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The Importance of Listening

2/27/2014

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When I decided to retire from the classroom last year, I was interviewed by several different people about this milestone in my career. More than once I was asked what advice I might give to new teachers just starting out. My answer to this question is usually “listen.” Listen to your heart, listen to the ideas your colleagues have to share, but most of all listen to your students. I was thinking about that as twice this week I was reminded about the importance of listening to our students.

Earlier this week on The Nerdy Book Club blog,  Donalyn Miller talked about how she tried to change the behaviors of her students during read aloud time. What she viewed as distractions were really the ways her students were able to relax and concentrate on what they were hearing. She discovered this by joining in conversation and really listening to what her students were saying. At first I was a little taken aback, since I was secretly applauding her for putting an end to drawing, playing with hair, or laying comfortably on the floor while a read aloud was being conducted – behaviors that really bug me, too. But as she observed and really listened to what the students were saying, she understood what read aloud time meant in her community of learners, and that those behaviors were not necessarily distractions to her students, but ways of participating as part of the community. I’m still conflicted about the behaviors, but I was impressed with how Donalyn put her own desires aside and really listened to what her students were telling her.

A few days later Clare Landrigan from Teachers for Teachers shared how really listening to what a student needed helped her to make a difficult decision. By taking the student’s needs into consideration, Clare was able to put into perspective what was the best procedure for that student and that class at that time.

Peter Johnston talks about the importance of listening in his book, Opening Minds: Using Language to Change Lives. He says that when we really listen to someone else’s thoughts or ideas, we view that person as a source of learning, and we make ourselves open to the possibility of changing our thinking.  I think that is what we must always remember about the classroom – that all of us, teachers and students alike – are open to the possibility of change because we listen, not just hear.

Sometimes as teachers we are so busy trying to get through our lessons that we forget what really matters – the needs of the students in our care. When things are not going well in the classroom, and perhaps even when they are, we need to slow down and listen. Our students will help us find the answers.

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Picture Book Biographies

2/19/2014

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Lately I’ve been revisiting quite a few picture book biographies as part of a project I’m working on, so I decided to use that genre as the focus of this year’s 10 for 10 Nonfiction Picture Book event. Thanks to Cathy, Mandy, and Julie for the chance to share and also add new titles to my always growing collection of must-reads and must-haves. I’ve tried to include some old favorites and new favorites. So, in no particular order, here are some of my favorite picture book biographies:

 

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin (illus. Mary Azarian).  Winner of the 1999 Caldecott Award, this book focuses on the passion and perseverance of Wilson Bentley, the first known photographer of snowflakes. The simple illustrations done in woodcut and the informative sidebars add to the appeal of this book.

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Alfred Nobel: The Man Behind the Peace Prize by Kathy-Jo Wargin (illus. Zachary Pullen). Inventor Alfred Nobel is most well-known for his invention of dynamite which he intended to help advance road and bridge construction safely. After realizing his invention was used more for military weaponry, he wanted to leave a more positive legacy. I love the dedication in this book that challenges children to find ways to make the world a safer and more peaceful place to live.

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Georgia’s Bones by Jen Bryant (illus. Bethanne Andersen). This book is a beautiful and lyrical celebration of Georgia O’Keefe’s interest in shapes and objects found in the natural world. I have used this book as a mentor text for showing writers how to pair words to create rhythm.

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The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon by Jacqueline Davies (illus. Melissa Sweet). The story and illustrations complement each other so well in this book. Throughout the book we find Audubon’s thoughts, often in the form of questions, as well as duplications of some of his journal entries. It is a great example of how questions lead to research and discoveries.

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Farmer George Plants a Nation by Peggy Thomas (illus. Layne Johnson). Most biographies of George Washington center on his military and political career, but this one shows George as an inventor and farmer, and how those experiences mirrored his struggles to create a nation.

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Flight by Robert Burleigh (illus. Mike Wimmer). Robert Burleigh is a master at expanding one moment in time. Here, he takes us on Charles Lindbergh’s historic flight as we learn about the determination and courage of this celebrated man. This is a great mentor text for showing students the power of writing in the present tense.

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The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy) by Barbara Kerley (illus. Edwin Fotheringham). This book is a great example of the use of primary source documents. Excerpts from Twain’s daughter Susy’s diary show a unique side of this author and humorist.

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The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by H. Joseph Hopkins (illus. Jill McElmurry). This 2013 publication tells the story of Kate Sessions who helped transform the barren landscape of San Diego’s City Park into one with lush green trees and plants.

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Miss Moore Thought Otherwise by Jan Pinborough (illus. Debby Atwell). I love that this book celebrates books and libraries. It tells the story of Anne Carroll Moore who helped create children’s library rooms where young readers were encouraged to handle, explore, and read books.  The title serves as a repeated refrain throughout the book.

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Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock (illus. John O’Brien). This book focuses on an aspect of Jefferson’s life apart from politics – his love of books and how this interest helped create the Library of Congress.

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My Mother. the Fashionista

2/11/2014

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This week marks my mother’s birthday. Although she passed away in 1993, I think of her often, especially during this time of the year. My mother always seemed to have an eye for fashion, and also a bargain! She appreciated well-made clothing, and when she found a coat or a skirt or a dress she liked, she would keep visiting it in the store until the price was right before she bought it. She didn’t get upset if the item sold, she just said another bargain would come along eventually.

        My mother loved hats! She always had a hat to go with any special outfit, or maybe it was the hat that made any outfit special. I remember one outfit in particular – an olive green skirt and top with matching shoes that she accented with a leopard stole. Of course she also had a pillbox-style olive hat that completed the outfit. It was the special touch that she added last before going out.

            In addition to hats, she always wore gloves – white cotton gloves, black suede gloves, red leather gloves of all different lengths. Some stopped at the wrist, while others reached father up the arm or sometimes to the elbow. I remember watching her one Christmas Eve as she painstakingly sewed colorful star-shaped sequins onto a pair of long black cotton gloves before going to church for midnight Mass.

            Both of my parents were part-time professional musicians who played violin in the city’s symphony orchestra.  One of my fondest memories is watching my mother get dressed on concert nights. She had beautiful silver hair that she always had styled on the afternoon of the night of the concert.  It contrasted sharply with, but at the same time complemented, her long black dress. I would sit on the edge of the bed and watch as she applied her make-up and jewelry, and by the time we had to leave for the concert she was truly a vision.

            My mother, the fashionista. Fond memories, indeed. I’ll be wearing a hat this week in her honor.




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Arizona Inspiration

2/4/2014

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Last week I was on vacation in the southwest. As is my practice, I began each morning checking email and doing some professional reading. I wanted to keep up with the “Writing About Reading” series on Two Writing Teachers. One of the ideas Stacey shared in her post about the different ways she uses her writer’s notebook to write about reading was copy-changing, where a writer uses a poem or another piece of writing as a scaffold to create one of their own.  The poem Stacey cited, “Today” by Billy Collins, inspired me to write about the natural beauty surrounding me in my travels. While perhaps not a true copy-change, I used Collins’ first line and couplet structure as a jumping off point.

 

Sedona


If ever there were a place so perfect,

so full of natural wonder

 

where the morning sun sets the red rocks ablaze,

welcoming the day,

 

where prickly pear cactus

line dusty trails to ancient ruins,

 

where majestic mountains loom large, red and white,

beneath bright blue skies,

 

where juniper trees dot the landscape

with puffs of forest green,

 

If ever there were a place so perfect

well, Sedona is that kind of place.


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