Moon Over Manifest

Finished another read aloud book today. You know what that means...

Book review time!

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

I must say, I knew nothing about this book prior to my mother handing it over to be read. When I discovered it was written by a Kansas author and its setting was based on a Kansas town, I was very eager to read it with my students.

When Abilene Tucker steps off the train and into Manifest, Kansas, she has no idea what the summer has in store for her. She unearths the history of this small town while in search of her father's history. What she discovers, however, is an identity she didn't realize she was looking for. 


This book really had some great one-liners that are revisited throughout the book:

"It is not down in any map; true places never are."

"The line between truth and myth is sometimes difficult to see."

"Things are not always what they seem."

78% of my students said they liked the book and would definitely recommend it to a friend.

"It's characters had real life people personality."

"It keeps you on your toes and you never know what's going to happen."

6% of my students thought it wasn't their cup of tea but others might like it.

17% of my students said they didn't like it and would never recommend it EVER.

"It is confusing."

This book essentially has two story lines. One follows Abilene on her journey of discovery. The second follows Ned Gillen and Jinx as they form a deep bond of friendship. In the end, questions are answered and connections are made as the truth about the characters unfolds.

From a teacher's perspective, the book is great for making connections, studying historical events during the two time periods in the book, making predictions, and making inferences. It might be a good idea to keep a plot chart going for each storyline to help keep up with the developments from day-to-day.

Operation Mother: Complete

Don't know why, but I felt the need to share this lovely, blurred out picture of my students. This was the last picture I took of them today, which (every teacher knows) is always the silly picture. It's like an unspoken rule. You can't take a class picture unless you take at least one silly picture too. [Unless it's the class picture day, of course.]

Today was planting day! We took our beautifully painted pots, grabbed a handful of soil each, and planted our two flowers. [I just hope the kids remember to give them water when they got home!] Then, we made sweet little cards in the shape of flowers and watering cans.

Mission accomplished!

I can just imagine the smiles that spread across mothers' faces everywhere as the children climbed into their cars or plodded into the house with the flowery surprise...

Painting Fools

The kids and I have just been painting fools lately. Last week we painted watercolor designs for this bulletin board. Then, we cut out flower and raindrop shapes. That was fun.

This week we're working on Mother's Day gifts.

Each year, a local home improvement store donates enough pots, dirt, and flowers for each kid in my class. I was telling a fourth grade teacher about our annual project, and they ended up getting their supplies donated too. How awesome is that! All you gotta do is ask, right?

I let the kids paint their pots. Then, the next day, we add the dirt and plants and make a shape or pop up card for that special lady in our lives.

This is one of my favorite projects in fifth grade that I'll be taking with me when I move down next year. The kids enjoy it too. I'm so thankful that this local business is so willing to help. We definitely wouldn't be doing this project without their charitable donation.

What Do I REALLY Want?

I know I didn't treat my fifth grade teacher the way my students treat me sometimes.

Not that I was a perfect child. I mean, hey, we're all born with a sin nature, right? None of us are perfect. But I do know that I cared about my teacher. I wanted to please her. I wanted her to like me. And honestly, my desire to behave, to do the right thing, and to try hard went beyond my teacher. It went beyond wanting to please my parents and do well for them. I wanted to do well for me. I didn't want to do the wrong thing. I wanted to try hard and do the best I could at everything.

I wish those qualities were instilled in all my fifth graders, but, unfortunately, it's not. Intrinsic motivation? Can that be taught? I wish.

I'm learning a lot about myself, both good and bad. One thing I've learned is that it really flips my switch when I ask a student to do something or tell them not to do something, then they immediately do the opposite.

That happened this morning. I told the students of my frustration in a just-slightly raised voice, closed my eyes, and took a ten second moment of silence, because I needed to remind myself of what's important. Then I moved on, talking in my normal voice. That's that. Sometimes I think those ten second moments of silence have more effect on the kids than anything else. I usually see much improved behavior for a little while afterward.

Could it be that there is at least a slight feeling of care towards this teacher from every student? That would be lovely.

Tonight was Bible study night 2/3. We're working through Acts. The topic tonight ended on the question I posed in my blog post title. What do I want? Tomorrow. Next week. In my time until the coming of the Lord.

At least for the next three weeks, I want to enjoy these last days with my kids. I want to love them AND like them at the same time, because I'm not liking all of them right now. I want to get through each day without forcing myself to take a ten second timeout. I want to feel like there's a trust and respect there with the kids and like I don't have to work so hard to get just a minuscule amount of it.

Not all of my kids may have the intrinsic desires that I had as a fifth grader, but some of them do. That's great! I need to focus on appreciating them more. I also need to continue loving my kids who don't (even if I don't like their behaviors, attitudes, etc.) because that's what Jesus would do. He would love them regardless of the awful things that might come out of their mouths, out of their hearts. And I want to be more like Jesus!


P.S. Doesn't look like I've changed much since my fifth grade picture, does it?

Monday Ramblings: A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

I wonder if there's a limit on number of words in a blog title...

Anyway...

Today was different.

First, the kids spent half the day at the middle school. The fifth graders get to visit every year in May. This is one of the many signals that the school year is coming to an end.

So, it was a good day for getting things done... except that I really didn't have time to do anything productive like clean my desk, filing papers, accomplish general cleaning tasks. Instead, the other fifth grade teacher and I took $300, high-tailed it to the local Wally World, and spent like crazy on a little of this and a lot of that for the SOAR store this week. Our cart was heaping full when we were done. How amazing it is to spend a ton of money that isn't yours on a whole bunch of junk that you won't be keeping.

My other time-filling task was cutting out bulletin board letters for a bulletin board far, far away from my classroom. Who knows how my name was chosen for that bulletin board, but I'll be putting it up tomorrow after school. [I'll be sure to post a picture of our lovely watercolor art.] Fortunately, I got to use this nifty little device.

It's a Cricut. How cool it is!

Then, the kids came back. Oh, here we go. There's a couple of kids that I feel I am already done with their behavior and/or attitude. I am ready to say, "See ya!"
The part I don't like about the end of the fifth grade year is that, somehow, something clicks inside of them. All of a sudden, they start acting as though they are no longer in elementary school, no longer fifth graders.

Line? What's that?

Be quiet in the hallway? What?

Do work? What? It's not summer yet?

Ai-yi-yi. Preteens.

After school, I had a dentist appointment. Am I the only one who finds watching, in the somewhat-mirror, in the center of the light, fascinating? Because I do. In fact, I'm disappointed when I have to turn my head just so or when the dentist's hand is in the way and I can't see what's going on anymore. Is that strange? I also like looking at the pictures they take inside your mouth. Very fascinating.

I was very serious when I told my mom a year or so ago that I think it would be very interesting to have x-rays taken of my whole body and to create a life-size skeleton of me. Now that would be cool! You have to admit it.

This random Monday is ending on a high note... lasagna... blog-reading... relaxing. I like it!

Pencils, Cards, and Stolen Bucks

What a day! Today my kids have inspired a list I'll undoubtedly be adding to in the future.

Things my Fifth Graders Have Taught Me
For When/If I Have Kids of my Own

# 1 Don't waste $$ on expensive school supplies.

I wish I had a counter on the pencil sharpener to count the number of pencils I've sharpened this year. Boy have I seen a lot of interesting pencils too. The kids eat chew on their pencils, cut them with their scissors or karate chop them with their hands, break them in half, leave them places, misuse the lead, take them apart, or over-sharpen them. They get new pencils, and the pencils are gone in the blink of an eye. Just like that. Most of the kids just don't take care of their supplies.

I will say that becoming the queen of the pencil sharpener really helped this year. We went through two pencil sharpeners before I had this revelation, but, hey, who's counting? Right? Fortunately my pencil sharpening days are numbered for 2010-2011, and I'm not a bit saddened by that. Bring on summer vacation!

Today we celebrated how absolutely amazing and wonderful our school secretary is. Last year we made a beautiful card that I loved [see above] and I think she liked (loved?) it also...

So this year I tried to do something similar. We wrote our "[Name] is..." sentences, I typed them, the kids made illustrations, and we glued everything into an accordion-style book. The kids enjoyed it.

In other news on the Western front, we had an incident involving stolen SOAR bucks today. While they were actually stolen a few days ago, they turned up today in the hands of someone who purchased them for $5 (real money). Unfortunately, my little lady didn't mark on or put her name on all of her bucks, so I wasn't able to return all of them. (Only 15 out of 155.) We'll see what happens to the perpetrator(s) tomorrow, I guess.

Ambushed!

Wow!

That's the only word that comes to mind after this afternoon. I was just so amazed by the discussion I was having, when I entered my classroom again, my hands were shaking. Thoughts swirled around... Did that just happen? Am I in some alternate reality? Am I dreaming? Wow!

It's been a while since I've had this reaction because of something that happened at school. Let me start at the beginning...

My grade level usually seems to be the loudest in the transition to, during, and from Specials times (our P.E., Music, Art, computer, library times). I've been working on that with my students and really trying to crack down on some of these undesirable behaviors that are popping up more frequently recently. (Maybe some people think too little, too late, but oh well.)

I went to pick up my class (next door) to make sure they weren't noisy in the hallway. The other class was standing, waiting to go in. Because I've been a stickler about the noise lately and this class doesn't listen to the Specials aide that is with them (who asks them over and over to be quiet), I asked them to turn their voices off because they were in the hallway. After a short amount of time, I still heard voices, so I told them exactly that and that they needed to be quiet in the hallway. The Specials aide told me some of the kids were being disrespectful. I told her I was kind of feeling that.

This was the end of my interaction with these kids at this particular time, an interaction which rarely happens. I rarely stick my nose in when it comes to any other class.

I took my kids to my room, and they were very quiet... maybe because they had just been talked to by the Art aide or maybe because they could tell I wasn't going to put up with anything. The other class went to Art.

After lunch recess, a group of four kids came down to my room and peeked in my window. Anytime I see a group of kids from the other room show up, I get this sinking feeling... Here we go again. What is it this time? It's never for a good, positive reason when a group of them show up. And the "conversations" seem to be a complaining session where nothing gets resolved and they don't seem to listen to any of the constructive comments I make.

I handed over the Math instruction to the Title aide that was in my room and began my march to the hallway.

The other grade level teacher was out there (at the opposite end of the hallway) and told me this group wanted to address what happened this morning. The kids began with expressing that they didn't like me asking them to be quiet. It quickly transitioned to why don't I ask my kids to be quiet. And even more quickly they went to why don't I ever discipline or talk to my kids about things that go on. (Because I do that all the time with their class, is what the kids were saying.) Basically, they thought I was being unfair.

Wow!

I'll be honest. It was difficult for me to take it completely serious and not laugh at them and this ridiculous argument they were trying to... win? I really wasn't clear on what their agenda was. Just because the other class doesn't see me talking to my kids about behavior or see me getting on to my kids about things doesn't mean that I don't. Just because they don't see me pulling my kids out in the hallway to talk doesn't mean that I don't. And to think that I target that class all the time is a joke. Like I said, I rarely step up to discipline any class other than my own. I'm rarely with any other class than my own.

Part of me wonders what the point was of allowing this group to come talk to me in the first place when this group does not converse well in these situations. Besides, all I did was ask the class (not targeting specific students) to be quiet in the hallway. Something so small that probably no one would have remembered by the end of the day became something so huge.

I know I'm not great at the rare and random ambush that happens. From parents. From students. From teachers. Whoever. This is something I need to work on, I know. Besides, they are just 10 or 11 years old. They know not what they do... probably.

I often feel like the odd duck out this year since my class isn't always the nicest or the quietest. (Also, my interactions with people are few, so it's difficult for me to judge the reason for people's negative looks or attitudes. Is it me or is something else on their minds?) Today I feel the message was 50 lashings for Mrs. J for trying to enforce a school rule. It seems as though I have a difficult time getting anything right.

I am so thankful that the school counselor happened to come down the hall at just the right time to sweep the kids to her office and discuss this little situation. I sure had more important things to do... like review angles and lines and polygons with my kids.

---  ---  ---

After thinking about this awhile, this situation is evidence of the sad place our children are in. Many are not taught respect for authority (or anyone else, really). They are taught that the world revolves around me. I can act the way that I want to... wherever I want to... whenever I want to... saying whatever I want to. They are taught to manipulate their parents, authority figures, the government systems.

Such a broken world.

Where could I even begin to make a difference in the lives of some of these children whose parents are so far from God and whose influence is much greater (and probably more appealing) than mine? I feel like it would take something much bigger than me showing them kindness to make an impact. My words of wisdom on how the kids should treat each other, adults, being respectful, making positive choices are dismissed seconds after they leave my mouth.

Evidence of a Broken World... (And Other Ramblings)

...as if anymore evidence is needed! What's that saying? The proof is in the pudding. [I wonder where that saying comes from. How did it get started? What was in the pudding? What did it prove?]

This note (minus real names) was intercepted by one of my 10 or 11 year-old informants on Friday:

I [heart] U (girl) More then ever and (boy) he didn't hit any body that hurt you I did have you ever stayed the knight at his house no pluse if we do go out ever I won't be bad and I won't do the stuff that you tell me not to do if we don't are we still friends call me or write me back and I was going out with (girl) but not write now because I want you. I [heart] U

This reminds me of a couple conferences I had with parents in the fall. I was concerned after a student announced openly that he had slept with another student at the school. When I addressed this with both parents, they responded in a very matter-of-fact way about the students watching TV or movies in each others rooms and falling asleep together. 

So, so sad. Obviously, these parents living in darkness will have no concept of why this is wrong. They live and teach their children according to the world's standards. How can I expect anything other than the behavior I'm getting from some of my students when they are being trained to serve the wrong god?

---  ---  ---

On another note... I came home this afternoon, used the bathroom, washed my hands and noticed a long blue mark on my neck. It easily washed off, but I have been consumed by the question Why didn't anyone tell me about a blue mark on my neck two or more inches long? I suppose I can understand the kids not saying anything. Perhaps they aren't trained in that sort of etiquette. It's not like this was a day where I had little to no interaction with any adults, though. In fact, we had a staff meeting after school where I sat at a table with other teachers. So, still I wonder, Why didn't anyone say anything?

---  ---  ---

I had a nice evening. Good conversation. Good food. Good times. I got to tell about the wonderful experience on my missions trip over spring break. I like talking about that. About our time being stopped at the border. About how welcoming and loving the people are. About working with the kids. About working with the missionaries.

I miss seeing the brothers and sisters in Los Fresnos and Matamoros and their love for the Lord. They obviously weren't perfect humans [perfect human, isn't that an oxymoron?], but they didn't seem as consumed with treasures and schedules as I notice around me in El Dorado. Many of them were living a life in service of the Lord. Doing, for the glory of God. God first, me last. That's a mindset that we are missing. It's just so, so awesome to see a such a love for Christ.

Summer of the Monkeys

My classroom friends and I finished our read aloud book today just in time for spring break to start... for them. Sadly [since I'm a teacher], I had never read this classic before, but I really liked it.

Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls

Jay Berry Lee wanted nothing more than his own .22 and a pony. Jay Berry was out to fetch the family's cow from the river bottoms (again) when his best friend Rowdy, an old, faithful hound, trees a monkey. Through a series of events, Jay Berry and Rowdy try to capture the 29 monkeys hanging around in the river bottom trees after they realize the circus that lost them is offering a substantial reward. The monkeys leave them looking like fools instead. After an unexpected event, however, Jay Berry is able to gain the trust of the monkeys and lead them to the safety of his family's corn crib until the circus people come to claim them.

This book has some wonderful laugh out loud moments and unexpected twists. It can lead to a lot of great discussions about positive character traits and about the characters' relationships. Not to mention, I [the teacher] really like the ending and the decisions that Jay Berry has to make. The author did a great job of illustrating Jay Berry's decision-making and the personal dilemmas he faces.

83% of my students said they liked the book and would definitely recommend it to someone else.

"It taught me not to just think about yourself but to think of other people."

"The boy gave up what he wanted to make his family happy."

11% of the students said that the book wasn't their cup of tea, but other people might like it.

6% of them said they didn't like the book and would not recommend it to anyone, ever.

Since the Disney version of the movie was rated G, we decided to watch it after we were done reading the novel. Sadly, the movie has little in common with the book. For example, the whole reason that Jay Berry decides to catch the monkeys (after his grandpa tells him about the reward) is that he wants to use the money for the .22 and the pony. This is not the way the movie portrays it. There were no other boys out to get the monkeys. There was no old, grouchy man interacting with Jay Berry for being on his property.

Another big difference that many of my classroom friends were disappointed by were the amount of monkeys. The movie only had four goofy monkeys, which may not seem like a big deal, but when Jay Berry gets surrounded by the monkeys coming closer and closer before they attack and bite him, 29 monkeys are going to be scarier then 4 goofy monkeys. Also, when Jay Berry and the monkeys finally come to the house, and his sister Daisy starts yelling about him coming home with thousands of monkeys, the kids thought it was so funny they laughed out loud.

Not only were there some big differences, there lots of little differences too. Let me point out a few... In the book, Jay Berry didn't work in Grandpa's store with him. Rowdy, the hound, wasn't a hound in the movie. Daisy, Jay Berry's twin, didn't walk with a crutch like in the book. (The book actually said she was unable to walk without a crutch, and the crutch was a very touching part of the ending.) In the book, Daisy never almost fell in the river, and the monkeys never went in the family's home and messed it up.

Really, the book and movie are almost two separate stories based on the same main characters.

All that aside, pretty much all of the students liked the movie.
About half of them liked the book better than the movie.
[I think I agree! The book had so much more detail and so many more fun parts. Also, let me reiterate, I like the ending in the book much more than the movie.]

Conversations

Maybe, just maybe, I engaged a little too much in this conversation with a student today. Sometimes it's difficult to be the calm, collected adult when disciplining the kids. Stay tuned...

We started our state testing yesterday. Reading. Yeah. I felt it very necessary to call in the troops. Thus...

Thankfully, they were a hit with the kids!









This afternoon we were working in our cell packet, coloring diagrams of cells to label the parts and organelles we'd read about earlier this week.

Crazy how sidetracked conversations can get.
At one point while the kids were coloring they were talking about sports teams.
KU.
KState.
The next thing you know, we are talking about visiting the emergency room.
Taking out tonsils.
Keeping tonsils that had been taken out.




While we were getting ready to go home, the teacher-student confrontation happened...

Student: Can I have my $5 SOAR buck back?
Me: No. You didn't care about the $5 SOAR buck when you gave it to boy.

(I have a no trading policy in my classroom after problems arose early in the school year. The student was trying to "buy" a flavor packet to put in a water bottle.) Unfortunately the conversation didn't stop there. It probably should have. I get really tired of this student's disrespect and poor attitude, though. The student continued mumbling bad attitude comments loud enough for me to hear to people nearby.

Me: Is there something you would like to say to me?
Student: No. What?
Me: Well, I would prefer that if you are going to get mad and start calling me names that you do it to my face instead of behind my back. Let's talk about it.

The student continued to mumble comments about how stupid this was and talk to other nearby students about not being able to wait for next year. The student wouldn't have to be in my class next year. Again, this would have been a fine time to end the conversation. Just let it go. Move on. Of course, I didn't.

Me: Unfortunately, I feel like the only difference next year is that you'll have more teachers to get mad at and say mean things about.

The student preceded to tell me there was another teacher at our school that she said more bad things about too, but I was definitely number two on her list.

Me: I'm sorry to tell you this, but I did not become a teacher to be your friend. I was not hired to be your friend.
Girl nearby: Yeah. She's supposed to help us learn.
Student: And be respected.

What a shocker that the student made that comment! Good to know that the student knows that because this student sure doesn't show it (on a regular basis)!

Me: You are exactly right.

Not proud of the extent of that conversation, but surprised by the way it ended and the fact that the student's irritation deescalated.

A Trip to the Poetry Cafe

This morning the kids and I took a stroll (down the hall) to the Poetry Cafe.

How much fun it was!

We laughed.
We snapped.
They munched on popcorn.



Everyone was able to share at least one poem.
They especially enjoyed reading poems together.
Even their teacher indulged...

In My Fifth Grade Classroom

Elbows bumping.

Chairs scooting.

Mouths moving.

Pencils writing.

Pages turning.

Desks closing.

Clock ticking.

Minds opening.

Children learning.

Ahh... Those Kids...

Wow! Counter space! Can you believe it?
The results of last Friday's 'cleanse.' (Remember, I'm trying to stay organized!) 

 
Sometimes when walking by the boys' restroom a teacher just has to shake her head and keep walking... Today action noises (like you would see printed in a comic book) were coming from the fifth grade boys' restroom. I saw at least one boy enter, so whether he was entertaining himself or together some boys were entertaining each other, I didn't stop to figure that out. Today I just kept walking.

I l-o-v-e when my kids write me reminders!
"Put it on my computer," I tell them. "That's where I'll see it."

Tomorrow is our annual Poetry Cafe. Two of my boys are reading a poem together and have practiced it so much that they almost have it memorized. "Homework, oh homework, I hate you! You stink! ..."  Couldn't help but think of David reminiscing the recitations in front of his Uncle Bill. I'm sure David wasn't reciting Jack Prelutsky or Shel Silverstein though!  I should definitely incorporate poetry in my classroom more often. I think it really does help with fluency and, for the most part, the kids really enjoy it. It's a beautiful sight to see my lowest reader reciting a poem from memory... fluently!

 The kids had so much fun creating these friendly, pop-up warm fuzzy notes 
for the 4th graders who are state testing this week. Aren't my kids sweet?
Aannnd... word on the street has it that the 4th graders liked receiving them.

More Words of a Fifth Grader

... and a little attitude to go with it!

Some of my kids definitely have MORE than enough attitude.

----- ----- -----

It happened on a Thursday. The Thursday of our first full week back at school, finally. I was standing at my classroom door, exchanging pleasantries with another adult. It was the end of the day. We were all anxiously awaiting the bell that releases the herd homeward. Girl walked out of my room and down the hall.

Me: Where are you going?

I'm not sure why these kids feel like they can walk out of the room without asking. This has been a problem with more than one student on more than one occasion.

Girl: To the music room. (as she keeps walking, mind you)
Me: Why? (still walking, of course)

Finally, she stops to turn and respond.
Grr! Fifth grade attitude!

----- ----- -----

At the end of Math groups one afternoon, said loud enough for all groups to hear...

Girl in other group: You can't call me stupid, but you can call me an idiot. My daddy said so.

Class laughs.

Boy in my group: They're the same thing.
Girl: No they're not. My dad told me they're not the same.

----- ----- -----

Agenda note from me: Spent most of the day and recess working on assignments he owes me.

After returning from my lovely 'outside duty' (where I make sure kids aren't making poor decisions in our front lawn as they go home), I had the privilege of calling Boy's house.

Apparently boy told the adults that the reason he spent a lot of the half-day working on unfinished assignments is (you'll never guess!) he wasn't allowed to come to school on the snow day this week like all the other students who had assignments that weren't turned in.

Amazingly enough, the parents called the school to confirm that. Our wonderfully, amazing secretary told them that the school was closed on the snow day. Yet, I too had to call and have a 10 minute conversation about this.

Me: I guarantee that the only person here on the snow day was a lonely custodian, shoveling snow like crazy.
Adult: Ok. Boy told me (insert above ridiculous statement).
Me: Nope. No students or teachers came to school on Wednesday.

And the conversation continued.

----- ----- -----

I have a student who is supposedly moving... one of these days. Friday was actually supposed to be his last day.

Boy: Mom decided we should come on Monday because of the Valentine's party. We're moving this weekend, but she's going to drive us here on Monday. 

Later, I heard him tell someone else that Wednesday will be his last day. Maybe he's not really leaving...

----- ----- -----

I have some story-tellers in my classroom. I often have a difficult time knowing exactly how much of their story is made up and how much of it is true, if any. I'm pretty certain, for example, that Girl did not travel from Kansas to visit the Aztec, Incan, or Mayan ruins last summer!

" Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive! "

Sir Walter Scott

Chasing Vermeer

My fifth graders and I recently finished reading Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett together.

The story begins when three unknown characters each receive an identical note revealing that a famous work of art has been stolen. Then, we learn about the book's two main characters and sleuths, Calder and Petra. The world is turned upside down by disappearance of the painting and strange coincidences begin to happen. Luckily, Calder and Petra are able to work together to connect the pieces of the mystery and reveal the thief's identity.


I thought the book was pretty good. It definitely has moments of action and excitement. Some of the chapters end on cliffhangers, which I love as a teacher because it keeps the kids interested. Sometimes I felt the story was a little wordy, but overall I loved the mystery of it. It provided many prediction opportunities throughout. It also provided a few opportunities for the students to decode messages from one character to another. I would recommend this book to other teachers or students. 

Here's what my kids thought:

• 58% of the students said they liked the book and would definitely recommend it to other people.

"I liked the mystery and action."

"...it kept me on my toes."

"... It teaches us about famous art historians."

• 37% of the students thought the book wasn't their cup of tea but that other people might like it.

"I liked the mystery but there wasn't much excitement or action."

• 5% of the students didn't like the book and wouldn't recommend it to anyone, ever.

The author of Chasing Vermeer also wrote two other similar mystery books:

The Wright 3
starring Petra, Calder,
and Calder's friend Tommy

The Calder Game

starring Petra and Tommy,
in search of Calder

Words of a Fifth Grader

Fifth grade is the year all the drama begins and hormones start kickin' in. Who likes whom. Who's dating whom. What this person said. How mean this person is being. I hate them (then later that day... We're best friends!). Note passing. (The first half of the year, I intercepted a lot of notes being passed across the room.) Boys... eww! Girls... eww!

Enjoy a few of these memorable moments from my classroom...

Written on a sticky note to me: 

get involops from ofice pleas and downt forgat

(You just have to smile at the Spelling
mistakes kids make sometimes!)

Girl (handing out papers):
Mrs. Jones, someone wrote "Wuss" at the top of this paper.
Mrs. J: No, sweetheart. That's N---'s name.

On our first Math test:

Is 24 prime or composite?  prime

How can you tell?  because it has a lot of plomis

Written in a girl's agenda about Spelling that day:
Hobophone Activity

Introducing our Nutrition Science unit:

Talking about how calcium makes your
bones strong and helps them grow:

Student #1:  Do adults need calcium?

Mrs. J:  Yes, but adults' bones don't usually grow like kids' bones do.

Student #2:  Yeah, can't you tell? Mrs. Jones hasn't grown at all!

Some of the messages written on notes confiscated:

scroow you and skumbag

(Being mean is something we're constantly working on this year.)

When talking about Columbus and his voyages:

Columbus sailed on the Petunia, the Santa Maria, and the Sunflower.

When arguing, getting upset, stomping off,
and shouting out in the middle of inside recess:

Nobody understands what I went through last night. 
I had a gun pointed to my head.

Then, to the class, after sharing this experience with the principal and confessing:

It was a lie. I'm sorry.

While a student was filling a pitcher to water the plants:

That faucet's slower than my grandma!

On a recent assignment I graded:

A teacher's job is rarely boring with her students. Sometimes I want to pull my hair out. Sometimes these kids can be downright entertaining. Hope the second half of the year will be just as memorable!

An Excellent Read-Aloud

My fifth graders and I just finished a great book this week. We definitely recommend it to be read immediately!

Fern Drudger discovers she was given to the wrong set of parents when she was born; this explains why they are so boring and she is so interesting. Her real father comes to visit the Drudger house, and Fern goes to spend the summer with him. It is through this experience that she learns who she truly is and about her family.

Her real father and mother are part of a group of people known as 'Anybodies'; they can transform into anyone or anything. Since the death of her mother, though, things have been going downhill for her father, and Fern has to help him find a special book called The Art of Being Anybody before his enemy does.

This book is hilarious, one that especially 5th-8th graders would appreciate. Just as Fern discovered, you will soon realize that "things aren't always what they seem."

This author has an interesting way of writing. Very conversational. In fact, sometimes she will pause the storyline to comment and relate with the reader.

Fortunately, this book has a couple of sequels. We probably won't read the sequels as a read-aloud (simply because I like my kids to experience lots of different books and authors), but it's good to know that Fern's story continues.

I'd love to hear what you think of any of the three books!

Happy reading!

Back to Business...

School is in session again, which transforms me into a busy bee. Before long, not only will I have lesson plans to create, I'll have papers to grade. This year I've lovingly added another task to my plate, a Master's online college class. To top off my load, I'm attempting to make exercise a part of my nearly daily routine. Not to mention, our small group still meets once a week, usually. Yeah, I got it right the first time, a busy bee.

I think my favorite part of a new school year is the new school supplies that I buy. Everything is new; crayons, colored pencils, and markers have never been used. The classroom hasn't truly been lived in, not like a pack of 20 students 'live' in a classroom anyway. Everything is fresh, untouched (and has fewer germs).

I've posted a few pictures of my classroom this year.

Sign in for the day and let's go!

Waiting for Science to begin...

The kids have arrived!

We're HAPPY!

Behavior Chart

Math Bulletin Board

A Testing Ninja

This year I'm wearing a mic.

And, of course, as mentioned before... this teacher has once again become a college student...

And so my plate overfloweth!