11 Experiments That Failed by Jenny Offill & Nancy Carpenter is another whimsical book to add to your collection!  I picked it up at The Tattered Cover on Friday night.  What a fun book!  Like 17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore, it is just a joy to read.  I know, I know... the main character is a bit naughty.  But her curiosity, innocence, and sincerity far outweigh the little things that make you cringe a bit when you read about some of her unconventional interactions with others.  And, the beaver is back!  The illustrations are absolutely amazing and make me smile!

     I love the question/hypothesis format of the text.  Based on a series of "experiments," with questions like Would gerbils like a bigger wheels?  Can a live beaver be ordered through the mail?  Is there a way to make stinky cheese smell better?  the character explores unique ways to answer her questions.  My favorite?  When she sprinkles the dog with glitter... no, when she tests the aerodynamics of bologna in the lunchroom... no, when she washes dishes in the washing machine!  Throughout this book, I found myself laughing out loud.

     I found this book just in time for our study of How do wise readers use asking questions to enhance understanding?  Jenny Offill writes with incredible insight and coupled with Nancy Carpenter's illustrations, this book is a great one to add to your shelf.  I can't wait to share it with my students (Of course, my 7th grader took it off my pile while I was blogging and my wife read it aloud to her while cuddling on the sofa... which could be the cutest thing ever... I love that my 7th grader daughter still loves reading my new picture books).  

A letter found in my files

A few weeks ago, I was looking through a few of my files and ran across another brilliant piece of writing by my friend Lois.  

I've blogged about her before... she was a mentor, friend, and fellow teacher for many years.  Lois died on June 23, 2008 after a lengthy battle with breast cancer.  I wrote about her strength and endurance in Conferring:  The Keystone of Reader's Workshop.  And, not a day goes by that I don't think of my teaching days with Lois, Judy, and Randi (under the incomparable leadership of Laura)... those were the days... thinkers and learners, together!  We mentored one another and asked big questions and children were always at the heart of our work and conversations and inquiry into "What can we do next?"  I yearn for the professional discourse we shared... "all for one and one for all!"

Lois had a masters degree in Gifted Education and an amazing knack of meeting the needs of all children--those who were "dormant" and those who were "highly-abled."  She looked at children as individuals (including her own three children).  She was always reflecting on her teaching.  She was always reflecting on the needs of her students.  She was a writer, artist, mathematician... a teacher's teacher... and constantly honed her craft.  Yet, she was one of the most humble and nonjudgmental people I've ever met... she was shy, until it was time to stand up for a child.  She was not afraid to take a stand.  I admired her courage.

In 1999, she wrote a letter to our "Student Support Team" (at that time part of the pre-referral process) after referring a child for "support" and she shared a copy with me.  In kind, I thought I'd share it with you.  Why?  I find it apropos.  I think it speaks to our need to support the learners in our care.  I find it thought provoking.  I think it's intriguing.  I think Lois was a thinker before her time.  

I'm using this letter as a bookmark in my current professional read.  I've read this letter at least ten times in the last few weeks.  Like Donald Graves, Lois was a teacher whose work will always remain current... the words of great thinkers continue to inspire me.  Please enjoy her words, they speak for themselves!

I think Lois wouldn't mind my sharing it (I removed names and pronouns to make it generic):

January 31, 1999

Dear Members of the Student Support Team:

Even though many of the members are my close friends and respected colleagues, I have found taking a student to this committee a frustrating experience.  In my opinion, issues of timeliness, purpose and respect are important for us all to examine. 

First of all, dealing with this committee has caused extreme delays in getting help for my students.  I submitted three names to the committee two months ago.  You just got around to the first of my students this week.  Now we have another six weeks of "interventions" before the follow up meeting on March 11.  In my opinion, twelve weeks of delay is unacceptable and unnecessary.  Who knows when you plan to begin my other two students?

Secondly, the purpose of my referral was misunderstood.  The student I referred is not failing.  ___ is not failing because of the many interventions (which apparently you do not count as interventions) put in place my myself, by specials teachers, by previous teachers, and by very concerned and conscientious parents.  My point, as stated on the pre-referral form, was that all these interventions should not be necessary for a student who appears to be competent in many ways.  I believe there is something wrong with ___ processing of information and am concerned that the middle school staff will not be as diligent as we have been.  This ___ with so much potential is in danger of getting lost in the system and may give up.  More interventions, while welcome in many situations, were not appropriate in this case. 

Finally, there is the issue of respect.  Brainstorming, in front of parents, such solutions as preferential seating and presentation of directions auditorally and visually was insulting and demeaning to me as a classroom teacher.  If this is necessary for some teachers, parents do not need to be present to hear it. 

In conclusion, the present system for S.S.T. is cumbersome, ineffective and insulting.  Please withdraw the names of my other two students, ___ and ___ from future consideration.  I will find other ways to deal with their problems.  With all the criticism of public education today, we do not need to do this to each other. 

Sincerely, 

Lois

Grief Points

Yesterday I was sitting in church listening to our pastor talk about "grief points."  He posed the question... What are your grief points?  Death of a loved one.  Loss of a good friend.  A tragedy in your family.  He got us thinking a bit about how we've dealt with our personal grief points and moved forward... filled with faith, hope, and love.  I spent some time reflecting on the points in my life when I was grieving and I can filter each one through those three words.

     He reminded us of the grief points our nation has experienced, there have been many... most recently the events of September 11, 2001.  And how, although we can never forget the events of that horrific September morning, we've found strength to move forward as a nation.  Not forgetting, but moving forward.  Each of us dealing with the tragedy in our own way... filtering things through our own beliefs systems.

     He read us Paul's words, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.  Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13: 12-13

     Last night, as my wife and I watched television, we chatted about the amazing stories that emerged from across the nation in response to 9/11... and the events that unfolded across this great country.  Amazing stories... of faith... of hope... and of love!  

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Most of my fourth graders were born in 2001, so on Friday I spent a few simple minutes talking to them about the events of that day.  I reminded them it was important that they go home and talk to their parents. 

     I told them I was on my way to an all-day staff developer's meeting that morning and heard the news on the radio.  I remember driving to the foothills and watching the temperature gauge in my car rising, little by little.  When I arrived at the destination, obviously we canceled our meeting (many of my fellow colleagues tried to reach their loved ones across the country, including family members who worked in Manhattan).  So, I drove home to see my own children, but on the way out of the hills, my car's water pump went out... and I spent the rest of the morning waiting for a tow truck to pick me up in a Safeway parking lot.  It gave me plenty of time to craft an entry in my writer's notebook, a simple reflection of what I still didn't know was going on across our nation.

     I shared several entries from Messages to Ground Zero with my students on Friday.  It was compiled by Shelley Harwayne.  A brilliant collection of writings and drawings from children that she, as superintendent, collected and categorized.  If you haven't seen it, you should get a copy.  It's a brilliant tribute!  And, it's told through the voices of children.   Beautiful.

     I also shared three poems I saved that my third and fourth graders wrote when we returned to school in November (we were tracked off - year round school).  I'm so glad I saved them... enjoy their words!

Firefighters

I always thought of firefighters as people

who save other people from fires,

but now I think a lot more than that

when I hear the word

firefighters.

I think of brave men and woman risking

their lives for others.

I think of people who were

searching through rubble hoping

to find someone alive.

I think of going into that

burning building.

Most of all, I think of the day

when terrorists

took over our lives and hearts. 

September 11, 2001 is a day I’ll never forget.

 I don’t think anyone will forget that terrible day,

but what ever happens,

those fire fighters

will always be there to protect

our beautiful country.

 

Ashley I.

November 2001

The Terrorist

Planes crash.  Children scream.

I turn to see a burning building. 

I shiver--part angrily, part scared.

Questions pop up like popcorn,

but none I can answer.

I wake up to find that I’m safe

in my bed and my family is all right.

I try to fall asleep again, but I can’t stop thinking about the terrorist.

I shiver once more.

Rowan C.

November 2001

The Flag Still Stands Tall

The Moment Strikes. 

The horror comes.

Terrorist pictures run through my mind.

As I watch the t.v. blanklishly, I wonder,

What will happen next?

I look in the background to see

the flag still stands tall.

Ashley W.

November 2001

The Story of Charlotte's Web

I remember years ago when my friend Cheryl shared a photograph of E.B. White with me from her classroom calendar.  Famous writers writing in their favorite "writing spots" filled each month's pages, black and white photographs coupled with a quote by the featured author.  E.B. White sitting alone at a typewriter at a plain oak table in his barn was one of the images.  It was poignant.
      I've always loved E.B. White's writing.  It's charming.  It's simple.  It's often poignant.  And, sometimes strange subject matter aside, his writing is just brilliant.  And, like most of you, I think Charlotte's Web is his most endearing piece of work.  His description of the barn is, by all accounts, the most delicious, detailed, and delectable text I think I've ever read (of course, it helps that I spent summer's exploring the nooks and crannies of my sister's barn)!  I shudder when I read it!*
     When I was at The Tattered Cover a few weeks ago, The Story of Charlotte's Web caught my eye... perhaps because of the simplicity of the cover which includes the picture of E.B. White as a child.  It made it into my shopping basket.  And, I'm so glad it did!
     Michael Sims has paid humble homage to White in this book.  E.B. White, shy and unassuming, makes for delightful subject matter.  Sims explores White's life, his writing, and his connection to nature with depth and candor.  He spends most of the book exploring Charlotte's Web from both the point of view of a writer and a philosopher.  Michael Sims writes about White with utmost respect.  
     I love that White describes himself as a "writing fool" as a child and I think my students will love to hear that.  In today's program-oriented climate, I worry sometimes that we're not nurturing our students to become "writing fools" as much as we are nudging them into the realms of "foolish writing!"  Sometimes it takes a detailed account of a writer's life to remind us what that life can and should look like... full of words, poetry, essay, exploration, research, and writing!  Sometimes we have to be reminded of what a writer is... and, in turn, help define for our students what power writing brings to their young lives (and ourselves perhaps)!
  NPR did a wonderful story on this book.  Why not take a read and a listen!  "It's not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both" (White, 1952, p. 184).  In this case, both White and Sims are tremendous writers!

*White's description is a great cousin text to the beginning pages of The Winter Room by Gary Paulsen.

Me... Jane - Patrick McDonnell... Brilliant!

My daughter knows Patrick McDonnell because "Mutts" is one of her favorite comics (and she was happy to learn that there is the possibility of a Mutts movie).  I know Patrick McDonnell because he is a brilliant author and illustrator.  Together, we discovered Me... Jane (check out the video on Patrick McDonnell's site) on our recent shopping spree at The Tatter Cover here in Denver.
     We have enjoyed The Gift of Nothing and Wag! and Art... but we both fell head-over-heels in love with Me... Jane.  Perhaps because it tells the story of Dr. Jane Goodall from a different perspective, beginning with her stuffed chimpanzee named Jubilee and ending with a subtle "to awake one day... to her dream come true."  The text ends so softly and beautifully!  When we read it together, side-by-side at the bookstore, an audible gasp could be heard between us... my sixth grade daughter and I breathing in the brilliance of Me... Jane as we read it "once for our heads... and then again for our hearts." (Conferring, p. 52 - and, thanks to my friend Randi Allison for introducing me to this concept). 
     The book tells us the story of Jane Goodall as I've never read it before... and it's written with rhythm, simplicity, and gentleness.  When you open to the page with the drawing of Jane lying with Jubilee hand-in-hand, the words, "It was a magical world full of joy and wonder, and Jane felt very much a part of it," you, too, will gasp!  Patrick McDonnell takes us on a journey through Jane's childhood that I can't stop thinking about... and I keep wondering, "Are we instilling the same sense of wonder, passion, and inquisitiveness in our own children or students?" 
     I can't get this book out of my mind.  As I started school this week, looking into the faces of 29 different learners, I pondered this book and its message of hope.  Are we, as teachers, doing enough to nudge and encourage the future Janes of the world, given the fact that our world is so ever-changing?  Are we, as teachers, given the time, authentic resources, and freedom to let children explore their passions?  Are we, as teachers, providing enough choice in our classrooms for inquiry to flourish?  And, how can we, in a place called school, do more... esp. when more and more our teaching transactions are dictated by mandates, programs, and achievement pressure knocking on our doors daily telling us what's important and how exactly to teach.  Important to ponder, no?
     For me, it's books like Me... Jane that I need to keep in mind as I begin this school year.  It's the joy that my daughter and I felt when we read this book together that I have to keep in mind as I try to blend the "mandates" with my real purpose as a teacher.  I can't wait to read it to my students... it's going in my "Endurance" basket.  
     Check it out... it's lovely!  As you read it, like Jane, you will feel "your own heart beating, beating, beating."

No One But You

Tomorrow I go back to school.  As usual, I'm pondering the new year a lot.  My mind has been racing for the last week!  I still have about 100 things to do... and a short time to do it.  It seems as if summer just started.  Tomorrow I have a ton of work to do!
      To relax a bit today, I spent the afternoon at one of our local independent bookstores, The Tattered Cover.  It's always such a treat to spend the afternoon shopping with your children, perusing the shelves.  My youngest son and daughter went with me!  We had a great time drinking coffee (and hot chocolate), perusing, and chatting about books.  My son came with us and then I dropped him downtown to join his friends at Tha Myx (His youth group joins them periodically for service events).  It was a great afternoon.*
     My daughter and I found ourselves in the children's department for nearly two hours... just long enough to fill two bags with books.  My son hung out in the music section...
     No One But You by Douglas Wood is one of the books that made it into my overflowing basket.  There was something provocative about the book... from the the cover illustration to the narrative text to the last line, I was hooked.  I was looking for a book to start out the year with... (last year it was Necks Out For Adventure by Timothy Basil Ering.  We used it as our "theme" for the year... rereading it several times and asking "How are we sticking our necks out right now?").
     This book ends, "And no one – no one in all the wide world but you - can feel the feelings in your heart, knowing that someone loves you…and saying words only your lips can say; 'I love you, too.' No one but you."  It's a perfect sentiment, "No One But You!"  As I read through the book, I realized that it's going to be our "go to" book this year.  I'm reading it the first week as we talk about ownership, exploration, and growth.  Who's in charge? "No one but you..."
     I think it's the perfect book to start out the year (thanks again, Candlewick Press for publishing such great books).  I love the text (even though it's not school specific) and the illustrations are amazing.  I can't wait to share it with my students!  

- - - - - - - - 

Thanks for the gift certificate... you know who you are!  It was a special treat even though it's taken me this long to get there!

I'll be blogging a bit about some of my other finds!  Stay tuned.   

Tales of a Gambling Grandma

Tales of a Gambling Grandma by Dayla Kaur Khalsa is one of those books that you find in your stacks and say, "Oh, I love this one!"  It's a story told through the eyes of a young girl who loves and adores her grandmother as "told to her by her grandmother."
     I love using snippets of this book during a study of memoir or personal narrative.  I've also used snippets when encouraging children to write about one of their "heroes."  It also lends itself to a study of worthy sentences or grand punctuation.
     It's a delightful read and as you move through the pages, you can't help but think about your own grandmother, grandfather, mother, or father.  It's perfect for nudging a ten-minute write in writer's notebook... in your own or in a student's.  It's a perfect read to stretch any writer.
     My friend Cathy recommended this book to me.  And, I'm so glad she did.  It's endearing and charming, funny and sad, complex and captivating.  Lines like, "My grandma sat like a flowering mountain in her big green garden chair." or "There were occasional visitors under our willow tree--other children in a quiet mood, the next-door cat on its way somewhere else, the mailman, and two tall nuns who lived around the corner." or "I sat in a chair in her silent kitchen, with no soap opera, and ate a sandwich cut only in two."  The writing is often explicit, often simple... a perfect text to mentor young writers.  
     Although not everyone will have the experience of having a "gambling grandma" or growing up in New York, everyone can experience the gift of good writing.  I'm so glad I picked up this old favorite from my stacks and read it again...
     I can't wait to use it in writer's workshop next year.  Now just to fit it into the right study...