Words Matter

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

As bloggers and writers, we understand the power of words.  It is serendipitous that I am writing this post on NCTE's National Day of Writing when many are thinking about the power of words.

We know that words heal and words hurt.

They make us laugh and make us cry.

They move us forward yet keep us marking time.

They can hold us hostage, and they can set us free.

Words matter.

Last week I was going through some old emails and came across one that was sent to me two years ago by a former colleague.  I thought about deleting it then and have considered deleting it many times since.  But for some reason, I haven't.

When I received the email two years ago, I was confused because these words were not typical of the person who sent them.  I respected her as a colleague and as my own children's teacher, so I did not understand and wanted some answers.

The next day I walked down to her classroom.

I left in tears.

The words hurt.

Words matter.

I wanted to believe she didn't really mean the words she said to me that day.  She was going through a rough time professionally.  Sadly, she was hurting as many veteran teachers do in their last years of teaching.  I seemed to inadvertently be the cause of the pain, as many new teachers are.

I wanted to believe those words were coming from the pain inside, not from her heart.  But the year ended, she retired, and I moved schools.  Our words became silent.

Words matter.

Ironically, I ran into her last week.  The silence was broken, and we both said words I wished we would have said a long time ago.

I came home and deleted the email.  The one I should have deleted a long time ago.

Yes, words matter.

Celebrate Turn #28

Each week Ruth Ayres extends an invitation to share and celebrate events, big or small, from our week.

This week we were on fall break, so we headed south to Tennessee to my sister's house.  It was a girls' weekend with my two sisters and my daughter.  Three of us are teachers, so it was rejuvenating to get away and not think about things we needed to do, but things we wanted to do.

We ate.

We shopped.

We laughed.

We watched a movie.
We stayed up late.

We slept in.

We sang.

We danced...well some of them did.
We laughed some more.

We took a selfie.

We did what we wanted to do.

And it was something to celebrate!

Here we are trying out the selfie stick - daughter, older sister,
younger sister, and me!

To Live Forever - A Reflection on Tuck Everlasting

My students just finished reading Tuck Everlasting during our unit on "Making Choices." They were asked if they would want to live forever and, of course, we wrote about it.

I have been playing with an idea for the Slice of Life March Challenge where I write for 31 days using only 31 words in a slice.  It has been challenging, but it certainly focuses on word choice.   This makes an interesting twist on writing about reading.

Here is my reflection on if I would want to live forever...in 31 words.

I would not chose

to live forever,

but instead,

to live

to love

to die,

each one

dependent on the other,

each one its own spoke 
on the wheel of life.

The Transformative Power of Reading

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

Each week my students read an Article of the Week (AoW), an idea I borrowed from Kelly Gallagher.  When I choose the articles, I try to find something I think will interest them.  So, when I found an article about how reading changed a presidential candidate's life, I was a little skeptical. Boy, was I wrong.  My students responded to this article in ways I never imagined.

The article is an interview of Dr. Ben Carson by a man named Michael Hyatt.  He talks about how Dr. Carson grew up in poverty in Detroit, Michigan and was raised by a single mom.  But the one thing that turned his life around was reading.  His mother noticed that wealthy people read a lot of books and avoided watching too much television.  So she turned off the tv and made them read, which ended up changing his life.

I have five classes of 6th graders.  In one class, several students have IEP's; some need additional support with reading;  some have behavior problems, and almost all of them do not like to read.  I was overwhelmed with emotion by how they connected with this article.  I think many of them saw themselves in Dr. Carson's early life because they come from poverty and broken homes, and many are at the "bottom of the class" - right where Dr. Carson was.  By reading this article, they realized their life situations could change, but they have to make choices which will affect them in a positive way - like choosing to read and to become educated.

I would love to share all the comments by my students, but they were too numerous to write in a blog post.  Here are a few of their thoughts after reading the author's last line in the article:

"I've always believed in the transformative power of reading, especially in books.  Dr. Carson is a living example of why."

When I read this I was in a different world.  I can't believe reading did that to him!

Well, knowledge is powerful.

I bet Mrs. Eck likes that guy. 

(This one made me laugh out loud.)

Reading can be powerful.

That is a good thing to believe in.

He sets a very good example for kids, and honestly, I think that everyone should read this.

THIS is why you read.

One of my students told me a couple of weeks ago, that he started reading because of me.  He said, "Mrs. Eck, you know, you got me reading.  I didn't like reading before this year."  He now enjoys reading and sees the pleasure in it.  He knows reading has changed him and now he knows how powerful reading can be in his life.

Here are comments he wrote on his article.








Whatever your political affiliations or beliefs are, I encourage you to put those aside, read this article and share it with your students.  I think you will see just how powerful this story is.

Click here to read the entire article.

Celebrate Turn #27

Each week Ruth Ayres extends an invitation to share and celebrate events, big or small, from our week.

Today, I celebrate a glimpse into my school year.

It is hard to believe that October is here, and we are in our last week of the first grading period.  The sad part is that I have been so wrapped up in my home life, that I have not celebrated my school year since our first week of school.  And there has been so much to celebrate.

The first week of August Kate Roberts, the co-author of Falling in Love with Close Reading, tweeted asking for teachers who had already started school.  I tweeted back, and she wanted to know if I was interested in piloting a few lessons for her new book.  After several emails back and forth and picking my confidence up off the floor, (I mean, this is Kate Roberts for crying out loud!) I taught the lesson and submitted photos of our work, including student writing.  I have seen the "unedited-rough-draft-email-version" of the our pages and my kids (along with their teacher) are so excited about it.  Not sure when the book is to be published, but I will certainly be writing more about it!

My 100 students have read almost 400 books so far this year.  It has been so much fun talking about books and sharing books with them.  When I decided to change grade levels, I knew this was my dream job, and they are certainly making this teacher's dream come true.

Last week I wrote a post about a former student who I had the privilege of teaching for two years.  I received an ineffective on my evaluation the first year because of his behavior in my classroom.  But he has come such a long way.  After I showed him the post, he got teary-eyed.  I later learned that while he was in study hall, he Googled my blog and found it.  He left me a comment and then I got teary-eyed!  You can read the post here if you would like.  He makes me proud to be a teacher (although his grammar still needs some work!)

So this is a quick glimpse into my school year.  Writing is slowly making a much needed entrance back into my life, and I hope to continue sharing it with you.

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

The Other Side

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

Twenty-three years ago we built our house next to my in-laws on a dead end street. At that time we were surrounded by elderly people.  As we had children and as they grew up, they would visit our neighbors. There was Jan across the street, Pat and Lee behind us, and Glen on the corner. I am sure our children brought each of them a little smile and a daily dose of sunshine.

Some of the neighbors have passed on while others have moved closer to their own children due to health reasons.  Our neighborhood has changed dynamics.  We now have five year old Lizzie behind us, two year old Courtney on the corner, seven year old Lane and the newest kids, Zoe and Sam across the street.  New children have arrived to provide the smiles and sunshine.

And we have become the "old" neighbors.  

Now, Courtney, while running barefoot in the grass, waves to Dave as he rides his bike up the path.  Lizzie brings us cherry tomatoes from her garden and "baby" pine cones from under the hemlock tree.  Lane draws us pictures for the refrigerator and "works" with Dave in the yard, and Zoe and Sam create and play in imaginary places on our bridge in the ditch.

Maybe being on the other side is not so bad after all.

Celebrate Turn #26

Each week Ruth Ayres extends an invitation to share and celebrate events, big or small, from our week.

When I chose my OLW - turn, I knew my life would be full of turns this year.  I have had to take an extended break from blogging because all of my extra time and energy needed to go toward my family.  So, although I have not celebrated through my words, I have celebrated with you in spirit and through my heart.

I have come to the point in parenting where a kiss and a bandaid no longer make things better.  And realizing this has been very hard.  I have mentioned that my daughter is a first year teacher.  Her road has been anything but smooth.

This week she and I sat and watched The Voice together.  There were no tears, no frustration, no lesson plans, and no emails.  Only smiles, laughter, and a bowl of popcorn between us.  That might seem small to many, for us it was huge.  It has been a long time since we have had a moment like that.

That night after I took my shower and came out of the bathroom, the house was dark and everyone was in bed.  I sat on the couch and listened to the rhythmic breathing of my life. Sitting in the dark living room with only the nightlight illuminating the room, I smiled and tried to hold back the tears.  All was well, even if it was just for one small moment.

When we are going through the hard parts of life, we wonder if we will ever get through them.  When we are going through the easy parts, we don't want them to end. But I know that both parts are necessary and both parts need to be celebrated.  

I don't have a specific celebration this week like I usually do.

I am just celebrating...

the hard and the easy

the smiles and the tears

the past and the present.

And for now, that is enough for me.

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

Taking Responsibility

Two years ago when I was observed by an administrator, I received an ineffective mark on a classroom management category due to the behavior and talking out by one particular student.  This student was one of those who made me want to pull my hair out and question my decision to become a teacher and at the same time, reminded me of why I did.

I argued the evaluation, pleaded my case, and reminded my administrator of the progress Dante had made that year due to the interventions I put into place.  I was told that I was ultimately responsible for my students' behavior in my classroom.  Although I disagreed, I accepted it and moved on.

Because I switched grade levels last year, I had the privilege of having Dante as a student again.  I have to admit, this was not something I was looking forward to, but what a joy it was to have him for the second time.  He has made so much progress, and I could see the caring, young man Dante has become.  He has a heart of gold.  And if I ever need anyone to save me or to stick up for me, Dante would be first in line.

When I had Dante read this and asked for
permission to publish this post, he got a little teary-eyed.

This year he is an office cadet and frequently delivers messages to me.  The first day that he came to my room, he stood at my door, smiled, and said, "How is my favorite teacher of all time?"  Then he came in and gave me a hug.  Believe me when I say, he would not have said this two years ago.

Looking back on that evaluation, I know I cannot possibly be responsible for our students' behaviors, but we can be responsible for those relationships.  Those relationships that make a difference.

I am proud to have that ineffective on my evaluation because it reminds me that relationships do matter.  It reminds me of Dante and all the other future students I will have who need someone to believe in them.  I know I gave him all I had, and I believe it has made a difference in his life.

And I will gladly take full responsibility for that.

Turns

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

It has been over a month since I have written a slice.  

Many reasons.

Experiencing...

        the life turns of parenting young adult children.

Questioning...

     what to do when a kiss and a bandaid no longer make things "all better."

Remembering...

     to breathe when it seems that every breath I take is momentarlily held

Releasing...

     tears...mine...theirs...ours

Praying...

     that through hard turns we become stronger.

Celebrate Turn #25

Each week Ruth Ayres extends an invitation to share and celebrate events, big or small, from our week.

Today I celebrate "those moments."

My daughter has been on a roller coaster these last two weeks.  And I don't mean the exhilarating raise your hands in the air and scream with excitement thriller rides.

I mean the one with jerky turns that smash you against the sides and where you are holding on for dear life and wondering when and if this nightmare is ever going to end.

She started her first year of teaching.  I am sure you all remember it well.  But sitting on the sidelines and watching as a mother has left me emotionally drained.  I leave my school literally sick to my stomach because I am so worried about what state of mind Megan will be in when she comes home.  I look at her face when she walks through the door, and I know what kind of day it was...again.

But this week we had a breakthrough.

She has a student who is making her day tough.  She spent hours creating behavior interventions to put into place for this student.  She talked to the special ed teacher, who was also her student teaching cooperating teacher, and she thought it looked like a good plan.

One day this week she came home with a different look on her face.  I didn't ask about her day; I waited for her to tell me.

And she did.  And she had that look we have all experienced.  She told me her interventions worked and the class had a wonderful day.

I said to her while holding back tears, "Now you know how it feels to believe you have made a difference.  You have to celebrate this moment and hold on to it tight.  Because these are the moments that are going to get you through."

I know she is going to make it through this difficult first year.  We all made it by holding on to those moments when we knew why we decided to become teachers.  I know she will too.

Today I celebrate "those moments."

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

Celebrate Turn #24

Each week Ruth Ayres extends an invitation to share and celebrate events, big or small, from our week.

Today I celebrate the first day of school.

There is nothing like the first day school ~ the excitement AND all the chaos that accompanies it!

We started school this week, and looking at the first two days, I think it will be a great year. Two years ago I moved from 4th to 6th, which means I have many of the same students I had during my last year at 4th grade.  That class holds a special place in my heart, and I am excited to share a classroom with them again.

Here they are together as 4th graders ~ my how they have changed!

It was also the first day of school for Megan, my daughter! Here we are on our teacher day...and no, we had no idea what the other one was going to wear!

To those of you returning to school this week ~ I celebrate your first day.  May you have a wonderful year with your new students and as always, may you find many celebrations along the way!

Today I celebrate the first day of school.

An Unplanned Book Talk

Today was my first day of school.  Our periods were shortened, each one only 25 minutes, due to teaching school-wide behavior expectations.  I did not have any book talks planned because I did not think I would have time.

After I taught the lesson, I found myself with a few extra minutes to spare.  As any prepared teacher would do, I pulled something out of my "bag of tricks."  Our first unit is Making Choices, so I had prepared ahead of time a stack of cards with some "would you rather" questions.

I asked a student to pull one out and to read it.

"Would you rather know the future or be able to fly."

As they turned and talked about their choices, I immediately thought about the book, All the Answers by Kate Messner.  The main character in the book finds a pencil, and it gives her a glimpse of what it might be like to know the future.

Perfect tie-in to the book!  Instant book talk.

I immediately went to my bookshelf, pulled the book, and talked it up.  I knew they were hooked when many of them asked, "Oh, can I read that one first?"

I love it when I stumble upon a book talk.

A Letter to a First Year Teacher

My daughter's first day of school is tomorrow.  She will be in the third grade...as a teacher.

Today, I offer some words to not only her, but to all new teachers.

Dear Megan,

I know you are experiencing many different feelings tonight as you think about your first day of school tomorrow as a first year teacher.  You are excited, nervous, scared and probably every feeling in between.

As you open your door and your heart to your students, I want you to remember three things.

Relationships matter.  These first few days and weeks you will spend time teaching classroom rules, procedures, and behavior expectations.  You will plan lessons with student-friendly objectives which meet your state standards. But none of these mean a thing if you do not build those relationships first.  Student learning will not occur without a meaningful relationship with you, their teacher.  Each child needs to know they matter.

Your students have names.  Many people will tell you your students are a number, a test score, a reading level, and even a label.  But they are your students first and foremost.  Don't let the educational culture get in the way of your passion for teaching or the reason why you are there.  Look at that class list and remember Jaxon and Brooklyn and Alexis and Zach and...

It is not going to be easy.  Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions, but also one of the most difficult.  You will come home frustrated, exhausted, and some days even in tears.  I will help you pick up the pieces because that's what moms do, but I will also tell you to hold on to the memories that will become permanently etched in your heart.  

Those smiles when the lightbulb comes on.  

The high fives when they finally "get it."  

The hugs you freely give because you know they don't get one at home.

The time you spend together reading books like Charlotte's Web and The One and Only Ivan.

The stories they write which will make you laugh and will even break your heart.  

Hold on to these and remember why you became a teacher in the first place.  Not everyone receives the privilege of going to work everyday and making a difference in the life of a child.

You do.

I am proud to call you my daughter, and now honored to call you a colleague. 

Love, 
Mom

Celebrate Turn #23

Each week Ruth Ayres extends an invitation to share and celebrate events, big or small, from our week.

Today I celebrate little love!

This past week my husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary.  Twenty-five years ago we eloped.  Click here to read the story about My Elopement Day.

The funny thing is, we both forgot about it being our anniversary.  I think summer has gone by so fast they we both didn't realize the end of the month was upon us.

But this is characteristic of our life together.  We don't need special days, big celebrations, or any other type of pomp and circumstance.  We have little love.

Little love is helping out without asking or without expecting.

It's knowing I am taken care of and knowing he is proud of that.

It's looking at our children and seeing a part of him, a part of me, knowing that our love will be carried on.

It's sitting together without saying a word, yet finding comfort in the silence.

Little love is simple love.  And that is all I need.

simple people
simple ceremony
simple bands

simple love

...simply forever

Today I celebrate little love.

Have a super week and may you find little celebrations along the way.

Celebrate Turn #22

Each week Ruth Ayres extends an invitation to share and celebrate events, big or small, from our week.

Today I celebrate new teachers.

I consider myself lucky because I get to relive the excitement felt by new teachers, although vicariously through my daughter.  I have not seen her much this week because she has been working almost everyday, all day, in her new third grade classroom.

But I do get to see that new teacher excitement of... 

• new supplies of crayons, markers, and notebooks
• bulletin board ideas coming to life
• libraires reorganized
• pencil caddies full of pencils, sharpened and ready to go
• desks arranged and rearranged and rearranged again trying to find the perfect spot
• empty lesson plan books ready to be filled with wonderful ideas

And I am loving every minute of it!

Yes, Megan is a member of camp give-them-a-pencil!

Today I celebrate new teachers who give me hope that teaching is still a desired and fulfilling profession. 

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

My Little Book Box

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 have realized the older I get, the more I forget.  This has been especially true when it comes to remembering books I have read.  I am sure some of it is age, but I think the number of books I read also contributes to this problem.  

I knew I wanted to add more book talks this year in my classroom.  After reading about one minute book talks in Kelly Hallagher's new book, In the Best Interest of Students, I knew this was something I wanted to include.  Not remembering what books are about makes this idea difficult.  

Thinking about a possible solution, I knew I needed to start recording what I read, and I wanted something I could access easily.  I knew I did not want a binder; it would be too clunky.  I knew I did not want something digital; it could have technological problems when I need to access it.

I decided on a box.  A simple file card box.  

For each book I read, I will write a short book "commercial" or a quick note that I want to read to students and file it my box.  When it is time for a one minute book talk, I simply find the card and~voila~ I can "remember" what the book is about!  This will also be beneficial when students come and ask me about a book.  Instead of saying I have read it, but I don't remember it, I can simply grab the card and read it to them or let them read the card themselves.

Each card will have the title, the author, a very short summary about the book, a reference to a part I want to read in the book, and other books by the same author.  I also wrote the genre in the top right hand corner so I know where the book is located in my classroom library.

Hopefully this is a simple thing that will help me remember, because unfortunately, I am not getting any younger and I do not plan to stop reading any time soon.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

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.

What I Have Read Lately

The Last Best Days of Summer by Valerie Hobbs

This is a book about growing up, growing old, and growing different. I have to admit I was a little skeptical about how the author could bring together a middle school girl who wants to be popular, a grandmother with the beginning stages of Alzheimer's, and a boy with Downs Syndrome. But Hobbs creates a beautiful story connecting the lives of these three characters through a lesson about centering - that place to go to when you want to do the right thing.

Masterminds by Gordon Korman

This book was amazing.  It will probably end up being my favorite read of the summer and maybe even the year - it was that good.  It is classic Korman in that it is a page-turning adventure.  But his twist in the plot is what makes it "masterful!"  I cannot tell you about it because it would ruin the surprise - so you will just have to read it for yourself!

How to Outswim a Shark without a Snorkel by Jess Keating

This is the second book in the series, My Life is a Zoo.  I love the main character, Ana, for her spunk and her curiosity about growing up.  I see so many of my students in her.  I read this book after I heard Kate Roberts speak at All Write.  This was the first book in which I used some of Kate's ideas about writing about reading.  I found it very interesting that I was able to write long about something deep from a fun book.  This will be an excellent lesson for me when we return to school.

Fort by Cynthia DeFelice

Fort is a coming-of-age story about two friends who...build a fort...for the summer.  But at the same time, they get revenge on bullies who make fun of a boy with Autism and find an unexpected friend.  This is a perfect read for those students who think they do not like to read, especially boys.

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

I was one of the lucky people who received an ARC from nErDcamp in Michigan last week.  This book was everything people said it would be.  It is a story of a boy who has an imaginary friend, Crenshaw, who seems to appear when Jackson needs him most.  This book is due out in September and is one you and your students will want to read.

Currently Reading

The writing in this book is beautiful.  So many lines I wanted to highlight and return to read again.

On Deck