Some words feel wonderful in your mouth: benevolent, pashmina, Constantinople. They roll right off one’s tongue and into one’s imagination. Words hold meaning and are the building blocks of all human thought. I marvel at students’ curiosity about words and how they often understand and use words far above their age and grade level. One of my students was so enamored with geology and dinosaurs that his vocabulary in these areas far surpassed mine, allowing him to be my teacher, and I, his attentive student! I believe that spark of curiosity and imagination in learning vocabulary ignites the power to explore a universe of ideas and concepts. I've taken this first week of my summer vacation to reflect on the techniques I've used to support students' vocabulary development.
Tag: Writing
The Road to Summer
My mind has been on high alert, making yet another “to-do” list. However, a springtime cold slowed me down this week and forced me to sit, sleep, and wonder. June snuck up on me; all of a sudden it arrived. With only two more weeks of school ahead of me, I’m looking forward to getting outside into the air, the green, the blue of nature. I am thirsting for time on my own to roam the woods and shorelines from Maine to Miami. Most of my colleagues and our student body are also weary of indoor school days and are anticipating the freedom that June brings: our own pace, our own activities, our own adventures. This sense of freedom is part of the school cycle that I have been part of since I was four years old.
Unlocking Creativity: Building Book Spine Poetry
This month, my dear friend, colleague, and school librarian, Deborah, invited me into her 4th and 5th-grade classes to mix library and poetry skills. I thought Book Spine Poetry would be the best vehicle for this foray into found poetry. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the term, book spine poetry is a form of found poetry where the poet takes another person's words (in this case, book titles) and forms their own poem. The beauty of book spine poetry is that it is a low-stakes way to introduce poetry writing. The poet becomes an editor of sorts, a connoisseur of the best titles that fit together to form a clever poetic message.
The Road to our Imagination
I have worked with many students who have been diagnosed with ADHD, and they respond well to me because I have shared with them that I have a similar kind of mind and that it is a special, wonderful gift. I don't excuse them. They still need to learn to be organized and hand in homework, but I also celebrate their wild wonderings. I encourage them to question and think. No idea is too ridiculous. All are welcome in the broadest sense.
Working in the Wonder Studio: A Tale of Two Bunnies
Four years ago, as we lived through COVID restrictions, I continued to work in the Wonder Studio with students, and crafting became our safe haven. I had considered abandoning for a year, but the children would stop me in the hallway or during classes and ask, “When is Wonder Studio starting again? You need to get it up and running!” I could not disappoint them. I have been privileged to work alongside some of the bravest and most brilliant little girls who would not take “NO!” for an answer. So, I kept offering times throughout that COVID year, stopping occasionally when restrictions prevented us from meeting.
Champions of the Testing Season
As a Learning Specialist, my job is to monitor and support learning in early childhood through fifth-grade classes. This is the place of my ultimate joy and satisfaction - seeing children grow, witnessing their struggles, and their hard-fought accomplishments. The daily struggles seem like small roadblocks to adults, but to children, struggles loom large. And if you have a learning difference, struggles can seem overwhelming. We do all in our power to motivate and encourage the young minds in our charge. Sometimes these efforts work right away, sometimes it takes a long time to see the fruits of our labor.
Art Spa: Handmade Restorative Practice
A few weeks ago, during a full-day professional development session, I facilitated an Art Spa event. I was amazed when twenty-five people signed up—I actually had to add more spaces! Seeing that level of engagement gave me hope; it confirmed that creating a dedicated space for creativity isn't just an "extra"—it's critical.
Book. Memory. Promise: Never Forget
I am encouraged and so thankful that Lois Lowry has written Tree. Table. Book. The octogenarian author of Number the Stars and The Giver, Ms. Lowry is an expert storyteller and isn’t afraid to take on controversial subjects. She is a master at presenting hard situations and ethical problems to a young audience. This most recent book spans generations and shows how stories can connect rather than tear people apart. With story and memory, we can build bonds and begin to understand each other. This connection between the old and young is crucial; it is the sticky hope that will ensure “never forget” leads to the promise of “never again.”
Making the Broken, Beautiful
When I read "Broken" by X. Fang and thought about a memory of something broken, I immediately thought about a glass jar that held cigars tightly packed in concentric circles. This jar was not something that I broke. No. But I can see it vividly even though this memory is close to 60 years old. I thought the glass container was so beautiful, encircled by a red satin ribbon, holding something my father enjoyed – cigars. When I saw it in the store, I knew I had to buy it for him for Father’s Day. I was so pleased with myself and knew he would be proud of me.
Working in the Wonder Studio: Setting the Stage
This month, it is the 3rd grade’s turn in the Wonder Studio. I usually have a packed crowd waiting to create, but this group is a little reticent, and I have had only 3 to 6 students come to form. However, what they lack in volume, they make up for in collaborative creativity.
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 