How do you find balance?

It is Saturday and my brain woke me up around 5:30am. My body was telling me to stay in bed but one thought stood out among the zillions dancing in my brain:

I haven't exercised in days.

Believe it or not I purposely have been allowing myself to sleep in and slow down this week. Life has been too busy and I felt the need to listen to my heart and turn it down a notch. It has worked (in some ways). I haven't been as rushed with my own children in the morning. My have approached my classroom with a "slow it down" attitude instead of a "we have to get it all done" attitude. BUT... I haven't been sleeping. My nights are restless and I wake up early with what I am thinking is stress. No exercise= no way for me to release stress. AHHHHH!

I thought about a conversation I had this week with a friend who was battling with BALANCE. I am too. It feels like September is one of the hardest months. What would I do without the weekend? I get to read a little, write a little, clean a little and rethink how I will try to juggle and balance life for the week ahead.

Poetry Friday

Found a poem that amazed me today as I was reading a newsletter sent to my husband and I. The poem was written by a 12 year old boy named Jason Meyer. It touched me and I wanted to share it with you.


Chapters

My life is a book,
Each chapter unfolding as I go.
The chapters each give an outlook.


In the first chapter I cry over a lost toy,
the next chapter I am filled with joy,
I 'm making a friend the next,
And the friend leaves after a few more.
Even after losing a friend, I'm never alone.
For thou art always with me.
The one who plays a big part.

I have been taught many things,
But there is one I will never forget.
There is always someone there for me.
Whether my parents are gone or they are there.
God and them both will always be there for me.

This is all a conclusion
To one part of my life and beginning to another.
When some thing new starts a new chapter begins.
Each lesson is a paragraph and when this life is over,
I will have a cover and a title.

Jason Meyer, 12 years old

New back to school books

I know school has started for most of us but I didn't want to forget about those newer books I've added to my back to school collection. I reserved these at the library after reading about them in a link provided by Big A little a in her weekend review earlier this month. Here they are:

The Bus Stop by Janet Morgan Stoeke
I love the pictures in this happy , rhyming story. It feels like one of those books you want to read again and again. Short amount of text on each page and new characters to meet all on their way to the bus stop! If you enjoy books by this Minerva Louise author, your sure to enjoy this catchy find.





Lissy's Friends by Grace Lin
Learn how to fold a paper crane, learn how it feels to be new, learn how to make a new friend...Grace Lin gives us so many lessons in this beautifully illustrated book. Lissy is a likable new girl who is a little shy and finds comfort in her craft for creating origami creatures. Her mom, of course, encourages her to go outside with the other kids to play after school. She ventures out with her paper companions until they fly away with a strong wind. It is then that she meets Paige, who brings back her paper crane and their friendship unfolds.

Dog Books

What is it about dogs? Many of the teachers I work with have dogs and adore their pets. I admit I am not a dog fanatic (sorry...I will pet dogs, hug them and talk to them but have no desire to own one). Along with loving dogs, I've noticed the appeal for dog stories among the primary teachers as well as the kids. I am hoping the kids will help me create a basket of dog stories for our classroom library. I am thinking my dog and animal lovers will really enjoy this basket! Here are a few I have in mind. What am I missing?

Bad Dog Marley by John Grogan
Unloveable by Dan Yaccarino
Let's Get a Pup! Said Kate By Bob Graham
Bark George! By Jules Feiffer
Why Do I have to eat off the floor? By Chris Hornsey
Polly Molly Woof Woof By David Llyod
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
Good Dog Carl By Alexandra Day

Knowing where to start with word study

One of the best ways to initiate conversation about words is to actually read about them. I can't help but teach with picture books when noticing words, thinking about words and beginning conversation about words. After spending a week getting to know my students, I feel like I have a better feel for where we need to begin with word study. Here are a few of my favorite books I will be pulling for word study this month:


the alphabet tree by Leo Leo
This story reinforces the understandings of letters, words and sentences. Leo's characters explain that the little leaves of the alphabet tree each have a special letter. The wind comes to blow and the leaves begin to stick together (making words) and soon the words begin to learn (from a friendly caterpillar) that they have the job of coming together to express important things like...peace on earth and goodwill towards men. This book invites kids to think about the words they already can spell. I am thinking I will talk with the students about how we might create an alphabet tree in our classroom. I will be looking for what words my students can spell quickly and easily on their own leaves. I anticipate moving forward and exploring the kinds of words the kids created (names, high frequency, colors, familiar places, numbers, etc.)


The Hungry Thing by Jan Slepian, Ann Seidler and Richard Martin
I remember reading about this oldie but goodie in The Reading Teacher. I was lucky enough to buy it at a second hand kid's clothing store in their used book section. What a find! I love this book as much as the kids do. The story, about a town trying to feed a hungry monster who they can't understand, invites kids to solve rhyming riddles throughout the book. The invented rhymes and repetition allow the students to truly take part in this humorous story. It is filled with opportunities to solve and read rhyming words together. I think this book begins our journey with rhyme because I don't want to forget to really ask my students what rhyming words look like and sound like. This thinking will help us gather rhyming words from many texts so that we can brainstorm our findings about rhyme.

Q is for Duck by Michael Folsom
This alphabet book challenges my students to make simple inferences about how a letter and word are related. Can you guess why Q is for duck? Ok, think about what you know about a duck (kids say..."a duck is white, it waddles, swims in a pond, says quack"). Now think about how the text tells us Q should connect some way with what we know about a duck. Quack begins with q. Maybe q is for duck because ducks quack? I love to read this book aloud and begin to experiment with inferences.

What kind of reading do you do?

The energy of 20 first graders is exciting, comical and often overwhelming. The first two days of school have been busy and crazier than normal. Despite the craziness, I am feeling like my job everyday is to show them a love for reading so they love to read. I am determined to alter the thoughts of some of my kids who do not yet see themselves as readers. I have already had two students say to me..."I can't read." Can't we start labelling kids as readers in pre-school when they read a story according to the pictures? Or even before that? I would call my 2-year old niece a reader because she loves books and reads them with my sister and then in her own way to my sister. This phrase (I can't read) feels like kids don't see themselves as readers.

My mission for the past day and now for the rest of the week is to help my students redefine and rediscover what reading is for themselves. Today we read Baby Bears Books by Jane Yolen. We then thought about all the kinds of reading Baby Bear experienced throughout the day. He was read to, picture read(you know...browsed the pictures), read books he already knew the words to, read with his brother and read by himself. This thinking helped us think about the reading we like to do with books. What kind of reading do you like to do? (I asked) Here is what I heard..."I like to look at the pictures and tell the story in my head, I look at the words and the pictures when I read, I look at the pictures when I read and I look at the sounds in words and then I read." I feel like this is a good start to understanding reading. We needed to have this conversation.

We each searched for our first book to place in our personal book bins and then shared what kind of reading we would be doing with that book. The choices varied and the kinds of reading varied but we were all on one playing ground...reading (and liking it)! I think it was wonderful to establish a sense of respect for each other as readers and learners. We all are in different places and that is ok!

Change

I woke this morning around 3:00am to my son yelling out in his sleep. His fearful scream half woke him up to tears. It was just a bad dream. My husband and I comforted him quickly and slipped back into bed. With school starting soon, Larry's bad dream was just what kept me from falling back asleep. Stress took over and my thoughts drove my mind. My eyes were closed but I was awake thinking of anything but sleep. I eventually forced myself up and out of bed at 6am and read my daily reflection from a book called Sacred Space.

The big question I took from the reflection was...Can I avoid the trap of receiving too much and take gifts for granted without any real change in my life? So I started to reflect on changes that I truly felt I have made in my heart, soul and person.

I thought about a morning run this past spring where I was moved by a song by Bethany Dillon called "You Change Me." I listened to the lyrics and began to cry happily, almost a feeling empowerment and freedom. I think I felt a freedom from fears that were holding me back in my profession. This past year I stepped out of my own little comfort zone after 8 or so years of part and full time teaching in a place where I was unhappy. I finally listened and have been truly blessed. I am even attempting to write (this blog) and a little more. For me it was change...it took awhile but I listened. I wish I could do that better(that is listen). (thank you God)

I also thought about the changes I have made as a parent. I think these changes I pray for everyday. I can be a maniac, try to make everything perfect mom to boys. I have issues but I think I am aware of myself and am trying not to change my kids and overstep my bounds. I am trying to become more conscious of their thoughts, questions and their reactions. God, it is hard. Please help me listen.

Finally, the area that I am challenging myself to change...remembering the little things that matter to others. I am trying to think each day about how I help someone else. I am horrible at helping people, thanking people for little things. Jack Johnson and Ben Harper sing a song called "My Own Two Hands." It will serve as a reminder to me and hopefully my students that, "I can change the world with my own two hands. Make it a better place with my own two hands. Make it a kinder place with my own two hands, with my own, with my own, two hands." They are my source for learning and change. Simple acts. It's simple...change.