"Guy Books"

For the YA Lit class that I am taking, I decided to focus on "guy books" after that was the way one of my students referred to most of the books that he read this year from our classroom library. Last year when I would book talk a lot of the books that I bought to read and then passed on to the library, many of the boys would grumble that they were mainly girl books. This year I made more of a conscious effort to buy more books for the boys; I still have a lot of catching up to do though. So, while I have plenty of books that are more appealing to girls in my to read pile, I thought the class would be a great chance to buy more books for boys. There are not any required texts other than YA books, so it was a nice excuse to justify placing a couple of Amazon orders, thinking about how much I typically spend on textbooks for other college courses!

This week I read Tyrell and Mexican Whiteboy to see if they would be a good fit for my incoming 8th grade boys. However, because of the mature themes mentioned in Tyrell, my initial gut instinct is that it would be better for high school students. Mexican Whiteboy also has a lot of mature content, but I am leaning toward including it. You can see more thoughts about Tyrell here and about Mexican Whiteboy here. I am thinking that a lot of the books I chose will be tough calls on whether or not they are a good fit for a middle school vs. high school classroom library because a lot of the boys are drawn to books with real life problem/issues themes. 

The two required books for the course were The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and American Born Chinese. Then we each needed to choose seven more books, with a few stipulations. They are all supposed to be award winners or on recommended lists. At least one had to be a "problem" novel and one had to be historical fiction. 

Here are my seven books, aside from the two already mentioned:

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

Copper Sun by Sharon Draper

Inexcusable by Chris Lynch

Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford

These are the other books that I bought on the same order with the boys in mind:

Crash Boom Love by Juan Felipe Herrera (The girls have been crazy about novels in verse this year, I want to get more novels in verse that will also appeal to boys)

Romiette and Julio by Sharon Draper

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

Growing Up in Slavery: Stories of Young Slaves as Told By Themselves by Yuval Taylor (We are supposed to read a non-fiction piece on the same topic as our historical fiction pick.)

Fire from the Rock by Sharon Draper

Street Love by Walter Dean Myers

I also pulled a few other books from my TBR pile to make sure and read this summer. 

Scheduling Ponderings

Last Friday was our last day of school, so I am officially in the reflecting/refining/planning for 2010-2011 school year mode. Next year will be the first year that our school will have grown through 8th grade. The exciting piece that comes along with that is that I will be teaching all three grades 6th-8th in language arts only. While I will miss social studies, I am glad that I will not have to try to fit reading, writing, and social studies into a shorter block of time.

One of the major areas that I am pondering right now is with the schedule. I am anticipating that I will have about 1 hour 12 minute blocks daily with each class. My priorities are to have time for read aloud with a reading focus lesson, writing focus lessons (writer's notebooks, Everyday Editing, traits, etc.), independent reading time, independent writing time, and word study. Then there are also other components that are not daily, such as Author Tip Tuesday, that I am trying to figure out exactly where they will fit.

Here are some initial thoughts running through my mind for options. I would love any feedback/thoughts on the different options. I am going to try to work through in my mind about what my preference is by the time I go to Heinemann's Boothbay Literacy retreat (only 33 days away, but who's counting?) because I know the retreat will be a great time to reflect on my ideas/thoughts.

Option #1: Have both independent reading and writing every day but only enough time for either a writing or reading focus lesson

• 20 min. Independent Reading
• 20 min. Read Aloud with focus lesson or Writing focus lesson
• 20 min. Independent Writing
• 10 min. Word Study

Option #2: Have focus lessons in both areas each day but only enough time for either independent reading or independent writing

• 15 min. Read Aloud with focus lesson
• 10 min. Word Study
• 15 min. Writing Focus Lessons
• 30 min. Independent Reading or Independent Writing

Option #3: Have time for everything each day but with shorter durations for some areas, such as independent reading and writing

• 10 min. Word Study
• 15 min. Read Aloud/Focus-Lesson
• 15 min. Independent Reading
• 15 min. Writing Focus Lesson
• 15 min. Independent Writing Time

My initial thought is that I would go with either option #1 or #3. It is hard to justify not having independent daily reading and writing. I have not completely ruled out #2 yet though.

Reaching Out

Reaching Out is a prime example at how my to be read pile is filled with books I can't wait to read; it is often overwhelming to have so many great books waiting in the wings, not knowing which one to read next. I had been ecstatic when my pre-ordered copy of Francisco Jiménez's latest arrived earlier than expected...back in August of 2008, and I just now read it!

I love everything by Francisco Jiménez. I was fittingly introduced to his writing in my very first multi-cultural education course. The course that began my passion for equity in education. I remember that our professor had us read copies of "The Circuit" and "Under the Wire". Later I read his full books, as well as his picture books. I have shared his stories with my students, and my current students come to my classroom already knowing about Francisco Jiménez because the 4/5 Spanish teacher at our school reads some of his writing with them. 

Reaching Out moved me. I found myself close to tears many times, thinking about his struggles and the difficult decisions he had to make in order to continue his education. In the note from the author in the back, Jiménez explains his most recent book, "From the perspective of the young adult I was then, I describe the challenges I faced in my efforts to continue my education, such as coping with poverty, feeling torn between my responsibilities as a student and my sense of duty to my family, having self-doubt about being capable of succeeding academically, and trying to adjust to an environment that was different from the community in which I was raised" (195). As is true for his other books, he eloquently relates his experiences. 

Saturday morning as I was laughing about how he gained thirty pounds during his freshman year, I couldn't wait to share that section with my students since they just went on a recent college visit and were in awe at all the food in the cafeteria. Then it hit me that Friday was the last day of school and I would not be able to share the book with them until we go back to school in August. 

I am not sure to which extent I will use the book in the classroom, but there are many possibilities. At minimum, I know that with a book talk that many students would be excitedly waiting to get their chance to see the latest in Jiménez's life. I am sure I will do more though. Most likely, I will read it aloud to the whole class. In my first teaching position I used some of his stories as part of my Overcoming Obstacles unit. I am deciding on overarching themes for next year, and that is one of my possibilities. I have also been thinking about a Take a Stand unit that I did during the 08-09 school year, including discussions about César Chávez. There is a section of the book toward the end that brings up some of the events that we studied, so it would also be a good fit for that unit. With my 8th graders we will be reflecting a lot on the decisions they will make as they transition out of our school and their goals for their future. Once again, this would be a perfect book for those discussions. 

I look forward to seeing in which capacities I will use the book next year! If you would like to know more about Jiménez and his books, his university web page is a great resource.

Question of the Day

If today is the first official day of my summer vacation, why is it snowing?

Adolescents and Digital Literacies

Because I am interested in technology and literacy, I was very excited when I heard about Sara Kajder's new book Adolescents and Digital Literacies: Learning Alongside Our Students. Not only did I recently read the book, but I also participated in two of the three on-line discussion groups hosted by NCTE and loved the opportunity to talk about digital literacies with others in the field. While I was sad to miss the last session, I was glad that it and the first two are available on NCTE's Ning.

In the beginning of the book Kajder explains the purpose of it, "This book is less about 'translating' these new technology terms (which will be outdated and obsolete before this book appears in print) and more about how we work as English teachers to navigate a changing landscape--and how we lead our students to do the same. [...] It isn't about the tools. It is about reading, writing, communicating, and pedagogy" (3). A recurring theme throughout the book was examining the types of literacies that students do outside of school, and reexamining the type of literacies that we, as English teachers, value (10).

The book begins with a copy of NCTE's Adolescent Literacy brief, and Kajder links back to the brief often throughout the book. Each chapter of the book begins with quote(s) about technology, and there were so many that I loved. For example, I could not help but smile when I read Alan Kay's quote, "Technology is only technology for people who are born before it was invented" (13). In addition, there are many examples from different classrooms about integrating different technologies into classrooms. I appreciated that the classrooms were from diverse backgrounds with different levels of access to technology.

Once again, this is one more reason to be excited for Heinemann's Boothbay Literacy Retreat! My final thought (for now about the book) is an excerpt that I underlined and starred with the comment, "excellent point" in the margin. Kajder's comment embodies why I integrating technology is so fascinating and vital, "what keeps me firmly rooted in valuing and learning new literacy practices is that I want all of my students to be literate in the dominant media of their time" (37).

How can it be...?

How can it possibly be that I only have one week left with my students? 5 MORE DAYS! Although I have been aware that the weeks were quickly ticking away, it always feels surreal to be at the end of the year. It hit me yesterday when one of my colleagues was talking about how it was a super busy week. She was talking about some end of the year assessments that they needed to finish up yesterday. As we were standing outside waiting for parents to pick up all of the students it hit me. "Oh my gosh, that was your last week with that class, wasn't it?!" All of the teachers at our school, besides kindergarten, sixth and seventh grade have their students on alternating weeks. While one class is with the Spanish teacher, the other half is with the English teacher. It is moments like these that make me really realize that the end of the year really is so close.

Luckily my first grader will still have one more year with her team of teachers, and I will still have my students next year, so it will just be a break away, not a transition of moving on from a group. I have lesson plans for next week all mapped out; however, I have my priorities for the week. Things I want to finish for sure: end of the year portfolio reflections and some student surveys. Then there are those things that we will do if there is time. This week won't be a week to get stressed out trying to cram in everything I want to do. It will be about making sure to take plenty of time to laugh, enjoy, and celebrate with my students, making sure that they leave for the summer knowing that I have appreciated all of their hard work and learning with them this year and that I am excited to have them again in the fall.

Breathing In, Breathing Out

Fresh off the heals of reading Pyrotechnics on the Page, I picked up Breathing In, Breathing Out: Keeping a Writer's Notebooks, hungry for more of Fletcher's insights. As I mentioned in my post about Pyrotechnics, I realized that this summer I want to make sure and write more consistently in my writer's notebook. I already started this weekend with many snippets of memories and moments that I had yet to record. This book inspired me even more, giving me ideas of new ways that I can use my writer's notebook.

Also, much like my sentiments while reading Pyrotechnics, I loved that I was able to highlight many of Fletcher's comments to later share with my students and to inspire him the same way he has inspired me. With Pyrotechnics I mentioned that even though he was writing it for writing teachers, I was viewing it from the lenses of being a teacher and a writer. This book was the opposite; it was written with writers in mind, and again I looked at it through both lenses.

Reading the two books so close together was a nice pairing up. While Pyrotechnics focused on language play, this book provided a wider view of writer's notebooks. I highlighted and wrote notes in the margins of many sections of the brief chapters, each giving different suggestions of how to utilize writer's notebooks to capture moments and thoughts that will fuel later writing. Again, the book was a hotbed for comments that I can share with my students about writing.

This text was a great, quick read packed with ideas that I have already used in my notebook, as well as areas where I can experiment and continue to grow. I look forward to learning more from Fletcher in the future.

Pyrotechnics on the Page

Ever since I saw Stenhouse advertising that Ralph Fletcher's Pyrotechnics on the Page: Playful Craft That Sparks Writing would be released this spring, I could not wait to have it in my hands. I was especially anticipating discovering new ideas for writing workshop and writer's notebooks.

I have been enjoying reading more about writing and rekindling my early interest in writing over the last couple of years. I knew that this would be a text that could help me improve as a writer, which will in turn help me to be a better teacher of writing. Thus, even though the book is written from the angle of how to integrate the ideas into the classroom, I was reading the book from two lenses - myself as a writer and as a teacher.

Throughout the book I found myself underlining many sections that I could share with my students about writing and that could be included in the regular feature on our classroom blog, Author Tip Tuesday. One recurring concept that came up over and over that I know I will share with my students was, "We write with the ear as much as with the eye or the mind" (p. 4).  There were many other quotes that eloquently explain the importance of language play and writer's notebooks.

I loved that Fletcher included many examples from his own writer's notebook illustrating the concepts, including examples of moments that he recorded of his own children's language play. It was also fun to see other published authors commenting on the impact of language play in their writing lives. I was especially pleased to see insights from Chris Crutcher because he was even talking for a while about Whale Talk, which I had just finished, and I am also still very excited to learn from him at Heinemann's Boothbay Harbor Literacy Retreat this June.

Another concept that came up over and over again was about how enjoyable language play can be with a defense of why there is room for this "play" even in this age of heightened awareness of testing results because enjoyment in writing has a huge correlation with motivation.

The book is broken up into five sections: Playing Around, Getting Serious, Playful Classrooms, Craft Lessons, and Resources. Starting with a background of pyrotechnics and why it is important, in the second section Fletcher then transitions into explaining different types of pyrotechnics in detail, including a section at the end of each chapter explaining how to bring it into the writer's workshop. Next, he outlines a rationale and some suggestions for implementing pyrotechnics into the classroom. At the end of this section is a Q&A which is always helpful to think about more considerations around the topic. Those who love the fiction and non-fiction craft lessons books that he co-authored with JoAnn Portalupi, will love that he has a craft lessons section in this book divided up into three grade levels bands: k-2, 3-4, and 5+. Each craft lesson includes an example dialogue of what he would say to students, as well as suggested texts to go along with the lesson. Finally, the resources section has many gems, including a pyrotechnics glossary and excerpts that go along with the craft lessons.

Since completing it yesterday, I realized that this summer one of my priorities will be to recommit myself to being more diligent to using my own writer's notebooks on a more consistent basis throughout the summer in order to better implement the use in my classroom next year. I already started recording more snippets of funny things my daughter's say, much like Fletcher did with his children throughout the years. Before I finished Pyrotechnics, I pulled my copy of Breathing In, Breathing Out off my TBR shelf, knowing that I would want to roll right into reading that book to see even more of Fletcher's thoughts on notebooks.

*Review copy provided by publisher.

The Dreamer

I just finished Pam Muñoz Ryan's The Dreamer, illustrated by Peter Sís. It was AMAZING. It lends to so many teachable moments about craft, layout, mixed writing styles, an author scratching an itch in personal curiosity... I could go on and on. You can see more about my thoughts on my book review site post.

Fun Book Duo

I always love to think about book pairs as I am reading. This week I just had the chance to read Fever Season by Eric Zweig. Even before I started to read the book, I thought about how it would be a good book to match up with Laurie Halse Anderson's Fever 1793. While Zweig's book is set during the early 1900s, including the time frame of World War I and Halse Anderson's book is set a little over a hundred years earlier, both books have themes dealing with fevers effecting main characters' lives and changing their family dynamics. It would be interesting for students to examine similarities and differences.

Beyond that, there are also possibilities to link to semi-current events. Last year around the time my students read Fever 1793 as a book club book, there was a lot of hype about the swine flu, especially in Mexico. I was also thinking that reading these book while we studied the Bubonic Plague in Medieval Europe earlier this year would have been a perfect fit.

Illnesses and how they effect communities is a recurring theme throughout history, and I am glad that I will have both of these books in my classroom library for all of the exciting possibilities.

Sin Nombre - Implications of Film in the Classroom

I am always interesting in reading books or watching films that I leave feeling like I am more aware of real world situations, even when they are so realistic that they do not have the happy endings that I always love. If there was one area in my undergraduate education experience that seemed more hopeless than any other, it was gang involvement. As far as gang prevention the solutions are much more plausible; however, once someone is in a gang, it is so much more complicated.

On Friday the girls were in bed and my husband and I decided to watch a Netflix movie on the computer. While I was reading, he chose Sin Nombre. Neither of us had heard of it before, but we both like two of the executive producers, Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal. Toward the beginning of the movie I was even telling my husband that I didn't think I was going to like it, that movies involving realistic gang scenes make me feel so wound up and nervous, rather than a feel good movie that I had in mind to watch on a Friday evening.

Yet, when the movie was over I realized that it was one of those movies that would stick with me and make me think about just how challenging situations involving gangs can become for those who choose to no longer follow that lifestyle. I love Simone Elkeles' books Perfect Chemistry and Rules of Attraction. When I first read both of these books I appreciated that Elkeles found plausible conclusions, rather than simplistic solutions. While neither of the main characters in these books had an easy way out of their gang involvement, they both had happy endings. I can't say the same for many in Sin Nombre. The events of the movie led up to a heart-wrenching conclusion intermixed with hope and harsh realities.



The film leaves me thinking about how just as in my undergraduate days, there still are not any easy answers, yet there are reasons to hope for being able to make a difference. Whether it is in helping students with their own contemplations or to cope with the way gangs affect their families and neighborhoods, teachers can make a difference. The film also reminded me that it is time to dig up and finish reading my copy of Hearts and Hands. In addition, the simple fact of being more aware of various situations always helps to make me a more understanding educator.