Chalking Into Spring

        It's the end of the month, and time for CHALK-A-BRATION, and it's POETRY FRIDAY, all hosted by Betsy at Teaching Young Writers.  Thanks Betsy!

        Again, I used an app on my IPad to draw my "chalk poem".  Spring is finally arriving in Denver, although the mountains have had snow again!  It's our latest spring flowering in a long time, at least that I remember.  I have finally planted some annuals!  I think we're past the possible freezing nights!

  

Reflections of a Student Trip

              Tuesday Slice of Life is thanks to Stacey and Ruth at Two Writing Teachers!  Come visit everyone's posts!

            I am back from the camping trip with this ‘new’ class of nineteen students (one student sadly could not go), the assistant teacher who will be the core teacher next year, the experiential education trip teacher, and one other chaperone.  We camped, did chores, learned how farms become sustainable, heard coyotes in the night, admired the moon and beautiful Mt. Sopris as we went to bed and rose each morning, ate food that was prepared from the farm’s bounty, and used an outhouse. Thursday night we had the pleasure of swimming in a nearby hot springs pool, and Friday, on our way back to Denver, stopped to go ziplining across the Colorado river.  The only way it could have been better was to have been longer. 

a favorite chore-feeding the chickens, turkeys and ducks

              What are the things we value when we travel with our students?  Among those particular to the setting described above, there is also

·           Learning one can manage without adult help to unpack and pack one’s clothes, set up a tent with tent mates, arrange the tent so that each has comfortable and personal space, awaken without waking others and without being crabby.

·           Learning about reflective listening to all group members when working in small groups for common goals.  Conversely, learning about speaking up with a group so that personal ideas and opinions are heard.

·            Meeting time commitments without reminders.

Book Pleasures

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is hosted by Jen and Kellee at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS.  Head over to find plenty to choose from!  And, also visit Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS that offers more reviews of all kinds of books, adult and children.   

             Don’t forget to tweet at #IMWAYR

      On this Memorial Day, I wonder how we are approaching books that are about war?  Our elementary-aged children have never known when we were not at war, and that we have military men and women serving for our country in various places all over the world.  Some of our students have parents far away.  It is time to look for books that help all students try to understand, perhaps so they can help find peace in the future. 

      I haven’t read it yet, but want to thank Tara Smith of A Reading Life for sharing about The Breadwinner Trilogy by Deborah Ellis, about the time in Pakistan and Afghanistan with the Taliban and the war, still going on today.  I have the books and look forward to reading them, was happy to hear about them. 

     I hope that we do not forget the sacrifices that have happened, and are happening today because of the conflicts.  My father gave his life in World War II, my stepfather served in several fronts all over the world, as did uncles on all sides of my family.  I am grateful. 

CHAPTER BOOKS

The Pull of Gravity – Gae Polisner

            I am embarrassed that I have not taken the time to read this wonderful book.  It’s been on my TBR shelf a long time.  I enjoyed seeing the main character Nick Gardner learn that he has more strength of character than he thought he had in both the death of a good friend, Scoot, and his parents’ divorce.  With his new friend Jaycee Amato’s persistence, he especially shows that he doesn’t have to keep his feelings stuffed inside, but can act on them.  Through Polisner’s use of both Steinbeck’s and Yoda’s wisdom, these two young teens face some rough challenges, and together, find some good things to be grateful for.  I think that any younger teen will find parts of himself or herself in this book.

Special Week of Reading

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is hosted by Jen and Kellee at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS.  Head over to find plenty to choose from!  And, also visit Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS that offers more reviews of all kinds of books, adult and children.  Your lists will increase with these good reviews!

Don’t forget to tweet at #IMWAYR

I won’t be able to respond today as I’m off with a class on their overnight trip camping in the Carbondale, Colorado area.  We’ll be at Sustainable Settings, a terrific farm to learn about sustainable farming, living well and responsibly on the earth!  If you click on the link, you'll see Mt. Sopris, my view as I peek out of my tent each morning!

Last Thursday I reviewed Song of the Water Boatman: & Other Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Beckie Prange

End of The Year Goodbyes

            Ed DiCaria of March Madness fame, at ThinkKidThink is our host today!  I'm sure it will be a fabulous party!  Thanks Ed!

           I've written earlier about my collection of poems that say goodbye, and as we are now living the final weeks of this school year, It's time for another goodbye poem.  
          When I taught my own class, I either wrote or found a goodbye poem that I copied and laminated to give to students on the last day of school.  Since I am working in a class these final weeks for a teacher who has needed to leave early, I thought I'd do this one more time for this class.  This is a poem I wrote a while ago, but fits well because they will all be leaving this particular class this year, moving into other classes.