies days are well over. When I get caught up in the act of trying to fit in yet another assignment or assessment of some sort, I have to stop and remind myself that my students are <i>just 10 years old! </i><br />
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Over the past year, I've followed a boy (who goes by "Kid President") on YouTube. Kid President is a 10 year old boy who works with his brother-in-law to create videos that inspire people all over the world to laugh, dance, and most importantly, be AWESOME! (If you watch any one of his videos, you'll understand what I mean.) This boy is a true inspiration, not only to my students, but to me as a teacher and person. To make things even better, he has the world's most contagious laugh. It's simply impossible not to laugh right along with him. <br />
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I was surprised to learn that Kid President has Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a brittle bone disease which has caused him to have over 70 breaks since birth. But what's most inspiring about this little boy is that he doesn't let this disease get him down. In fact, you would never know that he was (and is) fighting to overcome so many obstacles at just 10 years old. I didn't even realize that he had this disease until just recently when I watched <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcZVGjG6LWM">The True Story of Kid President</a>. In all, this boy's short videos bring smiles to my students' faces and encourage them to be better people. Each Friday, I've decided that I will make time to laugh<b> </b>with my students and Kid President by taking just five minutes out of my day to show this boy's videos.<br />
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My kids now come into the classroom on Friday mornings (or afternoons, for my PM class) eager to watch yet another episode, and I swear my Fridays are better because of it. </div>
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I encourage you to MAKE time to dance each and every day. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10672717379268359592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7107522789453644741.post-18289730308147157052014-09-05T16:47:00.000-07:002014-09-05T16:53:15.421-07:00Making sense of summary writingAlthough it was a short week, there was lots of learning going on in 5th grade! Our week was full of reviewing figurative language, summary writing, poetry reading and writing, and learning about the migration of American Indians. It's official... my kids and I are finally getting into the swing of things! There really is something to say about 10 and 11 year olds... They're eager to learn and so much fun to be around. I don't know if my group of kids could be any better!<br />
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I wish I could say that the week was all rainbows and butterflies, but struggles with summary writing snuck up on me first thing on Monday. In our district, students in every grade level are required to complete a weekly language arts reading and skills sheet. Students complete the sheet at home and then bring it back to school on Mondays for a pre-check and assistance on any of the incorrect questions. As I was looking through their work, I was alarmed by their summary writing skills. To be honest, their knowledge of summary writing seemed to be anywhere from minimal to nonexistent. As I was helping a small group of students rewrite their summaries, I found myself frustrated beyond belief. They simply weren't understanding the way that I have traditionally taught summaries. (Sentence 1- main idea, sentences 2-4 - supporting details, and sentence 5 - conclusion) Students seemed to be pulling random lines from the passage, throwing them down on the lines provided, and calling it a summary. I had to stop and think... <i>How could I make summary writing make sense in a different way?</i> I leafed through my Ohio Writing Project 4-week materials and found the solution to my problem: <i>note card summaries. </i><br />
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<b>How to Use the Note Card Summary Strategy</b><br />
The note card summary breaks summary-writing in smaller portions. Students select five words (or sets of related words) after reading the passage. As students read the passage for the first time, they are encourage to only think about what the main idea might be. He/she must choose a few words that describe the main idea. This/these word(s) should be written on the center of the card. Then, students choose three to four from the passage that help the reader better understand the topic that is written in the middle of the card. I advise my students to circle these words and then write them on the four corners of their note card. Then, students number the note card to show the order in which their summary will be written. The middle section, or the topic, is given the number one because it is the first sentence. The corners are numbered two through five to represent the four other sentences of a summary. Before beginning to write, students think about how the words that are written on the corners of the note card relate to the topic, and why they are important. On the back of their note card, they write the summary using the important words as a guide. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOR8AMdW783EPa899FOoPdJtOQbuUphZjSfzyErKfCoMUueBQRgFP5c_ibMRUNrKv_pUA-ZF19WBU_48HHzVtEKvBkJZTipEn6PcW-Zi65VNM1AahZuWKmdL8thbGqHhC8mqp9eZDtQWk5/s1600/Note+Card+Summary.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOR8AMdW783EPa899FOoPdJtOQbuUphZjSfzyErKfCoMUueBQRgFP5c_ibMRUNrKv_pUA-ZF19WBU_48HHzVtEKvBkJZTipEn6PcW-Zi65VNM1AahZuWKmdL8thbGqHhC8mqp9eZDtQWk5/s1600/Note+Card+Summary.png" height="303" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">This summary-writing strategy works wonders for nonfiction reading!</span></i></div>
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<b>Important Poem Summaries</b></div>
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Students can also write a summary using the <a href="http://mrswirtz.blogspot.com/2014/08/i-believe-in-power-of-safe-writing.html">Important Poem</a> that I blogged about last week. After reading a passage, students choose the most important sentence in the passage. Then, they mark that sentence with a Post-it Note. Next, students choose three sentences that support the most important sentence. They then mark those sentences with a <i>different</i> color. Once four Post-it Notes have been placed on the passage, the student turns those sentences into an Important Poem summary. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>My students have used this strategy for both fiction and nonfiction passages. </i></span></div>
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I'm ready to enjoy a great weekend and hope you are, too!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10672717379268359592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7107522789453644741.post-88718933518173225132014-08-31T09:32:00.000-07:002014-08-31T10:20:17.903-07:00I believe in the power of a safe writing community.<!--[if !mso]>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Another successful (and
tiring) week is in the books! I
think it’s safe to say that the “extra activities” this week impeded a lot of
my teaching time, but that’s what the first few weeks are all about, right? Some of these “extras” included a fire
drill on Monday, a wing meeting on Tuesday, and our first library visit on
Wednesday, which was followed by an impromptu fire alarm. The surprise fire alarm resulted in
spending twenty minutes of class time outside with kids on the verge of tears,
and working the rest of the afternoon to get my kids “back” into learning! (No
worries – It was just a broken smoke detector in the end!) Oh, and I certainly
can’t forget to mention the hours spent leveling each of my 53 students with a
Fountas and Pinnell reading level.
Even with all of these “extras” (and the craziness), it was a great week
to finally delve into academics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The kids are coming out of
their shells and it’s been a lot of fun getting to know each of their
personalities as they begin to feel comfortable in my classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poetry is the first reading and writing
unit that I’m teaching this year, and I have to say that I LOVE beginning our
year this unit! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I began the unit by reading
a book that I learned about in the OWP 4-week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Important-Book-Margaret-Wise-Brown/dp/0064432270">The Important Book</a> </span>by Margaret Wise Brown (author of<u>
Goodnight Moon</u>) is rather simple; it explains why inanimate objects are
important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The featured items are
ones that you probably take for granted in your everyday life: a spoon, a
daisy, rain, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below is an
example of an “important poem” from the book.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHonvdCUORhF0NFDlxweINQkfFgtkeeRBNe_KCE7ODdAotygtUlM3Ih46rbmq8HR62bo5m_kJWsV7VoboFhFFY7qhyphenhyphenrqx-XZKPe8q9jlYzM5j_hJ8C7VVVOHXSFPV4rRO5hGiBZkLiVH1/s1600/the+important+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHonvdCUORhF0NFDlxweINQkfFgtkeeRBNe_KCE7ODdAotygtUlM3Ih46rbmq8HR62bo5m_kJWsV7VoboFhFFY7qhyphenhyphenrqx-XZKPe8q9jlYzM5j_hJ8C7VVVOHXSFPV4rRO5hGiBZkLiVH1/s1600/the+important+book.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9H4zjmN-IJjbelSHV4-obkyNcVgEZQqvePq_Ewl6_rHzHKeotAW7tmlPHoJ-pB7V0OLfHuLJEbgXpR7HTCbgl784yddLRH50KYLY8K-s9v3X_OfHD_hu9f24RDo-lCvNx6vcduGuOxx1/s1600/spoon+poem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9H4zjmN-IJjbelSHV4-obkyNcVgEZQqvePq_Ewl6_rHzHKeotAW7tmlPHoJ-pB7V0OLfHuLJEbgXpR7HTCbgl784yddLRH50KYLY8K-s9v3X_OfHD_hu9f24RDo-lCvNx6vcduGuOxx1/s1600/spoon+poem.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Right off the bat, I asked
students what they noticed about the compilation of poems, and what each of
them had in common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids
quickly agreed that the first line was always stating the important thing about
the object, followed by a few lines of description.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The poems always ended with a restatement of the “important
thing.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After analyzing the book of
poems, I asked students to write an “Important Poem” about themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As students were sharing their poems, I
enjoyed hearing “important things” about each of my students that I wouldn’t
have normally gotten to see through my traditional introduction activities. This
“getting to know you activity” definitely felt like an authentic way of getting
a glimpse of my students’ personal interests, AND it was an excellent way to pre-assess
their writing skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OTDFV3lxoRlkXlTUKgzC9UpWIFL-WpAaA9PV8EugUTBipfpqk8MViUOzxrk7oR92PsV7GB057QTXGP86plK0qvhD-4ClxW8hwD_vSuHWKMvgXzz9C3KMib0V1n81Z-adbzkVAbc7BT9F/s1600/Snip20140831_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OTDFV3lxoRlkXlTUKgzC9UpWIFL-WpAaA9PV8EugUTBipfpqk8MViUOzxrk7oR92PsV7GB057QTXGP86plK0qvhD-4ClxW8hwD_vSuHWKMvgXzz9C3KMib0V1n81Z-adbzkVAbc7BT9F/s1600/Snip20140831_1.png" height="235" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Students glued a template
into their writer’s notebooks for future reference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These poems won’t be going away in my room!! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stay tuned… next week I’ll explain how I’m
using “Important Poems” to summarize reading passages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJckANaA_mmSRDNsoxSgFvkpzvZBxi81sHI75BALZdD2uUsSWygbcoUvddDRbs7_nGuR6TitBAGN_xA4fL0vdZXbdLNWhSa9Ia-xU8KUNI2rQIdcAZ0ab0nEoajzaCKj0FJKg-9SdremlR/s1600/love+that+dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJckANaA_mmSRDNsoxSgFvkpzvZBxi81sHI75BALZdD2uUsSWygbcoUvddDRbs7_nGuR6TitBAGN_xA4fL0vdZXbdLNWhSa9Ia-xU8KUNI2rQIdcAZ0ab0nEoajzaCKj0FJKg-9SdremlR/s1600/love+that+dog.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This week, we also began
reading <u>Love That Dog</u> by Sharon Creech, and I think that my students are
quickly coming to the realization that poetry doesn’t have to be scary; it can
even be fun!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My highlight of the
week was on Friday, when students listened to a NPR “This I Believe” essay
written by a six year-old, Tarak Mclain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(See my blog post for details! <a href="http://mrswirtz.blogspot.com/2014/07/love-that-poetry.html">"This I Believe"</a>)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids then wrote their own “This I Believe” statements, and then chose one line to read out loud to the class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we stood in a circle around my
classroom and read our statements aloud, I got chills, and there was
no hiding my excitement in my students’ writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> From looking at the smiles on their faces and feeling the energy in my room, it think it's safe to say that</span> the kids were just as impressed with themselves as I
was with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I believe that we need to teach our students that kids</span> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CAN</b> be writers; they <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ARE</b> writers. Kids need a safe
writing community to experiment with their abilities in writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think we’re heading in the right direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was one of those “teacher moments” that we’re all seeking
every once in a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
I hope you're all enjoying your long weekend! Don't longs weekends just always come at the perfect time? Even if we're just two weeks into school! ;)</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10672717379268359592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7107522789453644741.post-90058615598392682262014-08-24T14:17:00.000-07:002014-08-31T10:29:03.250-07:00Launching the (REVAMPED) notebooksMy students and I made it through our first full week of school together. It was a fun and eventful week, and I've really enjoyed getting to know all of my new kiddos. <br />
<br />
I think every teacher will agree with me when I say that the first week of school is exhausting, both physically and emotionally. And it seems like every year I forget how much my students need to learn about being a fifth grader, and my classroom/teaching style. With that said, I also forget how fantastic the kids <b>really</b> are... they are excited to learn the classroom procedures, and they're even willing to try to understand some of my crazy pet peeves. Needless to say, it's been a great first week! <br />
<br />
At the beginning of the year, I always spend the first few weeks setting up our organizational systems, classroom expectations, and (my favorite) the reader's and writer's notebooks. I mentioned pet peeves... and disorganization is certainly one of my BIGGEST pet peeves. This year, I've made it one of my top goals to revamp our reader's and writer's notebooks. I want my kids to LOVE these notebooks, see value in them, and <i>truly</i> cherish them. In the past (I blame it on my own, personal clarity of my expectations) my kids haven't really taken these notebooks seriously. When I'd ask them to open to the next page in their notebook, they'd randomly flip to the first blank page and write compliantly. When students would then need to find these specific pages at a later date, it was an organizational nightmare. The notebooks were a mess, and because of that, they had no meaning to my students. I quickly came to the realization that the disorganization within these notebooks was hindering my students' learning. <br />
<br />
After seeing this result for the past four years, I did some research (Pinterest of course -- and a little perusing through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mechanically-Inclined-Building-Grammar-Workshop/dp/1571104127">Mechanically Inclined: Building Grammar, Usage, and Style into Writer's Workshop</a>) and collaborated with some of my planning buddies. I think we've come up with a plan for these new notebook beauties. I'm beyond excited to see my students' writing and reading skills bloom! I have a feeling it's going to be a GREAT year for reading and writing.<br />
<br />
<b>Below is an outline and some pictures of what we've done so far with our notebooks:</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Students have two composition notebooks; one is for a reader's workshop and the other is for writer's workshop. </li>
<li>The kids were invited to decorate their notebooks, but weren't required to do so. </li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u>The Writer's Notebook:</u></b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>We tabbed the notebook into four sections using Washi Tape. The sections included:</li>
<ol>
<li>My Journal</li>
<li>Grammar Guru</li>
<li>Author's Craft</li>
<li>Revising and Editing</li>
</ol>
</ul>
<div>
(Thanks to my ever-so-crafty teaching partner for making these ADORABLE dividers!! You can purchase them on TpT. <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writers-Notebook-Section-Dividers-1395466">Writer's Notebooks Section Dividers</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStcR_QW0QRr5s1oqLW0RXSnjB-8X4BBlrVAIWVrrA8Sj9uKgYmynSwys2Z8vlGNQPUFdHLgN4BCa7Vwj6BPEMvDqb1TpcDCgJWSMkbYwHbO9RQX2xKAt_4v5VmYx1XedPMfvkAltO4N-4/s1600/20140822_110134655_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStcR_QW0QRr5s1oqLW0RXSnjB-8X4BBlrVAIWVrrA8Sj9uKgYmynSwys2Z8vlGNQPUFdHLgN4BCa7Vwj6BPEMvDqb1TpcDCgJWSMkbYwHbO9RQX2xKAt_4v5VmYx1XedPMfvkAltO4N-4/s1600/20140822_110134655_iOS.jpg" height="320" width="240" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyc02BtgzZ8vpBn6znGtxmoFam9BwyVIzomivKImLVmTARJBoAkVZjU5ikkeZXXV2wN3dz-tdoNTYbE0RYLMT5m4ZMHCsoef7I9PfvpQES3uK5lKEtb1RkNmHWOn8jUQGbDPdBfFOsD91/s1600/20140822_110140845_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyc02BtgzZ8vpBn6znGtxmoFam9BwyVIzomivKImLVmTARJBoAkVZjU5ikkeZXXV2wN3dz-tdoNTYbE0RYLMT5m4ZMHCsoef7I9PfvpQES3uK5lKEtb1RkNmHWOn8jUQGbDPdBfFOsD91/s1600/20140822_110140845_iOS.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGA80YIMwhlVOUS1Sejvz0shKkABCOEBjQlcFtGlaQCk3eZzj55Ps5uGmrZRsUyyCPgmelxG7TGLTZqXuVP0v1fliVgr2WbjNVpvYLf8jv0l9TGGBLXsYIw5UpJJtzUHQz1q_cBr1GUku/s1600/20140822_110146391_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGA80YIMwhlVOUS1Sejvz0shKkABCOEBjQlcFtGlaQCk3eZzj55Ps5uGmrZRsUyyCPgmelxG7TGLTZqXuVP0v1fliVgr2WbjNVpvYLf8jv0l9TGGBLXsYIw5UpJJtzUHQz1q_cBr1GUku/s1600/20140822_110146391_iOS.jpg" height="320" width="240" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0MOziMDH4mT-InxgFquDXKZ_9axA3y5-TDJcebyc29di2lffxw8TED6hYoUSkrpX4pF0RRtRjmx-Uv8u02HlAzHeAFtI-Q7SHHv-l9rfE4WEcaMQckczAD5y4zwmee03vgkzQA_Rzk4E/s1600/20140822_110156973_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0MOziMDH4mT-InxgFquDXKZ_9axA3y5-TDJcebyc29di2lffxw8TED6hYoUSkrpX4pF0RRtRjmx-Uv8u02HlAzHeAFtI-Q7SHHv-l9rfE4WEcaMQckczAD5y4zwmee03vgkzQA_Rzk4E/s1600/20140822_110156973_iOS.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
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<ul>
<li>We created a class writing contract with expectations that all students agreed to follow. This chart was glued in the front of their notebook and an anchor chart hangs on the wall with all of the students' signatures. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpyC7-5ZNRmLUOBziiPa3tKNFTu6tzLDBltVIbM0yiEQ7cYH5ZFAY-wOx1gHlNz4JwSGCBG_tGgS3kWlvOByjyak6HAjVuToAsNqUt0u_ebkQJYFYuFteAEH6-WV3sCM_iDOCi3_YqZz5/s1600/Snip20140831_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpyC7-5ZNRmLUOBziiPa3tKNFTu6tzLDBltVIbM0yiEQ7cYH5ZFAY-wOx1gHlNz4JwSGCBG_tGgS3kWlvOByjyak6HAjVuToAsNqUt0u_ebkQJYFYuFteAEH6-WV3sCM_iDOCi3_YqZz5/s1600/Snip20140831_1.png" height="320" width="252" /></a></div>
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<li>Students also glued in a table of contents where they will keep track of their entries. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmXs6kcE275CJc4_88tL7zlTcxsZa5IHiSwZOMAqltbe5tGlbjW1AH6YC9VPYgKqTz5zwnSw1n33DeOq7cvZHLkz4Y7njGtvfydLZnE9BipoonAwZMMdgZPE2daIWVHnH1bgSJrl_uUur/s1600/photo-30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmXs6kcE275CJc4_88tL7zlTcxsZa5IHiSwZOMAqltbe5tGlbjW1AH6YC9VPYgKqTz5zwnSw1n33DeOq7cvZHLkz4Y7njGtvfydLZnE9BipoonAwZMMdgZPE2daIWVHnH1bgSJrl_uUur/s1600/photo-30.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li>A new rule that I put in place this year is that students are to keep the notebooks inside the classroom, unless given permission to take them home. I'm hoping that this will help with the upkeep of the notebooks, and that fewer notebooks will go "missing"! I searched for ways to keep over 100 notebooks organized in my classroom... So far, I am LOVING our new crate shelves. They are really helping to keep our desks clean and organized. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2EhWPuQK9ybpv0JR11KoDF__5UmKgQIHy0yW1yzcCuaaoHhpGjbSV83wHja4tKmrQwpYxQpdw-udKwsZc45GXNO-8BwGEi7hsP2ZkJjRwBkF7QBxViRv17K5BHxKqFRyvvHGYoZwGlxn_/s1600/20140824_180305946_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2EhWPuQK9ybpv0JR11KoDF__5UmKgQIHy0yW1yzcCuaaoHhpGjbSV83wHja4tKmrQwpYxQpdw-udKwsZc45GXNO-8BwGEi7hsP2ZkJjRwBkF7QBxViRv17K5BHxKqFRyvvHGYoZwGlxn_/s1600/20140824_180305946_iOS.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZCslkhxVblg7h4ufeBJoAIW-ldhWUyUuimUbSe8EcaU0yrOeYb08irR93VXbqNwpFXZ4afYfBRzpi2nePd8olNRS9vGuSi-UolLH9SW7Wmqy5neSEncpehBXUgIpOSsuKVJe0nSHMJsd/s1600/20140824_180331775_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZCslkhxVblg7h4ufeBJoAIW-ldhWUyUuimUbSe8EcaU0yrOeYb08irR93VXbqNwpFXZ4afYfBRzpi2nePd8olNRS9vGuSi-UolLH9SW7Wmqy5neSEncpehBXUgIpOSsuKVJe0nSHMJsd/s1600/20140824_180331775_iOS.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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I hope your school year is off to a great start! I'd love to hear some of your favorite organizational tips for either the reader's or writer's notebooks. </div>
<div>
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</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10672717379268359592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7107522789453644741.post-22075666961293756362014-07-07T09:29:00.001-07:002014-07-07T09:33:38.226-07:00Love That Poetry <!--[if !mso]>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7yPfFnYBRoHwiUf8Qjtrgz71HHgx1Em7yBN0UZyolA7X8zAjngHCOv5M6h5pVU-dgsO-SWc6YGrr5dZX9QEHAgI6WkRHetLFXisdYKxN8Ty1XJmzCNJuYZ_imwMZ4W5kQY5kPPLVTVK_s/s1600/love+that+dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7yPfFnYBRoHwiUf8Qjtrgz71HHgx1Em7yBN0UZyolA7X8zAjngHCOv5M6h5pVU-dgsO-SWc6YGrr5dZX9QEHAgI6WkRHetLFXisdYKxN8Ty1XJmzCNJuYZ_imwMZ4W5kQY5kPPLVTVK_s/s1600/love+that+dog.jpg" height="200" width="134" /></a><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">T</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">his year, I plan
to teach poetry at the beginning of the year as a personal writing unit. In my experience, 5<sup>th</sup>
graders are hesitant to write poetry, but through <i>Love That Dog</i> by Sharon Creech, they gain an appreciation and love
for poetry. My goal is to deepen this
love. During my OWP four-week
experience, I gained some insight that I’m excited to share with all of the
poetry-loving teachers out there!
Below are my top three favorite ideas that I’m excited to try out in
just a few short months!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1. This I Believe<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This I believe </i>project is one that
awakens the heart and observes who each participant is individually.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to www.NPR.org, “During its
four-year run on NPR, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This I Believe </i>engaged
listeners in a discussion of the core beliefs that guide their daily
lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[NPR] heard from people of
all walks of life – the very young and the very old, the famous and the
previously unknown.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What better
way the start the year off by asking your students what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">they </i>believe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many
opportunities do children get to tell others what’s most important to
them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an excellent way to
get your students thinking about what makes them unique, and I’m quite sure
that you will instantly learn a great deal about your kids by the end of this
activity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">You might start
this activity by showing students an example for inspiration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For his 100<sup>th</sup> day of school
Tarak Mclain, a seven year old from Austin Texas, chose to write 100 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This I believe </i>statements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen to Tarak read thirty of his
statements using this link: <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99478226">Tarak Mclain</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99478226"></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7mWQ859BIosBcYGcl-oWBw12iEc4P4hKxgdsoPcExwEqQzMBg9-4c5VtcYoTWTTsMROMbcol5-l1COO-7XgLn1ib72gGn5C-ZO0ZNSPF7DWGcUHKEIY_Dd1rwmfHeMOVzq8SORRK2zcy/s1600/Tarak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7mWQ859BIosBcYGcl-oWBw12iEc4P4hKxgdsoPcExwEqQzMBg9-4c5VtcYoTWTTsMROMbcol5-l1COO-7XgLn1ib72gGn5C-ZO0ZNSPF7DWGcUHKEIY_Dd1rwmfHeMOVzq8SORRK2zcy/s1600/Tarak.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After hearing
Tarak’s ideas, have students create a list of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This I believe</i> statements in their Writer’s Notebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can specify a number, if you wish,
or have students write as many as they can think of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have students choose their top ideas to form a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This I Believe </i>poem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This I Believe</i> by Chelsea Wirtz<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
believe in exceptions to the rule.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
believe in compromises.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
believe in laughter and fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
believe in the motto “everything happens for a reason”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
believe in making the most of each day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
believe in being thankful for what I have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
believe in giving back to my community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
believe in thinking of others before myself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
believe in saying “I love you” before I hang up the phone or leave for the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
believe in walking in someone else’s shoes before reacting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
believe in second chances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
believe in getting to know new people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
believe in “it’s okay to be different”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
believe in the motto “God will only give you when you can handle”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
believe in kindness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
believe in “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at
all.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Another great way
to incorporate this activity into your classroom is to have students write
statements about which rules they think should be applied to the
classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would be an
excellent way to create a “classroom constitution”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>2. 6 Word Memoirs</u></b><u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This activity is
one that would be fantastic to use to get kids to START writing, especially at
the beginning of the year!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean
hey, you only have to write six words!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Easy, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The idea of a 6
Word Memoir is to tell a story in <u>just six words</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you try this out on your own, you
may realize that it’s probably harder than you initially expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Examples
of 6 Word Memoirs:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Going
back to school is difficult.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Who
knew I was still shy?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Huge
weight is off my shoulders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Some
people need to open up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Classroom
community makes the room exciting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This would
definitely lead to some fascinating stories that I’m sure your students would
be excited to expand on in their Writer’s Notebook!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Visit <a href="http://www.sixwordmemoirs.com/">http://www.sixwordmemoirs.com/</a> to see how your students can post their
memoirs on the official 6 Word Memoir site!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3. Class Symphony</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For this poem,
students will choose their favorite song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Encourage students to not only consider the most popular songs that are
currently playing, but songs that also have a deeper meaning to them personally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Then, have the kids write their favorite
line(s) on a sheet of paper or a sentence strip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Post the lyrics on a bulletin board or wall, and there you
go – you have your very own class symphony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s amazing how beautiful the words to the many different songs
sound when you read them together as one.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_veGvbLbumaStA9FrzcY-l4iuXo3y3Q3TtrKSew4Jvf_qDbmDXBXTmv7M8GIm2_L98h2KfLSrBHg3ZNb1U1mad95jcXjd7z9FMIFfqlidpziyvBByvESrAvWmwpe6SW1jJ1QNTKaIbqw/s1600/music+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_veGvbLbumaStA9FrzcY-l4iuXo3y3Q3TtrKSew4Jvf_qDbmDXBXTmv7M8GIm2_L98h2KfLSrBHg3ZNb1U1mad95jcXjd7z9FMIFfqlidpziyvBByvESrAvWmwpe6SW1jJ1QNTKaIbqw/s1600/music+3.jpg" height="200" width="156" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I hope you can
use these ideas to build a safe and fun writing community for your kiddos!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happy writing!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><br /></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10672717379268359592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7107522789453644741.post-47714147230622076162014-07-07T09:13:00.000-07:002014-07-07T13:57:42.623-07:00Let's do this!!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">When I thought
about going back to school for my Master’s degree, (after not being a students
for four years!!) the idea of joining a program and adding yet another thing to
my plate was exciting, stressful, and yes, overwhelming. Many friends suggested that I try an
Ohio Writing Project class to see if it might be something I’d be interested
in. I took an OWP weekend workshop
in February called Revision and Reflection. Needless to say, I was instantly hooked. When the workshop ended on Sunday afternoon,
I left with a plethora of resources that I could use in my very own
classroom. This was the first
class that I had ever attended where I didn’t feel like I was just completing
busy work. I knew that OWP’s courses
would help me become a better teacher.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Lucky for me, OWP
offers a Master of Arts in Teaching in English program, in which you earn a
Master’s degree through their courses and research.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first step to this program is to complete OWP’s four-week
class, a workshop called Teaching of Writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the past four weeks, I’ve met some phenomenal
teachers, made some friendships that I know will last a lifetime, and gained a
variety of ideas that I plan to implement in my own classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6AIMBvDvqlhxcxetZPm4BeNUq6y5cHT7FCVQX6IWvMEdJk8SOje_UQ25WFfy_LpozlLx6ee_tTMkaHmLWZ806hrNkk7xMa70s9MnV1DzPluZwgORKjabJrfTKpD1t5YmwvDPjoyMxG9J/s1600/owp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6AIMBvDvqlhxcxetZPm4BeNUq6y5cHT7FCVQX6IWvMEdJk8SOje_UQ25WFfy_LpozlLx6ee_tTMkaHmLWZ806hrNkk7xMa70s9MnV1DzPluZwgORKjabJrfTKpD1t5YmwvDPjoyMxG9J/s1600/owp.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.units.miamioh.edu/owp/">OWP's Website</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Although this
summer seems to be sneaking away quickly before my very own eyes, I’m excited
to try some of the great ideas my friends have given me. I’m truly inspired to spice things up!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">To document my transformation as an OWP-er, I thought I'd start a blog... Something COMPLETELY out of my comfort zone. Throughout my research, I'll post what's going on in my classroom (the good, bad, and ugly) and hope to share ideas and resources with fellow colleagues.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Alright... without further adieu.... LET'S DO THIS!</span></div>
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