Last night Kovi lied.
I told him I needed to put Swimmer's Ear drops in his ears.
"No!" he protested.
"Did Kaley do them already?"
"Yes."
(I know...you are thinking...why would I put him in the position? Nevertheless...)
I walked out of the room...
"Where are you going??? What are you doing???" By his behavior, I knew the truth already. I confirmed with Kaley that she had not used the drops on him.
We had been planning to go to the park. I let him know we would not be going to the park after all.
Among his many teary protests:
"I'm just a little kid! I didn't know better!"
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Thoughts on Teaching Writing Effectively
1. Writing teachers need to be writers.
2. Good readers make good writers - students need to be surrounded by "wondrous words"
3. Kids who do the hard work of inquiry themselves will learn much more than kids who are "spoon-fed" curriculum.
4. My students need to view themselves as writers.
5. As in other crafts, it is valuable to learn from mentors. Our mentors will be published authors.
6. My students will only become better writers if they spend a significant amount of time writing.
2. Good readers make good writers - students need to be surrounded by "wondrous words"
3. Kids who do the hard work of inquiry themselves will learn much more than kids who are "spoon-fed" curriculum.
4. My students need to view themselves as writers.
5. As in other crafts, it is valuable to learn from mentors. Our mentors will be published authors.
6. My students will only become better writers if they spend a significant amount of time writing.
Tailbone of Doom
Went to the doctor because my tailbone has been hurting for months now, whenever I sit too long. Xrays show...nothing. Inspection shows...nothing. I hate it when you don't get any result. My tailbone just hurts. It's a mystery. Could be ligaments or something... I wish I had never gone and waisted the money. Now I just have to take anti-inflammatories and sit on a ridiculous pillow and hope it goes away.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Connie
I miss my sister.
She looks like me, laughs like me, makes funny facial expressions like me.
She doesn't dress like me, but that's because she is way cooler than me.
She lives across a big ocean.
I wish I could fly to see her without spending a thousand dollars.
Or two thousand.
It was good to talk to her today on Skype.
Let's get Skype.
She looks like me, laughs like me, makes funny facial expressions like me.
She doesn't dress like me, but that's because she is way cooler than me.
She lives across a big ocean.
I wish I could fly to see her without spending a thousand dollars.
Or two thousand.
It was good to talk to her today on Skype.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
My Mischievous Son
he does it to be silly
he loves the reaction
he ought to be punished
but how do you punish
an elf with a delighted grin on his face?
No Adjectives or Adverbs
Mark Twain: "When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them -- then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice."
I will try to write a paragraph minus most of the modifiers.
The gardener trudged across the field. He stooped down and tipped his pitcher, pouring water on a plant. He moved on to the next plant, pouring a cup or two of water on it. The man continued in this manner, occasionally refilling his pitcher from a larger cistern, never losing a drop. The sun beat down. Sweat dripped down his cheeks. The plants drank and clung to life.
I will try to write a paragraph minus most of the modifiers.
The gardener trudged across the field. He stooped down and tipped his pitcher, pouring water on a plant. He moved on to the next plant, pouring a cup or two of water on it. The man continued in this manner, occasionally refilling his pitcher from a larger cistern, never losing a drop. The sun beat down. Sweat dripped down his cheeks. The plants drank and clung to life.
Peaches
I just ate a peach. It was so perfect that I decided not to make peach cobbler after all. We shall simple feast on fresh, juicy peaches tonight. This is also the healthier choice...and the easier one.
Random Conversations in Austin
Mom took the kids to Wazoo's and a movie, so I am enjoying some free time. As I run errands, I find myself in various conversations with strangers - always initiated by ME, of course. I definitely took after my mother in extroversion!
I met a young farmer at a local market and we talked about growing trees, flooded cantaloupe fields, gumbo-clay soil, and my one watermelon which was partly eaten by bugs but still delicious.
I bought some cantaloupes and peaches. The guy's friend asked if I wanted to buy a watermelon, but I told him I was out of cash.
So the farmer dude handed me the melon and said, "Aw, just take the damn watermelon. That's how we roll here. I like to see people eat healthy."
Then, at Central Market, as I was buying flours to make a peach cobbler with my bag of peaches (millions of peaches...), I struck up a conversation with a lady who was also buying flours, to make a blueberry cobbler. I pointed out the whole wheat pastry flour, which is healthier but has a white flour consistency, and she bought some.
I met a young farmer at a local market and we talked about growing trees, flooded cantaloupe fields, gumbo-clay soil, and my one watermelon which was partly eaten by bugs but still delicious.
I bought some cantaloupes and peaches. The guy's friend asked if I wanted to buy a watermelon, but I told him I was out of cash.
So the farmer dude handed me the melon and said, "Aw, just take the damn watermelon. That's how we roll here. I like to see people eat healthy."
Then, at Central Market, as I was buying flours to make a peach cobbler with my bag of peaches (millions of peaches...), I struck up a conversation with a lady who was also buying flours, to make a blueberry cobbler. I pointed out the whole wheat pastry flour, which is healthier but has a white flour consistency, and she bought some.
Writing Teachers Should Be Writers
Why don’t I write more? Laziness? Lack of confidence? A nagging sense that I really don’t have anything important to say?
I am going to be a writing teacher…I am expanding my knowledge base, my ideas on how to do that well…I am excited. But to teach writing effectively, I must…
write.
So here I go with my own blog to grow as a writer, a teacher, and maybe as a person. I hope this won’t be a three blog on the blog page and then quit blog.
I am going to be a writing teacher…I am expanding my knowledge base, my ideas on how to do that well…I am excited. But to teach writing effectively, I must…
write.
So here I go with my own blog to grow as a writer, a teacher, and maybe as a person. I hope this won’t be a three blog on the blog page and then quit blog.
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