Fantasy & Reality

Yesterday, I taught the concept of fantasy combined with reality. I read a story entitled One Quiet Afternoon with my guided reading group. This story is about a child coming home to find various animals playing with his toys and getting into his things. It was very interactive. The children got excited and laughed because the illustrations were very funny! After reading the story each of us wrote our own tale. We included something that was real and fantasy. Below are the stories that my students produced. I think they are fantastic! I hope that you do as well :-)

Story #1-
Once upon a time I was playing with my toys and I went downstairs and... It was crazy!!! I saw 10 animals in my living room and I yelled out "AHHHHHHHHH! Get Out!" And I pushed them out with a broom and I shut the door. I was terrified! And I felt better when all of the animals left. The End.

Story #2-
Once upon a time I was playing outside and a pig came up and said hello. Then a bird came and said hi and they both were swinging on the swings. It was a nightmare. Then a limo came to pick them up. The End.

Story #3-
One day I was home from school and I saw new toys and I played with them and dad came right then. There were animals coming and a chiwawa and a robin and a bunny and a parakeet and a fish and frog and a lot of animals.

Story #4-
One day I was playing WII. When I was done playing WII. A penguin came and said, "Can I play with you?" I said, "Sure." Then a whole bunch of animals came!

Story #5-
Once I was playing with my toy and then animals came in my room. There was a cat, a pig, a bird, and a duck. They were so loud and I had to kiss all of them.

Story #6-
I was playing in the backyard with my bike and then I saw an animal. The animal played with me on my bike. I saw the sun. It was so hot. I went inside. I played on my X Box. I was playing for a while. Then I saw a pig. The pig was the animal. The pig played hop scotch with me and the pig sleeps with me.

I think they are fantastic tales. I love how some of these students wrote an ending that got rid of the animals. Enjoy!

Mysteries

Recently, I read "The Case of the Missing Pet" with my guided reading group. After our reading, we each wrote our own mystery. See what you can decipher and solve:

The Case of the Missing Sister
We had to find my sister. We looked at my Mom's room and she was not there and we look everywhere util we found her. She was in my room whith my toys, and I was not mad at her.

The Case of the Missing Remowt
Frist, I look in my room. Then I look in my mom and dad's room. Last I look in the 3rd floor.

I Case of the Fhon
Won day I was makeing my bed and I was kalling my frand and i droped my fone. Behind my bed and I code not find it until I looed clows and fornd it.

The Case of the Phone
Once upon a time, I lost my phone when I was 8 yeas old and I looked everywhere aroued the house then I found it. The End.

The Case of the Jacket Mestery
Won time I was going to go shoping and I notist that I couldn't find my jacket and I looked in the landry room. I looked in the grage, and everywhere I looked I never fond it so I cheked the shelf and I was so happy and I told my mom and we went.

I love these mysteries because they involve some little invented spelling. This made reading them a bit of a case, but I think you will enjoy them very much!

Poems about MNP Community

This week we read a story entitled Max Found Two Sticks. In it, a young boy named Max uses sticks to create rhythmic sounds that he hears in his community. He copies the startled pigeons by playing his sticks on the front steps. He copies the church bells on soda bottles and the marching band on empty garbage cans. I showed my students how poems include rhyme as well as repeating words to help them to flow. Then we took a walk around the playground and came inside to write a poem about what we heard in the Mitchell Neilson community.

Poem #1-
Rocks moving, rocks moving on the ground.
I hear kids talking, talking and birds chirping, chirping.
Rocks are moving, moving around.
Kids are talking and birds chirping in the sky.
I love everything I hear around me.

Poem #2-
Wind, wind blow all day.
Please stay today.
It feels cold, but I like it.
Wind, wind keep blowing.
Wind, wind blow all day.

Poem #3- 
I step on mulch.
I heard a crack.
I broke it.
For real, now I have to eat a meal.

Poem #4-
I heard chirping like tweet, tweet.
It scattered and flew away.
I think the mom was finding food for her babies.

Poem #5-
I heard birds and I heard lots of chirps and tweets.
I heard cars and the wind.
I heard kids yelling.

Poem #6-
I heard kids swinging on the swings and
birds chirping in the trees.
I felt the wind blow in my ear and
heard kids jumping on the playground.
I heard cars driving fast and
teachers talking outside.
Kids yelling and kids talking.

Poem #7-
Birds, birds chirp.
The birds tweet, tweet, tweet.
They want food, food, food!
The moms give, give, give the
food, food, food!

Poem #8-
I heard vroom, vroom all the time.
Vroom, vroom, I know what it is, it is a car, car.
I hate the sound of vroom, vroom.
I can't get it out of my head: vroom, vroom.
I don't like vroom, vroom.
Please get it out of my head.

Poem #9-
I hear cars driving in their cars
and Vroom, Vroom, Vroom and
rocks hitting on the tires and
some different cars driving on the road and
I hear four cars.

Poem #10-
I heard kids yelling.
I heard kids jumping.
I heard mulch and heard the birds
chirping, tweet, chirp, tweet.
I heard the swings ding, ding.
And I heard airplanes buzzing, buzzing.
I heard the wind blowing.

By the way, this poetry writing session took place right before lunchtime. Poem #3 references that and when I read them, I thought this was a hoot!

Free-Verse Poetry

This week my students read a poem containing a story. It was about some sticks in the woods at night.
Then I asked them to write their own poem. It didn't have to rhyme. It just had to contain a story. Their ideas are so sweet! Here are some of the poems that they wrote:

Poem #1- 
The wind was blowing, and it was raining.
It was a storm!
I was scared!
I almost popped.
My sister was laughing at me.

Poem #2- The Day at the Park
One day I went to the park.
I was riding my bike and doing some tricks on my bike.
I saw some kids playing with sticks.
I got off my bike to play with the kids.
It was fun.
Then it was time to go.
I said goodbye and got on my bike.

Poem #3- Dogs
Once there was a little girl that had five dogs.
They were really nice.
Sweet and Cute.
And the little girl loved them very much.

Poem #4- Picking toys
Once upon a time a little girl had a mess.
Her mom asked her if she can clean her room.
She said no.

Poem #5- In the Woods
I was in the woods trying to go find my cat.
And I saw a pretty butterfly.
But some came in the woods running to me.

Poem #6-
Last night a girl named Kaitlyn went to pick up sticks with her big brother Christian.
She loved to pick up sticks.
If she got to at least 30 or 40, her mom would make her, her favorite dinner.

Poem #7- 
Last night a little girl named Kania was outside picking up sticks.
She saw a flower in the woods on the grass.
It was cool.

Some of my students didn't have time to finish their poems, so I am going to give them some extended time to work on these on Thursday. I hope I have more to publish after that.

Poetry

Some of my students wrote poetry. See if you can pick out the words that rhyme. Although some of my students wrote poems without rhyming words. It was fun to assign this because they were asked to read a few of Shel Silverstein's poems before writing their own. Here's what they came up with:

Poem #1: The Snap Trap
I set up a trap one night.
And the next night at midnight I heard it snap.
I went to check it and it was a little baby racoon.
I set her free.
Be gone little baby.

Poem #2:
The rose has gone far away.
The flower goes very very far away.

Poem #3: The Doctor Then Soccer
I want to go to the doctor
then go to soccer.
The doctor is fun,
than plain old soccer.
Soccer is way too boring.
The doctor is so much fun.

Poem #4: 
I pet my mouse in the house.
The dog hogs the food.
I see the cake baking.
I eat a pie with a sigh.
The cook reads the book.

Poem #5:
I see a snake eating cake.
I hear a pie cry.
I see a cake bake.
I see a duck stuck.

Poem #6:
My shoelace was tied.
I promise that I did not lie.
My shoe would not tie, but I will try.

Poem #7: 
I will play with you
Play with me too.
We can play with my shoe.
It will be fun!
Let's go run!

Poem #8: The Petting Zoo
There is a petting zoo.
Not the kind of petting zoo with pigs and chickens.
The kind with bats and bears.
The boys were zesty and zealous.
The girls were not.


Pretty fantastic poems, don't you agree?! You may wonder how they found some of the vocabulary that they used in their poems. I asked them to pick out one or two words from another poem that they read to use in their own. It was a great way to give them some indirect vocabulary instruction. The student that wrote poem #8 really challenged himself by picking out the words "zest" and "zeal". I helped him to understand what they mean. Down to my final three weeks with them... I can hardly believe it!

Feed the Dinosaurs!

Today Mrs. Porterfield and I took the students outside to use up some old bread and feed the birds. We are officially on spring break now and had two loaves of Panera bread sitting in our classroom that we wanted to get rid of before the holiday. As she was explaining to the students what they should do with the bread, she told them that the pieces they break up will feed the birds and the squirrels to which one student yelled out... "AND THE DINOSAURS!" I couldn't contain my laughter. It was the sweetest thing this child could have said, and he was completely serious. Oh the second grade imagination... I love it!

A Strong Handshake & A Thank-You

This morning in our morning meeting, I explained to my students that I have a job interview in a few days. I explained the importance of professional behavior when I walk into the interview. I shared how my professional behavior in an interview will show the hiring personnel that they could trust me with my own group of students. I proceeded to explain the importance of a handshake. It was well received. The students  really seemed to understand how the way that they act shows me that they can be trusted, just like I show that I can be trusted with a classroom of children by how I act in a job interview. After trying to convince me to teach them in third grade next year, we went around the circle and shook our neighbor's hand as well as saying a good morning. It was a great start to a wonderful day.

Later in the morning we practiced writing thank-you notes. Second graders love to write thank-you notes especially because they truly love to make their friends, parents and teachers feel good. They know that a thank-you note just does the trick. I received three thank-you notes. I get a little bit choked up when I read them because I have just come to love these children so so much!

Dear Miss Hartman,
How are you doing? What will you do over spring break? When I'm sad you make me happy and smile. I love that you are my student teacher. You are very sweet and nice. I will be sad when you leave here. You make me smile everyday. I will remember you forever.
Love.

Dear Miss Hartman,
Thank you for all your help. You help me on the computer and my work. I like it when you help me. It is helpful.
Love.

Dear Miss Hartman,
Your my best friend. Don't leave me. I'll never forget you. Will you forget me? Your what makes 2nd grade fun! It was fun with you!
Love.

Happy Fausnaught Day!

I recently taught my students about customs and cultural traditions that exist all over the United States. I was trying to help them connect to the fact that Tennessee gives the rest of the country various customs and traditions such as wood carving and square dancing. I shared a personal story concerning Fausnaught Day celebrated on Fat Tuesday every year in Pennsylvania. I talked about this day and tried to describe the delicious donuts that result from it. They were entranced with this tradition from my hometown....
It gets better. My mother sent me a half dozen of my favorite donuts this past week. Well after enjoying the first one, I decided that I must do something with some of the others. There were too many for me to eat before they went bad. I took two of them in on Friday morning for a special treat. It made me so excited to share this artifact in my classroom, and all of my students enjoyed a taste of them. Let me be honest, this is my favorite part about teaching. Besides the fact that I just love donuts, I got to share an artifact with my students to help them connect what they learned about culture and tradition with real life.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Today during parent/teacher conferences, the interactions and time spent talking and listening to the parents just touched my heart. There is nothing comparable to loving parents that want the very best for their child. It is something that every child in the world needs, and when I was faced with the reality of this love in so many folks’ expressions today, I just got a little bit choked up. One of my favorite things is telling a parent the wonderful things about their child. I just love to see the look of pride and relief in their eyes. I love to catch their expressions when I share something sweet that their child has said or done to me. And in light of all that God has done in and through my student teaching journey down here, today my most wonderful and memorable moment came when a parent told me that they notice a difference in their child. I have a student that I have spent some quality time with who was very quiet when I came down here in January, and she has just bloomed beyond what I thought possible. I just cry thinking about it and praising God for it. I get to be God’s instrument in this classroom right here in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Wow! God has blessed me in tremendous ways. There are no more words to describe this feeling. 

Use a map of the earth to find your way home, Miss Hartman.

Fun quote from this week came when I opened a magnetized box containing my birthday snack. On it was printed an ancient map of the earth. My students told me that I could use it if I got lost or if my car broke down on the way back from Tennessee. I tried unsuccessfully to point out to them that I couldn’t use a map of the world to guide me on the interstate in the U.S. They couldn’t seem to understand, and they were just so excited to advise me J

More Letters from my Students...

My students received my response to each of their letters early last week, and I am including their replies:

*Dear Miss Hartman,

       My favoret color is light blue. Your my favoret thing about secend grade. Math is my favoret subject. What’s yours?

*Dear Miss Hartman,

       Yes, I did went on a boat before. No, I don’t have pet. My favoite day of the week is Saturday and my favoite Holiday is the same. Wats your favoite time of the day mines the afternoon whats yours?

*Dear Miss Hartman,

       I am glad that you are my teacher. Do you have a sister? What is your favorite?

*Dear Miss Hartman,

       I like science and math I like science becase it blowes up? I like Math becase it will mach me smat?

*Dear Miss Hartmen,

       I like to get on poptropica? And play and I like to go out side? And I like to play in site?

*Dear Ms. Hartman,

       My time of the year is summer, spring. Yes I tate swiming lessons and tennis lessons. My birthday is November the 11^th. I was born November the 11^th 2002. I love to read. So you must be 23 years old.

*Dear Miss Hartman,

       I have a dog he is cool. Have a snow ball fight. I like to swim! Do you like dogs.

*Dear Miss Hartmant,

       My favorite shape is a dimond. My favorite color is pink.

*Dear Miss Hartman,

       My eye color is green. Do you still have your cat? I like that name! It so cute! I love when they purr too! I do have a lot of freckles just like my big brother were almost twins! My birthday is dec. 18.

*Dear Miss Hartman,

       I think I know where Iowa is. I have 8 in my family. I have a mom, a dad, 4 brothers and 1 sister including me. I like to write those kind a songs too. Maybe I will bring one of my in sometime. I like to draw my family, flowers, me and my friends.

*Dear Mis Hartman,

       Well I love evre thing about school What do you like about school?

Oh Warm Weather... Please Come!

Today I took my students outside to reward them for their great behavior last week. We drew pictures on a huge empty space in the parking lot to make us feel hot because it is cold outside. Students drew the beach. They drew large oceans. I counted at least five huge suns, some flowers, a beach umbrella, and one student drew his footprints in yellow sand. My favorite may have been that a student drew a volcano erupting. He said the lava would be really hot!
My favorite part about this activity was that they interacted with a story about Ali that we read last week. Ali drew pictures on the sidewalk to make everyone in her neighborhood feel cool because it was so hot outside.
Now from the looks of all of the work that my students did today on the parking lot, we are all ready for it to get warm outside!

Satisfaction

I officially fell in love with my job this week! My heart has been wondering for the past few weeks why my time in the classroom felt forced and unnatural... well, good things take time! And I have really been praying hard for all of my students. On Wednesday afternoon my co-operating teacher told me that she needed me to teach for the entire day on Thursday because she had some things that she needed to get done. I was a bit nervous that I would burn out after an entire day on my feet and with my full focus on all of these little people. But I took one subject area at a time. I lived in each moment when it happened to me, and it was wonderful! Not gonna lie, I felt so hungry after my day at school that I downed an entire strawberry-banana smoothie and a huge cinnamon roll, but I still love teaching my students. I love figuring out what each of them needs from me. I love seeing that some of them need a bit of motherly affection, and others need me to be strong and maintain authority over them. Some need just a simple band-aid and others need a friendly note on their homework. All of my students have fallen in love with the read-aloud, Despereaux, and it is so fun to come to that time in the afternoon when I sit in the rocking chair and just read to them. I love my quiet students. I so enjoy making them smile. I even got a laugh out of my sweet yet shy little girl this week. This student recently wrote me a note telling me how much she loved having me as her teacher. Very touching!
I believe that there will be challenges ahead of me. I am not naive to think that just because I love what I am doing it won't be hard, but I am secure to say that I rest in the strength of the Lord; and I continue to see his provisions for me!

I am including a picture taken last week.
When I saw it, I just felt so satisfied!

Advice

Some great advice for my personality...
"Remember that these are little people, and they won't always get it perfect or get it together. They need to be loved and accepted despite their mistakes and errors."

Letters from My Students

This week my students wrote me letters, and I would like to share them with you:

*Dear Miss Hartman,

       Do you like well love pet fish? Well I love fish! Do you like school?

*Dear Miss Hartman,

       Do you like my?

       Do you like fish?

       Do you like prezls?

       I like prezlz.

1_____

2_____

3_____

*Dear Miss Hartman,

       Do you like to play? My fafret thang is to get on the puwter. and outside too. and with you.

*Dear Miss Hartman,

       Do you like yellow? Favorite food and favorite book? I wonder if you like reading like me? Whats your favorite day of the week and favorite Month of the year? Whats your favorite numder and favorite shape is it a star?

*Dear Miss Hartman

       Do you like school? I’m happy your here with us. What is your favoret color? Do you like us? Do you like Mrs. P? Do you lik the teachers here?

*Dear Miss. Hartman,

       Do you like dog? I love you so so so so much I hate cats. Do you hate cats? Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love

*Dear Miss Hartman

       1. Do you think we are smart?

       2. Do you like sandwhiches?

       3. Do you like to swim in the summer?

       4. Do you like to read?

       5. Do you like roses?

       6. Is your mom still alive?

*Dear Miss Hartman,

       Where are you from? What is your favorite color? How is brody? What do you like to do for fun? I am very happy that you are my student teacher.

*Dear Mrs. Hartman,

       do you have a baby? do you like Scool to? I like Scool to.

*Dear Miss Harment,

       Would you like to go skating and bowling? Would you like to go fishing?

*Dear Miss. H

       Do you like fish? Do you like shaks and whails?

*Dear Miss Hartman,.

       What is your Favuret thig? My is playing socr do you.

*Dear Miss Hartman

       Do you Thank I smart Yet? Do you like mony Do you?

I got a kick out of these. They are such sweet children. Enjoy deciphering the words that they are still learning and chunking out. I think you will get the gist of what they are asking. 

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Let me preface this post about my students by saying that the names listed in this and any further posts are not the real names of my students. I have devised some pseudonyms for them to protect their precious little identities. I’m hoping this won’t cause me to struggle when I address them in the classroom. I’m sure I will let you know.

My post today took place a little over 4 hours ago as my mentor teacher, Mrs. Porterfield, filled out a KWL chart on Martin Luther King Jr. For those of you who ask, “What is a KWL chart?” Let me tell you. The letters stand for three questions: What do you Know? What do you Want to know? And what did you Learn?

Since we taught the students a little bit last week about King, we wanted to see what they remembered before listening to the read-aloud.

Here’s what they said. If it seems boring at first, imagine second-graders saying these things, and keep reading… I promise it’s adorable!

What do you Know about Martin Luther King Jr?

>He was shot

>He had a dream.

>That white and black people would be friends

>He got an award.

>He was a friend of Rosa Parks.

>He got arrested.

What do you Want to Know about Martin Luther King Jr.?

>What he eats

>How good was he at basketball?

>What shoes did he wear? (Dominic responds: “We don’t need to ask that. You can just look at the picture in the book and see.”)

>Did he play soccer?

>How old was he when he died? (Molly: “That’s tricky.” Like answering the other questions was a simple feat!)

What did you Learn about Martin Luther King Jr.?

>He was 39 when he died. (Lynn: “That means he would have turned 40 yesterday.” Mrs. Porterfield: “No, he’s dead.” Lynn: “Then how old did he turn yesterday?” Mrs. Porterfield: “He didn’t turn anything. He’s dead.” Lynn: “Hmmm.”)

>He was a minister.

>He protested peacefully.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day Everyone!

The First Three Snow Days of School

Student teaching has had a very interesting start! It has held surprises that I didn’t expect to encounter; but these have not been surprises in the classroom. I have been more in awe of the wonderful grace of Jesus as I get settled into my time down here. It is quite obvious that God wanted to take me from my comfort zone in Dubuque, IA down here to Murfreesboro, TN to re-learn what my life should look like living in complete reliance on him. I am so blessed. For a while, I was wondering whether God was trying to stop me from coming down here….

First, my housing fell through in November.

Second, I didn’t have the funding that I knew would be necessary to survive while down here.

Third, I didn’t have a job down here.

And fourth, about 3 hours from arrival, my car was acting up pretty badly.

But in all of these scenarios, God provided for me. I am reminded that he wants me to be flexible. Everyone can recognize that this is the lesson that I need to learn, right. Miss “List-maker” & “Plan Every Minute” kind of girl. But in all honesty, in all of these moments when I was brought to my knees asking God to provide for me, He drew me closer to himself first. Then in each scenario, in his perfect time, HE PROVIDED! Everything that I have NEEDED!

As far as my student teaching is concerned… I wonder as to the road ahead. Mrs. Porterfield (my mentor teacher) has spent many weeks of the first half of the year out of the classroom. First she got the shingles for three weeks, second she pulled her back out, and finally a few weeks before Christmas her doctor ordered her home to rest. What’s in store for me? Will this be a lesson that I spend the rest of my life learning? Or will I grow from this now and find other challenges ahead of me for the rest of my life? I look forward to what Christ is going to do in me. Worrying about how and when I will learn these lessons is unimportant!

For a while, I was just frightened at the prospect of what God could have for me. Afraid, actually, more than I’ve ever been of anything in my life; but just seeing how he provided for me this first week has touched my heart. I hope that in the good and bad times I will continue to sing His praises. As Colin prayed the night when the car was acting up, “there are major dilemmas in life that we often look back on and see as mere speed bumps in the road…” May I look at life in light of knowing the Master Planner and Designer!

K, I promise... My next post will involve some stories about my students. I just wanted to share something from this time of transition :-)