I wanted to have a post dedicated to blogs that I am currently reading. The great thing about blogs is that they are constantly updated and you can always read more from your favorite author without waiting months or years for their next work to be published. So, without further ado, here are some blogs I would recommend you add to your feed.
The Minimalists
The Minimalists is a blog and website developed by Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus. Josh and Ryan are minimalists, people who live with very little in exchange for experiencing more. While I am nowhere near as drastic as these two, their blog offers advice on how to live a life of purpose, specifically a purpose of experiencing more and living with less. This blog is an inspiration to me, and having followed some of their advice, I am beginning to appreciate living more with less.
Forever A First Grader
Megan is a first grade teacher whose classroom is Pinterest worthy! Her blog details things she does in her own classroom, each one as engaging and creative as the next. As a fifth grade (soon to be sixth grade) teacher, I love looking at blogs from teachers of younger grades to get inspiration for more creative and fun activities. For instance, Megan's post on the Saint Patrick's Day Leprechaun showed how she turned a holiday into a creative and engaging classroom experience to remember. A must read for any teacher looking for inspiration in their own classrooms, no matter the grade!
Live From Grade Five
Angela is also a fifth grade teacher and her blog definitely is the definition of teacher goals. She shares her hand-on activities, lessons, and fun themed activities she does in her own classroom. We also share a lot in common, including teaching fifth grade, being first-year teachers, and struggling with the pressure of standardized testing. Her posts are honest and insightful as she details the real problems she faces in her job, as well as the successes. It is nice to see what other professionals are able to accomplish with the same challenges I face.
Something Navy
Meet Arielle: a New York City fashion icon, new mother, and serious #GIRLBOSS. Her fashion blog houses so much outfit inspiration! She has a classic style although she is not afraid to take risks and rock trends. Although much of her clothing is out of my price range, she offers cheaper alternatives that can create the same look. Also, her shoe closet is to die for! For a daily dose of trendsetting style to satiate your inner fashionista, give Something Navy a look.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Classroom Management Strategies - Robin Fredericks
This book is really near and dear to my heart because it was written by my mentor teacher. She is an amazing veteran teacher who really has her classroom management as perfect as classroom management can be. Having witnessed her teach not only in her own classroom but mine as well, I can say that this woman knows her stuff! So, this manual is a great reference for how to deal with those noncompliant students and really master your classroom management.
The book is really unique in that it offers a lot of interactive questioning and responses, as well as a reflection page after each section to answer the question "How am I feeling?" The first half of the book goes through an introduction and an overview of classroom management, including what to do and what to stop. It also establishes a difference between discipline and punishment, an important concept to understand in order to hone your classroom management skills. The first half of the book really lets the reader reflect on their classroom management strategies that are already in place and how to improve them overall.
The second half of the book focuses on five case studies. Each case study follows a hypothetical student who displays a certain kind of noncompliant behavior: from the quiet students who refuse to work to the loud students seeking negative attention. Each case study goes through specific strategies and advice on how to manage each of these kinds of students. Of course, there is no one size fits all to managing noncompliant students, but these case studies provide an in-depth look at what can be successful in dealing with these different kinds of noncompliant students.
Overall, this book was a great read for me personally, being it is my first year teaching. However, I believe this book would be great even for a veteran teacher to look at their own classroom management, reflect on their practices, and see if there is any room for growth. My personal philosophy is that there is always room for improvement, so this book will be on my teaching bookshelf for years to come!
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Small Great Things - Jodi Picoult
Is it just me or am I the only person who has not read a novel by Jodi Picoult? She was never an author I gravitated towards, even though I am familiar with some of her more famous novels such as My Sister's Keeper and The Circle. She always seemed like an author that women my mother's age read and did not appeal to me in the slightest. So, when I received Small Great Things as a Christmas gift from my secret santa, I had a mix of feelings. Is this a novel that is popular based simply on the author, or is this a book worth reading by a well known author? The only way to know for sure was to read it for myself.
Boy, was my secret santa a great gift giver! This novel is insightful, emotional, and deals with an extremely important issue in today's society: racism. The story begins from Ruth's perspective, an African American labor and delivery nurse and single mother. When she comes into work one shift to find out her new patients are white supremacists, things start to take a turn. She is refused from caring for the patients' newborn son and when a crisis occurs, Ruth is left on the wrong side of the situation. What is so captivating about Picoult's writing is that she writes from multiple perspectives, and while they are all different, the reader can begin to somewhat sympathize with each despite their imperfections.
Jodi Picoult did not disappoint and proved her worth as an author who deserves the acclaim she receives. I no longer categorize her as an author for women my mother's age. She is an author for anyone who wants to read a brilliantly developed plot from the many realistic character perspectives dealing with relevant thoughtful issues.
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher
Now I know the title of this blog is "Currently Reading", but this is a book I have yet to read. Why would I be writing about a book I haven't even read yet? Because this book is the next book on my 'to read' bookshelf. This is not a new book, first published in 2007, but has recently become popular again due to the Netflix series based off of it.
Although I am almost always a proponent for reading the book before seeing the movie or television show, I decided to be unorthodox and watch the series before reading the book. The show was just like every other Netflix release, binge-able. I watched the entire thirteen episodes in a matter of three days, and although I should be embarrassed by this mass consumption of television, I am not based purely on the quality of this series. The show follows Clay Jensen, a junior in high school, where a girl, Hannah Baker, has recently committed suicide. After her death, Clay receives a set of thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah, detailing the thirteen reasons why she ended her life. The show then follows Clay and several other characters through the following weeks as Hannah's life and death are relived.
The story deals with several heavy issues, including bullying, sexual assault, and suicide. The show does this without shying away from the darkness, but instead it brings awareness to the audience about the seriousness of these situations. At times it was difficult to watch, but it was eye-opening to understand what some teenagers and young adults go through in our society. It seems with the integration of technology that these issues are escalating, and some adults may not be privy to the amount of stress and harm young adults experience online and in school.
If the book is anything like the Netflix series, it will be a page turner. I am excited to read the novel and relive the emotional rollercoaster as Hannah unveils her thirteen reasons why.
Sunday, February 26, 2017
#GIRLBOSS - Sophia Amoruso
If you are in need of some woman empowerment or a giant dose of motivation, this is the book for you! This autobiography follows the rise of Sophia Amoruso's clothing business Nasty Gal. From a small vintage e-bay shop to a multi-million dollar clothing company, Amoruso's story is as inspiring as it is entertaining. Amoruso brings humor and insight into her own upbringing as an awkward teenager who never quite fit in, to a young adult hitchhiking, living freegan, and hating corporate America. She details all of the various odd jobs she held just to pay bills until she set up her own e-bay shop to resell clothing she thrifted herself. From there her business kept growing in success to where she is now, the CEO and creative director of one of the fastest growing and most successful online retailers.
Throughout the telling of her narrative, Amaruso highlights all of the qualities that led to her astounding success, including staying true to herself, choosing quality over quantity, and always listening to what the customer wants. Her immaculate attention to detail is what put her business over the edge and eventually led to her gigantic following of loyal customers. This book will not tell you any get rich quick secrets, but instead emphasizes that hard work and an immense amount of effort and perseverance will take you wherever you want to go!
The autobiography chronicles not only how Amaruso ended up where she is, but it is full of wise words and advice to live by if you are on your way or already are a #GIRLBOSS.
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Students - Elizabeth A. Grassi & Heidi B. Barker
As a graduate student at Bridgewater State University, I am currently enrolled in multiple classes. One class that I find really fascinating, because I did not have much experience with it prior to enrolling, is Differentiating Second Language Learners from Exceptionalities. Within the course we look at the struggles of identifying and teaching English Language Learners, students with exceptionalities, and students who are both. The book we are reading for the course, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Student is eye-opening and provides wonderful strategies to apply in my classroom.
One of my favorite topics is from Chapter 9: Teaching Strategies. The chapter addressed different foundational strategies teachers can apply that can help reach culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional (CLDE) students more effectively. The strategies focus on making content accessible while also supporting the language acquisition process. One of the most important aspects to remember when teaching CLDE students is that expectations should remain high for all students and curriculum should not be made easier or watered down in an effort to help these students comprehend material. By lowering our expectations of students or by watering down material, we are taking away the students’ access to the material their peers are receiving and they need to receive as part of their general education.
The chapter highlights five different strategies in detail, including the 3-way model, front-loading and emphasizing vocabulary and content, explicitly teaching any cultural schemata, using student’s first language to clarify, and organizing academic information. The strategy I found most useful to my classroom presently was the 3-way model. Grassi and Baker's model allows for the content to be comprehensible for all students and includes the following three steps:
Step 1. The content and directions for all activities are spoken.
Step 2. Key points from the content and directions for all activities are written down.
Step 3. Key points from the context and directions for all activities are presented with visual context.
Now this may seem like common sense. You should be speaking, writing, and providing visuals while teaching to reach all learners. However, it is something I often overlook and do not do every time I present directions or content. The key is to try and do these things simultaneously so that students can see the visual while they hear what is being said and read the written language. The 3-way model not only benefits those CLDE students, but also every student in the classroom.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
This past week I have done something I rarely ever do, I read a book I had already read. The reason behind my rarely doing this is because I believe there are so many books out there. If I keep rereading books I’ve already read, I may miss out on the opportunity to read a new and wonderful book. With that being said, the book I am about to mention is definitely worth the risk and is a story I will most likely reread again in the future.
The book I am describing is Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I stumbled upon this book a few years ago when I tutored at my town library. I would walk the stacks of book either before or in between my tutoring sessions. This book jumped right off the shelf due to its vibrant cover. After reading the book jacket I was intrigued and checked it out. I finished reading the book in one day; it was that good that I literally picked it up and did not put it down until I finished.
The story is from my favorite genre, science fiction, and follows teenager Wade Watts through a dystopian-like future. It’s the year 2044 and everyone escapes reality into a virtual utopia called OASIS. The catch: the world’s richest man has stated in his will his fortune will go to whomever can find an “Easter Egg” hidden within the game. Wade Watts sets out on that mission with plenty of suspense and obstacles along the way. The most endearing part of this novel is it is riddled with 1980’s pop culture references, because the “Easter Egg” is hidden among 1980s trivia. The story is funny, puzzling, and keeps the reader in a virtual suspense.
Rereading the novel for a second time allowed me to really hone in on the references and details I missed in my first speed reading. This book sits on my shelf with my other sci-fi favorites including Ray Bradbury’sFahrenheit 451 and H.G. Wells’The War of the Worlds.