Kirby Larson's Blog, page 46
September 11, 2012
Teacher Tuesday
I can't think of a better way to kick off my new blog feature, Teacher Tuesday, than with Colby Sharp. I met Colby at NCTE in Chicago last year where he kindly showed me how to post a photo to Twitter. Thanks to his patient tutoring, I was able to participate in the Nerdy Book Club Twitter chat about Hattie Big Sky recently. In addition to helping children's authors cross the street, technologically speaking, Colby is an evangelist for reading and books at Minges Brook Elementary, in Battle Creek, Michigan [the mitten state!], where he teaches fourth grade.
The very serious Colby Sharp
I first asked Colby if we could get a peek at his past:
Favorite school lunch as a kid: Every single day of elementary school I packed the same lunch: two small bags of potato chips and a chocolate milk.Best friend in grade school: Cory P., I met him in first grade. We were great friends all the way through high school. Times you were the new kid in school: Middle school choir. I do not care to elaborate. It was not pretty. I have no idea what I was thinking. Teacher that inspired you to stretch: Mr. Bontrager. He was a student teacher while I was in fourth grade. He was the first guy teacher that I ever had. I remember thinking how cool he was. Everything he said and did was magical. I remember him playing sports with us at recess. It made me want to impress him in the classroom. I now play football at recess almost every single day at school with my fourth graders. The one thing you always wished you could do in grade school but never achieved: I really wish that I would have learned how to play a musical instrument. Not that I want to be a rock band or anything, I just think it would be cool to be able to rock out every once and a while. Colby: I know FIG PUDDING is your favorite, first-of-the-year read aloud. Tell me how you came to know this book.
I was introduced to Fig Pudding through Ralph Fletcher’s resources for teachers. One of the mini-lessons that he included called for me to read the "Tackle Box" chapter from Fig Pudding. I was hooked from there.
What led you to choose it as a read aloud?
I read it aloud because I want my students to see my cry while I’m reading. Many of my 4th grade students have never allowed themselves to truly get lost in a story and put themselves out there. I think it sets the tone for reading in our classroom.
Tell us a bit about the read-aloud methods you use. For example, do you stop at the end of a chapter or at the end of an exciting or interesting scene? Ask kids to predict outcomes?
I do a lot of modeling of my own thinking as I read. I want my students to see what goes on in the head of an “expert reader.” I don’t sugar coat it either. I let them know what is really going on in my head. If I get distracted and start thinking about lunch I tell them that. I then go back and reread the parts that I missed because I was distracted.
We of course stop often and discuss, predict, connect, but I think my favorite part about reading aloud is having that shared reading experience. After reading Fig Pudding we can connect something from that book to almost any other book out there. If a student is reading Our Only May Amelia, I can talk to them about May Amelia eating her “Steaming Bowl of Sadness." If a kid is reading Ivy + Bean, we can talk about how Cynthia and Bean both struggle to get along with their siblings.
What happens in your classroom when you read this book aloud?
The silliest thing that happens is my students beg their older siblings to tell them what a Yiddi-Yadda is. It is such a silly part of the story, but every student that comes back to visit in the fith grade asks if the class has figured out what a Yidda-Yadda is yet.
During the reading of this book, kids laugh, cry, think, grow, and learn. It really is a perfect read aloud. I think it brings us closer together and helps to develop a safe learning community together.
What else would you like to share about read alouds and/or reading FIG PUDDING aloud?
I think that every reading/English/language arts teacher/librarian should read aloud to their students consistently. Doesn’t everyone love being read aloud to?
Great point, Colby! I know I love hearing a good story aloud. Thanks to your recommendation, I read FIG PUDDING last spring and now absolutely understand why you read it at the beginning of each school year.
Thank you for participating and thanks for being such a TERRIFIC TEACHER! Learn more about Colby by visiting him at SharpReads or join Colby and other Nerdy readers at the Nerdy Book Club.
The very serious Colby SharpI first asked Colby if we could get a peek at his past:
Favorite school lunch as a kid: Every single day of elementary school I packed the same lunch: two small bags of potato chips and a chocolate milk.Best friend in grade school: Cory P., I met him in first grade. We were great friends all the way through high school. Times you were the new kid in school: Middle school choir. I do not care to elaborate. It was not pretty. I have no idea what I was thinking. Teacher that inspired you to stretch: Mr. Bontrager. He was a student teacher while I was in fourth grade. He was the first guy teacher that I ever had. I remember thinking how cool he was. Everything he said and did was magical. I remember him playing sports with us at recess. It made me want to impress him in the classroom. I now play football at recess almost every single day at school with my fourth graders. The one thing you always wished you could do in grade school but never achieved: I really wish that I would have learned how to play a musical instrument. Not that I want to be a rock band or anything, I just think it would be cool to be able to rock out every once and a while. Colby: I know FIG PUDDING is your favorite, first-of-the-year read aloud. Tell me how you came to know this book.
I was introduced to Fig Pudding through Ralph Fletcher’s resources for teachers. One of the mini-lessons that he included called for me to read the "Tackle Box" chapter from Fig Pudding. I was hooked from there.
What led you to choose it as a read aloud?
I read it aloud because I want my students to see my cry while I’m reading. Many of my 4th grade students have never allowed themselves to truly get lost in a story and put themselves out there. I think it sets the tone for reading in our classroom.
Tell us a bit about the read-aloud methods you use. For example, do you stop at the end of a chapter or at the end of an exciting or interesting scene? Ask kids to predict outcomes?
I do a lot of modeling of my own thinking as I read. I want my students to see what goes on in the head of an “expert reader.” I don’t sugar coat it either. I let them know what is really going on in my head. If I get distracted and start thinking about lunch I tell them that. I then go back and reread the parts that I missed because I was distracted.
We of course stop often and discuss, predict, connect, but I think my favorite part about reading aloud is having that shared reading experience. After reading Fig Pudding we can connect something from that book to almost any other book out there. If a student is reading Our Only May Amelia, I can talk to them about May Amelia eating her “Steaming Bowl of Sadness." If a kid is reading Ivy + Bean, we can talk about how Cynthia and Bean both struggle to get along with their siblings.
What happens in your classroom when you read this book aloud?
The silliest thing that happens is my students beg their older siblings to tell them what a Yiddi-Yadda is. It is such a silly part of the story, but every student that comes back to visit in the fith grade asks if the class has figured out what a Yidda-Yadda is yet.
During the reading of this book, kids laugh, cry, think, grow, and learn. It really is a perfect read aloud. I think it brings us closer together and helps to develop a safe learning community together.
What else would you like to share about read alouds and/or reading FIG PUDDING aloud?
I think that every reading/English/language arts teacher/librarian should read aloud to their students consistently. Doesn’t everyone love being read aloud to?
Great point, Colby! I know I love hearing a good story aloud. Thanks to your recommendation, I read FIG PUDDING last spring and now absolutely understand why you read it at the beginning of each school year.
Thank you for participating and thanks for being such a TERRIFIC TEACHER! Learn more about Colby by visiting him at SharpReads or join Colby and other Nerdy readers at the Nerdy Book Club.
September 7, 2012
Friend Friday
I always loved going back to school -- new footwear (brown and white saddle shoes), new pencils, new skirt lovingly made by my Auntie Lou. September spells hope, in my book, the kind of hope that only a ream of pristine lined notepaper can promise.
In the spirit of new, there are going to be some new things chez Kirby's Lane. I'm not going to tell you yet about the amazing plan I have for Tuesdays (for those of you jonesing for writing tips, head on over to Barbara O'Connor's blog), but you can continue to count on Thursday's Thought for the Day. But Friday! Friday!
Friday is now Friend Friday. And what better way to inaugurate Friend Friday than with a pickle.
Pickle: The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School is Kim Baker's debut novel and you don't want to miss it. Kim has the best laugh of anyone I know and her heart is somewhat bigger than Mt. Rainier. She serves as the Western Washington SCBWI co-regional advisor and apparently stray animals find their way to her house sans GPS. She writes in a very cool converted shed and, though she didn't tell me this personally, Kim would be pleased as punch if every single one of you ran out and bought her new book. At an independent bookstore, of course.
In the spirit of new, there are going to be some new things chez Kirby's Lane. I'm not going to tell you yet about the amazing plan I have for Tuesdays (for those of you jonesing for writing tips, head on over to Barbara O'Connor's blog), but you can continue to count on Thursday's Thought for the Day. But Friday! Friday!
Friday is now Friend Friday. And what better way to inaugurate Friend Friday than with a pickle.
Pickle: The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School is Kim Baker's debut novel and you don't want to miss it. Kim has the best laugh of anyone I know and her heart is somewhat bigger than Mt. Rainier. She serves as the Western Washington SCBWI co-regional advisor and apparently stray animals find their way to her house sans GPS. She writes in a very cool converted shed and, though she didn't tell me this personally, Kim would be pleased as punch if every single one of you ran out and bought her new book. At an independent bookstore, of course.
September 6, 2012
Thursday's Thought
Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.
Chinese Proverb
Chinese Proverb
August 30, 2012
Thursday's Thought
I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a book.
Groucho Marx
Groucho Marx
August 28, 2012
Tuesday's Tip
Thanks for hanging in with me over the summer. As August draws to a close, I'm wrapping up the Tuesday's Tips posts. . .and rethinking this blog. Let me know what kinds of posts might be most helpful to you!
In the meantime, please allow me to share my favorite misquote. For years, I was in love with these wise words from Russell Hoban's A Mouse and His Child: "You've got to take those daring leaps or you're nowhere." This sentiment spoke to my writer's heart and experience. Sometimes, simply sitting down at a blank page (or screen) is an incredibly daring leap.
I re-read the book recently and realized Mr. Hoban actually wrote, "You've got to make those daring leaps or you're nowhere."
I hope he won't send down a lightning bolt from above at my boldness, but I actually prefer my misquote. As a writer, I take daring leaps every single day but making those leaps? That's a different issue. Sometimes I fall short, barely reaching the cliff's edge, scrabbling for purchase on some scrubby shrub to keep myself from falling into the abyss. And sometimes, I do fall --- down, down, down. But sometimes, I clear the gap like an Olympic hurdler. The deal is, unless I actually take a leap, I won't know what kind of landing I'll make. That's what makes writing so awful. And so awe-full.
My next leap? A picture book. Who knew?
What's yours?
In the meantime, please allow me to share my favorite misquote. For years, I was in love with these wise words from Russell Hoban's A Mouse and His Child: "You've got to take those daring leaps or you're nowhere." This sentiment spoke to my writer's heart and experience. Sometimes, simply sitting down at a blank page (or screen) is an incredibly daring leap.
I re-read the book recently and realized Mr. Hoban actually wrote, "You've got to make those daring leaps or you're nowhere."
I hope he won't send down a lightning bolt from above at my boldness, but I actually prefer my misquote. As a writer, I take daring leaps every single day but making those leaps? That's a different issue. Sometimes I fall short, barely reaching the cliff's edge, scrabbling for purchase on some scrubby shrub to keep myself from falling into the abyss. And sometimes, I do fall --- down, down, down. But sometimes, I clear the gap like an Olympic hurdler. The deal is, unless I actually take a leap, I won't know what kind of landing I'll make. That's what makes writing so awful. And so awe-full.
My next leap? A picture book. Who knew?
What's yours?
August 23, 2012
Thursday's Thought
Having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card.
Marc Brown, ARTHUR'S LIBRARY SONG
Marc Brown, ARTHUR'S LIBRARY SONG
August 21, 2012
Tuesday's Tip
Write outside your comfort zone.
For me, that is poetry. Sheesh, am I bad at it! But I find that writing poetry-- no matter how awful-- helps me get to the emotional heart of a scene/situation. So, I will write a poem (often from the POV of my main character) to help distill the essentials of a story moment. Those few words serve as stepping stones for finding my way to the heart of a scene and, somehow, makes writing tough scenes less daunting.
For Hattie Big Sky, I wrote dozens of cinquains* to help launch the emotional plane of Hattie's story. Here's one example, created as I was thinking about why people would leave their established homes to homestead in undeveloped parts of the country (fyi: Circle and Glendive are Montana town names):
The Trip West
We rodeemigrant carson twelve dollar ticketsnot to Circle or Glendive butto hope.
Give it a go! It may work for you.
*Cinquains are a truly American form of poetry, five lines line. The first line contains 2 syllables, the second line 4 syllables, the third line 6 syllables, the fourth line 8 syllables and the final line 2 syllables. Thanks to Ann Whitford Paul for teaching me about this form!
For me, that is poetry. Sheesh, am I bad at it! But I find that writing poetry-- no matter how awful-- helps me get to the emotional heart of a scene/situation. So, I will write a poem (often from the POV of my main character) to help distill the essentials of a story moment. Those few words serve as stepping stones for finding my way to the heart of a scene and, somehow, makes writing tough scenes less daunting.
For Hattie Big Sky, I wrote dozens of cinquains* to help launch the emotional plane of Hattie's story. Here's one example, created as I was thinking about why people would leave their established homes to homestead in undeveloped parts of the country (fyi: Circle and Glendive are Montana town names):
The Trip West
We rodeemigrant carson twelve dollar ticketsnot to Circle or Glendive butto hope.
Give it a go! It may work for you.
*Cinquains are a truly American form of poetry, five lines line. The first line contains 2 syllables, the second line 4 syllables, the third line 6 syllables, the fourth line 8 syllables and the final line 2 syllables. Thanks to Ann Whitford Paul for teaching me about this form!
August 16, 2012
Thursday's Thought
A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life.
Henry Ward Beecher
Henry Ward Beecher
August 14, 2012
Tuesday's Tip
Buddy up.
That's today's tip. You can interpret it anyway that makes sense to you but here are some ways I've enriched my writing life by buddying up:
Meet a writing pal at a coffee shop and write simultaneously. This meet-up is not for critique purposes but to bask in shared creative energy. The one time I participated in NaNoWriMo, this was a trick I used many times to reach my daily word count goal.Buddy checks via email: My partner-in-crime, Mary Nethery, and I do this fairly often. One of us will email the other at the start of the work day, spelling out our own goals for the day, and asking about the other's. Even though Mary's thousands of miles away, just knowing she's at her computer at the same time I am inspires me to keep at it.Buddy brainstorming: a phone or in-person date where you and your buddy brainstorm about each other's works in progress. When I feel boxed in my a story plot, this is a huge help to me.Blog buddies: There are certain blogs I read for writing inspiration and ideas. I consider these bloggers my buddies even though we've never met!
What buddy systems have worked for you?
That's today's tip. You can interpret it anyway that makes sense to you but here are some ways I've enriched my writing life by buddying up:
Meet a writing pal at a coffee shop and write simultaneously. This meet-up is not for critique purposes but to bask in shared creative energy. The one time I participated in NaNoWriMo, this was a trick I used many times to reach my daily word count goal.Buddy checks via email: My partner-in-crime, Mary Nethery, and I do this fairly often. One of us will email the other at the start of the work day, spelling out our own goals for the day, and asking about the other's. Even though Mary's thousands of miles away, just knowing she's at her computer at the same time I am inspires me to keep at it.Buddy brainstorming: a phone or in-person date where you and your buddy brainstorm about each other's works in progress. When I feel boxed in my a story plot, this is a huge help to me.Blog buddies: There are certain blogs I read for writing inspiration and ideas. I consider these bloggers my buddies even though we've never met!
What buddy systems have worked for you?
August 9, 2012
Thursday's Thought
The harder you work, the luckier you get.*
Gary Player
(Samuel Goldwyn said,"The harder I work, the luckier I get.")
Gary Player
(Samuel Goldwyn said,"The harder I work, the luckier I get.")
