TGIF

Tonight is HOW night and I hope you were able to join the fun. It is a beautiful night, and tomorrow is your first Friday of the school year. I imagine you've learned a lot already this week. When I first came to Kickapoo, my big challenges included where to keep my ID tag so I'd remember it in the morning...what, if any, short cuts there were from class to class...how to stay warm enough or cool enough in a building that can be unpredictable...and how to snag a good parking place in an overcrowded parking lot.

Tomorrow you're handing in your letters, and I'm anxious to see them. I can't write yet(I'm very clumsy with my left hand), but I'll figure out how to respond. I hope you are finding your way around and becoming comfortable with your schedules.
I know you've had an introduction to mythology and are ready to take off on a journey with Odysseus next week when you get your textbooks.

So, have a happy long weekend. If you haven't gotten your supplies yet, go shopping so that you have them for class on Tuesday. I hope you've also been able to find a great pleasure reading book because you need to start bringing that to class with you next week too. If you didn't get an idea of a book to read in class and are still looking, click on the underlined word book ,and it will link you to a great literature source full of suggested reading. Look at the Prinz awards. They're always good. Meantime, happy reading. See you soon.

All Roads Lead to ???

This week in class you are reading about classical backgrounds to literature - in other words, Greek mythology. I know a lot of you are at least familiar with Disney's Hercules or the movie Troy, and some of you will have already read a number of myths. Whatever the case, a look at Edith Hamilton's collection of Greek myths reveals so much about common themes and plotlines found in later literature - even cliches we use in our everyday language. I think it's also fascinating how archealogists have uncovered proof of the existence of places or even events included in some of the ancient epic poetry. Although some of the stories are just plain entertaining to hear or read, it is amazing to me that some may also have some thread of truth, though they are around three thousand years old.
I hope you will enjoy the beginning of this year's literature study, and I'm hoping to be back before you finish The Odyssey !

Discovering Myself Through Reading and Writing

Dear Class,
Mr. D and I are asking you write a letter and to reflect on your experiences with reading and writing in your personal life and in past English classes. I thought I'd share mine.
As early as I can remember, I think I've always viewed writing as something artistic and imaginative. The first time a teacher asked me to write a story was back in first grade. She wanted Halloween pumpkin stories from us, complete with illustrations. I tried my best to be surprising and different - and I really do remember the effort. After reading the stories, though, the teacher expressed alarm, worried that there might be something wrong with me because my main character (a jack 'o lantern) ended up being baked in a Thanksgiving pie. I thought it was clever and that it made sense with the food chain and all. I tried the best I could that year to be more predictably like the other kids. I wonder how many times teachers unwittingly do that sort of thing to their students.
My writing has naturally evolved since those days, but I hope to recapture that childlike imagination that should be limitless and free. I don't often write fiction, but I love to read it, and I'm very interested in the process of writing it. I think that it would be a fascinating way to explore my own life by creating a fictional account of some of my own experiences. I have had some unusual events in my life. I've lived in Mexico, Canada, Japan, and several cities in the U.S. I was married to a professional baseball player and have even been on a television talk show. I have two kids (both in college now),two dogs, two cats, and lots of friends.
Whatever your circumstances, I believe each one of us has a story to tell.
Most of what I write these days is nonfiction, though. I have a collection of memoirs I keep doodling with, and I've been working on a series of articles reflecting research on new digital literacies (the weblog). I like to utilize writing and reading workshop strategies in our classroom. For those of you familiar with "workshop," you already know that this means that the class is student centered and that your writing needs will dictate what we focus on in the class. You will be setting goals, and together we will evaluate your growth as readers and writers and independent thinkers. You will challenge yourself to develop further, and I'm happy to be on that path with you.
In closing, I'm anxious to read what you have to say. Some of you, I know, will have more extensive and positive experiences with reading and writing than others. What matters, though, is the desire. Wherever you are on that scale of experience, you must be willing to push yourself. I can't wait. It's such a worthwhile journey!

How Do You Judge a Book?

Last night I struggled to get to sleep. I'll bet a lot of you did too, thinking about what the new school year might be like. This is the first time since I began teaching (20 + years ago) that I have not been there for that first day excitement. My mind wandered off to the things we'd share this first week, and I thought about the topic of favorite books. One of my goals for our class is that we share ideas for great books, and even if you haven't found a book that really grabbed you yet, you will this year. There's a book out there for everybody. . . lots of them. I'd have to say my first favorite novel was To Kill A Mockingbird. It was the first time I had the sensation that I was actually sad that there were no more pages to read! I had truly grown to love the characters. That book changed the way I saw things and the way I saw myself. That, for me, is the sign of a great book. Recently I read The Kite Runner By Hosseini. It's a beautifully written story which takes place in Afganistan and tells the story of a young boy struggling to understand friendship, loyalty, and honor in his war torn country. It is richly woven, and when you get to the part where one boy witnesses a terrible crime, you can't put it down. If you click on the book title link, you'll see an insightful commentary by the author. He writes about his relationship with the fictional protagonist (main character in this case) and what it's like to go back home after a number of years - and changes from war. He makes the comment that this difficult journey is made easier because he had already traveled back in his mind's eye through his main character. I thought that was interesting (life imitating art) and reminded me how powerful writing is.
Right now I'm reading A Prayer For Owen Meaney, by John Irving. It also is a story of friendships and family dynamics. (The main characters in all of these books are being raised by a single parent. Isn't that interesting?) Any way, it's hysterically funny in places and very poignantly sad at times as well. I'll bring this book and others to class with me when I come back so that I can share parts of them with you. Until then, happy reading. I hope you get good ideas about what you want to read from each other.

Day One Agenda

Good luck to you all on your first day of class.

Getting Started: Your Shopping List

You'll need a few supplies for this class:

3 ring binder
lined notebook paper
pencils
blue or black ink pens
notebook dividers (six)
pleasure reading book of your own choice to bring to class
access to a dictionary and thesaurus at home
box of tissues

I realize you are not drivers yet, but please get your supplies by next Monday. The sooner you get them, the sooner you can get organized!

What has two wheels and one working arm and leg?

If you answered the riddle with this semester's English teacher, you're right. (By the way, I'm the one in the middle.) The truth is I recently broke my right wrist and my left ankle, and so I'm temporarily left to communicate with you by typing with my left hand. I am on the mend, though, and hope to be back in the classroom in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, you'll be starting your high school journey without me. Please do the best you can. Listen and learn from from your current substitute; he is very well read and has traveled extensively. You are lucky.