The Invisible Boy & ...I never saw another butterlfy...

The Invisible Boy
"The Invisible Boy" written by Trudy Ludwig and illustrated by Patrice Barton, is a story about a little boy that can't seem to fit in. Brian's teachers overlook him and his classmates ignore him. The book is filled with vibrant watercolors while Brian is colored in black and white representing the theme of being invisible. Brian eventually finds friendship with a new boy at school named Justin. The illustrator now paints Brian in color, he then becomes visible to his new friend.


...I never saw a butterfly...
 "...I never saw a butterfly...", is a book of poems written by young children under the age of fifteen that passed through the concentration camp of Terezin. The book is filled with poems depicting the highs and lows that the children experienced during times of starvation and disease. Many of the children are optimistic about their future while they are surrounded by death. The book is not just poems but illustrations as well. Some authors of the poems remain anonyms.

The Candy Monsters

Bell rings. Feet run on the newly polished floors in the cafeteria. "Line up!" I yell. Greedy eyes feast on the suitcase full of candy. "All my winners line up and get your prize first." Long fingers enclose over the Takis, Pringles, and Snicker bars. "Ok, everyone else get one piece of candy." I am pushed to the nearest wall while the monsters attack. As the smoke and the monster clear, I look to now empty suitcase and sigh.

Blog Post #7

Coming on Home soon by Jaqueline Woodson is a beautiful story that shows the life of a little girl dealing with her mother going off to work during the war. It shows a beautiful reality of what women went through to provide for their family. The daughter and grandmother wait patiently missing the presence of the mother. The pictures are realistic and warm and remind you of the love that poured out in your mothers hugs.


The War that Save my Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is a beautifully written piece set in the time of WWII. It tells the gut wrenching story of a little orphan girl (Ada) and their brother being taken in by a woman who has no earthly idea how to raise a child. It shows how a relationship is grown between the children and Susan in the world's most difficult time.

Blog #7 Teaching Diverse Types of Notebook Entries

Reaching into Memory
It can be very intimidating for students to write about a new book or new content that they have learned that day. Simply requiring students to reflect on a memory to practice writing is a great way to begin a lesson. Not only are students describing an event in detail but this also could be a way to activate prior knowledge on a subject that may be discussed that day.




Thinking About a Person
Writing about a person who has inspired me or has special characteristics is another way to spark a writing experience. Writing has come easily when I am talking about my mother, someone who has made me the woman I am today. Kids are often interested in the people they can relate to. Whether it be a person on social media, a teacher, or even an important friend, the writing process can become easier when students' are able to write about the people that surrounds them.


Intentional Strategies Versus Assignments


The thing that stuck out to me the most was the use of notebooks in the classroom. The use of notebooks should not be a one-stop shop of assignments. As educators we want notebooks to be a place of refuge. Notebooks should be a place where students fell at ease when writing. We want to be able to hear students' voices within their writing and use notebooks as an extension for future writing assignments.

The Raven

The Raven is a Pacific Northwest folklore that explores how a raven stole the sun to provide light. The raven transforms itself into a pine needle that turns into a baby when the Sky Chief's daughter drinks the needle on accident. Once the baby its born, it stills the sun from the Sky Chief's home. The book is filled with a lot of dark colors why the raven is bright and colorful. The illustrations do not brighten up until the sun has been thrown into the sky.
Crow and Hawk is a Pueblo Indian Story that tell a story about how a crow leaves it's nest and a hawk helps hatch the eggs and feeds the crow babies. It is a story of how important your responsibilities are. The illustrations are bright and full of Indian art.
Both stories depict their cultures that shine through the illustrations in the books. I truly enjoyed this genre of children's novels.

Slice of Life- Scallop Delight

After a long day that consist of 133 kids screaming "Miss!"every other second, there is nothing better than the sizzling pure olive oil hitting a searing hot pan. The olive oil begins to pop as the fresh scallops plop down unto the silver steaming pan. The aroma of sea salt fills my nostrils while the sweet tunes of Earth Wind and Fire buzz in my ears. One tablespoon of garlic and butter are added to this scallop delight and I picture my feet in warm sand while the ocean breeze tickles my neck. The scallops make their way to a pearly white plate and all is well with my soul.

BHH-Speak

The Book Head Heart reading strategy is a great tool to use in the classroom not only for new novels  but for any text your students encounter. During our book club meeting for our choice novel Speak, we talked about all aspect of the book not realizing that we hit several elements that are used in the BHH strategy. As adults we have learned how to have meaningful conversation when discussing new content, but that may not come as easy to students'. The BHH strategy is a great guide to assist in purposeful reading. Not only does it encourage students' to fully invest in what they are reading but also comprehend what the text is discussing.
I have recently introduced this tool in my STARR tutorials. I believe that this tool can be effective not only in novels but in non-fiction, fictions, poetry, and many more resources. My students will be introduced to a non-fiction article this Tuesday in STARR tutorials, and elements from this strategy will be used to help make connections to the text.

3 New & Exciting Children's Books

This week I have introduced two new books to my class. My 8th graders has entered into a poetry unit. The are responsible for composing their own reversal poem. Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Josee' Masse, is a book full of reversal poems. The book is full of illustrations that that show the fairytales that is being discussed in the poem. Pictures are illustrated in reversal which add a fun touch to the book.
The Other Side by Jaqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis has depicted beautiful illustrations that shows beautiful imagery of what was going on in the Civil Rights Era. I introduced this book to the class while talking about symbolism. The fence painted in the book was a beautiful symbol of segregation and racism during that time.
Sleep like a Tigerr by Mary Logue and illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, is a book that takes us through a journey of a young girl fighting bedtime. The book illustrates many animal in their sleeping habitats. The illustrations are abstract, bright, and exciting. I have yet to introduce this to my class but I look forward to it.

The Story of the World's Most Famous Bear

Finding Winnie is a Caldecott Medal winner full of detailed and vibrant illustrations. The book takes readers through a historical journey of a bear named Winnie who inspired the life of Winnie-the-Pooh. This particular book stood out to me because the text was at a higher level than what I am used to seeing in children's books. The amazing thing about this book is the way the illustrations mirrored the words on the page. The text could be a bit difficult for our struggling readers but the pictures could help with the disconnect students may be having which will also help with the comprehension.  This book warmed my heart and I am happy to add it to my collection!

Slice of Life- Thursday Terror

"Your rough draft is due at the end of class. You have 20 minutes left!" The pencils begin to move at a rapid pace. "Miss, are we going to have time tomorrow to finish?" My head bounces from left to right with my eyes shut closed. "We are now in Lock down. I repeat, we are now in LOCK DOWN!." "Everyone in the corner. QUICK." I rush to cover the small rectangle glass window while fumbling with my keys that will lock us inside. Faint steps grow increasingly louder towards my room. "Everyone lock your doors, NOW!" "Miss, what is going on!?" "Shhhhhh"  I whisper. Two minutes turn into three, and three minutes turn into ten. "The building is now secure." Miss, that wasn't a drill was it?" "No sweetie, I don't think it was."

Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky

I chose Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky because it is a genre that I believe we need to see more of, African folktale. The illustrations were done by Blair Lent and the pages are full of color and filled with African culture. The book is a tale of how the sun and moon made residence in the sky. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book and will introduce this to my children. It will remind them of exactly where they came from.

Childhood Memories

Growing up I had a small obsession with Dr. Seuss books. Ok, small may be an understatement. Once I got a hold of Green Eggs and Ham, I made my parents by every Dr. Seuss book that was published. A big part of my obsession with Green Eggs and Ham was that we read it and school and got to actually make GREEN EGGS AND HAM!! It was an experience that still sticks out in my mind today. The level of creativity my teachers possessed allowed me to be engaged and excited about the book. If you Give a Mouse a Cookie, was another book that I could not put down as a child. The illustrations were bright, bold, and not to mention cute. Of course, my partial obsession was due to me loving milk and cookies. :)


List of my FAVS!


-Green Eggs and Ham
-If you Give a Mouse a Cookie
-Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?
-The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Literacy in Secondary

Reading has always been a big deal in my family. Growing up I always had a book in my hand. Staying up until 2 a.m. was not unusual when I got my hands on a new novel. In school, reading was a breeze for me. I never really struggled on test and scored high on the state exams. However, I did have an issue engaging in  texts that were not interesting to me. My high school teachers taught me how to pull the information out of a text that I may not be that interested in. My senior English teacher made the biggest impact on my life. She is the reason why I fell in love with not only reading but writing. As I look back on my senior year of high school the biggest thing that my teacher did that stood out to me was giving students a choice. I think when possible it is important to give students' a choice in what they are reading. My teacher knew that I loved historical romances and she introduced me to Pride and Prejudice. This very day I still pick that book up at least once a year.

Patience

I have chosen the word "Patience" for the year. This word is not only important for me but also for my students' regarding literacy. Our 8th grade language arts students recently finished a novel study as well as a reading benchmark test. All through their middle school careers strategies have been taught to help assist in purposeful reading. I often find that my students' tend to rush through a book or passage just to get it done quickly. When the time arrives to write, they are often lost and confused and unsure where to begin. Patience is a concept that I preach constantly in my classroom. I encourage my students' to annotate and take their time while reading. I often need to practice patience when teaching strategies. One strategy may not work for a certain class or student. One student may grasp a new strategy or concept quicker than others. I must remember to be patient with each and every student and remember just like this is my first time teaching the strategy it is the first time they are learning it.