Poetry Friday

The Pasture

I'm going out the clean the pasture spring;
I'll only stop to rake the leaves away
(And wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I sha'n't be gone long. -- You come too.

I'm going to fetch the little calf
That's standing by the mother. It's so young
It totters when she licks it with her tongue.
I sha'n't be gone long. -- You come too.

- Robert Frost

Much love to Sharon Creech for making this poem a staple in my classroom! :o)

Momentarily Mesmerized

A few minutes ago my husband was channel surfing when he stopped to check the satellite guide to get a better idea of what was on TV. While he was checking the channel guide, the TV was on the Fox channel, which at that moment, happened to be playing the show Bones. Now I have never watched that show in my life, nor do I have any desire to, but at that moment, I was temporarily mesmerized by a character on the show playing a haunting Chopin nocturne. I immediately stopped what I was doing, closed my eyes, and experienced a feeling of pure bliss wash over me.

Seeing as how The Husband was channel surfing, this moment of classical beauty lasted only about a minute, and then boom - the spell was broken. But it was a nice reminder of what an important part classical music has been in my life over the years.

Ever since I was ten years old and heard Fantasie Impromptu for the first time, Chopin has been the composer that consistently tugged at my heartstrings. I could play Beethoven, Brahms, or Schubert, but Chopin is the one who always gave me the most satisfaction.

Just to show you how much Chopin is loved in my house, this is the book that has resided on my piano for the past few years. At this point it's there more for decoration than frequent use. I hardly ever sit down to play anymore, but when I do, Chopin is always my go-to classical choice.


What classical composer never fails to tug at your heartstrings?

Holding on to Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones by Thomas Newkirk

Brandish your highlighter when you read this book. There's lots of quotable material in here.

In the world of "No Child Left Behind" and teaching to the test, Thomas Newkirk sees a disturbing trend in language arts instruction today. In this book he makes the case for effective instruction rather than just state mandated instruction. We need to stop thinking about standardized tests and scientific "sameness" in how we teach, and instead take pleasure in those spontaneous teachable moments that arise from our own students. We need to throw away the state standards that require us to "cover" a ridiculous, unattainable amount of material, and relish in the PLEASURE of expressive writing and independent reading that will motivate students to become lifelong learners rather than resent the institutions of learning.

My only major critique of this book is the large number of typos I came across throughout my reading. It was disappointing because it kind of diminished the power of his message a little bit.

Other than that though, it is a wonderful, career-affirming book to read if you're a language arts teacher.

Why Didn't I Come Across This Before Christmas?

Furoshiki gift wrapping from RecycleNow on Vimeo


You can even download gift tags to show the receiver of the gift how to turn the wrapping into a bag.

I need to remember to come back to this post next Christmas when I'm tempted to wrap everyone's present in beautiful, yet wasteful paper.

When Reading Student Writing Suddenly Becomes Less of a Chore...

I love when I come across a passage from my students' writing that just makes me proud to be their teacher. I'm reading writing assignments right now that were inspired by my Uncle Tom's essay "My Father's Voice" when I came across these lines from a boy in my 6th grade English class:

My Grandpa [is] sitting in his big red chair in front of the T.V. We listen quietly as he tells stories of the olden days, which I can only picture in my head in black and white. His eyes close behind his glasses on his wrinkled face. His laugh bellows across the room. "What if I don't hear him laugh again," I think to myself...

His laugh reminds me how sugar cookies are always ready when I get to his house. And they're always amazing. How the candy orange slices are always in a jar on the counter. I walk in and ask, "Where are the orange slices?" as if I didn't already know.

The entire piece was so touching, but those passages really just tugged at my heartstrings. I hope he doesn't mind that I quoted his writing here.

Poetry Friday

A Prayer for the Twenty-First Century

May the road be free for the journey,
May it lead where it promised it would,
May the stars that gave ancient bearing
Be seen, still be understood.
May every aircraft fly safely,
May every traveler be found,
May sailors in crossing the ocean
Not hear the cries of the drowned.

May gardens be wild, like jungles,
May nature never be tamed,
May dangers create of us heroes,
May fears always have names.
May the mountains stand to remind us
Of what it means to be young,
May we be outlived by our daughters,
May we be outlived by our sons.

May the bombs rust away in the bunkers,
And the doomsday clock not be rewound,
May the solitary scientists working,
Remember the holes in the ground.
May the knife remain in the holder,
May the bullet stay in the gun,
May those who live in the shadows
Be seen by those in the sun.

- John Marsden

Starting 2010 Without a Reading Challenge - Per Se

Last year my challenge was to read 100 books and I made it to 114. However, I'm starting 2010 without a challenge. I'm not sure if I'm relieved about that or bummed out. I guess my challenge right now is just to try to surpass 114. Maybe make it to 150.

Seeing as how it's the first day of the year, I haven't finished a book yet for 2010, but these are the books that are currently in the running for the first book I finish in the new year:

Currently Reading:
1. Holding On to Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones: Six Literacy Principles Worth Fighting For by Thomas Newkirk
2. How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor

Currently Listening:
1. Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko