Bad Moments are Vampires
My goodness, today as a whole was great. I started the day with INDEPENDENT READING and conferencing. I love talking to my kids about what they are reading and the excitement they share but I also love to hear their negative opinions and struggles about at text. It tells me they are becoming readers. Each of my three classes started with about a 20 minute Independent reading time and then with my 7’s I read A Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes and What Do You Do With A Chance by Kobi Yamada. Using those text they are writing their own poems about a time they either took a chance or passed one by, we ended the class reading the wonderful Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart. My students love it, I love reading it and they are all on the edge of their seats every page I turn.
With my 8’s we followed the same structure of INDEPENDENT READING and conferencing followed by a discussion of our poetry assignment. I then played My Honest poem by Rudy Fransico and we looked at the performance as well as the text and students started crafting their own. The first group it went great the second NOT SO MUCH. There was a few that had an attitude about the work, messing around being silly. It distracted others, annoyed me and no matter the strategy I used the little disturbances in the force rippled the waters of the whole class. The positive energy just got sucked out of the room. I think we all have these days, but wow it is hard to focus on all the great with this little bit of bad hanging on for dear life with the fangs drawn.
Tomorrow I throw the garlic around my neck, pull the blinds up and let the light shine brightly. I am done with letting negative thoughts and behaviors be a vampire that pulls the great out of my day.
Tomorrow
PS: FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE WORLD LET KIDS READ, JUST TO READ!
Things Mr.G says 
I think you wrote this just to keep me from retiring too early!
I so get the “disturbance in the force” that can derail a lesson you know has the potential to be wonderful.
I love your take on letting in the light to push out our negative thoughts, like vampires sucking “the great out of the day.”
One thing I realized about this year in my teaching career is that my toughest work is the last 45 minutes of the day. Its just a scheduling thing. If you ask me in the morning, I fell like a joyful, effective teacher. I don’t end my day that way often enough. I need to remember all the good.
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We always remember the crappy stuff more than the good. It is like a bag of peanut M&M’s and you get that one bitter one. The bag is ruined. LOL Glad that I might have brought a bit of light into the day. Also Language Arts should never be last block. Brains are tired by then haha.
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Love your enthusiasm!
It will be bright lights tomorrow – poor vampires!
but i really chuckled at this . . .”PS: FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE WORLD LET KIDS READ, JUST TO READ!”
Yes, Read, Read, Read! ❤
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That P.S. is so vital to student success, and yes, it is hard to focus on the positive when a few create mischief. And thank you for teaching poetry. I love, love, love Langston Hughes. The senior I teach begin the year “hating” poetry, and my goal is to turn them into lovers of poetry.
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I am not totally sure mine are loving it yet haha but I am trying.
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Good luck as you begin to face the day. It is so challenging when the distraction begins to take over like a wall of water, drowning the happiness and excitement.
P.S. Love your P.S. 🙂
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Yes! Please, please, please teachers of the world LET THE KIDS READ!
I adore that you enjoy their negative opinions of a book. That means they’re engaged!
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I just looked up My Honest Poem–can’t wait to share with my students next week. Thanks for introducing me to a new-to-me spoken word poet!
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