SOL Tuesday, April 15, 2014

On Monday I wrote the below for an application I was completing.

Essay #1: Describe a recent interaction that made a difference in a student's day. 

Mia’s 4^th grade hand went up and I walked to her desk. She had just completed her online Unit 7 math assessment. It was 26 questions on measurement and elapsed time. I asked her to press “Check Status” and the screen showed that all 26 questions were answered. I asked her if she was ready to submit. With a nervous look, she said, “Yes.” After pressing submit, the screen read, “You answered 26 out of 26 questions correctly.” She about jumped out of her seat. The biggest smile came across her face.

Let’s rewind back seven months. I met Mia, her mom and dad during the Open House the Thursday before school started. The dad hung around to chat with me once the crowd started to disperse. “I just want you to know that Mia failed her Math SOL test last year and we don’t want that to happen again.” I thanked him for sharing his concern with me about Mia and that I would do all I could to help her in math this year.

As the months progressed, I kept a close watch on Mia. I noticed immediately that she had no confidence in her math ability. I started with where she was and helped to move her forward. I got manipulatives and math fact charts, read math books, and asked a district’s math specialist to come watch me teach to give me more ideas. At the end of the first quarter, I could see that one period of math a day was not enough time to make up the holes in Mia’s and a few other students math knowledge. I offered a before school Math Club on Mondays and Wednesdays. Mia never missed Math Club. Slowly, she started to gain confidence. She started to have a sense of math. She started to raise her hand in class.

Her smile the moment she saw that she answered all right on a math assessment showed me I made a difference in Mia’s day. At that moment, she smiled as a confident mathematician!

March 31 - I did it!!

Back in February, I really wasn't sure if I COULD write something every day, as well as, read and comment on at least three others' writing. Now I CAN say "I did it!!"

To celebrate, I planned an ORANGE party in my 4th grade classroom. I bought clementines at the grocery store, orange crepe paper to hang at our classroom door, a fun pencil to give to the student who wrote and graphed the most small moments after me with me (Way to go, Ivy!!), and an orange pipe cleaner for ALL to twist and create their own party favor.

I am glad I made the graph and made it so public outside my classroom door. It kept me going. As soon as the student's also started to write, that kept me going, too.

When I look at my 31 blog posts made during this SOL Writing Challenge.
7 are small moments that happened while I was an adult and 2 while I was a child.
4 are my reflections about an author or a book.
2 are small moments about a family member.
3 are poems
5 are small moments that happened in my classroom.
8 are nonfiction writing - me sharing info I heard at a conference

Then I tallied and I received a total of 123 comments! Unexpectedly, getting comments was my favorite part of this challenge. Knowing that someone read my words and then took time to tell me their connection or thoughts about what I wrote gave me so much energy! It kept me going!

Which is why today I am taking time to make a BIG DEAL about the optional writing my students did. We all have stories that ONLY we can tell. I love that so many of my students' stories got onto paper this month. I plan to have us sit in groups of four and listen to each read a part from the small moment they wrote this month (an optional assignment that ALL did!). Then the other 3 can give a compliment. Then the writer can smile and say thank you!

Yet THANK YOU does NOT seem enough to only say. But I do say a HUGE THANK YOU Two Writing Teachers, who are actually six amazing writers who understand the power of a writing community and made a virtual one happen right here on their blog. I am so glad I learned about this March Challenge. It was a great honor to post daily my slice as a newbie. I worked my writing muscle. I end the month of March feeling like I am a writer! We truly do become what we do!

THANK YOU, Stacey, Anna, Betsy, Beth, Dana, and Tara!!!

March 30 - an attempt at POETRY!

My second to the last Slice....in honor of National Poetry Month starting on Tuesday and being inspired by yesterday's SOL inspiration, I WILL TRY POETRY!!!

The first day of school, my 4th graders and I followed the pattern below and wrote an I AM poem.
Here's my I AM Poem
Sally                                                                  (first name)
Wife, Mother, Teacher, Writer and Reader      (4 words describing me)
Friend of Brian, Evi, Tammy, Marilyn, and Cindy
Who loves to eat Starbucks' egg and sausage sandwich for breakfast
Who feels happy when I am teaching Reading and Writing Workshop
Who needs moments of quiet and calm
Who fears snakes
Who would like to see Venice again with Brian and the girls
Resident of Arlington, Virginia
Donnelly                                                       (last name)

Now I'll try the format shared yesterday:
Right now I am:
:: appreciating all involved in the SOL writing challenge and grateful I learned about it and took the pludge this March.

:: patting myself on the back for writing daily for a month

:: worrying less about that I have no control over

:: forgiving others due to their ignorance

:: accepting that there is more than one way (yet I still like my way best!)

::running out of energy, hopefully never; I just need to stay focus on picking that which gives me energy

:: wondering what life will be like a year from now

:: thinking I made a great choice in returning to being a classroom teacher, as opposed to staying a Reading Teacher

:: smiling widely as I read my 4th graders' fiction stories

:: waiting for a new house to be built; a modern, energy-efficient house designed by my architect husband



::looking forward to sitting on the roof-top deck of my new house, quietly reading a new book

:: wishing my husband persistance and patience, as he oversees this big project - a new house for us!

Inspired by Soule Mama and Terje

 

 

My Favorite TEDtalks related to Poetry:



1. Billy Collins (his last recitation is priceless so watch until the end)
http://www.ted.com/talks/billy_collins_everyday_moments_caught_in_time
2. Sarah Kay - amazing performance poet. I get chills and cry every time I watch
http://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_kay_if_i_should_have_a_daughter

Billy Collins on turning 70 and being as old as Cheerios - I LOVE his dry humor written as a poem!
http://vimeo.com/41442839

March 29 - My 4th Graders Got Invited to a 1st Grade Publishing Party

Yesterday a 1st grade classroom teacher invited my 4th graders to their Publishing Party. They had written All About Books!

The day before, each 1st grader wrote a Publishing Card Invitation and their teacher gave me these pile of cards along with her class roster that listed the topics each wrote about. Just before my student's arrived at school on Friday, I started passing out the Invitations, matching my students with her students. It was easy because, though these kids were 4 years apart in age, they had very similar interests. The boy who wrote All About Minecraft I match with Samuel who is often telling me about that video game. The girl who wrote All About Dogs, I matched with Ivy, another dog lover. And Mohamad in my room got matched immediately with the 1st grade friend who wrote All About Pokemon, his passion as well. I had fun matching writers with similar writing territories together.

"I can't read this word, Mrs. Donnelly," I heard from one of my students as he found his card on  his deck.

I replied, "Isn't it wonderful that this 1st grade gets that lines and squiggles on the page can convey their idea. You are right. I don't  understand what that word is suppose to be either but that's OK. You can just compliment them on writing down lines and squiggles and then ask him to read it to you."

"What if they can't read it, either?"

"Then just say, 'What do you think it says?' and listen and give them a compliment ," I patiently responded.

This exchanged made me realize that during Morning Meeting I needed to emphaisze OUR JOB as a Publishing Party Invitee. I teach in a school that Writing Workshop is new. I realized that this was my students' first invite to a Publishing Party and they can't recall doing Writing Workshop when they were in 1st grade because they didn't. This was a new experince and I needed to help them.

I called all to Morning Meeting by calling their 1st grader's name and asked them to bring their card with them to the circle. I wanted them to hear the name and told them to call their 1st grader by their name. Then I ask each to look closely at their card and think of ONE compliment they could give their partner based on the writing they did on this card. Then one by one, we shared. I knew this would help them practice giving a compliment and also be an the opportunity to hear other possible compliments. It helped me to emphasize that we can compliment the picture and the ideas in their writing. I suggested that they try to give at least 5 compliments while looking at their 1st grader's All About book. They could count them on their fingers as they give them to keep track.

"OUR GOAL: we want these 1st grade writers to KEEP WRITING. We want this time spent together to make them want to WRITE more and more. YOU have a very important job. Your compliments and your excitement in seeing their published All About books WILL keep them writing. Be sure to do  your job well!"

Then I also reminded them that their 1st grader might be shy so THEY needed to keep the conversation going. If they think they are done looking at the All About Book, they should ask them questions. They can tell them about what we have written in 4th grade. They are to stay with their partner and have a conversation until they hear me say it is time to leave.

Then off we went...

My Reflections:
* I was SO proud of my students!!! They were such wonderful writing leaders!!
* The 1st grade teacher was amazed at how all her students were talking and smiling and laughing with my 4th grader and all stayed seated and engaged the whole time.
* WHY is it March and we are sharing our writing beyond our classroom walls for the first time? This 20 minute share needs to happen all year long. I'll advocate for starting in October next year. Maybe, along with a classroom writing partner, we could have another partner in another grade to interact with as a writer too.
* The power of a 4th grader giving a compliment to a 1st grader is priceless.....I will now ALWAYS advocate for building in this time as part of Writing Workshop!!


* I realized that the electronic comments I have been getting as part of the SOL Challenge was just like what my students were doing yesterday in person. Comments, compliments, feedback - they are essential to keep writers writing.

 

March 28 - Let's Go Hoo's

I am a proud graduate of the University. Others call it The University of Virginia but as a VA alum, it is referred to as The University. My time was spent learning and growing at the Curry School of Education. As a students, I cheered for my school teams and especially enjoyed basketball. Full disclosure - I did not grow up playing basketball. I don't really understand the game. I know there is something called man-to-man defense and zone but I could not explain any of  the strategy of the game. I know each team has 5 guys on the court and the tallest seems to be called the center and the short, quick guy is called the guard but not sure what their "job" is or what the jobs and titles of the other 3 guys are. I just know that I like the fast-paced, up and down the court plays. The 3-pt shots, the lay-ups, the teamwork needed to win.

I am watching again this year. This Wahoo team is GOOD! Along with being skilled, they genuinely seem to be having fun. They enjoy playing this game well. In return, it is fun for me to watch. The photo above was taken during last Saturday's winning game which earned them their slot in the Sweet Sixteen. They played hard. They were focused. They did not let up. And they also laughed and had the time of their life! It's that how all of us should approach our job in life!

Tonight I'll be watching and cheering starting at 10pm. Then plan to sing the Good 'Ol Song!

Any Wahoo fans out there, too??!!

March 27 - Happy 50th Birthday to my husband

At 18, he was my date to the Senior prom.
The next two years, he filled my college mailbox with hand-written letters.
We walked The Lawn as graduates in '86, married in '87 and had our own Wahoos in '88 and '92.
The 90s were spent raising the girls and renovating our townhouse.
The 00s were about supporting our girls through High School and College and relaxing at the beach.
Now the 10s. We both are in our 50s, he just joining this decade today.
Both have good jobs.
Both enjoy our time with our grown girls.
Both still like each other.
The 20s...I can't wait!

March 26 - I'm just realizing that I AM a writer

For 25 days I have written. Often I've drafted the night before and then as I awoke, I posted it. Then after school, I'd read and comment and write again. I had a routine and it was working. Then I went away for the weekend and I had to write and post whenever it fit in. I read and commented also when it fit in. Now I am trying to get back into my routine.

Routine is good. I know what to expect. I get up on time and get to work on time and cook dinner on time. I get things done. It feels good to accomplish stuff. I look to the clock often to stay on track and be where I am to be.

Taking a vacation from the routine is fun, too. From last Friday to Monday, I barely noticed what time it was, except to ensure I was on time to the conference and for the train ride home. Otherwise, I walked and stopped to eat when I felt like it. I browsed and observed and took photos to hold onto what I was seeing. I had limited structure and limited obligations.

Which is better? I don't think that is the right question. I think I thrive on having a routine, making teaching a perfect job for me. I also think I need a break at times away from the expected to enjoy the unexpected.

No matter what, I am realizing that writing is the task I'll choose to do during the routine and the during the breaks. I am grateful to this March writing challenge as it showed me how it can be part of both worlds. Maybe, just now after 25 days, I am realizing that I am a writer...someone who writes daily!