Thursday, August 16, 2012
New Year Renewed Teacher
Wednesday Afternoon Post 08-15-12
Beginning a new school year is a job experience wherein teachers are granted a rare experience. We stand at the perspective of reviewing our own past job performance with the ability to change, renew, and enhance our upcoming year. Every school year is a new beginning and opportunity to become better teachers. It is far too easy to fall into the trap of dusting off lesson plans and recycling them for yet another year. We grow stale when our minds are bored and sameness breeds boredom. Unfortunately for our students, boredom is contagious.
Twenty-five years ago I was a new teacher entering my first classroom. I remember how excited I was to see “my” desks waiting in rows for instruction. I spent several days putting up posters and bulletin boards, keeping stacks of index cards and working on those all important lesson plans. I was too excited to sleep the night before that all important first day.
I like to remember that feeling of so many years ago and bring some of the anticipation and excitement of new beginnings with me to the first day of a new school year. Like the elementary school child, I shop for a few new school supplies to add to my cabinet. I seek new ways to present lessons that work. How can I make them work better? What goals will I focus on for my students this year? What one new strategy will I try this year?
When we give ourselves new start up challenges, we are stretched to invent new paradigms to frame our teaching styles and skill levels. This in itself is renewing and the excited anticipation we bring to our students is fortunately also contagious.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Recommended Reading
TITLE AUTHOR SYNOPSIS
The Outsiders S.E. Hinton Three brother attempt to stay together after their parent’s death.
Holes Louis Sachar A young man is sent to a youth camp and encounters a number of adventures.
Ella Enchanted Gail Carson Levine Cinderella type story. Young girl is cursed and must do whatever she is told.
Golden Compass Philip Pullman Fantasy land where one’s soul takes the form of a daemon and walks with you. A young girl must rescue children kidnapped by evil forces.
Redwall Brian Jacques Fantasy set in medieval times. All the characters are mice and rats which take on human characteristics.
Inkheart Cornelia Funk A man discovers he is a “silvertongue” and characters come alive when he reads about them.
Because of Winn-Dixie Kate DiCamillo A young girl and her big, ugly dog.
Where the Red Fern Grows Wilson Rawls A boy and his prize winning dogs must face tragedy, but the red fern will give him hope.
The Thief Lord Cornelia Funk Orphan boys unwilling to be split apart encounter magic on the streets of Venice.
Hatchet Gary Paulson A boy is the lone survivor of a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness. His only possession is a hatchet.
The Hobbit J.R. Tolkien Fantasy story of Middle Kingdom. Prequel to Lord of the Rings Trilogy
The Diary of Anne Frank Anne Frank True story, diary entries of Jewish girl hiding in an attic in Germany during World War II.
I am the Cheese Robert Cormier A boy tries to find out about the mysterious past of his family.
Into Thin Air Jon Krakauer True Story. The author relates his climb on Mt Everest and the tragedy that took several lives.
Indian in the Cupboard Lynne Reid Banks A young boy’s plastic cowboys and Indian figures come to life.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963 Christopher Paul Curtis A black family moves to Alabama in the middle of civil rights uprising. Humorous moments.
Julie of the Wolves Jan Craighead George A young Eskimo girl leaves an unhappy marriage and finds refuge with a wolf pack.
A Day No Pigs Would Die Robert Peck A Shaker family must face difficult economic times
The Giver Lois Lowry In a future society, people are asked to make unthinkable choices
The Westing Game Ellen Raskin Engrossing mystery will keep you guessing
Crispin Avi A boy in medieval England is wrongly accused of a crime and must flee for his life.
Number the Stars Lois Lowry A Jewish girl and her friend are terrified by events in World War II Germany
Eragon Christopher Paolini Story of a boy and his Dragon
Island of the Blue Dolphins Scott O’Dell An Indian girl is separated from her people and marooned on an island
Esperanza Rising Pam Muñoz Ryan A girl who has immigrated from Mexico has many problems adjusting to her new culture.
The Pearl John Steinbeck A simple Mexican family in need of money and medical care discover a valuable pearl.
The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins Story of the future when students must compete in games and try to kill their competitors.
A Drowned Mermaids Hair Laura Amy Shlitz An orphan is adopted so that she may take part in some unsavory family business, 1890’s
The Outsiders S.E. Hinton Three brother attempt to stay together after their parent’s death.
Holes Louis Sachar A young man is sent to a youth camp and encounters a number of adventures.
Ella Enchanted Gail Carson Levine Cinderella type story. Young girl is cursed and must do whatever she is told.
Golden Compass Philip Pullman Fantasy land where one’s soul takes the form of a daemon and walks with you. A young girl must rescue children kidnapped by evil forces.
Redwall Brian Jacques Fantasy set in medieval times. All the characters are mice and rats which take on human characteristics.
Inkheart Cornelia Funk A man discovers he is a “silvertongue” and characters come alive when he reads about them.
Because of Winn-Dixie Kate DiCamillo A young girl and her big, ugly dog.
Where the Red Fern Grows Wilson Rawls A boy and his prize winning dogs must face tragedy, but the red fern will give him hope.
The Thief Lord Cornelia Funk Orphan boys unwilling to be split apart encounter magic on the streets of Venice.
Hatchet Gary Paulson A boy is the lone survivor of a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness. His only possession is a hatchet.
The Hobbit J.R. Tolkien Fantasy story of Middle Kingdom. Prequel to Lord of the Rings Trilogy
The Diary of Anne Frank Anne Frank True story, diary entries of Jewish girl hiding in an attic in Germany during World War II.
I am the Cheese Robert Cormier A boy tries to find out about the mysterious past of his family.
Into Thin Air Jon Krakauer True Story. The author relates his climb on Mt Everest and the tragedy that took several lives.
Indian in the Cupboard Lynne Reid Banks A young boy’s plastic cowboys and Indian figures come to life.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963 Christopher Paul Curtis A black family moves to Alabama in the middle of civil rights uprising. Humorous moments.
Julie of the Wolves Jan Craighead George A young Eskimo girl leaves an unhappy marriage and finds refuge with a wolf pack.
A Day No Pigs Would Die Robert Peck A Shaker family must face difficult economic times
The Giver Lois Lowry In a future society, people are asked to make unthinkable choices
The Westing Game Ellen Raskin Engrossing mystery will keep you guessing
Crispin Avi A boy in medieval England is wrongly accused of a crime and must flee for his life.
Number the Stars Lois Lowry A Jewish girl and her friend are terrified by events in World War II Germany
Eragon Christopher Paolini Story of a boy and his Dragon
Island of the Blue Dolphins Scott O’Dell An Indian girl is separated from her people and marooned on an island
Esperanza Rising Pam Muñoz Ryan A girl who has immigrated from Mexico has many problems adjusting to her new culture.
The Pearl John Steinbeck A simple Mexican family in need of money and medical care discover a valuable pearl.
The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins Story of the future when students must compete in games and try to kill their competitors.
A Drowned Mermaids Hair Laura Amy Shlitz An orphan is adopted so that she may take part in some unsavory family business, 1890’s
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