Happy Birthday to Me…..and to You!

  June is my birthday month!  For the first time in my life, I will be in school on my birthday (June 23), which isn’t as fun as being off.  So, to celebrate my birthday, I have decided to dedicate the month of June on my blog to a big celebration.  What does that mean [...]

What Do You Want to Know- Question #4

Great question from Susan Dee today! I teach a 4th/5th grade looping class using the workshop model. In the fall I will return to 4th grade to begin a new loop. My biggest frustration has been around grading! We use the traditional A-F system. Any ideas for making it easier??? I addressed this a little [...]

BEA!

I was on a 7:33am train this morning, heading to New York.  By 8:45am I was strolling down 34th St., headed towards the Javits Convention Center.  It was an exhausting but fulfilling day.  BEA was huge and overwhelming, but here are a few of the highlights: At 9:40am I asked a Scholastic rep where they [...]

What Do You Want to Know- Question #3

Today’s question is from Deanna…..  I have a few questions. Would you share with us your curriculum map? Also, I have heard of teachers who combine their reading and writing workshop conferences together, just meeting once but discussing both reading and writing. Have you ever done that? What do you recommend? One last one…how long [...]

What Do You Want to Know- Question #2

Christy asks, I teach 5th grade reading/language arts. What types of activities and assignments do you take grades from? First, let me explain that I teach using the workshop method, but I do not teach in a workshop-based school.  We grade on an A-F scale, and I am expected to assess my students on this [...]

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

A few weeks ago I came home to find an envelope from Scholastic on my porch. I opened it and let out a little yelp of joy, as a copy of Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver fell into my hands. I had just mentioned here how much I wanted to read it but figured I would have [...]

What Do You Want to Know- Question #1

I’m so excited that my last post received so many comments!  I will be answering everyone’s questions over the next few days. The first question is from Mary: I teach 4th grade in a self-contained GATE class. I also teach Language Arts through a workshop format and I struggle to find enough time in the [...]

What Do You Want to Know?

As readers of this blog know, I teach 6th grade language arts using a workshop method.  It’s not always easy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!  Is there anything you are wondering about how I handle reading and writing workshop in my classroom?  If so, comment here and I promise to answer any [...]

Here, I Promise!

I’m still here…it’s been a hectic weekend, to say the least.  My grandmother ended up in the hospital and will be getting a hip replacement (hopefully) sometime tomorrow.  Needless to say, I’m a nervous wreck.  I know she’s stronger than me and will be beyond thrilled to finally be able to walk and get around [...]

Oh. My. Gods by Tera Lynn Childs

Our current class read-aloud is Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1). Always a big hit because of the adventure and “regular kid” protagonist, I am constantly on the lookout for similar books. And this year, my class has taken a special liking to Greek mythology and has been seeking [...]