Suprise Monday!!

I am soooo thrilled! so happy!!! 

Do you remember our special celebration for Keep a 

Poem in Your Pocket Day? Well, for the ones that mi

ssed it we, the ESL family, attached our favorite poems to a balloon and then during our Poetry Picnics, we set the balloons free with the hope that someone will receive a poem that day. On one side of the balloon there was a poem that my students chose, and the other side there was a sticker that said this....

Well....to my surprise, one of the nice ladies in our neighborhood delivered this to the office 

this morning....

Is she fantastic or what? she framed the poem she found, she attached the balloon by the frame and on the back she put th

e sticker and her name and address!!!! we can't wait to write back to her!!!

And then later on that day, we receive a mail from Cambridge, OH...about an hour and 1/2 away from Columbus...and guess who that letter was  for....? yeap! the ESL children. This family was thanking us for the wonderful balloon poem and how much their 5 year old girl loved it!Can you believe our balloons made it that far? The children's faces lighted up completely when I told them about it. It was soooo adorable! 

What can I say? People like them made our day and our mission accomplished! We shared poems with the world that day. 

Creative weekend...

All I can say is that I need it in order to

Revive this creative soul

This is me.

After spending so much time reading and reading and reading for my synthesis paper for my master's program I felt like I was in BLAH state of mind...state of creative mind, I mean.  I don't know if anyone would understand this but after not doing much on with that creative side that I believe we all have, it goes _________. exactly. blank. 

So I've decide to give my reading homework a break...and do something for my soul. i started feeling unbalance. lost. stuck. So... to solve t

hat problem I...

1. first went to Barnes and Nobles and sat down on the floor right by the art bookshelf and immerse myself in some outstanding creative r

eading. I found a great book that catched my mind and guided me in the right direction.  

One book is Visual Chronicles: the no-fear guide to creative art journals, creative manifestos & altered books. by Linda Woods, Karen Dinino. 

2. next stop: Joann Fabric & Michaels for some very needed art supplies. 

3. grabbed a blank spiral notebo

ok I had at home (that apparently has been waiting fo rthis occassion!) and...

4. started grabbing all my scrapbooking supplies I have at home, and started working on the cover for my art journal. 

and this is what the final product looks like:

              

Now I have my little place to vent and create. I had always been a big fan of journals. I started when I was about 10 years old and since I did not have anyone I can practice my English in Paraguay (Spanish our first language), then I decided to create a journal where I would put my English into practice. 

Now you can see why I started this section of my blog with that poem about ART. I need it for my soul. 

now i am happy. :)

Colors Everywhere

Anyone close to me knows that I am in a point in my life where a lot of things are happening, one of them is approaching the end ride of my Masters in Language Literacy and Culture at The Ohio State University. Things are hectic right now. I live in my car. I have over 15 books around me on any given day. and besides that there is a professional life, a personal life, and tutoring after school! it seems like I am in a constant run but...there are times that I don't care if I am running late, I have to pull the car over, take my camera out and take a snapshot of something beautiful, calming that caught my eyes. Like tulips in the spring. This is life. This is beauty. This is nature.

Where did the week go???

TWO  words to answer that question....

ACHIEVEMENT TESTS!

wow...so many thoughts running through my head as I watch my ESL students take this test. There are times I am so angry, there are others that I am in total awe...and that is the feeling I want to keep because I watch my students giving their 120% on this test, doing the best best they can. They are my little heroes. They are so brave, so motivated! Taking a test is never an easy thing, but how about taking a test in a different language?? Talk about challenge! 

So, this part of my blog is to my students whose motivation and courage gives me strength to be the best teacher I can be. For them. I owe them that much. 

Crazy About Similes!

I get all excited when I find a wonderful mentor text that different grade levels can use. Not only is My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks by Hanoch Piven a great mentor text, but the story is also funny, and creative in so many different levels. So the child in the story draws a picture of her family but she feels that just by looking at those simple pictures, the audience will not understand how great and special her family is. So, she decides to write similes for each member of the family including the dog. The little girl uses different objects to compare her family, and later on, these little objects appear on the portrait of their family used  as part of their face or body like baseball bats for eyebrows, jelly beans as their eyes. My 4th & 5th graders enjoyed the book, and trust me, if they did, then it had to be good. 

After listening to this great read aloud, we started working on similes for each member of the family. One thing that I always try to do when we have special projects is that I am part of the group, and I write with them. Using our favorite tools, oil pastel crayons, we started making a portrait of each family member and glue it on a 12 x 12 scrapbook page so that we can put the pages together in a book!

Hopefully, throughout the week I will be able to share some of their work with you. 

Poetry Challenge-Poem #8

Poetry Challenge-Poem #7

The Most Important Thing

Inspired by Margaret Wise Brown

The most important thing about poems is that you can share it with a friend.

Some poems can be short. 

Some poems can be long. 

Some poems feel like a breeze on a summer night.

Some poems feel like snow, so white, so pale that it could use some color.

Some poems taste like strawberry dipped in dark dark chocolate

Some poems taste like mint candy...sweet but strong

Some poems smells like fresh bread coming out of the oven

Some poems smells like a delicious comforting chicken noodle soup

Some poems sounds like thunder crashing

Some poems sounds like mellow music playing

Bu the most important thing about poems is that you can share it with a friend.

Keep a Poem in Your Pocket Celebration

Finally April 17 arrived! No more countdowns to this day...it is here!  The children and I have been looking forward to this day of poetry reading, poetry sharing with our friends and the world! So what happened, what did we do? Well, for starters for look backed at the poems we have been doing throughout the year and the students had the choice to choose one that they would love to share with our community, with everyone! Several of my 5th grade students wanted to create their own poem, or chose one that they wrote a while ago. One girl chose a poem she wrote about Jack after reading Love That Dog by Sharon Creech. It was so original!

I have to say this about my students: one thing that they have learned so well is to read a poem with the proper pauses, and proper intonation. 

We had worked so hard on this, we practiced as a class, with partners, individually, etc so that when this day April 17 came we could read our poems with no problems! And they did. They made m

e so proud. During our Poetry Picnic they shared their poem with several friends, and then....it was time to share with our community by taping it to a balloon. 

The countdown to the "launching" was so exciting...so exciting the kids and I were that I didn't even realize that ummm...there is a tree closeby to our balloons! so, here we go...sending our poems away with the hope that someone will catch it!

Ooops! some got caught in the tree...oh well...eventually they will be free...

Poetry Challenge-Poem #6

I Remember...                  

I remember my school days

I remember my old friends

I remember wearing white uniforms

and shine black shoes

I remember how simple life was

I remember learning and it was fun

I remember sharing my snack with my best friend

even if I didn't bring enough for you

I remember my school days

Poem in Your Pocket Day

My ESL students and I have been counting the days to this wonderful event...Keep A Poem in Your Pocket Day!  I found out about this event when I was browsing through www.poets.org for ideas for Poetry Month. I found out some exciting things through this website like how in 2002, New York City decided to celebrate for the first time A Poem in your Pocket Day. The idea is simple: carry a poem in your pocket to share with friends and family throughout the day. This simple idea turned into something fantastic because every year, NYC got bigger and bigger at celebrating this event during Poetry Month. Today, there are events at Bryant Park(I LOOOOVE this park!) where people get together to share or listen poetry. So, for the first time this year, A Poem in Your Pocket is celebrated nationwide.

My students and I are so ready! It is our tradition to make April a very special month. Throughout the year we read tons and tons of poems so that when April gets here, we are ready to share our favorite poems learned throughout the year with our family, friends and the school. So for tomorrow I am gathering 60 of my ESL students for a picnic. And the weather is helping us! finally! We will gather for a special picnic where we get to share our favorite poems with others in the ESL family. The children love the idea of getting together as a community. They love to see their other friends in the other grades so this works out beautifully.

First, they will share their poems with a partner. Then, we will have a toast (with juice of course!) altogether, and then we will tape our favorite poem to a balloon and at the count of 3... yes..yes...you are right...we will let them go with the hope that someone will receive a poem that day!

The children have practiced reading their poems so many times. We  talked about how much a poem depends on the way we read it... this is our chance to be dramatic, to slow down, to enjoy, to savor each word. It is amazing how well children understand break lines, and pauses, and intonation! I am amazed! 

So...looking forward to uploading some pics of our fantastic day...

I am sooo excited! I can't wait...

I hope my balloon reaches New York...my favorite city. I know, I know...a girl can still dream. :)

Poetry Challenge Day 5

I would like to dedicate this poem to my friends who make a difference in my life some way or another. There is a reason we crossed paths...and now I know why.


An inspiring world
This place is when I have you
By my side my friend

Poetry Challenge Day 4

What can I say?

it wasn't  a good day...

What can I say?

the bed is calling my name...

What can I say?

tomorrow let's try again.

What can I say?

the poem must end this way.

Poetry Challenge Day 3

Today's poem is dedicated to my nephew Fabrizio whose 5th birthday is today. I hope my poem reaches him even though we are miles and miles away from each other. 

Fabrizio You Are Five   

Since you came into our lives five years ago

Our light is different

our smiles are different

our tunes are different

Because...

Since you came into our lives five years ago

our light is so much brighter than before

our smiles are so much bigger than before

our tunes are so much happier than before

Because...

Since you came into our lives five years ago

you give us light when we are confused

you give us a reason to smile when we are feeling blue

you give us a reason to sing from the top of our lungs.

Because...

since you came into our lives five years ago

I can't stop giving thanks to God for the best gift of all.

Poetry Challenge Day 2

I wonder 

by Stella

I wonder what is like to hold you in my arms

I wonder what is like to see your smiling face

I wonder what is like when you want to be hold on tight

I wonder what is like to be told never let me go

I wonder what is like to watch you dream

I wonder what is like to have you here.

Day 1 Poetry Challenge

One thing you will figure out about me really fast is the fact I L-O-V-E POETRY. Ask my friends, ask my students and fellow teachers, and you will certainly get the same response from everyone. 

I enjoy reading it, I enjoy listening to it, I enjoy writing it. I enjoy holding it. I simply enjoy it. 

I am joining Stacey and Ruth over at http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/  for their One Week Poetry Challenge. So, I gave that recipe poem a try. I must confess I am a bit rusty this morning, but give me some time to play with this....I am sure I would revise this one later on. So far, amigos, this is what I got...

Recipe for a Delicious Saturday Morning

Ingredients:

1 cup of coffee

1 extraordinary book you've been waiting to read

2 soft and comfortable pillows

1 large fleece blanket

1 relaxing spot to sit

Directions:

Leave PJs on.

Grab a cup of coffee

Take that book you've been excited about reading and hold on to it really tight

Walk to that perfect relaxing spot in your place

Relax, sip your coffee, read your book, dream away

Awww...Happy Saturday to You. You made it through the week.

Learning from each other...

I shared in my first post at this blog, how I got convinced to start blogging. I also mentioned briefly that I have learned a lot during my stay-home-spring break from some great bloggers out there....

I would like to share with you which are the remarkable blogs that inspired me to be part of this great process of learning from each other and sharing ideas...

And those blogs are... (drum playing...)

http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/

http://readingyear.blogspot.com

http://jennteacherslife.blogspot.com

http://cuentecitos.blogspot.com

http://hipwritermama.blogspot.com

http://www.motherreader.com

http://aliedwards.typed.com

http://shuttersisters.com

Once I started reading these blogs, I could not stop reading them! I am sure there are many other great blogs out there that I haven't discovered yet. If you know other great blogs that you think I should check out, please let me know. As you probably noticed from the last two blogs on the list, I enjoy anything related to art, scrapbooking and my other passion....photography!

Bienvenidos! Welcome to My World-Mi Mundo

Have you heard the phrase "Things Happen for a Reason"? ( pretty sure you are nodding right now), well...I believe this is true. I believe it 100%. Let me explain...or better yet...let me sum it up...I planned on going with my friends to New York City for Spring Break. I was looking forward to spending some days with my friends, laughing, taking different pictures of NYC,  taking it all in...but life has different plans for me. Instead, I got really sick. Sick to the point of missing three days of work right before spring break. (that's never a good thing). So instead of NYC, it was me, my laptop, my books, my couch and my antibiotics. Well...here is the part of the story that will put the pieces all together. During my Spring Break, I started reading different teachers' blog, I found so many wonderful blogs out there, and I have learned so much from all these great teachers. I was inspired, motivated, energized by their wonderful commitment to share their knowledge with other teachers, librarians, etc. So, I have decided to "Pay it Forward" and start a blog as well where I can share my daily readings, reflections, experiences, ideas, motivation, in other words...I will share what I LEARN, LOVE and therefore, I am sure we will all GROW from all the great sharing that is happening around us. Welcome. Stay Tune. More later...