June 5 2014

I Need Help…

My TBR pile: that's a  pile of books To Be Read this summer.

My TBR pile: that’s a pile of books To Be Read this summer.

I’m getting lots of requests for book recommendations. Since school is almost over, we are busy making plans to read this summer. If you had to read five books this summer, which five books would you read?!?!

 

Leave suggestions, including titles and authors, in the comments!

 

Thanks!!

 

August 20 2013

Classroom is READY!

Yippee! I’m done. Ok, well almost done…as done as I’m going to be until the students arrive. Books are organized into labeled bins. Pillows are organized. Bulletin boards are up. This always gets be excited for my new students to arrive. Here are some pictures of the finished bulletin boards…

 

Bulletin board of quotes

Bulletin board of quotes

 

We love books!

We love books!

 

Be yourself! A beautiful bulletin board completed by Tori! Thanks Tori!

Be yourself! A beautiful bulletin board completed by Tori! Thanks Tori!

 

 


August 18 2013

Getting closer

More time and more organizing my classroom and I feel like I’m almost there. Books are sorted and arranged on the shelves.

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My desk and work area is organized.

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There’s a new space in the classroom for student partner work in the back of the classroom.

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These steps get me excited for the upcoming year. This week bulletin boards will be completed and the final touches will be put on the classroom. Soon students will be filling the seats and then the fun really begins!

August 14 2013

Getting ready…

I can’t believe I haven’t posted on here for a month. Wow! Summer’s been wonderful and I’ve been enjoying my time off. I spent the last week at the beach with my family. I spent the week with my mom, sister, two aunts and my niece and nephew.

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My nephew and niece have never been to the beach before! They certainly enjoyed themselves. 

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Now that I’m back from the beach, I’ve been spending time in the classroom getting it ready. Here’s what it looked like when I walked in…

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I spent a day unpacking and moving furniture. I have sorted the books. There are so many books (and this doesn’t include the books I got this summer)! Here’s what it looks like now…

 

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And my desk will be right up front this year. I’m trying something new. What do you think?

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I can’t wait til the year begins. I’ll keep you updated on classroom progress. Also, I’ve been reading A LOT, so I’ll be blogging about the books I’ve read this summer. Enjoy the rest of your summer. 

July 12 2013

More recommendations for adventure books…

July 12 2013

New technology…

I’m playing around with new kinds of technology this summer. Here’s a sample of a podacst. Here it is…what do you think?

July 6 2013

What’s New?

Teachers College

I just returned from a week in New York City! I got to go to a place called Teachers College and learn more about being a better reading teacher. I met teachers from around the world. My head is spinning with all that I learned and of course I came back with more books. I’ll be catching up in my blogging this week. What are you reading? Amulet is next on my list! I am keeping track of my books on goodreads and I’ve read 66 books in 2013. Are you still counting your books? How are you doing on your reading? 

TCRWP

 

June 26 2013

Happy Birthday Grammy

Quick write for Grammy’s birthday:
 
 Grammy and me
 
Sometimes I hear the voices talking over one another and the
laughter as we share our stories
Sometimes I see Grammy, standing by the stove,
stirring and talking and listening and being with her family 
Sometimes I still hear the chairs scraping on the linoleum floor as I
drag them from the basement for Sunday dinner  
Sometimes I smell the garlic and Aqua Net hairspray and Listerine mouthwash and I
smile…those smell like family, they smell like home
Sometimes I see the triangular slices of cheese sitting on the shelf
waiting for little hands to grab and smush and gobble it up
Sometimes I taste cucumber salad and meatballs and macaroni and chocolate cake with white frosting…made with love, just for me.
Sometimes I feel Grammy’s hand holding mine with love.
Sometimes
I wonder if Grammy still sees me today and
I wonder how she made the best meals and
I wonder if I’m anything like her and I wonder when I’ll see her again and
I wonder if I close my eyes really tight, maybe…just maybe I can still feel her holding my hand.
 
 
I love you!
Happy Birthday Grammy!
 
(Here’s a link to a short video of Papa talking about Grammy!)
 Papa talking about Grammy
June 25 2013

Quick write…afternoon at the pool

Today our assignment was to write about a favorite place using sensory details. This is a rough and quickly written description of time at the pool. It doesn’t represent my best writing, but I wrote today and I do think with more time and revision, I could use this. Enjoy and thanks for reading!

 La Peyrecout - Swimming Pool towards Trees

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lapeyrecout/with/273120508/

Floating in the chlorine blue water, smelling the faux coconut of sunscreen and listening to the voices makes me smile. I’ve always been the first one into the water and the last one out. Swimming in the pool brings memories of family and happiness. Drippy watermelon and singed hot dogs feed my belly and the water hugging me feeds my soul. How is it that everything feels like it’s going to be ok while I’m floating in water? Water drowns my worry.