Literacy Learning Zone

Slice of Life  hosted  at the Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life. Researching online Filtering what's important Clicking through the photos Looking at reviews Searching for the right answer Skimming the amenities Selecting the right dates Marking possible favorites Reading the fine print Resetting the filter Scrolling through again Finding the right place Getting an instant quote Emailing or calling for details Staying up late searching Hoping to find the right combination of everything-everywhere at just the right price Ah. Who knew planning  a summer vacation was so exhausting... Image found on Pinterest

I'm here to  {celebrate}  with  Ruth Ayres   and  YOU ! Finding the little moments of joy in life. Today I am celebrating: {portfolio sharing} {students} Talk about celebrating!  This week we hosted portfolio sharing conferences at school.  Yes, they are two loooong days.  Yes, I always hope to sneak in a little extra organizing in my classroom.  But I celebrate the time with students visiting over the two days.  I get to see big older brothers and meet little younger sisters.  It is enjoyable to watch the students celebrate their learning.  Big smiles.  Proud Moms and Dads.   And teachers.   {growth} In my role as a reading specialist, I teach small groups of students that are developing readers.  Reading isn't easy.  I am always on the hunt for the right books for the right kids.  And still reading isn't a natural fit.  Yet, we celebrated growth that was made over the yea...

Five Minute Friday    writing challenge hosted by   Lisa-Jo Baker The challenge is to write for five minutes on a given word.  Just write and share. Today's Five Minute Friday word:  {friend} I have always been the type of person that feels more comfortable having a few close friends rather that a whole lot of acquaintances.  I feel more secure in creating a strong bond and truly knowing someone inside and out.  And for someone to know me just the same. Those few really close friends have changed over the years.  As my life twisted and turned down different paths, I have had different friends.   Growing up friends.  High school friends.  College friends.  After college friends.   Some are now acquaintances, and some are long forgotten.   Church friends.  Couples friends.  Online friends.  My husband.  He's one of my favorites and my best friend!   Yet,...

Slice of Life  hosted  at the Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life. Last week ...  P. got sick at school.    I had to quickly leave a meeting, rush to pick her up, wondering if there were any signs of sickness I missed in the morning.  Nothing came to mind. After I picked her up from school (and dealing with my other daughter's tears), I asked her in the car what she ate for breakfast. "I don't know, but I had a cupcake for a snack." Hmmm...really?  A cupcake?  At 9 o'clock in the morning?  Maybe it was too much sugar too early. Of course, I called Miss Kathy to get the inside scoop.  Yes, there was a cupcake, but it was a small cupcake with little frosting. Nothing else came of this illness...

I'm here to  {celebrate}  with  Ruth Ayres   and  YOU ! Finding the little moments of joy in life. Today I am celebrating. {victory} Tomorrow is Easter Sunday.   Bunny baskets filled with green grass, n ew bubbles and outside games.   Brightly colored hidden plastic eggs stuffed with chocolate candies and jelly beans.  Sounds like a win, right?  Sure, maybe a temporary victory. But the true victory is in Jesus. Jesus died a brutal death.  None of us will truly understand the depth of His suffering.  He lived out God's plan and died for you and for me.  For our sins.  For our wrong doings.  For our disobedience.  For our disregard to do what is right.  Past. Present. And future. But the true victory is in Jesus.  He is the { glue } that keeps my sticky, messy life together. Tomorrow I will celebrate this good news.

Five Minute Friday    writing challenge hosted by   Lisa-Jo Baker The challenge is to write for five minutes on a given word.  Just write and share. Today's Five Minute Friday word:  {glue} {glue} is sticky, messy, connects, everlasting, hardens.  Just like life. Reflecting on this holy of holy weeks, with much help from specific daily devotions from my pastors, be a part of the many praying for 120 hours of prayer, Ruth Ayres' 40 Stories for Lent , and deep conversations with my small group, I have witnessed how Jesus is the {glue} in my life, holding everyone and everything together.     Jesus loved. Jesus forgave.    Jesus cried out. Jesus suffered. Jesus died for us and all of our sins. Jesus is the One.   The only one that I need to desire to have a relationship with to keep me from  forgetting failing and falling apart. Through His relationship, He connects me th...

Monday morning started as any other usual Monday. I flipped on the light switch and started quietly singing, "Good morning! Good morning! Good morning! It's time to rise and shine!"  Big stretches and groans and yawns.  I know this feeling. After a slow wakeup, the girls got ready for the day, had a quick breakfast snack, and they were out the door with Daddy. I took a deep breath and prepared my bags.  I was out the door to head to my professional development meeting about assessment. About an hour into the meeting, I noticed my phone light up: Missed call. Missed call and voice mail. iMessage: Call me. Missed call and voice mail. iMessage: P. puked. iMessage: Can you pick her up? My eyes bugged out in surprise.  I quickly responded to my husband's texts and whispered to my table group that I had to go.  As quietly as I could, I quickly exited wondering if I missed any signs in the morning. After the fifteen minute drive, I arrived at my...

I'm here to  {celebrate}  with  Ruth Ayres   and  YOU ! Finding the little moments of joy in life. Today I am celebrating. {successful practices} My girls are taking swim lessons and hockey tot (ice skating) lessons.  Both evenings this week as we rushed from school to home to eat to back out the door, they said, "We don't want to go."  Yet, we encouraged and attended both practices with huge successes this week in the pool and on the ice! {a birthday} My husband celebrated a birthday this week.  This year we agreed that we wouldn't exchange cards or gifts because, quite honestly, we have all that we need or ever wanted.  But I still wanted to give him something, so I wrote him a little something   that he truly appreciated and teared up reading it. {reading moments} This week I celebrated some book reading love by sharing a special reading moment .  And that love spread to some of my students and they shared a ...

Five Minute Friday    writing challenge hosted by   Lisa-Jo Baker The challenge is to write for five minutes on a given word.  Just write and share. Today's Five Minute Friday word:  {paint} There are layers and layers on that old rocking chair. Layers of paint hiding underneath a shiny black. Each layer holds a memory.  It once was white.  And a mom rocked babies.  To soothe.  To snuggle.  To remember. Each layer tells a story.  It once was green.  And grandmas rocked grandbabies.  To love.  To hold.  To remember. Each layer shares a moment of love.  It once was brown.  And great-grandmas rocked great-grandbabies.  To just remember. The paint on that old rocking chair chips and exposes another layer of paint.  Sharing another memory.  Sharing another story.  Sharing more love.

Yesterday, I shared my daughter's reading moment .  A memory about reading that just made her happy as she chose to read a book over playing.  Even if it was just for five minutes. This reading memory gave me an idea for my students at school. I challenged my third and fourth grade groups to blog about a reading memory :  Think about a reading moment when you were all wrapped up in a book.  Or you were secretly reading in class.  Or you stayed up in bed and read under the covers.  Or when you couldn't put a book down, but your mom asked you to help her. I shared my most recent reading moment as a mentor text:   {late night reading}  As the day ended and students' saved their reading moment drafts, I spotted a few other student reading moments ... image found on pinterest A boy standing in the busy, loud multi-purpose room.  Students waiting for the bus and laughing as he stands alone, away from the bus line, holding an ope...

Yesterday evening was a perfect night to get outside and play.  Sunshine late into the evening with a slight chill in the air. "But I want to read this book," P. demanded. I never want to discourage reading, but we wouldn't be able to play outside all night. "Hey, we can read it when we come back inside before bedtime.  Let's go play outside now!" "I'm bringing the book with me."  I wasn't going to argue with her. P. jumped into her shoes, slid on her coat, and lugged the books outside.  Daddy gave her a questioning look as she stepped onto the patio. Surrounded by daylight (and wearing a bike helmet), she kneeled at the outside table and read her book first.

Slice of Life  hosted  at the Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life. My birthday was last week .  My husband's birthday was yesterday . For one week we are the same age.  (And that age is really bothering me.)  He is now one year older.  And it's not bothering him.  He says it's just a number.  He says that you are only as old as you feel.  He says to enjoy the life you have now.  He even says that the older I get, the longer he will have loved me. I have never had an issue with age before.  Twenty-nine to thirty.  No problem.  Early thirties.  Easy.  I was even okay with thirty-five and thirty-six and thirty-seven. I was okay with sharing my age. Telling my students the year I ...

image from wallpaperfunda Today is my husband's birthday.  Jon is one who enjoys a great birthday celebration!  Yet, today is a Monday and a day back to work.  After working all day, we'll rush home to eat quickly to be ready to take the girls to their swim lessons. Not much for a birthday celebration! But he still knows how to celebrate.  Yesterday, he enjoyed a day of working out in the yard, including a trip to Home Depot.  In the evening we celebrated with his parents by grilling flank steak.  He enjoyed looking at pictures from when he younger.  Then, this morning he stopped for Spunky Dunker  donuts to take to work for his colleagues.  He received a video birthday message and song from the girls.  And, after swim lessons tonight, we'll devour the leftover chocolate cake from yesterday's celebration. A celebration of sorts!  We also agreed not to exchange birthday cards. So, instead, I write to you:  Here's t...