Celebrate 4/26

Join this fabulous group of bloggers as we celebrate our weeks. You can link up on Ruth Ayres blog at www.ruthayreswrites.com

Last Sunday was a perfect day off.  We had Monday off so it could truly be just a day to relax and enjoy the end of my Spring break.  It was beautiful outside and my husband and I went on a nice, long walk around the neighborhood.  There is a new frozen yogurt shop that opened up and we had an extra afternoon treat together.  

Monday I was able to find some great resources for our Shakespeare unit, and I found this TED Talk by Sarah Kay, which sparked some great ideas for ELA class.

Tuesday I had fun checking in with my students and their reading over break.  One girl greeted me with, "Ms. Payan, I finished 3 books over break!" I love it that this student is reading so voraciously now.  She is one who made all kinds of excuses about how she couldn't find time to read at home because of helping to take care of siblings.  We worked out a plan to start the reading habit and now she is voracious and finishes books really quickly.

Wednesday I started the unit about Shakespeare.  I showed the students this TedEd video about insults in Shakespeare.

They spent the rest of the week biting their thumbs at each other.  Then, I had them work on a webquest about Shakespeare and his times.  The students figured out that it was Shakespeare's birthday that day and they got a kick out of the fact that his wife was named Anne Hathaway.  The best was when a few of my students cheered to find out that they were doing a unit on Shakespeare.

Thursday I had a few great conferences during reading workshop.  The best was a girl who is reading The Summer of Letting Go by Gae Polisner.  I asked her how it was going and she jumped right into talking about the characters.  She said, "I like how she thinks that her brother's spirit is in the little boy." I love that my students are getting really great at talking about books without prompts.  I also like that this is what she is picking up on in this amazing story.  I also had a great talk with a student about whether the Legend trilogy or the Divergent trilogy is better.

Friday we watched the 1996 movie version of Romeo and Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.  I wish I would have recorded the students' reactions to the end of the movie.  It was obvious that most of them did not know what happened in the play.  They were yelling at the screen telling Juliet to say something to Romeo so he wouldn't drink the poison.  It was so much fun to hear them reacting.

Today I had a great time at my nephew's 3rd birthday party.  It was nice to see family and to enjoy the antics of young children.  My husband had his belt test today and earned his brown belt in Suikido.  I am so proud of him!

What do you have to celebrate this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments! Have a great week!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 4/21

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? --From Picture Books to YA is a weekly meme started by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers. This is a chance for bloggers to recap their week of reading and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take. Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating in this meme and a whole bunch of titles to add to your to-read lists.

Books I Finished This Week:

This is the 9th book in the Pretty Little Liars series.  A quick and fun read.  It is now getting quite interesting to see how the author will twist the story to extend it.  Most of the twists and turns are quite unbelievable, but it is fun to read nonetheless.

Since I am already a big fan of murder mysteries, this book appealed to me.  The book alternates viewpoints between the daughter of the man accused of murder and the boyfriend of the murder victim.  Emily, the daughter, knows in her heart that her father did not kill the girl, but her father was in the midst of a flashback, a symptom of PTSD. The mystery of what happened is further twisted by the fact that the boyfriend does not remember what happened that night.  He has told police a lie and his memories might just be the key to the mystery.  This was a very intriguing mystery and well-written.  I absolutely would recommend it to grades 8 and up.

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey was described in a blurb as a cross between Mary Shelley and Stephen King.  I definitely agree with that.  I really liked the fact that the writing style was similar to Frankenstein.  The story is told in journal entries by the assistant to a doctor of monstrumology as he works to rid the town of the latest infestation of monsters.  There were some quite gruesome scenes in this story and I would not recommend it for anyone who has a hard time with gore.  I will definitely read the next book in this series soon because I am now curious about what other types of monsters might arise in the world of these books.  I would recommend this one to high school students and adults.  As I said, there is some gruesome material, and I think the writing style is best appreciated by someone who has been exposed to classics.

A Long Walk To Water by Linda Sue Park is based on a true story of a "lost boy" of Sudan.  It tells the story of Salva, a young boy who walks long distances to avoid a war in his home country.  It also tells the story of a young girl from modern times who still has to walk all day to get enough water for her family each day.  The story is woven together at the end and would be an excellent read aloud to spur students to global action.  There is information at the end of the book about the organization that Salva started to help villages to drill wells and get clean drinking water.  I highly recommend this book.

This is the last book in the Ruby Red trilogy.  It is a highly entertaining series.  I very much enjoyed the audiobooks of the second and third books.  The humor in the book was brought out by the narrator.  I found myself laughing out loud to the book while listening (which was slightly awkward at the gym).  I also found excuses to listen to the book while at home.  This is a good sign that I am really enjoying a book.  The best part about it is that I usually would avoid a time travel book, it is not my cup of tea.  However, this is a witty and fun science fiction that made me long for more.  The taste of romance and bungled, confused conversations made it that much more interesting.  I highly recommend this whole trilogy to middle school and older readers.

It took me longer to get into this book than when I read Grave Mercy, but once I was hooked, I could not put this one down.  It has all the great elements of the first book and a really intriguing story.  I will definitely be looking forward to the third book in this trilogy.  I recommend this one to grade 8 and up.

Books I am Currently Reading:

I am listening to Rotters by Daniel Kraus.  I also started reading The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal.  

What's Next?

I made the mistake of signing up for a free trial of Oyster while I still have hundreds of books that I own that I need to read.  I am determined to not continue the subscription beyond this month so I will be focusing on reading books there for a while.  I have quite the reading list going.  I also borrowed the book Perdido Street Station by China Mieville from a friend so I will get to that as soon as possible to be able to return it in a timely manner.  

What are you reading this week?  I would love to hear from you in the comments! Have a great reading week!

Celebration 4/19

Join this fabulous group of bloggers as we celebrate our weeks.  You can link up on Ruth Ayres blog at www.ruthayreswrites.com

This week was a nice week of relaxation and rejuvenation.  I was able to cross some things off of the to-do list as well.  Spring break came at just the right time this year.

These are a few of my celebrations from this week:

1. We went to a friend's house for game night last Saturday night. It was so much fun.  We played the game Munchkin and had a blast with it.  My husband and I went out and bought the game so we can play it at home too.  It is hilarious!

2. We discovered a new Chinese restaurant that delivers to our house.  It has been years since we ordered delivery because the restaurants we knew about do not really have great reputations for cleanliness.  I was so happy to be able to order yummy Chinese food!  We ordered it twice this week.

3. I worked out almost every day this week.  Hooray for getting back into the routine!

4. Doggie cuddles! My dog has loved the fact that we are home this week.  She weighs 60 lbs. but that does not stop her from being a lap dog!  I enjoy the opportunities to cuddle with her as I read.
5. We cleaned part of the basement this week.  It was long overdue and we need to do more, but it felt good to accomplish this task.

6. Family Time: I got to spend some time with my mother this week.  She came to Milwaukee and we had lunch and spent a few hours together.  Also, during my FaceTime call with my sister, my 1-year-old niece was babbling like crazy and waving at me.  I swear she had some great things to tell me!

What do you have to celebrate this week?  I would love to hear from you in the comments.

Top Ten Bookish Things I Would Love to Own

I am joining in on this weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week there is a different top ten list topic and a bunch of bloggers weighing in. Head on over there to see more of the great blogs participating.

This topic is perfect for all the book bloggers out there.  So many of us have such big reading habits that books are a huge part of our lives.  Bookish things are so fun to find! 

Here are my top ten bookish wants in no particular order.  

#1  This bookshelf is so fun!  I would need a LOT more space, but what a fun idea for decoration. 

#2  This chair is the bomb! It would be so nice to cuddle up among all those books to read. 

#3 These mugs are awesome!  I have had them on my wish list for a very long time. The one pictured here is the First Lines of Literature mug by Unemployed Philosophers Guild.  I also want the Shakespearean Insult mug.

#4 This clock says it all!

#5 What could be better than a great, cuddly pair of pajamas?

#6 This necklace from Kate Spade is so cute!  I would love to have it. 

These book clutches are awesome!!! (also Kate Spade)

#8 Harry Potter reference? Yes, please! 

#9 This poster would be amazing for my classroom.  

#10 Last, but not least, I would love a library room!

What bookish things would you love to own?  I would love to hear from you in the comments!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 4/14

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? --From Picture Books to YA is a weekly meme started by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers. This is a chance for bloggers to recap their week of reading and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take. Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating in this meme and a whole bunch of titles to add to your to-read lists.

Books I Finished This Week:

I mostly listened to Where Things Come Back, but it was the first book I had the Kindle and the Audible book for.  It was really cool how the two versions synced.  At the end of the book, I switched to the Kindle edition, because I wanted to read the rest at a time that wouldn't have been a good time for listening.  I highly recommend this book to teens and adults. There are some deep themes in this one.  I like the way the author used humor to lighten up what could have been a very dark and depressing story.  

I highly recommend I Am The Messenger by Marcus Zusak as well.  It was a little slow going for me at the beginning, but then it picked up and I was intrigued by the mystery of what had to be done and who was behind everything.  There is a good message about the life we choose to lead and complacency.  

My sister gave me a copy of The Freedom Writers Diary for Christmas.  I have owned a copy of this book before and been meaning to get to it, so when my sister gave it to me again, I figured it was now the time to read it.  I enjoyed reading the book and thinking about what this teacher did for these students.  I found myself being a little cynical once I realized that the teacher only worked in the classroom for these four years.  I think this group of kids have done amazing things and the teacher has made a lot of difference by putting together workshops and teaching education classes at universities.  However, the work that she did and the sacrifices she made in order to reach those kids obviously were not sustainable or she would have continued her work at the high school.  I love reading about these kinds of things, but I realize that this level of success is hard to get without that level of sacrifice.  There are a lot of teachers out there that do similar things for students on a smaller scale every day.  I would recommend this book to teachers as inspiration to think about tolerance education.  I definitely am going to look for some of the resources that Erin Grunwell used.  

Books I am Currently Reading:

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey is quite interesting so far.  I am also listening to Emerald Green.

What's Next?

I am on Spring Break (FINALLY) and will find ample time for reading this week.  I am not sure what I will choose to pull from the shelf, but I am sure I will enjoy reading.  

What are you reading this week?  I would love to hear from you in the comments!  Have a great reading week!

Celebration 4/12

This is a fabulous idea from Ruth Ayres in which we write about something to celebrate each Saturday. I love participating in this link up each week and hearing about the awesome things happening in everyone's classrooms and lives.

This week, I am particularly thankful for this weekly tradition. It was a struggle for me to shift my mindset to the positive after a few big disappointments, but seeking out those celebrations did wonders!

1. It has been sunny and springlike all week! 

2. On Thursday, I got to talk to some former students and found out they are doing well.  I love when they make an effort to come back to talk to us.  

3. On that same night, I went to get frozen yogurt and another former student was working at the yogurt place.  I was able to see that she is doing well and she gave me the friends and family discount.  Double the fun!

4. My husband's students put together a surprise party for his birthday.  They put so much thought into planning the party.  They even sent me a note asking me to contact his family in Spain to send a message for him.  I was so touched that they did this for him.  This is his first year teaching and it is difficult sometimes since it is so overwhelming in the first year.  I love that his students love him so much that they would do this for him.  One of the girls even made him this special minion cake and cupcakes since they all know how much he loves Despicable Me.  

5. Planning for Spring Break with my students on Friday was so fun.  I should have taken pictures of the vacation book stacks.  I love that some of my students knew that they needed a book stack to get through the week away from the class library.  

6. Last night, at our favorite bar, a stranger asked the bartender for a daisy out of the flower arrangement on the bar and then proceeded to give it to me for no reason at all.  (I should mention that this was a woman who was there with her husband and I was with my husband so it was not an attempt to hit on me, just a small act of kindness) Let's hear it for random acts of kindness. This one put a smile on my face.  

7. This weekend we have some fun plans to get together with friends.  Tonight is game night with some friends we haven't seen in a while and tomorrow we are having dinner at another friend's house.  What a great way to start out our Spring Break!

8. I am really thankful for the generosity of my colleagues and friends.  I will be doing Walk MS in Milwaukee in May and I already have so many generous pledges!  (If you are interested in donating you can go to my Walk MS page)

9. I am so looking forward to being a book giver on World Book Night.  My box of books is at the library and ready for me to pick up on Monday.  I am so excited to hand out copies of Code Name Verity at my school and my husband's school.  

What do you have to celebrate this week?  I would love to hear from you in the comments.  Have an excellent week!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 4/7

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? --From Picture Books to YA is a weekly meme started by Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers. This is a chance for bloggers to recap their week of reading and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take. Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating in this meme and a whole bunch of titles to add to your to-read lists.

This week was a good reading week!  I read a lot of quick and easy books and feel so accomplished after this weekend of reading.  

Books I Finished This Week:

I enjoyed reading this book from NetGalley.  I will probably write a review of this one closer to its release date.  It was fun to read this fast-paced mystery.  

Since I enjoyed The Body in the Woods, I decided to pull Girl, Stolen by April Henry off the shelf.  I enjoyed this quick read about a blind girl who is accidentally kidnapped while a man is trying to steal the car she is in.  I know that my 8th grade students will really like this story.  

Defy by Sara Larson is a fantasy adventure story.  I was swept up in the story from the very beginning.  The protagonist is a strong female who works to change things in her kingdom.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy.  

A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff is a fun story about finding family and finding your talent.  I read this one in one sitting.  I definitely recommend this one.  

I decided to pick up the next book in the Pretty Little Liars series to read quickly over the weekend.  I enjoy these books in a kind of guilty pleasure way.  They are certainly not great literature, but it is fun to read about the twists and turns that this mystery takes.  

Books I am Currently Reading:

I am listening to Where Things Come Back.  I also started reading I Am The Messenger by Marcus Zuzak.  So far, I am enjoying both of these books.  

What's Next?

I will be picking up the next Pretty Little Liars book this week.  I also will read The Monstrumologist.

What did you read this week?  I would love to hear from you in the comments!  

Celebrate 4/5

This is a fabulous idea from Ruth Ayres in which we write about something to celebrate each Saturday. I love participating in this link up each week and hearing about the awesome things happening in everyone's classrooms and lives.

This week I have a mixed bag of celebrations.  

Early in the week, I walked out to the hallway to supervise during our passing time and when I came back in, I found this "graffiti" on my Smart board.  It is so nice when students leave these little notes.  

This week we are doing the district writing assessment (as if we didn't already have enough assessments).  Anyway, the prompt is a persuasive prompt and asks them to write an editorial recommending a school policy.  We have been studying editorials by Leonard Pitts Jr. in my writing classes so this was a great prompt.  Yesterday, I noticed one of my students deliberately using some style elements that we talked about in the mentor texts to great effect.  Yeah for mentor texts!  

The Badgers are in the Final Four!!!  Go Bucky! 

It is 50 degrees and sunny outside.  After this really long and cold winter, it feels amazing. Just the sunshine is enough to put a smile on your face in Wisconsin.  It actually looks like there might be some Spring coming our way.  

Another interview is finished.  I will find out early this week if any of the schools selected me for the coaching position I would like to have.  Fingers crossed!  

What do you have to celebrate this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments! Have a great week!