Classroom Blog

I was looking through some blogs on Edublogs and I thought that having a blog page for your classroom is a great way to get the students involved at home and the parents as well. You would still have to send newsletters and stuff home for those parents without internet access but it is a whole new outlet for those families that do. This is a great way to let parents know what is going on with their child and get the parents involved. This can also open a whole new form of communication between the parent and the teacher. A lot of the teachers on Edublogs have incorporated games such as Sudoku or I Spy or Safaris for the students to enjoy. They also post homework,upcoming events, spelling words and resources for the students and parents to have easy access to. One thing I really liked was a teacher had added this really kewl graphic organizer where students added their own thoughts to this phrase "I think Dinosaurs would make great pets because..." some students wrote that they would keep away bullies, some said you could play with him at school, one even said he could be a slide, or even scare the teacher. I thought it was a great, interactive way to get the students to think outside of the box and do some at home writing to interactively share with the rest of the class.

What I changed...

I decided to move my blog archive gadget up so that it was at the top of my side bar on my blog. It was originally on the bottom and I felt that it didn't have a lot of purpose there because viewers can't use it to navigate the blog.

Where I'm From...

I am from mornings with pancakes shaped like Minnie Mouse

and fresh sheets of lavender at night

from the smell of vanilla and baked goods all around

I am from hugs and "I love you"s everyday

from birthday parties and holidays with family

I am from motocross races across Missouri 

and jets skies on the lake

from learning to ride my bike, a four wheeler and eventually driving a car

I am from proms, football games and college acceptance exams

I am from hanging out late with friends during the summer

and sledding in a canoe in the winter

I am from all these memories and many more, tucked away in my heart as the fuel to my dreams.

Word Bank Poem

Twists and Flips

Life's twists and flips are sometimes overwhelming,

People say life is like a roller coaster for this reason,

I think differently.

A roller coaster is predictable,

You can see the twists you are heading for.

Most things life throws at you, you never see coming,

Embarrassing moments, broken bones, a lost loved one...

Sometimes it would be better if life were more like a roller coaster,

Your tracks laid out for you to see,

to be prepared for moments that hurt down to your soul,

but then again... I think differently.

Sometimes the best things in life,

you don't see coming,

and those moments make the ones that hurt,

worth living for. 

Found Poem

Teacher,

What a small word to mean so much.

I am now discovering more,

I read and study until I fall asleep at night.

It just all seemed to be impossible hard,

It becomes something dreamed for.

In the end, I do not want to do any other thing as much.

A look of life outside myself that made me look forward,

instead of backward.

The engine that drives me is, surely, love,

What I do, what I love to do, what I want to do,

And so to here. To now.

What a small word to mean so much,

Teacher.