All Hoggatteers earned a trip to the local amusement park, Monday morning,
and a good time was had by all.
and a good time was had by all.
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This is the time of year when we hear about changes in the school staff for next year. A number of our teachers are retiring, after this year. Others are moving to new positions nearer their hometowns or new assignments within our district. New characters are being cast to fill their roles for the upcoming school year.
I'm not leaving the classroom for a few more years, but I will be gone for a half-day, Thursday, in order to assist with the interview process for some of our upper-grade positions. Some of these new hires will be teaching in the third grade classrooms, so they directly impact the students who ultimately darken my door in fourth grade. I look forward to meeting some nervous interviewees to see what they have to offer. This story from United States Civil War history strongly illustrates that one person makes a difference! You just never know when you might be that one person. Take five and a half minutes to watch this video: Now for some questions:
After taking the state test, this year, the class wanted to make themed island maps. Each student created an island, shaped like something from his/her chosen theme. Then they proceeded to name their cities and landforms to coincide with the themes. After looking at some antique maps, we thought it important to include sea monsters, mermaids, and sailing vessels in the open areas of the surrounding ocean. Then came the imperative compass rose, scale of miles, title text, and legend. With a fancy border, the task was almost complete. Students then ripped the edges and made some holes in their maps to age them, and we sprayed them with water to "fade" the features where markers were used as the artistic medium.
Krissy Venosdale put these posters on her blog site to help celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week.
Our own P.T.A. treated teachers to a lunch, this week. Not to be redundant, but the teachers always appreciate being appreciated. Thank you to our parents, but also for letting us teach the best children you have.
 Hoggatteers are a different breed. We do not sit in rows. We move around. We collaborate on projects. We solve problems using a variety of strategies. We strive to be a very atypical classroom.
The book title is hand-lettered, and the girl on the cover looks nothing like the girl in my mind as I read her "confessions". The book cover obviously appeals more to girls than boys, and I have to admit I was a little embarrassed to be seen carrying it around. Other than that, once again, I was surprised at the interest I had in continuing to read this book. My biggest concern is a common one: that the ending was as tightly tied as I would prefer, but since there are two more books in the series, that may explain why.
There are some very memorable characters in here, and the intriguing storylines interweave with ease. I really enjoyed humorous language and phraseology. One really empathizes with the main character, April Grace. One also gets easily irritated by her sister Myra Sue, angry at the rude city couple that moves to the area, intrigued by the old hippie couple that rarely bathes, upset by the new relationship developing with April Grace's grandmother and an obnoxious old man from Texas, and amazed by the positive attitudes and leadership of April Grace's parents. KD McCrite accurately captures the rural language and work ethic of the culture some consider "hillbilly". With much humor, she also includes some strong a dramatic realities along the way. That said, many of the Mark Twain Award nominees should appeal to higher level readers and may frustrate struggling readers. The trailer for this book follows (Again, the characters don't look anything like the ones you may picture when you read this novel.). If a student reads (or is read) as few as four of the twelve Mark Twain Award nominees from the Missouri Association of School Librarians list, s/he may officially vote to help determine the 2014 recipient of the award.
Andy Andrews has an amazing talent in public speaking. In this segment, Andrews strings together an incredible series of events in history that are seemingly unrelated. Somehow, the message comes through loud and clear. Take eight minutes to watch this video: Now for some questions:
Some of our recent posts on the website have included videos called Kid Snippets. In the videos, young kids are prompted to talk about a subject or act out a scene. Adult actors then record their own video, lip syncing to the audio provided by the kids earlier. The result is usually pretty funny, and we have enjoyed viewing some of the videos from time to time. I wondered if it might be possible to utilize the Kid Snippet videos in class, and finally I gave it a try. We have done three in as many weeks, and the results have been revealing. First, I set the scene, which might be a teacher telling a student how to subtract, or a bank teller telling a customer about a recent robbery, but nothing to leading. Students then break into pairs, and I give them a minute or two to plan their scene (It may not be true improvisation, but with only a minute or two, it still puts them on the spot.). Here's a quick video of a rehearsal: Finally, pairs are called to the stage - a lowered table which serves as an elevated platform at the front of our classroom. The house (classroom) lights are turned off, and the spotlights reveal each scene (Below are some pictures of our latest venture.). This year has been a trial run for the improvisational exercises, but I hope to incorporate them more in the future, not only to give students the chance to ham it up on stage, but to open a much-needed door to writing. Once the scenes have played out, students return to their workstations to write their scenes in the form of a play. Following a quick discussion, I hope to help students effectively include more dialog in their writings.
On this guy's 22nd birthday, he decided not to celebrate in the traditional manner; instead, he performed 22 acts of kindness for other people. There are some misspellings and some non-traditional spellings that we aren't used to, but the video is still cool. Take three and a half minutes to watch this video: Now for some questions:
The Unwanteds is another candidate for the 2014 Mark Twain Award, our state's award for children's novels. Once again Mark Twain has persuaded me to pick up a book in a different genre than I prefer. While I enjoy science fiction, I am not a personal fan of fantasy. The review on the front of the book (The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter.") really does nothing to persuade me otherwise, since I was not one of Harry's fans. Still, as with the others, I do try to read all the Mark Twain Award nominees. This year's list has started out impressing me better than recent years, and I'll admit this one surprised me, as well.
Most of the book is about the unwanted creative children adapting to their new setting. They look to old and new relationships, whether good or bad, to support them in their new home. They learn about the arts - music, dance, painting, writing, acting, poetry, and more - and how to use each as a weapon, in case of the inevitable battle with their dystopian hometown. Settling into Artimé is the best part of this tale; when the scene changes to the predictable battle, there are some disturbing images that emerge, as well as a couple of errors in the storyline. The deaths that occur are nonchalantly excused by the characters with little to no remorse. In addition, this book commits one of my other pet peeves: it is the first in a trilogy. Therefore, the ending presents many questions and does not adequately satisfy the reader's need for closure. Still, you have to admit, the teaser/trailer for the book (below) does spark interest for this book. If a student reads (or is read) as few as four of the twelve Mark Twain Award nominees from the Missouri Association of School Librarians list, s/he may officially vote to help determine the 2014 recipient of the award.
A huge congratulations is due to two of our own, AYDEN and ELLA,
on their successful auditions for the Joplin All-City Orchestra. Directors Cindy Oster and Kathy DeMint tell us, "This should be considered an honor," and that they "look forward to next school year." |
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