Two Writing Teachers host Slice of Life on their blog. Join us and link up too!
It's late, I'm usually doing other things by now. I'm basically unclogging my brain because I need to because I haven't been writing like I keep telling myself I would.
So, I bring you, a post of random thoughts and wonders floating around in my head tonight.
1. Shortly before my Grandmother passed, we had an awesome moment together. It involved me playing hymns at the piano, and no one else around. (I nearly majored in piano for undergrad--a fun fact). She told me I was "getting rusty" and "don't let those boys keep you from your music." :) Since we've returned from her funeral, I've played everyday for at least 20 minutes. Man, I miss her.
2. Do you like to cook? I mean Really like to cook? 2 hours prep time and the whole she-bang. What do you cook for new friends coming over that you don't know well?
3. My firsties are the best. Fish and all, I adore them this year.
4. I'm taking a tech class for grad school. I wish the days had unlimited hours so we could do all the things! I'm learning how to prioritize and keep it authentic.
5. Running. To run the half or not run the half? I have no idea how fast I am, but have been running all the miles without tracking my splits. Simply glorious. But am I now a runner who just runs but doesn't race? Why am I struggling so much with that?
6. I'm reading a couple of great books. The Big Disconnect: Proteching Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age by Catherine Steiner-Adair, EdD. Also, Savannah Breeze by Mary Kay Andrews. Loving the tech read, highly recommend. Savannah Breeze? Completely an escape.
7. Today, I heard a child announce that Jesus was from Minnesota. No joke. Except I couldn't stop laughing.
8. I love this season where baseball meets football. It should have it's own name.
9. I'm still considering the idea of choice in the math workshop. What does that really look like? Not rotations, stations, lamination. I mean a true choice experience. Are my kids ready for this?
10. I think I'm ready to get in bed and read!
*Feel free to chime in if you have thoughts on any of these topics. :) They were all ideas for various blog posts.
Joy!
Kendra
Kendra
I love this brain dump; this is the best place for it! I'm a seventh grade writing teacher, so I can't help a whole lot when it comes to math, but I can talk a bit on choice. My district stresses choice boards: typically a nine-sectioned chart for the students to be in charge of how they display their knowledge. I've done choice days with abbreviated lists and have used them as summative assessments - both work. A reading teacher in my school applies them by splitting her nine elements into three sections: skill, comprehension, and vocabulary. As they read a novel, they stop and devote part of a class to one of the three elements, and the students work on the choice board activity they have chosen for that element. I'm sure you can adapt this for math concepts (those things that are completely foreign to me) and do them as you progress through a unit so it's not so overwhelming. I hope this has helped some! :)
ReplyDeleteYes! This is something to consider! I'm already thinking about what this might look like for my first grade friends. When you think about the choice students have with language, there has to be a way to give them that choice in math too! Thanks for this!
DeleteI love the story about your grandmother, bet she's listening! And I like the thoughtful rambling all the way through. I'm not an enthusiastic cook, but with guests if I want to fancy it up, broil a whole salmon, sea salt & really good olive oil, the extras depend on the season-warm or cold. Desert-keylime pie, gelato, ? The tech class sounds great, but understand about wanting to just do those things. Have a good week, Kendra!
ReplyDeleteSo great that you "unclogged your brain" in list style. I may have to try that sometime. On the running, I just signed up for a 1/2 marathon that is in less than two weeks. This will be my first 1/2 marathon that I have not trained for in advance. I ran a lot in July and the beginning of Aug., but have been coasting & taking it easy so we shall see how it goes. I love halfs. They're my favorite distance. I am only doing this one though because it is during Oktoberfest & is super fun. Maybe I won't PR, but it's for fun. Running with a crowd once in awhile is exciting. I have friends though that run & never do the races. Do what keeps you sane. :)
ReplyDeleteI hope that got it all out of your head! I will touch on something that hasn't been yet - your tech class. What are you taking? How is it changing what you do in the classroom? Authentically utilizing tech to infuse the learning experience is something I am always happy to dialogue about!
ReplyDeleteI like the concept for this post too and will definitely have to borrow sometime. I'm teaching a tech class this semester--digital literacy--and finding it's kind of all over the place right now, but then so is my digital learning and sharing! Your observations about the importance of prioritizing and keeping it authentic gave me some food for thought. I do love to cook, though I wish what I cooked lasted longer and that leftovers would magically transform into something else. I prefer baking and that's probably why: a cake will last us for the week and be enjoyable every day.
ReplyDelete