Winter Is Here

The cold weather is finally here. Write about a time in your life when you had fun during the winter season. Remember that writers always use lots of details in their piece.

Having Good Character

If you take the time to notice people around you use good character each day. Do you know the six pillars of character? Could you name them in order if someone asked you too? Knowing the pillars is the first step to recognizing the good things that are happening around you.

Think of at least three times you saw someone using good character today. Write what the person did and what pillar they showed. Remember to only include the person’s first name.

Time Flies By

It is amazing how much time has passed this year. It is already fall. The leaves have turned from green to their golden colors and many have fallen to the ground. Now bare branches surround us as the trees brace themselves for the winter that is soon to follow.

Fall is such a beautiful time of year. In fact, it is one of my favorite times. The temperature tends to be just right for a light jacket and that makes it perfect to me. How could someone not enjoy this time of year? Watching the leaves make their descent from the tallest branch and flip back and forth on their way down. Sometimes when I take the time, they seem to be on a rollercoaster of wind. I can only imagine what it would feel like to be a flea on one of those leaves!

Now like the trees I brace myself for the winter to come. I am not a cold weather fan but I have to admit that when the first snows fall I love watching the snowflakes. If you take the time you might notice they flip and turn as they fall just like the leaves do int he fall.

A Fun Time in Fall

Now that it is fall everything is changing. The air is turning colder and the leaves are turning colors before our eyes. There are so many fun things to do during this time outside.

Think about a fall day when you did something fun. What did you do?

For your post today, write a story about a fall day when you had a lot of fun. Remember that good writers sometimes make things up to add to their stories to make them more interesting.

Welcome Writers!!!

Remember that a writer's work is never done. Writers always keep their eyes open to look for new things to write about. Ideas can come from other authors, your life, books you read, and so much more. Always keep your eyes open for a new idea!

Have fun exploring my blogsite today!

The Book Whisperer

Have you ever met a book that changes your world? I am currently reading a book for teachers that is making me think about how we read during the school day. By reading we will increase our knowledge of different places, how a book is made, and will have wonderful words whispered into our ears. This will change us as writers too. How do you even know how to write a story? You do because someone has taken the time to sit down with you and read. Those moments change who we are as readers and writers too. My words of advice? READ...READ...READ!!!

A List Poem

Today we talked about writing a list poem. On the back is the poem we used as mentor text today. Now it is your turn to write a list poem about any topic you choose. You need to write at least one list poem.

Remember that when writing a list poem authors use lots of description about their topic.

A Favorite Memory

Throughout your long or short time here at our school many things have happened to you and you have experienced many things. What memories are your favorite? Choose and write about at least three memories you have. These memories do not have to be detailed but give enough information to explain them. I will compile all of these for us to use very soon.

Remember to write in full sentences.

A Surprise

The weather sometimes throws us a surprise as it did yesterday. Write about a time in your life when something surprised you.

Remember that authors use description when they write to make it more interesting.

Spring Break Fun

How was your spring break? No matter if you stayed in Kendallville last week or traveled to a vacation spot we all have stories to tell of our time away from school. Tonight choose something that happened over your break and tell about it.

Remember that authors use description when they write to make it more interesting.

A New Study

Today we began a new study…persuasive. This type of writing is different from what we have done this far because you will have to convince someone to see your side. Create a list of things you would like to persuade someone in your family, school, our city, or the world. Who knows, one may be the winning choice!

Remember, the more ideas you brainstorm the more choices you will have to write about later in our study.

Writing With Feeling

Good writers use feeling when they are writing. Think back to a memory you have. What were you feeling? Why did you feel that way? Write a story telling about that time. Describe it and use strong words.

Remember that authors like Patricia Polacco always use feeling in their books and she is not alone.

A Book's Thoughts

She sits on a dusty shelf, waiting for an opportunity to be lifted forever. It's hard to be her. The anticipation of such an event is hard to grasp. People walk by her beautifully illustrated pages and poetic words each day. She never understands why. Though she is patient, she hides a secret...the happiness she would bring to whomever chose to grasp her. For she knows how it feels to be appreciated and longs for that feeling again. The book is thinking these thoughts...and knows that soon, someone will be coming by to appreciate her beauty.

Special People

We all have special people in our lives. These are people we know (not celebrities) who we see from time to time. Choose just one person from your list and write what makes them so special. How do they make you feel? What is a special memory you have with them?

Remember to use good details about this person when you write.

Friends (A Trip Down Memory Lane)

As you become older things change. Your friends change, where you live, what you do...you get the picture. Change is everywhere throughout life. We do not have to like it - it's just how it is.

Recently a childhood friend has come in touch with me. She was my neighbor that even after we moved we still visited each other. She was my first ever friend.

I cannot wait to reminisce about our childhood times. Trick-or-treating, sleep overs, sidewalk parades, and the day we told our parents we were running away (they just laughed at this notion and must have known we would not be gone long). I am looking forward to this walk down memory land and I hope that Dana is too.

Icicles

Hanging by an invisible thread
pointing towards the earth
transparent ghosts
dripping
dripping
dripping
towards the ground below
ending in a puddle

Your Day Through the Six Pillars

Each day we have to work hard to have good character. Think back to your day from the time you woke up until now. List each of the pillars one by one (trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship) and write at least one way you followed each of the pillars throughout the day.

Remember to be specific about the way you followed each pillar.

My Day Through the Six Pillars

Trustworthiness

• When everyone was asleep I went to the grocery store to buy the things we would need for the week.
• I made lunch and dinner for my family.
• I made sure that Miles took his "happy nappy" so he would not be grumpy for the rest of the day.
• When the cashier at the grocery store asked me about a coupon I was trying to use I told her the truth that I had only bought one Juicy Juice instead of two (I did not read the coupon very closely).

Respect

• I watched the movie that Mallory and Miles wanted to watch and acted excited even though it was not my choice.
• I used a nice tone of voice during the whole day.
• At the grocery store I said, "Excuse me," to anyone I walked in front of as they were looking at the items on the shelves.

Responsibility

• After lunch I went out to school to get things ready for the week.
• I cleaned up after myself today and even began to file papers away that are on our desk by the computer.
• After using the cart at the grocery store I put it into the cart corral in the parking lot.
• I emailed the writers I am working with to get things ready for our meeting with someone at the newspaper for an upcoming Living Section piece (the whole page).

Fairness

• Ryan and I worked to do the dishes, laundry, and help with meals throughout the day.
• I paid attention on the amount of time I spent with both of my children today and tried to be as fair as possible.
• During each of our meals I made sure that Mallory and Miles had nearly the same amount of food.

Caring

• When Miles became upset I held him until he calmed down.
• I gave many kisses and hugs to the people in my house throughout the day.
• Before our movie began I went and got a big blanket for all of us to cuddle under.
• At the grocery store I bought special cookies for Mallory to make in her Easy Bake Oven.

Citizenship

• I recycled the cardboard, plastic, and aluminum things we used today.
• When I drove throughout town I obeyed the law by following the speed limit, following traffic lights, and signs.
• I put another quote in the teacher's lounge that I hope will make them think about the six pillars:).

Where I Come From

I come from
two wonderful people
family outings
backyard play
and walks to school

I come from
a greenhouse floor
with muddy faces
cherry cokes with grandma
and garden fresh vegetables

I come from
happy family gatherings
flowers surrounding
bicycle rides
and looney toons

I come from
Girl Scouts
Easter Egg hunts
backyard sprinklers
and record albums

I come from
special friendships and loss
puddle jumping
band trips
and a solo played at the RCA Dome

I come from
the known importance of education
expectations to succeed
being the oldest
and loving others

I come from
being a wallflower
with a strong fire inside
to a wife and now a mother
yes...I am all these things!

Do You Have Good Character?

Living by the six pillars of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship is very important to having good character.

Which pillar is the easiest for you to follow? Describe ways you follow this pillar.

Which pillar is the most difficult for you to follow? Describe what you are going to do to improve this pillar of your character.

Life Is Fun

Life is fun when you:

• make someone smile
• sing along with your favorite cd
• give to people who need help
• make faces
• chase others as the "tickle monster"
• play kickball
• go sledding down a huge hill
• splash in puddles as it is raining
• read Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini
• play board games
• write stories and poems
• go to Disney World
• eat birthday cake
• plant flowers
• take a ride on a train
• sew a quilt
• see Minnie Mouse for the first time since you were three
• open presents
• laugh
• jump and do cannonballs in the middle of the lake
• take pictures
• run through the sprinkler
• eat poptarts
• make mud pies
• hug a family member
• kayak through the tunnel
• watch a caterpillar turn into a butterfly
• eat a whole bag of peanut butter M & Ms

How to Remember My Classroom

It will be a bittersweet moment when my classroom is boxed up little by little and the walls, bookshelves, windowsills, cabinets, and...well...everything becomes bare in my classroom. Thinking of the emptiness I will feel at that moment brings tears to my eyes. It will not seem right because there are many memories in this room that I am fearful will eventually fade, students whose lives have touched mine and change who I am, and the coziness this classroom brings. Sure, I have done my share of complaining and am excited about the new building, but leaving an empty classroom and an empty school which has filled my life for the past 14 years will be hard for me. The silence will be deafening.

Your Winter Fun Time

In winter we are forced to stay in the warmth of our homes and occasionally go outside when the weather invites us. There are those occasions where we are surprised by a two-hour delay or even a cancelled day of school.

Think back to one of those days. What did you do?

Write a short story about how you spent one of those days. Remember that good writers sometimes make things up to add to their stories to make them more interesting.

Reminicing

Powder falling from the sky
Blanketing the earth
Trees shiver
Searching for warmth
As they watch the world change
Before their eyes
Remembering children playing
And swinging from their branches
Longing for the happiness
Only a warm day can bring
Counting down the days until spring
Hoping it will be here soon

Being Part of History

This morning we were part of something very special. Together we came together, students and staff, to place items into our time capsule. As I sat in the crowd I kept thinking how the people who open this time capsule fifty or so years from now will comment on these things.

What about the styrofoam lunch tray? The aerial pictures of the school? The book fees student families paid at the beginning of the school year? The grocery ads and the prices? The styles of hair we all have in our yearbook pictures? The pictures of our current city? There are so many things I am wondering right now and unfortunately I will probably never know the answers.

As I sat in the audience I felt excited to be a part of history...maybe not for the world...but for me (and us).

A Favorite Place

I have so many favorite places. One of my favorites is still a closet I had in my bedroom when I was growing up. It had shelves on one side and a place to hang my clothes on the other. One of my favorite things to do was to crawl as far back as I could to hide from the world. Once I was secluded I would read, write, or take a nap. It was always so peaceful back there. One of the best things about my favorite place is that I could hide from my brother and sister. What could be better than that?

My parents no longer live in that house. I hope that some other child has found my special place and has learned to enjoy it as much as I did. It's one of the best in the world!!!

Good 'Ole Bessie

Growing up my family had a lime green station wagon. That's right...I said lime green. My family loved that station wagon and even named her Bessie.

If Bessie were still around and able to talk I wonder what she might say...

• That hurt when you bumped me into that pole!
• Is there a good reason why you crammed so many people into the back of me just to drive around town?
• The Colorado Mountains sure were hard on my lungs!
• Did you have fun learning to drive me?
• The salt on the road made my body itchy!
• Why didn't you give me baths more often?
• Your family always made me laugh.
• Sorry when I didn't start for you.
• Your band friends were always my favorite because they knew how to have fun.
• Having you, Amber, and Paul lying in the back of me and looking out my back window made me smile. I still do not understand why looking at the reflection of headlights made you laugh so hard.
• Can you believe how many mosquitoes were at the drive-in the times we went? You and your cousins were crazy to stay outside to watch the movies instead of coming inside me!
• I miss the good 'ole days.

Those days with Bessie were filled with so many memories it would be hard to write them all down. It is fun to imagine what she might have said given the chance and ability though.

Horses

Tails flapping in the wind
Heads held high
Eyes wide with excitement
Galloping through the fields

Stopping for a moment
To catch their breath
Resting their muscular legs
On the earth beneath

Neighing noisily
To their friends in the field
Waiting for an answer
Running once again

Grandma's Greenhouse

Growing up some of my best memories were in Grandma's greenhouse. The greenhouse was only two blocks away from my house and I LOVED to spend time there. When March rolled around that meant that my mom and aunt would be busily working to transplant each little seedling into pots. The smell of the earth in the greenhouse is something I will never forget. There are many pictures with my sister, brother, and cousins in the dirt pile with the dirtiest faces...ever! I look back at those moments and am so happy my mom was okay with me getting dirty.

There is one thing that Grandma taught me early in my life...Cherry Coke is the best. I remember on hot days going to the garage in the cooler to get two bottles (glass not plastic) of Coke. On the super special days Grandma would have cherry juice that we would add to the Coke (those were before the days of cans with the cherry already in there). Grandma and I would sit outside the greenhouse on the white cement bench and just talk. We talked about everything from the happenings in the greenhouse, the depression, what it was like for Grandma growing up, and the things happening around our town and with me. Grandma always had an ear that was ready for listening.

I am sad to say that the greenhouse is no longer. Sometimes things happen for a reason. I think that someone upstairs decided Grandma was not able to take care of the greenhouse any longer and brought about a big snowstorm that was more than the roof could handle and it collapsed. That sure was a sad day.

To this day, when I go to Grandma's house I look at the vacant lot where the greenhouse once stood and become sad. That greenhouse made me into the person I am today and I am forever grateful for that.

A Historic Day

This day goes down as one of the days I will never forget as long as I live. The days where I remember where I was when I heard the news...

The day I ran home from Girl Scouts because I had learned that President Reagan had been shot.

The evening my mom drove me to Murphy Mart to buy John Lennon's 45-record, "Just Like Starting Over" after learning he had been shot.

The day my mom took my sister, brother, and I to her friend's house to mourn the death of Elvis.

The night my mom woke me up in the middle of the night to watch Lady Diana and Prince Charles' wedding in England.

The day I was home sick watching live as the first teacher made her way into space...but never made it the way she had planned.

The night I stayed up long into the wee hours of the morning watching as the world learned that Princess Diana has been killed. And then, days later, watching her funeral.

The day I learned that John F. Kennedy Jr. was missing. Hoping he would be found safe somewhere...only to mourn his loss with many.

The day on September 11th when I was handed a piece of paper telling me the events that were currently unfolding in New York City with second grade eyes on me as I tried with all of my might to fight back all the tears that welled up inside me to stay strong.

And now, the day when the people of the world watched along with me as the 44th President of the United States was sworn in. A man who has promised change. A man who is the first African American to be elected as president. A historic day we should never forget.

No matter how old you are, we all have a special place to house those historic days in our lives. They may be full of happiness, met with tears streaming down our face, full of sorrow, fear, or apprehension, but they are all historic.

20 Things to Do Inside on a -17 Degree Day

1. Bundle up in a bunch of blankets and watch a movie.
2. Drink a warm cup of coffee or hot chocolate.
3. Give lots of kisses and hugs.
4. Use sheets to make a tent in the living room.
5. Read a book.
6. Write...write...write.
7. Play board games.
8. Bake cookies.
9. Litter the kitchen table with Playdough galore.
10. Arts and crafts of all kinds.
11. Create a movie theatre in the living room and make popcorn to eat.
12. Play card games (like Go Fish).
13. Put puzzles together.
14. Lay down and rest (under a bunch of blankets).
15. Scrapbook.
16. Work together to make the biggest GeoTrax system ever.
17. Play hide and go seek.
18. Jump around the house with Twister Hopscotch.
19. Convert the living room into a store and go shopping.
20. Have fun together:).

Angels Among Us

Have you ever taken the time to look around you and think if there are angels around you? Well I have. Just today I spent quite a big amount of time talking with one of my friends. She is an angel. Every day she gives her heart to help others...and she makes a difference. She inspires me to work harder and to go the extra mile to make a difference too. Thank you to all of the angels out in the world. How can you be an angel?

Heading to the Ice

As we looked outside snow filled the air. It pecked at the window from every which way. It felt like our house was in the middle of a snowglobe. For many hours the snow filtered down from the heavens.

We waited and waited until finally it was time. Ryan and I worked together to load up the van. Mallory and Miles began the bundling up process. Once we were ready everyone took their seat and we were off.

Once at Mom and Dad's house we did not waste any time at all heading to the ice. Of course, we were armed with snow shovels. There were about two inches of snow on top of the ice (and we had already cleared it the day before). Mallory quickly put her skates on and went for it. She fell down a few times.

Miles on the other hand treated the snow like sand with his bucket and shovel. He shoved the snow into the bucket and turned it over to find a snow castle ready to knock down.

Throughout the afternoon (about two hours) the ice was cleared to reveal the darkness underneath, sketches left from ice skates scoured the surface, red cheeks were on all faces, and an enormous igloo grew on the perimeter of the skating rink.

The day was a lot of fun and many memories were made on the ice that will last a lifetime.

Saying Goodbyes

Saying goodbye is one of my least favorite things to do. It always bothers me most with those I care the most about.

Recently my parents travelled to Arizona to visit my sister and her family for Christmas. I was so happy for all of them since they do not get to see each other very often. The morning when they left school had been cancelled. Mallory, Miles, and I loaded up in the van and headed out to wish them a good visit (of course to give hugs and kisses too). Miles felt the change and sensed what was happening an clung to my leg. Mallory was much more quiet too.

Finally we said out goodbyes. Miles was hesitant and Mallory gave hugs and kisses to both. By the time I got to Mom tears were in her eyes and in mine too. After a big hug and with tears in our eyes we loaded the van again and headed home. I tried staying strong even though my insides were churning.

I learned that day that Mallory is a lot like me. Her tears lasted all the way home and so did mine. Like I said - saying goodbye is one of my least favorite things to do.

Blizzard Memories

I will never forget the blizzard of '78. I was seven years old and the amount of snow that surrounded my house was something I will never forget.

One very vivid picture I have is my front yard and the snow mound that covered it. My sister and I had so much fun going out with our snow shovels and digging deep tunnels. They seemed to go on forever and when one collapsed...well...that was bad news. We would spend hours out there before having Mom call us back inside.

That blizzard left a small town paralyzed. You could not go onto the road without being stopped by the police and if I remember right there was a curfew too. In order to get groceries my dad had to take our blue toboggan across town to the local grocery store. That was a big deal when he came home with the necessities.

School was cancelled for what seemed like forever. I remember watching Captain Kangaroo in the mornings with my sister.

Oh, the memories of times gone by...

A New Beginning

Tonight I begin my pursuit to live the writerly life. For many years I have worked hard to inspire my students through my words and actions to write. In today's society it is much harder than you could ever imagine. I now realize the importance of keeping a writer's notebook. From this point my goal is to write at least four entries a week (it is a start). I will write slices of my life, memoir, poetry, really anything that my little heart desires. I hope you will join me in my new quest (I feel like Despereaux Tilling right now).