Memories

One of my memories that I didn’t share in class was my memory that makes me laugh. I brought a toy class to represent my memory. When I was six years old, my mom, my brother, my cousins, and I went fishing. We went to my grandmother’s ranch. A creek ran through the property. A small hill led down to the creek. I’m not sure how long we were there, but I was ready to go home. I told my mom I was ready to leave. She said it wasn’t time to go; they were still fishing. I was walking around complaining. It didn’t do any good. So, I decided to go home by myself. I walked back to the car, got in, and started it. I put the car in gear and started down the hill. I don’t know how I stopped the car. I remember everybody yelling for me to stop. I guess I finally pressed on the brake. I stopped less than ten feet from the creek. When I got out, I looked so scared that my mom couldn’t even get mad at me. They all started laughing at me instead. To this day, my mom will look at me and say ‘remember when you almost drove into the creek?’

Around the Campfire

             We gAther

      To roast Marshmallows

      And pop Popcorn.

              FamIly.

             ArouNd the campfire

               We Gather.

Writing is a Process

WRITING IS A PROCESS
The writing process has five steps.
Step 1
The first step in writing is Prewriting. Prewriting consists of gathering ideas on a topic. Graphic organizers can be used to help students get their ideas on paper.
Step 2
The second step is Drafting. Drafting is when students write their rough draft or sloppy copy. Neatness and correct spelling are not needed now.
Step 3
The third step is Revising. Revising includes adding, deleting and moving what is in the rough draft. Students can get feedback from teachers and other students.
Step 4
The fourth step is Editing. Editing includes proofreading and correcting errors. The rough draft is made ready for publishing.
Step 5
The fifth step is Publishing. Publishing includes sharing the writing with an audience. This can mean reading it aloud, posting it online, or posting the writing on the classroom for others to read.


If I Won a New Truck...
If I won a new truck, I would give it to my husband. He has always wanted a new truck. He has put it off to make sure that we have what we need. He is the one who encouraged me to go back to school. If it weren’t for him, I probably would have just kept working as a substitute teacher. I enjoyed that but he saw before I did that I could do more. He has always encouraged our kids to finish school and continue their education into college. He was never pushed to succeed in school and he wants to make sure that our kids are successful. He wants them to set goals and do what it takes to achieve them. A new truck is not all that he deserves, but I know he would enjoy it. I can see him washing it every week, not wanting it to get dirty.

A circular story begins and ends with the same item. Each item or event in the story connects with the one before and after it. They can be used to help students remember a sequence of events or a pattern in the story. Students can create their own stories. These stories can be in other core areas. They can create a math story or a story about a historical event.

I think the most important thing in making reading fun is modeling. If students see that others can have fun while reading, they may start to think of reading differently. Teachers, other students who enjoy reading and guest readers can read stories to the class. They can incorporate puppets, using different voices, felt boards, and assign parts to the rest of the class. Students need to feel included in any activity. I think too many students think of reading as work and not something that can be fun.