Showing posts with label blogging challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging challenge. Show all posts

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Feeling Inspired

You know when you get that inspired feeling?  You know how that makes you feel?  Can you think of a time that you felt inspired?  Picture that moment in your head now...

I feel so lucky to say that four things happened today, SO FAR, that definitely made/make me feel inspired.

1.  At the Illinois Writing Project Leadership Training this morning, we found out on site there is a girl who just graduated from high school and will be entering into her freshman year on a writing scholarship.  She used to attend the elementary building where our training is.  We invited her into our session this morning to read some of her writing.  She was so excited to come in and share!  We were in awe of her, and I was definitely inspired.  
*Inspired to see a product of why we are at this writing workshop this summer.
*Inspired to meet a young woman as excited about writing as myself and the rest of our participants.
*Inspired as a writer myself.
2.  I led the teachers in a discussion on diverse learners this morning, which went so well.  First we finished the following sentences:
*Diverse learners are...
*Diverse learners have...
*Diverse learners can...

We then viewed this short movie clip from the Khan Academy.
It is entitled, "You Can Learn Anything.
Get ready to be inspired.  :)



After that, I had the teachers jot down any times in their classrooms that they helped a struggling learner:  ELL student, special ed student, any student who had difficulties that would make the learning process difficult.

We split up into 4 groups.  We took these ideas we jotted down around on a Gallery Walk and referred to these strategies as we read each scenario on chart paper.  The scenarios were:
1.  Peter is in 3rd grade, and he has trouble coming up with ideas to write about.  He speaks Polish at home.
2.  Angelina is in 9th grade.  She struggles finding the correct word choice while she is writing.  She speaks Spanish at home.
3.  Bobby is in 5th grade.  He struggles with spelling, conventions and grammar.  It's hard for anyone to read his writing.  He is embarrassed.
4.  Kailey is in 1st grade.  She gets distracted easily and is a reluctant writer.  She writes one sentence and says she's done.

The teachers came up with amazing supports on their posters!  So inspired!






3.  Have you heard of Kid President?  If not, please drop everything you are doing right now and watch, listen, reflect, smile and many even tear up.  :)  Here is the other video I shared at my Diverse Learners session at our Illinois Writing Project Leadership Training.



4.  This morning, I left before Emma woke up so my husband, Joe, just sent me a picture of what he found on his jeans at work when he looked down.  Awwwww...our little bug.  She teaches us things day in and day out.  This morning's lesson:  I am always with you.
And....it is ok to be addicted to stickers.  ;-)




So, this is what inspired me today...what has inspired you?!?


Wednesday, July 22, 2015

What I'm Loving Wednesday-Family, Writing, Music, Show, Dinner and Dessert


Again today, I am accepting the daily challenge of Michelle over at BigTime Literacy!
So, here is what I'm loving today (and always)!

Family
I am beyond in awe of our daughter.  Every. single. day.  My heart is overflowing with love for her.  I love my husband more today than the first day I met him because of all of the connections we now have together.  One being our daughter.  She reminds us about the important things in life.  Never take those for granted.  #lovesofmylife



Fresh Writing Ideas
I always love hearing about new ideas to get kids writing.  I hope you do as well! 
*Tell your students to write down 5 or so different names for themselves.
My example:
Kari
Mrs. Commare
Mommy
Mom
Pumpkin
Babe
Karl

*Next, pick 3 of your favorites.
I picked:  Kari, Mommy, and Karl

*Then, invite kids to write about one of the names.  Kids can write down a funny story about the name, something interesting, or the origin.
I wrote about Karl.  :)
Sometime in upper middle school, I had a PE teacher who seriously called me KARL like every single morning during attendance for almost two weeks!  Seriously. how. embarrassing.  I got the stares, I got the looks, I got the points from the cutest boy in class.  Every. single. day.  Finally, the PE teacher realized my name was Kari.  Not Karl.

This could be an awesome beginning of the year activity to get your kids knowing each other, which will allow your students to become more comfortable sharing their own writing!

I need to always remember, "Prewriting is more important that the actual writing itself."

Music
Boy am I jealous of anyone who was able to go see T. Swift this past weekend in Chicago!  My favorite as of late...Style!

Show
I cannot wait until The Big Bang Theory comes back on this fall!!!  I love Sheldon and Penny's relationship!


Dinner
I <3 this meal!  I make it often, and it is super easy!  Just a lot of chopping involved!
corn, red peppers, green peppers, black beans, cilantro!  YUM!
http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2013/03/better-than-chipotle-bowl.html



Dessert
How can I pick just one?!?!  Haha!  Well, good old chocolate chip cookies are my absolute favorite!  Maybe I should bake tonight?!