Something to Be Thankful For

I am thankful for my friend, Allyson. Allyson and her husband Jerod have been trying to start a family for several years. They had looked into adoption, but have been turned down for various reasons, including income and Allyson's diabetes. They considered adopting overseas, but then they found out about the incredible number of children in the United States that are in need of foster care. This was a hard decision, as Allyson had her heart set on a baby. This is understandable, isn't it? We want our children's first words to be, "Mama" and "Dada." But once Allyson and Jerod heard about these children in need, they couldn't get their minds off them. Last year they became foster parents. They welcomed little three-year old Bethany into their home. Bethany has a story, and I won't go into it here, but let's just say that Bethany sees Allyson and Jerod as her own personal guardian angel, and she loves them as much as my own children love me. I am thankful Allyson felt the conviction of caring for these unwanted children, children who through abuse and neglect found themselves alone, scared, and hopeless. Bless you for being this little girl's hero!

Fall Conference Highlights

I just returned from the annual UALR Reading Recovery and Literacy Conference. As always, I need to take a moment to sift through my notes in order to recall some of gems. Karen James reminded me in her session that we need to unclutter our teaching. Children can only take on around 3-5 items in a learning setting. If we are continually talking, explaining, and re-explaining, we're only going to tangle them up. Instead, we need to make our teaching points short, explicit, and memorable. This will enable the child to focus on the most important behaviors to monitor. I guess I have been taught this before, but with adults, as it is with children, it takes 9-14 exposures before we actually internalize learning (Meichenbaum & Biemiller). I will continue thinking about this as I work with learners, both children and teachers. I will also apply this to my own learning. How relevant!

Ahhh, the Smell of New Crayons

School shopping was finished by August 1.
We practiced laying out our clothes, going to bed on time, and getting up early.
We set goals (I'm going to make straight A's).
We made plans for interesting and varied items in our lunch boxes.
So now that school has started, I hope the hype will last.
I hope that by the end of the year, we will feel that this year was a success.
And that every day smells like a new box of crayons.
Happy First Month of School!
Jennifer

Feeling MAPPY??

From Frank Serafini's website on standardized tests as a genre:
"When students are familiar with the tasks required by the tests, they are better able to focus their attention and energy on the content of the test and to demonstrate their abilities. Frank Smith says that a different approach may be required, employing examples rather than instruction, encouragement rather than worksheets and modeling test taking strategies and allowing for discussion rather than direct skills instruction." Read the rest of his article entitled "Standardized Tests as a Genre" at www.frankserafini.com/ShortArticles/StTests.Genre.htm

Spring Break!

I always look forward to Spring Break. For me, it's a break from my schedule and a time to do some spring cleaning. I especially like sifting through books and giving them new homes. My sister-in-law participated in a book club that did this in an unconventional way. To participate, you have to hide a book at some location and give clues to the person who picks your tag. Judy participated, and found her book in Eureka Springs, taped under a bench in a public park. The book was pretty good, but it was the hunt that was the most fun. I might not have the time to go to that extent, but there are some great ways to donate or exchange books that you don't have the room for. Here's a local link:

http://yellowpages.aol.com/book-stores/mo/springfield/

It always happens in February: I think about how little I've accomplished and am overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done before the end of the year, or at least MAP testing time! In the midst of my melt-down (and I don't mean ice and snow) I have to recall something the Dr. Linda Dorn mentioned in my last training: The importance of setting goals. It can be as simple as, "Did you accomplish what you set out to do in this lesson?" or as mountainous as "By the end of the year, 100% of students will be at proficient or advanced on reading benchmarks." The important concept here is that you stay focused on that one goal. After it's accomplished (or not), you reflect and rework your goal for what should happen next." So, maybe this year I will not have that mid-year crisis. I think that will be one goal worth meeting!

Great Reading Over Christmas Break

A neighbor gave me two books to read during our winter break. Sitting here at my computer, I can't even think of the name of either one! I can only say that I was excited, because the books were of the fantasy genre, and contained any number of elves and fairies. Because I am a huge Tolkien fan, I couldn't wait to get started. Alas, I couldn't get through the first chapter. I think sometimes that when we have high expectations (say, a great rapport with a particular author) we inevitably reach a brick wall. Maybe this is why children have difficulty getting started with a new book. They have their ideas of what exemplifies a great book in that genre and nothing seems to measure up. I am determined to give these two books another try, and if not, I just might have to cuddle up with The Hobbit again.