They Said That About Me!

by Lennette Holden
on the 4 Blocks Mailring - http://www.teachers.net/mailrings

I just finished teaching summer school. This year, all of the summer school teachers taught using either Building Blocks, 4 Blocks or Big Blocks depending on the grade level teaching. On the last day my summer school class (grades 1-2) hosted an Author's Tea and invited the other summer school classes to listen and participate (if they wanted to).

I've always done an Author's Tea with my own class at the end of the year and with my summer school class (the years I've chosen to teach summer school). Everyone in my class planned to share something. We invited the other students to do the same. We had nearly every summer school student (K-5) choose to share a piece of published writing! The kids loved it and it was a great way to end our summer school session. One of our most struggling students in the upper grades chose to share a piece. I overheard her excitedly telling her mom at pickup time that she had written a book and had read it to all the kids in summer school. Her mom asked if the kids liked her story. She got the biggest smile on her face and said "YES!!! And guess what? Everyone cheered for me and said I was a very good writer when I got done". Can you believe it, mom? They said that about me!!!"

What a great way to end summer school!!!

Lennette

Winged Inspiration

by Gloria/2/TN

I've spent some time outside this morning instead of reading my [4 Blocks literacy mailring] email from the list. Still I'm inspired as I listen to the birds calling out. One bird trills, "Teacher, Teacher," while another has a continuous phrase that says, "She'll read to you, read to you!"

Isn't it wonderful to have something to plan and think about as we do those mindless repetitive tasks outside?