Hope is the thing…

We started our photography unit last week.  Today we took some photos, and this one made my heart smile. Thank you to fellow caped blogger, TM, for reminding me that I come to school for the pumpkin-heads.  I needed the reminder today.

My Darling Clementine

All of my classrooms have a ghost.  Either I have a strong link to the Other Side, or I need a patsy for the odd things that happen in my room… you can guess which one.  In this classroom her name is Clementine. Way back in the olden days of yore, my aforementioned amazing cousin-friend (here and…

More Wreckage

Do not fear!  This is the good kind of wreckage!  I promised you, way back in the olden days of yore, that I would share more from the Wreck this Journal. Here they is.

Caped Quilt

We are making our Second Annual End-of-the-Year Classroom Quilt (I see it needs a new name). I am unable to include photos because each student appliqued their name along with some personally meaningful symbols on their square.  I will, when it is done, try to take and crop photos so that you can see some…

A Vignette…

The Scene: A classroom of middle school trouble-makers working on computers.  All is quiet (Really!  It was!  It was freetime so they were plugged-in and all quiet-like!),  Except, for R.  He has the hiccups… Ms. M: Who has the hiccups? Various Voices: R… It’s R… R. has the hiccups. R.:  Me… hiccup Various Voices: You…

The List

As I sit here watching these little turkey-butts take their state-mandated tests, I am reflecting on the various issues that have brought them to me.  Here I will list phrases used on our placement information sheet and the number of times each is used if more than once, or if privacy allows.  This is out…

The Happy Song

School starts back up on Monday.  How does a caped teacher go back to the grind after two lovely weeks off?  What’s that quote about faking it until you make it?  While many of us miss our little pumpkin-heads, and worry about them, and think of great things for them to learn, we still cherish…

Tar Beach

For Spirit Day yesterday, I used a project inspired by the book Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold. In this story a girl imagines she is flying above the night skies of New York and claiming it for herself. She reclaims the union building that won’t let her father join due to the color of his…