SOLC–Day 25

I can’t imagine how it was to send kids off to college and into their adult lives in the days before technology. I love the instant check-ins and links that technology offers. When my son started college, Facebook was still relatively popular in his age group. I became a full-out Facebook stalker. Each night I’d check his page. Had he made a friend? Ohhhh!  Look!  Two new friends–they look so nice!  I laughed at myself but I kept on doing it. I found it reassuring (thankfully!) and it eased the sting of his absence. I’d watch to see what else he was posting about and we texted back and forth frequently.

These days, my son has graduated and is far less apt to respond promptly, so our text messages have a lag time of …a couple of days… or even a week. We tend, instead, to talk on the phone during his long work commute. On the other hand, I message and text almost daily with my college-age daughters. We have ongoing conversations and quick “I miss you” or “I love you” messages and check-in’s (“How was your day?”).

This week, knowing we were coming up to see her concert, my daughter sent a message:

Hmmm….. I wonder what’s coming next. 

After laughing at the hot cross bun request (we’re all addicts of the amazing hot cross buns that are produced at a local bakery), I responded.

I paused here, uncertain how to respond. I had assumed that she wanted pizza when we were visiting.  How foolish of me! I’m clearly not in tune with the tech. advances of pizza ordering in college. In my day…well, never  mind. We continued our conversation.

I had to laugh aloud here — and read the comment to my husband. We both chuckled.

“Are you going to do it?” he asked.

“I don’t know….”

I wasn’t sure how to respond…so I delayed and merely agreed with her remark about her responsibility, wondering how she’d adapt her plea next.

Her response arrived quickly:

After laughing again at her dramatic exaggeration, I did what any self-respecting teacher would do –at least one who didn’t feel like saying “No” and who really needed to focus on getting report card comments written–I threw my husband under the bus.

March SOLC–Day 24
A huge thank you to  Anna, Beth, Betsy, Deb, Kathleen, Lisa, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
twowritingteachers.org

It’s been a week.

At the end of a long day earlier this week, I told a student she needed to clean up under her desk. She suffers from materials mismanagement at the best of times, but on this particular day, it looked like her desk had exploded. Or maybe vomited. At any rate, she had managed to avoid the task once already, and I was not happy about the continuing mess and she was not happy about cleaning it up.

Grudgingly, she started picking up. A pencil here. A scrap of paper there. She stopped to chat to a classmate. I redirected her and stooped down to pick up a few things.

“I’ll help out,” I said. “Why don’t we start with the pencils and pens?”

“You know,” she pronounced with a snap, turning to look at me, “I hate to break it to you. But learning isn’t fun!”

I deposited a handful of pencils in her pencil bag. “Well,” I replied, “I’m sorry you feel that way.  But even if you don’t think it’s fun, having a good attitude can make it more fun.” (Not my most brilliant comment.)

“No!” she said, not missing a beat.  “That’s not true! You’re lying. You’re a liar.”

(I guess she didn’t think it was a great comment either.)

It’s been a week.

March SOLC–Day 23

They say a picture paints a thousand words. I snapped this one during one of our recent blizzards, and I hope it counts for at least a few, because right now it’s about all I can come up with.  I can totally relate to this poor cardinal, buffeted by the winds and clinging to a branch with its wee feet. With report cards this week, a school concert tonight, parent-teacher conferences and MEA testing next week, and the ongoing SOL challenge, I, too, am just holding on and trying to ride out the storm!

March SOLC–Day 22
A huge thank you to  Anna, Beth, Betsy, Deb, Kathleen, Lisa, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
twowritingteachers.org

Amy Warntz inspiration has struck again! Her recent post about a treasured photo reminded me of an incident that happened at my house, not too long ago. The girls were home on break. My youngest daughter was looking through a stack of old photos that she’d discovered somewhere. “Oh, look!” she exclaimed, holding up the picture for her sister to see.

Then she continued, “This one’s perfect! Dad’s still talking…”She paused and laughed, “… and Mom’s reachin’ for the wine!”

I’m not sure if this translates well without knowing us, but it still makes me laugh.

March SOLC–Day 21
A huge thank you to  Anna, Beth, Betsy, Deb, Kathleen, Lisa, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
twowritingteachers.org

On most Monday mornings, we have a Weekend Share greeting in our fourth grade classroom. During this greeting, as its name suggests, each student shares one thing he/she did over the weekend. We went around the circle yesterday, greeting each other and sharing. It was the usual assortment of weekend activities: birthday parties, skiing, time playing video games, play dates, etc.

Then we got to D. Brushing back his trademark long bangs, he said, “I went to see Beauty and the Beast.” There was a buzz of excitement and a few “I did, too” comments. D. paused, waiting for the tumult to subside, and then announced dramatically, “And I cried…I cried a lot.” The classroom echoed with a chorus of empathetic comments from both males and females.

“I know! It was so sad!”

“I cried, too!”

After the comments died down,  D. said, “I know it doesn’t sound manly, but when you feel it… you’ve just got to let it out.” He paused for a long moment, then continued. “I felt for the beast, I really did. He’s a great guy.”

D. has a well-developed sense of humor and does love a bit of drama: his delivery was impeccable. But underlying it  was sincerity about his experience at the movies. Beauty and the Beast has been at the center of some controversy, but apparently it does at least one thing right. It can move a fourth grade boy enough that he shares the story of his tears with his classmates.

March SOLC–Day 20
A huge thank you to  Anna, Beth, Betsy, Deb, Kathleen, Lisa, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
twowritingteachers.org

Grades close today and I really, really, really wanted to get all my comments written this weekend. But after hour after hour of work scoring and entering grades on Saturday, I just couldn’t pull it off. Apparently, two days of disciplined work in a row is beyond my capability–at least on the weekend. I worked a bit, got a good chunk done, but completion was not within range. And now that I think about it, it’s really not my fault. Here’s what I blame:

• Basic human physiology and maybe the hens: The cupboards were bare: We needed food. I had to get to the grocery store. The fact that this was a preferred activity today means nothing! It still wasn’t my fault that we needed groceries. So what if I chose the longest route, drove slowly and listened to my audio book?  After I returned, I had to unload the groceries, and put them away. Then I noticed I needed to clean out the fridge and that necessitated a trip out to the compost pile.  On the way I got distracted by the hens, remembering I needed to collect the eggs …
• One very cute squirrel: I watched this little guy play in the snow under the feeders for quite a while. He was playing peek-a-boo in one of my footprints as he scavenged for food. He literally made me burst out laughing one time when he popped up with a sunflower seed hanging askew from  his mouth. Adorable! Of course I had to take pictures. Then I had to download them and, of course, share them on social media. And not responding to comments is just rude…
• Sun and snow: The skies were blue and the sun was reflecting light like a neon invitation to get outside. So, never one to turn down an invitation (again, rude!), I went for a walk and enjoyed the crazy snow textures and the winter scenery. The fields of snow have a sheen that is just incredible! (This could also be interpreted as the fault of my Fitbit, as I did want to rack up a few steps.) The whole picture thing happened again…
• TWT: I read and commented on blogs–this is really TWT’s fault. I mean did you have to have a commenting contest this weekend??? 😉 I also needed to start writing today’s blog…
• My Family: I hung out with my husband. Then I made some phone calls and messaged with my kids for a while. Also, my sister was sick and I had to check in to see how she was doing which led to a long chat…maybe it’s her fault?
• Human physiology again: I roasted veggies and prepped salads in a jar for my lunches this week and steel cut oats for my breakfasts. This is really productive, right? Prepping also necessitates clean up, another major time suck…
• A westward facing window over the kitchen sink and the sunset: I was finishing up in the kitchen, preparing to get back to report card comments, when I looked outside. Is it my fault the window faces west? Who can resist a light show like that? I raced out back to watch the sunset and take a few photos. I returned to get back to work and darned if the lights didn’t change into a whole new color spectrum. Of course I had to run out again. Then that whole photo thing happened again…

Bottom line–I’m not finished with my report card comments and it wasn’t my fault!

March SOLC–Day 19
A huge thank you to  Anna, Beth, Betsy, Deb, Kathleen, Lisa, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
twowritingteachers.org

The blue skies and relatively warm temperatures beckoned. After a long focused day of scoring, grading and writing report card comments, I slipped outside to take a walk.  I enjoyed stretching my legs, feeling the sun on my face and breathing in the chilly air. It had been a long stretch at my desk! I snapped some photos here and there, rejoicing at early signs of spring. On the way back home, I noticed an interesting formation in a snow bank at the end of a neighbor’s driveway. I stopped to take some more photos.

“Hey! You wanna see some interesting snow?” a voice called out.

I straightened up quickly to see an elderly homeowner standing on his side porch in his socks, looking at me. “Oh,” I stammered, “Hi! I’m just taking some pictures of your snow bank.”

“Yup. You wanna see some more interesting snow…like a snow castle?” he asked.

“Um… sure,” I replied.

“Come ’round back,” he said, pointing. “I snow blowed a path. It’s just in the backyard.”

I stepped around the snow bank and into his driveway, pushing back a few random thoughts of harmless-looking psycho killers. As I made my way toward the house, the man and I exchanged comments about the weather and the interesting snow textures in his yard. I reached the side porch and again he pointed to the snow blown path that led behind the house, saying “Just ’round there.”

Crunch. Crunch. I stepped off the pavement and onto the snowy path. I took a few more steps forward. Then, with a lot of curiosity and some trepidation, I peered around the corner. Whoa!  There it was…a full blown castle wall!

“Wow!” I said, “That’s great!”

“Ayuh,” he said, “We just built her this afternoon. That’s how I get my pictures of the birds.  I look out the bathroom window and take pictures of ’em feeding there.”

I looked more closely and noticed bird seed topping the crenellated wall and scattered along its base.

“This is wonderful!” I said, “I love taking pictures of birds, too!”

We introduced ourselves and chatted for a few minutes about cameras, birds and photography. Thoughts of psycho killers retreated. If his castle bird feeder hadn’t already tipped me off, our conversation would have: this man was a dedicated photographer and bird enthusiast. He was looking to share these passions. After some over-my-head references to cameras and some general bird talk, we said our goodbyes and I retraced my steps down his driveway.

I wonder what else is going on in my neighbors’ backyards…

March SOLC–Day 18

 In fourth grade we spend a lot of time learning how to write essays: personal essays, persuasive essay, literary essays. We’ve learned about forming a thesis, finding reasons to support it and then providing varied evidence for each reason. We’ve also considered addressing countering arguments to make opinion writing stronger, starting with phrases like, “Some people might think…”, and then going on to offer a counterargument. Students in my class have really gravitated toward the structure of this genre and enjoy voicing their opinions and providing reasons and evidence for them.

We’ve had a couple of opportunities for some free writing time lately (highly unusual!) and many of my students are choosing to write essays. One essay I received a while back argued persuasively for a pajama day the next day. (Wish granted!) Another essay  was waiting on my desk after I returned from a sick day (I sliced about that here). Yesterday, a student handed me her essay with a big grin. It was entitled: “Mrs. Hogan is a good teacher.”

“Will you read it while we’re at specials?” H. asked.

“Sure,” I said, smiling. “Thanks!” So sweet!  After walking the kids to the Library, I headed back to my classroom to read the essay. I looked at the title again. A good teacher?  Hmmm…that’s a pretty tame claim. I mean, good’s good. But just good? In C’s essay I was the “best” teacher.   Laughing at my own thoughts and my ego, I started to read, looking forward to a feel-good moment. As I read, I had two different thought trains going. One focused on the actual essay structure:

She’s got the structure down pat. Hmmmm…Clear introduction…She’s got three reasons and decent evidence but she relies heavily on examples…

The other was channeling Sally Fields in her famous (infamous?) Oscar speech:

She thinks I’m cool. She thinks I’m helpful and nice! And fun, too! Oh, good, she likes me! 

(Ok, I know that being liked by my students is not the ultimate goal, but I’m only human!)

And then I got to the conclusion:

POP! My puffed-up ego precipitously deflated. So much for my feel-good moment!  I burst out laughing. Well, she’s definitely working on including that counterargument!  Now channeling optimism, I’m opting to believe that she’s not using it skillfully yet and not really indicating that there’s an ongoing student (or, God forbid, parent!) conversation about me not being a good teacher. Ugh! Now I’m not going to be able to get that thought out of my mind!

Luckily, a former first grade student of mine,now in second grade, arrived to save my day. Skipping into my classroom, she gave me a hug and handed me a St. Patrick’s Day card.

“Best teacher alive!” Now that’s a superlative! …though it does make me wonder how those contrasting dead teachers were performing.

March SOLC–Day 17
A huge thank you to  Anna, Beth, Betsy, Deb, Kathleen, Lisa, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
twowritingteachers.org

In every season I spend a lot of time watching the birds, squirrels and chipmunks who come to enjoy my feeders.  Their visits entertain me and inspire many posts and poems. Recently I spent some time watching a grey squirrel feed and preen in the garden.

One winter morning
Spotlighted in a golden patch of sun,
the large grey squirrel
pauses beneath the dangling feeders.
It twitches its silver fluffy tail,
nibbles delicately on a few striped seeds
then scampers away
to gather rose hips
from the tatters
of summer’s blossoms.

Molly Hogan (c) 2017

March SOLC–Day 16
A huge thank you to  Anna, Beth, Betsy, Deb, Kathleen, Lisa, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for all that they do to create a supportive community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
twowritingteachers.org

Across the curriculum we work a lot on making claims and supporting them with evidence. Yesterday afternoon I was checking science notebooks to see how this was going in science.  Were students clearly stating a claim? Were they using data from our experiments and observations to support their claims?

What I found in this student’s notebook was evidence of a growth mindset and a timely reminder to embrace the learning process with all its ups and downs. Priceless!