More Pictures of Caldecott Books
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McCloskey-Caldecott Winner and Honor Books
Found three of McCloskey’s books in the school library. Make way for Ducklings from my childhood. Blueberries for Sal I was first acquainted in the early years of my career. Then there is One Morning in Maine was my first read for this book. 
What?Education Craziness…February Frenzy Feeling.
Help me understand. We were taught about multiple intelligences, differentiating, second language learners, culture of poverty, and so on. When it comes to pursuing answers in the education well being for the child, how could something like this happen,”Sorry we are not going to evaluate the child because there are doing well in Y, and Z classes. So the concern you have in area Q will need to be dealt with by the classroom teacher. ” Or “Sorry, you have to many in the process. It must be your teaching methods.”
WHAT???
That is like saying, “Uh sorry there are to many people needing glasses in this country. So we will only take so many % and help them. The rest of you will need to find other ways to cope with it.” I know, I know it is a bit much, but really. If I have kids that are below grade level I need to do everything I can to find ways to help them and still cover grade level content, even when they are not developmentally ready…yep yep yep.
Maybe it is the February Frenzy leading to the Spring Craziness of testing at the end of March through April that is making me just sit and think about the craziness in education (nations wide and local).
We had parent teacher conferences a couple of weeks ago. I thought about the craziness in education as I walked away from my own child’s conferences wonder about the craziness . When I get off the phone with my other child after talking about how professors “teach”. In this”No Child Left Behind” is it really “Sink or Swim” education Ouch.
Again, sorry. Just I hate to see great minds or potential not feel as though they are not worthy of an education. Those that struggle in the early grades are not worthy to be given the best environment and strategies to help them move towards being a life long learners .
So I’m going to publish this blog. Then search out some other blogs for some insight.
Sigh
Creative Commons By twicepix Martin Abegglen
FEBRUARY! No Way, Man…
I am trying to come to the fact that it truly is February. Now the pressure to have the students at grade level for our online state testing in March. Whoo hoo. Let’s just ignore the fact the development of a child and the progression of English language learners. I’m working on it
At least state writing testing of my students are out of the way. I was asked how do I think they did. I can’t read though them. I get to critical and nervous. My gut says we should do well. The students have come a long way and the majority of my class really put their best effort towards the assessment. I’m proud of them!
Caldecott Books
Good thing this s a stress free challenge. I already feel I am lagging in my reading through the list. I’m working on it. I need to get pictures from my phone to the computer to the blog. That is my mission for the weekend.
There are books I never would have picked up if it wasn’t for this challenge. One is Yonie Wondernose by Marquerite de Angeli. I could see some of my students starting the story and putting it down before the half way point in the book. Nice way to show different lifestyles in the United States. A book that I will like to use when I am bringing up culture in my social studies lessons.
I have been able to be reaquainted with books that I was unaware that they were honor winners. Andy and the Lion James Daugherty and Stone Soup by Marcia Brown were two that I loved as a youngster. I didn’t realize that these stories were from my parents childhood.
This is just the beginning.
Yes, I am Still Around.
I know. I know. What type of blogger am I? One that is going to try to get back on her a bit more. I am going to try to do the Caldecott Challenge form LibLaura5 and the Newbery Challenge . Hurray for stress free challenges. I mentioned the challenge to my students. I have a good portion of my class seeking the books for the Caldecott Medal on the book or asking if the book they just read might be because it was a really good book.
The Caldecott Challenge is one way to find books I haven’t read or heard of and others to reread from my childhood. I will probably will not get the books done in order. I am starting with the school library first. Our library para has done an outstanding job of keeping track of the medal winners and honor winners that are found in our library. She has been quite helpful with my students and myself.
I have a small stack with me at the moment. Books that I am revisiting are Blueberries for Sal, The Happy Day, Crow Boy, Fredrick, Andy and the Lion, Madeline’s Rescue, Mirandy and Brother Wind. I have one that I hadn’t read before, Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky.
Oh the first big state assessments begins tomorrow. There is nothing else I can do for these kids. I keep having the phrase “…any given day…” I hope tomorrow is the day for all my kids to be “on”. They will bring their best “game” tomorrow. The majority of my students are more than capable.
Well time to get some shut eye. I’ll try not be such a stranger.
I Just Can’t Commit…There Are So Many Things To Talk About
I have tried numerous times to write a post. I just can’t commit to getting any of them published. I guess I want them to be enlightening, insightful, useful…you get the idea. I don’t want to seem to be a wet blanket, whiner, gloomy gal. I don’t want to be a downer.
In this career path, that is what we have daily. Moments that are enlightening that makes me inspired and validate my choice in becoming an educator. Then there are times in the day I wonder about this profession. I just don’t know what to think. I feel like have a dumbfounded look a lot this year.
I like my class. They may drive me crazy, but I like my class. They are kids. They have no idea of what they are capable of doing. They are working on becoming more respectful and responsible learners. It comes with the the territory as fourth graders. The parents came in last week for conferences. I emphasized students taking on more responsibility for their learning. I gave suggestions for how the parents are able to help at home and how the school can help in the area of homework.
I am working on changing the students’ focus on what is wrong in their day to what was good. I am also having them begin to work on what they are good at in their lives. Trying have the students set goals and to dream bigger dreams is another hope of mine. I tried to share my dreams for my students to their parents. I told them I can see them going on to some type of post high school education. It is nice to see parents perk up and look at the child and know there is another person that believes in their child. Hope.
Now, I need to work on myself and how I think of my teaching. How teachers are looked at and treated by others. I have a mixed of emotions. So, I will stop here. I will now post. I need to find a way to reach out and find the Hope.
Attribution Some rights reserved by ClickFlashPhotos / Nicki Varkevisser
The Cloudy…With a Chance of Wonderment
My child snapped this shot of the ‘tail end” of a storm that was moving through the county the other night. The clouds were something to look at and then the worry of what will come from the clouds. Will the storm build into its own super cell? Will there be heavy rain and strong winds? Do the clouds look like there could be hail in them? Or is it going to cast a cooling shadow to take a break from the heat?As the alert came of this storm, my daughter and i didn’t go hide. We wanted to check it out and look at the awesomeness of the clouds and wonder what will happen?
Do you have clouds hanging off yonder that make you wonder what is coming your way? You know what is happening around you, but will that severity affect you too? I have had the years of pouring or problems. The windy with changes. Pleasant skies of engaged learning.
So what will the school year hold. Looking and predicting from using data is nice. Still, you need to go out to look and feel what is happening. Assess and conclude and act. I hope you have a safe place to be. I hope you find what you need to make it through the school year.
Have a wonderful year.
Leave My Kids Alone…Offspring Woes
One of the hazards of this chosen career path is the things that are said to your offspring. Students, present and past, will say some of the nicest things about you being a teacher. Then there are those that will use colorful adjectives to describe how they perceive you as a teacher.
Honestly, I knew they would get some comments about me but overall I thought my offspring will be left alone. My children have dealt with strangers coming up to them in the store or at one of their activities and asking if they are related to me. Some good and yes bad may have been shared. I was naive or unaware how much it would affect them and how often. I guess I thought that if I am a good person and treated people fairly that my children will be respected and treated well. Oh no…I was wrong.
I’m going to be honest real quick.. I’m glad there is a “Save Draft” key when I started to write this post. Because I don’t want this to be a rant/vent. I can’t even count how many drafts I went through.
I am a parent. I want my children to be treated fairly. I want them to be respected. I want my children to be safe. I want someone to be friendly to my child.
I try raising my children to be friendly and and respectful to everyone. I want my children to find the good in everyone. I want them to go past the opinions and first impressions and learn about a person.
I’m like every parent when unkind actions are directed to their children. I want to say, “Leave my kids alone.” Yes, I know other kids are treated unfairly because their parent is a preacher, or a senator, or a head coach, or a doctor, or any other career.
It is just the woes of growing up.
Another Blog That Everyone Should Follow…Watch.Connect.Read.
Watch.Connect.Read is a terrific blog to follow. I discovered Mr Shu’s blog some how through my 30-day Teacher Challenge to start a blog. He puts together videos that promotes reading. Mr. Shu, a K-5 librarian, has done a terrific job with promoting reading. There are trailers for books. Authors and illustrators sharing their insight on their latest books. He shares his own love of reading. I like that he even posses a questions to the students and the viewers of what about their own experiences are with books. Just amazing!
I shared his blog entries with the my own students this past spring. It is interesting how the kids become more engaged with reading afterwards. I have students ask if there are more book videos by the end of the year. This blog has become a must for helping me spread with spreading the need and love of reading.
Everyone out there, teachers, students, parents, para educators, librarians, principals…you need to follow Watch. Connect. Read. You will love it.
FYI: for those of you that are in heavily filtered schools systems you need to get a hold of your tech person and make certain the site is allowed for your computer or if you need your own user name and password to override the use of videos.
My school is trying something new this coming fall to balance the need of strong filters because of the Bad Stuff and people wanting to use sites, blogs, videos and in the classroom. It will be interesting to see how it goes. Right now at summer school I am unable to get to my channel on YouTube to pull up my very small collection of videos that I like to use at school.. Good thing I know the names of the videos, so I show them after I search through a “thing” called iboss.
Well, enjoy and read.
P.S. I need to work on getting video embedded. I’m need to go back and find out what I am doing wrong.
Illustrated by Angie and Upesh, Book by: Pratham Books.
ClassTools.net
ClassTools.net looks like fun. Come across the teacher site, because I went back to the Free Tools Challenge. I am wanting more tools to use with kids. I will need to write these online tools into my lessons this year. A personal goal for me is to push my teaching and learning for the kids with technology and online experiences.
Uh, I will need to play with the items more. I “flipped” through them really quick. I am going to use the timer off of this site tomorrow for my summer school kids. I can have music for the countdown. Granted, they may not know the Pink Panther theme but it will be fun to put it on and see there reaction. I like the idea of free tools until you can figure something out and are ready to make a commitment to the next step of creating educational and interactive learning.
I think the graphic organizers will be great to have and have access. The idea of games made to fit what was taught in the classroom is appealing. I am looking forward to creating and sharing with my students.
I am glad there are those that are sharing these sites and tools with the rest of the learning community. It is helping me feel I am moving in my own growth to help the students
