Wonders All Around

Learning Alongside My 5th Grade Wonders

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#SOL18 Day 31: What I’ve Discovered

I’m motivated by a good challenge, but I’m still somewhat surprised that I made it. I cannot even remember the last time that I wrote every day for a week, let along a month. Completing the Slice of Life Challenge has helped me understand so many things about writing.

I used to think you had to have a plan for your writing.

Now I know that your writing usually evolves as you work on it.

I used to think you could sit down and write a paragraph in a few minutes.

Now I know that some ideas need more times to take shape.

I used to think that some people have a gift for words.

Now I know that there will always be days when finding the right words is hard.

I used to think I didn’t have good enough ideas for writing.

Now I know that any idea has value.

I used to think that you need to come up with ideas.

Now I know that you need to notice ideas to write about.

I used to think that writing was work.

Now I know that writing can be play.

I used to think that writing about about writing.

Now I know that reading is also a huge part of writing.

I used to think all writing had to have certain characteristics or meaning.

Now I know that just putting words down on paper is enough.

I used to think I couldn’t possibly share personal writing.

Now I know that sharing personal writing helps both the writer and the reader.

I used to think that writing was all about the writer.

Now I know that writing is even better when it has readers.

I used to think more detail and description made writing better.

Now I know that less can be more when it comes to writing.

I used to think I couldn’t write poetry.

Now I know that poetry is a magical way to express ideas.

I used to think that writing was an individual activity.

Now I know that writing happens in a community.

I used to think I wasn’t really a writer.

Now I know that I am and always will be a writer.

 

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#SOL18 Day 30: Class Read Aloud

A few weeks ago I finished reading Wishtree to my class. It was a wonderful time. We loved the short chapters, the bits of mystery, and the beautifully crafted descriptions. When it ended, it took about 15 seconds for someone to ask, “So, what are we going to read next?” which led to a flurry of suggestions.

In the end, my students begged me to read Ghost by Jason Reynolds. I’m not sure exactly what exactly got them so excited about this book. No one knew what it was about; no one had read any of his other works. But I had read it, and I knew it was a book that would take them out of their familiar reading territory. I was a little worried about how my suburban 5th graders would react to some of the situations in the book, but, in the end, that’s exactly what made me decide to read it with them.

If you’ve read the book, you may remember that the first chapter starts off light-hearted. My students were wiggling on the carpet, poking at their friends, and giggling along with the sass of the narrator as I got started. Then, without much warning, the story takes a huge turn and shocks you with a terrifying situation. The classroom froze. I had to lower my voice to adjust to the lack of background noise. We were all barely breathing. When we finished the chapter, pretty much the only comments were “Wow!” and “I can’t believe that’s what happened!”

Of course, my worries about this book being too much for them resurfaced. We talked for a bit, and I reassured them that the rest of the book wouldn’t be as intense.

Reading this book has changed our read aloud time. Now, I find students squeezing in on all sides of me as I sit down to read. They’ve always sat close, but never THIS close. Seriously, I have NO elbow or leg room.

I know that Ghost isn’t what they were expecting, but I think it’s what they needed.

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#SOL18 Day 29: A Reward

“Cara, your 2 weeks of free bagels begin now.”

Much of what shows up in my Inbox is junk, but this message that I got on Monday brightened my day.

I was having a slow morning, and running out at lunch is not that easy, so it wasn’t until after school that I was able to stop by and get my first daily reward. I wasn’t expecting to see a wide assortment of bagels displayed at 4:30, but I was surprised to see that the Sprouted Grain Bagel Flat basket was the only one holding anything. It’s a slight letdown, but I shouldn’t complain about a reward. At least the decision was easy.

The next morning, I unroll the paper bag. The slim, dense bagel feels hard in my hand. Some of the oatmeal flakes fall off onto the cutting board. Is this even going to be worth it as my breakfast? I get out the serrated knife and carefully slice the narrow bagel in two. For once, I manage to cut it fairly evenly even though there’s barely any space between my fingers that pinch the sides of the bagel. We happen to have whipped strawberry cream cheese in the fridge, and that little extra bit of sweetness sounds like the perfect compliment to this fiber-rich variety.

At the first bite, I am rewarded with a mouthful of chewy goodness paired with creamy sweetness. So good!

I’m looking forward to these next 2 weeks.

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#SOL18 Day 28: Company’s Coming

One thing that amuses me is how having guests coming over helps you see your house which different eyes.

We have a remote control car that has been sitting by the front door since last summer. No one has played with it in months. I’m not even sure the batteries still work. We walk past it every time we go in and out of our front door. We have even moved it to the side so we could sweep around it. In all these months, no one has made a move to put away, though.

Now that we are trying to get the house cleaned up for a birthday party, this car is one of the things I notice that has to be taken care of right away! Why is it that having a few friends over makes this toy finally seem so out of place? Well, at least it’s taken care of now!

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#SOL18 Day 27: Learning to Knit and Crochet

I’ve always wanted to learn how to knit and crochet. My grandma and my great-grandma (on my dad’s side) had these skills, but my mom didn’t. She must have tried at some point, though, because in the very back corner of our hallway coat closet was a Pringles can with metal knitting needles sticking out through the lid. I checked out library books and tried to figure out the steps, but I never really got past casting on, maybe row 1. My grandma and great-grandma each worked with me a couple of times, but apparently I needed more than sporadic practice.

Fastforward to a couple of years ago. I decided it was finally time to figure out these arts. Thank goodness for YouTube! I followed step by step, rewatching many times, producing my very own crocheted dishcloth! I had figured it out! I made one more basic dishcloth before trying a shell design. Having the video as a guide made it surprisingly easy.

This winter, my daughter and I decided to learn how to know. The video approach to learning was perfect since visual help was available whenever we needed it. We each made a couple of nice looking dishcloths without too much trouble.

Even though you can really never have too many dishcloths, I felt that I needed a different project, something to wear, but something still pretty simple. If you ever need this kind of project, I highly recommend trying fingerless gloves. The pattern just uses two stitches, and in the end you just stitch together the sides of a rectangle. I’m very happy with how mine keep my hands warm, and my kids have requested that I make pairs for them, too.

Now, I need to work on my knitting while I still have some morning quiet time!

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#SOL18 Day 26: New Books Arrive

Just about a week ago, I learned what titles are on the ballot for the 2018-2019 Great Lakes, Great Books Award. I’ve been sharing the nominated books with students for years, stocking multiple copies in my classroom, and giving students the opportunity to cast their vote for their favorite. It gives us yet another chance to bond as readers.

Once I saw the list, I immediately started looking at different bookstores and used book sites to see how I could get the most copies for the least amount of money. I placed a few orders and started the hard task of waiting for books to arrive.

Today was the day! As I stopped by the school office on my way to lunch, I was greeted by several thick envelopes sat stacked on the floor next to the staff mail slots. Hurray!

It was hard to resist.opening them until I could set the stack down on a table in the staff lounge, but I somehow managed. “What did you get?” the other teachers in the room asked between bites?  I explained about the book list and tore into the envelopes one by one. Another teacher passing through the lounge to the copy machine took a detour to get a better look at the covers. We all love seeing new books!

When it was time to pick up my students from the cafeteria, they all tried to get a good look at the new books, too. As soon as I set them down so that I could take afternoon attendance, three students came over and started reading the back covers of the books. I couldn’t blame them.

Just a few minutes later, someone from the office delivered a Scholastic box to my room. More books arrived! “Open it, open it!” my students begged, and I did. Fortunately, enough new books arrived that each student who wanted one could have one.

The best news is that I know a few more new books are going to arrive tomorrow!!

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#SOL18 Day 25: My Cats’ Sunday Afternoon

Curled up in a box

Napping on the window bench

Resting on a cushion of blankets

Warmed by the sun

 

Sleeping on the floor

Bathed in sunlight

Stretched out

Maximizing belly exposure

 

Nestled on the couch

Tucked into the corner

Snoozing on an afghan

Enjoying the sun’s warmth

 

Dozing on my lap

Head tucked to tail

Sharing my quilt

Hoping I read in the sun all day

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#SOL18 Day 24: The Coach Needs a Break

I was a little nervous last night. My daughter was testing her robot one last time before today’s competition, and it was doing really well. Doing really well might mean advancing to the next competition. As much as I wanted her team to do well in the morning, I knew I was past-ready for a break. I coached her FIRST Lego League team in the fall and now her Robofest team in the winter. In addition to being the coach, I am the coordinator of our 14-team robotics club and the organizer of the local competition at our school. The kids learn so much and do amazing work, but I need to enjoy Spring!

My daughter and her teammates knelt down and placed the robot on the table. 3-2-1-Go! She pressed the button and the robot slowly turned to the right, drove forward, and sensed the edge of the table. It turned left and followed the table edge, funneling tennis balls underneath it as it moved toward the end of the table. Vrrrmph. The side motor went into action and closed the front gate to hold the tennis balls under the robot as it turned 180 degrees and moved back down the middle of the table to the starting zone. It did everything it was supposed to do, right up until the end. At that point, one of the turns was a little off and the robot ended up driving off the edge of the table onto the floor. Still, their score ended up being one of the top ones for the round. It was exciting, and I was happy for them, but I was still silently hoping for a more average performance during the second round.

The second round was completely different than the first. Within 10 seconds, the robot drove off the edge of the table. The team asked for a reset, and the exact same thing happened. That time, their score was one of the lowest for the round.

In the end, their team placed 4th. The top three teams won trophies and advanced to the Championship competition which will be held in two months. I’m very excited for those teams, but I’m pleased with our team’s progress this season and so happy that we can now take a break!

 

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#SOL18 Day 23: Word Parade

I love putting together costumes, even though I usually seem to be doing it at the last minute. In March, we have two different costume events: Dress Like a Book Character Day and Word Parade. The word parade is definitely my favorite.

What is a Word Parade? Others call it a Vocabulary Parade. It’s based on a picture book called Miss Alaineus by Debra Frasier which is equally wonderful. It’s a chance to share an interesting word, phrase, idiom, or pun with everyone else at the school.

My word was conundrum. I got the idea from a Slice of Life post, last week I think it was. I made a poster with the word and its definition on one side. I carried a poster with the question: How can you use exactly four 9s and no more than two math symbols to equal the number 10? I walked through the parade with different quizzical expressions on my face. Such fun!

The other words and costumes were amazing, too! One teacher had a sign that said “Running out of womb.” As you might guess, she has a visible baby belly. Other words were kaleidoscope, germaphobe, and deer in headlights. I can’t possibly name them all. I’m so glad we had lots of people taking pictures!

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#SOL18 Day 22: Today

This one has to be quick.

Before school, at school, and after school,

My to-do list for today is

l

o

n

g.

I enjoy the peaceful quiet

With the computer on my lap,

A sleeping cat at my side,

And my coffee within reach.

I will take everything

In turn.

I remind myself that it

will

all get done.

Each item completed

Is a victory.

I will do my best.

That’s all it takes.

 

 

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