Slice Number One - My Fourth SOLC - Plus Celebrating!

FOR FUTURE CREATING: Try this link from Brainpickings: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/02/28/creative-block-krysa/

           Three years ago I published my first post, entering the Slice of Life Community for the first time. Today I am starting the challenge again hosted by the blog, TwoWritingTeachers, who have now become six writing teachers: Stacey Shubitz, Tara Smith, Betsy Hubbard, Anna Gratz  Cockerille, Dana Murphy and Elizabeth Moore , and cross-posting because it’s time for Saturday Celebration with those who share with Ruth Ayres.

FYI - For the Classroom Challenge: If your last name begins with A-M, contact me, Linda Baie: LindaB414[at]gmail[dot]com  If your last name begins with N-Z, contact Margaret Simon: margaretsmn[at]gmail[dot]com or her school email masimon[at]iberia[dot]k12[dot]la[dot]us   She blogs at Reflection On The Teche. Please do ask any questions that arise. We are happy to help you, again and again if needed!

           To start the challenge, and to combine it with celebration, here are some thoughts from the past, present and future.  

Poetry Friday Pinning and Snow Chalking

            TeachingYoungWriters. Anastasia Suen is hosting today on Pinterest. Head over to see the fabulous board!  Thanks for doing this, Anastasia, very fun!

Lots going on for Poetry Friday.  It's the end of the month, so time for Chalk-a-bration with Betsy Hubbard at TeachingYoungWriters.

           And I want to say a public thank you to Laura Shovan, Author Amok, for a wonderful month of Pantone Poetry for her birthday celebration. I didn't add my words today, but have written for nearly every day this month.  It's been a pleasure and a challenge.  Thanks much, Laura!

            For the past few chalk-a-brations, it's either been too cold or snowy to chalk on the sidewalk, so I've "chalked" for the tradition, but become a little creative as to where I've done it. Hopefully more spring poems will bring spring faster. I imagine there will be some today. I've already read one!

Reading Conversations - Visiting Kirby's Lane!

            I'm happy to be posting on Kirby Larson's blog today about reading. Please visit me at Kirby's Lane, A Place for Readers and Writers.  Kirby's books, historical fiction, are many, but my favorites are Hattie Big Sky and Hattie Ever After, and the picture book Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival.  Her most recent publication is Duke.

Nonfiction Beauties

             I’m linking to Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday, hosted byAlyson at Kid Lit Frenzy and all sharing non-fiction texts. It’s a first time, but wanted to share this wonderful book.

            Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other nonfiction books are shared this week!

Weeds Find A Way – written by Cindy Jenson-Elliott, pictures by Carolyn Fisher

          There are certain weeds I love, Queen Anne’s Lace, Showy Milkweed, but when I read this book, not only does Cindy Jenson-Elliott tell about the resilience and grit of weeks, Carolyn Fisher shows their beauty in her illustrations.  Now I love even more! They also share extensive back matter about the weeds included in the book. For anyone who studies nature in their classrooms this will be a wonderful addition. And now, as I link up with Alyson, I find that she is part of a blog tour for this book! Go over to read the interview with Cindy Jenson-Elliott and sign up to see if you can win a copy!

Not Teaching In A Vacuum

        Thanks to the writers at Two Writing Teachers for hosting the slicing community!  Three more days before we begin the March Slice of Life Challenge. Are you ready?    I'm starting to take deep breaths every day, and collecting a few quotes to keep me going.  
             "Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words. Mark Twain

           It was such a pleasure to attend my state literacy conference. Here are a few additional ideas from the wonderful people whose sessions I attended.  It's a challenge to just write a few words for each. I think you should all just go to a conference if you can, and you'll experience the sessions for yourself.  Perhaps it will be with different people, but it'll be good, every time!  

I saw Regie Routman in the first keynote - my notes say, most important: Focus on the student--then celebrate, collaborate, simplify and strategize! She spoke and emphasized the importance of conferring. In fact, if I had to choose one word emphasized by nearly everyone, it was to confer, don't leave it out. And isn't that something that connects back to what has already been written, KNOW the student, FOCUS on the student?

It's Monday!

Monday Reading - Lots Going On

Happy Reading everyone!

 It's Monday! What are you Reading? is hosted by Jen at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS, and shared with Ricki and Kellee at UNLEASHING READERS.   

         And, also visit Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS for more reviews.  Great books are being shared!

 Tweet! at #IMWAYR

        

Finished Rose Under Fire that met two challenges on the sidebar this week.  Week by week this year, I hope I can find time to read all that are on the list in a page posted above.  Go to Carrie Gelson's post here to discover what it's all about and who's participating (tweet at #MustReadin2014), or go to Gathering Books with Myra, Fats & Iphigene to see their challenge!    

Novels

Rose Under Fire – written by Elizabeth Wein

          I finished this and handed it to my daughter-in-law, to whom I had already given Code Name Verity. She was visiting and flying home, so I copied some pages I particularly loved and wanted to keep. If you’ve not read the book, these references won’t be meaningful, but they are important. Like Code Name Verity, I loved this book, too.  From the beginning, I thought the voice marvelous, the typical excitable American, and privileged, girl, maturing through experience like the usual adolescent.  Except this young woman is no ordinary adolescent, but an experienced pilot, and although female, very needed for airplane deliveries all over England. When this lovely Rose Justice, for that is her name, finally has a chance to get to France, it isn’t the good thing she had imagined, and that’s when she grows up. You’ll need to read the book to discover the beautiful remainder of this story. This young woman is also a poet: “Hope has no feathers”, the kite poem; and “The Subtle Briar”: When you cut down the hybrid rose,/its blackened stump below the graft/spreads furtive finger in the dirt…” show sensitivity both on the part of the author and the character, and the poetry is not over done, but is needed in the challenges that Rose faces, an integral part of the plot.  Remember, she’s Rose Justice, she’s a pilot!

Celebrations All Around

             

Thanks to Ruth  at Discover.Play.Build, Ruth Ayres Writes for bringing us together to celebrate each Saturday. Tweet at #Celebratelu

Love this quote I found from Lily Tomlin: "For Fast-Acting Relief – Try Slowing Down"

        This week, after our Expo, our school was on vacation. I had things to do, personal and for work, too, but I did try to have some s.l.o.w time, to stay lazy early in the morning, to write more just for me, and to read more. It was a nice week.

I saw: my son, daughter-in-law and grandson who live in Texas, a short visit, but so great to be with them! I posted this Tuesday too, and here they are again!

Poems from Personal Strength

          Karen Edmisten, the mom, writer and consumer of coffee is our host for Poetry Friday this week.Thanks Karen for hosting today! 
          And I also want to thank Laura Shovan of Author Amok, and say again what fun I've had writing poems for her birthday month colors.   HERE is where you can find out all about her plan.

        I'm preparing to give an assignment to a middle school class and thought you would like to see a few resources that I'll use for them. It's a creative writing experience that their teacher and I thought would be terrific to help the students take one added step and write for a spoken word/poetry presentation. Students will research their names and write from that research, connecting with the past, or geography, or something new.  I cannot guess what they will find and deliver to us, but want to share with them as many examples of people writing about names and naming as I can. I already have some picture books and poetry anthologies, some essays I've saved from magazines and newspapers. The challenge is to turn their words into poetry, good to present and to memorize. This class has written in varied genres often, and I wrote poetry with a small group earlier in the year.  Now they'll discover new ways to share their words.

It's #NFPB10for10 - get your lists and your $$$$$ ready!

            Hurrah! It's Cathy Mere at Reflect and Refine, Julie Balen at Write At The Edge and Mandy Robek-Enjoy and Embrace Learning bringing us non-fiction 10 for 10 picture book day! Here's where you prepare to make a very long list, and order many, many books - from the library of course. (Or maybe a few from your favorite Indie store!)     Thanks Julie, Cathy and Mandy!

     Be sure to add your 10 for 10 link with Julie, and then tweet at #NFPB10for10

Here are my recent favorites, some old, some very new! 

                                                              Author- Page McBrier Illustrator - Lori Lohstoeter

Published by the Heifer Project, this story is about a real nine-year-old girl from Uganda. She yearns to be able to attend her local school, even standing near the school as the students gather in a group and pretending she is one of them. How much our children in America take for granted! The story tells of the amazing arrival of a goat to this family, but first they must prepare a shed and begin growing the food it will eat. The goat arrives and is named “Mugisa”, meaning “luck”. And as the story grows, luck also does in the form of twin kids, which mean more prosperity for the family, all from a donation of one goat. The story is one of many that The Heifer Project shares, and this time in a beautifully illustrated picture book.

Slice of Life - Best Laid Plans...

Thanks to the writers at Two Writing Teachers for hosting the slicing community!  I hope you're all anticipating the March Slice of Life Challenge.  See Tara Smith's great post yesterday about her class and their writing adventures while slicing here!  Margaret Simon of Reflections on The Teche and I are the support team for those who are entering the challenge with their classrooms.  See her wonderful post today that will help you begin.  Like Margaret, if you have questions, you can leave them in the comments, or e-mail me at LindaB414 at gmail dot com. I'm the connection for teachers whose names begin with A through M. 

#NFPB10for10 - Remember that tomorrow, Cathy Mere and Mandy Robek are hosting this event!  Don't miss it!

        One dictionary consulted reads that "Serendipity is finding something good without really looking for it." As I consider our lives observed as slices of life, I realized sometimes things that have taken a wrong turn do turn out okay! My son, daughter-in-law and grandson flew in Friday to ski with their friends and immediately went to our condo in the mountains.  They arrived at my house Sunday evening for a quick visit with my daughter, son-in-law and two granddaughters. It was a lovely evening, and then Monday was spent with more visiting and shopping at a few stores they don't have where they live.  They left about 5pm to catch their flight back to Texas.  It's always hard to say goodbye, but I was happy to have seen them even for a short time, took a quick picture and off they went. 

           It was going to be a quiet evening, right!  I sat down at the computer to read some Monday blog posts, thinking about dinner prep, and then my grandson called.  

Monday Reading - Lots Going On

Happy Reading everyone!

 It's Monday! What are you Reading? is hosted by Jen at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS, and shared with Ricki and Kellee at UNLEASHING READERS.   

         And, also visit Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS for more reviews.  Great books are being shared!

 Tweet! at #IMWAYR

        Hurrah! Cybil's winners were announced on Friday, Valentine's Day! The winners can be found here! Congratulations to everyone!

#NFPB10for10 - Remember that Wednesday, Cathy Mere and Mandy Robek are hosting this event!  Don't miss it!

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I read a book that met two challenges on the sidebar this week.  Week by week this year, I hope I can find time to read all that are on the list in a page posted above.  Go to Carrie Gelson's post here to discover what it's all about and who's participating (tweet at #MustReadin2014), or go to Gathering Books with Myra, Fats & Iphigene to see their challenge!    

Celebrating Good Endings

   Thanks to Ruth  at Discover.Play.Build, Ruth Ayres Writes for reminding us to celebrate every chance we get. Tweet at #Celebratelu

    It was a week of celebrating endings. Thursday, our school held our wonderful Exposition (Expo), something like a science fair where each student shares the accumulation of his unit topic learning for the year, yes, for the year!  It is an amazing evening, with many visitors including families, neighbors, former students and parents all returning to see what students have been doing all year. We have about 250 students, thirteen classrooms, and every single students has a display. With everyone's help, but especially the core teachers, which I was for many years, we celebrate the learning. It is an evening extraordinaire. Then a half day Friday, and we're on vacation for a week! Here are a few pictures of projects that caught my eye, arranged from youngest to oldest. I didn't do a slide show this time, but just took a few pictures to offer a taste!

Sweet Valentine Poetry Friday Here

Posting this late afternoon for the early birds. I will be out until later in the evening.

Welcome to sweet Valentine’s Day Poetry Friday:

A little laughter: 

I claim there ain't


Another Saint


As great as Valentine.
~Ogden Nash

A little sugar: “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.”

― Charles M. Schulz

A little romance: Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs.  - William Shakespeare

And a few hugs from me!  Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!

                

An old Valentine I've saved.

From the Harlem Renaissance

             I’m linking to Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday, hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and all sharing non-fiction texts. It’s a first time, but wanted to share this wonderful book.

Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other nonfiction books are shared this week!

        

Harlem’s Little Blackbird – written by Renee Watson, pictures by

Christian Robinson

             Born to former slaves, Florence Mills was one of the successful and famous entertainers before and during the Harlem Renaissance.  She began being popular as a very young girl, from her singing and her kindnesses and sticking up both for her rights, and for others who needed support.  Some of her experiences will be good entries into discussion about courage and doing the right thing!  The book adds another inspiring biography about someone we have  previously known little.  The illustrations by Christian Robinson fill the page with lovely folk-style paintings. 

Tweet at #NFPB2014

Reading Conference - Rewards Plentiful

               Thanks to those writers at Two Writing Teachers for hosting those of us who are slicing about their lives!  And thanks to Betsy for this beautiful new graphic.  It seems like it'll be a boost for fresh looks at our lives.

                I just returned from our state reading conference, CCIRA, and what an immersion in all things focusing on students and teachers, teaching and literacy!  I experienced both kinds of exercise from Thursday on, walking for my body while listening, talking and reading for my brain!  I had the pleasure of seeing authors and talking with different exhibitors about books and about reading ideas they promoted through their materials.  This time, I want to focus on a couple of emotional highs that connected to the blogging community too, because I believe after reading your words for many months that you are these kinds of teachers I write about below. 

               Patricia Polacco spoke about life journeys, particularly her journey. 

Monday Reading - More To Love

 It's Monday! What are you Reading? is hosted by Jen at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS, and shared with Ricki and Kellee at UNLEASHING READERS.   

         And, also visit Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS for more reviews.  Great books are being shared!

 Tweet! at #IMWAYR

        Cybil's winners will be announced on Friday, Valentine's Day! The finalists-all wonderful books-can be found here!

Happy Valentine's Day week all you book lovers!

“I grabbed my book and opened it up. I wanted to smell it. Heck, I wanted to kiss it. Yes, kiss it. That's right, I am a book kisser. Maybe that's kind of perverted or maybe it's just romantic and highly intelligent.” 
― Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

           I just returned from our state reading conference, CCIRA. What an immersion in all things books! I had the pleasure of seeing authors and talking with different exhibitors about books and about reading ideas they promoted through their materials. 

           I will share more details in tomorrow's post, but wanted to say that reading was certainly ALIVE and WELL at this conference.

I saw Patricia Polacco, Harvey “Smokey” Daniels, David L. Harrison, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Henry Winkler, Lin Oliver, Donalyn Miller and Sharon M. Draper! There was much to celebrate in all these sessions!

Meets the 2014Latin@s in Kid Lit Reading Challenge

The Living – written by Matt De La Peña

          It seems a challenge to cram so many themes into one story, but Matt De La Peña has managed to write a book I could hardly stop reading, full to the top with “story." It has a social class tension; and is a weather-related survival page-turner, a romance straight from a 17 year old perspective, and an international disaster betrayal. And it all occurs all in eight days! Shy Espinoza, from the poorer section of San Diego, manages to get a summer job on a cruise ship before his senior year in high school, helping out his family as he always has. He’s a good kid with a kind heart, and it shows throughout the story in his work and in his friendships, but especially in his thoughts. As I neared the end of the story, I realized that it couldn’t possibly tie up the problems set by the end of the book. I was right. Book two, The Hunted, comes out in the fall.