More Cool Teachers

We're up to 135 Cool Teachers in Children's Literature on the list we started in 2006.

Here are the most recent additions:

Ms. Mirabel in Word After Word After Word (how have we not reviewed this?!?!)
Madame Lucille in Brontorina by James Howe (reviewed here by Franki)
Miss Palma in After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick (to be reviewed soon by Mary Lee)
Ms. Raymond in Dotty by Erica S. Perl (to be reviewed soon by Mary Lee)

Have you met any cool teachers in the books you've read recently? Let us know!

Poetry Friday -- First Day

In memory of my
fourth grade teacher
Faye Bryner
1916-2010

For the 32 First Days in your career,
and especially for the one we shared.











FIRST DAY 
author unknown

and what are the important questions anyway
on this first day of school after a night of no sleep
wondering even fearing how this day will go and all the rest
hoping it unfolds neatly as lesson plans promise
probably not and in that thought works a hint of unreadiness
and a quiet panic that hovers through the black coffee
yet later when we gather in first morning expectancy
we do manage to breathe though not deeply
my years are useless I am as new here
when the bell rings as all those now looking at me
but what is this day and all the rest about
not of course rules and study habits or even
a bag full of knowledge somehow packed
in all those books tidy on each desk
rather an urge to know that pushes us into wondering
about clouds becoming raindrops
from another side of the world or why the flower
outside the window blooms at this precise moment
where the songs in my heart come from
and where they are going all those questions
not in my curriculum guide
but that I now see in a new girl who can't stay
in her seat and dances an interruption around the room
negotiates attention midsentence and at the end of my wits
tells me a story during lunch that is dazzling and profound
and in one brief moment I see her soul in love with imagination
that must move and wave and try to fly
and this is what I must relearn on this first day
that in our remembered self is an urge to create
I can look for it or not but my choice had better
be made with love and reverence for what we all want is to express
our unique genius no matter what
because that is who we are
and after all the only question worth pursuing anyway
no wonder the night is full of sleeplessness
this is a question of life nothing else comes close
I remember now why I'm here and frightened
and so in awe of this moment
and these children



To all the teachers who already have or who will welcome a new class of students in the next days or weeks, and to the family members sending us their beloved ones to care for and nurture and teach, and to our students, "alive with imagination" -- LET'S MAKE IT A GREAT SCHOOL YEAR!

Laura has the Poetry Friday roundup today at Teach Poetry K-12.

Chocolate

I took a chocolate tasting class a couple of months ago (planned and taught by Reference Librarian extraordinaire Bill Meltzer at Old Worthington Library). I decided then and there that I wanted my students' experience in our classroom to feel like, if not taste like, the chocolate tasting classroom that night.

Here's what I learned about my fourth grade classroom at the chocolate tasting class:

•WE WANTED TO BE THERE.
I understand that not every child loves school the way I did (and still do), but I hope to make my classroom so safe and inviting that my students look forward to our time together.

•WE GOT TO USE FUN MATERIALS.
Although we can't work with chocolate in our classroom every day, I will do my best to build hands-on activities into every day, if not every lesson. With a new SmartBoard, and Franki's brilliant thinking about learning to use it WITH the students, I think I've got a pretty good head start on this one.

•WE STARTED WITH WHAT WE KNEW AND THE TEACHER BUILT ON THAT.
Scaffolding. I want stay focused on scaffolding, not on rescuing. (see also Risk-taking below)

•WE DIDN'T GET IN TROUBLE IF WE DIDN'T FOLLOW DIRECTIONS EXACTLY.
I don't want to be the kind of teacher who must have absolute control over every moment of every day. First of all, I'd go crazy, and second of all, how would the children learn to control themselves? Since I won't have absolute control, I'll have to lighten up and not sweat it when the students...improvise, shall we call it.

•WE GOT TO WORK WITH OUR FRIENDS.
Learning is social. I will honor that. Nuff said.

•WE HAD FUN!
No matter how hard we work every day to learn and grow and achieve and improve and succeed...we also need to have FUN.
Every. Single. Day.

•THE TEACHER WAS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE, BUT HE NEVER MADE US FEEL IGNORANT OR LACKING.
I will work hard to be a valuable resource to my students in their learning, and to make sure that they see me learning right alongside them.

•THE CLASS WAS WELL-PLANNED AND RAN SMOOTHLY.
I will remember the importance of detailed planning. I WILL remember the importance of detailed planning. Every Sunday night, I will REMEMBER the importance of detailed planning.

•THERE WERE BOOKS ABOUT CHOCOLATE ALL AROUND THE ROOM FOR US TO CHECK OUT AND TO EXTEND OUR LEARNING.
Some teaching is about instruction, but a goodly amount of it is simply about invitation. Rather than finishing units or even lessons, I'll do my best to point to the resources that students can us to continue their learning and exploring.

•THE TEACHER ENCOURAGED RISK-TAKING, BUT MADE IT FEEL SAFE.
We started by eating a half of a piece of Dove dark chocolate. Then we went on to taste chocolates of increasing amounts of cocoa. Each time we moved to the next level, we learned how to identify and name the new flavors and "notes" we were tasting. The next-to-last piece we tasted was 100% cocoa. I wouldn't care to sit down and eat a whole bar of it, but I had learned, step by step, to appreciate it for what it was. We ended by eating the other half of the Dove. It just tasted sweet. There were none of the nuances of flavor and texture that we had learned, in one short hour, to appreciate.

•I CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK FOR THE NEXT CLASS:  CHEESE TASTING!!
And so we circle back to my first point -- I want my students to WANT to come to school because of the fun and fascinating learning we'll be doing. I want them to be willing to take risks. Cheese tasting is very risky for me, especially since I know how much Bill knows about cheese. I'm a little leery of tasting some of the cheeses he thinks are luscious...but I'll take the risk and try to learn what I need to know to enjoy them.

Here's to a delicious new school year!

The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen From the Future

The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung Fu Cavemen From the Future
The second graphic novel by George Beard and Harold Hutchins,
the creators of CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS (aka Dav Pilkey)
Scholastic (Blue Sky Press), 2010
Review copy purchased with my very own money.

I'm sorry to have to tell the Newbery Committee this, but I'm afraid that while this book will never even be considered for the Newbery Medal, it is likely to be the most popular book in my fourth grade classroom in the first weeks of school.

As a public service to all nervous teachers, parents, librarians and grandparents, I have read this book cover to cover and I pronounce it to be hysterically funny.  Laugh out loud funny. I also would like to assure the above audiences that I do not believe that the spelling mistakes that George and Harold make in their comics will in any way cause children's brains to rot and impair their ability to learn to spell correctly or write coherently. If the children who read this book don't know that there are misspelled words, they'll still be able to understand and enjoy the story. If the children who read this book DO know that there are misspelled words, well, hooray that they can recognize the misspellings. They'll still be able to understand and enjoy the story.

And while we're on the subject of spelling, phonics, and understanding a story, Pilkey totally rewards his readers for sounding out long (but not hard) words. One character is named Chief Goppernopper.  He is variously referred to as Chief Grasshopper, Gobstopper, and Gumwrapper (to name a few).  Pilkey goes off on extended riffs of rhyming with Gluk's name (rhymes with duck, stuck, truck...) and Ook's name (rhymes with duke, spook, kook...).

There are kid-level allusions to popular culture: the whole section where they learn Kung Fu in the future hearkens back to Karate Kid, and there are chapter title pages that are Star Wars and Jurassic Park take-offs.  There are puns, like on Flip-o-rama #8:  "Mechasaurus Wrecks!" (Tyrannosaurus Rex?) where the robot dinosaurs destroy a tower. There are, as in the Captain Underpants books, billboards that get their meaning changed, in this case when they are zapped by futuristic ray guns in a chase scene. For example, "I went to BOB'S POOLS to buy my pool! Now I dive in my pool, swim under the waves, and wear a BIG smile!!!" becomes "I went POO poo in my underwear".  Besides the potty humor, there is a decent amount of barf humor. Kid humor. Spot-on kid humor.

Find out more at Dav Pilkey's website, and at the Scholastic website. But most of all, don't be afraid of this book.

BRONTORINA by James Howe: A Great Book (with a great message to teachers)

If you have been reading the blog over the summer, you know that I believe strongly that design and environment are critical to children's growth as learners.  I believe wholeheartedly that if a child isn't successful in school, there is something in the environment that can be changed to better meet the child's needs.  So, I was THRILLED when I found the book BRONTORINA by James Howe.

Brontorina, a very large dinosaur, had a dream. She wanted to dance.  Even though she did not have the right shoes (they don't make them in her size after all), she knew that in her heart she was a ballerina.  So, Madame Lucille lets Brontorina join her dance class. But, Brontorina's head hits the ceiling, her tail hits things it isn't supposed to, and she almost falls on a piano.  Madame Lucille realizes that she can no longer help Brontorina learn to dance--she is just too big.  But then a Clara's mother surprises Brontorina with a pair of specially made shoes.  And Madame Lucille realizes that the problem is not that Brontorina is too big--rather her studio is too small!  So, they find a place where everyone can be a successful dancer.

This is a great fun story, one that reminds me of others written on the topic of believing in your dream. Kids will love the hopeful story, the fun illustrations and the clever talking bubbles throughout the book.

For me and for teachers, this book reminds us of the importance of creating a space that helps every child be successful. Just as it was very easy for Madame Lucille to begin by putting the blame on Brontorina for being too big,  we often put the blame on students who are not successful. This is a great reminder that if we create the right environment, all learners can be successful.  Madame Lucille definitely belongs on our "100+ Cool Teachers in Children's Literature" list. Rather than blaming the student, she takes responsibility for creating an environment in which every student can be successful

I watched a great video that would work nicely to begin conversations with colleagues about our role in not blaming the children. "It's Never the Kids' Fault" by Greg Whitby is a short, powerful clip that reminds us that theory-based practice works with all students.

Two From the Columbus Zoo

Frenemies for Life
by John E. Becker, Ph.D.
School Street Media (for the Columbus Zoological Park Assn.), 2010

The Columbus Zoo is famous for its cheetah conservation program. Anatolian Shepherd Dogs have begun to be used in cheetah conservation, and this book explains how these natural enemies have become so important to each other. The dogs are bred and trained to protect herds of livestock (goats or sheep). When a cheetah approaches, the dog scares it away. No livestock are killed and the livestock owners do not feel the need to kill any cheetahs. The Columbus Zoo has raised two Anatolian shepherd pups and two cheetah kittens together to use to educate the public about this unique cheetah conservation effort.

This is a great little book with one- or two-page chapters and fabulous photography. It's the kind of nonfiction book a 3rd-5th grader could read cover to cover. We are always on the look-out for nonfiction our students can READ and not just BROWSE.

Beco's Big Year
by Linda Stanek
School Street Media (for the Columbus Zoological Park Assn.), 2010

If you live in Central Ohio and didn't know that there was a new baby elephant at the Zoo last year, you must have been living in a cave!

This book by local author Linda Stanek documents Beco the baby elephant's first year. I just dare you to read this book without saying, "Awww..."! The book is organized like a diary or journal, by date, and the entries are short and illustrated with lots of pictures. There are information boxes throughout that give general elephant information to go along with the milestones of Beco's first year.

Exploring Science

The Big Idea Science Book
DK Publishing, 2010
review copy provided by the publisher

I think this encyclopedia of science has a lot of potential for discussion and browsing in the upper elementary and middle school classroom. The basic premise is that there are 24 key concepts or "Big Ideas" in science ("Based on a revolutionary new approach to learning by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe..." -- of Understanding By Design fame.) There are 8 Big Ideas each for Life, Earth, and Physical Science. Each two-page spread (very DK-ish with eye-catching photography, short article in the top left corner, lots of graphics and smaller pictures with captions) tells which of the Big Ideas relate to that topic.  Cell Division relates to three Big Ideas; Coral Reefs relate to eight Big Ideas. The book has a website with related content -- movies, interactive illustrations, some worksheet-ish kinds of things -- that seems to still be under construction. There are some movies that have "part one" but no "part two."  I really wish these resources were complete because I'd use them in my classroom. I do think I'll post the 24 Big Ideas for our reference as we go through our year of science.

I'm a Scientist: Kitchen
DK Publishing, 2010
review copy provided by the publisher

Here's one that would be great at a science center. The materials for each experiment are common items, and the instructions are easy enough for older elementary kids to read themselves, and illustrated with clear enough pictures for younger kids to figure out.  There is a cool fold-out flap on each right-hand page that gives the scientific reasons behind the experiment, as well as some follow-up activities. Some of the experiments need a grown-up, but lots don't. There are experiments for density, static electricity, physics/structures, chemical reactions, magnets, states of matter, and light.

Nature Explorer
DK Publishing, 2010
review copy provided by the publisher

This activity-filled book is divided into the categories Birdwatcher, Bug Hunter, Star Gazer, Rock & Fossil Hunter, Nature Ranger, and Weather Watcher. Each category gives background information, tells what equipment you might need, and gives lots of activities that demonstrate many concepts in each category. This is a book for upper elementary and middle school classrooms. It's a good book for browsing, and for activities teachers might want to add to their weather or plant units. (um...that'd be me!)

Poetry Friday -- In The Wild

In The Wild
by David Elliott
illustrated by Holly Meade
Candlewick Press, August 24, 2010
review copy provided by the publisher

I don't usually review books for Poetry Friday, but if you loved this team's first book of poetry for younger children, On the Farm, (my review is here) you're going to want to see/get their new one!

Holly Meade's woodblock illustrations pop off the page and pull the reader in, and David Elliott's poems make you look again and think and sometimes laugh out loud. The wild animals featured span the globe and a variety of ecosystems. You start with your typical lion, elephant, giraffe, zebra, rhino, but then you get sloth, jaguar, panda, tiger, orangutan, kangaroo, buffalo, wolf, and finally, polar bear.

Every one of Elliott's poems captures the essence of the animal in description (giraffe is "Stilt-walker/Tree-topper/Long-necked/Show-stopper), or in comparison ("...Who would have guessed/the Elephant/is so much like a cloud?"). His poems are short and accessible and perfect for reading aloud.

Here are my two favorites, the first because it is also a letter (...and how about that rhyme of forest and before us? Kay Ryan would like that...), and the second because of the nod to William Blake:



Dear Orangutan,

Three cheers to you, man of the forest.
You arrived here long before us.
You paved the way; you saw it through.
How nice to have someone like you
sitting in our family tree.

Sincerely, from your cousin,
Me




We can never touch them,
so we love them from afar;
they are wild and distant ---
the Tiger and the star.

We can never know them;
they are not what we are;
fire, fire, burning bright ---
the tiger and the star.



7-Imp talks to illustrator Holly Meade here.
On the Farm reviewed at Becky's Young Readers, Anastasia's Picture Book of the Day, and Elaine's Wild Rose Reader.

The Poetry Friday round up is at the Stenhouse blog today. They have a new Georgia Heard poem to share with us, so scoot over and check it out!

Why I Don't Like Reading Mysteries

At the end of my post "Mini Lessons From My Summer Reading," I said that reading THE THOUSAND AUTUMNS OF JACOB DE ZOET had clarified for me why I don't generally like reading mysteries.

It seems to me that in a mystery, the author and the detective character are working together to solve the mystery. As the reader, I'm in on lots of the clues, but often, I doesn't have access to all of the clues that it takes to solve the mystery. It frustrates me to no end when the mystery gets solved with information I never had access to.  Because I know that the author will make it impossible (or nearly so) for me to solve the mystery based on the clues provided in the book, I don't really try. I disengage as a reader. For me, reading a mystery is like watching a movie -- I'm on the outside looking in, an observer but not a participant.

In a novel like JACOB DE ZOET, it feels like the author is working directly with me, the reader, to make sense of the story. Every (non-mystery) novel is still a kind of a mystery because the author gives me all the clues or information I will need to make sense of the story.  However, I'm working with the author because it's up to me to pay attention to the clues s/he gives me, to follow the bread crumbs that are dropped for me to follow so that I can construct the story together with the author.  The author trusts me, the reader, to be clever enough and observant enough to make sense of it all.  I like the kind of book where I collaborate with the author to make meaning and solve the puzzle of the story s/he is telling.

What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Is there some joy in reading mysteries that I'm missing?

A Few Fun New Picture Books

I just found three great new picture books for the library. I think each will make for a fun read aloud. Primary kids will love them.

THE COW LOVES COOKIES is by Karma Wilson, who our students LOVE. This book will definitely be loved. The story takes place on a farm. The farmer goes around the farm to feed the animals.  Each has a special thing to eat, especially the cow.    There is enough rhyming and repetition that it will make for a great read aloud or shared reading. And it is a fun story.  At the end of the story, we learn WHY the cow loves cookies.

I am loving the new Amelia Bedila picture books so I was happy to see AMELIA BEDELIA'S FIRST APPLE PIE by Herman Parish. This book has the usual Amelia Bedelia humor. I love these books because they are so accessible to kids. The words and phrases that confuse Amelia Bedelia are those that they hear often and may need clarification on.  A great character to start conversations about this. This book also includes information about apples, the types of apples, and making apple pie.  A recipe is included at the end of the book!

BEAR IN UNDERWEAR by Todd H. Doodler is a fun book due to the topic of course. Bear is playing hide-and-seek with a bunch of friends. On his way home, he stumbles on a backpack and takes it home.  When his friends convince him to open it, it is filled with a variety of underwear.  Bear tries some on--one pair is too big, another is too small, another is too silly, etc. He finally finds a pair that fit him just right--the tighty whitey underwear.  Amazingly enough, his friends decide they need underwear too and each finds a pair that fit perfectly. Really a hysterical book--what a concept.  Kids will love that the whole book is about underwear and the illustrations are perfect for young children--bright and fun.

10 Picture Books I've Loved for 10 Years (or more)

It was NOT hard to find books I've loved using in my classroom for 10 years (or more).

It WAS hard to choose only 10.

I could have picked the books of 10 visiting authors from all those years ago (oh the memories): Jean Craighead George, Cynthia Rylant, Moredcai Gerstein, Ron Hirschi, J. Patrick Lewis, Robert D. San Souci, Seymour Simon...

But here's what I wound up with -- 2 poetry, 3 nonfiction and 5 picture books. Remember, it was really hard to pick only 10!!

Funny poetry that wasn't Shel Silverstein!
Revolutionary!






If You're Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand
by Kalli Dakos
1990

Fresh metaphors. Her polliwogs are "Chubby commas..."  So perfect!

The Great Frog Race and Other Poems

by Kristine O'Connell George

1997

Picture books have never been the same...

The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales

by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

1992

A concise history of the Eastern U.S. that shows the interconnectedness of times and peoples.

Who Came Down That Road?

by George Ella Lyon

1992

Wordless picture book. How humans change a place over time. Hmm.  Just realized it's the opposite of Lyon's book -- hers goes back in history, this one goes forward in time. Hmm...

Window 

by Jeannie Baker

1991

Fun for questioning, predicting, and studying the intricate illustrations.

Guess What?

by Mem Fox

1988

All the small moments of life should be celebrated.

I'm In Charge of Celebrations

by Byrd Baylor

1986

Thanks to Percy, this book enjoyed a resurgence of popularity this year.

  

The Olympians: Great Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece

by Leonard Everett Fisher

1984

Was there a time before The Magic School Bus? (And looky there -- it's autographed by both Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen! Wonders never cease!)

The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth

by Joanna Cole

1987

Mary Pope Osborne has opened many windows and doors for children. The more diverse my classes become, the more I need this book every year. So that we can learn to understand each other and empathize with each other. (btw -- Ramadan begins the 11th/12th of August this year and will continue until September 9th/10th)

One World, Many Religions: The Ways We Worship

by Mary Pope Osborne

1996

Check out all the 10 for 10 Picture Book posts at Reflect & Refine (Cathy's blog) or Enjoy and Embrace Learning (Mandy's blog).  Join the fun!  Which 10 picture books are the ones you couldn't live or teach without?

10 Picture Books I've Recently Discovered

I love the idea that Cathy and Mandy had for today's picture book celebration--choose 10 picture books that you couldn't live without in your classroom. As I started my list, I realized that I could NEVER narrow it down to 10 so I decided to focus my list a bit. Today, as part of August 10 for 10, I am sharing 10 picture books that I have recently discovered-those that I can't live without. They are not the only 10, but they are 10 newer ones that I have fallen in love with.

CITY DOG, COUNTRY FROG is my favorite book of the year. At first, I wasn't too thrilled to see that Mo was writing about characters other than Pigeon, Piggie, and Elephant. But this book is amazingly powerful for so many reasons. I have read it to children and adults and love it more and more each time I read it.

OTIS by Loren Long is another that is already well-loved in the library. This is a story of Otis, a tractor who is so happy with life until the new big shiny tractor comes to the farm. This is really a story of friendship and loyalty. You will LOVE the characters.

KATIE LOVES THE KITTENS by John Himmelman is a great story for dog lovers. Katie is a dog who gets new kittens at her house. She LOVES the kittens but they don't love her right away.

BELLA AND BEAN by Rebecca Kai Dotlich is a book that I carried around with me for weeks after I discovered it. These two girls are two of my favorite characters of all time and the fact that these girls are poets just adds to the fun.

HOW TO HEAL A BROKEN WING by Bob Graham is one that I read to several grade levels. A great

story about a boy who helps a bird to heal. But if you dig beneath the surface, there are so many great messages in the story and the illustrations. The writing is amazing--not one word wasted.

PETE THE CAT: I LOVE MY WHITE SHOES by Eric Litwin. All you have to do to fall in love with this book is to watch the video of the author sharing it with kids.

I KNOW HERE by Laurel Croza is filled with beautiful writing of home, the place the narrator knows best. Remembering what she loves about her home, she prepares to move to a new place. The writing makes this a great mentor text for kids.

A SMALL BROWN DOG WITH A WET PINK NOSE by Stephanie Stuve-Boden is one of my all-time favorite books about a girl trying to convince her parents that she wants a dog. This little girl is quite clever!

GUESS AGAIN by Mac Barnett is a great rhyming book that is full of surprises!

WAITING FOR WINTER by Sebastian Meschenmoser is a fun book about 3 animals who want to see winter so instead of hibernating they look for snow. Lots of humor in this one too!

Check out all the 10 for 10 Picture Book posts at Reflect & Refine (Cathy's blog) or Enjoy and Embrace Learning (Mandy's blog). Join the fun! Which 10 picture books are the ones you couldn't live or teach without?

PLAYING WITH WORDS: AN INTERVIEW WITH RALPH FLETCHER

If you have not seen Ralph Fletcher's new book, PYROTECHNICS ON THE PAGE: PLAYFUL CRAFT THAT SPARKS WRITING, it is a must-read for writing teachers. In this new book, Ralph shares his wisdom about the need for word play in our work with children. We had the pleasure of interviewing Ralph about the ideas in his new book.

FRANKI: It seems that, although your book is about playing with words, your message is bigger than that. You address the absence of play throughout the day. Can you talk a bit about your concerns with that?

RALPH: Yes. I don't think we value play as a learning environment anymore. We are not teaching corporate executives but, rather, children. Kids love to play. And many researchers have shown that play is a rich learning environment.  Why shouldn't we take advantage of kids' affinity for play?

FRANKI: Why do you think play is important in writing? How can playing with words improve student writing?

RALPH: Strong writing is always fresh and memorable, never formulaic and predictable. When a student writes playfully, he/she imbues the writing with those qualities that make us sit up and take notice.

FRANKI: Talk a bit about how playing with words has been important to your own writing?

RALPH: I play with writing every time I sit down. I'm always wondering: how can I say this in a way that's never been said before? How can I find a new arrangement of words, a new phrase? Wordplay is very important in poetry and picture books, but it's also important in my novels and even my professional books.

FRANKI: When in the process is your language most important? At the beginning or during revision? Do you think all writers focus on language at different times in the process?

RALPH: I once would have answered that question by saying: during revision. Katie Wood recently attended one of my presentations and she stated that she doesn't really think of the stages of writing as being distinct. I realized that she's right! They are all mixed together. I'm thinking about language while I'm drafting, while I'm rereading, and also while I'm revising. So I would say that language play is important throughout the process. It's not confined to any one particular part of the writing process.

FRANKI: You include several lessons in the book to support word play. Do you think there are particular things that kids need to know or be invited to do?

RALPH: Children need lots of examples of wordplay, both from literature as well as from popular culture. They also need to get from their teacher an unambiguous signal to be playful.

FRANKI: Do you think it is more important that children play with words orally or in their writing?

RALPH: Hmmmm, interesting question! I think kids do play with their language in their talk. When they do so, the teacher could "bracket" it, point it out, and invite students to do similar things in their writing. But yes, if we want kids to "have a go" at wordplay, they could try it verbally with another student. Talk gives kids a low-risk high-comfort place where they can begin to experiment with playing around with words. .

FRANKI: You talk about the danger of “naming”. Can you talk a bit about that?

RALPH: When it comes to naming vs. usage I vote with usage every time. Unfortunately, I think we often go no further than having students name the technique. It's nice if students can define alliteration or metaphor, but if they can't use it in their writing--so what?

FRANKI: What is the one thing you hope teachers who read your book walk away with? What is your hope for kids in writing classrooms?

RALPH: I don't know if I can distill it to just one thing. Here are two. First, I think strong writing contains an element of surprise. Wordplay--the surprising, unexpected effect that happens when words rub together--is a great way to create surprise.


Second, it's tempting to look at wordplay as some kind of exotic side dish rather than the "meat-and-potatoes" of real writing. I disagree. I see it as central. It's not merely a way to show off or be clever; rather, it's a way to powerfully hone what you want to say. For instance:   Recently at my sister's wedding, my 80 year old father got up to speak. Here's what he said:


"You know the Wizard of Oz, the moment when the movie goes from black and white to color? Well, the first 22 years of my life were black and white. But when I married my beloved wife Jean, my life switched to brilliant color. I had 52 years of glorious technicolor.  And when she died in 2004 my life went back to black and white."  


When my father finished speaking, everybody had tears in our eyes. His wordplay wasn't merely clever--it created a powerful moment we will never forget.

SEASONS by Brenda Power

If you subscribe to THE BIG FRESH, Choice Literacy's free weekly newsletter, then you know how wonderful Brenda Power's leads into the week's articles are. Some weeks (many actually), it is like Brenda knows exactly what is going on in our professional lives and she seems to know exactly what to say to help us. Whether it is setting up the school year, dealing with difficult colleagues, balancing our work and family lives, Brenda has stories that help keep us all grounded in good work.

I was thrilled when Brenda decided to compile the best of these pieces into SEASONS: LITERACY LEADERSHIP WISDOM FROM CHOICE LITERACY. I love having these all in one place. And, although I know I have read all of them, or at least skimmed them when they appeared in my Inbox, there are some that I feel like I missed. I imagine I read them quickly as I was trying to juggle many things on a Saturday morning. It is like I have new pieces to discover. For others, I am thrilled about revisiting again and again. I love having them in book form so that I can mark up and tab my favorites.

Brenda gave these out at several Choice Literacy workshops this summer. As I used various pieces to start off workshops, introduce some thinking and give teachers time to talk around issues, I realized how valuable this book is for many. This is a great gift for teachers--essays that span the cycle of the year we know so well. It is also a great thing for administrators, coaches, librarians, and teachers who are always looking for a piece of text to share at staff meetings, student celebrations and study groups. I can see a few of these used in Back-to-School Parent Nights, others used in staff meetings mid-year, and others put in someone's mailbox at just the right moment.

I have read it cover to cover but find myself going back to it often. I will be working with new teachers and mentors this year. I will be scanning it again for a few pieces that would be great to share with those groups.

This tiny book has so many possibilities:-)

Mini lessons from my summer reading

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet
by David Mitchell
Random House, 2010
I own it. The audio version, too.

We'll spend the first days of the new school year talking about reading preferences: favorite books and authors, book choice, just right books, etc. This year, my mentor text for all my beginning-of-the-year mini lessons will be the best adult book I've read since last December: THE THOUSAND AUTUMNS OF JACOB DE ZOET. (For the record, the previous best book: THE LACUNA by Barbara Kingsolver.)

Here are some mini lessons I'll be able to teach while holding up this book:

BOOK CHOICE: This is the newest book by one of my favorite authors. When I heard David Mitchell had a new book out, I didn't wait to hear what anyone else thought about it. I trust this author. I knew it would be good. I read it as soon as I could get my hands on it. {Who are your favorite authors? What are your favorite books?}

PACING: I read this book through my ears by listening to this book, rather than through my eyes by seeing the print. I noticed many times when I wished I could slow down to figure something out or savor the language, or speed up so that I could see how an exciting part turned out. {Do you read faster or slower sometimes? When? Why?}

CHARACTERS: There are lots of characters with foreign names in this book. I had to pay close attention while I listened so I could keep them straight. It might have been easier if I could have seen the names. The reader of the audio book did a good job giving each character an accent. Sometimes that's how I remembered who was who. {How do you keep the characters straight as you read? What does the author do to help you?}

PLOT/SUBPLOT: There are lots of story lines in this book. It was important to remember what happened to Jacob, the Dutch clerk; Orito, the Japanese woman doctor (pretty amazing for 1799); the many Japanese translators (Japanese/Dutch); Marinus, the scientist/doctor/harpsichord player; Lord Abbot Enomoto, evil incarnate. {What is the main story in your book (plot)? What is one smaller story in your book (subplot)?}

Besides all the main plots and subplots, there were the times when the author would go off on a tangent that didn't really take the plot anywhere -- a character would tell a story or there would be an extended description of a place -- but I trusted the author and went along for the ride. {Tell about a time when you had no idea why the author seemed to go off-topic, but you trusted the author and it turned out to be really important.}

There's a whole lot of plot/subplot in this book, but in the end, I think it was a book about character. (I should have guessed that from the title, right?) {Is your book more strong in plot or character?}

STAMINA: This is a really long book. I stayed with it until the end. {How do you keep going in longer and longer books?}

AUTHOR'S STYLE: I love the way Mitchell writes. At one point, I had to turn off the recording and write down a line as soon as I could get my hands on paper and pencil. By way of telling another character that his story was exaggerated, Marinus tells him that he "...rather over-egged the brûlée." {Let's start a bulletin board of lines we love in the books we're reading. Be sure you write the title and the author of your book, the page number you found it on, and copy the quote exactly as the author wrote it. Use quotation marks. Here, I'll get us started with my quote. You can use it as an example.}

Towards the end, I suddenly realized that a descriptive passage about gulls flying over Dejima and Nagasaki was a poem -- I could hear rhythms and rhymes. I rewound the recording so I could listen to it again. (Imagine my astonishment when I looked at the book and that section was NOT written with the line-breaks of a typical poem. Even the READER would have to discover by listening that there was rhythm and rhyme and poetry there! {Have you ever heard poetry in a chapter book? Or a magazine, or newspaper, or nonfiction? Listen closely. See if you can find an example to bring in.}

THE POWER OF DISCUSSION: When I was about two-thirds of the way through listening to this book, AJ started reading it. (When he got to the "over-egged brûlée," I had him turn down the corner of the page -- that phrase has become one of our favorites.) We have had quick discussions about the book over the last week or so. ("Where are you in the book -- what's happening now -- what did you think of this or that?") {Talking about books will be an important part of our reading workshop this year...}

I found JACOB DE ZOET at my place at the table this morning so I know we'll be able to talk about the ending now. I can't wait. As much as I've enjoyed reading this book, I'll enjoy it even more because I can TALK about this book with someone else who has read it. I'm still not sure what the title means. Maybe AJ will be able to help me think that through. {Who do you think would enjoy the book you just read? What topics do you hope you will you talk about?}

One of the things AJ and I have been talking about while I've been waiting for him to finish the book, is the difference between novels and mysteries. I think I finally understand why I don't like reading mysteries. But this is getting long, so I'll make that another post for another day!

Poetry Friday -- Two Cats

TWO CATS
by Katha Pollitt

It's better to be a cat than to be a human.
Not because of their much-noted grace and beauty—
their beauty wins them no added pleasure, grace is
only a cat's way

of getting without fuss from one place to another—
but because they see things as they are.

(the rest of the poem is at The Writer's Almanac)

Laura has the Poetry Friday roundup this week at her blog, Author Amok.

Planning for the Year in the LIbrary

I learned about this great new tool from Buffy Hamilton. Mindomo is a great tool for brainstorming.  I will definitely be using this quite a bit and I think it is a great tool for students too.

I used this tool in a way similar to how Buffy used it--to really think through my big goals for the library this year.  It helped me visualize the big areas of focus for the year and to see how far along my thinking is in each of the areas.  Here is some of the expanded thinking on some of the ares of my mind map.

I blogged about the Design of Space earlier this week.  Really thinking through the space and the messages it gives is huge.  I hope that the space will work in the ways we are envisioning it.

Supporting Independence in Learning and Library Use
One of my big goals for the year is independence in use of the library. When I think about Design for Independence, I am changing a few things this year. First of all, we will have mostly self check-out.  I have always believed that the library is about sooo much more than check out.  But I am amazed at how much of the staff time we spend on checking out students and teachers.  It seems to consume us sometimes and then we are not free to do the teaching and support that is possible.  We are including 2-3 new stations for check out that students and teachers can use on their own.  If students need to check something out and the staff is working with someone else, this should help.  Although we encouraged self check out before, the space was clearly a "librarian space" and people felt funny using it.  This year, we are getting rid of any space that looks like we own it. Just as I got rid of the teacher desk years ago in my elementary classroom because it gave the message of teacher as power, I will be getting rid of the Checkout Desk that seems to give a message other than independence.

In THE LANGUAGE OF SCHOOL DESIGN, the authors discuss the messages we give kids when they have to wait for us to learn or create.  For the past two years, I have started library classes with a class meeting including a read aloud, minilesson, etc. but in a 45 minute session, this seems to give a bad message. The authors say the message goes something like this, (p. 41) “Wait until the teacher enters the room and tells you what to do before you do anything. You are not capable of directing your own learning.” This is the exact OPPOSITE message that I want kids to get in the library.  So, this year, I want kids to come in with a plan for their learning and use the library as needed. I want them to use it that way during their assigned time and I want them to be able to come in throughout the day as needed and feel like they can do what they need to do. We'll work on that early in the year.  I will still pull the entire class to teach some skill or strategy but most of my teaching will be individual and small group in the midst of their learning. I can see calling over a group who needs a film editing lesson or a few kids who need support in research skills. I feel like  I know the kids and teachers well enough to move toward this now.  It has taken 2 years to set the stage for this but I think we are at the point where kids can use the library more independently.

Web/Online Presence
Another big goal is to create an online presence, especially for our students, teachers and community.  I think it is critical for students to be able to access tools 24/7. I have been looking hard at great elementary library websites. There are so many great examples on the School Library Websites Wiki. I have been exploring some of these to see what might work for our school and district.  I had the pleasure of hearing Joyce Valenza speak at BLC10 in July and am inspired to create an online space that will give kids the tools they need whenever they need them. I also see a good website as a way to share resources with teachers, create stronger connections with the community, and invite more participation from students.  I have just started to work on this and am excited about the possibilities.

Teacher Support
I know that I need to do more to support teachers. So often I don't get a chance to share the best new resources or to collaborate because of time.  We did create a room off the library that will house Literacy Resources. Although this is not technically a part of the library, we are hoping that the room creates a place for teachers to look at resources in a more relaxing way, think about ways to use them, enjoy some chocolate and chat.  A website with a Teacher Resource page is one goal and hosting a few events to help teachers see the new things in the library will be important. Last year, I worked a bit with our Instructional Technology Specialist to share various tools with teachers. I am hoping we continue with these sessions this year. They started great conversations.

Even though I have been in the district for 20+ years, it always takes a few years to really get to know people, the ways they teach, and the resources they are looking for.  I am hoping we can put a few things in place that make things more accessible for them.


Events and Celebrations/Home School Connection
I think if the library is to be a place for collaborative learning and thinking, lots of events should happen there.  Last year, we had a few student groups that came in for lunch book clubs, Graphic Novel Club with Ray from CML, worked on projects, played games, etc. We also had a few speakers (George from CML is always a favorite!)  But I want to include more of this.  I am hoping for more family events and more choice events. I think that "Campfire Space" that I discussed earlier this week. If a student has something to share, I am hoping we have the capacity to offer it to others in the school. We have kids with great passions and talents and I see the library as a place for them to share these with other learners. I am also excited about our collaboration with the Dublin Library (Loren is AMAZING to work with--we are so on the same page with our bigger goals for kids. Pajama Story Time is now an official Riverside Tradition! )  It is amazing to see the relationships being built between our students and the public library because of these collaborative events.  (It pays to have the 2010 Library of the Year here in Columbus, don't you think?)  We also will continue with Book Fairs, Author Visits, and speakers but I am hoping to host some Family Library Events as well as opening the idea up to the kids for input. 

Moving Toward a Tech-Rich Library

We have been working to create a tech-rich library at our K-5 school. During the first year as a librarian, we wrote a district grant to put laptops in the library.  Access to these all day has made a huge difference for our kids.  Last year, we received cameras, flip video cameras, and ipods. We also have a projector, a document camera and gigantic speakers. We have set the stage to use all these well and students are beginning to see so many possibilities. With the big things in place, I think it is the little things that will support students in using the tools for creativity, collaboration and communication.

One of the things we are doing this year is moving the SMART BOARD to the other side of the room. I believe STRONGLY that Smartboards should almost never be in the center of a room.  The message a Smartboard gives in the center is that it is a place for one person to talk and teach and for others to listen. l  Instead, I want the Smartboard to be a tool for collaboration-one that can be used no matter what else is going on in the room.  I saw amazing things last year when students used the Smartboard to create music on Garageband, edit in iMovie, to tell stories with original illustrations, etc.  I think the Smartboard really invites a collaboration that is pretty amazing--kids talking and creating together in a way that isn't quite possible with the other tools. So, the Smartboard is being moved to a space where it can be used with a whole class, a small group, or an individual child.   Our Smartboard Team should get to work right away in September thinking through more possibilities for our students.

We also have some great Flip Video Tripods that were not very accessible to kids last year. This year, they will be in the project area for kids to use as needed (and they come in lots of fun colors!).  They are a great tool and at a great price!

I purchased two new things that I am VERY excited about. I purchased a pair of iHome Speakers and plan to purchase one more set for the library.  Although we have a huge set of speakers in the library, these iHome speakers are much more portable and seem easier for elementary students to use. They are perfect for a classroom size presentation. Even when a few kids are sharing something they've created on a laptop, it is often difficult for even a small group to hear the audio.  I hope these speakers will invite more sharing between students--both formal and informal.

I learned about the Belkin RockStar 5-Way Headphone splitter from @KathyCassidy following her presentation at BLC10.  I have been looking for a way to better utilize the iPods for young children and to have more opportunities for audio books, songs, etc.  for our students. These headphone splitters will allow for that as well as more sharing of student-created projects. 5 sets of headphones can be connected! For the price (less than $10 each), these are my most exciting purchase of the summer!

Web 2.0 Tools--Teachers as Learners

We have an annual Leadership Academy in our district. This year, we both did a session for district teachers on Web 2.0 Tools.  We believe strongly that in order to move forward, we must all be users of these new tools in our lives. Just as we need to be readers and writers, being users of new tools is crticial to our teaching and learning lives.  Below are the slides from our presentation. The slides include the sites that we discussed.

As an added bonus, we used Googledocs to create this slide show and we went paperless in our presentation--no handouts. We included all info right in the embedded slides so that participants could access them with a specific link. We learned so much in the process!

Some Favorite Spaces in the LIbrary

If you read yesterday's post, you know I have rearranged some things to better match the library space to the vision we have for it. Today I decided to share some of my favorite spaces for students.

This is my new favorite space in the library. I wanted a space to have that cafe feel for the kids. Our library looks out to a great courtyard. When I arrived, there were bookshelves against the window so the view from the windows was blocked. We moved shelves to open up that space last year. This year, I am adding tables and stools that overlook the courtyard. The tables I chose do not block the view or the light and I think it creates a great workspace for kids. I envision kids writing, sketching, working on laptops, etc. I imagine kids can work alone or with a partner in this area and the courtyard view will add to the feel of the space.

These stackable tables provide great spaces for many kinds of work. Because they are such a great size, they can be moved around often. I sometimes use them as temporary displays on the ends of bookshelves. I put new books or games on these as invitations for exploration. But the reason I really love these tables is because they allow children to create the spaces they need, where they need them. They are small enough for kids to take to any are of the library to work. If a child needs a quiet space, they can create one. The tables are also a great size for building and they make great game tables. I love the flexibility that they provide.

One of the things we needed was a larger space for sharing and for storytellers and guests who visit the library. We figured out a way to create a great space, but then the space seemed too big for times when it wasn't being used campfire style. The 3 large rugs make the space look a bit less empty. The rugs provide an anchor and they also allow for various groups of kids to be in this space together. (As you can see, they are not totally spread out as they are still partially rolled under as they straighten out.) Eventually, the comfy pillows, etc. could be stored here and the space is divided in a way that gives it good flexibility.

This is a great little space that is actually part of the big space. The shelves around it store building toys and games and the low table was quite popular last year. Since it is so large, it accomodates quite a few kids. It is a great place to read, play games, create stopmotion on laptops, etc. The pillows in the background will need a new space but this has been a space where kids enjoy working.

I love this little table tucked in this quiet spot. It is a great size and invites lots of great collaboration. Lots of kids use it as a spot to share books together. This table tends to get moved often but no matter where it lands, kids gather around it with books.

July Mosaic

July's gone. No more hibiscus blooms. (No more posing with plastic men, Franki.)  No more parades. No more berries on the vine. The puppies will have their eyes open and be weaned when we see them again in a couple of weeks. The new "puppies" will soon be walking nervously into room 222, and we'll all be wondering what adventures this school year will bring.

Endings and beginnings. Comfortable routines and the discomfort of change. Time to put all my summer learning into practice...