Little Life Lessons

I’m so proud of the person my daughter has become and all she’s accomplished.  Now that she is a college student, I thought I’d take a few moments to post some of life’s little lessons I’ve instilled in her throughout these beautifully blessed 18 years.  The young woman she has become and continues to grow into attests that she’s been listening. 

• The world is your oyster.  You CAN build your own future and the possibilities are limited only by you.
• It’s okay to change your mind.
• Experiment.  Dabble.  Reinvent.
• Reading is fun.  It’s an everyday part of life!
• Write it down. It’s magic – things happen more swiftly and productively when you get it on paper.
• Finish your work first and you’ll be able to relax and have more play time.
• Sometimes you have to drop everything and dance it out!
• Expose yourself to all types of activities.  Music, dance, theatre, art, sports . . . try it ALL and then decide what you truly want to stick with.
• Make friends in all types of circles.  You can never have too many and having friends of all ages, interests, and backgrounds makes life all the richer.
• All problems have a solution.
• Everything is more clear in the morning.
• Forget the bad; remember the good.
• There is a reason for everything.
• Life has a way of turning out for the best.

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Writing from the Pen of an Author

Todd Strasser

Yesterday, Todd Strasser paid a visit to my school for Writer’s Day and, later, to the students in our reading classes for a more intimate writing workshop.This is the second year my school has been lucky enough to host a popular YA author.  (Neil Schusterman presented last year after we completed Unwind.)  Engaging and personable, Strasser literally brought the writing process to life, keeping the students captiviated and involved.  My students were particularly excited to ask questions about the novel we recently completed in Reading Strategies, If I Grow Up. He even promised to name a character after one of my students.  Watch for Tiara in his next book! 

 During his all-school presentation in the auditorium, Mr. Strasser emphasized the importance of writing and reading in the 21st century while humorously depicting his own journey as an author.  Here are a few of the highlights ~

• Writing is a struggle no matter what the assignment is.  That’s the journey . . . that’s the adventure . . . that’s the challenge.
• Writers get ideas from either their own experiences or through experiences of those they know.  If they don’t know someone with a particular experience, they research until they do know!!
• All of Strasser’s books are about “outsiders” because he always considered himself an “outsider.”
• Revise, revise, revise . . . A piece of writing is never complete.
• Strasser takes 8 – 9 months to complete a novel.  (this seems short to me!)

During the writing workshop, Strasser created a short story with the students to illustrate the writing process in action  ~

• Writers write to send a message.  A message is unfolded gradually throughout the course of a story.  It’s all about baby steps . . . that’s what keeps us turning the pages.
• Subplots are disguised . . . characters who seem “incredibly useless” are often the most significantly important.
• Good stories are character-driven . . . the plot unfolds not because of outside pressure or force but because of who the characters are.
• Whatever is happening in a story is not usually what the main character is expecting to happen.
• Writing and reading go hand-in-hand.  The more we read, the more we are exposed to writing styles.
• Reading others’ writing validates our own thoughts.

Now where’s my green pen??

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Do Aunts & Uncles Get the Shaft?

My brother called tonight with a “question for Grading Girl.”  The conversation began like this:

Bro: What do you call your mother and father?

GG:  Parents

Bro: What do you call your grandmother and grandfather?

GG:  Grandparents

Bro: What do you call your brother and sister?

GG:  Siblings

Bro: What do you call your aunt and uncle?

GG:  That is a good question!!!

Why did he call with such a question, you ask?  First, he too was an English major as an undergraduate and he has as much curiosity with our crazy language as I do (sometimes more!).  Second, he is expecting his first child in less than a month (a daughter!!) and I am, thus, about to become a very proud first-time aunt!! 

We have a general term for parents, grandparents, siblings and cousins but we don’t have a general term for aunts and uncles.  Why not?!  Is this something that once was a part of the English language but, for whatever reason, evolved to extinction.   Aunts and uncles are a significant relation; why don’t they have a word to reference them? Come to think of it . . . we don’t have a general term for nieces and nephews either.  Do other languages have such a term?  I took seven years of French and, as far as I remember, they have a separate name for aunt (tante) and uncle (oncle) but no general references.   Is there another language that has a general, gender-neutral term?

Hmmm . . . .  we aunts and uncles along with nieces and nephews must unite!  Perhaps we can come up with a new word and hope it catches on.  What about ancles for aunts and uncles and niflings for nieces and nephews?  I do enjoy making up words, after all!!  See my Words of Whimsy posts for proof of that.

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The Top Phrases in the English Language!

Screen Shot of Words from GG – go to Wordle.net, type your web site URL and watch the magic!

This is something I started just for fun.  Can you think of others???

The Single Best Word:     Yes!

The Two Best Two-Word Phrases:              I’m sorry.               Snow Day!

The Three Best Three-Word Phrases:        I love you.   You were right.  This is delicious!

The Four Best Four-Word Phrases:

Want to come in?
It’s on the house!
You look so young.
Let’s do that again!

The Five Best Five-Word Phrases:

Come to dinner with me.
Have a great Summer Break.
There’s no charge for this.
You are going to Hollywood! (as exclaimed by the Idol judges)
You make me so happy!

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Brilliant Brainstorming!

Clashing personalities or overblown egos often stand in the way of a productive meeting (or as my district identifies it – Professional Learning Communities).  Whether you are meeting with a larger or smaller group, the better ideas often seem to occur after the meeting is held.  How can we improve upon this?!

 

I read about this discussion-generating method in the current issue of Psychology Today (one of the 17 magazines I subscribe to!) and thought I’d bring it back to my PLC at the next session.  It worked!!!  It proved a more honest, productive way to generate thoughts.

Here it is (courtesy of Psychology Today) ~

I.   Write ~ Everyone sits down with a different colored pen and a piece of paper.  Each person writes an idea on the paper and passes his/her paper to the right.  EVERYONE IS MORE ACCOUNTABLE IF THEY HAVE THEIR OWN COLOR – BRILLIANT!! 

II.  React ~ Read the idea (silently) on the paper you just received, then add your own idea.  If you can’t think of something, just pass it along to keep the creative juices flowing.

III. Review ~ When a paper has about five ideas, retire it to the center of the group.  Everyone now analyzes them.  Because everyone’s ideas are all out there, there’s a need for a more systematic consideration of each idea.

IV.  Select ~ Everyone makes a list of their favorite ideas.  In my groups case, we are a small enough group that we just orally identified the favorites.  For a larger group, writing down the favorites may be more productive and honest.

“When the group is committed, they are usually surprised with what they achieve.”  (Heslin)

Bonus to Educators:  This can work as a classroom strategy as well, as a means to generate discussions or initiate background knowledge!!

Try it at your next meeting!!! 

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Have You Ever Been Cubed??

Shhhhh . . . Keep this a secret . . . Don’t tell a soul about this post . . . Read on only if you are ready to be enlightened, tickled and shocked.  

Begin if you dare! 

WARNING:  For maximum validity, enlightenment, and fun, do NOT read down to the bottom until you have completed the exercise in its entirety!!!

 

 

 

This is the tone you will encounter when you open the book The Cube . . . Keep the Secret.  It is a self-awareness game I play with my students on the day before a holiday.  I’ve been using this book for many years now, and I’ve yet to encounter a class in which the students are not in awe of its accuracy.  When we’re done with the game, I ask the students to write either a one-page analysis of their findings from the game or a descriptive piece illustrating their landscape.  Never is there a complaint for this assignment.  I also have fun with this at family gatherings!!

• Readers are asked to picture a desert landscape.  In the desert landscape are five specific elements:  a cube, a ladder, a horse, a storm and flowers.  The idea is to write down and describe the very first image of each that arrives in your head to achieve the most accurate results.  Each element represents something about the reader – therein lies the secret.  I’ve always been good at keeping secrets so I’m going to make you wait until you have the book itself in your hot little hands to find out what each represents.

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Reasons the Newspaper Won’t Die

 Many newspapers faced their demise this year but I’m hopeful that we can still count on tucking the folded black and white newsprint under our arm as we scurry off, on catching a glimpse of the cover stories as we wait in the dentist’s office, and on spreading out the paper on a leisure Sunday morning.  It would be a great loss if we lost this important form of media. 

Top 10 Reasons for Reading a Newspaper*

1. My newspaper has never crashed, gone down, or flashed animated ads at me.

2. Anywhere I travel, my newspaper goes with me. I don’t need a laptop or a wireless connection or a PDA.

3. I can read my newspaper while standing, while eating, while riding a train, but not while driving my car . . . which is just as well since I should be paying attention to the road.

4. If I read a story I like, I can tear it out and save it, and not have to pay to read it 30 days later.

5. I don’t have to sign in or customize or register or remember passwords to read my newspaper. And I often enjoy articles in my newspaper on topics I wouldn’t normally think I’d be interested in.

6. My newspaper has high-resolution pictures and type on large pages that load almost instantly, making it easy to browse and enjoy.

7. My newspaper is cheap, recycable and easy to replace. If it’s lost or stolen, it’s no big deal.

8. My newspaper is not made of unrecyclable toxic materials.

9. If my newspaper makes a mistake, the correction is posted with an explanation. It’s not sneakily applied to the original story after I’ve read it.

10. I can read my newspaper sitting outside on a nice day in the sun, even if a breeze is blowing, because I know how to fold a newspaper.

11.  My newspaper is never late.  I can always count on it in the early morning hours.

12.  My newspaper has something for everyone:  cover stories, editorials, sports, entertainment, health, etc. 

*Adapted from Kelly Gallagher’s Reading Reasons

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Get Into the Spirit!

This week is Homecoming Spirit Week at my school.  This is one of my favorite weeks of the year!

 

MONDAY:   Roll Out Of Bed Day

 

 

 

TUESDAY:  Tie-Dye Tuesday

 

Yes, I bought these jeans like this!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WEDNESDAY:  Wacky Wednesday

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THURSDAY:  Go Green Day

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Being Your Belief

Our beliefs drive our actions.  Grading Girl believes there are some juicy beliefs that each of us would like to hold about ourselves.   Here’s a step-by-step process to create and embody them.

I just completed this with my Speech Communications class.  The only way to be a truly effective communicator is to understand and believe in yourself ~

Being Your Belief!!!

 

1. Think of a belief you want to have about yourself.

2. Create a sentence that affirms that belief.  Start with either of these two phrases:

I can . . .

I am . . .

3.  Now say to yourself:  “When I am at my best, I can/am (fill in with your belief).”

4.  Now think of someone who has that belief about herself (himself) or acts as if she believes something similar about herself.  For example, if you want to be more critical, Simon Cowell might be a good role model.  If you want to be more sophisticated, Julie Andrews might be a good role model.  Of course, thinking of someone you know personally who has this belief works just as well . . . if not better.

5.  Pay attention to how your role model stands, moves, breathes and acts.

 6. Stand like that yourself – mimic the posture.  You’ll be surprised how much this helps!!

7. Say the belief to yourself over and over in your head . . . listen to that little voice in your head.

8. Say your new belief out loud.  It will really make it a truism.

9. Continue this process until you ARE what you believe.  The more you do this, the more your body takes on the cell memories of the belief and the more it appears as if it is ture.  Then one day it just is!!!

 

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Color Your World!

There’s something to this.  I was shopping in Francesca’s boutique, flipping through Michele Bernhardt’s Colorstrology book, and discovered that my personal color is Jaffa Orange.  There is something to this because the cotton tank I already had in my hand to purchase matched the color exactly.   Hmmm . . . Colorstrology tells us that our birthday carries a numerological value and meaning.  That value corresponds to a color palette from which we can draw just as we do with the month in which we were born.  Wearing, decorating and surrounding ourselveswith this specific color is supposed to bring out our true selves, our best selves.  We are not to confuse our personal color with our favorite color – Bernhardt says that our favorite color can change as we evolve or change our surroundings.  Our personal color, on the other hand, remains constant.

This fun book rests on my coffee table.  There is a page for every day of the year.  There are even color swatches in the back to take with you when shopping for your color.  In addition, each color has its PANTONE® Color identification to help find the perfect match.  I like the suggestions Bernhardt gives for using your personal color.  Grading Girl gives Colorstrology an A+ for an interesting alternative to traditional zodiac and astrology readings.

I’d say this is pretty accurate . . .

My Personal Color ~ JAFFA ORANGE

Analytical, Responsible, Sensitive

If you were born on this day:  “You love to use your mind.  Your ability to analyze problems and situations is exceptional.  You never really know just how good or talented you are due to your yearning for perfection.  Many of you cover your sensitivity with facts and a composed exterior.  You actually have a very sensitive spirt that needs to be nurtured and recognized.” (Bernhardt)

Colorstrology says that wearing or surrounding myself “with Jaffa Orange helps you live life more freely by integrating your intellect with your emotions and your passion with self-control.” (Bernhardt)

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