Crazy for the StormA Memoir of SurvivalNormal OllestadEcco Books, an Imprint of Harper Collings BooksISBN: 978-0-06-176672-5272 pagesRating: Mighty ToastyThis is a true story of Norman Ollestad's being the sole survivor of a plane crash which took his father's life atop a snow covered mountain range. His prose is engaging, and his haunting begining in his dedication prepares the reader for a story well-told and memorable, "An insatiable spirit, he (my father) was crazy for the storm. And it ... Read Full Story

A Long Way GoneMemoirs of a Boy SoldierIshmael BeahSarah Crichton BooksFarrar, Straus and Giroux2007ISBN 13:978-0-374-10523-5229 pagesRating: Blue HotThis is an elegant, eloquent true journey of a youth-soldier in war torn Sierra Leone, Africa. Beah's evocative prose captures the confused, hesitant yet inevitable passage of innocence into hard-won early adulthood, but an adulthood based on thin realities and imbalanced truth. The story is almost other-worldly as you travel with Beah from his ... Read Full Story

Weather Balloon Experiment? Sign ups are happening now, today, at the Simi Valley Public Library. I am not sure of the presentation: I am awaiting my chance to experience this on Saturday June 27th. Based on my delighted surprise at discovering a "Paper Airplane Contest" which happened in May, on the last Saturday, I am venturing a guess that this may be a monthly event. Anyway, free... and no age limit. Check it out today! Simi Valley Public Library 805-526-1735. Read Full Story

Watercolor paint on the cement patio. Big brushes, lotsa water and cool designs. Dries up.Sidewalk chalk on the brick wall behind our house. A masterpiece that will wash away with the next Spring rain.$2.00 canvas tote bags from Big Lots on Cochran Street and fabric markers. Wowza. Add some fabric paint, and you have a fabulous future parent gift (you know you are begging for your own...).Rock collecting. This really is fun during a hike.Leaf collecting. This is very educational as we learn a... Read Full Story

Red Scarf GirlA Memoir of the Cultural RevolutionJi Li JiangScholastic Edition, 1997285 pagesDo you remember when you still believed in...everything? Did you believe in fairies? Wishes? Happy endings? Parents were always right? Justice existed? The world was a place of balance and opportunity? When did that all end? For Ji Li Jiang, it ended at 12, in sixth grade. Red Scarf Girl is a deftly written work, clear cut in its story, with little elaboration on the gradual, tidal changes within &quo... Read Full Story

Recently, a popular young lady in my homeroom has left our school. She was popular not because of any clique but simply, I believe, she had a warm heart and a happy personality. She left for personal reasons and I wish her the best.It'll be interesting to see any change in the class. Up until the last day, the excitement of giving themselves "permission" to express their joy about her friendship overshadowed any sentimentality. They shouted her name in to microphone and cheered ... Read Full Story

I remember for a long time PAINFULLY trying to make my 17 or 23 or 27 quiz questions equal one hundred points. The theory went that it'd be easier to translate to a understandable percentage.Well.... DUH.I don't have to do that. In hindsight, that was ridiculous. But a new teacher, under the gun trying to do everything ALL at once and everything the RIGHT way sometimes can't think too clearly. Or see the obvious.NOWNo matter how many questions, I show a percentage correct (for com... Read Full Story

Well, planning on percentages isn't going to work very well with the grading program I have.I am forced to give it a point value for it to show up on the student report. Therefore I gave the prepartion or work habits assignment a low point value. You say I should give it a high one? Well I disagree. I intend to form good work habits, but I don't think I can actually motivate children by penalizing them against their grade for it.The math of it didn't work for me. The logic of it d... Read Full Story

Typically, in my middle school classroom, work habits has been based on consistent homework habits. An enlightening conversation with our school's computer teacher had me rethink my simplistic view: work habits is an entire schema, a broader range than simply turning something in. Is the work neat? Is it presentable? Did the student follow the rubric? Is the paper prepared correctly?Further, work habits become also "preparation". Did the student arrive with the expected and requ... Read Full Story

A weekly math quiz is essential.A quiz is about 1o or 15 questions. Anything longer constitutes a test. Imagine it takes 5 minutes to go over directions. Another 2 or 3 for students to find their pencil. That's about 8 minutes gone. If you have 40 minutes, you only have 32 minutes left. If you allow one minute per question, then you have room for either a 10 question quiz or a twenty question test with room perhaps for one or two written responses (as in social studies). You then need tim... Read Full Story