Our New Friend Edward Tulane

You know I am a huge proponent of reading to kids above their grade levels. I think it helps with vocabulary development as well as listening comprehension skills. It has always been my all-time favorite part of the day. We turn out one set of lights, I turn on my flameless candle, the kids sit in a circle and tend to lie down. I read and they listen. They get to know the characters and it actually feels a little sad when the book ends.

For whatever reason, my kiddos this year loathe listening to chapter books. We have just a 15-minute window between lunch and getting ready for their ancillary classes-perfect activity for that time-frame. We started with the Wizard of Oz-took us literally 3 months to get through it. I tried to read them the Best Christmas Pageant Ever in preparation for the holidays-they squirmed, interrupted, played, talked through the first few chapters-so I set that one aside-I always tell kids people have different tastes in books.

 After we got back from the break I thought-I will read them a book I know they will love-The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. I love this book for a number of reasons-it's very deep and you can do a lot with that. It's a story of how a character can change, how anyone can love others instead of just themselves. It's about a lot of things. He meets many people on his journey and they all love him for a different reason-great perspective comparison! They listened a little bit better to this one (I think I'm wearing them down :), but as I read the last page (almost tearing up because it's such a great ending) they were very ho-hum, then they realized it was over and cheered *sigh*. I started talking to them about how exciting it was for me-that weekend I was going to visit the bookstore and choose another title for them and they groaned...."why do we have to read another one, it's boring!". I will not, however, give up. I think it's so important and personally treasure the memory of my mom reading to us when we were little-I just don't think a lot of parents have time to do that these days.

Anyway, we wrote about the big idea of Edward Tulane. This is a challenge for kids because they don't usually see big ideas-they remember the details from the last chapter. So I was really happy with the way they really seemed to get the theme of the story.

Post Valentine's Wrap-Up

I am linking up with: 

To do a Valentine's recap of our class events. We really didn't do anything too exciting this year. Technically we are not allowed to have a "party" and I posted earlier in the week about my new way to handle a Valentine exchange with the kiddos-we didn't have one. :) Instead the kids made cards for a nursing home, which they were absolutely delighted to receive. Here's one I thought was just darling:

I received some lovely gifts from my thoughtful students. Here is a pic of the flowers and a mug.

We made cards for all our support staff:

We did make strawberry smoothies (or smoo-vies as they are pronounced by 5-year olds :). Half the class liked them, half didn't. We did keep them super-healthy, using only strawberries and milk-no ice cream or sugar.

And we did do some actual work too! They created new symbols for Valentine's day, we read some good books like the Biggest Kiss (ewwwww, as remarked by 5-year olds), The Day It Rained Hearts and a new one that I just discovered I Loathe You (they are monsters, so that's their term of endearment).

Overall, a fun day! 

Rewards

I know rewards can be controversial. I am one of those people that believes in the perfect world, kids would be motivated intrinsically. But year after year I end up resorting to extrinsic rewards as part of my management plan because that's the only thing they will respond to. I don't usually give out prizes or anything, but I do use stickers, privileges and happy faces! On my last trip to Lakeshore (I don't allow myself to go in very often because even if I just walk in for calendar pieces, I walk out with a $50 bill!)-I saw certificates and had a brilliant idea! I feel like I have a handful of munchkins who are always following directions, always doing their work-I mailed the certificates to their house like a postcard! Just wrote a vertical line on the back address on one side, note on the other.

I let the kiddos know to be on the lookout for something in the mail-they were super-excited! Sometimes I'm not sure things like that make it home when I send it in their folders, plus people love to get mail, especially of the non-bill variety!

Somebody Loves You

If you haven't read the story Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch, it's a really sweet one. It shows how much just those little words can really brighten someone's day. By the way Story Online has it recorded by Hector Elizondo if you don't have the book and want to share it with your munchkins:

http://www.storylineonline.net/

So we decided we'd make some cards for our support staff at our school-the cafeteria workers, paraprofessionals, adminstrators. One the front they painted "Somebody Loves You" and on the inside we tried our hand at Valentine's poems. We read "Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink" so many of the messages had to do with how good people smelled! I love their use of similes, that was something I introduced a few weeks ago.

To those of you who read this blog, leave comments or e-mail me with them-lots of love going out to you guys! You are as sparkly as the moon and pretty as flowers as well! :)

Unconventional Valentine's Exchange

I have a confession to make-I am not a fan of classroom Valentine exchanges. Don't throw things at me---the holiday itself is fine, I don't mind celebrating it in class with other activities, but when it comes to those little cards....that part drives me crazy. It takes forever for the kids to pass them out (most don't read all the names of their classmates yet) and then the worst part for me is the complaining: Johnny got a card with a lollipop, I didn't get that one, Mary has 20 cards, I only have 19! Ugh!

So we are doing something new this year. The children are making Valentines for a local nursing home. I sent it home as a homework assignment, they could make it any way they wanted to-glitter and lace, plain and simple-whatever. We're going to brighten someone else's day and I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow for once! :)

Life For Me....

I use poetry in the classroom on a daily basis, I know a lot of us do. I alternate between silly ones like Silverstein or Prelutsky and serious ones like Frost. One of my favorite poets is Langston Hughes and it fits right into Black History Month to study his work. The first one we did is called Mother to Son and it's about a mother telling his son that life for her "ain't been no crystal stair". Her life has "had tacks in it, boards torn up, places where there's no carpet". Basically its message is don't give up. No matter how hard life seems, go on because life isn't always going to be perfect.

I asked the kids to do their own versions of this choral phrase and write "Life for me ain't no...." what? Something that was important to them. Here's what they came up with :

Gotta love when their favorite ideal best thing in the world is....class! :)