Walking to School: my daily journey
Friday, November 22, 2013
Finally Friday
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.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
What a difference a day makes
Beautiful morning. Yesterday was too cloudy to see the moon, but today is clear and pretty. I'm pretty

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

Saturday, November 9, 2013
TG I'm Back
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?
Sunday, October 6, 2013
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.
- Classroom/students: planning lessons, communicating with families, assessing progress towards goals.
- Classroom/my performance: keep in mind, but it directly follows student work.
- Team, Department, SAT, Committee work OMG, I’m feeling really full already!
- Graduate classes: I want to put great work in, but find myself not doing A+ work.
- NEA+: New and exciting, just making discoveries at this point- Trip next Thursday!
- 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!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
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.