As I wrote last week in Day 45: The Writing Process, I am teaching students to write a personal narrative and their assigned topic is a time in their lives when they had a personal conflict and the conflict led them to learn a lesson or an important life-changing lesson. As adults, it is easy to look back and see some of these moments, but it is not easy for a seventh grader to look so introspectively at their lives. Continue reading Day 49: Leads and Seeds and the Introductory paragraph
Category Archives: Writing
Saturday: Halloween eve
It is the Saturday before Halloween and after a stormy week which included our first hard freeze of the season. The forecast promises 60° temperatures for perhaps the last time for a while, but you just never know. The leaves are falling and the front yard is almost complete. It is dry which makes raking and leaf pick up that much easier. Continue reading Saturday: Halloween eve
Day 45: The Writing Process
Teaching Language Arts is fun and I am learning more each day. Though, not as much fun as teaching geography, but I am learning and growing to like it. The students this year are enthusiastic and excited about learning. I know much of it has to do with my attitude and comfort level in the classroom. I have always been open with my students about what I think, how I learn, and the kind of student I was in seventh grade. Continue reading Day 45: The Writing Process
Fall, leaves, and walking Ivy
It has been fall for over three weeks now. The autumnal equinox has come and gone. September 22nd marked the official start of autumn in the northern hemisphere and relatively equal day and night across the globe. That day, three weeks ago, we had twelve hours and eight minutes of daylight counting the daylight between sunrise and sunset. Today, we had eleven hours and six minutes and each evening and when the sunsets, we will have even less. Fall is here and we are on our way into winter. Continue reading Fall, leaves, and walking Ivy
The moon, the stars, and Ivy
I woke up late this morning, relatively. It was 5:30 and I would have preferred to wake earlier say 4:00 or 4:30, but I was awake. Over the years, I have learned to get up earlier and get a start on the day. Never the less, it gave me an opportunity to take Ivy for a short walk in the crisp autumn air. The weather has turned cooler and we even had a mild frost yesterday morning. Though, I expect cooler and frostier mornings ahead. Continue reading The moon, the stars, and Ivy
Free Write Friday
Every Friday in Language Arts is Free Write Friday or rather was…. I write in Free Write Friday, at least try to write most Friday’s, to model the practice. Yesterday, I used the computer and typed instead of using my notebook. Below is what I wrote for Free Write Friday….
I walked in this morning, late. I really need to work on this. I have not been sleeping well and it is affecting me in so many ways. I am tired and not as effective as I could be in any of the areas of my life – father, husband, son, or teacher. Continue reading Free Write Friday
Week 4: Being Amazing and Brilliant – Part 2
It is hard to believe, but I am seventeen days into the school year with 155 remaining. Mind you, I am not counting them, but rather working to make them count. In my last post, I referenced Mawi’s Unstoppable Blog: A blog for unstoppable educators & anyone who wants to be inspired. I had stumbled across his post and shared it with my students last Friday – over a week ago. Over the course of the week, I have reflected back to that moment in class when I challenged my seventh graders to be amazing and brilliant. At the same time, I challenged myself to do the same. Continue reading Week 4: Being Amazing and Brilliant – Part 2