40 THINGS That Happened in the month of JULY

Mainly to convince myself that I really haven't been sitting on my ass the WHOLE time I've been back from Korea...

1. Scored a job at EnAble of GA.
2. Discovered Vista Yoga.
3. Lost 10 lbs since returning from Korea.
4. Reconnected with UUCA.
5. Registered for Sign Language @ GSU.
6. Met ladies of the Barrington house, at work. Amazing women.
7. Met Amy, my house lead at work. Amazing woman.
8. Met Gabe, other weekend SA. Another amazing woman.
9. Trained to work with dev. disabled adults, met wonderful staff at training.
10. Told Danielle I wasn't moving to Athens after all.
11. Had another therapy session with amazing woman I stumbled into by chance in Decatur.
12. Came to terms with being in therapy, and what that means.
13. Became slightly more comfortable with myself.
14. Saw Neil Patrick Harris in COMPANY!!!
15. Spent the weekend alone with mom, grandma, grandpa, and the island of CEDAR KEY.
16. Reconnected with Florida cousins and saw the springs.
17. Got my haircut and re-colored and met Beth.
18. Saw Larry Crowne (by myself.)
19. Finished Big Love season 3.
20. Finished Cheers, season 2.

Holy shit, I'm only at 20? I'm really not that interesting, am I?

21. Made miso soup (semi) successfully.
22. Watched Ashley on the Bachelorette get engaged, LOL, on Hulu.com.
23. Listened as Mary Elizabeth told me she got engaged.
24. America got F@#$ed by the debt ceiling.
25. S. Korea flooded (monsoon season.)
26. Norway shot up by crazy dude.
27. U.S.A. lost women's world cup to Japan.
28. I discovered the joy of cupcakes.
29. Decided to start a budget. (Next month.)
30. Decided to stick to a budget. (Next month.)

I can't even come up with 30! Yikes.

31. Discovered Red Mango Frozen Yogurt. LOL. Awesome!
32. Found an amazing facial from Chastain Wellness Studio on LivingSocial.com.
33. Grouponed it at Paint your own pottery studio THE POTTERY PLACE in Suburban Plaza.
34. Rediscovered Cowboy Mouth on the iPod.
35. Rediscovered Billy Joel on the iPod.
36. Discovered new podcasts on iTunes. Shoot me a comment if you're interested in more details.
37. Declared my love for City of Lakes Americorps' new website, launched this month.

(Woo hoo! Almost done!)

38. Discovered BOOK OF MORMON and soundtrack and still can't tell if I love it or hate it. (But listen compulsively.)
39. Saw SPAMALOT. I think that was either late June or early July. Can't remember.
40. Vowed to journal more next month.

That felt good. Done.

Clearly the month of me. July. Good month. Must be more social next month.

Flashback Tuesday

I'm restarting a trend as I look back at old journals. I have done too much to fall into a pit of depression and anxiety about my past and future. So here goes.

From ~March 2008, AmeriCorps*NCCC, Albany GA I wrote the following:

"How many 25-year-olds start their day by climbing an extension ladder with a hammer and continue to nail shingles to a roof? I can't help but notice I'm a little excited by that fact."

I also can't help but notice how I yearn to do that again, and how monotonous my life is now that I'm living back in the suburbs of Atlanta, working a part time job and getting ready to plunge head on into a grad program that will set me on a path to "financial stability" in the near future. Yes, I know what is best for me. Yes I've done the math. Yes, I've made the pro/con list. But darn it if I still want to dream and live the life? Does this make me forever a rambling hippie?

True story, sort of

I surf blogs. This is just what I do. I found this on a blog that I search here. It's hilarious and I thought I'd share. Enjoy!

Wrong E-mail Address
A Minnesota couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier. Because of hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their travel schedules. So the husband left Minnesota and flew to Florida on Thursday, with the wife flying down the following day.

The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an email to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in her email address and without realizing his error, sent the email. Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned home from her husband’s funeral. The widow decided to check her email expecting messages from relatives and friends. After reading the first message, she screamed and fainted. The widow’s son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read:

To: My Loving Wife
Subj: I’ve Arrived
Date: March 9, 2011

I know you’re surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and you are allowed to send emails to your loved ones. I’ve just arrived and have been checked in. I’ve seen that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then! Hope your journey is an uneventful as mine was.

P.S. Sure is hot down here!!!

Fill in the Blank Friday (actually on a Friday this time!)

Now that I'm not half way around the world anymore I can actually do these things as they were meant to be done. Join me!



1. Fridays are divine. Blissful. What I look forward to all week, and a chance to relax and stay in or hang out with friends on the town. Whatever I seem to be in the mood for on that particular Friday.

2. Being home in the United States currently makes me terribly happy.

3. Something that inspires me is a good song, book, or poem.

4. If I had the day off today I would...wait...I do have the day off today. And it feels absolutely grand not to have a plan or care in the world. Ask me that in a week and I will probably have a different answer for you.

5. If I had to put a label on my home decor style, I would say I don't have one. I don't like labels, but I put together pieces that I like and can afford, usually from IKEA and they usually look classic and trendy, but not like a picture from J Crew.
I'm an individual.

6. Concerning politics I would say I'm focused on what's best for the nation and world, and not what's best for the party. I hate party politics and am interested more in helping people.

7. I'd like to go to London so I could finally say I've been there and not just hear about how fabulous it is from others.

Check out The Little Things We Do for some inspiration too!

If Dreams Had Voices

I've been thinking about this for a while now, but only recently has it come back and hit me full force. Maybe it's the writer's neurosis and maybe it's just a passion calling again and again, but I can't shake it, so I'll blog it. Now more than ever, I feel it is my calling to study the Montessori method of educating young children. It's already a part of who I am as a teacher and already a part of my general teaching philosophy. Part of me wanted to get up and do this after finishing my undergrad degree and student teaching. I don't know why I didn't. Back then, a huge part of me said just go out and get more experience before making a decision like this.

Montessori training for a teacher is expensive in the United States, it will run about $10,000 for a one-year diploma certification. But, it's well worth it in the end, I think. The career opportunities for Montessori-certified teachers aren't numerous, but they are optimal. You have your pick of a school and working environment when all said and done. And after six plus years of less than optimal teaching gigs, I think I deserve a better break for myself. This year, while in Korea and learning lots, has taught me more than ever than I am not a traditional teacher. I'm not a worksheet teacher. And Korea is a worksheet country. So is the United States for the most part. It's dawned on me in the past five months of teaching that I loathe front of the room, call and response teaching. It doesn't work for me, and it doesn't work for the average six year old child.

I've been doing some research. Turns out, I've always wanted to go to London, UK. Turns out, the original Maria Montessori Institute just north of London offers a one year comprehensive diploma certification for Montessori teachers. 7,525 British pounds for the year's tuition. It's a full time program, complete with schooling on theory and philosophy, history, and student teaching and practicum hours in a Montessori classroom. I did the conversion and it comes to about $12,000 US dollars. That's all I have so far, but it's worth it for a career I can definitely stick with in the end.

An added perk: This certificate is recognized internationally, so I could go any where in the world and have a teaching gig at the end of the year. Average salary for a certified Montessori teacher with a four year Bachelor's degree and experience is somewhere in the range of $45,000/year, according to some quick internet research. That's definitely enough to pay back the loans in a year from the money I took out to pay for this thing. That's in the southeastern US.

Not sure of all the details, but the program for next year starts September 2011. If all goes well, I could be in London by that time. A true dream come true.

Mom: If you are reading this, don't freak out. Give me a Skype chat and we'll talk through it. Don't share with you know who just yet. Details have to be worked out.

I agree with the author here, the tunnel at the DMZ really isn't that exciting, but I had fun anyway

While browsing the web today, I came across this article from NPR, about a book that looks interesting not only for two attractions in Korea (one I've done and the other one I want to do) but from this excerpt, it sounds like the author is a hilarious woman and makes me want to do a Temple Stay even more than I already did.

Here's the excerpt:

Excerpt: '101 Places Not To See Before You Die'

101 Places Not To See Before You Die
By Catherine Price
Paperback, 272 pages
Harper Paperbacks
List price: $13.99

An Overnight Stay at a Korean Temple

In theory, an overnight stay at a Korean temple sounds like the perfect activity for anyone struggling to escape the pressures of modern life. You'll meditate, you'll learn about Buddhism, you'll go vegetarian. Concerns and cares will slip away as you drift into a blissful state of conscious awareness.

Unfortunately, that's not what it's like.

I signed up for one of these sleepovers through a program called Templestay. Created in 2002 by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism — the largest Buddhist order in Korea — the Templestay program aims to allow visitors to "sample ordained lifestyle and experience the mental training and cultural experience of Korea's ancient Buddhist tradition." In other words, it's a chance to test-drive life as a monk.

The meditation center I visited, about two hours from Seoul on Ganghwa Island, seemed like the sort of place that could inspire calm. The grounds are nestled between rice paddies and a leafy forest, and the center's brightly painted temple sits several stone steps up from a gentle brook and a small pond stocked with lotus flowers and koi.

When my friend and I arrived — several hours late, thanks to trouble reading the bus schedule — the Templestay coordinator introduced herself in fluent English and led us to the room where we'd be staying. It was empty except for sleeping pads, blankets, and small pillows stuffed with plastic beads. After we'd dropped off our bags, she handed us our clothes for the weekend: two identical extra-large sets of baggy gray pants and vests, along with sun hats and blue plastic slippers. We looked like we'd stepped out of a propaganda poster for Maoist China.

I'd assumed that most temple life involved sitting still and cultivating enlightenment, but instead our first activity was community work time. Clad in our Mao suits, we followed the coordinator to the garden, where eight other Templestay guests squatted between raised rows of dirt, piles of potatoes scattered around them. They gave us hostile glances as we approached — thanks to our late arrival, they'd been forced to harvest potatoes for three hours in eighty-degree heat. I couldn't blame them for their animosity; if I'd been digging in the dirt while some assholes took the slow route to Ganghwa Island, I'd be pretty pissed off too. But such negativity seemed to go against the spirit of the retreat. I adjusted my sun hat and joined them in the field.

After we'd assumed our squatting positions, the coordinator explained that we were supposed to sort the potatoes into piles of small, medium, and large — and then left without demonstrating what the Buddhist definition of "small" was. After a half hour spent tossing any potato smaller than a golf ball into a nearby box, I looked up to find a monk standing above me, examining my work. I smiled. Expressionless, he picked up my box and emptied it onto the ground.

It was time for meditation.

Once we'd learned the correct way to arrange our shoes outside the temple door, the Templestay coordinator demonstrated how to prostrate according to the Korean Buddhist tradition: kneel down, touch your forehead to the floor, and rest your hands, palms upward, on the ground. Then do it all in reverse, like a movie playing backward. Repeat, ideally several hundred times.

To me, the main value of the prostration practice was as a quadriceps exercise, but any improvement in the shape of my thighs was mitigated by the pain it caused in my arthritic knees. I had plenty of time to reflect on this discomfort when we followed our prostrations with a meditation: sitting in silence for a half hour, a slight breeze blowing through the open doors at our back as if beckoning us to escape.

After a slow walking meditation through the temple grounds, a vegetarian dinner, calligraphy practice, and a discussion on meditation led by the temple's head monk (I spent most of the time killing mosquitoes and then feeling guilty about the karmic implications), we were sent back to our rooms to get rest before our 3:30 a.m. wake-up call. Lying on the floor, still dressed in my Mao suit, I fidgeted till 1:30.

Two hours later, the sound of the mokt'ak — a wooden percussion instrument played every morning to start the temple's day — jolted me awake. I pulled myself up from my floor mat and stumbled through the predawn darkness to the temple, where pink lotus lanterns illuminated a small group of people inside, creating the kind of picture you would send home to friends to make them feel jealous about the exotic experiences you had while on vacation.

There is a difference, however, between postcards and reality. For example, no one sends postcards at 3:30 in the morning. Nor do most people's vacation plans involve getting out of bed in the middle of the night to sit for a half hour in silence with their eyes closed. I watched through cracked eyelids as the Templestay coordinator repeatedly jerked herself awake just before tipping over, like a commuter on an early-morning subway train. I was close to succumbing to the same fate myself when I noticed something that kept me awake: a gigantic beetle crawling on a lotus lantern hanging above my head. This beetle was easily the size of a large fig; having it fall on my head would have been the equivalent of being smacked by a mouse. I began to focus my attention entirely on the beetle, sending prayers into the ether for its secure footing.

My prayers worked — the beetle remained aloft, and we were eventually allowed to go back outside. After sneaking a cup of instant coffee with a Venezuelan couple, I pulled myself through another walking meditation and followed the other participants to the main room for a Buddhist meal ceremony. A highly choreographed process of place-setting, serving, and eating, it included a final inspection by a head monk to see if our bowls were clean. "You do not want to disappoint him," said the coordinator. "Doing so would reflect poorly."

She then walked us through what would take place during the meal ceremony, including a final cleansing: we were to take a piece of pickled radish and use it to swab our dishes. This caught the attention of a young Canadian woman.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," she said. "But how is wiping my bowl with a radish going to make it clean? What about germs?"

"We fill the bowls with very hot water," said the coordinator, sidestepping the question. "So when you use the radish, the bowl is already very clean."

"Is it, like, a hygienic radish?" asked the Canadian woman.

"Yes," said the coordinator. "It is a hygienic radish."

Things went downhill from there. Exhausted and cranky, one by one we began refusing to play monk. If one of the whole points of Buddhism was to cultivate acceptance, why, I asked, did we have to go through such an elaborate meal ceremony? The Venezuelan couple went a step further: they left.

Wishing that we had the same kind of courage, my friend and I instead counted down the hours until we returned to Seoul, and upon arrival treated ourselves to a bottle of wine. Several days later, the Templestay coordinator e-mailed the weekend's participants and invited us to a workshop to perform three thousand prostrations to "inspire yourself into practice." The idea sounded horrifying, but it reminded me how difficult it would be to live like a monk. Which, as the coordinator suggested, may have been the point.

Excerpted from 101 Places Not To See Before You Die by Catherine Price. Copyright 2010 by Catherine Price. Excerpted by permission of Harper Paperbacks.

And WHY CAN'T my life be a musical?

The world according to Emily and RecycledArtGirl: (Bear with me, I'm just jotting down some thoughts from google chat tonight.)

"You see Mr. Principal, I want to teach at your school because I want to be where the people are. I want to see them dancing, ask me some questions and get some answers. I don't know where, I don't know how, but I know something's starting right now. Watch and you'll see. Someday I'll be part of your world."

"My philosophy of education? Oh that's easy. Basically my education philosophy is to whislte while you work while downing heaping spoonfuls of sugar to help the medicine go down."

"What can I bring to your organization? A whole new world. Shining, shimmering splendor. Tell me, when was the last time you took a magic carpet ride? If you hire me, it will be a magic carpet ride in the kindergarten room everyday. Let your heart decide."

So, you decide. If your life was a musical, which one would it be? What are your favorite lines?

Why I love music, and yes, I know posting song lyrics is a bit of a blog-post copout

But today is just one of those days that I need this kind of positive thinking reminder. I *heart* this woman, and I *heart* this song.

Am I faithful, am I strong, am I good enough to belong
In your reverie a perfect girl
Your vision of romance is cruel and all along I played the fool
All your expectations bury me

[Chorus]
Don't worry you will find the answer if you let it go
Give yourself some time to falter
But don't forgo know that you're loved no matter what
And everything will come around in time

I own my insecurities I try to own my destiny
That I can make or break it if I choose
But you take my words and twist them 'round
Til I'm the one who brings you down
Me me feel like I'm the one to blame for all of this...

[Chorus]
Don't worry you will find the answer if you let it go
Give yourself some time to falter
But don't forgo know that you're loved no matter what
And everything will come around in time

You need everybody with you on your side
Know that I am here for you but I hope in time
You'll find yourself alright alone
You'll find yourself with open arms
You'll find yourself you'll find yourself in time

The riot in my heart decides to keep me open and alive
I have to take myself away from you
'Cause I can't compete I can't deny there's nothing that I didn't try
How did I go wrong in loving you

[Chorus]
Don't worry you will find the answer if you let it go
Give yourself some time to falter
But don't forgo know that you're loved no matter what
And everything will come around in time

Yes, posting lyrics is kind of a copout...

...but I will do it anyway, because that's the kind of mood I'm in...

Nick of Time
Bonnie Raitt

A friend of mine she cries at night and she calls me on the phone
Sees babies everywhere she goes and she wants one of her own
She's waited long enough she says and, she still he can't decide
Pretty soon she'll have to choose and it tears her up inside
She is scared
Scared she'll run out of time

I see my folks are getting on and I watch their bodies change
I know they see the same in me and it makes us both feel strange
No matter how you tell yourself, it's what we all go through
Those lines are pretty hard to take when they're starin' back at you
Scared to run out of time

When did the choices get so hard, there's so much more at stake
Life gets mighty precious
When there's less of it to waste
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
Scared to run out of time

Just when I thought I'd had enough and all my tears were shed
No promise left unbroken, there were no painful words unsaid
You came along and showed me how to leave it all behind
You opened up my heart again and then much to my surprise
I found love, baby, love in in the nick of time
(Love in the nick of time)
I found love, darlin', love in the nick of time
I found love baby, love in the nick of time

Now that I'm far away from baby land, I can safely post this little numbe that a Em and I came up with one late night over G-chat

Top Ten Things To Say in an Interview for an Infant Room Teaching Position That Might Betray the Fact that You Know Crap About Babies

10. "...Will there be feces?"

9. "What would I do at floor time with the rug rats? Crap if I know... HAHAHAHAHA. ...Shoot myself? Wait....was that a trick question?"

8. "Well, if faced with a floor full of babies, I would...dance a jig and hope for the best? Talk about Sesame Street and how awesome it is to be able to talk?"

7. "Well, what do you want me to do with a floor full of babies? Quote Shakespeare?" Discuss Homer and the Odyssey? You can never teach them too early!"

6. "Your Baby Can Read. That's what we would be doing. Your Baby Can Read, Theory of Hegemonic Decline, classic lit--you know, the usual."

5. "What can possibly be so hard about a room full of babies? You pop in a tape and let the music do the rest...right? Um, thank God for Raffi--know what I mean?""

4. "You mean there's a wrong way to slap a diaper on that little fella? Who knew?"

3. "She's so TINY! Are you sure I won't break her? So, how hard could I squeeze her? I mean, theoretically..."

2. "You mean that little munchkin...er...dopey/sleepy/sneezy...I have do what? You are asking me to do what now? I DON'T THINK SO BIOTCH."

1. "What if I run out of formula? Is there a snack machine in this place?"

In other news...

I took someone's advice and I marched my butt down to the school district's main office. (I was actually in the area after my first interview today, but that's another story all together.) I thought I would take a positive step in my job search process. I explained that yes, I just received my layoff letter on September 11. (I had been laid off since June, and I was a little confused over this too.) I thought that this might be a factor affecting my application and not getting called from schools, so I thought by going to Human Resources it would straighten things out. I was very polite, even though I felt like a dragon. My dragon head did not get reared, at least not today. I explained what location I worked, when I was excess-ed, and what I'm looking for. They said that it wouldn't affect my applications, but schools now have upwards of 200 qualified applicants that they are looking at for hiring. No wonder it's taking so long. So how do I make myself look different than 200 other people? I walked out of there with a list of schools and promptly began calling the schools I had applied for. One school told me that "they didn't know when they would begin their hiring process." What? It's September. Another school told me that "they had already filled the position, and had had it filled since June." Then why did you post it? I know this kind of things happen all the time in the job search process, but it frustrates me to no end. It's the sheer number of factors that add up to what seems to be a losing situation for the job seeker. I guess I just needed to rant, but I have to stay positive. I am a qualified individual with 5 years in the educational arena. I have a clear view of how schools operate and what my role in them should be. I should be able to communicate this to future employers, but not with this nonsense. Hiring processes are slow, I just didn't anticipate them being THIS slow. That's all.

Love my life

I just figured out that yes, I did take the wrong Praxis, and no, it's not offered in August, ANYWHERE!!!

Well damn.

Looks like another year of being an assistant to the assistant for me.

Early Childhood does not equal Elementary K-6 in Minnesota, FYI. (It doesn't anywhere else but I think Georgia would have been a little more flexible here and let the test count.)

September 12 is the new test date.

I do have a contact person on my side at MNDOE.

This is STILL my year. It HAS to be. Positivity, people.

Cool song

I discovered this song while watching SCRUBS today, and immediately fell a little bit more in love...even though I'm not a fan of the band. I'm not sure how I feel about the music video, but the song is catchy and might get added to my iTunes playlists. Yay good music!!!

Shiny New Adult Life

New apartment
New job (almost)
New roommate
New city (suburb really)
New bed

Summer is here
What am I still doing in Minnesota?
Exploring
That's exactly what I'm doing
Exploring
Finding my calling
Teaching (or trying to)

The weather here is gorgeous here, really
You should join me!
I should spend more time outside
I had the afternoon off and didn't know what to do with it
So I took a nap
And watched Designing Women, and Sex and the City, and Mad about You
And then read a girly novel
And listened to my iPod
It was wonderful

It's my shiny new adult life
What do you do with your time?

Three song picks of the day

For some reason or another, I have three songs stuck in my head, on repeat. Share a bit of my world for a minute. No judgment please.

1. Fighter (Christina Aguilera)

Yes, I realize it's Christina, and pop crap, but it does make me feel a little bit better about life knowing that everything is a test and everything I do will make me that much better.

'Cause it makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
Makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
It makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter

2. Superman, aka Scrubs soundtrack

Two words: Zach Braff. Enough said. Should be an anthem for anyone in the nonprofit/service/helper fields. Seriously.

Well I know what I've been told
Gotta break free to break the mold
But I can't do this all on my own
No I can't do this all on my own
I know that I'm no Superman
I'm no Superman
I'm no Superman

3. Somebody More Like You (Nickel Creek)

Just because I adore a good break up song.

I didn't hear you say you're sorry
The fault must be mine
I wish you all the best of luck
At finding somebody more like you

Transitions abound!

I haven't posted awhile, and I don't have a good excuse other than the fact that seasons turn and transitions happen. I will be moving out of the college house in another week and a half and into a new apartment with a semi-shady landlord team Roseville, MN. I have finished all but one class for my reading license, putting me effectively in post-school let-down mode this week. You know the feeling, the feeling of being so worked-up, that when you no-longer have anything to do, you don't know what you do with yourself, fall into a deep depression, and sleep for 15+ hours. Maybe you don't know the feeling, but that's my feeling. I will be on and off the Internet for the next couple of weeks with moving stuff, but I promise a more stunning update or more exciting topic next time. Please suggest a topic too!

More of my assignments

Plan for Scaffolding Instruction
Strategy Focus: Activating Background Knowledge and Making Connections
Grade 2

Book #1: Teacher Modeling (I do, you watch…and listen)
Title: KITTEN’S FIRST FULL MOON
Author: Kevin Henkes

Brief Description of Text
Kitten mistakes full moon and its reflection for bowls of milk everywhere, and it gets her into quite a bit of mess. No matter what she does, she can’t seem to catch the full moon and lap up the milk that she wants so badly. Finally, she sees the reflection of the full moon in the pond and mistakes it for a bigger bowl of milk. She dives in, expecting milk, and ends up sopping wet, cold, hungry, and quite miserable. When she does make it home, there is an actual bowl of milk waiting for her on the porch. She realizes how lucky she is to have such a loving home.

Teaching Context
I would begin by explaining that characters in books share many of the traits that characters (people) have in real life. I would ask if anyone had a kitten or cat at home and if they could share their experiences. Gathering information like this would allow me to quickly assess what the students already know and where to guide them with my modeling. I would briefly discuss my experiences with kittens and explain that kittens, like people, use what they know to help them form an opinion of what they don’t know. I would explain that the kitten in the story does this, and read the story before giving away too much of what happened. The first reading would be just a reading to enjoy the story. Then I would read the story again. Throughout the second reading, I would stop to give an example of a time when I thought something was different than what it actually was. I would give several examples. For example, I used to think that fairies existed behind cars that would help push them along. I would think aloud and explain how my thinking over the years was corrected when I learned about gasoline and how cars actually move. I would continue with these examples as I read the story. I would give an example about people in the desert thinking they come to water but what they actually saw was a mirage and talk about the consequences of their actions. With each page on the second reading, I would encourage children to share their thinking about a time when they mistook an object for another object and what the consequences of their mistake was and how it turned out. With each example that I model, I would explain that I just made a connection to my own life. With each example from a student, I would explain that he or she just used what he knew (activated background knowledge) to make a connection about to the book.

Rationale for Choosing the Text
Everyone makes mistakes based on what they know; the kitten is the perfect example of this. It’s perfect for modeling making connections because I can think aloud the many misinterpretations I have made over the years and encourage students to also think of a time when they have thought something was different from what it actually is. This simple text structure also allows me to focus on the content and meaning of the story rather than teaching the story itself and frees a lot of my time to teaching the strategy of activating background knowledge and making connections. I also want to incorporate more author studies into my teaching, and wanted to focus this entire plan on books by Kevin Henkes. If I see that students are applying the strategy, I can also talk about differences and similarities in the books by the same author.

Book #2: Teacher Modeling (I do, you watch….and listen)
Title: Wemberly Worried
Author: Kevin Henkes

Brief Description of Text
Wemberly worries about everything! From the cracks in the wall to the slide on the playground to her friends at her birthday party, there is not a thing that she doesn’t worry about. One could argue that the girl will probably end up with an ulcer at the age of 40 if this continues. Finally, the first day of school comes and she’s beyond worried about that. She worries that someone will make fun of her for carrying a doll more than anything else. Finally, the first day of school arrives, and she sees that school is not so bad, and even makes a friend that also carries a doll as a comfort item. She realizes that school is not so bad and the worrying is needless. She is definitely coming back to school the next day.

Teaching Context
With the last book, I modeled orally, and invited oral responses. This time, I will continue to model, but write down what I am modeling and the connection I am making in three-column graphic organizer the second time I read it. The first time I read it aloud I’d simply ask with each page if anyone has a similar worry. I’d still think aloud my worries and state that I am making a connection with the main character. The second time I read it, I would explain that I am going to organize my thinking in a chart. The chart will have three columns labeled “Wemberly’s Worries,” “Our Worries,” and “Other Worries.” As I come up with my own worries, I will model coding them T-S (and explain that I made a text to self connection), and write them down. For example, Wemberly worries that the slide is too high, and I will give an example and write it down that I remember being worried when crossing the Hennepin Ave. Bridge that it is also to high and I don’t like heights. Another example would be Wemberly rubs her bunny’s ears when she is worried, and I also have a bad habit of biting my nails when I worry. I would continue to write these down on the chart and invite other connections as well. Other worries would be worries from other people not in the class. For example, I might say, “I bet out principal worries about the school a lot and if everyone is getting along and learning what they need to learn and everyone is safe.” I’d write this down and code it a text to world connection. I’d also try to find other books that have characters that worry in them. For example, “I bet Ramona Quimby worried a lot about her first day of kindergarten in our read aloud book this month.” I would write that book down and code a T-T and explain what it means. I realize too that modeling is just that, and not sharing, but part of my modeling I want to see how well students do and if I have to model some more. I realize that I might have to give more examples and I will be prepared to do that if I hear examples from students that don’t really qualify to be connections.

Rationale for Choosing the Text
As someone that struggles from some pretty severe anxiety myself, I can definitely relate and found this as a perfect opportunity to model some text-to-self connections with Wemberly. The text is simple, and easy to understand, leaving the strategy of making connections and activating background knowledge rather than teaching the story the focus of this mini-lesson. I also wanted to keep with my Kevin Henkes author study theme and this was a good Henkes book applicable to modeling the strategy of making connections. I figure all students have some worries that will surface as I read, which leads into a great transition to the next part of the making connections unit, the shared responsibility and demonstration part.

Book #3: Shared Demonstration (I do, You Help)

Title: Owen
Author: Kevin Henkes

Brief Description of Text
Owen brings his blanket wherever he goes. He’s like Linus from Peanuts. (See, I made a Text-to-Text connection without even thinking about it!) Owen’s parents, with pressure from the nosey neighbor Mrs. Tweezers, decide that they want to wean Owen off the blanket using every strategy possible, but to no avail. Owen just protests. Owen cries. Finally, they come up with a solution that all (even Mrs. Tweezers) can live with, and all is right with the world again.

Teaching Context
I would begin by reminding students that we are still working on making connections with a text we are reading, and remind them of the importance of making connections. They make reading more interesting, we are more likely to understand what we are reading when we can put ourselves in the position of the characters, and we are more engaged in what we are reading. I would explain that the character in this story has a problem, and suggest that I’ve had similar problems and many students can probably relate to Owen’s problem. I would then introduce the task. “Your job,” I would say, “is to think of a time when you felt like Owen did when they wanted to take his blanket away.” I would pass out large post-it notes and have the students take out their pencils. When reading, I would still continue to model and think aloud at times when it is appropriate to do so. I would invite students to share and write down their thinking, asking questions such as, “What choice would you have made if you were Owen?” or “How else might you have solved that problem?” Other questions students could think about are “Are there items that you feel similarly about in your own life?” I’d pause for moments after a few pages at a time and invite students to write down thinking. After reading the story, I’d invite students one by one to share what they wrote and we’d discuss the connection made. We’d put all the post-it notes on a diagram similar to the one in the last lesson, with three columns labeled “Owen’s Problem,” “Our Problems,” and “Our Connections.” I’d think aloud as to why I was putting each note in each column. Closing the lesson, I’d remind students that each of them made excellent connections to the reading and that it is important to make such connections and think about what they know every time they read a piece of text.

Rationale for Choosing Text
Again, Kevin Henkes books have so much content in them that children can connect with naturally, and I wanted something that would do just that. Every child has an item or two that they have a hard time parting with, and I wanted a book that would bring this out for my first shared lesson. Plus, this is the first book in this set with a male main character and I always make a conscious effort not to read aloud too many books with a male or female main character when I do read alouds with children. I’ve never done this series of lessons with children, but I will look forward to putting my creations to use soon.

Book #4: Shared Demonstration (I do, You Help)

Title: Chrysanthemum
Author: Kevin Henkes

Brief Description of Text
Chrysanthemum loves her name, until she goes to school that is. Everyone teases her because it’s too long, and it’s a flower. She feels awful. Everyone in her class is named after their grandmother or has a “normal” name. Then she meets her music teacher that is also named after a flower and her class is jealous of her. Chrysanthemum learns to appreciate her name and love it again, just like she did before she started school. Her music teacher has a baby girl and names it Chrysanthemum after her favorite student.

Teaching Context
I would again review that we are learning to make connections and activate background knowledge while we read. I would have students think of a time when they felt left out and what made them feel that way. They would think-pair-share it with their neighbor. We would begin reading, and I would continue to model at appropriate times when I connected with the character and why. I would also ask students to share their connections and questions such as “Who had a connection with a name?” or “When you shared with your neighbor, how many of you shared a time when you felt your name was not important or silly?” For students who don’t have connections, I would ask questions such as, “How would you feel if you were in Chrysanthemum’s place?” at given points in the story. I would again use the think-pair-share or turn and talk when appropriate. I would continue to model, using phrases like, “I remember when my first grade teacher said something to me to make feel good,” and “I felt just like Chrysanthemum when I started a new school.”

Rationale for Choosing Text
Again, everyone has a time in their life when they felt out of place and not comfortable with something about them. I thought that in keeping with my Kevin Henkes author study theme, this was definitely a text where there were plenty of opportunities for students to make connections with the characters and share those connections with their classmates would arise. As a side note, Kevin Henkes also lives in Madison, Wisconsin, and there is a place in this book where there is a pull down map of Wisconsin, so kids could make a connection to the Midwest, since we live in Minnesota.

Book #5: Guided Practice (You do, I help)

Title: OH!
Author: Kevin Henkes

Brief Description of Text
Snow falls and brings the squirrel, the rabbit, the cat, the dog, and the children out during what seems to be the first snow. Everything is white and everyone wants to play. Finally, the sun is shining and a snowman is built. Night falls and playtime is over for everyone. Everyone rushes home and promises of fun tomorrow abound. Oh! Refers to the exclamation of joy everyone seems to have on the first snow of the season.

Teaching Context
Small group guided reading, where everyone has a copy of the book or there are at least one copy per two students, I intent to introduce the book as a book by the same author as the one we’ve previously been reading and remind students we are looking for connections with text and we will do that by thinking about what we know about snow. The students will read this text by themselves in pairs once. On the second reading, students will discuss the following prompt: “This story reminds me of…”. Students will share with their partner and then with their whole group, one at a time. I will correct thinking and model more if appropriate. Students will then write in their journals according to the prompt, “The snow reminds me of…” If students need more of a cue to visualize their last snow experience, I will ask questions such as “What do you do when you play in the snow?” Or “how do you react when you see snow fall for the first time in the winter?” I will remind students that when they answer this, they are making a connection with their reading. I will collect journals and monitor progress and adjust with the next lesson the way I see fit.

Rationale for Choosing Text
I wanted something simple enough for second graders to read by themselves on the first guided practice session of this unit. The text is simple in OH! And in keeping with my theme of Kevin Henkes and local work, I figured that snow (being that I’m teaching in Minnesota) is something that every student has a connection with and can share that connection with and can apply their own background knowledge to sharing their connection with the rest of their small group.

Book #6: Guided Practice (You do, I help)

Title: Lilly’s Big Day
Author: Kevin Henkes

Brief Description of Text
Lilly longs to be a flower girl in her teacher’s wedding, but there is one problem: her teacher’s niece is already promised to be the flower girl. Lilly practices and practices and gets her hopes up until she is disappointed. When she attends the wedding her teacher promises to let her be the flower girl’s helper. Good thing too, the flower girl gets scared and forgets what to do on the big day. Lilly to the rescue! She ends up carrying flower girl Ginger up the aisle shows her what to do and gets to stand right next to her teacher on his big day. Everyone lives happily ever after and Lilly gets to dance at the reception and make friends with the girl she initially thought was going to be her competition and worst enemy.

Teaching Context
I hope to do this in small groups and I’m hoping that not much reminding will have to be done about connections. The task: Students will be given the book (assuming I have one for each student) three large post it notes and be instructed to write down three times at which they made a connection to Lilly or another character in the story. Students will do this independently, with some prompting if needed. I will begin by asking if students have ever had a big day of their own. They will turn and talk to their neighbor to share their experiences. I don’t anticipate having to do a whole lot of modeling, but can certainly do so if needed and appropriate for the situation. I’m a little worried about the level of this text and if it can be read independently, but I can always circulate and help with hard words and comprehension. Students will share what they have written and we will display our connections and background knowledge on a chart for the whole class and other classes to see. I will continue to refer to this unit as I teach other strategies throughout the school year.

Rationale for Choosing Text
Again, everyone has had a time in their life where they have really looked forward to something and were disappointed by how it turned out. We look at these as learning opportunities in childhood as well as adulthood. I think that this is an excellent book to test how much students have learned about how to make connections to a particular text, plus, I love how relatable Lilly is as a main character. As I said, I wish I could find a simpler text for guided practice, but the skill focus will be the making of the connections, not the actual reading, so if all else fails I can also read this aloud and have the connections made in writing or orally. Also, I wanted to conclude my Kevin Henkes author study with this gem of a story. I’m glad I got to explore this author that I haven’t really had much experience with this far. This is definitely something I will use with students throughout my career.

Reflection
This activity definitely made it clearer to me how to break down each strategy and choose text for my teaching. I still struggle with how to isolate a strategy, but I feel like this assignment was good practice with that. I would welcome feedback on this and suggestions about what to do or not to do all at once. I also feel that best laid plans also go astray, and would be eager to try these strategies out with students to see what they say. I can only imagine the connections that students make to these books, and I feel that the first book I choose for the modeling portion should also be used for the guided practice because it’s simpler text and students in second grade can read this on their own easier than they could read Lilly’s Big Day. Before this assignment, I had a very abstract view about how to teach reading, and this made it slightly more concrete. Like anything, I feel that I will need much more practice with this but that is what life and teaching is all about, I suppose. This was also my first experience with grouping books by author, and I really like this style. It makes it much easier to focus on the strategy at hand, I believe, when you aren’t comparing one book to another.