Beautiful, Beautiful Books

This picture was my happy place today.

No time in the school day brings me more joy

than our moments after lunch when we read our chapter book together.

My class is about two thirds of the way through our last novel of the year,

Holes, by Louis Sachar.

The best part is, I actually have a class set of this one.

My heart does a little pitter patter every time I see my students

get comfy with their copy as they follow along.

One girl loves to rest her chin on her desk with her eyes on the text.

Another boy likes to rest his forehead on the desk with the book in his lap.

Another is literally consumed by his book because it practically covers his face.

Just when I think I’ll catch one off task, I realize, they’re just getting in their cozy spot.

They’re bonding with their books!

So as we read today, I had a lightbulb moment.

Wouldn’t it be cool to see all the books we’ve read together in one big stack?

As the students traded turns reading pages,

I did a quick rummage around the room to collect them all.

Eight in all, and what a beautiful pile of books!

I wish you could have seen two of my girls who sit in back

oohing and ahhing at the sight.

Those are our books!  We’ve read them all this year! one whispered.

Wait, let me count them! the other joined in.

I’m telling you, books have bonded us together.

As I look at each title, I am reminded of a different time frame of the year.

It reminds me of the journey we’ve taken through this school year.

And it makes my heart feel so full.

There’s already a countdown in the teachers lounge

for number of school days left until sweet summer begins.

And I’m not going to lie, I’m more than ready.

But today, that stack of books brought me the bit of joy I needed.

Reading is cool! I swear!

Inspiring kids to love reading is hard.

I have some serious reluctant readers in my class,

and many others that enjoy reading,

but are clueless on how to pick out a book that’s just right for them.

I sympathize with all of the above,

because I was not a child who enjoyed reading

as much as I now enjoy reading as an adult.

I don’t want my students to become the type of kid I was.

I want them to find the books that make them excited

to find another, and another, and another.

Because these days, when I find a good book for myself,

I am hungry for more and I get sad that the latest book is over.

A teacher friend of mine, who knows nothing of my picky reading taste,

heard I was looking for a new book to read

and placed a book called The Language of Flowers in my box.

“I think you’d like this.” the note she slipped inside had said.

And boy was she right!

I finished that thing in one week!

I gave up my Saturday just to sit on the couch and finish every page!

I want to be that kind of “Book Fairy” for my kids.

I want to know what kinds of books make them tick,

make them sad because they don’t want them to be over.

I want to be the one that helps them discover their childhood favorite

that they reflect on sentimentally as an adult.

I wasn’t the child with a flashlight in my bed under the covers, reading.

I was the girl with 20 books in my library bag,

who only actually found time to read one or two in the stack.

Choosing books was more exciting to me than actually reading them.

I am now playing catch up, reading young adult books as a matter of research

just so I can recommend books to my students

and be in the know of the juvenile literary world.

I subscribe to the Nerdy Book Club so I can be up with the times

on newly published books for children.

—

Meanwhile,

what inspired this long rant about how reading really is cool,

is the fact that I am sitting here,

responding to “Reading Response Journal” letters from my students

and they are boring!!!

The sole point of the reading response is for my students and I

to have a way to talk about the books their reading.

They write me a letter about what they’re reading,

and I respond with my own thoughts about their book and ideas.

But these letters are boring!

I feel like I have a bunch of uninspired readers,

writing me boring letters that only follow a “how to checklist,”

and provide no genuine tone or sincerity.

—

Inspiring kids to love reading is hard

but to inspire them to love talking about what they’re reading is even harder.

Perhaps I need to rethink this whole Reading Response Journal thing.

But in the meantime,

I’ll continue to just inspire my kids to READ!

Applaud their choices, suggest new titles,

and encourage them to spend time in the library to find their next book.

Reading – It’s cool!  I swear!

Bonding over Books

It’s funny how certain books bring back school memories for me.

—

We finished our third after-lunch read aloud today –

Mr. Popper’s Penguins.

This was only my second time reading this book.

When I was in 3rd grade, my teacher always read to us after lunch.

The two books I most remember her reading were

Mr. Popper’s Penguins and Stuart Little.

The weird thing is, I don’t really love either of these books,

but I do love the memories of this after-lunch tradition.

Sweaty and pooped from running around on the playground,

I always felt thankful for Mrs. Marchi allowing us

to lay our heads down on our desks or draw while she read.

Those ten minutes of relaxation always felt like heaven,

or at least that’s how my eight year old self remembers it.

—

My hope is that my 4th graders only feel the same about this

sacred read aloud time we share together after lunch.

Even if they don’t like the books,

I sure hope they like being read to, just as I once did.

What books bring back school memories for you?

Grammar + Art = Fun!

Grammar can be boring.

For me, I always loved it!

Diagramming sentences, explaining parts of speech,

I loved it all!

However, sometimes you need to bring in the Joy Factor

when it comes to dry grammar lessons.

For example, this week I taught my kiddos how to

correctly punctuate a line of dialouge.

Discussing where quotation marks and commas belong

in dialogue can be pre-tty boring!

Here’s how I made it come to life:

I read Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus,

which is basically dialogue throughout.

Students love it!  And not to mention, it’s a great series!

We then examined a quotation from the book,

written correctly with quotation marks and a comma.

Students were then each given their own quote from the book

but written without any punctuation.

They rewrote it, demonstrating appropriate punctuation.

We also had a great discussion about words that can replace said,

like yelled, replied, answered, and more.

I encouraged the students to find a new word for said to add to their quotation.

Finally, I surprised them with a guided drawing of Mr. Pigeon himself!

Art brings wonders to the classroom!  I’m telling you!

Who knew quotation marks could be so much fun?

—

Here makes a great plug for a project I’ve posted on Donor’s Choose.

I’m hoping to add more art activities like this one to my classroom,

especially when I teach science.

If you’re feeling a little generous, check out my project.

Save the Arts in our classroom!

i love books!

Reading aloud to my students after lunch

is one of my favorite traditions.

Not only does it quiet them down after lunch,

but it feels like bonding.

I try my hardest to choose books from a variety of genres,

and I love to pick ones that are award winners or from book lists.

But most importantly, I try to choose books I’ve never read.

(Except for Maniac McGee.

The chapter book read aloud that forever will be one of my favorites

thanks to my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Smith!)

Why would I choose books I’ve never read?

So that I can connect with my students as we share

the adventure of these books together.

Because, in my opinion, there’s nothing better

than bursting into genuine laughter with your kiddos

or feeling that same sense of “awwwwww”

when I tell them it’s time to stop for the day.

—

Today we finished Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.

Ahhhhh.  Great book.  Funny book!

And I loved it when I read the last line,

they all applauded and cheered.

Then one quickly asked, “Can we read Fudge-A-Mania next?”

Another, “Can I borrow that book now that we’re done?”

Well, perhaps we’ll have to make time to come back

to Fudge and Peter later on this school year.

But wish us luck as we move on to a new genre: fantasy.

As we read The Mysterious Journey of Edward Tulane.

(A bunch of my students read this book last year and swore by it!)

—

Reading.  It brings people together.

What are your favorite chapter book read alouds?

i guess i loved them after all

I’m a 4th grade teacher once again.

I won’t lie, it feels a little strange.

I’m used to kids who know my routines and expectations.

After all, I had my last group for two years.

Starting over is weird.  It feels unfamiliar.

But at the same time, it feels so refreshing.

My last bunch was a little tricky to handle at most points.

They were chatty, and needed a very firm hand.

It was like I was their only mother.

Irresponsible, dishonest, and even rude at times,

But they were lovable.

All they needed was someone to say, “No,” and mean it.

And a person who would make a promise, and actually keep it.

I’m pretty sure that group will always tug at my heart

a little more than any other class I’ll ever have.

My first day of school highlight was getting visits from three of my old students (during class!)…just to say hello.

Another beginning

When I walked into the staff lounge on the first day of school,

my principal had written,

“Happy first day of school!  

Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint

so train accordingly.“

I felt like it was meant for me.

One, because I’m training for a marathon,

and two, because it was the perfect reminder to remember to take time

for the little things that matter most.

Like getting to know the “real” kiddos that are in my class.

—

I call this activity “5 Things in a  Bag”

taken from Pinterest.

It’s a quick and easy way to bring that

Joy Factor to your classroom, while getting to know your students.

It’s as easy at the title makes it sound.

Basically you pick 5 things that represent you and put them in the bag.

Only rules:

-Any item chosen needs to be able to fit in the bag.

-If it can’t, draw or take a picture of it, and put the picture in the bag.

-No electronics. (I made this rule up, for fear I would see iPods,

DSs, cell phones, etc make it into the bag.)

—

Here are mine…

My running bib book.

I tried to explain how runners wear bibs during races.

I related it to the Olympics, since I figured many had seen

the track and field events on TV.

“You were in the Olympics?” one boy asked.

Ha! No… but it was a sweet thought!

Ahhhh. Summer Sisters.  This was my favorite book in high school.

My friend Jana and I read it together and would compare

ourselves to the best friends in this book.

Well, this summer, I was pleasantly surprised when Jana

mailed me a copy.  Signed by Judy Blume.

It was totally unexpected, as she and I haven’t spoken in months!

My ticket box.

I keep most tickets from events, movies, and games that I attend.

Mainly the Sacramento Kings games I go to with my dad.

Watching basketball with my dad has always been a treasured  pastime.

I’ve been going to Kings games for as long as I can remember.

Arco Arena is where I learned a lot of my basketball knowledge,

but it’s actually a bigger place to me.

It’s my favorite place to hang out with my dad.

Because one of the rules states that you can bring a picture

if something you want to bring is too big to fit in the bag.

So I chose this picture.

It represents my love for the American River.

Whether it was chasing the ducks, riding bikes,

or learning to skip rocks,

a ton of my childhood memories include being around this river.

Nowdays I spend time running on the American River Parkway

or floating down it in a raft during the hot summers.

But to this day, this river holds a special place in my heart.

And last, but not least, there’s Dennis the Menace.

The comic strip that gave me my name.

See that girl with the brown hair?  That’s Gina.

When my parents were deciding on my name,

my mother gave my dad two ideas – Regina and Janelle.

Well, my dad always enjoyed reading this comic as a kid,

so he went with Regina, and decided that they’d call me “Gina.”

Then he wrote a letter to Hank Ketcham

to tell him about me and how he chose my name.

Well, a few weeks later, Hank Ketcham sent my dad a letter.

And inside was an original comic, just for me.

I wish I had a picture of it to display it here,

but it has the best quote.

“The world needs more Ginas.”

—

Road Trip Diaries…Part 3

It’s been some time since I’ve continued telling the tale

of my Pacific Northwest Road Trip adventure.

—

Portland was such an unexpected delight.

A city filled with bridges,

I instantly fell in love with the vibe of this city.

We began our day in Portland at the Saturday Public Market

(though it was Sunday…hmmm?)

wandering and leisurely enjoying the tent vendors.

When I’m on vacation, I love to do what the locals do

and this was a perfect way to get a taste of what Portland is like.

wandering through the market

I bought a tshirt with this bridge on it.

Our exploring continued with a trip to VooDoo Donughts.

I wasn’t really sure what the hype was about this place

as I’m not one to get excited about doughnuts.

But this was a definite ‘must do’

based soley on the fact that the line was wrapped two times around the place.

I wanted to just say that I had been there.

VooDoo prides itself on its funky and creative donut toppings.

I peeked in the window to see donuts with Oreo cookie crumbles,

others with Fruit Loops, and alas, the VooDoo donught.

We weren’t planning on getting more than one donught,

as it was just for the experience.

So in that case, we opted for the VooDoo.

It must have been our lucky day. Our VooDoo doughnut was two-headed!

All our wandering of course made us hungry,

so we dined at Deschutes Brewery.

Beer? Yes please!

Table outside? Why, of course!

The burger was delicious, the beer satisfying.

After that meal, I was a very happy camper.

Ahhhh, but wait, there’s more to this dandy adventure in Portland.

The grand finale included a trip to Powells books.

Seriously, you don’t know what kind of heaven this place is until you’ve been inside.

No joke, 4 million books. Yes, you read that right.

4 million books!

3 stories of gloriousness.  (Is that even a word?)

We gave ourselves a half hour to roam, which obviously wasn’t enough time.

I felt panicked.  Where do I even begin?

I could have spent hours in there.  I felt lost, but yet so at home.

Shockingly all I bought was a Walking Dead graphic novel for my boyfriend,

but I vow that if I ever visit Portland again (which I know I will)

I will be spending way more than a half hour in that place.

Powells covers one entire city block, holds over 4 million books, and buys about 1,500 used books daily.

Portland, you were an unexpected, yet, pleasant surprise.

Hope to see you again soon!

So as part of my Summer Bucket List,

I made a goal to read one novel a week.

So far, so good!

This week I read Ultra Marathon Man.

I gotta say first that I have no intentions of ever running 100 miles.

And this book didn’t really fill me with inspiration to do so.

In fact, a marathon is good enough for me.

However, I’m really glad I read this book.

—

This guy is nuts!

He is adventure crazy, and seeks out the most challenging races he can find.

First he shares his experiences of running in the Western States 100,

leaving out no details of the pain, blisters, and deliriousness he endured.

Then he shares his story of attempting to complete another race in Death Valley,

where he collapsed and woke up to find himself in a hospital.

And what was his reaction?  “Why didn’t they let me finish?”

Not a normal response!

Later, he completes the first ever marathon in Antartica,

which was delayed by two weeks due to terrible weather conditions.

And finally, he chooses to run the Relay, from Calistoga to Santa Cruz.

No big deal.  Only that it’s an 199 mile race meant to be completed by teams of 12.

Yeah, he ran that whole race himself.

This man is nuts!

—

Why am I glad I read this book?  Well let me tell you.

If this man can run “crazy races,” as I like to call them, and survive,

then I can run 26.2 miles and be just fine.

Reading this book reminded me of the goal I’ve set for myself

as I undergo this training for my first marathon ever.

Be strong.

I wouldn’t call myself a super tough person.

I cry when I get sick.  I cry when I get hurt.  I’m a big baby!!

Not because I don’t feel good.  Because it prohibits me from doing things I love most.

Mostly running.

So, I’ve decided these next few months are going to be about

building strength – physically and mentally.

Ultra Marathon Man gave me a clear head, and a vision.

It’s going to hurt.  It’s going to be rough.

But honestly, the endgame is going to be so worth it

if I just shed my “babyness” and be tough.

Wednesday Delights

Since making my summer bucket list

I’ve been pretty determined to follow through

and complete at least one thing each day of summer.

Well, getting sick was not planned,

which has put a wrench in getting a few of the easy things crossed off.

(If you know me, I never get sick.  And when I do, I’m a HUGE baby!)

I admit that I haven’t run once so far on this summer vacation!

Nor have I spent any time by the pool!

What kind of start to summer is this?!

However, after spending two days forced to lounge inside,

I had to get out of the house, despite my lack of energy.

I was in the mood to thrift, so Chris and I headed to 

Roseville’s Antique Trove today to get a start on #16.

Much to my delight, I stumbled upon this cute juice pitcher 

for only 12 dollars and decided it had to be mine!

I just love the patterns and can’t wait to fill it with a batch of fresh lemonade.

Perhaps that calls for a recipe on Pinterest,

which will allow me to start on #13!

After some time strolling among the antiques,

we headed to the bookstore next.

I’m trying to stick to my “Book a Week” plan,

so next on the list will be this one:

Said to be a modern day Catcher in the Rye

I’ve got high hopes for this one,

which gives me a little push of motivation

to get done with the book I’m reading now.

For being sick,

I’ve had a little luck on this Wednesday.