INVEST -- My word for 2023

When I say my word for the year is INVEST, I am not talking about money or stocks/bonds, etc. This year, I want to INVEST my time in things that matter:

• the Word and worship
• loving others
• my family
• my church
• my students

instead of things that are just things. I want to INVEST in the time to do things for others.

My goal -- spend less time on social media and more time on real interactions with others. 

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ~John 13:34

Greetings, readers!

If you have found your way here, congratulations!  

You need to set up your own blog via blogger.  If you need help you can Google "how to set up a blog on blogger." 

Once you have set up your blog, you will need to register your blog with me.  To do this, you will go to BB assignments and submit the following information:

1.  Blog name/title of your blog

2.  Your name as you are known in your blog (YOUR blog identity)

3.  Your blog address which will look like this:  http://insertname.blogspot.com

You must do this!  If you do not complete this, I will not give you credit for creating a blog. 

Alan Gratz -- Inprint Cool Brains author!

Here's our group! We attended the Inprint Cool Brains author presentation by Alan Gratz, author of Refugee and many other books! For some of my students, this was the first time they had heard a "real, live" author speak about his books and writing.

The auditorium was full of tweens, their parents, and their teachers/librarians! Mr. Gratz was an entertaining speaker and spent lots of time answering questions from his readers.

Afterwards, we went for dessert and were able to learn a little more about each other.

Good books--good friends!

Becoming a reader

Each semester I have several students who admit that they would not call themselves readers. This makes me sad (more like horrified), especially since many of the students I teach are either pre-service teachers or are currently teaching in our schools. Throughout the semester, we read books, blog about them, and talk about ways to find books they will like. We also discuss why being a teacher/reader is important for the students they will teach.

I think this is a great graphic on how to read more (and become a reader). The graphic is from Austin Kleon’s website (https://austinkleon.com/2019/03/21/how-to-read-more-3/). Go there to read more about how to read more.

Building A Classroom Community

We talk much about creating a classroom community, but I'm not sure we always work towards that, especially in higher education. During my secondary school literacy course this semester, we began the semester by talking about creating a classroom community, but these students really made it happen. They became a community of learners and a community of readers and writers, but they also became a community of people who really cared for one another.

We took pictures at the end of the last class together and while I love both pictures, the one "crazy" picture is more of what our classroom became. After the first few classes together, we weren't posing any longer. We shared ups and downs as readers and writers, shed a few tears together, but also laughed a lot together. We came to love each other, even with all our quirks!

Each time a semester begins and all those individuals walk into class for the first time, I wonder how we will come together as a class. This class...I'll never forget.

My One Word for 2019

Why do I continue to teach?

...because I still love seeing "the light bulb" go off in students (yes, that even happens with undergraduate and graduate students).

...because the feedback I receive at the end of each semester gives me insight into how I can be a better teacher for my students.

...because it only takes one email saying "I wish I had a teacher like you when I was growing up" and I'm ready to tackle another semester.

...because I do have life experiences (failures that I learned from) that I can share to help young pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and administrators think about what they want to accomplish in the classroom and in their daily jobs.

...because I love students and the vitality they bring to the classroom even after they have spent all day teaching their own PK-12 students.

...because I believe I have a calling to teach.