Well, I got my answer....No, stomping on the cookie did not make the impact I had hoped for. My little dude stepped on a journal and a water bottle today and we had another chat. It ended with my little dude having a one day suspension for threatening bodily harm to me So no I won't ever stomp on a cookie again.
This little dude really doesn't have empathy. I ended my character lesson with ....if it doesn't belong to you, don't step on it.
I am very very sad tonight and feel like I have let my guy down.
Sigh...
Don't freak out, but I got fired on Friday..by a six year old. So now the story...I have a little one who steps on things or breaks things that don't belong to him. He doesn't seem to have empathy for others. So, I jumped at an opportunity. He stepped on a student's cookie that was left by the hallway bathroom after lunch. After I asked him why he did this, his response was, it didn't belong to anyone. (It didn't have a name on it.) Well, my sweetie had part of a cookie of his own which he had put in the snack bin. I looked in the snack bin, found the cookie part and mentioned to my guy that this cookie didn't have a name on it, so it must not belong to anyone either. I proceeded to stomp on the cookie. The look on his face...priceless. He was SOOOO mad! I asked him how he was feeling and he fired me. "You're fired!" Wow! We then talked about how it felt to have your cookie stepped on and how mad he must be feeling. We talked about how sad he must be feeling since he didn't have a cookie to eat. We talked about things you could step on and things you shouldn't step on. We talked about how everything belongs to someone, even if you don't know who. He then went to Music and I went to buy two new cookies. I never found the owner of the first cookie, but a co-worker played the part very well. My little dude then went to apologize with the cookie he stepped on and a new cookie to replace the crumbled one. When he returned, I apologized to him and gave him a new cookie. And...he left for the long weekend. What do you think? Would you ever stomp on a cookie? I wonder if it made the impact I was working for...or not.
I am trying VERY hard to post more often. I found this linky that is perfect for me. Thank you "Swimming in Second" for this fun linky. Best Books for Boys Linky Party (Click here to link up) I work part time as a children's library reference assistant on weekends. Every librarian has a few go-to books for reluctant readers. Most of the time, those readers are boys. I usually try to offer some books that are part of a series. That way, if they like one...they might keep reading more. Here are a couple of my go-to books for boys. The Hank Zipzer series. There are 17 books in this series. These are written by non other than Henry Winkler (The Fonz). Lexile 610 Suggested grade: 2nd and up.
For Hank, fourth grade does not start out on the right foot. First of all, he gets called to the principal's office on the very first day of school. Then the first assignment his teacher gives him is to write five paragraphs on "What You Did This Summer." Hank is terrified-writing one good sentence is hard for him, so how in the world is he going to write five whole paragraphs? Hank comes up with a plan: instead of writing what he did on vacation, he'll show what he did. But when Hank's "living essay" becomes a living disaster, he finds himself in detention. Strangely enough, however, detention ends up becoming a turning point in his life
Inspired by his own experiences with undiagnosed dyslexia, actor/director Henry Winkler presents this new series about the high-spirited and funny adventures of a fourth-grader with learning differences. When Hank Zipzer has to write an essay on what he did over the summer, he decides instead to "show" what he did.
Snakes by Nic Bishop (One of many nature books written and photographed by Nic Bishop)
Lexile 1050 YIKES!!! Join naturalist Nic Bishop for a closer look at scaly, scary snakes!
Snakes are scaly, scary, silent predators. They use powerful venom or crushing strength to overwhelm their victims. Then they swallow them whole!
With breathtaking full-page images, Sibert Medal-winning photographer Nic Bishop introduces the terrifying and beautiful world of snakes. The simple, engaging text presents both basic information and captivating details about the appearance, habits, and remarkable abilities of these amazing reptiles. An index and glossary are included, along with an author's note detailing his research and the fun stories behind the photographs
Description by Barnes and Noble.
The Gregor the Overlander Series. Written by Suzanne Collins. (She wrote the Hunger Games)
Lexile: 630 Age range: 8 and up.
This irresistible first novel tells the story of a quiet boy who embarks on a dangerous quest in order to fulfill his destiny -- and find his father -- in a strange world beneath New York City.
When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it -- until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever.
When eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world, they trigger an epic battle involving men, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy.
Description by Barnes and Noble
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Lexile 1020 Suggested age: 9 and up. On his way to visit his recently divorced father in the Canadian mountains, thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is the only survivor when the single-engine plane crashes. His body battered, his clothes in shreds, Brian must now stay alive in the boundless Canadian wilderness. More than a survival story, Hathcet is a tale of tough decisions. When all is stripped down to the barest essentials, Brian discovers some stark and simple truths: Self-pity doesn't work. Despair doesn't work. And if Brian is to survive physically as well as mentally, he must discover courage.After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the Canadian wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.
Description by Barnes and Noble.
I've never had a bad review on ANY of these books for boys.
Happy Reading!
This is my first currently...so if you see something I should do differently, please let me know.
It is 2:18 in the morning on my last day of winter break. I've enjoyed my time home so much and I am sad that I have to go back to work tomorrow. We only had seven days off for winter break.
The house is quiet except for the kitties playing upstairs in the kitchen. I should probably go check on them, but it is more fun to try and guess what they are doing.
I love having all my chicks back home for a while. Everyone lives at home, except for my oldest. She is 23, but her presence this week makes my home feel perfect. I love having her home even though having three girls at thome means girl drama.
I'm thinking I should be writing lesson plans right now for tomorrow.
I'm wanting more time home....I probably don't need to say anymore.
I need to find my work/ teaching clothes. I've enjoyed all the pj days and jean days. Gotta bring out the fabric steamer and find something cute for tomorrow!
OLW: Priorities. After a few days off, I realize that I need to put my priorities in order. Family should be first always. My girls are getting older and I need to enjoy my time with them. Like most teachers, I haven't found the balance between work and home.
Come link up with Oh' Boy 4th grade and share your thoughts....
Hi all,
Wow! We are on week 4 in school. It is sooo hard to believe that these little ones have been with me this long. The crying is less...and everyone is starting to understand and follow classroom procedures. You might be asking right now why it takes this class four weeks to "get with the Kindergarten program?"
Well, I have 20 little ones and over 1/2 of them speak a different language at home. Represented in our class is Spanish, Japanese, Twi, Igbo, French, Danish, and Gujarati. Some of these little ones speak fluent English, but most do not. Visual cues and modeling....oh my. Although our school is considered Moderate Poverty, my class tips the balance toward High Poverty. Most of my parents are awesome and want to help their kiddos. It is hard for them to help with letter sounds and word families, since they don't speak fluent English themselves. I created a Donors Choose project to help both my parents and my students. Now, I need some advice. How do you get your project funded? I'm not having much luck and I don't have any experience with Donors Choose. Any advice? http://www.donorschoose.org/project/can-you-hear-me-can-you-hear-me-now/817548/
I haven't posted in a while...the start of school and all that comes with it drained all my energy and motivation. This weekend I got re-charged. I ran in The Color Run in Richmond with a team of 20 teachers, friends and family. It was awesome. If you have a chance to participate in this event...go for it.
You begin with a white outfit...
At ever K, you get a mixture of cornstarch and food coloring thrown, squirted and blown at you. By the end of the "race" you are a colorful rainbow. Most of the color blows or falls off, but some stays around in the most interesting places. I still have a faint glow of green and orange in my hair. I think it will come out with the next shampoo.
I am planning on dipping my shirt in vinegar to save the color.
Babies, children, teens, men and women. Some old, some young. Men in tutus, girls in fairy wings, kids in capes. I saw it all and everyone was happy and colorific.
I can't wait to participate next year. It was the happiest race on the planet.
Hi! I'm Cindy. It is very nice to meet you. I am a 40 something Kindergarten teacher. I returned to the classroom at the age of 40. Prior to returning to Kindergarten, I worked as a library associate/ programmer at the public library. Oh...and I still work at the library on weekends. I also homeschooled my own children for 11 years. After my own family, my passions are Kindergarten, science and children's literature.
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