Last week I began reading Kate Messner's Teacher Write blog and used the writing prompts shared to draft my own story.
I read this suggestion on Tue: watch people in a public space and create a story based on someone you watch.
http://www.katemessner.com/teachers-write-7-7-tuesday-quick-write-with-phil-bildner/
Then on Wed I found myself in a Starbucks so I gave the prompt a try. I looked around and noticed a man at the table to my left, in his 20s, studying something and drinking an iced latte. I decided to call him Nate. Here's the story I created:
Nate sets his backpack down next to his grande iced latte and pulls out the MCAT practice book and a notebook. Turning to the page he left off from yesterday, he reads the question. Reads it again. Takes a sip of his drink. Pulls his cell phone out of his breast pocket and clicks to check email. Two minutes pass. Five minutes pass. He glances back to the practice book. Nate clicks out of email and slides his cell phone back into his shirt pocket. Grabbing his pen, he begins to solve for the answer.
In ten days he will take a test that he has to score well on so he can submit the score to the med school at UVA so they can accept him into their oncology department so he can graduate with top honors and be selected to head their department where he will lead the researchers to develop the drug that cures all cancers.
But first, the test needs to be taken in ten days. First he needs to remind his brain how to solve for x in a complicated problem. First he needs to stop being distracted by his phone and his daydreaming and focus on the here and now.
Nate takes another sip of his drink and solves the next ten problems in the practice book without interruption.
______________
So technically this isn't a slice from my life.
But maybe it is a slice about how I imagined a story and wrote it down while sitting at Starbucks.
Either way, it was a fun way to practice my narrative writing skills.
Monday, July 13, 2015
Sunday, June 28, 2015
TRUST
TRUST
This word appeared in large white letters on the black t-shirts my 5th grade boys basketball team wore. Their coach taught them that to be a team, the most important part was not having the best skills but to trust each other. Through that trust and teamwork, their skills would get them to having a successful basketball season. Trust was their focus.
I've been thinking a lot about trust this week as I change jobs again. Last year, I was hired to work in DCPS as a teacher. Now I am switching to Arlington County Public Schools to live and work in the same town. So in the passed year I have filled out all the forms and jumped through all the hoops to be hired by 2 school systems. And it seems that the first step for both of these school systems is to allow me to prove to them who I am in order to earn their trust.
In DC, I had a friend who invited me in for an interview and then back on another day to teach a model lesson. At the same time, I filled out the DCPS online form for a teaching job. It required lots of fill in answers, an essay about why I want to be a teacher and required that I film myself teaching a lesson and upload it to the website. I also answered questions asked of me over the phone by an HR representative. I was fingerprinted in the HR office. Then I was sent to an office in another part of the city to pee into a cup for a drug test. Then I had to go to minute-clinic to get a TB test. Then my friend introduced me to another school and I was invited to teach a model lesson for them. I taught an hour writing lesson to 25 fifth graders with 8 adults watching and then chatted with the adults for another hour. After receiving their job offer, I was able to enroll in a family health plan. It took until May for my paycheck to arrive by direct deposit into my checkling account. I never was able to access the online account to see my evaluations by the Adminstration. And I've tried to resign but still haven't officially because I need to be able to get into that online account. I guess come July, I'll spend a morning on the phone trying to resign.
In Arlington, I applied online. I filled in lots of short answers and one essay. They asked for me to upload my resume and teaching certificates but the files were too large so I went in person to ask the HR office to add them for me. Then daily I was to check to see when jobs were posted and once posted, I could click to be considered for a job. Apparently in Arlington a Principal is not to talk to you unless these steps are followed. Luckily for me I had friends already working in Arlington who told me that a job in their school was just posted, prompting me to apply. I interviewed. It was a 30 minute discussion with the Principal and the tech specialist. We sat around a table and I answered their questions and showed them my teaching portfolio. Two days later, I was offered the job and had 3 days to sign the contract and return it to HR. Then I received a packet of forms from HR and made an appointment to be processed. I was fingerprinted and told to return with my forms completed. The forms included sharing information for direct deposit so I feel confident that my Arlington checks will be directly deposited from the start. I had to prove I was married (show marriage license) and had a child (show birth certificate) so I can have a family health plan. Even though I tested negative for TB last June, they need a test within a year of my August employment so another TB test needs to be administered.
So many hoops to jump through to get a job.
I understand why. Being a teacher is a job where I am working with children and I need to be checked out so children can be entrusted to my care.
Looking back on my hiring experiences, some things were the same (fingerprinting to do a criminal check) and many things are different (being watched teaching a lesson vs a 30 min conversation and just listing family members names vs having to prove I am married to insure my husband). But I jumped through all the hoops. I now will work for Arlington County Public School as a teacher. Frankly, this job in Arlington must work out because I'm tired of applying for jobs.
Having to prove who you are to strangers is tiring.
Unfortunately, in today's world it isn't enough to just wear a TRUST t-shirt when it comes to applying for a teaching position.
Monday, June 22, 2015
Walking the High Line
June 21, 2015
My husband and I climbed the flight of switchback, metal stairs at 24th and 10th Avenue. At the top, we viewed a crowd walking in pairs, some moving to the right, some to the left, on this elevated, garden path. Beautiful foliage surrounded each side of the track and we turned to walk downtown. Our destination: The new Whitney Museum. It forms the ending corner of the High Line at 14th Street.
As we walked, I was reminded of that saying, "If we build it, they will come." And we did! We came to see this garden path, to enjoy the flowers and have a chance to walk and enjoy the outdoors in a city covered mostly in asphalt and concrete and tall buildings. To the right is the Hudson River. When I look far out, I can see the outline of the Statue of Liberty. To the left, the spire of the Empire State Building peeks above all else. Then at the end is a new look - The Whitney which just opened a month ago. It moved from its location by the Guggenheim and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As we took the stairs down to the street level again, people were everywhere. So crowded.
My friend told me he used to live in this neighborhood in the early 90s while he was in grad school. Then it was the meatpacking district,"Rent was cheap," he said. "Also, it was a huge hangout for the transgender community and it wasn't a safe neighborhood to walk around in at night."
Now the tracks are a tourist destination. Now the museum is another tourist-friendly destination. All the old meatpacking plants are being renovated into hip, new bars and loft apartments. And the rents do not look cheap due to all the new, modern apartment buildings being built.
In just 15 years, a neighborhood has been rebornand I visited it on Sunday while in New York City. I'm happy that an outdoor garden space has been created. I'm happy that so many come to enjoy it. I do wonder where the old inhabitants now live?
My husband and I climbed the flight of switchback, metal stairs at 24th and 10th Avenue. At the top, we viewed a crowd walking in pairs, some moving to the right, some to the left, on this elevated, garden path. Beautiful foliage surrounded each side of the track and we turned to walk downtown. Our destination: The new Whitney Museum. It forms the ending corner of the High Line at 14th Street.
As we walked, I was reminded of that saying, "If we build it, they will come." And we did! We came to see this garden path, to enjoy the flowers and have a chance to walk and enjoy the outdoors in a city covered mostly in asphalt and concrete and tall buildings. To the right is the Hudson River. When I look far out, I can see the outline of the Statue of Liberty. To the left, the spire of the Empire State Building peeks above all else. Then at the end is a new look - The Whitney which just opened a month ago. It moved from its location by the Guggenheim and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As we took the stairs down to the street level again, people were everywhere. So crowded.
My friend told me he used to live in this neighborhood in the early 90s while he was in grad school. Then it was the meatpacking district,"Rent was cheap," he said. "Also, it was a huge hangout for the transgender community and it wasn't a safe neighborhood to walk around in at night."
Now the tracks are a tourist destination. Now the museum is another tourist-friendly destination. All the old meatpacking plants are being renovated into hip, new bars and loft apartments. And the rents do not look cheap due to all the new, modern apartment buildings being built.
In just 15 years, a neighborhood has been rebornand I visited it on Sunday while in New York City. I'm happy that an outdoor garden space has been created. I'm happy that so many come to enjoy it. I do wonder where the old inhabitants now live?
Saturday, May 30, 2015
OLW - responsiveness ...the 6-month mark
I wrote the words below in BLACK as the 2015 year began, my first New Years Day of choosing a OLW. As I reflect on my ONE LITTLE WORD now, I celebrate that I STILL have 6 months to go (good thing!).
I have focused on my responses to things. As I speak/react to students and colleagues, I now hear inside my head, a voice saying "Is this the best response?"
I have NOT spent time actively learning about how to respond. But the year is only half-way over and the summer break is just 20 days, 4 hours, 41 minutes and 41 seconds away (YES, I have a count-down app on my phone!) My plan is to READ, READ, READ lots of Responsive Classroom literature. And my school is offering an August training that I will attend, too.
I chose this word because I was realizing I was bothered more and more by others. However, now I also realize that the amount of sleep and exercise and healthy foods I eat really are directly related to my reactions. So along with reading, I am also going to actively spend more time focusing on ME - my diet, my time spent moving my body, my stress level. When I am more relaxed, I find I am capable of reacting in a more calm manner.
I really do WANT to observe myself living more the below list of synonyms. I really do want to respond better to boy behavior, to colleagues suggesting a different ideas, to situations causing drama in my own life.
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson reminds me that it really isn't OK to keep waiting to act kindly. So many missed opportunities slip by. Instead, I CAN respond with kindness, openness, acceptance.
I WILL SHOW RESPONSIVENESS...at the 6 month mark and beyond.
~ colleagues, thoughtful, arrogant, and/or ignorant
~ the drama of school and family situations
~ the lack of kindness shown by strangers I pass during the day
~ anyone causing me angst
As this year ends, I realize more and more, I get very bothered by others. And I respond by either just walking away and not saying or doing anything OR by yelling (as in the case of 10 year old boys who do much to drive me crazy by Friday afternoon - yes, I am a 5th grade teacher). By keeping the word RESPONSIVENESS front and center, I hope to read more and observe more and try more about ways to respond to others.
One of the definitions of RESPONSIVE is related to machinery - "the ability of a machine or system to adjust quickly to suddenly alterned external conditions, as of speed, load, or temperature and to resume stable operation without undue delay." Synonyms listed include openness, acceptance, broad-minded, observance, receptiveness, tolerant, understanding, aware, kind-hearted, sensible, warm.
My goal of keeping RESPONSIVENESS as a focus is that my responses will be positive and that quickly I can adjust to resume operation without too much delay. Presently, I respond by being annoyed. I respond by thinking an hour later about what I could have said. I respond by turning inward and letting it go and maybe tolerating too much.
Professionally, I plan to read more about Responsive Classroom. I plan to reflect weekly on my own responses. I plan to also be accepting of the speed (whether slow or quick) of my growth.
I know this is an area I CAN be better at through practice and constant reflection. I openly accept RESPONSIVENESS as my OLW for the 2015 year.
I have focused on my responses to things. As I speak/react to students and colleagues, I now hear inside my head, a voice saying "Is this the best response?"
I have NOT spent time actively learning about how to respond. But the year is only half-way over and the summer break is just 20 days, 4 hours, 41 minutes and 41 seconds away (YES, I have a count-down app on my phone!) My plan is to READ, READ, READ lots of Responsive Classroom literature. And my school is offering an August training that I will attend, too.
I chose this word because I was realizing I was bothered more and more by others. However, now I also realize that the amount of sleep and exercise and healthy foods I eat really are directly related to my reactions. So along with reading, I am also going to actively spend more time focusing on ME - my diet, my time spent moving my body, my stress level. When I am more relaxed, I find I am capable of reacting in a more calm manner.
I really do WANT to observe myself living more the below list of synonyms. I really do want to respond better to boy behavior, to colleagues suggesting a different ideas, to situations causing drama in my own life.
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson reminds me that it really isn't OK to keep waiting to act kindly. So many missed opportunities slip by. Instead, I CAN respond with kindness, openness, acceptance.
I WILL SHOW RESPONSIVENESS...at the 6 month mark and beyond.
Copied below is my January 1, 2015 blog post:
OLW - responsiveness
As the 2015 year begins, I want to focus on my response to things. I want to spend time actively learning how to better respond to:
~ 10 year old boys~ colleagues, thoughtful, arrogant, and/or ignorant
~ the drama of school and family situations
~ the lack of kindness shown by strangers I pass during the day
~ anyone causing me angst
As this year ends, I realize more and more, I get very bothered by others. And I respond by either just walking away and not saying or doing anything OR by yelling (as in the case of 10 year old boys who do much to drive me crazy by Friday afternoon - yes, I am a 5th grade teacher). By keeping the word RESPONSIVENESS front and center, I hope to read more and observe more and try more about ways to respond to others.
One of the definitions of RESPONSIVE is related to machinery - "the ability of a machine or system to adjust quickly to suddenly alterned external conditions, as of speed, load, or temperature and to resume stable operation without undue delay." Synonyms listed include openness, acceptance, broad-minded, observance, receptiveness, tolerant, understanding, aware, kind-hearted, sensible, warm.
My goal of keeping RESPONSIVENESS as a focus is that my responses will be positive and that quickly I can adjust to resume operation without too much delay. Presently, I respond by being annoyed. I respond by thinking an hour later about what I could have said. I respond by turning inward and letting it go and maybe tolerating too much.
Professionally, I plan to read more about Responsive Classroom. I plan to reflect weekly on my own responses. I plan to also be accepting of the speed (whether slow or quick) of my growth.
I know this is an area I CAN be better at through practice and constant reflection. I openly accept RESPONSIVENESS as my OLW for the 2015 year.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
End of Year Letter to my 5th grade Writers
June, 2015
Dear
Janney 5th Grade Writing Friends,
As we end our year together, we just want
to take a moment to reflect on a few things we learned with you this year. Our
favorite part of being your writing teachers was the many genres we were able
to write – personal narrative, realistic fiction, essay, nonfiction history,
nonfiction science, memoir and poetry. We will never forget the following
moments that helped us to be better writers:
·
Using
these mentor texts to inspire our writing:
· Watching
these videos to inspire our writing:
§ We
learned that we must honor our writing by reading it like it is gold and
listening to it because it can change the world.
§ We
learned that the word choices we make in our writing can change the way people
react to our writing.
§ We learned
the importance of following a checklist to make our writing soar, just like the
Apollo 13 crew followed their checklist to get the rocket to soar into space.
§ We
learned that writing can make us feel like Dorothy, “...not in Kansas anymore”!
· Meeting
these professional writers who inspired us to keep writing:
· Using
these tools when writing:
o
Our writing notebook and computer
o
Orally rehearsing our writing ideas
o
The Slice of Life writing challenge in March
As this 5th grade school year ends,
know that we are so proud of you. We saw you grow as a writer, while also
growing as readers, mathematicians, scientists, historians and as kind friends
in our community. Enjoy your summer. Take some time to read and write! Be
sure to complete the writing process - immersion, generate ideas, draft,
revise, edit and publish - often; this summer, next year in Middle School, in High
School, in College and in your life-work. Through writing, we come to understand
our thinking and when we make our writing public, WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!
Fondly,
Mrs.
Donnelly and Ms. Osterman
PS
– Do stay in touch ...especially in 7 years, we’d love to hear where you are
heading after finishing High School - sally.donnelly11@gmail.com and feel free to send me your school’s pennant to add to my
wall collection!
CLICK HERE to view letter I sent last year to my 4th graders.
CLICK HERE to view letter I sent last year to my 4th graders.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Judith Viorst Visits My School
I can vividly recall reading Alexander and the Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day to my first class in the fall of 1986, me fresh out of college. The book plate is further evidence from that time, as it reads "Sally Stallings". In another year, I'd married and start being called Mrs. Donnelly. That year and every year since, this book lived in my classroom. On May 6, 2015, the author Judith Viorst visited my classroom and now this very worn book is signed by this amazing author!
What a fun day we had!! She came so prepared with written notes to guide her talk that shared highlights of her long writing life. Then she graciously took questions from the students. After her 45 minutes with the 5th graders, the audience switched and she repeated with the 4th graders, which included her grandson, Isaac, son of her son, Alexander.
.JPG)
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Some highlights:
* Her granddaughter, Olivia (Isaac's 8th grade sister) gave her the idea for her newest book And Too Boys Booed. When Judy asked Olivia how her talent show performance went, she replied "Terrible - two boys booed." Judy told us that she probably should have said something comforting to Olivia but instead, she said, "That's a great idea for a book!" Then she read parts of this book to us. If you haven't read this new adventure yet, do!!
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(If you don't know of her adult poetry volumes, look for them! I bought Fabulously Fifty for me and Suddenly Sixty for my sister-in-law. I asked her as I walked her out if she is working on a Ninety volume. She said, not yet.
Judith Viorst is 84 and lives in Washington DC with her husband Milton Viorst. Her Alexander Book has sold 4 million copies. She has written a total of 41 books, 3 coming out last year.
Judith Viorst - SO INSPIRING!!
.JPG)
What a fun day we had!! She came so prepared with written notes to guide her talk that shared highlights of her long writing life. Then she graciously took questions from the students. After her 45 minutes with the 5th graders, the audience switched and she repeated with the 4th graders, which included her grandson, Isaac, son of her son, Alexander.
.JPG)
.JPG)
* Her granddaughter, Olivia (Isaac's 8th grade sister) gave her the idea for her newest book And Too Boys Booed. When Judy asked Olivia how her talent show performance went, she replied "Terrible - two boys booed." Judy told us that she probably should have said something comforting to Olivia but instead, she said, "That's a great idea for a book!" Then she read parts of this book to us. If you haven't read this new adventure yet, do!!
* Her Advise for Writers:
1) You need to write EVERYDAY...a little something every day
2) FINISH what you start. "This is a good rule in writing and other things, too."
3)Writing is partly fun and partly hard. Enjoy the fun and don't give up when it gets hard.
4) The real name for a writer SHOULD BE "rewriter" because that is really what a writer spends MOST of their time doing. It is only after many, many tries that a basketball player can finally get the ball to go "swish". The same is true for writing. Write and rewrite and when it feels like "swish", you know you have written it right.
5) Be a reader so you know what you can write about and know all the ways that you can tell a story.
* Her Writing Life Now
1)A new volume of children's poetry will come out in 2016 - What are mad about? What are you glad about? For this volume, she used children consultants (including her grandkids) to read the poems and give her feedback.
2) She is working on a 4th Lulu book. "I think Lulu is based on the secret, naughty part in all of us! I like naughty characters. I also don't like people who are too perfect. Growing up, she knew a girl who was so perfect named Ethel Ann. She would call her "soap" because she was so pure and clean. Her mother would tell her "Why can't you be more like Ethel Ann? I see Lulu as the Anti-Ethel Ann. "
(I will admit that did not know this character or book series. After the presentation, I read-aloud from Lulu and the Brontosaurus. WOW! I'm hooked. I will be reading #2 and #3 and awaiting the 4th being written now!)
As she was leaving, she saw a poster in my room that I made for National Poetry Month. I wrote on it: Read a Poem / Write a Poem
She told me I should add Recite a poem. "It is powerful to have a poem live inside you that you can recite."
Of course, I took her advise and change the sign and I will push recitation of poetry.
Besides, poems are to be HEARD and not just read!
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A final plus to this author visit was that my own mother turned 80 on May 6th. Because she lives in the area, I had her drive over to be in my classroom for the presentation!! I had purchased Judy's volume of poetry, Unexpectedly Eighty and other Adaptations and Judy graciously signed it "Happy Birthday, Mary Anne"!
Judith Viorst is 84 and lives in Washington DC with her husband Milton Viorst. Her Alexander Book has sold 4 million copies. She has written a total of 41 books, 3 coming out last year.
Judith Viorst - SO INSPIRING!!
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Saturday, May 2, 2015
Poetry inspired by Judith Viorst
I say I value mentor authors but the Writing Workshop I ran on Wednesday solidified this belief. It resulted in such strong writing after I immersed the students in the poetry of mentor author, Judith Viorst.
First, I am over-the-top excited about having poet and writer, Judith Viorst, visit my classroom on May 6th to speak to my 5th grade writers. She is also the grandmother to two students in our school and lives in our neighborhood, making it easier for her to visit.
(Next Tuesday's post, I will share about her visit!)
Naturally, I wanted to prepare my students to meet this author. So, I had each of my four classes during Writing Workshop read three of her poems, talk to a partner about each poem and then quickly draft our own poems. First, I shared If I Were in Charge of the World, having the class choral read it, stanza by stanza. Then we shared with a partner what we liked about it. We then looked closely at the structure. Immediately, we did a quick draft of our own poem.
And after just a few minutes, we showed our partner our draft.
Then we repeated with What Dads Do:
and finally, with Learning:
We ended our 50 minute class period having drafted three strong poems and having picked the one we will revise, edit and publish the next day.
As a perk, I bought fancy paper for them to put their published poem on. As the students left class on Wed, all seemed very motivated to return on Thursday to revise, edit and publish one poem in the spirit of Judith Viorst on the fancy paper. Now she will walk into our classroom on May 6th and see all their poems, inspired by her, lining the walls.
As the kids wrote, I gave it a try, too.
If I Were in Charge of the World by Sally Donnelly, inspired by Judith Viorst
(Click HERE to read Judith Viorst's poem)
If I were in charge of the world,
I'd cancel grits,
alarm clocks, multiple-meeting in one day
and lengthy report card comments.
If I were in charge of the world,
there'd be free round-trip airline tickets for me to the cities where my children live,
lawn service would be provided for free with my rental house
And bathrooms would magically stay clean 24/7.
If I were in charge of the world,
You wouldn't have earthquakes.
You wouldn't have riots.
You wouldn't have cancers,
or at least, not childhood cancers.
If I were in charge of the world,
a person who loved to read, could read all day long
And a person who loved to write, could write all day long
And a person who was late for a meeting because they were reading and/or writing
could still be in charge of the world.
What Dads Do by Sally Donnelly, inspired by Judith Viorst
(Click HERE to read Judith Viorst's poem)
Throws parties
Makes people laugh
Creates good times for all
Signs his signature in the fanciest way
Draws amazing illustrations for your school book report
Buys you just the present that you need
Visits you when you are away at college
Treats you and your friends to strawberry daiquiris.
Dads work hard,
play hard
and laugh big.
I wish I still had one.
Learning by Sally Donnelly, inspired by Judith Viorst
(Click HERE to read Judith Viorst poem)
I'm learning that I know that 1+1=2
and I'm learning that just writing 2 is no longer enough.
I now have to explain why it is 2, using words
or the math teacher will say, "Explain your thinking."
I'm learning it is hard not to shut down when I can't put it into words
And want to just say, "because 2 is the answer."
I'm learning it is hard to not argue and say, "You're wrong"
when a classmate says a different answer and my math teacher suggests I listen to understand the logic of their answer.
I'm learning it is getting easier through practice to say my answer using words
and to accept or refute my classmate's answers.
I'm learning that just writing 1+1=2
is not enough anymore,
Because I'm learning that the explanation of my thinking using words
is NOW the right answer.
First, I am over-the-top excited about having poet and writer, Judith Viorst, visit my classroom on May 6th to speak to my 5th grade writers. She is also the grandmother to two students in our school and lives in our neighborhood, making it easier for her to visit.
(Next Tuesday's post, I will share about her visit!)
Naturally, I wanted to prepare my students to meet this author. So, I had each of my four classes during Writing Workshop read three of her poems, talk to a partner about each poem and then quickly draft our own poems. First, I shared If I Were in Charge of the World, having the class choral read it, stanza by stanza. Then we shared with a partner what we liked about it. We then looked closely at the structure. Immediately, we did a quick draft of our own poem.
Then we repeated with What Dads Do:
As a perk, I bought fancy paper for them to put their published poem on. As the students left class on Wed, all seemed very motivated to return on Thursday to revise, edit and publish one poem in the spirit of Judith Viorst on the fancy paper. Now she will walk into our classroom on May 6th and see all their poems, inspired by her, lining the walls.
As the kids wrote, I gave it a try, too.
If I Were in Charge of the World by Sally Donnelly, inspired by Judith Viorst
(Click HERE to read Judith Viorst's poem)
If I were in charge of the world,
I'd cancel grits,
alarm clocks, multiple-meeting in one day
and lengthy report card comments.
If I were in charge of the world,
there'd be free round-trip airline tickets for me to the cities where my children live,
lawn service would be provided for free with my rental house
And bathrooms would magically stay clean 24/7.
If I were in charge of the world,
You wouldn't have earthquakes.
You wouldn't have riots.
You wouldn't have cancers,
or at least, not childhood cancers.
If I were in charge of the world,
a person who loved to read, could read all day long
And a person who loved to write, could write all day long
And a person who was late for a meeting because they were reading and/or writing
could still be in charge of the world.
What Dads Do by Sally Donnelly, inspired by Judith Viorst
(Click HERE to read Judith Viorst's poem)
Throws parties
Makes people laugh
Creates good times for all
Signs his signature in the fanciest way
Draws amazing illustrations for your school book report
Buys you just the present that you need
Visits you when you are away at college
Treats you and your friends to strawberry daiquiris.
Dads work hard,
play hard
and laugh big.
I wish I still had one.
Learning by Sally Donnelly, inspired by Judith Viorst
(Click HERE to read Judith Viorst poem)
I'm learning that I know that 1+1=2
and I'm learning that just writing 2 is no longer enough.
I now have to explain why it is 2, using words
or the math teacher will say, "Explain your thinking."
I'm learning it is hard not to shut down when I can't put it into words
And want to just say, "because 2 is the answer."
I'm learning it is hard to not argue and say, "You're wrong"
when a classmate says a different answer and my math teacher suggests I listen to understand the logic of their answer.
I'm learning it is getting easier through practice to say my answer using words
and to accept or refute my classmate's answers.
I'm learning that just writing 1+1=2
is not enough anymore,
Because I'm learning that the explanation of my thinking using words
is NOW the right answer.
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