iPad training: Going Paperless in the Classroom

Bye, Domino

There he is, my ferocious, loving, funny cat, Domino, laying on my laptop. I love that guy. He'd try to get my breakfast cereal every morning, sneaking his little paws towards my bowl. He'd roll around the table purring on top of my book (I know, cats shouldn't be on the table, but he was). Then he'd get so excited, he'd jump up and grab my head in his paws and bite my hair, all while purring madly.

We came home yesterday to find him barely alive. He died soon after. We don't know why or how. Just suddenly gone. While the kids are awake, I'm brave and smiling. "God must have needed Domino right away," I say. Joplin had a terrible tornado this weekend, and many people died. Maybe God did need a cat with a good sense of humor. I hope so.

But down here on earth, with my kids tucked into bed, I'm missing my black and white buddy. Rest in peace, kitty.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow! November 25th already. The first real break of the school year. So much has happened this year since August. We've read and learned new things in our classroom. Friendships have formed and dissolved. We lost one of our classmates to a terrible accident.

On this Thanksgiving morning, I am so grateful for so many things in my life - at home and at school. I'm grateful for my children and all that I learn from them every single day. I'm grateful for each of my students at school - all of you add a richness to our team by just being you. I hope everyone is enjoying a restful, fun Thanksgiving break, and that you come back ready to take on the world.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Ms. Hagen

Sunrise

What is it about the sunrise that inspires poetry? I sit most mornings sipping a hot mug of coffee and watch the sun come up. It is a moment I love each morning. Today the sun is nestled in a deep blanket of clouds that are casting a purple hue across the sky. The sun is still hidden behind the trees, but soon will come bursting out lighting up the whole sky. It's quite a way to start your day if you've never tried it. Everyday I get a reminder that a fresh start is here. No matter what mistakes I feel I made yesterday, or what happened, today is another chance to go out in the world and shine a little light on others. I guess teaching is the same for me. A new school year is another chance to grow and learn, to help students be more than they were the day before. My own personal sunrise.

Happy Tuesday!

Ms. Hagen

I'm back at school!

So, today was the first day back for teachers. We spent the morning in a whole faculty meeting, had lunch and spent the afternoon in a team meeting - mostly planning our first day together. It was good to think about the new school year and what I want to achieve as a teacher, but the most exciting part is yet to come - you guys! I love to see everyone again and to take on the challenge again of making us all grow as readers and writers. Tomorrow morning is all mine, so that's what I'm doing, putting some polishing touches on portfolios, Writer's Notebook stuff, independent reading, and some other classroom goodies. Then in the afternoon it's off to a district language arts meeting.

Don't forget to stop by and say hi Wednesday at schedule pick-up! I'm very excited to see you all!

Happy Last Couple of Days Off For You!
Ms. Hagen

The party was a success!

Today was the big party. I have to admit that I was a bit worried. Yes, I teach classrooms full of middle school students and don't find that scary (mostly!); however, I was a bit intimidated by all these little kids. I imagined them all swinging from ceiling fans, drawing with markers on the walls, and tackling the dogs. I was so wrong! They were awesome!!! They played pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, Pokemon Bingo, and made Pokemon masks. Then we ate lunch - hot dogs, chips and grapes. They played a bit, and then we had cake and ice cream. Suddenly parents were arriving, and we hadn't even opened presents! They all said they had fun, and my son thought it was "awesome," so I'll take that as success.

Happy Saturday!

Ms. Hagen

Wrapping it up

So, this is it, for me. The last day of summer vacation before I start meetings and official school preparations on Monday. I met yesterday with Mr. Scholten and Mrs. Townsend about some integrated projects we want to do with the computers - even though Mrs. Townsend won't be with us in the library :(. I've also been writing about our Writer's Notebook, independent reading, projects. All that good stuff. I'm excited to start reading and writing with you again.

The only part that I'm trying to work out is how NOT to make our school year feel hectic, rushed and stressful. Yes, there is more to do, but how can we all feel less overwhelmed? How can we enjoy the processes of reading, writing and thinking without the stress of time, grades, and getting it all done? Everything I've learned this summer reminds me that our brains learn best when we're happy, not when we're upset, stressed or downright angry.

Well, I don't have any answers for all that right now, so I'll keep working on it. I'm sure while I'm doing laundry, vacuuming, and all that today, my brain will be busy. That's how it usually goes.

Enjoy today. Relax. Have fun. Smile as much as you can.

Happy Friday!
Ms. Hagen

Back in the classroom!

So, today is the only day this week that I'm not chauffeuring children to appointments or anywhere else, so I'm getting to work in our classroom. It's coming along quite nicely! I've got some blank bulletin boards ready for your creativity; I posted the Mark Twain and Truman nominees so we have some book ideas right off the bat; and I put up chart paper for Writer's Notebook ideas. I'm having fun with lots of colorful, pretty things! Then there's my desk... well, school doesn't start for a while, right? :)

You'll have to check out my school website to see the new theme I picked. I brightened things up a bit!

OK, I guess my break time is over... maybe I'll tackle that desk. Maybe.

Happy Wednesday!
Ms. Hagen

Book Club

I went to my book club last night, and wow! what a lively discussion we had about Await Your Reply. People were talking over each other and had so much to say. We were all figuring out the ending of the book, and then tracing back to other parts to make sense of those. And, as always with a good discussion, people brought up ideas I hadn't considered before. It stretched my mind and made me excited for the author to come to Columbia.

Our next book... Mockingjay! It's coming on August 24th! I am SO excited to read it!!

Happy Tuesday!
Ms. Hagen

Soaking Up Experiences

One thing I know about writing is that to be a writer, you have to live. You have to do things, notice things, and think about things in order to have something to say. This is one reason I love summer. I'm outside a ton more than usual; I'm with my kids a ton more than usual; and so I keep tucking away things to write about all summer long. Yesterday was no exception...

It was really hot , so we decided to go to the pool with my sister and my nephew. #1 son swims like a fish and loves having my nephew to do "boy stuff" with. This frees up the girls to putter around at their own speed near me. I just leaned back and soaked in that cool water. It was such relief from the heat. About an hour and a half into our stay, #1 son appeared next to me with a horrified look on his face. "What?" I asked with a sinking feeling in my stomach. He just opened his mouth and stared, unsure if he should cry or not. His new front tooth stared at me, the one that we waited for 18 months to come in because he knocked out the baby tooth on day care's wall and another child's head. A chunk was missing. Right down in the corner, a whole piece, gone. "Are you OK?" I asked, but thinking, "Don't panic. He's fine and you'll upset him if you make a big deal out of this." Then a flood of tears and his six-year-old body crumpling into mine.

Today I'll call the dentist and see what can be done. Hopefully some bonding or filing or something fairly minor.

So, while I soak in life, my brain filling with stories to write later on, I'm wondering how many stories my son's body will hold by the time he's grown... a scar here, a chipped tooth there, his own personal notebook of sorts. Everyone has their own way, I guess.

I hope you too are soaking in life in all the best, safest possible ways.

Happy Monday!

Ms. Hagen

Guest Speaker

Yesterday I got to go to my girls' daycare class and be the guest speaker. They are learning about jobs (which is a relief because previously my daughters wanted to be fairy princesses, and now are considering nursing or teaching!), so I got to tell them about being a teacher. I also shared Amelia's Notebook, talked about our "big kids" Writer's Notebook and gave them each a spiral of their very own. Let me tell you, I have NEVER witnessed such excitement. Chubby little hands grabbed their notebooks, and they RAN to the table to begin writing and drawing. There was much yelling, "Miss Lynn! Miss Lynn! Come and see what I made!" My heart was beating with joy!

Now 7th graders, I think we can learn something here. If four and five year olds can show some excitement for new Writer's Notebooks, how about you? You can do it! Please... just a little? You don't have to hug me or yell with delight, but how about a smile...or at least no major scowling or eye rolling? :)

Your very appreciative teacher,
Ms. Hagen

Finished the book

I couldn't hold off any longer. I finished Await Your Reply last night to see what was going on. It turned out to be a lot more complicated and a lot more simple than I thought. It was far more complicated in the way the plot was structured - it's not linear like a lot of books, one thing happening after another, but layered and intertwined in ways you won't realize until the end. That's the complexity (so if you don't like a bit of uncertainty - like "What's going on here??" - you might not enjoy this book now). I won't tell you the part that's more simple than I thought. That would give away too much.

The creepiness changed too. It was less creepy in that some of my wonderings were resolved in a better way than I thought. There were no ghosts or killers in the horror book sense. But it was also more creepy about the internet and all the criminal activities regarding money and indentity that can happen .

My book group meets Monday night and I can't wait to go! There is so much to talk about in this book because at the end, you have to make a lot of inferences and you also have to decide for yourself what will happen next for the main characters. I can't wait to hear others' views on all this!

While this book really is an adult novel, there are a few of you that would be intrigued by it. If you really want to try to unravel a complicated package and are willing to hang in there, it was quite good. There's a bit of strong language, just a warning, but not a lot. The c0ol thing is that since it's our One Read book, the author will be in here this fall and there will be a lot of activities hosted by the library.

Next on my list... Gone by Michael Grant. It's one of the Truman Award nominees, and all I know so far is that all the adults disappear! I'll let you know!

Happy Friday!

Ms. Hagen

Creepy book...

So, I'm reading Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon. It's Columbia's One-Read book, so there are lots of copies at the public library if you're interested. Creepy and weird, is all I have to say. It's giving me weird dreams, and I'm totally wondering what's really going on. It has an amazing hook at the beginning and there are three different stories going on. As the novel has progressed, they've gotten more similar. I know they're going to connect; just not sure how. You all need to read it because there's a TON to talk about!

Happy Thursday!
Ms. Hagen

My Favorite Time of the Year Has Arrived!!!

I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. I love August. It is my all-time, very favorite month of the year. Really. Yes, my birthday is this month, but that thrill left with my 20s. I love August because of SCHOOL! I love the leisurely days of getting my classroom clean, reorganized, and adding some new touches. I love the smell of the waxed floors, especially the gym. I love seeing other teachers who I haven't seen all summer and getting caught up. I love planning lessons when I have time to really think things through. I love to load new fonts on to my computer, to create handouts and fliers. I love to write in my new lesson plan book, recording the events of the year that I know about. Everything is so fresh and clean.

And, then, finally, at long last, the day before school arrives. Butterflies invade my stomach in nervous anticipation. Before 6th grade, I usually don't sleep very well, but 7th grade I do. Then comes the first morning of school. I open my door, flip on the lights and make sure everything is ready. Then I head down to the office hall to wait for the first kids to appear. This will be my 13th year of doing that at Smithton, and I'm just as excited for this year as I always am. I guess that's how I know I'm meant to be a teacher.

Adding to my excitement this year is that I will have TWO kids in school this year. Number 1 son will be a big first grader, and Number 1 daughter goes to kindergarten. I guess because I am the middle child too, and because she is SO much like me, this is really special. I know she'll love school in ways her brother loves recess. She'll want to go school supplies shopping in July just like I do, and she'll plan out every outfit a hundred times before the first day of school.

Keep enjoying your days off, or if you're like me, feel free to get excited! Do what makes you happy for the next couple weeks before the crazy pace of school hits us all!

(I promise I'm still doing summer stuff too! Oakland Pool is our new favorite spot!)

Happy August!

Ms. Hagen

P.S. The picture is from our deck last night! Quite exciting!

Relaxing

I feel like this big buy that we saw at the zoo a couple weeks ago. I made it! Turned in my portfolio on Wednesday with all my writing, reflections, book review and an action plan for the school year. We all then went out to Cafe Berlin for a yummy lunch celebration - must remember to put strawberries in my salad at home. Delicious!!

Today I'm going to tour the new elementary school with a friend. I'm excited to see it!

Happy Friday from a much-relieved-and-not-stressed-anymore,

Ms. Hagen

Homework...again!

Wow! I might have to stay up past 9pm tonight - presentation tomorrow and my portfolio due Wednesday!

To Do List:
1. Revise two pieces of writing
2. Write a reflection on a book I just read
3. Make copies of presentation
4. Write an overview of my portfolio.

(to do lists look happier in pink)

OK. Must stop writing to you and do my work. I am using one of your laptops (#1) and you're right. The cursor does jump around. I suspect that is because I keep bumping the mouse. My laptop has a virus; can't wait to get it back! Although perhaps if I added some cute stickers to this one I'd be more in love...

Happy Monday from a frazzled Ms. Hagen

School supplies

We have to go shopping today for a birthday present for one of the kids' friends today. I've been trying to avoid the school supplies sections of the stores, but I think today might be the day. It is always so exciting to see the new binders, notebooks and folders. Shelf after shelf of paper in all varieties, clean, new and fresh. And the pens. Ahhhh. Row upon row of new ink in a variety of delectable colors. I'm smiling just thinking about it. Maybe I can just peek a little. After all, I will have TWO kids in school this year; I should definitely get prepared. Where do we go? Walmart? Target? Hmmm. And then there are places like Michael's, Hobby Lobby and the Dollar Store. I think my heart rate just jumped a little. I'll let you know what I find. :)

Happy Sunny Saturday!
Ms. Hagen

Amazing week!

Ahhh. I have just spent four days in heaven. Well, heaven for me, anyway. I have had my first week of class in the Missouri Writing Project, and it has been incredible!

We start out each day journaling - our facilitators (teachers who are learning right along side us)provide topics, or we can write about whatever we want. What a luxury to have 10 minutes of time to just write without feeling guilty that I should be taking attendance, checking in with absent kids or doing some other task for school.

Then someone presents the daily minutes, where they review what we did in class the day before in a fun format. There was talk about how this practice might work in the classroom. Maybe a weekly overview?

The main part of the day is where someone presents a Round Table discussion/writing lesson. So far we've done interviews and written oral histories, we revised common stories and revised them to send different messages (I did Sleeping Beauty and had the princess rescue the prince), and today we did several fun activities - you'll have to wait until school starts to see them.

The biggest highlights so far have come during our afternoon activities where we have done things to bring social justice into the classroom. One of them I'm going to save for school, but I'll tell you about today's. We went out to Lenoir, to just sit and talk with someone who lives there. I was really nervous about this activity. I kept imagining interviewing a person who couldn't hear me even though I was yelling, and that person being very angry about the whole thing. My experience was NOTHING like that. It was amazing!

I met a woman named Norma who I'm guessing is in her 80s. She used to be a teacher in a one-room school house in rural Missouri, and then she got married and traveled the world. Her stories of the travels and projects that she and her husband did over the years were so interesting. I was transported to India, Liberia and the Czech Republic. And, it didn't stop when they retired. She and her husband continued helping people in the Appalachians, in Arizona and even in Alaska. I was so inspired to travel and lead as rich of a life as she has. Now I will write up my interview notes into a story. I am so grateful for this experience and can't wait to hear everyone else's stories too.

My last little nugget is that this week we read and talked about the book Life is a Verb (you know that book by the woman [Patti Digh] who loves Johnny Depp as much as I do?). I hadn't quite finished it, so I read the rest this week and it was SO GOOD!!!!

I am loving my summer. I've been writing and reading and having great conversations with friends, and swimming and lounging and painting and loving my kids, and just being happy. I hope you too are having a rejuvenating summer. Ms. Selby, our new principal, sent us an email this week saying she hoped we were resting and having fun because she needs us back 100%. I extend my wishes to you and say also, I need you 100% too. Bring your experiences, your noticings and your wonderful brains. It's WAY to early to say I can't wait to see you, so I won't. Live, laugh and have fun!
Ms. Hagen

What to write about

Happy Sunday morning to everyone! I'm a little worried that our pool plans may be put on hold the way the sky looks this morning. It was pretty an hour ago when a pink glow spread across the blue. Now we just have gray dotted with darker gray, and I can hear the far-off rumbles of thunder.

Tomorrow starts the Missouri Writing Project. I was having nervous heart palpitations this morning thinking about it. The class will be full of people I know, which is great, except when it comes to sharing writing with them. If it's a bunch of strangers, then who cares if my writing is good or not? But with my friends, I feel a lot of pressure to write something meaningful. You know about this, don't you? It's the same pressure you all feel when sharing your writing in class. It's nerve-wracking!!

So, here's what I did to help myself. I sat with my journal (just like Dumbledore's penseive) and wrote down a list of topics I care about. Then I sat and listed possible formats I could write in. Here's my list:

• adopting needy kids from other countries as "better" than adopting needy U.S. kids
• school lunch
• materialism, consumerism
• advertising
• minimalism
• owning stuff vs. stuff owning you
• downsizing
• our new house
• my kids - the 5-year review
• my kids' birth mom
• raising kids: competing theories of how to raise "good" kids
• what are "good" kids???
• the negative impact of rewards & punishments

And, then my list of types of writing:

• poems
• essays
• articles
• short stories
• descriptive pieces
• letters
• editorials
• blog posts
• newsletter articles

Look at that! Totally enough material for class. After all, it's ONLY 8 DAYS LONG! I felt so much better after seeing these lists. Writing does that for me - it pulls the fear out of me and lets me look realistically at whatever is scaring me. Usually, I realize it's not as bad as I think. Or, if I see that it is bad, at least I can begin to see a path to a solution.

Happy Sunday to everyone!

Ms. Hagen

MWP Assignment #1

Monday I begin the Missouri Writing Project, the 2nd class I'm taking. It's focus is on writing for social justice, and my first assignment is to write a poem, based on "I, Too, Sing America" by Langston Hughes. I think I have several poems of this style floating in my head, but here's the first one:

I, Too, Paint America

I, too, paint America.

I bought the nice house
With neutral beige walls,
A Design to Sell paragon.

But I dreamed
Of airy blues and greens,
Pops of fuchsia and orange.

Tomorrow
I'll take my brush
And personalize my home
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Anyone could live here"
Then.

Besides,
They'll see my home is alive,
Not a set behind the mask of a television screen,
And be ashamed.

I, too, am America.

Lynn Hagen
July 2010

So, I'm very excited about this class, the prospect of two weeks living as a writer, creating everyday. Yes, it's a little daunting too - that little voice in my head saying, "Is it good enough?" keeps creeping in. But, you know what? I'm going to step on that little bug. I'm going to live out loud in my writing whether it's good enough or not.

Happy live-out-loud Friday! Enjoy each moment of this day!
Ms. Hagen