CUWP Tom Romano

Hey--don't know if this is still up and going, but I thought I'd post just the same. Last Saturday I had the opportunity to attend the Central Utah Writing Project's Saturday Workshop with Tom Romano. If the name sounds familiar it's because Loraine Wallace quoted him extensively in Methods 1 & 3. Think back to her ideas on multi-genre projects--it's Romano's brainchild.

It was a a hands on, or should I say, pencil to paper workshop. Not only did he teach us about student writing, we wrote ourselves! We moved through a possible writing unit's assignments ourselves to get s feel for what to teach. It was super!

So here is a plug for the Central Utah Writing Project. Go to their WEBSITE and check it out. I highly recommend the classes they offer. Plus it gets us together, writing and sharing.

Finally official

It is finally official--I printed off my level 1 licence today. I know it's sappy, but I'm going to go get a frame tomorrow. :)

Congrats to all who Graduated!

I was thinking about all of you on Saturday. Hope you had a great time--YOU DID IT!!!!!!!! Now the big question is--jobs? How's it going with you all? I think I have one--long story, lots of drama in Nebo, but I think I may be OK. What about you?

Need a Journal Prompt?

I've been trying to collect journal prompt resources and came across this site. Seems like a good mix of quotes, personal reflection and creative responses. Enjoy!

Journal Prompts

Job Prospects Look Bleak in Nebo

The hiring freeze is still in force in Nebo. What's it like elsewhere? Word has it even some first year teachers are going to get cut because there are about 30 HS teachers out of jobs because of the new HS opening. Lots of rumors floating around about what went on at Maple Mountain. Looks like they hired out of district before the freeze went into effect. Now the HS teachers that expected to go to the new school are out of luck and will be placed in the openings at junior highs. Such drama! I might have to consider a (shhhhhhh) Charter School. Yikes!

SO........ Will we have jobs next year?

I got a really lovely e-mail from the Nebo Superintendent telling all the teachers to think positive, that we are all in this economic crunch together.....

Attached were the proposed budget measures the board felt would help the district. Right near the top was "Hiring Freeze." No new positions, openings to be filled by district specialists if they come up.

So what's it like in your neck of the woods?

SIgns YOU Might Be a School Employee

I had to laugh when I got this from a colleague:

Jeff Foxworthy on School Employees

YOU might be a school employee if you believe the playground should be equipped with a Ritalin salt lick.

YOU might be a school employee if you want to slap the next person who says, 'Must be nice to work 8 to 3:30 and have summers off.

YOU might be a school employee if it is difficult to name your own child because there's no name you can come up with that doesn't bring high blood pressure as it is uttered.

YOU might be a school employee if you can tell it's a full moon or if it's going to rain, snow, hail....anything!!! Without ever looking outside.

YOU might be a school employee if you believe, 'shallow gene pool' should have its own box on a report card.

YOU might be a school employee if you believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says, 'Boy, the kids sure are mellow today.'

YOU might be a school employee if when out in public, you feel the urge to snap your fingers at children you do not know and correct their behavior.

YOU might be a school employee if you have no social life between August and June.

YOU might be a school employee if you think people should have a government permit before being allowed to reproduce.

YOU might be a school employee if you wonder how some parents MANAGED to reproduce.

YOU might be a school employee if you laugh uncontrollably when people refer to the staff room as the 'lounge.'

YOU might be a school employee if you encourage an obnoxious parent to check into charter schools or home schooling and are willing to donate the U-HAUL boxes should they decided to move out of district.

YOU might be a school employee if you think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.


YOU might be a school employee if you can't imagine how the ACLU could think that covering your students chair with Velcro and then requiring uniforms made out of the corresponding Velcro could ever be misunderstood by the public.

YOU might be a school employee if meeting a child's parent instantly answers this question, 'Why is this kid like this?'

YOU might be a school employee if you would choose a mammogram over a parent conference.

YOU might be a school employee if you think someone should invent antibacterial pencils and crayons...and desks and chairs for that matter!

YOU might be a school employee if the words 'I have college debt for this?' has ever come out of your mouth.

YOU might be a school employee if you know how many days, minutes, and seconds are left in the school year!

UCTE / LA Fall Conference

Utah Council of Teachers of English Fall Conference

This looks interesting so I thought I'd pass it along. It's being held at BYU so it's close by.


Linked for Life
Building Connections through Text
Presenters:

Richard Peck
“I read because one life isn’t enough, and in the page of a book I can be anybody; I read because the words that build the story become mine, to build my life; I read not for happy endings but for new beginnings; I’m just beginning myself, and I wouldn’t mind a map; I read because I have friends who don’t, and young though they are, they’re beginning to run out of material; I read because every journey begins at the library, and it’s time for me to start packing; I read because one of these days I’m going to get out of this town, and I’m going to go everywhere and meet everybody, and I want to be ready.” –Richard Peck, Anonymously Yours

Richard Peck’s witty and thoughtful novels embrace the bittersweet humor found in gaining
independence. Newbery, ALA, and MAE award winner, Richard Peck is the author of over 30
books of various genres and topics. Some of his titles include: On the Wings of Heroes, A Long
Way from Chicago, A Year Down Yonder, and Past Perfect, Present Tense.

Paul Fleishman
Paul Fleischman grew up in Santa Monica, California, the son of children’s book author Sid Fleischman. Drawing on history, music, art, and theater, his books have often experimented with multiple viewpoints and performance. He received the Newbery Medal for Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, a Newbery Honor for Graven Images, the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction for Bull Run, and was a National Book Award finalist for Breakout. He lives on the central coast of California.

Sara Zarr
Sara Zarr is
the author of the young adult novels Sweethearts and Story of a Girl, which was a National Book
Award Finalist. She was raised in San Francisco and currently lives with her husband in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Dr. Roni Jo Draper
Dr. Draper is an active member of the International Reading Association and is currently serving as the Professional Resources Editor for the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. Her research focuses on how to prepare middle and high school teachers to support learners as they interact with a variety of texts in content area classrooms. She is currently
an Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education in the David O. McKay
School of Education at Brigham Young University. (luncheon speaker)

Linked for Life
Building Connections through Text
Registration Information October 24, 2008
http://community.weber.edu/uctela/conference.htm

So, In Walk Four Men....

Have any of you had your "visit" yet? On Wednesday during my second period class, in walk four men and begin to observe, arms folded, very intent. They are:
Dr. Allred--UVU
Mr. Muckity-muck Somebody (his boss)--UVU
My Principal
The Assistant District Superintendent over Secondary Ed. for Nebo

Now, I already have this "dry mouth in the morning" problem going on. I drink like two bottles of water before lunch every day (we won't discuss the other repercussions of that). I'm doing a guided reading with my class helping them find context clues in a short story, so I'm feeling the dryness big time--THEN they walk in.

Can I just say Holy Crap?

Saliva glands totally shut down. Tongue must have swelled right up in my mouth. I can barely articulate a word. Then I look back down to see where I'm supposed to be in the story and I see the words, "the damn capitalists."

Yes... I read them. I figured I'd get a call from the district or the principal or UVU by the end of the day.
I'm still in the classroom.

So how are your weeks going?

I'm feelin the stress...

You know when you were in high school and you never gave a second thought to what your teacher's did before, after, or outside of school. Well, let me tell you what they do.

1. Grade lots and lots of papers, with horrible grammar.
2. Keep track of late and missing assignments, with all sorts of different highlighter colors.
3. Putting in your grades on the computer, and making sure every number you punched in is right.
4. Make up hand-outs so that you don't have to write everything on lined paper, and so that you can keep your things more neat and organized.
5. Make multiple trips to the copy center a day, so that you can have copies of these glorious handouts that took hours to make.
6. Sweat, Cry and Worry about confronting one of you about Plagarizing within the first week of the term.
7. Sweat, Cry and Worry about all of you who have 1/2 of your assignments missing and late, and it's only the 2nd week of the term.
8. Sweat, Cry and Worry about the two students in a class that speak maybe 5 words of English and definitely don't write any...In your English Class, by the way.
9. Sweat, Cry and Worry about how the hell they're going to teach you Grammar in a way that you get it and aren't out of your mind bored! (If anyone needs a test and handout on how to use commas...I'm your gal!)
10. Come home, and try to beg, borrow, and steal lesson plans so that you don't have to spend hours making it up all yourself.
11. And last but not least, Spending hours making up your own lesson plans, because no one else's work seems quite the way that you want to teach it.

It's seriously a hard job, and I never thought or imagined my teachers put in this much work, but someone's gotta do it. So far, I can say that I'm glad it's me. Is anyone else feelin the heat???

I Survived My First Day--How are you all doing?

I met 90 seventh graders today. They did not inflict any permanent damage. In fact they were pretty fun. I have one class that has a lot of "chemistry" in it. Three boys will probably be moved within the week.

I have a "day off" tomorrow because the 8th & 9th graders will be the only ones on campus. I'll be doing my third revamp of lesson plans as I adjust to the ever changing schedule at school. My kids will take the DRP next Friday--my first standardized test!

I'll be thinking of you all tomorrow. You are amazing professionals!

The Sanity is Slipping Away

OK--so does anyone else feel overwhelmed? I've had a real roller coaster day. Up at 4:30 cause I couldn't sleep. Long faculty meeting. Even longer department meeting. I'm using a grading scale I hate (department policy). I've had my brain crammed full of policies and procedures. Still trying to get my bulletin boards hung on the wall (hubby is bringing drill tomorrow). I can tell now who I'm going to get along with and who I will try to avoid. Yikes!! I'm feeling like all the horror stories are true.

:(

Why Can't it Stay July Forever

I can't believe it's already August. I'm not feeling the pressure as much as my fellow interns are (because I have two extra weeks of vacation), but I'm still feeling it. I want it to freeze on July 31 forever. (But then I thought of all the Twilight fans, who would be so miserable waiting in-line for midnight to come so they can by the conclusion to the Bella-Edward-Jacob saga, but I am getting off track). Honestly, I am dreading August because it means that I need to get my butt in gear, start making lesson plans, make a plan of attack, and finish reading The Scarlet Letter (which I've been reading all summer). I still don't have very many ideas for it, or for Beowulf, Huck Finn, and everything else. My creative juices stopped flowing once methods ended because I was like a vampire and sucking the ideas/life from you guys. Those were good times, and I wish we were back there, but it's time to do what our UVU/UVSC superior training has prepared us for, and take that giant leap and hope we land on the other side without any broken bones. (I can handle bruises, and cuts, and scrapes because we need some bodily damage coming out of this, right?!)

Good luck to everyone! And just breathe!
Kerri

p.s. sorry about the horrible Twilight puns, but I just finished reading it and it's fresh on my mind. Which I think might be helpful considering 99.9% of the girls in my class have read it!

NCTE Blog--Check it out

The NCTE has a blog called:

NCTE inbox

I was just looking at their article on thinking maps. The author provides a bunch of links to sites designed to help teachers create various thinking maps for their students. I've been making them using MS Publisher, but sometimes I wish I could just download something. Or I run low on ideas and wish I could look at what others are using. This looks like a good place to start.

The Last Lecture

Today, Randy Pausch, a charismatic professor of computer science at Carnegie Melon, died after a battle with pancreatic cancer. If you ever need a little inspiration, a little pick me up (and as the start of school gets closer and closer we all might find ourselves needing this), take and hour and watch the YouTube video of his presentation at Melon's "The Last Lecture Series." It's on pursuing dreams.

Randy Pausch

Chaucer Audio Files

Those teaching English Literature might find this interesting.

Chaucer Metapage Audio Files

Listen to excerpts of the Canterbury Tales, Troilus and Criseyde, and other poems by Chaucer read in the middle English.

Newly added:

Norton Old and Middle English Audio Files

This has Beowulf read by Seamus Heaney, as well as other cool texts.

Newsweek Education Program Discontinued

But I downloaded some resources from the web before they took the content off. I have a PDF file for the 2007-2008 Essay Collection and teacher guide, along with some of their "tool box" documents. I thought I could use them to help teach reading and writing informational text. If anyone is interested in have these documents let me know. I can post them to my Google pages website or to UEN for download.

List of 10 Books to Read Before You Die

Thought this was interesting. On AOL today there was a blurb about ten books people should read before they die. Here is the list:

10. Gone With the Wind
9. The Lord of the Rings *
8. Harry Potter Series *
7. The Stand (by Steven King)
6. The Da Vinci Code (by Dan Brown) *
5. To Kill a Mockingbird *
4. Angels and Demons (by Dan Brown) *
3. Atlas Shrugged (by Ayn Rand)
2. Catcher in the Rye *
1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series (by Douglas Adams)

AOL didn't say who recommends these books, but I thought it was an interesting list. I've read 6 of the ten (marked by *). Here is a link for the article. The author has explained why each book is listed.

Top 10 Books

New Blog

I've got the new blog started. This is for ANYONE--not just UVU students. I'll leave it up to you to post anything from this blog over to the other (Kira--lesson plans!).

Feel free to share the addy with anyone you want. Right now I'm leaving myself as administrator. If there are features you want to see on the blog, just post me and I'll add them.

Here's the addy:
http://eng-la-zone.blogspot.com/

Inviting some new people

Hey! How's summer? I just got done with the Nebo New Teacher Induction--four days of fun.

I met some people who were interested in the blog. Thought I'd better run it by you guys first before I just invite them. So here are my questions:

1--Should I give them the addy but not the password or sign in?
2--Should I give them the whole shebang?
3--Should I just forget it and never post them any info?

It should be known that some of these are "BYU" people. I 'm discovering they do have a certain way about them.

Let me know what you think.
Rillene