Tuesday, December 16: How does your family celebrate winter holidays? Do you have any special traditions?

Monday, December 15: Tell me about your weekend.

Tuesday, December 9: What job(s) would you like to do when you're older? Why?

Monday, December 8: Tell me about your weekend!

Thursday, December 4: Interview someone who has a job. Find out what things they do at the job, what hours they work, and how they feel about their work.

Wednesday, December 3: Interview an adult who raised you and find out what you were like as a baby.

Tuesday, December 2: Draw a timeline showing the important events that have happened in your life.

Instead of drawing, I'll list the dates here:

• 1988: I was born in Sacramento, CA.
• 1989: My family moved to 4110 Mindt Court in Carmichael, CA.
• 1989: My great-grandmother died and we went to Chicago for the funeral. It was my first trip on an airplane.
• 1991: I started attending Shalom School, a Jewish Day School in Sacramento, CA. 
• 1991: My sister, Nirra, was born. Life was never the same after that!
• 1993: I began kindergarten in public school at Mission Avenue Open School.
• 1995: I left Mission and started second grade at Deterding Elementary school. I was nervous about making new friends!
• 1995: I started playing basketball for the 7-8 team at Deterding.
• 1999: I graduated from elementary school and went to Barrett Middle School for seventh grade.
• 2001: I received my bat mitzvah, which is a Jewish ceremony that you perform when you become an adult at the age of thirteen. I had to read from the Torah in Hebrew in front of all my friends and family.
• 2001: I graduated from middle school and started high school at Rio Americano high school.
• 2003: I stopped playing basketball and started doing yoga.
• 2006: I graduated from high school and moved to Chicago to go to college at the University of Chicago!
• 2006: I got a passport and took my first trip out of the country. I went to Spain, where Ms. Trigo is from!
• 2010: My dad and I both graduated! I finished college and he finished his graduate degree from UC Davis.
• 2010: I moved to New Orleans and started teaching pre-Kindergarten at KIPP.
• 2012: My grandpa died. I flew to CA for the funeral.
• 2013: I left KIPP and started teaching third grade at Benjamin Franklin.

Monday, December 1: Write a letter to your diary about the best or worst day of your break.

December 1, 2014

Dear Diary,

The worst day of my break was on Wednesday, when I spent TEN hours in a hot car driving up and down a mountain. The night before, my friend Jennifer asked me if I wanted to visit a school out in the country. I don't like being in the car, so I asked her, "How long is the drive?" She responded, "It's about two and a half hours away." I thought to myself, "Well, that's not so bad," and replied, "I guess I'll go." Boy, was that a mistake! First of all, in order to get there on time, I had to wake up at four in the morning! When the alarm went off, I almost screamed. Second of all, the car didn't have air conditioning and it was unbearably hot. For most of the ride, I felt like someone had taken my stomach and put it in a blender. It was awful. Visiting the schools almost made it worth it, but I'm not really sure that anything could make up for waking up in the middle of the night and spending the whole day in the car. When I got back from the trip, Jennifer asked, "Did you have fun?" I responded, "Are you KIDDING me? Unless your idea of fun is spending ten hours feeling like throwing up...NO!" Thankfully, the rest of my break was a blast. I'll tell you about that tomorrow, Diary.

Yours truly,

Ms. Radding

El Salvador, Part 1

Dear third graders,

I landed in San Salvador on Friday afternoon. I was one of approximately five gringos on the plane. Exiting the airport, I was met by a thick crowd of folks waving signs and calling names. I was struck by how many in the crowd must have been waiting to see loved ones who might no longer recognize them. I was looking for Jennifer’s mother, Guillermina, her brother-in-law, Irvin, and her five-year-old cousin, Leticia, (Jennifer was at work) but I quickly realized that I’d have better luck standing still and letting them spot me.

As we embarked on the 50-kilometer drive from the airport to the city, I marveled at the lush countryside we passed along the way: towering palms, enormous tropical plants, and the mountains and valleys carved into the land by the collision of the three tectonic plates the country sits on. After forty-five minutes or so, I started to recognize some familiar sights: the wildly curving roads, massive billboards (almost all advertising fast food), and repurposed, colorfully decorated school buses now operating as public transportation that now remind me of San Salvador.

We arrived at Jennifer’s house, where they showed me to my room (Jennifer graciously agreed to share with her cousin so I could stay in her cousin’s room) and around the house. Literally, around the house—for those who aren’t familiar, most homes here are built around a central area that’s open to the air—and with the smaller rooms and bathrooms encircling the open space, kitchen, and common areas. The smaller rooms have open windows facing into the center of the home, and the center area often has many plants and a drain in the center for wash and rain water. Like American suburbs, the streets here are fairly quiet, though when you pass by you often hear dogs barking and music playing from behind the massive steel doors that protect homes from intruders. From what I can tell, folks don't spend much time talking to neighbors, because even the porches and gardens are enclosed behind the doors.

In the evening, I met Jennifer’s father, Carlos. He’s an English teacher at a public high school, where he works both shifts: 7:30-12:00, and 12:30-6:00. Jennifer’s mother teaches math to middle school students, and works a more typical schedule: just the morning shift. Schools in San Salvador are so crowded that students (and most teachers) attend in two shifts. In addition to working both shifts at school, Carlos teaches a mostly-virtual English course to overage students working on their diploma, which meets from 8:00-10:00 PM.

We talked about why American kids leave home after high school, and why Salvadorian kids often stay. Later, Jennifer shared why she stays: so she can live with her parents as a fellow adult, and know them as people in ways she couldn’t when she felt like she was their charge. As she and her family all live in the same city, there's no reason to move out and sacrifice her growing friendship with her parents. Jennifer says her independence is in her spirit, not in her housing arrangement!

On Saturday, Jennifer invited me to a writing group she’s been attending weekly since September. The group is hosted by the Spanish Embassy and taught by a well-known Salvadorian fiction writer. This week, we met at a park called Salvador del Mundo (a large statue of Jesus on top of the world is the middle of the park). The author prompted us to observe the visitors to the park, and write down our impressions. The park was a busy place on Saturday: a large Christian group had set up a stage, sound system, and about two hundred chairs for some kind of performance, and a radio station arrived to cover the story. Groups of children and young adults prepared to dance and sing on the stage.

We wrote for about half an hour. I wrote pieces of poems, bits of observations, things that startled or surprised me—like the fact that the radio station’s vans were decorated with Israeli flags. At four, we regrouped and drove to the Spanish Embassy, which rents a building that it uses for a café and artist studios. We purchased coffee and assembled in a small library located within the Embassy. The author began by inviting folks to discuss their observations. Various participants shared, and then the author explained the literary techniques she wanted the participants to focus on in their next pieces of writing, and identified some well-known authors who use these techniques well. This discussion took almost ninety minutes, with the author talking for most of an hour. It struck me that I didn’t hear any of the participants actually read what they wrote. If they had, the author could have used the participants as examples when she explained the techniques. Jennifer told me that for her, while the workshop “is no Bread Loaf,” it’s a chance to stay connected to a community of writers in San Salvador. She apologized to me, as if sitting and listening to a teacher talk wasn’t also a familiar experience for me. Unfortunately, I told her, most of my educational experiences were just like this one, which is why Bread Loaf has also changed so much of how I think about my role in the classroom.

After the workshop, we spent some time at an outdoor fair held in a garden behind the embassy cafe, where we made our own engravings and black-and-white prints from the designs. Afterwords, Jennifer took me to Santa Tecla, a wealthy city outside of San Salvador where many folks gather on Saturday nights to walk along a well-lit and guarded pedestrian mall called Paseo del Carmen. We ate in El Salvador's version of a mostly-vegetarian restaurant, which Jennifer thought I would find amusing (the most amusing thing was the size of the serving of hummus—one tablespoon for several triangles of pita!).

On Sunday, we drove to the beach, which is about an hour from Jennifer’s house. On our way out of the city, we passed a luxury mall, enormous gated communities, and coffee plantations built into the hills outside of the city. Our first stop was at a pier where freshly caught seafood is sold daily. I tried my first minuta, which is the Salvadorian version of a snow cone. I opted for a traditional flavor—limon, which literally means that they squeeze fresh lime on the ice, and finish it with hot sauce. Would you like to try a drink like this? 

After some time strolling on the pier, we headed to another, ritzier beach—Playa Tunco. The beach is named for the giant rock just a hundred meters or so from the coast that’s shaped like piglet lying on its back. A little ways up the road, Playa Tunco is like another world. Jennifer compared the beach to an upscale, outdoor mall—recently renovated restaurants boast international, “healthy” menus, and foreign tourists carrying surfboards dot the sands. The street vendors who sold us our minuta at the first beach are nowhere to be found—only signs at each restaurant that say “Propiedad Privada—No Se Permite Vendedores” (Private Property: No Vendors Permitted). The waves here are formidable, making Playa Tunco an international surfing destination. We tried our hand at some amateur body surfing—Jennifer, with more practice than I, was much more adept at riding the waves. I mostly crashed and burned and ended up with sand and saltwater stuck to every imaginable part of my body!

Today, Jennifer couldn’t take me to work because she didn’t yet have permission for me to attend the classes she’s teaching at the jail. A day to myself was a blessing, though—I’ve been recovering from a mild flu, and sleeping in and working at home was just what I needed. This afternoon, I went for a walk with Guillermina and Leticia to a local park, where we ran (and walked) laps around the track and explored the playground. The park, like many in San Salvador, abuts a gorge and a wide view of lush forest. At one point, Leticia and another little girl joined me for some impromptu yoga! This evening, Jennifer and I went out to the center of her neighborhood for pupusas—and I learned about the indubitable superiority of pupusas de maiz over pupusas de arroz. Pupusas are sort of like quesadillas, only with thicker tortillas that cover the filling completely. The area was lively, though Jennifer commented that she had never been out in this area so late—it was 7 PM—both because she’s usually working or at school and because most areas are more dangerous after dark. With the sun setting before six most of the year, folks tend to stay home in the evenings.

Hasta luego,

Ms. Radding

Wednesday, November 19: Write a story of your choice that includes at least THREE quotations. QUIZ TOMORROW!

Tuesday, November 18: How does your family celebrate Thanksgiving? Do you have any special traditions?

Monday, November 17: Write about your weekend or the field trip. Your choice!

Thursday, November 13: Write a rhyming poem or song using at least 10 spelling words.

Wednesday, November 12: Who is your favorite musician or musical group and why do you like them?

Tuesday, November 11: Who do you argue with? What do you disagree about?

Monday, November 10: The fourth grade teachers are trying to choose a field trip. Which of our trips do you recommend for them and why?

On Friday, Ms. Hall asked me, "How was the museum?" I could hardly put into words how I felt about the trip. Never before have I taken my students on a field trip with their journals, and I was in awe of my students' writing skills! I told her how a trip to the Ogden Museum was a chance for students to write about and connect with art in a way that we can't do in the classroom, I implored her to take the fourth graders to the museum! I shared how students wrote notes, stories, and feelings, and drew sketches of paintings and sculptures. I added that we were going to use our notes and observations to write poems and essays this week. The best field trips last more than just one day, because they open our minds in ways we can't predict and continue to fuel our writing when we return to school.

- Ms. R

Monday, November 3: Imagine you can elect two classmates to the student council. Who do you elect, and why?

Instead of telling you who I would elect, I thought I would share what qualities I look for in a leader. First of all, I look for someone who shares my values. I want someone to represent me who knows the difference between right and wrong and who will stand up for what's right. Secondly, I look for someone who is innovative. If someone is innovative, they have lots of new ideas and interesting ways to make their ideas happen. Finally, I look for someone who has the qualities of a leader--someone who listens to their teammates and knows how to speak in front of a group. I hope you make smart choices!

Thursday, October 30: Write a really scary story!

Wednesday, October 29: You can have any superpower. What do you choose and why?

There are so many powers I wish I had...

I wish I could reverse death 

Interrupt mortality and 

Manipulate this world into a place 

Where I and everyone I love can stay

Together in this mostly blissful 

But sometimes burdensome 

Thing called life. 

Tuesday, October 28: What costumes should your teachers wear for Halloween?

Monday, October 27: Describe your Halloween costume. What does it look like, and how will you act like the character?

I hate wearing a costume! They're usually so itchy and uncomfortable. Sometimes just seeing giddy people wearing costumes makes me grumpy, like a Grinch who can't stand to see other people having fun. How can people wearing such awkward costumes seem so happy? Usually I spend Halloween watching a movie or reading a book...basically avoiding the costumes. 

But this year I was thinking I would work on my attitude toward costumes. Does anyone have an idea for a non-itchy, completely comfortable (but also cute) costume? 

Ms. R 

Thursday, October 23: Write a spooky story using at least 10 spelling words.

Wednesday, October 22: Who takes care of you? How do they take care of you?

Tuesday, October 21: If you could be any age, what age would you be and why?

If I could be any age, I would be 11 so I could go back to sixth grade and tell myself not to worry so much about being cool. In sixth grade, my mom still made my clothes, I spent recess writing poetry, and I was a fierce basketball player. I would tell myself not to be jealous of the girls with matching GAP jeans but rather proud of my individuality. I would definitely not spend my allowance on the pleather pants I wore the first day of seventh grade. I would tell myself to do what I wanted in middle school instead of doing and saying whatever I could to get people to like me. If I could go back to 11 again, I would, and I would do my teenage years up the way I should have! 

Monday, October 20: Write a story about the best moment or event during your 3 day weekend.

The best moment of my weekend was at 7:00 AM on Saturday morning, when the sun streaming through my window woke me up and I realized it was the weekend and I could go back to sleep. I don't usually mind waking up early on weekdays for work. I've been getting up early as long as I can remember, and sleeping in on a Wednesday just doesn't feel quite right to me. But we've been in school for a quarter now and us teachers have had just one extra day off, Labor Day, and I'm so tired sometimes when I wake up in the morning it feels like I need pliers to pry my eyes open. So at 7:00 AM on Saturday, I was positively ecstatic that I could roll over under the covers, wrap myself back up in my sheets, and go back to sleep. I dozed for two more hours, before waking up around 9:20, quickly brewing some coffee, and walking to the gym for Body Pump. I can't imagine a better way to start a Saturday than sleeping in, coffee, and exercise.

Wednesday, October 15: Write a silly story using at least 10 of yourspelling words.

Don't get me wrong, I love to write. But on a night like tonight, all I want to do is watch TV! After wrecking my toe, I almost didn't make it to yoga! Thank goodness I knew how to take deep breaths to cool myself down and get my head right for yoga. We have so many mats that they like like colorful patches on a hallway quilt! We acted out the life cycle of an apple. We started by wrapping our arms around our legs like little seeds. Then we warmed up by stretching our arms high and bending one knee at a time for tree pose. Balancing is tough if you get an itch! By the end of class, our trees had blossomed, been pollinated by bees, and juicy apples had grown on our branches. For snack, each of our helpers used a knife to slice the four varieties of apples: Honeycrisp, Sweet Tango, Granny Smith, and Asian Pears. Phew! By my count, I used 11 spelling words. I'm wrecked! Time for bed.

- Ms. Radding

Tuesday, October 14: If we could go anywhere in the world on a field trip, where would you want to go and what would we learn about there?

Monday, October 13: Write about your experience on the field trip today.

When I close my eyes...


I see Caleb falling playing make-believe football,

Landing on his hands,

So the flap of skin looked like a door to a room full of blood.


I hear John chuckling as he shows me

How he slid through the mud

And is now wearing the field on his pants.

I hear John asking me, "Can I wash off this mud?"

And I hear Nadia's mom responding, "The mud's gotta dry first, honey."


I hear jubilant students cheering during the compass relay,

And I see Bria grab Diego's hand and sprint,

Helping her friend find his way to the finish line.


I see Anthony's eyes squeezed shut,

His arms extended, swaying side to side,

Imagining himself a bird whose wings

Can lift him high enough to see the city below.

Thursday, October 2: Describe your favorite toy or stuffed animal. What memories do you have of playing with this toy?

Wednesday, October 1: Invent a new game for a device. Describe the characters and the setting, and explain how to play.

Tuesday, September 30: Describe how to play your favorite video or computer game.

When I was a kid,

My family watched TV once a week.

Most weekends, my dad would give my mom a break

And take the kids to Blockbuster

Where we would pick out a movie

That we would take home and watch

As many times as we could to make up for

No TV at all during the week,

And no cable, EVER.

As you might guess, we did not have

ANY kind of video game

So I learned to read, and read, and read

But not how to play anything at all.

When we got a computer I played Oregon Trail,

A game about a family who headed west to find land and

Hoped to strike it rich in gold country.

But after awhile, I stopped playing and

I still mostly only play games with

Lots of WORDS

Like Scrabble.

Thanks, Mom and Dad.

Monday, September 29: Write about the things you did NOT do this weekend.

This weekend, I did NOT write. I've got feelings bottled way up in me right now, and I feel like a shaken soda bottle ready to pop, but the words just aren't ready to come out yet.

This weekend, I did NOT cook. Usually I cook for a few hours on Sundays so that I have good lunches to look forward to, but the only things I made this weekend were a weird breakfast with rice and potatoes and some split pea soup. I also baked a loaf of bread. So, I did cook...but not as much as I usually do. I usually cook a LOT.

This weekend, I did NOT read. I know...crazy, right? I spent a lot of time watching TV! All my favorite shows started last week, so I spent several hours catching up on them on Friday and Saturday.

This weekend, I did NOT get very much sleep. I tried to sleep in, but I woke up early on Saturday and Sunday, which is so frustrating! Thank goodness for coffee...

This weekend, I did NOT perform poetry, but I saw some unbelievably talented poets perform at the Poets for Ferguson event at the McKenna Museum. How would you feel if we got to perform at a museum one day?

- Ms. Radding

Thursday, September 25: Write or type your final draft of your personal narrative paragraph. Bring your final draft to class to turn in tomorrow with your rough draft, graphic organizer, and packet.

Wednesday, September 24: Who do you look up to?

I look up to so many people, I think it's how I keep from looking down, and dwelling on how very hard it feels sometimes to live the good life I'm striving for.

One of the people I look up to is someone who's been around this blog. His name is Lou.

I look up to Lou for more reasons that I can name here, but one of them is that Lou sees what's truly beautiful about every person he meets. When he talks to you, it's like he can see what you're most proud of, or even what you want to be proud of but you don't know how, and he celebrates it. He makes you feel like being you, really all of you, is a gift you can give to other people.

I want to celebrate my students the way that Lou celebrates everyone in his life. If I can even help a few students feel like they're a gift to the world, that their strengths are the key that will unlock our world, then I've learned something from this man who I look way, way, up to.

- Ms. R

Tuesday, September 23: Describe your grandparents (if your grandparents aren't alive, choose another relative and describe them).

My grandmothers...

Are both teachers

Are both wives

Are both mothers

Are both lovers

Of learning

Are both listeners

Are both readers

Are both the source

Of my strength

And the roots

That tie me to

Our family tree.

Monday, September 22: Sit in one spot. Look around and make a list of at least 10 proper nouns and at least 10 plural nouns that you see.

I am sitting at my desk in room 316.

Proper Nouns:

1. Promethean Board
2. SHARP television
3. Haier microwave
4. ELMO document camera
5. DELL computer
6. Khullie Seals
7. Hollister Davis
8. Ms. Radding
9. Now and Laters
10. KIND Bars
11. I Love my Hair!

Plural Nouns:

1. cookies
2. books
3. headphones
4. chairs
5. posters
6. desks
7. markers
8. pastels
9. pencils
10. maps

Thursday, September 18: Write about a conflict you recently had. How did you resolve it?

Wednesday, September 17: Write about a time when family came to visit, or when you went to visit family.

Recipe for a Ventura Visit:

One eight hour car ride

Lots of stops at gas stations, and

One stop on the side of the road...

Two stressed out parents

One screaming sister

Two grandparents

One tiny condo

One enormous ocean

Turkey meatballs

Cottage cheese and tuna fish

Two parents on the futon,

Two children on the floor, or sleeping on Aunt Sari's couch

One trip to the county fair

One trip to Aunt Jodi's bookstore

One boat trip to see the whales

One trip up the mountain to Ohai

Two dinners at Aunt Sari's

Lots of barefoot walks in the sand

At least five trips to the end of the pier,

And many, many breaths of  the salty, sticky air

That tells me I'm home.

Tuesday, September 16: Make a list of things that make you smile.

I smile when...

I'm cooking,

Teaching,

Exercising,

Eating,

And right before I'm sleeping. 

Monday, September 15: How full is your bucket today?

My bucket is mostly full today. Yesterday I went to a training for Yoga Power Play, and I'm feeling excited and nervous about starting yoga at Benjamin Franklin on Wednesday. I'm excited because I love yoga, and my bucket is full when I'm sharing what I love with my community. I'm nervous because many students have signed up for Yoga Power Play, and I'm not sure if I can teach all of those students by myself. I'm hoping that some volunteers will come so we can do yoga in smaller groups, but I don't know who they are yet which is making me nervous. One thing yoga has taught me is that the best way to deal with my anxiety is to take deep breaths, so right now, that's what I'm doing...

- Ms. R

Thursday, September 11: Invent a new food. Describe what it looks like and tastes like.

I've always thought that banana and peanut butter

Went together even better than peas and carrots.

Rarely do I eat one without the other,

So I propose a hybrid:

Introducing, the PANANA...

The incredible, peanut butter filled

Banana!

It looks like you might expect,

Usually yellow, sometimes splotched with brown,

But tastes INCREDIBLE,

A blissful banana oozing

With smooth peanut butter in every bite.

YUM.

Wednesday, September 10: Write a thank you note to someone in your family who cooks for you.

Dear Grandma,

Have I ever told you that your turkey meatballs were my first favorite food?

When I was a kid, you made us turkey meatballs every time we visited you in your little condo on the beach. We would drive the eight hours from Sacramento, and whole time I would think about your meatballs. Sometimes I'd swear that I could smell them once we got off of the highway.

Even though I don't eat meat anymore, your meatballs continue to inspire me. I make all kinds of "balls" these days - out of beans, tempeh, nuts, and more - but I'm always trying to recreate that flavor that reminds me of arriving in my favorite place - your condo on the beach.

Love,

Rebecca

Tuesday, September 9: If I were a food, I would be...

If I were a food,

I would be Sriracha,

Because my words are spicy,

And a little of me

Goes a long way.

Monday, September 8: Describe the best meal you ate this weekend.

The stir fry I made on Friday night

Wasn't my best but it sure

Hit the spot after a hard day's work.



Into the pan went a fat onion,

Diced into quarter moons,

And a red bell pepper,

        Bright as a fire engine,

        Sliced thin,

        Its strips dancing

        With the onion moons

        On a sizzling hot dance floor.


Into the blender went a knob of ginger,

Several pungent cloves of garlic,

Many shakes of salty soy sauce,

A drizzle of sesame oil,

Several squeezes of Siracha,

Some sweet agave syrup,

A splash of vinegar,

And a fat blob of ketchup.



Slivered cabbage and broccoli joined the

Party in the pan and when

I added the sauce the onion pepper dance became

A swimming stir fry sensation.

Thursday, September 4: Where do you live? Describe your house and your neighborhood.

I live on the second floor of a two story house. When you open the door, you'll see four bikes tucked not-so-neatly under the stairwell. Come up the stairs and you'll find yourself in our living room.

The old couch in the room slouches like it had a hard day at work, its pillows always askew. Two big plants stand on tables in the living room, thirsty for water and growing toward the sunlight streaming in the three long windows. The kitchen table is the heart of our home, a place where you'll find a roommate or four dining, studying, playing games with friends...

In the kitchen someone's almost always cooking. Our refrigerator is always overflowing with vegetables, except on Saturdays, before we go shopping. When the pickings are slim, I get creative. Sometimes the best food comes out of an unusual combination of ingredients!

My room's the first one off of the hall. It's the smallest, but has the biggest closet. With so many people in my house, I like my room to be a calm space without much stimulation. My favorite part of my room is my bed. It's so tall that it's like a throne. It's made of thick, dark wood and to get on my bed I have to jump like I'm running hurdles! My bed is my oasis and when I'm in it I sleep like a baby.

I moved into this house a few months ago, so I'm still getting to know the neighborhood. It used to take me twenty minutes to drive to work, and now all I have to do is drive up 1st Street to Tchoupitoulas and take it to Jefferson. From my house to Ben Franklin it's only ten minutes! This means I can sleep for ten extra minutes every morning...which means I'm a little fresher when I get to work. I live in the Irish Channel, and from my house I can walk to my gym, my friend Catherine's house, and many restaurants. The only thing I don't like about where I live is that many of my friends live in Mid City, near City Park, and it's a twenty minute drive to see them.

- Ms. Radding

Wednesday, September 3: Describe your best birthday party.

When I was a girl,

There was nothing I loved more than a sleepover.

Every year I made my list

Of all the nice

Girls, and the

Not-so-nice but maybe they'll come

Girls, and the

If-they-come-I'll-be-more-popular

Girls.

And every year I passed out invitations and

Held my breath until

School let out and June passed and

July fifth rolled around

And my day was here.

I'm old enough that I remember them all the same—

Pizza dinner,

Tents outside, or rows of sleeping bags in the empty living room,

No sleep,

But silly stories, and ghost stories,

And even more gossip than pizza,

And finally sleep, but not too long,

Because morning light meant,

Birthday waffles with Breyer's mint chip ice cream.

Thursday, August 28: Choose one of your questions from last night and write a silly answer (or answers) to it.

Would you like to dance with me?

Khullie says, "Yes, you should dance with her because she's the prettiest teacher in the world."

Bradleigh says, "You should dance with her because she's funny. She is funny because we play games and we mix things up."

Holly says, "I say you should dance with her because it would fun seeing how she dances and it is cool hanging out with her."

Khullie also says, "I wish she could babysit us." 

Thanks, after school crew, for helping me with my homework!

Wednesday, August 27: Make a list of questions you don't have answers to.

1. How do airplanes stay in the sky?

2. Why can't human beings fly?

3. Why are some people so shy?

4. Why do people fight for power?

5. How do the petals form a flower?

6. How do roots hold up a tree?

7. Would you like to dance with me?


- Ms. Radding

Tuesday, August 26: Where does your name come from? What does your name mean to you?

I was named for my grandfather,

A man I'm often compared to,

But whom I've never met.

His name was Rodney

And he hated it.

He hated its harsh sounds

And the way the syllables

Made your tongue hang heavy in your mouth.

But my mother loved him

So when time came for me

To join this world she said

"In my daughter's name Rodney will

Live on so I can feel his presence still."

The only part she dared to keep

Was the first initial.

So here we have Rebecca,

Woman of the Torah

Woman of her grandfather.

-- Ms. Radding

Monday, August 25: Describe your ideal (perfect) weekend.

My ideal weekend:

Unlimited iced coffee.

Yoga, yoga, yoga.

Walks in parks and crisp fall air.

Many meals with friends.

Lots and lots of cooking.

No cleaning.


- Ms. Radding

Blogging Tips

Hi 3rd Graders!

I was so excited to read what you wrote on the blog in class this week. Most of us did a great job posting respectful writing. 

Please remember:

1. If you wouldn't say it in church, don't write it on the blog. It might be funny to you, but if it might offend someone, please don't post it for other people to read. If you reply to a friend, your comment should be kind and positive.
2. Write your comment in the right post. If you write about cartoon characters in "What are you afraid of?" then how will anyone find it? If you're writing about cartoon characters, find the post about cartoon characters!

Here are a few helpful typing tips:

1. Please use your name when you post and reply. Capitalize your name.
2. To capitalize a letter, hold down shift while you type the letter.
3. When you're typing, you need to press the space bar after each sentence. 
4. To check your spelling, move the mouse over any word underlined in red. Right click and you will see spelling options. 

Happy blogging,

Ms. Radding

Thursday, August 21: Describe what's happening in your chapter book. Would you recommend this book to other students? Why or why not?

The book I'm reading right now was written by a friend of mine. His name is Jordan, and when I met him I didn't know that he had written this book. I'm embarrassed to say that after meeting him it took me a few years to actually buy his book and start reading it. I wish I had started reading this book much, much sooner. Jordan's book is called Floodlines, and it's about how communities came together to survive and support each other during and after Hurricane Katrina. It's also about how people came together to challenge systems that took resources away from people who needed it most. I'm grateful to journalists like Jordan who document people's stories so that I can learn from their struggle.

- Ms. Radding

Wednesday, August 20: What are you afraid of?

I am afraid that I will die

before my dreams come true.

And the world will keep turning

Without me there to keep on

Gently nudging it in the right direction.

When I'm not here, where will I be?

It's this question that haunts me.


- Ms. Radding

Wishes

Use this post to share your "I wish..." poems in the comments!

- Ms. Radding

Tuesday, August 19: What do you dream about?

When I sleep, I dream about

Losing my teeth

One at a time, or sometimes all at once

And feeling like my life

Will never be the same.

I wonder, how will I learn to eat?

And talk? And chew?

Will I have any friends?

I am always grateful to wake up

From this dream

Run my tongue along my pearly whites

Exhale with relief

And dash off to brush my teeth.


- Ms. Radding


 

Monday, August 18: Describe your weekend. Use lots of juicy details!

My weekend was full

of so many things 

That I LOVE 

And only a few things that I don't.

My Friday was full of spongy injera

I used to scoop up lentils, greens, and potatoes

At my favorite Ethiopian restaurant.

My Saturday was full of stretching and strengthening

Of kitchen cleaning and bathroom mopping,

Of bread baking and brunch eating

Of paper grading and comment writing

And lots of coffee drinking!

My night was full of the sad stories of

Gaza and Ferguson, Missouri,

And of an enormous bowl of Pho 

That I slurped all the way up.

Sunday might rhyme with fun day 

But it's often a workday for me,

It was full of a big birthday breakfast 

With a favorite friend

Then more grading 

And meetings and groceries and, 

"How do I put air in this tire?"

-- Ms. Radding

Thursday, August 14: What do you love?

I LOVE to cook.

I love chopping and dicing and

I even love how onions make me cry

'Cause don't you just love a good cry?


I LOVE to move.

I love downward dog and

I love to twist and turn

And stand on one foot

Or only on my hands.


I LOVE to teach.

I love how teaching is the closest thing

To a job that doesn't feel like work.

I love that my students teach me

More than I'll ever be paid to teach them.

- Ms. Radding 

Wednesday, August 13: If I were a cartoon character, I would be...

I'll be honest, I'm not familiar with very many cartoon characters. So, I asked my friend Lou (who's older and wiser than I am), "if I were a cartoon character, who do YOU think I would be?" He wrote back and said: "Easy. Wonder Woman." I decided to look her up and I found out that Wonder Woman and I have a lot in common. She fights for justice, love, peace, and equality--all things that I try to do every day as a teacher. She also wields this incredible "weapon" called the Lasso of Truth--when she wraps it around you, you must obey and tell the truth. I don't exactly have a Lasso, but I do think that I'm pretty good at getting students to tell the truth, which usually helps make our community feel safer and stronger. What I'm reading about Wonder Woman is so interesting that I might just have to go on YouTube and find out more!

- Ms. Radding 

Tuesday, August 12: What do you love about yourself?

I love that I am thoughtful. 

I think before I speak, and

Question before I answer.

I love that I am a writer. 

With my words I share stories 

With friends near and far.

I love that I am a teacher. 

Teaching is how I help build 

A better world 

Where we all can live.


- Ms. Radding

Monday, August 11: Describe the best and worst parts of your summer.

My summer was so much fun that it's hard to decide which part was the best! One of my favorite parts was the trip I took to Mexico with my friends Elora and Ben. We spent a week exploring Mexico City, which is one of the biggest cities in the world. We ate tacos almost every day and tried some delicious salsas. After a week in the city, we flew to the coast where Elora's grandmother, Mary Jo, lives. Our plane ride was probably the worst part of my whole summer! There was so much turbulence that we felt like we were on a two-hour long roller coaster. Boy, were we nauseous. To top it off, when we got off the plane we walked straight into pouring rain. Fortunately, things improved once we arrived at the town where Mary Jo lives. We spent the last week of our trip with Mary Jo, her husband Tom, and Elora's cousins in La Manzanilla, a town on the Pacific Coast. From our bedrooms, we could see the ocean, and it was just a five minute walk down to the beach. We swam in the ocean every day. The water was so warm it felt like we were taking a bath! Even though I spent two weeks in Mexico, I feel like I have so much more to see. I hope I get a chance to visit again soon.

- Ms. Radding

Welcome to 3rd Grade!

On this blog, I will post our nightly writing assignment and my response to the question. In the comments, you can type what you wrote in your journal, and see what students around the world have to say too! 

I can't wait to meet you,

Ms. Radding