The Dinner Dilemma

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It's hard to be married to a man who is a great cook and also loves to eat out.

Our kids definitely have opinions on what makes a great dinner:

• caesar salad
• beef tenderloin
• baked potato with everything
• sweet dessert

I'm lucky to remember to defrost some meat from the freezer and toss it into the crock pot with a can of condensed cream-of-something soup and some spices.

I'm not the person in the family who should be shopping, planning and preparing dinner.

The person who should works out of town 3-4 days per week.  When he gets home, cooking is the last thing on his list, even though he's been hanging in a town where the "fine dining" is Olive Garden.

Another force working against me ... the oldest teen has a job at a grocery store.  She spends hours checking out her favorite foods and snacks, taking mental notes about what we groceries we should have in the house.

What's a mom to do?  I'm capable of cooking with spices, creating rues from soups and sauces.  I know how to handle a meat thermometer, my oven and the grill.

I turned to Pinterest this year.

My cooking has not improved.  It's become more unexpected and experimental.

Maybe I'll make a list of some go-to dinners that the family likes and enjoys - (hahhahhahah) I wonder how many meals will be on this list.  Maybe I'll precook meals and keep them in the freezer.  Maybe I'll inspire my girls to take over dinner duty once in a while.

Then again, I may just stick to my favorite meal.  Eating out!

Building relationships

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Last year, I worked with a group of 4th and 5th graders, all afternoon, in an intensive reading intervention program.  By May, the kids were exhausted, I was jumping out of my mind with stress.  There was no time to talk about books, and very little time to connect. We had to stay on task, work well in a group of eight, and push through.  We weren't having any fun.  At all.

This year, I have three of those students (now 5th graders) in a small group.  I started out the year excited to see them... forgetting how tough the end of last year was.  I let them know that I had picked them specifically to work with me - we would be working with a new intervention program, and we were going to be talking about books....ALL THE TIME.

I talked with them about writing about books in a journal.  They decided that each of them would pick a day to write:  Mon, Weds, Fri.  They were good about it the first week (especially after I gifted them a beautiful - yet inexpensive - new journal), and they are working to get back in the habit.

The girls are really trying their best when they come.  I am being patient and helpful.  I'm modeling and asking more questions.  I give them time to discuss what they are thinking while we read.  Some of our small but significant successes:

• S has finished!!! reading THREE graphic novels (this is the same girl who announced "I don't like books" - while B gasped in horror - during our first meeting).
• S has encouraged T and B to also read graphic novels (Babymouse and Smile top the list)
• B has reminded S that we all need a turn to talk.  She is the model for waiting and not interrupting.
• T is carrying many books (old habits die hard), but she is concentrating on reading Double Fudge and working hard to understand the story.
• T is our lead note-taker. She understands how to find evidence in the text.  She helps S and B do the same in a kind way.

Today I was given a chocolate bar from S.  It even had a little bow.  I profusely thanked her.  Later, I wrote a thank you note to each of the girls, pointing out how they've been working hard and contributing to our small group discussions on books.

Does every day roll smoothly with these girls?  Nope.  Do we all want to accomplish the same thing?  Yes.  They know they are off to junior high next year, and there's not much time to become more confident and proficient readers.

I'm happy to help.

Trying to contain the chaos

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I know, I know.

It's always been part of my life.

I bring it on myself. I claim that I can't find time to organize.

Well... that's not true.  I have the time, but

I do other (more fun!) things instead.

But then it starts to get to me.

CHAOS:  In the classroom

• student materials in need of reorganizing (did take care of that today)
• library ... half at home, most on shelves, most labeled, not quite in boxes... barely even touched
• papers for a binder laying on top of the binder

CHAOS:  At home

• the drawer full of bills and papers to be filed
• the socks that need pairing and rolling 
• the pile of sheets pulled from beds on Thursday

Since we survived a crazy homecoming week with two teenage girls,

I'll take every drop of sympathy I can get this week....

(can you hear the violin music in the background?)

• "You need more sleep!"
• "It's not that bad!"
• "You've had a lot going on!"
• "Do you feel okay?  You seem out of it."

Maybe after a cold beverage, a funny sitcom, a soak in the tub and a full night of sleep....

I'll feel a little better

Less whiny 

and more 

motivated

to clear a little bit of the chaos.

The Book Talk Tuesday Phenomenon

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It's Tuesday!!

What's so great about Tuesdays at my school?

It's BOOK TALK TUESDAY!

This calls for a t-shirt with some reading celebrities!

Wonder Shirts

Then I meet Michelle (friend! colleague! best reading teacher!) at the computer lab for our school wide television broadcast.  One of us has written a script, but we usually don't practice.  (We love to ad lib... it's funnier for the other adults watching!)

"It's Book Talk Tuesday," announces one of our 5th grade anchors.
"I wonder what reading tip we'll learn today," muses the other anchor.

We've talked up books, BIG TIME, this year:

• we discussed finding a good fit book
• we talked about the SHINY Newbery and Caldecott medals
• we shared how fun it is to READ a book (we read "It's a Book" by Lane Smith)
• we've interviewed other teachers about their reading (thanks, Karen!)

On Tuesdays, when kids from all over the building (even the littlest bilingual kindergartners) see us in the hallway, their eyes light up.

"I saw you on the TV!"

"I like your shirt!"

"It's BOOK TALK TUESDAY!"

When we talked about the SHINY Caldecott and Newbery medals that adorn many books in our library, we added a little sparkle of sound... a little riff on the xylophone (psst... Michelle - that was brilliant!).  After school, I was standing across the room from three 5th graders.  One called my name.  As I looked over, the three of them mimicked playing the xylophone and in unison exclaimed, "SHINY!"

I have to admit, this Book Talk Tuesday bit is the highlight of my week.  Yes, we plan to get students on board and share their books, but right now I'm enjoying the conversations we are creating throughout the school.  Classroom teachers are using our BTT topics as a springboard for more book conversations in their classrooms.  We've built a bulletin board to track our topics.

All this... and we're just talking books.

I love it!

*****

P.S. Michelle talked about BTT on her blog back in September.  Enjoy her post here.

The True First Day

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The first day of school was August 21st for students and classroom teachers.

Since I'm a resource teacher, I helped students and parents find their classrooms, caught up on their summer activities and basked in the beautiful sunshine at lunch recess.

During the next few weeks, classroom teachers and students built community, learned routines, enjoyed learning together.

Resource teachers gave district assessments, diagnostic assessments, compared new students with current students, popped in for a few classroom read alouds, created and revised Instructional Planning forms, created data sheets and spreadsheets, and truly hoped their work positively benefits the classroom teachers and the students.

***
Today we welcomed primary students to resource groups.  I had to completely shift my thinking and function from whole-school and grade levels and data management to children.  Real children who greeted me with hugs and high-fives.  As I left classrooms, I heard tiny voices, "I can come, too!  Don't forget me! I'd like to go!"

Today I went from thinking and collaborating to listening and conversing.  One student remarked, "I have missed you SO MUCH!"

I really hope all our front-end, building-wide spreadsheets and forms will be seen as time well spent. It's hard to hear from a colleague exactly how many days of school we've had before resource groups began.  I don't want to "compete"... I really don't.  Our roles are vastly different and incredibly essential to student success.
May we all have a common goal.

Today was a good day.

Pretend You're an Armadillo

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My oldest daughter asked me yesterday, "When is the last time you blogged?"

"August something," I replied.

"August 13th," she stated.  "Better get writing!"

Hmmpf.

****************************

School started on August 19th after my extended summer vacation (I left school in May to care for my hubby after surgery).  The school year has started out smoothly, but of course it's had its share of bumps.  Each event - from school and from home -  screamed to be a slice:

• Book Talk Tuesday Rocks!
• Screening Assessments Completed in Record Time!
• Football Season Starts:  Poms!  Band!  Fun in the Stands!
• Are Co-Taught Classes Right for You?
• Can We Live Through the College Application Process?!?!?!
• Is That an Ambulance in Our Driveway?!

(P.S. The ambulance was in our driveway, and all turned out fine!)

Whew.  Life sure does have some pretty big ups and downs.  It also have some little problems that feel like big deals. This brings me to the title of my slice:  Pretend You're an Armadillo

Photo from Texas Parks & Wildlife

Today I told my youngest daughter that she needs to pretend she's an armadillo.  We ALL need to feel more like the armadillo.  I have never met one personally, but I can see from the picture that armadillos have  a shell that looks like armor.  Armadillos avoid being eaten by predators because their shell protects them (but not from cars, according to my research).

My younger daughter (and myself, at times) has a pretty soft outer shell.  She easily lets teasing, bad feelings and the crummy moods of people around her permeate her attitude. 

My goal for her is to be more like an armadillo and let her outer shell deflect the negativity.  Of course, she has to learn how to do this in a positive way (especially when her friends pull a prank on her and she's unhappy).  I know this is a life lesson that many adults still need to work on, but I think we'll have some success soon.

Next time you feel negative feelings creeping towards your positive attitude... be an armadillo. 

Be awesome at something

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It's the final week of summer.  I'm ready to head back to school for a new year, and I'm working to keep calm and positive attitude (I need to get a new bag of dark chocolate!!!!).

When we have our first staff meeting, our principal asks for one highlight from our summer.  Last year I mentioned that I had read about 50 books.  I had some great cheers from my table and amazed looks.  I wasn't trying to brag (remember, most are picture books and middle grade novels), but one colleague looked over and made a face.

"I read a lot of books, too."

I responded with excitement and encouragement to her statement, but I could see in her face that she thought I was bragging and seeing myself as an "elite reader" or something.

I really just like to read.

I'm not too much into fitness, I can barely cook a meal, my house is disorganized (until I slide all the papers into the drawer), and I like to shop a little.

I really just like to read.  I'm good at it and it's fun!

My plan for this year is to be part of helping my family, friends and students find what they are good at.  Then I will cheer them on, wholeheartedly.  I will help my developing readers figure out ways to get better at reading, even if they are wayyyy better at drawing, soccer or video games.  I will coach them to use their fine motor or large motor skills to approach a book with confidence.

We all can't be great at everything (my oldest daughter begged me to stop pinning dinner recipes --- they never turn out like the picture!) but we can be awesome at something.  We should share that talent with our circle of friends and colleagues in a positive way.

Now I'm going back to my book, Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Summer Vacation.

Happy _________ (insert what you love to do awesomely here)!