Slice of Life

"Can we quickly run to Target before we go home?" I ask my mom while Emma crams a few more fries in her mouth.

"Sure," she smiles.

We quickly drive a few miles away. I am pondering why the leaves still haven't changed even though October is a few days away. Knowing that when the first freeze arrives my allergies will be gone. How I wish I had time to just sit, rest and enjoy nature...but not my life right now!

We walk into Target and I make my few purchases--one of them a new car seat for Gracie who is now almost 3 and has outgrown her other one. I get the bright idea to switch them out. I mean really it can't take that long right?

WRONG!! Emma and Gracie are in the front seats of my car while mom tries to read the directions to me and Emma is screaming at me to turn on Imagination Movers and Gracie is just upset because I am changing out her car seat.

30 minutes later I am sweating and exhausted, but achieved my goal. New car seat intact--check....unhappy Gracie--check...safe child--check!

Literacy Workshop is up and running....

My students have completed their first piece for me which I use as a baseline to create the rest of the nine weeks lessons. This year my focus is on making my conferring sessions count. Last year I felt so rushed trying to get to all the writers who wanted to meet with me, so I thought it through and came up with a schedule for my writers. I meet with six-seven writers a day Monday-Thursday. Then another six-seven students have an opportunity to visit with a "Guest Conferrer." Many times it is a parent who has volunteered to come in. I wrote a letter to the helper with their own conferring sheet and they meet with a writer also. So on a typical day 12 of my students (roughly 1/2 the class) talk about their writing with an adult. I love it!!! This week was my first week to start the "Guest Conferrer" and it has been a huge success. I highly recommend it. In fact, one day my principal was the guest conferrer and I called Student A up to confer with me and she said, "Well, actually Ms. S, I would prefer to meet with Ms. Sumner!" I giggled and explained while she was welcome to visit with Ms. Sumner, if there was time, I needed to meet with her because I had a special lesson in mind that was just for her.

If you would like to get this started feel free to adapt my letter and conferring records. The conferring record template was from Stacy and Two Writing Teachers and I tweaked it for my needs in the classroom.


Guest Conferrer Record for Meeting With Student

Classroom Helper

Parent Letter Asking for Volunteers
Parent Letter for Conferring

Slice of Life Tuesday~News~

Honk, went my cell as I walked into my room. I'm sure that's my mom I thought. It was she said she needed to talk.

I knew my cousin was failing quickly so I picked up my classroom phone and dialed home.

"Lynnelle, do you want the news?" She asked.

"Of course, Mom," I replied. I knew I had said my good byes. I was prepared for the worst with my sweet cousin. My mind and heart were begin to believe it was real.

"He has tumors with lymph node involvement," she replied.

"What?I don't understand. Are you talking about the CT for Dad?" I ask. My mind reeling from the news. My ears beginning to burn and sound rushing into them.

"Yes," she said, "Lynnelle, the doctor's calling I'll call you back."

I clicked end. I sat at my desk. My mind racing with the same one word. Cancer. Cancer. Cancer. My dad has lung cancer. This isn't good. Lung cancer is deadly.

I find myself walking down the hallway teachers passing me getting ready to meet the new parents and students in a few hours. I walk into my friend's room.

"Caroline, my dad has lung cancer," I sob. I begin to shake as the words leave my mouth. She holds me up.

My tears rush down my face soaking her shoulder. Her words of strength and truth whisper to me.

But all the while listening to her hushed tones of comfort my heart beats to the rhythmic tune in my head--cancer, cancer, cancer.

The rest of the afternoon was a blur. I found out the details. Googled his chances. Slowly began to push down my fears, my pain, and my tears to welcome 55 new students and their parents to the 5th grade.

As 5:30 began to approach I could feel teacher mode begin, as my wonderful students arrived and I shook their hands and welcomed them. There presence helped me. The new lives who entered mine. I was able to help them at least for an hour. I hoped I helped relieve some of their fears and let them know I was ready for a great year because for a few moments I was able to relive my old normal. I knew when they left my new normal would begin.

*Please note that 3 days later we found out my father does not have cancer. He has another illness, but it can be treated. Thank you for your support.*

Saying Good Byes

A simple call
leads to numbness.

Life changes in a moment,
never to be the same.

Memories of our childhood,
flash in my mind
as I drive to the hospital
to say my good byes.

The smells,
the sounds.

Those reminders
of my other memories here.

I see my aunt
your mother.
How do you say good bye
to your child?

My heart fills with sorrow,
it aches.

My sobs echo down the hall,
they do not heal you.

You are not aware.
You are not there.
I love you.
I will miss you.

How do you say good bye?

My silent prayers,
Trying to erase the sorrow here,
You are broken,
You are hurt.

Why must we say good bye?

Our childhoods together,
Our smiles in the pictures,
You hid your pain,
You carried it alone.

I'm sorry.

Watch over us,
Watch over my babies,
May you feel love,
May you no longer ache with sorrow,
Watch over your mother,
She is burdened with the loss,
Watch over you father,
Who fought to keep you here,
May happiness find you now.

Good bye, my cousin.

Slice of Life

Today I realized my daughter is growing up. Living with Down syndrome has been a part of our lives for over 5 years now. Life moves at a different pace. I have come to love the pace at which we move with Emma. Today we moved forward. The pace quickening a bit. Emma has officially begun a potty training marathon. Today I learned Emma thinks of herself as a "big girl." I try to not baby her, but to hear her BELIEVE she is big makes my heart swell with love, admiration, and the realization that no limits should be place on children. Tonight as Emma prepared for bed, I no longer put a toddler to bed, but a big girl.

Memoir Monday-Back to School

Beginning of the school year. New clothes. Paper. Mechanical pencils versus Ticonderoga #2s. The excitement of a new era. The annual getting our clothes for school shopping day. All the colors of the 80s-purple was my favorite. I have to admit in my own future 5th grader eyes--I was stylin'. Long blonde hair. Tall. Purple slacks. Striped shirt with lilacs and lavenders. I had to wear it. Even though school was two days away. I had to show my friends next door. So I snuck out of the house and road my bike over to their house. Except there must have been a rock. Something that made me wreck my bike. Skinned up knees. And ruined my new clothes. Devastation. Utter embarrassment. Mom wouldn't buy me new slacks. Instead she covered the holes with patches. Now granted they were "cool" patches, but patches nonetheless. What will the 5th graders think now? Well, I guess it could be a conversation starter.

New Site~Bohemian Teachers

Some colleagues and I have started a website (Bohemian Teachers) to promote discussion about best practices in education. Our first book study will be Comprehension and Collaboration by Harvey "Smokey" Daniels and Stephanie Harvey. We want it to be a place for discussion of the newest ideas or book releases and to help us continue to push ourselves in educating our students. I hope you will join us. (Just so you know...I'm still waiting on my copy of the book to arrive from amazon, so don't let that be why don't join us!)