What We're Reading Wednesday-Survival Strategies of the Almost Brave by Jen White

I haven't done one of these in a while, but I just had to share a review that I wrote for an ARC of Survival Strategies of the Almost Brave by Jen White.  This blog post coincides with the launch of a new blog, one that I am very excited about, called Reader Rach.  I will be reviewing books that I read and love!  I think I'm so excited about this new blog because I love reading so much and I want to share the books I read with the world!

If you're a middle grade teacher, please come check out and follow my new blog and read my review of Survival Strategies of the Almost Brave, the best middle grade book I have read in a long time, which is set to be released on June 9!

A New Use for Old Christmas Cards

Christmas is over.  Now comes dreaded winter.  I don't mind the cold weather in December.  I do mind it January through March.  It's just no fun.  I still look forward to snow days, but after 12+ last year, even snow days got tiresome.

How many of you still receive Christmas cards?  We got a few this year.  Mostly, our friends send photo cards.  It's fun to see the pictures each year, and I usually keep them in a magnetic photo album.  So what do I do with the "old fashioned" cards?  Some of them are so pretty, I hate to just throw them away...one of my hoarding tendencies (I'm working on it, ok?).  So I don't throw them away, I repurpose them!  How many times do you have students come to you asking for a bookmark?  That's right, I cut up those old greeting cards into bookmarks for my students.  A pretty and practical use for the old Christmas cards!

What We're Reading Wednesday-The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

Hop on over to my other blog to find out What We're Reading Wednesday!

What We're Reading Wednesday-Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

Join me on my other blog Family, Love, & Fairy Tales to find out more about this awesome book on What We're Reading Wednesday!

 

 Also, I've finally set up my Google Plus account.  Please feel free to add me!

What We're Reading Wednesday-Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin

Hop on over to my other blog Family, Love, and Fairy Tales to find out what we're reading Wednesday!

Leave of Absence

One of my last blog posts was about how I was expecting a baby in May.  Well, due to some complications, I delivered a healthy baby girl in April, but my health is still not fully back to normal.  I chose to take an unpaid leave of absence this school year from my job and it is the best decision I've ever made.  I'm loving staying home with my baby girl, and only missing teaching just a little bit. I have started a new blog chronicling my experiences this year and my pregnancy complications due to HELLP syndrome.  I would love it if you follow me over there at familyloveandfairytales.blogspot.com!  I really would like to raise awareness about HELLP syndrome in pregnancy, so my first few blog posts are going to be about that.  I would love it if you could pass along my blog post to anyone who might be experiencing the symptoms I am describing.  It really could help save a life!

I hope everyone is enjoying their school year so far!  I am still following my favorite blogs and I love hearing about how everyone is doing.  I will be back to teaching next year, so I can't let myself get rusty! :)

I will periodically post here during my time off; mostly about books that I am reading.  Until then, I hope to see you over at Family, Love, & Fairy Tales.

Book Review-The Shadow Throne by Jennifer Nielsen

Title:  The Shadow Throne
Author:  Jennifer A. Nielsen
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date:  February 25, 2014
Source of Book:  Netgalley

The Shadow Throne is the third book in The Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielsen.  War has come to Carthya. When Imogen is kidnapped, King Jaron makes a plan to rescue her.  Of course, nothing is ever easy for the Ascendant King, but don't discount Jaron just yet--he always has a plan.

I thought this book was the perfect conclusion to the trilogy.  At this point, Jaron knows who he can trust and who his real enemies are.  Though young, he never loses sight of saving his kingdom and the people of Carthya.  Nielsen gives a conclusion to all characters in this book, leaving the reader satisfied.  This is probably my favorite children's series since Harry Potter.  You can't help but to love and root for Jaron.

I am still at a loss in which genre to classify this book.  It is definitely Middle Grade/YA.  I prefer to classify it as Middle Grade, but when shopping for the books at Barnes & Noble, I had to look in the YA section.  As far as genre, though, I have mostly seen it listed as fantasy.  My only issue with this is that I believe fantasy involves magic and this book does not.  I prefer to think of the genre as a cross between fantasy and historical fiction.  The kingdom is a made-up place (fantasy), but takes place in the past (historical), though there are no historical facts in this book, which is a key component of historical fiction.  I never know how to describe the books in this trilogy, except that they are all excellent!

Rating:  4/5 stars.

Author Studies

Does anyone do author studies to teach reading strategies and author's craft in writing?  This wasn't something I was exposed to in college, so it is new ground for me.  I have done an Eve Bunting author study in the past and I am currently doing an Angela Johnson author study.  Angela Johnson is an Ohio author.  Her books relate to many of my students.  She has won three Coretta Scott King awards and one book was awarded an ALA notable award.  With two split-up weeks, I thought this was the best time to conduct our Angela Johnson author study.  We started with The Leaving Morning and Tell Me a Story, Mama.  Both books are very relatable to my students.  We discussed making connections and point of view.  This week, we will be reading When I Am Old With You and studying sentence fluency.  Angela Johnson is a great author to study in fourth grade because she has authored picture books for young children, middle grade and young adult novels, and poetry.  This offers a wide variety of books for the wide variety of reading levels in my classroom.  We will also be doing a mini-study of the historical fiction genre with her books Wind Flyers about the Tuskegee Airmen and A Sweet Smell of Roses about the March on Washington.  Both books offer opportunities for nonfiction companions.

If you would like to learn more about Angela Johnson and her books, you can visit her website at http://www.ajohnsonauthor.com/.  There is also an excellent video on Ohio Channel where Angela Johnson discusses her books and writing process.

If you would like to purchase my Angela Johnson author study, you can visit my Teachers Notebook shop.  I will have it discounted this week only!!

I'm a Bad, Bad Blogger!

I have no idea how you other moms and teachers do it!  I am nearly drowning this year and blogging has been one of the last things on my mind.  My sister asked me to write a blog post for her travel blog, Glam Girls Travel and it got me in the mood to write again!  I'll let you guys know when it gets posted--it's all about traveling with young children.

I think I posted a while back that I was going to try out self-contained this year.  Well...it's going!  I do miss teaching reading all day long!  I also miss only having to prep for reading & language arts.  I do like having the same kids throughout the day, though. It can be challenging at times, but I do feel like I have a better grasp on behaviors and their progress in school in all subjects.  My teammate and I have discussed it and I think we have decided to go back to switching next year...one of the main reasons being....

I'm having a baby!  

We're expecting a little girl in May!  So, does that get me off the hook for not blogging since August?  All you moms out there know what that first trimester exhaustion is like.  Well, mine still hasn't gone away and I'm 26 weeks.  Today is actually the first day that I feel like my energy is coming back.  Thank goodness!  I'm even considering going into school tomorrow to get some stuff done that has been neglected for far too long. 

I'm also getting ready to start Math Workstations this week.  I was busy creating some games during family movie night (luckily my hubs and kid gets it!)  I went to Dollar Tree earlier and got some dice, playing cards, flash cards, and some containers to house everything.  Once I work out the kinks and see how things run, I will definitely be posting more.  I know it's going to take some trial and error, given this is my first go-round!  

Well, I hope everyone is having a great weekend and I hope my fellow midwesterners are staying warm!  It was 45 degrees here today, which is a heat wave compared to the -35 wind chills we were having three days ago!  I am going to make a goal to post at least once a week from now on, so stick with me!  

Week-end Randomness

Look what I've been up to this week....

Yep, that's what my room looked like when I walked in this week.  Actually, I had been in one time before and moved two bookshelves and left.  Haha.  No, really, I had the kid with me and he was way too bored.  This is what happened:  

At the end of the first day of mission: organization, this is what the room looked like:

I arranged the desks first, on the advice of a seasoned veteran.  I was complaining how it's just so overwhelming when you first walk in and you just don't know where to start!  In a previous post, I wrote about how I still was unsure how I wanted to arrange my room.  Well, I decided to make the group meeting area in front of the Smart Board.  I arranged the desks in tables scattered around that meeting area.  I need to buy another rug because the one I have is too small, but you can see the corner of it in the bottom right picture.  In the top picture, I have organized my library.  Once that was done, it finally started to feel like a classroom again.  I organize my library by genre.  I use the black dishpans you can buy at the Dollar Tree.  The red bins came from Scholastic when my district ordered 900 books for each grade level!  I try to keep them separate as best as I can, so the Scholastic books go in the red bins and the books I have purchased go in the others.  

You might see I have some bulletin boards already done.  I actually left some things up from last year because I knew they weren't going to be painting.  My Daily 5 posters are still up, but that was just an oversight and I will be taking them down because I make them with my students while we are launching each component of Daily 5.  

My first official day back is not until Tuesday, but I am working Monday as though it is a real work day.  My mom is actually going to come in and scan books into my Booksource app while I do other things around the room.  It's always nice to have a helper and to help me stay focused.  Otherwise, I end up spending a lot of time talking to friends and coworkers that I haven't seen all summer!  

Another little excitement in my life is...da-da-dah...

That's right, I ordered an Erin Condren teacher planner!  I went back and forth, and I found one similar on Etsy that was less-expensive, but she really sold me on that You Tube video posted on the EC site!  I decided I MUST have one.  So I spent a little extra dough and added extra checklists and additional plastic page protectors and hopefully it will be everything I hoped it would be.  

Another really random thing from this week, but kinda goes along with my EC planner is these new pens...

Have you seen these yet?  They are Pilot Frixion GEL pens...that are ERASEABLE!!  What?!  AYFKM?  That's short for "Are You Freaking Kidding Me?!"  They are amazing!!!  Someone I follow on Twitter tweeted about them and how they are on sale on Amazon, so I splurged.  I bought two sets.  That's how much I KNEW I was going to love these pens.  And my expectations are exceeded.  Yes, they are that amazing.  And they're super colorful, and so much fun to use to write in my new EC planner!!  By the way, they are still on sale and the $2 clickable coupon is still active, so go buy them now!  

One last exciting thing that happened this week is...

Yep, that's what you think it is.  The Quiestest Pencil Sharpener from Classroom Friendly Supplies.  

You know what that means?  A review and a giveaway is coming soon!!

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Thoughts on Classroom Arrangements

I am still on vacation, but I'm reading Twitter, following blogs, and pinning away. It seems as though I'm the only teacher on the planet not in the classroom preparing for the new school year. This is my second vacation this summer. We did the two-vacation thing last year and I loved it. We took a larger-scale family vacay in June, then a smaller "end-of-summer celebration vacation" if you will in August. It was actually a surprise trip from my family for my big 3-0, but it was a great way to say goodbye to summer.  I loved it so much, I decided to try it again this summer. The kid and I accompanied my husband on a business trip to Atlanta, then hopped on a plane to see my sister and her husband in Orlando. We hadn't seen them since the surprise trip last August, so we were really looking forward to it. I'm going to blog about both trips with pictures when I return home. 

What I want to write about today is different classroom arrangements. I got rid of my desk last year. I was really worried I would miss it, but I really didn't. I never sat at my desk during class anyways, so I just used my kidney table as a "desk," which I only sit at in the morning during check-in and during small groups. I also brought in another kidney table for my co-teacher. She spent most of the afternoon reading block in my classroom, so she really needed a space of her own.  I wish I had pictures, but essentially both kidney tables were in the back of the room, along with our library area. I would like to move things around this year, here are some thoughts:

General Classroom Layout:

I've always wanted my small group area in front of the Smart Board. It makes sense to be able to make charts, hop on the Internet, or display something necessary for a read aloud or lesson.  My biggest concern with that, though, is that creating this space in front of the board takes away space for desks when I want students to learn from there and see the Smart Board.  I also saw an arrangement where the teacher moved her small group table to the center of the room.  I really liked that idea (again, to be able to utilize the Smart Board during small groups, and also it seems like it might be better to monitor behaviors during Daily 5 and math workshop.  

Library Area:

I've always loved the library area in my classroom. I have three long bookshelves full of books and one tall bookcase I brought from home. I bought paper lanterns at Target this summer to hang in the library area for softer lighting. I like students to be able to sit in the library to read and relax. In the past, I've also used this space as a meeting area. My biggest problem with my library last year is that some of my students chose to sit there and goof around while I was with a small group and couldn't see them. My first thought is to not make my library so "closed off" but my gut tells me this could happen no matter where my library is in the room. I also need to think about if I want to maintain the library as my meeting area. If not, I can have it be a smaller area in the room. 

Computer Area:

I have three desktop computers provided by the district in my classroom. They have to be against the wall in my classroom because of wall outlets and Internet connections. I also have three Google Chromebook computers that I got through Donor's Choose last Christmas. The Chromebooks are more mobile, but I like them to be plugged in throughout the day when not in use. Last year, I had another table that formed "L" next to the desktop computers. I think I like the idea of all of the computers being in the same location, but they don't have to be. Hmm...now that's got me thinking!!

Your thoughts??

How are you arranging your classroom this year?  Do you change your layout each year or essentially keep it the same?  Anyone else remove their teacher desk from the room? 

Well, off I go to look at more classroom layouts on the 'net! 

Book Talk Thursday-The False Prince

If you have not read this book yet, RUN, don't walk to your nearest bookstore and pick it up.  I say bookstore because it's so good I imagine there will be a LONNGG wait list at the library.  Would you believe me if I say this is more than likely the best fantasy book I have read since The Hunger Games?  I know, The Hunger Games isn't technically fantasy...but I think you get the idea.  It is really, really, really good!

Ok...on to the synopsis.

Sage is an orphan in the kingdom of Avenia.  You can tell right away that he gets into a lot of trouble, but it always seems like it is for the greater good.  A wealthy man buys Sage from the orphanage and Sage quickly realizes this man has a purpose.  There are three other boys with him that were also orphans and they all somewhat look alike.  The man tells the boys right off the bat that he is looking for a boy that will replace the prince of Carthya, who was thought dead four years ago when his ship was overtaken by pirates.  He wants the prince to become king so that he will be able to rule Carthya from the background.  Sage and the other boys are taken to the man's home in Farthenwood to train and become The False Prince.

Right away, you will fall in love with Sage.  He is feisty, but you can tell has a good heart.  I like his spunk and his attitude.  The character development in this book is amazing.  You will also find some twists and turns in this book.  I predict a lot when I'm reading, and I'm often right, which sometimes ruins the book for me.  I did not predict a few plot twists, which made me love the book that much more!

The chapters in this book are also very short, which I think makes the book great for a read-aloud.  After I gushed and gushed about this book for a few days, my husband very quietly snuck it into his carry-on so he could take it on his next business trip to read!

And guess what?  This book is the first in a TRILOGY!  Yay!  The Runaway King is already out (and I am currently reading it!) and the third book, The Shadow Throne is due out March 1, 2014.  Also, I was checking out Jennifer Nielsen's website and it looks like The False Prince has been optioned by Paramount Pictures!!  Go read this book RIGHT NOW!

Your Daily 5 Questions...My Answers (Part Two)

Yesterday I posted part one of the questions fellow teachers have been e-mailing me regarding Daily 5.  Today is part two!


I'm a 4th grade reading/language arts teacher. I want to use the Daily Five/cafe format this year, but I have some questions. I'm required to take 2 grades per week for reading, grammar, and spelling. What do you take grades on? Also, do you use basals or chapter books during your comprehension lessons?


One of the hardest things I struggled with when I first started Daily 5 & CAFE was grades.  I went from a ton of grades each week (from silly busy work) to nothing!  Luckily, I am not required to take two per week, but I might have a solution for you.  I do take an effort grade.  We did Marzano training a few years ago, and one of the strategies is effort.  Together with my students, we create an effort rubric.  It is very simple 4,3,2,1 where 4=100%, 3=75%, and so forth.  At the end of each Daily 5 round, I call students' names and have them give me their effort.  For the most part, students are pretty honest about their effort.  If I suspect a student of inflating their effort, I choose to watch them closely during the next round.  I typically pick out 4-5 students each round to really watch (while I'm doing groups) to see if their effort is what it should be.  I tally the effort grades at the end of each week and average them for my grade book.  Daily 5 effort accounts for 10% of the total reading grade in my grade book.  I also do weekly reading response journals (modeled after the letters Donalyn Miller discusses in The Book Whisperer).  My district has one grade for reading, writing, and spelling, so the reading response journals account for 25% of the grade.  You could also have students turn in their weekly word work for a grade.  My students have to complete a SAW (Sort, Alphabetize, Write sentences) during their word work each week.  

How many students do you teach? 

In the past, I have taught my homeroom and my teaching partner's homeroom reading, language arts, and spelling.  There were 30 students (give or take a few) in each class.  My reading block for each class was about 2 hours and 15 minutes long.  This year, however, I have chosen to stay self-contained and see what that is like!


Does each of your students have a book box in your classroom? 

My students do not have book boxes because I do not have room for storage.  Plus, I wanted my students to be able to take their books to their other class.  I used reusable grocery bags for a few years, where students were supposed to store their books, journal, and reading binder, but I was finding it was also becoming a trash can.  I took those away, then went to gallon ziploc bags.  Eventually, I just gave everything up and expected my fourth graders to be responsible and bring everything with them that they needed to my class. This year, being self-contained, I'm going to try book boxes if my school will order them for me.  


Do you teach anther subject with reading? We will teach social studies and reading.


My district recently adopted Good Habits, Great Readers as a series.  I do not use it religiously, but I do use the guided reading books and lessons as part of my strategy groups. This series is strategy-based, so it does fit somewhat nicely with Daily 5.  I am very anti-basal.  Prior to this adoption, I did not even have basals in my classroom.  I created lessons based on the strategies/standards I was teaching.  

The first year I switched with my teaching partner, I taught reading, writing, spelling, and social studies.  She only taught math and science, though, so it was a little uneven. We eventually made it so I taught reading, writing, and spelling while she taught math, science, and social studies.  She only did science and social studies on alternating days, however.   

Your Daily 5 Questions...My Answers

I'm on vacation this week, but I am scheduling some posts so I don't leave you all lonely!  I have recently been e-mailed by several people asking questions about Daily 5.  As I was answering each one, I thought that I should create a blog post about this because if one person is asking, there might be five more wondering.  So here goes...Questions are in bold, my answers follow.  

My thoughts are that I want to do both- the Daily 5 (or daily 3) AND reading workshop.  Do you do that in your classroom?

The Daily Five and The Book Whisperer are excellent books.  Those are definitely my go-to books for reading framework and instruction.  I'm not sure exactly what you mean when you say Daily 5 and reading workshop, in my mind, they are essentially the same thing.  Have you read The CAFE Book, also by the Sisters?  It is the "instruction" piece to Daily 5.  

I was wondering how your day goes.

I have a two hour block for reading that consists of two 20 minute lessons (or one long 40 minute lesson, for new material), and three Daily 5 choices.  During the Daily 5 choices, I pull small groups for instruction.  Sometimes the small groups are strategy based, but more recently I have done strategy-based guided reading.  My district has Good Habits Great Readers, and although I don't use the series exactly as it is intended, I do like how the guided reading books and lessons are strategy based.  It fits very nicely with CAFE.  

How would you break down a 1 hour block for daily 5?

I don't know if Daily 5 is the best option for you if you only have one hour.  I would think your "mini-lessons" would need to be a bit longer since you don't get to see your students that often.  Maybe you could spend half the time in a whole-group lesson and the other half working with a small group.  While you're with your small group, the rest of the class could be doing independent reading with a book of their choice.  Have you read The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller?  She offers a lot of great insight about reading instruction, and especially choice reading. 

#nErDcampBC Breakdown

Last week I posted how excited I was about the first-ever nErDcamp, hosted by the Nerdy Book Club. It did not disappoint.  In fact, is was one of the best PD opportunities that I have ever attended.  For those of you who don't know, an Edcamp is an "unconference" of sorts.  1.)  They are free.  2.)  Conference attendees create and run the sessions.  3.)  They are fun!

My colleague and I arrived in Battle Creek, Michigan on Wednesday night, after what turned into about a 6-hour drive because of weather and traffic.  After grabbing dinner and drinks, we hit the hay at the Holiday Inn, Battle Creek because it was going to be an early morning.  We grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel restaurant-free, thanks to my husband's Platinum Priority Club status, and headed to Lakeview High School, the site of nErDcamp.  The first 150 people who arrived were greeted with swag bags, full of ARCs and posters!  Awesome!  We headed into the "Black Box," quite literally a black, square room possibly used for theatre or band.  The room was set up with tables, a screen and projector, and several books for people to explore that would be given away later.  After giving everyone time to settle in, Colby and Alaina Sharp, nErDcamp organizers-extraordinaires, told us how the day was going to work.  When asked, very few people in the room said they had been to an Edcamp before.  This was a new experience for most attendees!  

The day had four sessions-two morning, two afternoon, with a lunch break in-between.  After a welcome and brief overview of how things were going to work, we were set off to begin discussing what kinds of sessions we would like to see.  I felt so inferior to so many people in that room, that I mostly sat and watched, in awe.  Colby Sharp, Donalyn Miller, Franki Sibberson, Jillian Heise, among MANY others-all people whom I look up to as a reading teacher.  Sessions started forming.  Alaina put session titles into an "Idea Board" Google Doc, to which everyone had access.  Sessions brainstormed included "Everything Evernote," "Flipping 101," "Twitter 101," "Book Talks," "Skyping and Connecting with Authors," etc.  Twelve possible sessions into two one-hour time blocks.  How's a girl to choose?!  Let me tell you, it was difficult.  I chose to go to "Everything Evernote," hosted by Cathy Mere, Karen Terlecky, and Alaina Sharp.  I used Evernote in my classroom last year, and I wanted to learn more about it's possibilities.  Wow!  That's another post for another day.  The second session I chose to attend was "Motivating Reading and Writing Through Technology" with Donalyn Miller and Suz Gibbs.  The cool thing about Edcamps are, even though there are session leaders, everyone is encouraged to participate and give input.  Some things I took away from that session is Biblionasium, a site for students to record their books, and Booksource, a way to catalog your books digitally.  Book trailers, Prezi, and Edmodo were other things discussed at this session.  Suz Gibbs also showed an amazing book trailer created by one of her students!

After lunch, we went back to the "Black Box" to brainstorm ideas for the afternoon sessions.  Once again, some wonderful ideas were offered.  Sessions included "Graphic Novels," "Special Ed and Literacy," "Sister Classrooms," "Battle of the Books," "Genius Hour," "Nerdy Book Club Needs You," among others.  For the afternoon I chose to attend "Sister Classrooms," hosted by Jillian Heise and Brian Wyzlick and "Genius Hour" with Amanda Ferrari.  I was interested in Sister Classrooms for two reasons.  One, I follow Jillian and Brian on Twitter and I am seeing their back-and-forth about things they are doing in their classrooms.  Jillian lives in Wisconsin and Brian in Michigan.  They have connected their classrooms in many ways.  Another reason I was interested was because my colleague and I will be in different buildings next year, both teaching fourth grade.  We want to connect our classrooms in this same way.  When I get done writing this post, I am going to create a Google Doc for she and I to share ideas on ways to connect-one thing Jillian and Brian recommend.  The final session I attended was "Genius Hour."  Once again, I had heard about it on Twitter and wanted to learn more.  Twitter is amazing PD people!  The idea behind Genius Hour comes from Google, who allows their employees 20% of their time to work on something company-related that interests them personally.  They believe that employees will be more productive when people work on something that they are passionate about.  Genius Hour in the classroom is allowing your students 20% of their time to work on a project they care about.  I really like this concept, and look forward to learning more.

The best thing about nErDcamp was the interactive idea board and notes taken at each session.  If you click on each session number on the idea board, it links you to a notes page taken in the session!  How cool is that?!  So, if I have mentioned anything that sounds interesting to you, or you would like to read more about the different sessions offered, go to the idea board and get clicking!

I was so inspired by the number of teachers that attended nErDcamp.  Everyone gave up a day from their summer vacation to learn and grow.  Many traveled hundreds of miles to get there and I would be willing to bet that everyone said it was well worth it, it certainly was for me.

Thoughts on Abandoning Books

Have you seen this infographic on GoodReads recently?  

My co-teacher sent it to me for a little laugh.  We allow our students to abandon books.  We know that every book is not right for every person.  Our goal is to pair each student with their just-right book.  Of course, we have those few students who abandon every single book they pick up.  We call them "Book Abandoners."  It's a term we use every day in our classroom, and the students know that we do not want them to become habitual book abandoners.  This infographic was kind of a laugh for us, because we had a parent a few years ago that did not like that we told her son he was a book abandoner.  Regardless of the fact that the child did not finish a book his entire fourth grade year.  We wanted him to finish a book.  We begged and pleaded with him.  We allowed him to pick his own books.  We gave him books we thought he would enjoy.  He never finished one.  That will haunt me for a long time.  

I recently finished The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak.  A non-teaching friend recommended it to me, which was huge because this friend rarely reads kid-lit or YA.  She told me how much she loved it and how she had to slow her reading down because she just didn't want it to end.  Great review, right?  This same friend also recommended The Storyteller by Jodi Piccoult.  I also read that book this summer and she did not steer me wrong.  (Side note: What's with the Nazi books this summer?  I also reread Number the Stars).  The Book Thief had been on my GoodReads list since I started marking books to-read on the site.  On this friend's recommendation, I decided to read it this summer.  What the heck, right?  I read two other Holocaust-era books, what's one more?  

I struggled through it.  No, I STRUGGLED through it.  I don't know why.  Maybe it was one too many Nazi/Holocaust books in such a short time period.  It could be the fact that Death was the narrator in this book, obviously something very new to me.  My go-to reading superstars on GoodReads & Twitter, Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp both rated the book very highly.  I kept wondering, "What is wrong with me?  Why don't I like this book like the rest of the world does?"  I still don't have an answer to that question.  I will continue to ponder.  

I thought about abandoning the book a few times.  I allow my students to be book abandoners, why can't I?  Then I kept telling myself, "Everyone else loved this book, there's got to be something I'm missing."  I kept reading.  In my eyes, the last 100 pages or so redeemed the entire book.  It was so well-written and I felt so many emotions reading the end of the book.  (No, the emotion was not happiness that it was almost over!).  That got me thinking, should I allow book abandoning?  Should I encourage my students to stick with it, because they might get something out of it in the end?  I won't say I loved this book, by any means, but my entire perspective on the book changed now that I reached the end.  Maybe this book wasn't just right for me at this time.  I'm now curious, should I encourage students when they abandon books to go back and try it again at another point in the year?  

One of the great things about being a teacher who reads is that I can reflect on my reading life and use it as a teaching tool in the classroom.  I will definitely be sharing my struggle with this book with my students.  First, they will learn that readers do sometimes feel conflicted with a book they are reading, dislike a book even.  They will also learn that persevering through a book, rather than abandoning it, does have it's rewards.  I felt accomplished finishing this book, as well as seeing the book in a whole new light once I had time to reflect.  I learn, or take away something from every book I read.  This time my lessons will carry on with my students.  

nErDcamp Battle Creek!

Anyone on Twitter and follow Colby Sharp?  He's a teacher from Michigan and co-founded the Nerdy Book Club with Donalyn Miller.  You know, The Book Whisperer.  Well, he and his wife have also founded the first (hopefully annual) nErDcamp, that is taking place this coming Thursday, July 11 in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Has anyone ever been to an EdCamp before?  I had never heard of them until recently.  Many teachers I follow on Twitter have been to them and tweet from them using a EdCamp location-specific hashtag.  From what I understand, EdCamps are FREE professional development organized by teachers for teachers.  They are sometimes referred to as "unconferences" because it is exactly the opposite of a conference your district or administrator requires you to attend.  There are also no scheduled presentations or topics.  The session topics are brainstormed on the day of the conference by conference participants.  

So what is nErDcamp?  nErDcamp is the first ever EdCamp organized by the Nerdy Book Club.  It is a literacy-specific EdCamp.  I was just checking out the Idea Board on the nErDcamp blog and there are lots of really neat topics cropping up!  Last I heard, there are over 200 participants registered!  

So why am I telling you about this?  Well, for starters, my good teaching buddy and I have decided we are GOING!  Less than four hours away from our homes?  We cannot pass this opportunity up! Neither one of us have ever attended an EdCamp before, so this will definitely be a learning process, but hopefully a very beneficial one.  I don't even know why I just said that.  It definitely will be a beneficial one.   Forget the fact that we are Buckeyes traveling into Wolverine country.  We can put our differences aside for a few days.  

If you live in the area (or within a driving distance of the area) you should definitely register to attend!  If I haven't convinced you enough, read Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Come to nErDcamp.  Anyone already planning on attending?  Hopefully we can meet up!  

Words Their Way Word Study

Back in August 2011, I posted about a new word study program I was starting called Word Journeys.  I used that program for the entire year and loved it.  I felt like my students were making so many gains in their word knowledge.  In fact, the fifth grade teachers who taught that group last year were so impressed with them!

This past school year, my district adopted a new reading program which came with the Words Their Way program.  It was a very easy transition for me, having used Word Journeys in the past, as the two programs are very similar.  Though I'm wanting to revamp somewhat, I plan to stick to the shell of how I ran my word study program.  At the beginning of the year, I give the Words Their Way spelling inventory.  I start out with the "Elementary" form, then give the "Upper Elementary" form to those students who got more than 20 words correct.  I typically end up with about four groups.  I meet with each group once a week (usually Tuesdays and Wednesdays) to discuss the new spelling pattern.  I used to give a notes page for students to keep in their binders, but I was finding them on the floor, in their desks, and every other place except their binders!  I put a composition book on the supply list this year and I want to try a word study notebook instead.  So, at the group meeting, students will take notes in their word study notebook.  They will record their spelling pattern, then brainstorm words that fit their pattern.  Students will then be given their word sort.  I give them a word sort page for them to record it on.  I do not have students glue down their words because I want them to access the words for ABC order and to do other sorts throughout the week.  The word sort is due the following day.  This allows me to see if anyone is struggling so I can do some reteaching before it is too late.

I was also struggling with finding the word sort words all over the floor.  I asked a 2nd grade teacher in my building how she handles this with her students and she told me that she found zipper pockets similar to these on sale and each student has one that they keep in their homework binder.  She sets aside time at the beginning of the week for the students to cut out their words and put their name on each one before putting them in the pocket.  If a word is found on the floor, it is very easy to tell whose it is.  I like this and I'm going to try it this year!

Other word study assignments that students have due throughout the week are ABC order and Super Sentences.  In the past, I have allowed my students all week to work on the assignment and have it due during the next group meeting.  Last year, that did not seem to work and students failed to turn in the assignments. Mid-year, I started having the ABC order due on Fridays and Super Sentences due the day of their next group meeting and that seemed to work out better.

I feel very strongly that word study is the best way to teach spelling.  Students are learning spelling patterns based on their individual needs.  It really doesn't make sense to have students memorize "4th grade words" when they don't even have the concept of long vowel patterns.

Do you use Words Their Way or a similar program?  What other word study assignments do students complete throughout the week?

Monday Funday: Big Brother & A Little Housewives

I said yesterday I was going to write about what I know.  Well, it's summer, and I know my favorite part of summer (besides being off of work!) is Big Brother!  Now, I wouldn't call myself a Big Brother Superfan, but I will admit that I am a little obsessed and I even read the live feed updates.  See, a superfan would subscribe to the feeds.  I don't do that.  I read the Jokers Updates that the people who do subscribe to the feeds write minute-to-minute what is going on the house.  If you're a BB fan, check it out for yourself.  Warning:  because they are live feeds, there are things you will find out that has not aired on TV yet.  Like who is the MVP, who they nominated, and who the house is planning on sending home.  Yep, I know all of that already.  Don't be jealous. :)  I promise you, though, when I write about BB, I will not talk about anything that hasn't been aired on TV that all you regular folks have been watching.

Ok, here goes....First of all, who was shocked that Rachel's sister is on the show?!  And she really thought she would be able to keep her identity under wraps?  Not smart, girl.  I like the alliance that is forming with McCrae, Howard, Nick, Jeremy, and Spencer.  I usually root for the girls, but I have to say, so far I am not impressed.  As my husband so eloquently put it last night, "are all these girls in heat?!"  I'm not a big fan of the "I'm here for a showmance attitude."  Aaryn and David kind of make me want to throw up.  They've known each other for what, 10 days?!  Ugh.  Respect the game people! Plus, Aaryn has said some things on the live feeds that have not been aired that really, really make me dislike her.

Real Housewives of New Jersey and Big Brother were on at the same time last night.  Oh, the nerve of those TV execs.  Good thing my TiVo has four tuners.  I don't really have a lot to say about the Jersey girls.  I'm kinda over the Gorga-Giudice family drama.  I hope they work things out.  What I do want to talk about is Jacqueline's struggle with her autistic son.  It completely breaks my heart.  My son is almost the same age as her son, so I can really feel for her.  Anytime that storyline graces my television, I am in tears.  I think Jacqueline has gotten some slack for "exploiting" her son, but I feel like what she is showing is very real and she is doing her best to give her son the best therapies and the best opportunities.

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If you didn't mind my little side-post about my favorite TV shows and  you read the whole thing through...you get a little treat!  You can download a freebie from my Teacher's Notebook shop!  This freebie is a poster that I use to offer options for my students to do during Word Work time.  It's also a little hintedy-hint about my blog post tomorrow!  Click the link above to be directed to this freebie.  But hurry!  It will only be available for the next 48 hours!