Celebrate!

Join others who are celebrating at ruthayreswrites.com

Today I'm celebrating Belgian food and responsible attribution of Creative Commons photos found on Flickr.

Last night, my friend Lisa forwarded me an email from her friend asking, "Is this your Mary Lee Hahn?" (click to enlarge -- see photo attribution)

Yup. That's my photo. That's AJ's hand. That's the waffle we shared when we were in Belgium in 2011.

Here's the full article in the Huffington Post. We ate 9 of those 13 foods while we were there. Some of them multiple times...can you guess which? My Belgian Food set on Flickr is here.

And this is why I'm so diligent in teaching my students to use Wikimedia Commons or a Google image search that filters for "labeled for reuse." (click on "search tools" and choose "usage rights.") I can't wait to show them this real life example of responsible use and attribution of Creative Commons images!

Celebrate!

Check out all the celebrations at www.ruthayreswrites.com

Today I'm celebrating my school mailbox. 

Not because it gets filled with fliers to be passed out, 

paper work to be filled out, 

and junk mail to be tossed out 

(into the recycling bin, of course).

I'm celebrating my school mailbox 

because of the surprises I found there this week:

The first was from Franki. My OLW. It calms me down just to look at it. I wear it on my watch wrist, so when I check the time, it's always "time to breathe." 

The second is a long-standing joke with a friend who shares my love of Russell Stover Coconut Cream and Maple Cream Easter eggs. As soon as the Christmas candy is reduced to 50% and the Valentine's Day candy appears, we're on the lookout for the first sighting of the Russell Stover eggs. Whoever finds them first sends the other a pair. Julia wins this year. Bonus points for sending them interoffice mail in the exact same (perfect-sized) box I used last year. 

Celebrate!

Check out all the celebration posts at RuthAyresWrites.com -- thanks, Ruth!

This week, I'm celebrating all the learning that comes from even a casual, intermittent relationship with FaceBook and Twitter.

I'm celebrating Paul Hankins, who posted his illustrated note taking of TED talks. I followed Paul's link to the talk and found the free (FREE!) TED app (iTunes / Android).

Then I took my first illustrated notes as I watched/listened to Diana Nyad (one of my swimming heroines, in close second place behind Lynne Cox) tell about her history-making Cuba to Florida swim. At age 64.

It was so much fun that I made an amendment to my #nerdlution: I will watch 1 TED talk per week and take illustrated notes. I'm hoping that these notes yield up some poems in their own time, but I'm not going to make that part of the goal.

Taking these illustrated notes got me thinking (along with Steve and Julieanne and Vicki and Fran) about how we and how our students read and respond to fiction vs. nonfiction. This blending of right-brain note taking with left-brain information processing might be something that will help students move past the WOW of random facts in nonfiction to making deeper connections between ideas and texts. It occurred to me that I had stumbled into this blending by accident when I introduced the option of using a common craft video as the presentation tool for my students' upcoming persuasive essays. It will be fun to see how that turns out in the upcoming weeks.

Yes, today I celebrate the fact that I don't have to commit hours to the fire hoses of information known as FaceBook or Twitter to find ideas that will become thought-changers or game-changers.

Celebrate This Week!

Thanks to Ruth Ayres for this wonderful Saturday tradition!   Visit her blog for this week's link up!

Lots to celebrate this week!

#1  Christmas! It was a relaxing day with family. The girls are both older but it was a different kind of fun working together in the kitchen to get things ready, to clean up, etc.

#2 I made a few cookie boxes. I didn't bake as much as I usually do at Christmastime but I did make a few boxes of cookies. I discovered this box-decorating craft during my concussion-craft months and it is the only one I've continued to enjoy.  Little boxes of cookies = happy!

#3  I seem to have my reading life back. Thanks to Donalyn for her #bookaday challenge. I didn't really think I could do it but I have read 7 pretty amazing (and not so short) books.  I won't meet my Goodreads Challenge this year, but have LOVED catching up on my reading.  And I have loved the books I've read so far.  I'm so far behind in 2013 reading but it is nice to read books I've had on my TBR list.  Life is never as good when I'm not in the middle of a book.  So glad to be back to reading after a long rut.

#4  Having two dogs in quite a challenge.  Especially two dogs that don't like each other at all. But, our puppy does look cute in dorky outfits. Arnie has such a different personality than our older dog, Chloe.  It seems fitting to dress him up, take him to see Santa and buy him new toys.  My daughter thinks he will need his own closet soon.

#5  I love being home. I love days to just hang out at home. That is pretty much what we are doing for most of this winter break.

#6  I did not meet any of my 2013 goals, but I am okay with that.  I took a #nerdlution vacation and  needed it. I have tried for my whole life to not live my life in cycles but I love cycles.  I love working hard and resting hard. I need winters where I sit on the couch and read and winters where I get myself in shape.  I've learned that not meeting a goal or changing a goal doesn't mean I've failed and I've learned that taking a break doesn't mean I've quit.  Realizing this is a big celebration for me:-)

Enjoy your Saturday!!

Celebrate This Week!

This is week 10 of the habit of keeping an eye out all week long for what we'll celebrate with Ruth and the others who link up at ruth ayres writes.

There was no question in my mind what I would celebrate this week. I emailed Franki immediately and claimed the Celebration Post for this week.

I wanted to celebrate the last day before Holiday Break. No, not because it was the last day before break (...okay, maybe a little), but because of what we did and the feeling we left with.

About a month ago, the Tech Support Teacher (TST) with whom I've been working sent an email suggesting we try Common Craft Videos. Here's a video that explains what they are and how to make them:





After break, our fifth graders are going to be doing persuasive presentations on the topic of their choice. My students have worked with Keynote, so I wanted them to have another tool from which to choose for the way they would present their argument. Common Craft videos seem like they'd work.

But before jumping in and doing it with their persuasive topic, I knew they would need to experience the process themselves.

I decided we would make a Common Craft music video on the morning of the last day before break.

Crazy, right?
Wrong.

They were motivated and focused. They worked really hard. They collaborated without arguing. I got to do that thing where you get them started and then step back and watch them take over and make it happen. Leaders emerged. Followers willingly followed. Not that my heart was Grinchily small to start with, but I did have a "heart growing two sizes and breaking the frame" moment as I watched them work, and when we celebrated our success at the end of 2 hours.

Yup. Two hours, start to finish:
1. watch the Common Craft video
2. listen to the song (just visualize possible images)
3. listen to the song with lyrics in front of you (sketch possible images)

4. take volunteers to make each image

5. draw, color, cut

6. practice, problem-solve, practice, teacher messes up, practice, success!

getting the images in order to slide under the camera

iPad is ready to record, iPhone is ready to play music,
images are ready to slide through the recording space,
team is ready with script to catch the images that need to
come back for the chorus

7. students and teacher spend the morning singing this song together:

Celebrate This Week

Thanks to Ruth Ayres for inventing this great weekly celebration! Visit her blog to see the link up!

1.  #Nerdlution is going well. I am not hating apples so much and I discovered Honey Crisp which I actually don't dislike.  This is a big deal. I can actually eat it without peanut butter. I am getting up every morning to walk on the treadmill at 5:45 and when I don't want to walk, I just walk REALLY REALLY slow but I do it. This is also a big deal.  Finally, I write every day for 30 minutes on the book I am working on. I have discovered that I tend to work on many projects at once as a way to procrastinate the writing I should be doing. This is a big discovery.  

2.  Other people's #Nerdlutions make me happy.  If you did not get a chance to listen to Kevin Hodgson's #Nerdlution Song, it was definitely a #Nerdlution Celebration!  I love my mornings reading all that people are doing.
3.  I discovered a great article on Imposter Syndrome thanks to Lee Kolbert (whose blog I love!).  Who knew that I am not the only one who thinks that some day people will realize I don't really know what I am doing?   So glad to know I am not alone in this:-)

4. I loved this post from Kristin on Fitting It All In.  Brilliant and connected in some way to #3;-)

5. I am celebrating this post by Clare at Assessment in Perspective because it is brilliant and maybe it will bring us (as a country) back to our senses when it comes to assessment.

6. Hour of Code may have been one of my favorite hours of the year.  More on this in a separate post.  But really--total learning joy.

7. My kids seem to have turned a literacy corner in terms of engagement. They are laughing aloud, squealing when they see new books by their favorite authors and asking to take their writers' notebooks home over the weekend.

8.  Our 2nd grade students put on a holiday program this week and we were able to see the dress rehearsal. Nothing better than kids singing.

And if you have not had a chance to see kids singing and  missed this video that has gone a little viral, take a few minutes to watch it and read the accompanying article.  

.

Celebrate This Week!

Is it possible for #Nerdlution to change my whole attitude?  I think maybe it did.  Not only was it fun to watch people jump on board, but I have loved following everyone's first week of their #nerdlution. The Twitter feed is almost addicting! So many great stories.  Really, actually getting up every morning and walking, working on my writing for 30 minutes a day, and eating an apple seems to be making my days better. But, the whole idea of so many people coming together in this and the fun we are all having with it, makes it all such fun. What I love most is that we all jumped in and do what we do. Colby created a hashtag. Kevin created a song.  Kristi created a logo and a #nerdlution font.  There are playlists and jokes (love the photos) and encouragement and joy. Chris made a FAQ list for #nerdlution with fabulous answers! And you can find #nerdlution on Pinterest.  There is even talk of a #nerdlution Tweetchat.   It just seems like #nerdlution is good for all of us. A definite celebration.

We started our own version Genius Hour in our classroom this week. Kids can learn whatever they want every morning from 9:05-9:30.   I realized that I had slowly taken too much control in the classroom and it wasn't working. I don't teach that way and I know that. Not sure exactly how it happened but it did. Seems to take me a while to find my way when I start a new grade level.  Anyway, we started Genius Hour (along with other things--changed up a few routines that weren't making sense to me) and it's been great!  My favorite celebration was after 3 days, we were chatting as a class about what they liked about starting the day this way and one child said, "I didn't know I could help people. I always just thought I needed help." A big message for me and so glad I followed my gut about what wasn't working in the classroom.

I shared #nerdlution with my kids and told them that I had started the year with the intention of reading a picture book every day--just because. I read lots of picture books throughout each day but they all tie into something we are learning about. I have let go of the habit of just sharing great books on a daily basis, just because.  So I told them my classroom #nerdlution was for me to do that, every day after lunch.  And from their reaction, they will hold me accountable to this!  On Thursday, I pulled out Guess Again! by Mac Barnett and Adam Rex. I had meant to share this book earlier but had forgotten.  The kids made me read it twice because it CRACKED THEM UP! They laughed and laughed. Even my kids who try not to laugh out loud, couldn't help it.  Great fun!

And JoEllen shared a new title with us at NCTE called Winter is for Snow . I shared it with kids this week in Writing Workshop and we had an amazing workshop.  I thought the book might be too simple for workshop but I was amazed at how many craft decisions the kids noticed in the book and how many they wanted to play with in their own writing.  And it was the perfect week for a snow book, right?


We had a Snow Day!

And finally, I found this video this week and loved it:

I so love living my weeks paying attention to the celebrations. Thanks, Ruth for starting this great tradition! (And visit Ruth Ayres Writes for more Celebrate This Week posts!)

Celebrate This Week! NCTE Version

Thank you, Ruth Ayres for giving us a reason to celebrate each week! For the link up, visit Ruth Ayres Writes.

There was so much to celebrate at #ncte13. As always, this was the professional highlight of my year.  Below are a few highlights from this year's convention.

My term on the Executive Committee ended and that's a little sad, but I am so thankful to have worked with such an amazing group of people.  It was an incredible experience--I learned a lot and made some great friends.  The mission of NCTE is one that is important to me and I loved my years on the EC.  I am in awe of the leaders of NCTE and feel honored to have worked with them.

The Elementary Section Get-Together Kick-Off was great. It is always so fun to see everyone and to kick off the convention together.  Jarrett Krosoczka was incredible as always.  The room was packed and within minutes I noticed my friends tweeting away!

First Wave was an amazing Opening Session on Friday morning. If you did not see the group, I don't know how to describe it.  It was the energy and the message we needed.  Ernest Morrell (@ernestmorrell) was this year's convention chair and he put together an amazing weekend, with First Wave being a wonderful surprise for me, as I'd not heard of them before this.

I met Peter Brown. I actually got to have lunch with Peter Brown at the Books for Children Luncheon. Not that I'm trying to make my friend, Deb Frazier jealous or anything.  (Even though this picture of me is hideous, it was worth sending out to Deb:-)  Meeting Peter Brown was on my list of important things to do at convention, as I am a huge fan. If you have never attended the Books for Children's Lunch, it is a highlight of the conference for me. A great place for author fans as there is an author at each table and you get to sit with one the whole time!  A real NCTE convention perk for author stalkers:-)

Speaking of the Books for Children Luncheon, Ann Marie Corgill and I were assigned to check in the authors. Welcoming and meeting all of the authors we love was quite fun.  So many amazing authors in one room!

Friday night, I attended the Choice Literacy dinner. I am reminded every time I am with Brenda Power and the Choice Literacy group how lucky I am to be part of this community. Another hideous picture but one that really summarizes the weekend of friends, learning and laughter.

I went to some great sessions that really helped me learn lots.  I started Friday off at Kidwatching in the Digital Age which was incredible. I tend to avoid roundtables but this session changed my mind. I started at a table with Katie Keier and learned so much in 10 minutes. Every 10 minute rotation gave me more to think about!  So many smart presenters, sharing so much about learning from their students. So much energy in one packed room!

I was thrilled to get a seat in the Close Reading session by Chris Lehman, Kate Roberts and Maggie Beattie Roberts.  They are so smart about all that they say about children and reading.  It was definitely a highlight and I am looking forward to rereading Falling in Love with Close Reading now.

I loved getting a chance to go to an Ignite session with some amazing speakers. Like the roundtable, I loved the energy and all of the thinking I did.  And how can I not celebrate Penny Kittle, whose Ignite reminded us of the power of classroom libraries. She is so passionate about this that she has started The Book Love Foundation.  Such important work.

There is nothing like traveling with friends. I am reminded of that over and over again. Whether we are in a car for hours driving to #nerdcamp or in the airport for hours waiting for a plane, some of my best pd happens traveling with friends.

More than anything, NCTE is so much about learning from and thinking with each other. I happened to luck out and be sitting next to Patrick Allen and Sara Kajder met.  I love when 2 of who have learned from each other meet in person.

NCTE, A True Celebration!

Celebrate This Week!

A few quick celebrations from the week! So fun that this is already the 5th week of this great tradition--one I already look forward to each Saturday! I try to spend lots of time reading others' celebrations linked at Ruth Ayres Writes as it reminds me there are so many reasons to celebrate!

We got lots of comments to last week's Celebrate This Week post and I used random.org to choose the winner of the Trashy Crafter's Dr. Seuss necklace. And the winner is.....#5! Congratulations Leigh Anne!

For some reason, I haven't found much time to bake this year.  But I baked a basic muffin/cupcake recipe that's been in our family for years.  My grandfather used to like them every day and so they were always around.  It is one of those quick recipes that is easy to make and that everyone in the family seems to love. I have one cupcake pan that I've used for these for years and I only use it for these (they don't work well for many other muffins and cupcakes.) As I was making them, I couldn't help but celebrate how lucky I am that I grew up with baking (grandmothers, mothers, aunts). Everyone has their own recipes and then there are a few that we all love and make.  Love this!

I discovered this great Ted Talk which I love as it makes learning something (anything) new seem doable!

I love Battle Bunny but just discovered this Book Trailer this week

I got lots accomplished this week.  The week leading up to NCTE is always busy with sub plans, report cards, getting presentation together, etc.  I feel like I am almost ready!

I did a podcast with Angela Maiers for Choice Literacy several weeks ago. It was published today in Choice Literacy's Big Fresh. It was nice to revisit the podcast as I have been thinking so much about all that Angela talked about.

I have been thinking lots about Genius Hour and plan to start it in a few weeks with my 3rd graders. I love that I sent out a question and got so many responses from people with links to help me think through the idea!  So exciting to see all that people are doing around this idea.  (I started a Pinterest Board on the topic to help collect thinking but haven't had time to add much yet.)

One of my students asked me for the Slice of Life logo for one of her Kidblogs posts! I love that kids are seeing so many of the things I share with them as  the invitations and possibilities for their own learning lives.

The kids did October's Solve It Your Way! in the classroom on Friday.  It was amazing. Their thinking was amazing, their collaboration was amazing, the growth since the first Solve It Your Way was so clear! It was joyful learning. It was AMAZING.  I couldn't capture everything that was happening but one group decided to videotape their experiment.  So much to celebrate in their video!

Celebrate This Week!

Am loving this excuse every Saturday to look back on my week and think about all of the celebrations! Thank you, Ruth Ayres, for this great new tradition!  Don't forget to visit Ruth Ayres Writes for all of this week's Celebrations!

-Our classroom was great fun this week.  I slowed down a little bit and it made a difference for all of us.  This week, I shared this Saturday blog event with my kids and they loved it. They quickly thought of many classroom celebrations from the week and we are participating on our class blog for the first time!

-Recess duty is not my favorite thing about being a teacher. This week, I heard a child yell, "I want my hat back!" I looked over and he was chasing a friend who had taken his red hat.  Funny how my favorite book shows up everywhere in my life.

-I somehow missed that James Preller had a 3rd book in his Scary Tales series come out in September. One of my students and I discovered it this week! (Good Night, Zombie (Scary Tales) )The series is quite popular with my 3rd graders right now!

-This isn't a new Ted Talk, but it is new to me and I am so happy I found it. A great message.

-All of my friends know that loving nature is not something I do. BUT...there are about 2 weeks each fall that the leaves in our neighborhood are breathtaking. I can't help but notice them and be in awe of them. This is one of those weeks!

-Our puppy is still adorable!

-I found some boots I love.

-Ann Patchett has a new book that was released this week. This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage She is one of my favorite authors so any new book she writes is a definite celebration for me!

--I ordered a few pieces from The Trashy Crafter on Etsy.  The owner, Kim, had accidentally sold a piece that I ordered so she sent me a very nice note, letting me know she was going to send me an extra piece just because she made a mistake!  I thought that was VERY nice of her.  So I figured as part of this week's celebration, I'd pay it forward.  If you leave a comment on this post, I will put your name in a drawing to win this Dr. Seuss necklace from The Trashy Crafter.   Kim makes lots of great stuff, but I especially love the necklaces and bracelets from recycled books! (I'll announce the winner next Saturday, November 16.)   And, if you haven't discovered the Trashy Crafter blog, it is quite a treat!

Saturday Celebration

Ruth, you inspire us in so many ways!

This week, I started 15 Minute Friday writing with my class. We logged into our Kidblog, opened a new post, set the timer for 15 minutes, and WROTE.

Here's the first celebration: when I said go, the only sound I heard was the clicking of keys on keyboards. You know that feeling of tension in the room when someone is frustrated? There was none of that. EVERYONE wrote. Here's mine:

I can’t get the look on C’s face out of my mind. He was frustrated and confused in math, and rather than helping him, I just said, “Hmm…you’ll have to keep thinking about that,” and walked away from him. It killed me to do that. And if I would have looked back, I’m sure he would have been shooting daggers into my back.

However, after working ten more minutes, I broke into a wide smile when I heard him say softly to himself, “Oh! I get it!”

Thats what it’s all about for me.  That lightbulb moment. That obvious memorable moment when learning happens.

Because here’s what I believe: I believe in the power of learning. I believe that intelligence can grow. I don’t believe that we are born with all the smarts we’re ever going to have.  Learning sometimes hurts. It’s like growing out of a favorite pair of shoes or jeans. You wear them and they get tighter and tighter. Your toes hurt and you’re uncomfortable. Your bare ankles show. But…ahh…when you get your new shoes or jeans, they feel so good. They fit. Same thing with new thinking. The old thoughts are tight, but when that new learning or understanding comes along…ahh…it fits. It feels so right.

STOP

The first thing I celebrate about this new routine in our classroom is that my writing will live right there alongside theirs. I have been using my own writing in minilessons more and more often, and I am putting that writing in posts on Kidblog to create an archive of minilessons and anchor texts. 

Next celebration: I just finished reading through all of their posts and comments, and let me just say that mine aren't the only anchor texts on the blog! Wow! What a great way for them to read quick examples of each other's writing and learn from each other!

Celebration #3: They were so surprised at how much they wrote in 15 minutes (me, too!) and where their ideas went once they got started. Many think they have the seed for an idea they'll want to pursue in writing workshop!

And finally: It is going to be so powerful to have these weekly bits of writing to use for formative assessment, conferencing, minilessons, and small group work in writing workshop!

Thank you, Ruth, for your 5 Minutes on Friday writing, which inspired this new RICH-ual in my classroom!

Check out all of the Saturday Celebrations at Ruth Ayres Writes.

Saturday Celebration

1. An "all's clear" mammogram. The James has a billboard ad campaign right now with the catch-phrase, "There is no such thing as a routine mammogram." So true, whether or not you were diagnosed with breast cancer with your very first mammogram. I'll breathe easier (and remain vigilant -- do your monthly self-exams, friends!) for another year.

2. An absolute show-stopper of a rainbow on the way home from my mammo/onco visit. The colors were so bright and it was so solid-seeming that you just wanted to reach out and break a piece off to taste. I wanted to stop and take a picture of it, but by the time I got off the freeway and found a place to pull over where I could see it clearly, it had faded. For a moment I was sad, but then I reminded myself that some memories need to be kept in my heart, not my iPhoto files.

3. No school on Friday. Time to rest, reboot, and reflect on how I can adjust my teaching so that I can better meet the needs of my students while doing all of the things I'm "supposed to be" doing.

4. Thursday, I asked my students to help me with this reflecting and rethinking. I projected a blank document with MORE OF THIS typed at the top and LESS OF THIS typed in the middle. 

LESS OF THIS stayed blank. MORE OF THIS included: independent reading time, book clubs, writing time, choice time, ways to use their devices, science. 

Could I have been hit over the head any harder with what I know to be right and true? Thank you, Universe, for the loud and clear message. Time to stop SAYING I trust the process and time to LIVE it. I'll put into place what I know needs to be there, and work backwards to get to the "supposed to be-s."

Happy Saturday! Happy Fall!

Visit the Celebration Roundup at Ruth Ayres Writes. Thank you, Ruth, for keeping us focused on the CELEBRATIONS in life. It makes all the difference in the world!

Celebrate This Week!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this new celebration that Ruth Ayres began last week!

My post this week will be a list of things that I remember loving this week.  It was a busy week and I don't remember being this tired in a long time. I think these weeks in October are like this for teachers--data entry deadlines, parent conferences, etc.  Sometimes when weeks are busy, you forget how many joyful moments there are as they seem to pass quickly between getting things done! So much joy--just need to take a second to recognize it in the midst of business. There were many moments of joy this week. And Ruth Ayres is amazing for inviting us all to take a moment and realize these small celebrations. 

My favorite part of the week was last night's What Not to Wear Marathon and Season Finale.  I so love this show! I have been a fan the whole decade, I think.   I don't have a bucket list, but if I did, having Stacy and Clinton to spend a few days learning from them would be top on my list it if I did.  I don't watch much TV but I love this show and I'm very sad that it is over. It's the first TV show I've been sad to see end in a long time.  This marathon/finale was such a great way to spend the WHOLE evening on Friday after a busy and exhausting week!  

I forget how much I LOVE the first set of Parent Conferences each year. Sitting down for 20 minutes with parents and really sharing what we know about a child and how they are already growing is always such an important part of the year. Getting ready for these and the exhaustion afterwards is so worth the conversations with the people who love my students the most.  There is nothing like hearing about a child from the parents and beginning a yearlong relationship at these conferences.

Last week, I went to Maine for an amazing weekend with Choice Literacy.  It was a great weekend of learning and friends. And the plane ride gave me time to finally get back to my reading life that has been a bit absent lately.  I loved all that I read and it feels good to have my reading life back:-)

I found quite the bargain on Amazon.  My 40s have not been great in terms of my eyes. I need reading glasses more often than not. I can no longer just move the book farther away to be able to read it.  But, I keep forgetting the glasses places --like meetings--and  I am driving my colleagues nuts! So I found 6 pairs of reading glasses for $29 on Amazon and I have a few pairs at school (a friend is responsible for one!)  So happy to have reading glasses everywhere now!

I am lucky to work in a district with amazing people. Our literacy director sent us this article this week and it was just what I needed.  Teachers Don't Forget Joy is a must read for teachers.

We have been working on learning to be part of Writer Response Groups this week.  The management took up a bit of mine time the first few days but Thursday I was able to walk around and really listen in.  The conversations were amazing. And they were joyful.  Kids were talking to each other about their writing in honest ways and there was so much joy, humor, respect, celebration. I sat back in awe and listened to these amazing kids I get to spend my days with.

I moved from 4th grade to 3rd grade and wasn't so sure I'd love 3rd. I have taught 3rd before but find myself most comfortable with 10 and 11 year olds. But I am finding myself LOVING 3rd grader and I find myself laughing often at the things they say each day. My favorite comment of the week came this morning. As kids were coming into the classroom, one of my students approached me with a letter she had written to Mary Pope Osborne, recommending that the author send Annie and Jack into some fairy tales.  We chatted about the letter and I told her that in the meantime, (while Mary Pope Osborne was considering her advice) that there were some authors who had done some fun things with fairy tales.  I told her that we had lots and we could meet next week during Reading Workshop time and I could share some of my favorites with her. I said, "I love when authors play with fairy  tales too and I am a huge fairy tale reader."  She looked at me wide-eyed, paused and said, "Wow, I did NOT see that coming!"  Crack me up.

For more celebrations, visit Ruth Ayres Writes today! I would HIGHLY recommend participating in this weekly event as it is a wonderful habit to get into--remembering the celebrations of each week!