End of blogging challenge

Or is it???

30 days of posts. Done!

Some of my twitter peeps decided to try and rev up their blogging and are trying to blog everyday for a year. I went with just the month of September.

I think there were 2 days where I posted twice- once to play catchup and this past Saturday to get ahead.

So I’m now 30/30 counting this senseless post where I ramble on and on…. 🙂

Just so it won’t seem completely senseless (hey, I’m trying to read a book and can’t think to write an authentic one!), I’ll leave you with a picture of what my life is like at times.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way! But do you know how sore I am after raking hay? Lol!

So I’m settling in with a butterfinger bar and an Anna Quindlen book. Jealous? Thought you might be. Wink-wink.

Tomorrow I’m starting a running challenge- yeah, yeah, I know how I do in those, but this one is a ZOMBIE running challenge! And I got a tshirt. I’m hoping that will motivate me to get out of this BIG running slump I’ve been in and get back to business.

Stay tuned for my progress. Oh, and I’ll post soon about our Friday agenda independent thingie soon!

Talk to you tomorrow!

Cemetery Girl by David Bell Book Review

Cemetery Girl by David Bell

Goodreads summary:

Four years after Tom and Abby’s 12-year-old daughter vanishes, she is found alive but strangely calm. When the teen refuses to testify against the man connected to her disappearance, Tom decides to investigate the traumatizing case on his own. Nothing can prepare him for what he is about to discover.

My Thoughts:

Let’s say this one is an awesome read, one that makes you want to keep reading it to find out what happens, while at the same time makes you MAD! I don’t what I can really say without giving too much away. You’re heart is going to break for different reasons.

I would compare this one to ROOM or the book A Stolen Life about Jaycee Duggard in regards to making me feel sick to my stomach, but yet there’s a big difference, too.

I did NOT want to put it down!

4 out of 5 stars

Book Blogging Extraordinaire

I just went through all of my “read” books on my goodreads account and made a “not yet reviewed” shelf for them. OH MY WORD. I only went back about 2 years. I ended up adding 332 books to this shelf.

So now my goal is to review them here on my blog. I have been reviewing books on my blog for quite awhile, but OBVIOUSLY not ALL of the ones I’m reading. Good grief- I never thought there were THAT many that I had not reviewed!! 🙂

I had recently applied to be a CYBILS judge and was not accepted. When I really started thinking about why I might not have been accepted I came to this conclusion:

1. YES, I read ALL the time.

2. YES, I review these books on goodreads.

3. NO, I don’t review them on my blog like I thought I did. LOL!

I want to catch up. How in the world am I going to do this? I still want to blog about teaching, etc. I think there’s an unwritten rule out there to NOT publish more than 1 blog post each day. Uh-oh. 🙂

So what’s a girl to do? Hmmm……

I don’t want it to take me 14 years to get caught up on my book blogging. I mean it’s not like I’m NOT going to be reading anything currently and needing to blog about these books as well.

Any suggestions? Do I dare to break the blogging etiquette rule? Do I get caught up when I turn 81 years old? 🙂

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and here’s my “not reviewed yet” goodreads bookshelf:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4822574-shannon-clark?shelf=not-reviewed-yet

And, yes, I’m going to break the bloggy rule for tonight anyway.

But please weigh in with your opinion!

Friday Agenda

Today we did a trial run of our “Friday Agenda” independent assessment day. Boy, that was a mouthful! :).

It was very, um, interesting! I can’t wait I tell you about it. Later this weekend. 🙂

It’s been a long day- drove all over creation this afternoon and tonight spending time with my daughter. SO- look for post this weekend about our new method for assessing/grades!!!!

Student Writing Examples

I’ve never done this before and am embarrassed to even admit it! I’m talking about putting up good student writing in our classroom as examples.

I took part in the National Writing Project this summer- what a life changing experience!

It was all about modeling writing for our students, giving them examples/models to imitate, feedback, group work, and student choice.

So I’m trying to bring all of this into my 6th grade classroom. I’m taking baby steps, but hey at least I’m moving forward. I’m not moving backward, and I’m not standing still.

I’m trying to incorporate writing across the curriculum- math explanations, writing about our thinking while reading, bringing English into our writing instead of isolated concepts, written reflections on science content, writing I history, writing, writing….

It’s a slow process-baby steps- because the kids aren’t used to writing like this, but I think it’s gonna be worth it! 🙂

Our walls are going to be plastered with student writing by the end of this year.

Here’s the beginning!

I’ve been thinking…..

Actually, to say I’ve been thinking is an understatement! I do that all the time. 🙂

But- I’ve been thinking more than usual! About all things related to teaching. There’s so much I want to do this year with my 6th graders, but I’m really doing a pretty good job taking baby steps.

However- now I’ve got something brewing in my mind that I just can’t let go of. It has to do with testing, grades, choice, and independence.

Here’s my rough draft plan that has formulated in my mind:

Fridays are our heavy testing day. Math test, spelling quiz, reading assessment. I’m also going to add history in since I can’t seem to figure out a definite way of getting 6 grades in history each 6 weeks (which is required for all subjects).

So back to my plan.

I’m wanting to make Fridays more of a set your own agenda and work at your own pace kind of day.

I might create a guide sheet to give to the students on Friday mornings with assignments that are due by the end if the day. Then let them plan their own day. With a little guidance and nudging and support if needed.

With built in free time for them to CHOOSE what else to explore, read, learn, do.

Ok- that’s as far as I’ve gotten with my plan. 🙂

I’m wanting to implement it NEXT Friday so stay tuned for a final copy of:

“Shannon has lost her mind even more!”

How’s Your Reading Going?

We made a reading bulletin board today so we could keep up with each other as far as how many books we have read so far for the school year.

I now have 2 students who are ahead of me. One hasn’t put his sticky note up yet. Although I did question the # he is claiming. Should I do that??? It just seems hard to believe-27 books in 6 weeks of school. But the other students were believing him. Hmmmm….. I’ll be more observant and can’t wait to conference with him soon. 🙂

How to Eat Fried Worms and live to tell about it!

We finished up our 1st read aloud last Friday- How to Eat Fried Worms. It was a quick, easy, and funny read to get my 6th graders used to our read aloud time.

They showed some good thinking, and of course we needed to celebrate!

Today we had worm dessert. Yummy!!

Unfortunately, a student was absent so I had to do the teacherly thing and eat his dessert! 🙂

A few of the kids really believed me when I told them I cut worms up into tiny pieces and hid in the pudding!

Delicious!!

Next up on our read aloud agenda is:

Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper. Time to move past the funny and into the empathy! 🙂

It’s Monday-What Are You Reading? 9/23/13

Here we are with another chance to share wonderful books with each other thanks to Jen and Kellee over at Teach Mentor Texts and Sheila over at Book Journey who both sponsor this great meme each week for young adult/children and adult respectively!

Here we go again. Last IMWAYR post was 9/2/13. Why in the world can I not do this on a weekly basis?????????? And I’m too tired tonight to go back and pull in ALL the books I’ve read since that post. 🙂

So here’s a link to my “read” page on goodreads. You know-if you have NOTHING else to do and are COMPLETELY bored out of your mind! 🙂

http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4822574?shelf=read

Middle Grade Reads

Kid Books

Adult Books

Liked ALL of these books this week. And let me tell you, I did not want to put down Cemetery Girl at all!! It was so nice to read an adult book again. I’m trying to keep up with my 6th graders and their reading this year. Actually, I’m trying to beat them-especially one of them who is neck and neck with me right now. I’ve given them a challenge to read at least 40 books this year. Then I went a little further and challenged them to “beat the teacher” and read more books than me. Oh my word! Garrett is keeping me on my toes! 🙂

What have you read lately that you didn’t want to put down?

Family time and neighbor time

This was a very relaxing weekend- which I needed a lot by the way! 🙂

Yesterday it rained ALL day- perfect excuse to stay curled up on the couch and read. And read I did! 4 kid books and 1 adult book.

Of course, I forgot to write a post to keep up with the #EdBDaily blogging challenge that I’m trying to stay with…. 🙂

And today hubby and I went out to eat, grocery shopping, and errands. Then he grilled steak and 2 of the 3 kids came over. I also had a surprise visitor- my neighbor’s 10 year old son.

I stopped by to talk her at her mailbox, and he moseyed on down the driveway toward us. He said, and I quote-” Y’all are practically like strangers.” Hahahahaha!

So I asked him if he wanted to come to the house- which he did. Love him!

He doesn’t like getting his picture taken, but I snuck one in. Here’s the cutie.

How was your weekend???