Finally Friday

Friday, November 22: Oh - yuck this is like the worst kind of walking. There is ice under snow, ice on blacktop, slippery ice, black ice. I guess over break I NEED to find my YakTrax, for sure. Yes, 

there are some challenging days where paying attention to each step is pretty important. But...really great week!  No kidding - it seemed way more than 5 days, though. The best thing is the menu assessment and the kids' efforts. Today, all the 7th grade classes will be doing book passes and 'shopping' for books for book clubs (lit. circles, book groups...). No stress for them or me. Good conversations about books. And then it will be Thanksgiving Break. WooHoo!
I will be bringing home all the assessments, all the homework turned in today, and all the book pass sheets with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices - as well as a list of how many of each book the library and I have on hand. Oh, and I need to do all the goals and adjusted instruction for Read180 students in SOARS. But, the good news is I can do it sitting on my comfy chair in my comfy clothes. Sort of heavenly.

What a difference a day makes

Wednesday, November 20
Beautiful morning. Yesterday was too cloudy to see the moon, but today is clear and pretty. I'm pretty
excited (not to mention exhausted.)
The all day our on the computer finding data, assessing data, and setting and entering goals for each and every student on a literacy plan... left no time for Cheryl and I to write our unit test. So that is how I spent all yesterday evening. But I love it! I created a "Assessment Cafe Menu" of questions and activities. Light and Tasty choices - simpler tasks worth few points to Challenge Yourself selections - more difficult tasks worth the most points. Students will choose any combination to equal 15 points. I, also, included several pages of short nonfiction passages which they can use to answer some of the questions or find examples. I think students will love it - well, as much as they can love any assessment.

Thursday, November 21
Okay, snow. Not such a beautiful morning today.  I guess it's really fine. Many people love it. Slippery, though and cars are sliding. I texted Dani that cars are sliding all over Kipling.  Ooops, auto correct said '...cats are sliding...' Oh, well - If cats are sliding it must be really, really slippery. Anyway - my fabulous students are really impressing me with their effort and focus. Some will have to finish today. I spent a lot of time making sure they understood directions and felt confident with the format. I really am stunned at how engaged and thoughtful they are!

TG I'm Back

Saturday, November 9: I am finally back from an unexpected absence from my blog. Switched to Windows 8 and developed LOTS of computer issues, including the inability to upload pictures to my computer. Most of them were due to lack of knowledge on my part - but knowing that didn't fix them :) Because I was, also, busy with Amendment 66 and the school board election and end of trimester... I didn't resolve the problem until today. (The problem with the election, I can't even think about...at all. What can't be cured must be endured) So, here is a favorite picture from the missing time.

This is the fabulous view when I walk in my room at several times of the year when the timing is just perfect. This view is inspirational and uplifting every day - Well, not so much on the cold, drizzly days; but this is Colorado. We don't have many.
I am feeling very optimistic about my classes and student growth. I found an AMAZING book by Gary Paulsen, Paintings from the Cave: Three Novellas, that is so raw and engaging that I start each day with it in Read180. Students have learned what it is like to believe in the reality of a character they know is fictional. They have talked aloud in front of each other about fear and nightmares and being alone in that place. Gosh, it is fabulous! What will I do when we finish?

Friday- Rain! Snow! What!?

10/04/13 – What is this weather!? It was pouring rain when I got up. Changed to heavy snow when i wasn’t paying attention. Now it’s a jumping-over-puddles-with-snow-on-my-glasses kind of day

Created a goal sheet to use in our smaller classes today. We are having a modified contact day. All day, but only about half the students – for goal setting. I don’t feel like I have had enough time to do the preparation to discuss grades and TCAP growth, etc. We only found this was all about goals… umm, after-school on Wednesday. I just want to get to my conference with a parent and start my buried-in-work weekend.

Organization-Stay the Course

10/03 – Thursday. Today I have all day PD on the Reader’s Workshop model. This is a method to shape time in class. We begin with a warm-up which leads to a focused mini- lesson, then work-time (I can conference or teach a small group), then a closing.  It is a model than works with Gradual Release of Responsibility… I do, we do, you do together, you do on your own… and is a great organizing/teaching tool. I’m happy because I have a student teacher who planned the day and will work with the sub – So no sub plans for me!! WooHoo!

I am truly juggling so many things this year, if I don’t stay organized I will crash.

1. Classroom/students: planning lessons, communicating with families, assessing progress towards goals.
2. Classroom/my performance: keep in mind, but it directly follows student work.
3. Team, Department, SAT, Committee work OMG, I’m feeling really full already!
4. Graduate classes: I want to put great work in, but find myself not doing A+ work.
5. NEA+: New and exciting, just making discoveries at this point- Trip next Thursday!
6. Things that aren’t education – like family, recreation, pets, cooking food

AAargh!I need to picture this part of my walk. It is the sidewalk/short cut between businesses and my school. Stay the course.. keep to-dos in mind… don’t stray!

Random Neighborhood Thoughts

10/2  My neighborhood – and the neighborhood of many students – is full of odd and interesting contrasts.

 

Here is writing on the sidewalk, written into once dry cement. Wouldn’t it be nice if you spelled this word correctly? I think they meant to write ‘penis’ in a statement of naughtiness, but maybe his/her nickname was ‘Peanuts’. Either way, this is bad spelling.

Then we have more writing on the sidewalk. This time with paint. Not really about spelling. Clearly, tagging is not what you want to see in your neighborhood. But, it better looking than pe permanent bad spelling. I know there are a few gang-kids around. Not really much noticeable, though.

Then on this same walk, I look up to a beautiful sky… And, surprise! One of the neighborhood horses is already up and out. Just such a unique and interesting place.

Clean my Desk

• 10/1 So I really need to get organized. Really. My desk just grows piles of papers. I have
• graduate class work.
• Student papers.
• graded
• to be graded
• Copies of worksheets, prompts, etc. 
• Assessment data
• TCAP
• Acuity
• pre-post tests
• SAT data.
• Read180 Data.
• Book Club stuff.
• Evaluation-PPP stuff.
• Planning/C-Cap standards, etc.