Nerdultion: Day One

A New Definition of Writing

I love a challenge! And the Nerdlution has provided just that. All over the country, book nerds are committing to do different activities over the course of 50 days.  I personally committed to read for 30 minutes daily, to write for 15 minutes daily, and to exercise for 30 minutes four times a week.

As I worked on setting my goals, I knew the reading goal would be attainable. We have 15 minutes of DEAR time each morning at school, so I’d already be halfway there just from that. The past few weeks, I’ve been pretty consistent with exercising three times a week. So, I added an extra day to challenge myself. The real issue would be making myself write daily. It’s not that I dislike writing. In fact, I enjoy writing a lot. I am just so hard on myself and am reluctant to get words on paper. I am my own worst critic.

Yesterday, December 2, was the first day of the challenge. I had blown through the thirty minutes of reading before 8 am!! Right after work, I went to Curves (yes, I exercise with the old ladies!) for my thirty-minute workout. I had every intention of sitting down at the computer to write after my youngest child fell asleep. Well, I never made it out of bed until my alarm went off at 4:50 this morning.

While showering, I was beating myself up.  I didn’t even make my goal on the first day! But, then I realized that I was being too hard on myself. I needed to take a deeper look at what I’d done during the day. I had actually written many times throughout the day. I’d taken at least six pages of handwritten notes during the workshop I’d attended. I had written numerous emails to people. I’d written in my son’s planner. In fact, I had written much longer than just 15 minutes!

One of the most powerful learning activities I’d go through with my students involved having them document all of the times they’d have to read throughout the day away from school. The purpose and power of this activity was twofold—the students saw that reading was a necessary life skill, and they saw that reading did not just mean sitting down to enjoy a novel. Their definitions of what constituted reading expanded. 

Likewise, this is true with writing. We write for many different purposes, and we should look at each of those purposes as valid and worthy to be called “writing.” Just because we may be responding to a friendly email or writing a grocery list, we are still writing, and therefore, are writers.

Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to my new blog! This is the place where I will share my thoughts, reflections, and ideas on teaching. Most of my posts will probably revolve around literacy as it is my passion.

A little bit about my professional life....This is my sixteenth year working in public education in the great state of Texas. I have a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of North Texas. I have a Master of Science in Reading and a Doctor of Education, both from Texas A&M University Commerce. I have taught first and fifth grades and all grades in between. I've taught at Title One schools and at a non-title school. Currently I am a instructional specialist, working with kindergarten, first, and second grade teachers and students. My principal best summarized what I do in this job. I "help grow both students and teachers."

A little bit about my personal life....I am married and am the proud mother of three amazing, brilliant children. I have a fifth grade daughter, a third grade son, and a tenacious two year old daughter. Being a parent informs me daily about the kind of teacher I strive to be. The day I became a mother, the way I approached teaching changed forever. That was when I began seeing each and every student through a parent's eyes.

My approach to and philosophy of literacy education is simple. It is all about motivation. When kids WANT to read, they WILL read. Then, they will KEEP reading and their reading achievement will SOAR! It's our job as educators and parents to put books into kids' hands that they want to read.

So, welcome to my blog. I hope that you will read what I have to share with an open mind. Please feel free to make comments as you wish. Happy reading!

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

“Oysters are a lot like women. It’s how we survive the hurts in life that brings us strength and gives us our beauty.”

In my quest to find new reading material, I stumbled upon the website of a fellow Texas educator, Julie Ballew. There she listed many books that she enjoyed reading. I jotted down her recommendations and headed off to the local public library. One of the books I came home with was Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. What a sweet, endearing book. I simply loved it.

CeeCee Honeycutt is a twelve-year old young lady living with a flamboyant, possibly "crazy" mother. When tragedy strikes, CeeCee is sent to live with her Southern relatives. This book was a fast, easy read, and characters were quite relatable. This book is a beautiful combination of The Secret Life of Bees, Steel Magnolias, and The Help. CeeCee learns a great deal about Southern Hospitality. Here's how she describes it: "…I realized that Southern hospitality not only came from the heart but was a practiced social art that had been passed down from one generation to the next—like fine silverware or china. Southerners had a way of doing things that made you feel special." (p 263) I totally agree with her sentiment. Having spent lots of time with family in Georgia, I know firsthand how diligently Southern ladies and gentlemen "work" to make visitors feel important.

The idea that I loved the most from this novel was the metaphor of each person having their own "Life Book," which is explained here in this conversation between CeeCee and her beloved neighbor, Mrs. Odell: “Life is full of change, honey. That’s how we learn and grow. When we’re born, the Good Lord gives each of us a Life Book. Chapter by chapter, we live and learn.” 

“But, Mrs. Odell, I’ve never even heard of a Life Book.”

“It’s not a book you can see or touch. It’s a book that’s held deep within your heart. It’s guarded by your spirit.”

“My spirit?”

“Yes,” she said, smoothing a loose strand of hair from my face. “When a chapter of your Life Book is complete, your spirit knows it’s time to turn the page so a new chapter can begin. Even when you are scared or think you’re not ready, your spirit knows you are.” (p 41)

The women that CeeCee encounters through her own Life Book give her lots of wonderful advice and share their own wisdom with both CeeCee and with the reader:

     “Oysters are a lot like women. It’s how we survive the hurts in life that brings us strength and gives us our beauty.” She fell silent for a moment and gazed out the window. “They say there’s no such thing as a perfect pearl—that nothing from nature can ever be truly perfect.” (p 255, Momma)

     “Don’t go wastin’ all them bright tomorrows you ain’t even seen by hangin’ on to what happened yesterday. Let go, child. Just breathe out and let go.”

I knotted up the corners of my mouth and nodded. “You’re so wise, Oletta.”

“People is wise ‘cause they get out in the world and live. Wisdom comes from experience—from knowin’ each day is a gift and accepting it with gladness. You read a whole lot of books, and readin’ sure has made you smart, but ain’t no book in the world gonna make you wise.”

     “Everyone needs to find the one thing that brings out her passion. It’s what we do and share with the world that matters. I believe it’s important that we leave our communities in better shape than we found them.

“Cecelia Rose,” she said, reaching for my hand, “far too many people die with a heart that’s gone flat with indifference, and it surely must be a terrible way to go. Life will offer us amazing opportunities, but we’ve got to be wide-awake to recognize them.” (p 101 Aunt Tootie)

My reflections after reading: I've heard it said that there is a feeling worse in God's eyes than hate. It is  indifference: when a person has no emotion at all, good or bad, towards someone or something. Is is worse to be a bully or to be a bystander who lets bullying occur? What can each of us do today that will move us from being mere spectators and into action?

If I had to write about my own "Life Book," what events would I say shaped me? 

That's all from me today. Happy reading! :)

2013 Reading Challenge: The Conundrum

For the third year in a row, the website Goodreads.com has encouraged followers to set reading goals. I must admit that this idea has previously left quite a bad taste in my mouth. However, I've very reluctantly decided to join in the fun and set my own goal. But why did I have such turmoil and angst in coming to this decision? Well, it's somewhat complicated, but I now can finally see both sides of my inner argument.

Cons against the challenge....

 It comes down to the age old debate over quality versus quantity. I'd much rather spend my time reading and ruminating over books of great quality than scarfing down average books just to add a few notches to my shelf. As anyone who worked with me during my doctoral studies knows, I am a qualitative researcher, not a quantitative one. I know there's more to data than mere numbers. In writing my dissertation (which was on motivation to read) I learned all about the detriment that programs such as Accelerated Reader have on readers. And that's what this challenge originally reminded me of and why I was so against it.

Pros for the challenge....

First, when people have goals (especially those that are written down and shared with others), they are more likely to work towards achieving those goals. Secondly, it has been shown through research that the more that people read, the better readers they become, the more they will read, the better they will feel about themselves as readers, and the more likely they are to keep reading. It's a cyclical effect that is well documented (see my dissertation for the full literature review). So, why would I be against anything that would encourage people to do more reading?

As I said, I reluctantly agreed to this year's challenge. I set my personal goal at reading 74 books this year. I considered setting my goal at 100 books, but that seemed somewhat too lofty. I considered 50 books (I know I read more than that each year). I split the difference. 75. Well, I was born in 74, and, therefore, liked that number better. If I were still in the classroom, I would meet this goal quite easily as I read at the very least one book a day.

I've already begun reading my first book of the year/challenge: Wonder, by R.J. Palacio. It's a book that has been recommended by our school librarian, teachers, and students alike. Several bloggers that I follow have also sung its praises.

So, whether or not you accepted the challenge, I wish you happy reading in 2013!