Literacy Learning Zone

Slice of Life is  hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life.  _____________________________________________________ Back to school is exciting. The newness of it all. The wonder and curiosity. The hope. It's doesn't take long for all that goodness to disappear ... because back to school life includes so much more for this mom teacher. There's wake up times, schedules to follow, lunches to make, busses to catch, busy days, time to play, go to practices and homework to do. There's books to read aloud, time to plan, analyze assessments, study data, determine interventions, be a champion for kids and teach...

Slice of Life is  hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life.  _____________________________________________________ For six years of her life, I have provided my daughter choice when it comes to selecting books to read. At the public library we visit often, she will grab a book that interests her, sit down on the ground, and slowly, carefully study the book page-by-page to decide if it will make it into the check out pile. There are no levels or discussions about letters. There are no rules or boundaries. (I'll be honest. There have been an occasional eye roll at a book selection ... but I can only take so muc...

This summer a  really BIG! group of educators   are reading and learning together online.  I am participating and co-hosting this year's #cyberPD event about digital reading and creating digital readers in our classrooms  with  Cathy Mere  and  Laura Komos .  Don't forget! Next Tuesday, July 28th @ 7 pm CST, we will be participating in a #cyberPD Twitter chat with authors   Franki Sibberson   and   Bill Bass . Digital Reading: What's Essential in Grades 3-8  by William L. Bass II and Franki Sibberson Paperback or ebook can be purchased from NCTE *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * My Thoughts and Reflections Chapter 6: Assessment: Keeping Our Eye on the Literacy "Assessment needs to be the vehicle that moves us beyond defining our reade...

Slice of Life  hosted  at the Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life. 9:44 pm I know my mom and dad are waiting to read this. You see, we touch base quite often.  (But probably not as often as my mom hopes.)  Email, phone calls, texts, and yes, slices. Tick tock.  Tick tock.  As this Tuesday moves ahead, they are probably wondering why I haven't written yet. 9:46 pm I am, Mom and Dad.  I'm here.  I'm finally writing.  Life is just extra busy this time of year.  When school begins again, so does every other activity, sport, and extracurricular. There was a trip this weekend to the apple orchard.  Two words:  Honey. Crisp. Yum.  But did yo...

Slice of Life  hosted  at the Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life. This is a deep breath kind of moment. Just a day before a new year begins. Anticipation of the what's to come. Smiling faces walking through the school doors. A fresh start.  To begin again a year older. Brand new clothes and shoes and backpack and supplies. A missing tooth grin.  Fancy hairdo.  Looking too cute. Excited to be with friends in a new class with a new teacher. Nervous about the newness of it all.  Ready to start. Me? I'm ready to foster new and old relationships. To show them I care.  Wanting to make the difference. To read and write and laugh together. To laugh and write a...

Slice of Life  hosted  at the Two Writing Teachers Join in and share a slice of your life. The last days of summer are almost here. Soon it will be time to trade in ... Late sleepy mornings Busy but no-rush days Vacations away Play at new neighborhood parks Swimming lessons Trips to the library Grandma time Bike rides around town Craft and project days Movie nights in the living room Catching fire flies Later bedtimes For all the back-to-school routines ... Earlier wake ups Lights on, rise and shine "Let's go!" mornings Quick hugs-n-kisses drop off Long, long days apart Dreaming about summer ways Missing the small moments Thinking about our time Rushing home for pick up Squeezing wh...

Slice of Life  hosted  at the  Two Writing Teachers Many of you, like me, are holding onto the last few days of summer. I'm enjoying my slow and easy transition back to school.  Monday I had a half-day meeting.  Today I'm home with the girls.  Two days at school in my classroom and a family day out on Friday. Before everything officially begins next Monday. I think I might meander over to school today to show my girls my new learning space and really see what I'm getting myself into.  I packed up my room that I made a home for ten years and I'm moving into a smaller room.  I'm actually excited about the transition.  A fresh start.  Newly organized.  (That's the part I still need to accomplish this week.)  And perhaps a little decorating.  Nothing fancy. I just said to a friend a...

Slice of Life Stories hosted by the  Two Writing Teachers Yesterday was the first day back: told in numbers Rise and shine: 30 minutes earlier Walk/jog on the treadmill: 2  miles in  30  minutes Managed to finish Divergent :  savored the last 50  pages School (aka daycare) drop off:  easy and under 5 minutes First drive to school in weeks:   9 miles in the usual 25 minutes Breakfast treats and chatting:   30 minutes of catching up Nitty gritty, review and new information:  over 2 hours of sitting Finally, a yummy (catered) lunch:   2 tacos, 1 scoop of rice, and a handful of chips Meetings in the afternoon:  over 2 more hours of sitting Ever-so-thankfu...

Slice of Life Stories hosted by the  Two Writing Teachers Yesterday was my last Monday of summer break.  And today is my last Tuesday. It is finally hitting me that I have to venture back into the real world.  A real world with a real schedule. My real world of . . . Balancing   life of being a mommy and teacher and always Wondering   how much learning, laughing, talking I'm missing when the girls are at daycare, and Remembering   to slow down and enjoy the small moments together even though I'm Scheduling how I'm going to get all the daily chores completed in a lesser amount of time and Determining   the answer to the question I despise most: "What's for dinner?" all the whi...