It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 5/4

Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers cohost It's Monday! What Are You Reading?  Be sure and stop by to participate or see what others are reading and recommending this week.

It has been such a long time since I have written a IMWAYR post.  I need to start making this a habit.

Last week I finished up the Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer Nielsen.  I read all three books in less than a month, but I don't know what took me so long to get started!

These three books take the reader on a journey filled with adventure, danger, trickery and even love.  The plot is full of unexpected twists and turns and by the end, comes full circle.  Jennifer Nielsen is a masterful storyteller.

I typically am not a fan of fantasy, but I absolutely devoured The False Prince.  Then, I couldn't wait to read the other two.  One good thing about reading an entire series after they are published, is that I don't have to wait for the next one to come out.  I loved this trilogy and have already started recommending it to my students.

This week on my reading radar:

Happy Reading!

Celebrate Turn #14

I am ever so grateful to Ruth Ayres for inviting us to share and celebrate events, big or small, from our week. 

When I picked my one little word for 2015, I knew this TURN was coming.   

Yesterday was my daughter's college graduation ceremony.  It is hard to believe this time has come.  Where have the years gone?  It seems like yesterday we brought her home from the hospital, our fingers wrapped in her tiny little hands.  Today we watched those same hands turn her tassel.  

Megan will be a third generation teacher.  I think I have always known she would choose teaching as a career because she has that passion for learning and working with children that cannot be taught.  I truly believe she was born to teach.  

During the invocation, the pastor told the graduates, "you are standing at the edge of possibility."  What powerful words.  My daughter's world is about to turn, and I can't wait to see where it goes

Life is full of turns.  

Life is full of celebrations.

Let us remember to celebrate each one.

Life Turns - Preposition Poem

April is National Poetry Month, and I am celebrating with many other bloggers by writing and sharing poetry.  Please check out the hashtag #digipoetry on Twitter to find more poems written by  writers in our blogging community.  Please consider joining us.  Write when you can, share when you write.  It is that simple.

My April has been busy which has caused some setbacks in my writing - especially keeping up with writing poetry.  Yesterday I came across a preposition poem from Newtreemom.  If you have not been to her blog, I encourage you to do so.  She is an amazing writer.  (I also wish I knew her real name.  So if anyone does, please leave me a comment!)


A preposition poem is a poem using only prepositional phrases.  Today I wrote about life turns and the importance of having someone to share them.

with you

beside me

during the hards times

along the way

with love

between us

for now

for always

Celebrate Turn #13

I am ever so grateful to Ruth Ayres for inviting us to share and celebrate events, big or small, from our week.  I did not think I was going to get this post written because I am so far behind in the things-that-need-to-be-done list.  It is THAT time of year.

I am so grateful that I live in an area that has four seasons.  If I had to rank them, I would rank spring as last.  Spring is cold, rainy and so unpredictable, but we are rewarded by what comes after it.  And that is a cause for celebration.

Today I celebrate spring.

I celebrate rainy days... because the grass is green and flowers are blooming.

I celebrate tree pollen and sneezing... because the trees are no longer bare.

I celebrate helicopters (maple seeds) strewn in my yard and landscape... because the trees from which they fall provide shade in the hot summer days.

I celebrate hectic schedules...because that means the end of the school year is near.

I celebrate spring...because I know summer is on the way.

Have a great week and may you find many celebrations along the way.

Google Docs - An Invitation to Revision

Digilit Sunday

Today is the first time I have participated in Digital Learning Sunday with Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche.  I use technology in my classroom, but I would not call myself "technologically literate."  And I am certainly not comfortable sharing and writing about it.

We are coming to the end of our perseverance unit.  I love this unit for many reasons.  One, the students are reading biographies of their choice.  Two, they are learning about ways people have not given up and persevered through difficult situations. Three, they are writing their essays using Google Docs.

Google Docs naturally encourages and invites revision.  For some reason, student writers dread the revision process.  Their interpretation of revision is "writing it over."  I work hard to explain this misconception - that revision is making changes to improve their writing, and all writers revise.  Google Docs makes convincing them much easier.

As I sit beside my writers, I am amazed at how differently they view revision while keyboarding instead of writing by hand.  Revision doesn't seem to be a chore.  They examine their essays with a more critical eye, looking for ways to make their writing better because they know they do not have to laboriously rewrite it.  Revision is as simple as a few keystrokes.

I see them thinking about how they can change a verb to make their sentences stronger. Crafting well-constructed sentences is now a thoughtful process.  They are cutting and pasting sentences and even entire paragraphs to better organize their essays.  After I taught a mini lesson on complex sentences, they went back to see how they could change their sentence patterns.  They are not afraid to make changes because they now know how easy it is to make them.  They have become better writers through the use of Google Docs.

As a teacher, I like Google Docs because it automatically saves revisions, and I can view them in the revision history.  I am able go back in and look to see what changes they made throughout the writing process. Revision history lets me take a peek into their thinking, and I can see how they specifically and conscientiously made these decisions.

I am sure many teachers have been using Google Docs in their classrooms for quite some time.  For me, this was my first attempt.   As a reflective teacher,  I am always looking for ways to improve my instruction and student learning in my classroom.  I can envision how writing will be completely different next year through the use of Google Docs.  I cannot wait.

Celebrate Turn #12

I am ever so grateful to Ruth Ayres for inviting us to share and celebrate events, big or small, from our week.

I am really late posting my celebration today.  I actually had a post ready, but this one deserves a post of its own.

I celebrate one.  

As in a hole-in-one.

As in a hole-in-one my son made today in his high school golf match.

What a day!  What a celebration!

Have a great week and may you find many celebrations along the way!

Lauren's Life Lessons

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating a place to share our Slice of Life.  Read more slices or add you own here.

I am from Indiana - a state where basketball is king.  This year basketball had a queen.

This week a young girl at the age of 19, died from a non-operable brain tumor.  She was diagnosed just a few weeks after signing to play basketball for Mount Saint Joseph.  Her dream was to play one game on a college court - and she did.

With approval from the NCAA, the basketball season was moved up two weeks so that Lauren could walk on that hardwood floor and play with her teammates while family and friends watched from the stands.  She scored the first points in this year's NCAA women's basketball season.  

But the amazing part of this story is how she became a face for children with cancer.  She raised over 2 million dollars for cancer research, knowing that she would never see the day when a cure is found.  

Lauren was a fighter and a believer.  I never knew Lauren, but I kept up with her story because I come from a basketball family.  Having a daughter who played basketball and who now coaches, this story touched my heart and broke off a small piece.  I cannot even imagine what her parents and family are going through.

Last night on Twitter, I saw a picture of "Lauren's Life Lessons" which was passed out at her visitation.  Her lessons are ones that we all can learn from.

I cannot even begin to give justice to this story.  If you wish to learn more about Lauren and her amazing short life, please watch this video here.  Warning - you will need tissues.

Meanwhile, look at these life lessons.  Which ones are speaking to you today?

Find the light in every moment!

My Hope, My Freedom - Tritina Poem

April is National Poetry Month, and I am celebrating with many other bloggers by writing and sharing poetry.  Please check out the hashtag #digipoetry on Twitter to find more poems written by  writers in our blogging community.  Please consider joining us.  Write when you can, share when you write.  It is that simple.

Today I have played with writing a Tritina, which is a ten-lined poem divided into three tercets and a single line.  The pattern looks like this:

A/B/C 
C/A/B 
B/C/A

A,B,C 

My students are reading biographies and writing literary essays on perseverance.  I have several students who are reading about Harriet Tubman, and my conversations with them led to the subject of this poem.

My Hope, My Freedom

I have been told I am nothing but a slave
with nothing to call my own, not even my freedom.
I dream under the stars at night and I hope,

because without hope
I can only be a Negro bought and sold as a slave.
But I am one who believes that freedom

is not beyond my grasp.  I desire freedom
so that my faith in man can be restored.  I hope
that none of my people will no longer be a slave.

I was born a slave, but freedom is what I hope for.

Celebrate Turn #11

I am ever so grateful to Ruth Ayres for inviting us to share and celebrate events, big or small, from our week.

I am arriving at that time of the school year where I have more days on my calendar with something to do than blank days.  Between my children's schedules, my schedule and my school schedule, it is going to be a busy two months.  Today I celebrate blank days where I can breathe and regroup for the next rush in my schedule.

We have 30 school days left.  Not that I am ready for this one to end, nor to say goodbye to this group of students, but I am ready to start reflecting on this year and thinking about changes for the next year.  Today I celebrate reflection.

Today I celebrate Sibling Day.  I have an older sister and a younger brother and sister.  I am so lucky to have them and to be able to share growing up and growing old together.  I am also glad that my own children have each other.  They have always been able to get along well and support each other.  Last night, Megan even wished Ethan a Happy Sibling Day ~ that made me smile.

I have many things to smile about today, including a wonderfully sunny and warm day!  Have a great week and may you find many celebrations along the way.

April is National Poetry Month, and I am celebrating with many other bloggers by writing and sharing poetry.  Please check out the hashtag #digipoetry on Twitter to find more poems written by  writers in our blogging community.  Please consider joining us.  Write when you can, share when you write.  It is that simple.

Celebrate...
the simple and the hard
through both 
we persevere.

Celebrate...
the big and the small
through both
we love.

Celebrate... 
the light and the dark 
through both
we grow.

Celebrate...
the happy and the sad
through both 
we live.

Mourning Whistle

April is National Poetry Month, and I am celebrating with many other bloggers by writing and sharing poetry.  Please check out the hashtag #digipoetry on Twitter to find more poems written by  writers in our blogging community.  Please consider joining us.  Write when you can, share when you write.  It is that simple.

Today I share a Fibonacci poem which is based on a series of numbers where the next number is found by adding up the two numbers before it.  For example, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8...  Instead of using syllables, I decided to try the number words used in each line.

Tonight I am sitting on my porch listening to a train go through town; its whistle sounding like a cry of mourning.


A
train's
mourning whistle 
fills the air
from a far away distance,
sadly crying out to those willing to listen
as it slowly travels from town to town toward its endless journey west.

Standing at the Crossroads - Free Verse

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating a place to share our Slice of Life.  Read more slices or add you own here.

April is National Poetry Month, and I am celebrating with many other bloggers by writing and sharing poetry.  Please check out the hashtag #digipoetry on Twitter to find more poems written by  writers in our blogging community.  Please consider joining us.  Write when you can, share when you write.  It is that simple.

I have been a mother for 22 years and these years have been full of joy and pride.  We have been blessed as parents because our children have caused us very few problems.  We are extremely lucky and we give thanks every day.

I believe that my role as a mother will soon be stretched in ways I am not looking forward too.  Becoming an adult is not an easy thing to do in our world today, especially when our plans and goals are not the same as our children's. 

Standing at the Crossroads

while he is

standing at the crossroads 

his mother

watching from behind

with a heavy heart

...worries

knowing that reality is

clashing with his dreams

different paths

different directions

hard choices 
hard decisions

his mother 
watching from behind
with a heavy heart

...prays

while he is 

standing at the crossroads

Riddle-ku

April is National Poetry Month, and I am celebrating with many other bloggers by writing and sharing poetry.  Please check out the hashtag #digipoetry on Twitter to find more poems written by  writers in our blogging community. 

Today I am trying a riddle-ku which has the traditional 5-7-5 syllable count, but is written from the point of view of an object or animal.  The reader tries to guess "what" has written the poem. Last year, Laura Purdie Salas wrote a riddle-ku a day for the month of April.  Check out her site to get ideas and resources for teaching riddle-kus.  These are so much fun to write for me and my students.  So read this riddle and scroll down to find the answer.

I don't sing or dance

I'm the life of the party

by mixing it up

Chex Party Mix

Easter Cinquain

April is National Poetry Month, and I am celebrating with many other bloggers by writing and sharing poetry.  Please check out the hashtag #digipoetry on Twitter - thank you Margaret Simon - to find more poems written by our blogging community.

Easter

the stone is rolled

to find the tomb empty

"Do not disbelieve, but believe"

my Lord

Celebrate Turn #10 - Anaphora

April is National Poetry Month, and I am celebrating with many other bloggers by writing and sharing poetry.  Please check out the hashtag #digipoetry on Twitter to find more poems written by  writers in our blogging community. 

My post today is serving double duty because I am also celebrating with Ruth Ayres.

Last year I tried the technique called anaphora which according to Margaret Simon is the repetition of a word or a group of words at the beginning of successive phrases.  This may be breaking the rules a little, but I liked this layout better with my repetition of verbs.

I celebrate 31 days of writing 

           ~ sharing stories, sharing words

I celebrate caps and gowns 

           ~ looking back, moving on

I celebrate new life

           ~ sprouting green, shining sun

I celebrate 145 days of teaching 

           ~ building relationships, learning with others

I celebrate reflection 

            ~ making changes, growing along the way

Have a wonderful week filled with poetry and celebrations!

Graduation Haiku

April is National Poetry Month, and I am celebrating with many other bloggers by writing and sharing poetry.  Please check out the hashtag #digipoetry on Twitter - thank you Margaret Simon - to find more poems written by our blogging community. 

Today my son brought home his graduation gown and invitations.  Next week I order my daughter's.

Graduation is a time of endings and new beginnings and so many unknowns.  It is a bittersweet moment for many - both parents and students.

Time goes by so fast, but I am excited to see what lies ahead for both of my children.

Today I share a haiku I made with the free app - Vanillapen.  I have not upgraded yet, but I know this is an app with which I want to experiment and explore.

Small Steps - Book Spine Poem

April is National Poetry Month, and I am celebrating with many other bloggers by writing and sharing poetry.  Please check out the hashtag #digipoetry on Twitter - thank you Margaret Simon - to find more poems written by our blogging community. 

When I was in a child, especially in high school, I wrote poetry.  I think sometimes poetry and that age group seem to be a perfect fit - lots of emotions!

As an adult, writing poetry seems to be harder for me.  Putting my thoughts and emotions into words is not as simple as it seems.  Putting my words out there for others to read takes courage.  Many people like Margaret, Elsie, and Linda to name just a few, make it look so easy.  Taking this challenge is a small step for me.

 Today I tried a book spine poem.  It just happened to also capture my feelings about this challenge.

courage for beginners

as simple as it seems

it only looks easy

small steps

With Determination - A Blackout Poem

April is National Poetry Month, and I am celebrating with many other bloggers by writing and sharing poetry.  Please check out the hashtag #digipoetry on Twitter - thank you Margaret Simon - to find more poems written by our blogging community.

My students are in the middle of a perseverance unit.  Each student is reading a biography and will write a literary essay on how their person persevered or overcame obstacles.

I wrote two essays about Wilma Rudolph to use as mentor texts.  I thought these essays would be a great way to create a Blackout Poem.  Here is how I created it.

First, I read through the essay looking for words or phrases that when pieced together, created something thoughtful or profound.  I learned the hard way to circle with a pencil first, and then block the words I wanted to use with a marker.  (I actually did this three times before I got it right!)  After blocking the words, I blacked out the remaining text with the marker, leaving my poem.

Determination

helped her to persevere

she had to fight back--somehow

With determination 

a new life was beginning

With determination 

she didn't let anything 

stand in her way

With determination

she overcame

to persevere