Wednesday Word Work: Celebrating Peter Reynolds

                              Word study this week was unplanned.  Shh our secret!

Rush out purchase this book!  I would have given a million dollars to have yesterday's mini lesson videotaped professionally.  First I shared the beautiful cover.  I passed it around the room.  Everyone touched it and felt the raised letters and could see the sparkle. Every learner was engaged in this book.  Every learner connected and shared their stories.  I now know where everyone hides their clothes when they don't want to clean their room.  But the power of the last two pages - folded it out. Just ask Where are you?  #priceless

I have loved every book by Peter Reynolds.  There is always a page that every learner can connect with and share their story.  But this one grabbed me and wouldn't let go!!  Let me share another special Peter Reynolds moment. 

Celebrating authors and their craft is the best word study lesson EVER!

Celebrating Speed Poetry

My passion is collecting words! I notice unique features in words. I love to lift lines from books because of the beauty of the language.  I purchase books for my classroom based on having fun with words.  I love poetry.....not all students love poetry. 

First week of school, we spent a huge amount  of time discussing our classroom library and how should we organize our library.  It is still color coded which continues to make my heart happy.  All of my beloved poetry books just continued to sit on the shelf without an ounce of love given to them.  I watched my poetry shelf and not once, not even a passing by, did one reader choose to pull a book off the shelf.  Something had to change.  Yesterday was the day!!

I turned their frowns upside down.  As we started our official Poetry Friday celebration. We sat in the circle and discussed poetry - have to admit I almost dozed off from the lack of conversation.  Finally I had two students walk over and choose 12 books apiece. Each reader had a book.  Welcome to "Speed Poetry"  30 seconds with a book and pass.  I suggested having their Literacy Spiral open because you never know when you want to write down a title that you might want to read later........ GO!!

It was one of those priceless moments as a teacher...everything was perfect.  Everyone was talking, laughing, telling their neighbor to look at a certain poem.  I had to pause longer than 30 seconds because there wasn't enough time to write titles.  It was heaven with poetry in Room 234.  

I am celebrating because once again I have a little time on Friday night to blog for Saturday morning.  I am celebrating joining my Saturday Celebration community.  But most of all I am celebrating 24 smiles and perhaps a change in heart for poetry. 

Icing on the cake:  "Mrs. Caplin, can I take a poetry book home for the weekend?" 

Launching Wednesday Word Work

It's Wednesday, and I am always thankful for Wednesday.  Half way through the week which is a celebration on both ends. 2 days completed and 2 more for learning.  I love sharing with my students my favorite phrases for the days of the week. 

• Marvelous Monday
• Terrific Tuesday
• Wonderful Wednesday
• Tremendous Thursday
• Fabulous Friday

I wonder do any of you have habits likes these that just make you happy?  I'm not sure my students even notice anymore that this is how our morning message starts everyday.  But I'm thrilled when I type it every morning for them. 

Thanks ML for my writer's notebook and here are some of my favorite words.

I am intrigued by words and collect them in all my notebooks typically on the inside and back cover.  I often find myself thinking more about the words than the story.  I find myself stuck often if I don't know a word even with using context clues.  I like getting my old Webster's dictionary,not Googling it.  I preach to my students about word work.  The importance of noticing the authors' word choice as well as the spelling. 

I purchase cheap little notebooks all summer so when the students get ready to start their own they can choose from the basket.  This happens quickly in my classroom because I share my notebooks and how I collect words.  I read amazing picture books to get them excited. Have you read the following titles? Here is the link to favorite 10for10 picture books about focusing on creating curiosity about words.  I also have several word games in my classroom that my students play every Friday. After we celebrate Poetry Friday, the students play word games and this is my chance to work with small groups to help them with their spelling patterns.  My recent group has been focused on the different Long "o" sounds.  

I've been searching for ways to share more on my blog about my teaching life. Lately it feels like I'm slicing and celebrating which are really important to me personally.  Often those posts include school and personal life.  But I asked a friend recently about being stuck in my writing, and she said I always start with what I know and love - words!  I am going to try and post on Wonderful Wednesday about word work.  Is anyone interested in joining me?  Do you have any thought about future posts for word work in your classroom? After all it only takes, two of us for a conversation.  

Teachers are Coaches

Let it be known that I am a huge (talking Mount Everest huge) Ohio State football fan.  Yes I bleed scarlet and gray.  And yes I am busy every Saturday starting in Sept. through November watching my Buckeyes.

Our family on the MI shoreline - celebrating OH-IO!

“Did you push yourself to be great today? Because if you didn’t you lost a day.” Urban Meyer, 2012 

Now that you are familiar with my background,  last week I watched ESPN series: All-Access: Ohio State Training Camp.  It was 5 shows 30 minutes long that allowed the viewer on the inside of training camp.  I thought I was watching the show because I love my Buckeyes, but on Friday after the last show I walked out of the room thinking about the words the coaches used to encourage the players.  I am huge proponent especially after my summer virtual learning with Opening Minds about how our word choice impacts our students.  Here are some analogies football vs. classroom.  Really we are not too far apart.

Here is a video to help you understand "juice."