I love that I've teamed up with the wonderful gals at Faulkner's Fast Five, The Language Arts Classroom and The Literary Maven for another Secondary Blog Hop! This month's theme is "Feeling the Love" in honour of Valentine's Day.
What I LOVE about teaching...
I love that each day is different and that I know I'm guaranteed a good laugh with each of my classes. I also love seeing the "light bulb go on"... I love seeing a student suddenly realize that poetry isn't really that bad after all... I love it when former students come to find me in the school to say hello... and I love it when students see their hard work and perseverance pay off.
Valentine's Day Resource I LOVE...
I have a series of resources called "Interview With A __________" and the one I created for Valentine's Day is one of my favourites. Interview With Cupid asks students to pretend they have the opportunity to interview Cupid - what would they ask? What questions would they have for Cupid? Students must create questions and then make up the answers to complete a Cupid Biography. The things my students come up with are always hilarious and love reading their work when they're done.
Funny Valentine's Day Gift
On old boyfriend of mine once sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers to me at school. I was thrilled... and proudly put them in a vase on my desk. I had no idea that those dang flowers would result in a student bursting into tears upon entering my classroom. She walked in and said something along the lines of "Are those flowers yours? Are they for Valentine's Day?" When I sweetly explained that they were from my boyfriend, she threw herself down at her desk, burst into tears and wailed "I HATE Valentine's Day and I HATE boys." I managed to calm her down and quickly put the flowers in my office... hopefully out of her sight and out of her mind. Aahh... the ups and downs of teen romance.
Something I'd LOVE to do??
Do I only get to pick one thing? This is too hard... my list is really long: Travel the South Pacific, do an African safari, adventure through South America... learn to cook better, drink less Coca-Cola, workout more often... I feel like I'm listing my failed New Year's resolutions...
A Book I've Loved Reading Recently
I'm cheating again... I have two.
The Good Girl by Mary Kubika - If you loved Gone Girl, I think you'll also love The Good Girl. A great story - kept me guessing and on my toes.
The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu - A fantastic young adult novel that focuses on a girl called Alice and the impact that one rumour had on her high school life. A hard hitting andd realistic look at high school bullying.
Happy Valentine's Day!
~ Addie
Poor girl! That is a funny Valentine's Day story from your classroom. It is so hard to be a teenager with all of the pressure to receive gifts and be "cool." Thanks for sharing your story - I had a good laugh this morning!
ReplyDeleteThis was a fun read, Addie! I used your Interview with Cupid resource in my class last year!! The students loved i!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Addie; your flowers story certainly put a smile on my face! Also... you are welcome here in South Africa for a safari any day! ;-)
ReplyDeleteThe angst of teens is never-ending! It was nice of you to put away the flowers. I myself would like to take a world tour. :)
ReplyDelete-Lisa
Mrs. Spangler in the Middle
Ooohhh, Addie! The Good Girl looks like a fantastic read with surprising twists and turns! Thank you for the recommendation!
ReplyDeleteI am putting Good Girl on my reading list. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAh- "Red Coke" - that's what I call it and I pretty much don't go a day without it! In fact I'm having one right now while I read through the blog hop! I even have a sign in my classroom that a friend made me that says "Keep Calm and Have a Red Coke"!!
ReplyDelete- Julie
I definitely agree with the comment about poetry, LOL! I read Gone Girl, but I am still recovering from the ending!
ReplyDeleteAddie,
ReplyDeleteYour passion, enthusiasm and ease in finding the lighter side in most situations,and realizing that, "Yes, laughter is the best medicine," makes you the terrific teacher that you are. Your students are so fortunate to have learned from you.
Happy Teaching,
Connie Casserly
http://www.teachitwrite.blogspot.com/