Book groups

Hello,

Students chose one of four books today and will be part of a book group for the next couple of weeks.  The choices were Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Ace A Very Important Pig by Dick King-Smith, Stuart Little by E.B. White, and Bunnicula by James Howe and Deborah Howe.  I tried to pick different books of interest, and books of varying reading abilities.  I felt like each student chose a book that they could handle. 

Students also received new reading logs and they will now be responsible for reading a chapter a day from their books.  Each chapter will require a three sentence summary in their logs, along with an opinion about that chapter.  Silent reading time at school can be utilized at school to help with the reading load.  You may read ahead, but the summaries must keep pace with the reading.

We read some more editorials over the last few days and had some dynamic discussions.  One article regarding a new U.S. Navy base being built off the coast of South Korea sparked some real debate.  A letter to the editor regarding an unarmed young man being shot in a gated community down south drew even more reaction.  These varied discussions are exactly why the Opinion/Editorial section of the paper is my favorite.  I learn and am introduced to multiple points of view on a ridiculously wide variety of topics. 

I got really mad today.  Some students were putting on a mini-skit to teach a lesson and others were talking to and at them during the performance.  I told them how rude and inappropriate it was for an audience to distract or try to become part of a play.  As I was wondering if I was a little too harsh on them, another performance started and I witnessed the same behavior.  I was irate.  I stopped the show.  I ranted.  Loudly. 

At the end of the day I apologized for the yelling.  I explained to them that I don't like to get that mad and that it is never my intention.  My intention is always to teach.  I also explained what I was thinking during the whole event.  I was just thinking that I had come down too hard on the first offenses and that I should have been able to teach that lesson in a calmer manner.  That is when more offenses started occurring.  AUUUGH!  I think I sounded like that.

Getting late.  Thanks for reading.

Mr. Shea