Student Saturday

This Saturday's entry is a little different. From time to time I will be posting some of my student's writing.  They have asked for honest feedback.  All of them are sixth graders and wish to become professional writers.  I am thrilled to have them in my classroom for two hours a week where we share our writing and dreams.
 I am asking for feedback for this student.  She has written the beginning to a story or possibly a book.  She is a 6th grader and has asked for the following:
1.  Please give honest feedback.
2.  Please don't steal her material.

Shattered

There are three things I know for certain.  My name is Elizabeth. My mom hates me, and I am to blame for my father's death.

My memory of that day was fuzzy, seeing as I was only three.  My dad was humming in the kitchen making gumbo.  I was in the living room playing tea set with my mother's china.  My mother is what they call bipolar.  When she came in and saw me playing with her China she yelled a curse word so bad I couldn't even tell you what it was.  As she yelled I dropped a plat that shattered against the linoleum.  By the time she started to scream again my dad had scooped me up, covering me in the scent of light cologne and shrimp gumbo with all of the cajun fixings.  My dad yelled harshly, "She's a child Luanne.  No need to get nasty, calm down now."  My dad then cooler her off by going and giving her the biggest bear hug you can get.

Later that night as my daddy was tucking me in, LuAnne came in with a gun.  She shot my daddy in the head and screeched, "be calm my behind!"  When she called the police hysterical an hour later I thought she was confessing.  But what she was really doing was telling them that he committed suicide.  I was three so I could not tell them what really happened.  And now that I am older they say I could have made it up.  To this day I have hated myself for nine years, 10 months, and seventeen days.  There is only five days until my birthday.  Five more days and that will make me thirteen years old and ten years of hating myself.  If I had not been playing with LuAnne's china my dad would not have told her to calm down and LuAnne would not have shot him.  My life, my hope, my dreams, were shattered at three years old.  He was all I wanted and I took him away.

Student Saturday - Something Different

My students have been preparing for state testing so book reviews have fallen away recently.  This week in our "canned" reading program we read about and discussed ways to save our planet.  Our discussion about recycling and reusing things brought out some interesting thoughts.  For example the majority of my students don't want to be bothered with recycling.  Most of them find it repulsive to consider shopping at a Goodwill, Salvation Army, second hand/consignment shop, or yard sale.  They would accept hand me downs from a sibling but that would be as far as they would go.  This prompted me to ask them what they would do in the case of a major catastrophe.  Thirty minutes into our discussion I learned the following:

1.  We as adults are in deep trouble if we consider leaving our future in the hands of my middles schoolers.
2.  Most don't know where different crops are grown.
3.  Most don't know how their clothes are made.
4.  Most don't know how they get their food and water.
5.  The saddest thing is, most don't care.
When I suggested they tell me how they would survive major catastrophes they were clueless.  They thought that if there was not electricity in the entire area that they would be able to have water because after all it just runs through the pipes freely into their homes.

I gave the the following assignment.  They were to write a RAFT paper.  For those of you unfamiliar with this, RAFT is an accronym for  Role - Audience- Format - Topic

They were to play the role of a survivor after several major catastrophes had hit their country.  Their audience was a relative, the Format was a letter and the Topic was surviving in spite of these catastrophes.  I left it pretty open ended for them.  They had lost all electricity and ability to communicate by phones, computers, or anything electronic.  They had major climate changes, major crop failures, no gas, and getting water was a problem.  What I am sharing with you is a sample from one of my students.
Here is Lonnie's.  I hope you enjoy it.

Dear Jamal,

It is dark and cold and there's trash everywhere.  It smells like the ocean's never been cleaned .  Everyone is hungry.  Ever since a humongous earthquake hit my town, there's been nothing but giant gaps on the road and under buildings.  There is no electricity, the prices for everything are sky high, the water is all gone, cars all all used up and the buildings are all wrecked.  I don't know how we're all survivng but we are just happy that we are.  There are piles and piles of trash everywhere and we don't know how to get rid of it.  The smell is so repulsive that we are actually getting used to it.  All of our clothes are gone except what we have on.  They are ripped, stinky, and barely visible.  Almost all of our trees are gone because we had to use those to cook our  food so we're running lower and lower on oxygen.  I can't breathe, can't see, and I don't know if I can make it.  I have no idea where my family is and I don't know where I am.  The town is so wrecked that rocks blocked our escape.  Tears are running down my face like crazy and I'm shaking like there's no tomorrow, which we know might be.  I might not survive another day so if you ever find my family tell them I love them.

He did an excellent job of describing the situation.  However like many of my students, he knows what he needs and but he's not sure how to get it.  We will explore this further.  Think about it.  A meteor hit the earth and knocked it off of its axis.  The climates have changed which has caused major problems with growing crops, getting food, water and clothing, staying warm, etc.  How would you survive?  I asked this of several adults and the over all answer was, "I'm sure someone would collect enough money and send us aid."  I grew up in the country.  I have enough skills I believe that I would be able to find a way to survive.  Being creative and learning to improvise and work with others would be helpful.

Join the fun here.  How do you think you would fair?  Would you be a survivor?  Would you give up?

Query Queasiness

Well I sent out two query letters today with a copy of my first chapter.  I so wanted to puke.  I don't know why it affects me that way.  I can handle the rejection letters.  I just have such a queasy stomach when I send out queries, etc.   Below is a copy of the letter and my first chapter.  Please tell me honestly what you think.

Dear Ms. Agent


Trina Lacy came face to face with her past nightmare. The burned bodies running through the Sky Lobby thrust her back to a night two years before. It would take every ounce of courage she had to survive this tragedy. The 37,144 words of my young adult novel Steps to Courage follow three teens as they face the worse day of their life, September eleventh, in the worse place they could be, the Twin Towers.

I am a National Board certified teacher with a passion for reading and writing. I have a small article published in The Teacher’s Guide to Success by Ellen L. Kronowitz (March, 2007).

I chose to submit my query to you after reading in the CBI Newsletter that you were taking submissions. I am including the first chapter of Steps to Courage in this email. I am prepared to send the complete manuscript upon your request.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my work. I look forward to hearing from you.

Here is my first chapter.  Please feel free to comment freely.  I actually thrive on constructive criticism.
Stiles, Steps to Courage


1 Trina



The month of September seemed to be trying to hold on to summer for as long as possible and September eleventh was no different. The days usually began with a slight chill in the air, a hint that the lazy days of summer were over and the beginning of fall had arrived. The leaves had not yet started to turn colors, usually a sure sign that fall was on its way. That is what eighteen year old Trina Lacy waited for, the turning of the leaves where the trees seemed to be in full bloom after changing colors. It brought to her mind the quote, “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower”. Trina loved this time of year. There was a special smell in the air that only turning leaves could bring. The crisp air had a freshness that revitalized everything it touched, including her spirit.

Feeling the warm breeze blowing through her window, Trina’s thoughts drifted to her busy day. She slowly drew back the sheet, stood up and stretched feeling the pull of tight skin on her legs. The tight skin was no longer painful, just a daily reminder of the burns she had received several years before. An uneasy feeling washed over her as she made her bed. She pushed it aside believing it to be nothing more than a queasiness she often felt when her mind wandered to her accident. She walked to her closet, selected the outfit she would wear to school and laid it neatly on her bed. She walked to the bathroom and prepared to step into the shower, trying unsuccessfully to avoid the full length mirror. One glimpse brought back the memory of her terrible accident. She had been sixteen at the time and the only things on her mind had been her looks, her boyfriend, and being the captain of the cheerleading squad. All of that ended on that horrible night. It had been almost two years since the accident and a day never went by that she did not think about it. Memories of that night could be sparked by something as trivial as hearing tires squeal on wet pavement, or watching someone get into their car and drive away from a bar. Her recovery had consisted of tortured days of endless pain that nearly consumed her. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months of surgeries, skin grafts and rehabilitation. She had lived an eternal nightmare. The memory of the burns she sustained was still fresh even though most of the scars on her legs were gone or only slightly visible. Most of the scars she carried now were psychological not physical. Trina winced once again as these painful memories flooded her mind. She would give anything to have them completely disappear. Quickly she stepped into the shower to try to wash the haunting thoughts away. It was as if she was trying to put out a fire. She grabbed her lavender scented shampoo and body wash. The creamy feel of the soap made her feel refreshed and alive, while the slight scent of lavender relaxed her. On a busy day like today she needed to relax. Feeling alive was something Trina would never again take for granted. She realized being alive wasn’t just a physical experience but an experience for the mind and soul as well. She and her family had always gone to church. She had thought she had a good relationship with God until the accident. After the accident she relied on her faith to get her through the endless days of pain. It was then she began to think about life and what it really meant to be alive. Had she really been living? When you are a teenager, living can be seen and measured in the number of parties you attend or the boy you date. It can even be measured by the grades you get and your parents’ response to those grades. She had plenty of time to re-evaluate her life, beliefs and all that she held close to her heart while she lay in the hospital. She cried out to God when the pain was too much. She cried out in anger when she felt alone. Through it all she wondered how people with no faith survived. She had to believe that there was a purpose to all of this. Was it to lead her back to God? Was it to give her the strength to move forward in life? She didn’t know but she understood that as long as she leaned on God she would and could endure it all. She would survive.

Trina shook these thoughts from her mind as she stepped out of the shower. The soft towel felt comforting to the still tender tissue of her lower body. She dried off and began to dress in the outfit she had laid out. Unlike many of the students at Eagle Prep, she didn’t mind the school uniform. It took the guess work out of what to wear each day. The school uniform consisted of a blue blazer with an eagle monogram, her choice of colored blouses, and a pair of navy pants or a skirt. She felt very grown up and professional looking in her uniform, even if she was still in high school. She smiled as she remembered that just a few years before she had not cared how professional she looked. She just wanted to make sure she looked cute. Trina had started out in a public school. Her parents were disappointed with the public education system. They began to look around at the different private schools. Through a co-worker Trina’s mother had learned about Eagle Prep. They scheduled a tour and an interview. They left pleased with what they had seen and impressed with its philosophy. The school believed in empowering students to meet every day challenges. This was done through personal and social development, academics and helping students find the self-worth they needed to survive in life.

Once again her mind wandered to her accident. She had never really thought about her schools philosophy and how it applied to her life until she woke up in the hospital and realized the challenges that she would have to face because of her injuries. Lying in her hospital bed she felt sorry for her self. It all seemed so unfair. She allowed herself only a couple of days of this attitude. She had decided she would not be a victim of her circumstances she would survive them and then move on. Her body was horribly scarred from just above her waist all the way down to her ankles. She knew she had months of surgery ahead of her. The first thing she had to do was come to grips with the withered and discolored skin. She sat with the nurses as they scraped the dead skin away. She looked at the fresh pink flesh underneath and reminded herself that things would be okay. It helped that she was heavily medicated. Her mother had kept a recorder by her bedside at Trina’s request. She wanted to record her thoughts so that later she could write them down. She needed a road map. She wanted to look back at where she had come from. She told herself daily that her outer beauty was not all that she was. She had enough self-worth to know that she was and always had been beautiful inside. Convincing her mind to believe what her head knew was something else. Trina felt the breeze on her skin and once again brushed the cobweb of memories from her mind and continued dressing.

Turning her thoughts back to her outfit she thought all of the walking she would have to do this day. She decided to wear the pants instead of the skirt, and a pair of sensible, slip on flats to round out her uniform. She seldom wore the skirt because of her scars. They were barely visible anymore, but she still knew that they were there. She checked her reflection in the mirror, and was pleased to see, a well groomed young lady reflected back. Everything was in its place. Her below the shoulders, strawberry blond hair was neatly pulled back at the nape of her neck with a barrette, giving her a business-like look. Her makeup was subtle yet brought out her bright green eyes. She applied the tiniest bit of lipstick to her thin lips to polish off the professional look she was going for. If she was going to be dealing with professionals, trying to persuade them to participate in her charity fund raiser, it was important that she look, act and speak professionally.

As a senior, Trina was well on her way to completing her required twenty-five hours of community service. All students at Eagle Prep were required to complete community service hours. In the elementary and middle grades, the events were set up by the school and parent groups. These included bake sales, spaghetti dinners, and making and delivering bagged lunches to the homeless shelters. In high school, students were given a list of what they could do to earn those community hours. Twenty-five hours a year were expected for grades nine through twelve for graduation. Occasionally a student would come up with an idea and have to run it by the dean of the school. The dean would look over the proposal and decide whether to let the student proceed with it. Trina had come up with the idea of a charity fundraiser and the dean had been so impressed he had approved it immediately. He recognized the growth of a caring and giving spirit. At one time he saw her as a bubbly cheerleader who thought only of herself and her boyfriend. The changes she had made to her own life and to the school were admirable. Since her accident she was the first to volunteer for those less than desirable jobs. She always had a smile on her face. She was able to pull the most reluctant people to her side to help her with any project. He knew that what she had gone through after her accident had been terrible. Most adults would have given up or withdrawn into themselves. She had done just the opposite. She had spent her freshman through junior years working with the Red Cross, in one project after another. After the accident her involvement increased. This time she was in charge of a fund raiser to be held at Windows on the World. She and two other students were to meet at the World Trade Centers to finalize all of the details and meet with a few other potential donors. She was so excited about this project because she had been selected to lead it. She herself had come up with the idea. She had researched several worthy charities and decided to set up a fundraiser for something that meant so much to her.

This fundraiser would benefit all burn victims through the charity, “Angels of Hope”. Angels of Hope truly cared about people. When she was recovering from her burns, volunteers from that organization had spent hours with her, helping her understand who she was. Identity was something that most burn victims lost in a fire or any severe burn incident. Most people would expect these volunteers to be adults. These were teens just like her that came and worked with other young children and teens and let them know that they could see beyond the injury to the person inside. They made her feel safe and secure around others. This was something she had been afraid she would never feel.

Some volunteers like Alyssa had been a burn victim themselves. At the age of three Alyssa had pulled a pan of boiling water off of the stove. She had suffered second and third degree burns over eighty percent of her body. It was a miracle that she had survived the burns. When Alyssa had first walked into the room, Trina had prayed that she would not remain as scarred as Alyssa. Immediately she felt horrified that she felt so repulsed by this girl’s appearance. After getting to know Alyssa she thought back on that first meeting day and felt ashamed. She had not realized that Alyssa still had more surgeries to go through that would help to change her appearance and eliminate most of her remaining scars. Most importantly Trina did not yet understand that it was not what she looked like on the outside that made her the person she was on the inside.

These thoughts made Trina apprehensive about Mark and Lucas, her two partners in this fundraiser. She didn’t know much about Mark except he was the quiet type. He had very few friends at school that she knew of. Of course she really had not gone out of her way to get to know him. She had friends but she was not into the gossip the way she had been at one time. All that she knew about Mark was that he had entered school the previous school year in March. Because he seemed to be such a loner she was shocked when he had volunteered for this assignment. She had heard that something terrible had happened to his family and it had involved a fire. Maybe that was the connection that had made him volunteer. She had never asked anyone for details about him or his family because she knew what it was like when people asked questions that made you feel uncomfortable. She hoped that she would be able to get to know him better during the time they worked together on the fundraiser. Maybe she would find out why this community service project seemed so important to him. He had almost knocked his chair over to volunteer for it. She was pleased to see him step up to the plate. Maybe they could become friends.

The other member of her team was Lucas, her former boyfriend. They had not really spoken to each other since the accident. She had mixed feelings about having him on the team. A part of her still cared for him and was thrilled that he had volunteered. She was afraid of his reasons for volunteering. Was it out of pity, or guilt? She hoped it was for none of those. She would welcome him to the project. However, she could never forget the hurtful words she had overheard him say while she was lying in the hospital. She thought she had forgiven and forgotten until he volunteered to be on their team. Memories of the good times they’d had came flooding back. The only thing she could hope for was that he would be civil to her and that she could keep old feelings of anger from resurfacing. She hoped that he had not volunteered to help with this charity fundraiser out of pity for her. Everyone knew her reasons for suggesting this project and the last thing she needed from him was pity. If there was one thing she had learned during recovery, it was not to judge people, so she would give Lucas a chance and hope that things worked out for the best.

Trina walked down the steps from her bedroom to the second floor kitchen. Her mother was frantically searching her purse trying to find her keys. Trina poured them both a cup of coffee and headed out to the deck. She loved eating breakfast, or just drinking her coffee out here where she could hear the sounds of the birds chirping in the morning sunshine. She loved her home. The only place she loved more was their cottage on the beach, where she had done most of her recuperating. Exasperated her mother came out and plopped down in a chair.

Trina looked at her mother quizzically, “Okay, what has you so frustrated?”

“I received a call from work and my secretary informed me I have an eight-thirty meeting. I wouldn’t be so concerned except I’ve had trouble getting things together this morning, including myself. I hate to rush you, but we have to leave in five minutes so we can catch the ferry.”

Trina chuckled at her mother’s look of exasperation. She took their coffee cups back into the kitchen and went to brush her teeth while her mother pulled the car out of the garage. Trina grabbed her purse and rushed down the stairs. As she stepped out of the front doors of the house she stopped. She had the strangest feeling she would never see her house again. Shaking the silly idea from her mind, she ran to the car and got in. As she fastened her seatbelt, she once again had the nagging feeling that she should just stay home. She looked over at her mother, smiled and said, “Let’s go.” For some reason she just couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that had plagued her all morning.

Trina and her mother drove in silence to the ferry. A million questions were going through her mother’s mind and she was not sure if she should ask any of them. She decided she would risk it and asked the first question.

“So, how long do you think you’ll be at the Trade Center?”

“Only two or three hours I hope. I plan on stopping by the Sky Lobby and asking Aunt Jenny to have lunch with me”, Trina replied.

“That will be so great. Tell her hi for me and that she needs to call me more often. After all she is my baby sister.” Trina laughed at her mother’s remark. Her aunt looked much older than her mother so it was hard to picture her as the baby sister.

“What do you know about this Mark that will be joining you? Does he live here on the island?” She glanced sideways at Trina trying to read her face while she waited for the answer.

“All I can tell you is that he’s only been at this school for a few months. He lives in New Jersey with his aunt and uncle because his parents are dead. I think someone said they died in a house fire or a car accident. I didn’t really ask because I didn’t want to pry. He seems very smart, and equally quiet. He has some friends, but not many. He’s kind of a loner at school. I feel like I know him only because I see the look of loss in his eyes and I kind of understand where he is. I hope he’ll be a great asset to the team and that I’ll get to know him better, and yes he is very good looking.” She saw the grin spread across her mother’s face. Trina knew that Mark was not who her mother really wanted to ask her about so she volunteered the information.

“Don’t forget that Lucas will be there as well. It will seem strange to work with him again. We’ve not really talked since the accident. Of course I haven’t given him much of a chance. I’ve pretty much avoided him at all costs. Maybe this will be the way to open up a friendship with him again. I don’t want to be his girlfriend again, but I would like to have his friendship. It’s time to let old hurts go if that is possible. I think with Mark there it won’t seem quite so awkward. Not as awkward as it would if it were only Lucas and me. Lucas seems so lost and lonely at school. He puts on a good front but I know the real Lucas. He’s hurting. I hate to think that I am part of the reason that he is hurting, but I know that I am.”

Trina’s mother interrupted her with her own question. “Are you aware that his mother called and asked if I was okay with us if Lucas was a part of this fundraiser?”

“I had no idea. What did you tell her?”

“I told her if you were okay with it then I was okay with it. I also let her know that your dad and I harbored no bad feelings toward Lucas. After all, it was an accident. The Lucas we knew would never willingly hurt you. Besides, I think his father has punished him enough. I also believe he is still punishing himself. So maybe today will help him start down the road to forgiving himself. However, you need to know that Lucas’ father does not know you are involved in this fundraiser. It seems that when you presented your idea to the teacher and waited for his approval that Lucas called his mother and told her about the idea. She encouraged him, but they both agreed not to let his father know. I feel so sorry for the both of them. His dad seems like a nice man, but I think there are some areas in which he needs to improve. That is just my opinion, and best if kept between the two of us.”

Trina laughed. She knew his father quite well. All fathers want what is best for their children. She supposed some parents just went overboard in trying to direct their children down that path. Lucas’s father was a good example of that. She decided right then and there that she would give Lucas a chance at being friends again.

Trina’s mother slowly pulled onto the ferry and parked on the lower level. She always stayed in her car for the ride across the river. She watched Trina get out of the car and walk to the upper deck like she usually did. Reaching for her notes she prepared to read them for the meeting. She heard a car pulling onto the ferry and glanced up as the car drove past her to the compact car section near the front. She instantly recognized the wavy blond hair. Lucas had just pulled onto the ferry. He stepped out of his car and locked it, but didn’t seem to notice her. He walked up the same steps her daughter had just gone up. She wondered if they would meet on top and if so, how it would turn out.

Trina stood at the rail looking out over the water. She loved the ferry. She loved the feel of the cool wind blowing over her. It didn’t matter if it was the middle of the summer and the air was hot or if it was the coldest winter with an icy breeze. She loved it all. It was good think time. It was as if the wind could blow away all of her troubles. She did not really have many right now but it helped to clear her head of whatever it was that made her feel uneasy. She was concerned with how many people they would eventually get signed up for this charity dinner. She had to give a final count to the executive chef at Windows on the World before she left the World Trade Center today. She had only eaten at the restaurant a couple of times, but she loved it. The beauty of the New York skyline, especially at dusk, was an experience for the eyes that could not be described. The blue-black of the sky with all of the twinkling lights in the surrounding buildings made it seem like Christmas time all year long. She would just have to make sure that Mark and Lucas held up their end of the deal when it came to getting more commitments. Most of the work had already been done for them. She had gotten permission to distribute their letter and sign-up information in the building. She had met with the executive chef to go over the menu and work out all of the details. She knew how much to charge so that they could raise a large amount of money. It was so generous of the chef and his staff to volunteer their time for this event. They had donated their wages for that night as their contribution to the event. She had targeted several major firms and sent them the information. She, Mark and Lucas were going to get the last few stragglers, collect their forms and meet with the chef.

The ferry landing came into sight and she knew it would only be a few minutes until they docked, so she headed back downstairs to the car. Trina and her mother waited silently as the ferry docked, and then her mother patiently pulled off of the ferry. She headed around the tip of the island known as Battery Park, toward the Twin Towers to drop Trina off. As she pulled up and stopped, Trina opened the door and stepped out. She started to close the door when she had the strangest urge to speak to her mother. She popped her head back inside and looked lovingly at her mother sitting behind the steering wheel.

“Have I even bothered to tell you today that I think you are an awesome mother? I just want you to know that. I want you to always remember that I love you very much.” With that said, she closed the door and walked away. Trina’s mother sat there stunned. Suddenly she had the feeling that someone or some thing was squeezing the life out of her emotional heart. She had an eerie feeling that she would never see her daughter again. She chastised herself for such a ridiculous thought. She was just overcome with emotion by the remark her daughter had made. That was all it was, just a silly emotion. After all her daughter had been through and survived she knew that Trina was in God’s hands and there was no safer place. She pulled away from the curb and headed for her office in Midtown Manhattan.

Holiday Wishes

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. It has been a wonderful experience blogging with all of you. I look forward to 2010.

Changes in 2010

Someone I admire is J.Kaye of J.Kaye's Blog. On a recent post about changes in 2010 to her blog site, I had to take a good look at my last year of blogging. I started my blog hoping to get students involved in writing. The only ones who participated were my limited English speaking students. So I started writing about the books that I was reading hoping I could get the students interested in books. When I entered my first reading challenge on the last day of school and three days before eye surgery, I had talked it up so much that my students were actually excited. They also voted on the number of books I should read for the summer. It came to 60+ books. Some of them actually asked about it at the beginning of school. By this time I had joined several other challenges, thanks to J.Kaye's blog. My students called me a freak and weird because I read so much. Then came the Fall Into Reading Challenge and the fact that I was requiring a minimum of 10 books from seven different genres from my remedial reading students. They started challenging each other when setting their goals. I will proudly post those totals next week. Changes I have seen in my students are phenomenal. They don't realize the implications of spending so much time reading. Most of them will pass the state test this year. I had students who thought they could not read 10 books in one school year and they have already read 20 - 26. One student told me he hated me because at the beginning of school he hated reading and I have taught him to love it. I love being hated that way. I have started giving out books this week. I assigned students who participated in the challenge numbers. I then went to random number generator and started getting my numbers. I circled them on my list for each grade. I have had enough books to give out 75 books to students, some of them autographed copies and over 25 books to the adults who participated. We had our open house for 5th graders looking to come to our school next year since we are totally a choice school because of our IB program. One of our "ambassadors", who took parents on tours of the school brought parents by our reading display and introduced them to me. She had told them all about the reading challenge and how I planned on doing the same thing next year. She wasn't even one of my students. She was so motivated to read she was sharing with others. It was awesome to see kids come to my room to pick up their prize and they were bouncing around. "My name was called and I won a book". I divided the books into 3 grade levels and then into piles for boys and girls then wrapped them and marked the grade and B or G on it. When I got the numbers I wrote their names on little stickers and then just stuck it on a wrapped book. One boy came to me today and grabbed me and hugged me and said how did you know to give me this book? I asked him what book it was. It was "All the Broken Pieces" by Ann Burg. It is about a young Vietnamese boy adopted by an American family. The young man who received the book is Vietnamese. There have been several books that were well matched and I did not choose them for individual kids. I have enjoyed the reading but have worn myself out. It has felt like a job. So what are my changes for next year?
1. I have 4 - 5 challenges planned for next year and believe it or not I have books already listed for them.

2. I will accept fewer review copies. Jen Robinson once advised me to be careful that I didn't get so many that I would become overwhelmed. Somewhere along the line I got so excited that I did just what I was trying to avoid.

3. The third and most important change is one I had to make for me. I finished a book in 2008. It needs some more work before I send it out again. I have sent it out a couple of times but it is not where it needs to be. I was also taking a 2 year novel writing course through "Forward Motion for Writers". I am about 14 lesson behind on my Historical Fiction book I am writing. I can easily catch them up if I could sit and do nothing but write. I could do one lesson a day. So that is my plan starting after the 18th my last day of school for Christmas Break. I have had the lessons and been doing part of the writing but I had not refined it and posted the lessons. I have made a commitment to keep up with it in the new year.
I had started a book about a mayor of a small mountain town who is killing young boys. It is a cool ghost story. I want to finish it. My students want me to finish it because those who have been reading to critique it from a teens point of view have been hanging for a while.
My ultimate dream and goal is to become published. I have had several teaching articles published in books that other people have compiled of teachers writings. It is time I write for me. I have read enough and want my students to be able to read my work one day. I can only reach this goal if I step back and re-evaluate what worked and what didn't this year. I look forward to reading and reviewing with you this next year and maybe even posting updates on my writing periodically.

New Award: Over the Top

J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book Blog has passed on the coolest of awards called Over the Top. Fitting isn't it? (lol) The award comes with a little work.

Here are the rules:

Answer the following questions using single word answers. Then pass the award to 5 other people and let them know.

Your cell phone? black
Your hair? short
Your mother? caring
Your father? deceased
Your favorite food? chicken
Your dream last night? frustrating
Your favorite drink? water
Your dream/goal? author
What room are you in? office
Your hobby? crafts
Your fear? heights
Where do you want to be in 6 years? published
Where were you last night? bed
Something that you aren't? skinny
Muffins? blueberry
Wish list item? house
Where did you grow up? Indiana
Last thing you did? read
What are you wearing? pajamas
Your TV? unwatched
Your Pets? cat
Friends? global
Your life? tiring
Your mood? rested
Missing someone? Haylee
Vehicle? Thunderbird
Something you're not wearing? jewelry
Your favorite store? Amazon
Your favorite color? pink
When was the last time you laughed? yesterday
Last time you cried? yesterday
Your best friend? husband
One place that you go to over and over? bathroom
Facebook? no
Favorite place to eat? Popeyes

5 bloggers to pass it to:

Book Dragon's Lair
The Story Siren
Caribousmom

The Lateiner Gang

Confessions of a Misplaced Southern Belle

Fondest Memory of Blogging

I started my blog in January for my students. I wrote writing prompts or questions hoping they would answer. That never happened. My ESOL (Limited English speakers) weren the only ones who answered. So I started reviewing the books I was reading hoping to get students to follow and find some good books. My blog slowly grew. I had few followers and didn't really care because I was finding some inspiring blogs. I tried to get my fellow teachers to follow me hoping they would find good books to inspire their students. I only had a couple that did and still do. My favorite memory of blogging happened in August. I had returned home from another reading conference where we were told all about the canned, scripted reading program were were forced to use. I was so upset that I finally decided to vent about it. I had talked to the other teachers at the conference and found no support. They liked the program because it was a no brainer and they had to do nothing. However, the support I received from book bloggers was overwhelming. A few of them were or still are teachers and understood the pain felt when your hands are tied by a school district. I was inspired to do what I know is best for my students to make them readers, (I teach intensive reading). The support from people who were total strangers made me realize that we are actually an extended family. This is one family I want to continue to grow. I thank the bloggers out there that value reading the way they do. I know I would still be frustrated if I had not stumbled upon this family.

Apology

I would like to apologize to everyone for not having my guest blogger tonight. I teach an after school program on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 6 p.m. When I got home I opened my bag and realized I had left the review on my desk. I will bring it home with me tomorrow and post it. This is a first for my students. I will be reading 85 books for the Fall Into Reading Challenge. My students all voted and the results were added together and averaged and the number was 85. I have put out a challenge to my fellow students to read as many books as possible during that time, (September 22 - December 20). I have been asked to write something up for our morning news and to write an article for our school newsletter. I am challenging my students as well. A poll of my students today showed that 87% believe I will hit my goal and 3% believe I will exceed it. The other 10% wouldn't take a side either way. I posted my book list on my board today. They noticed that the list had 100 books listed eventhough it only takes 85 to hit my goal. I told them that it was the number of books I currently have on my desk right now. I have approximately 25 more on one of my shelves. I am having total strangers come up to me at school and recommend books to me because they heard I read and review books. This has got several of my students reading more. I would read a thousand books a year if that is what it would take to light a fire under my students.
Remember Keep reading and Keep Blogging!

In Remembrance OF...

Once again 9/11 has passed us. I did not write about the events of that day on Friday. It was hard to get through my first period class after our wonderful tech person at school did such a wonderful video tribute. My students seemed to sense that after the video it took me a couple of minutes to find my voice to tell them that I needed a couple of minutes to regroup. I had sat in a classroom not unlike this one just 8 years earlier. The only difference was that I had 6th grade students my first period. I had turned my TV off after the first plane hit and was instructed by our principal to turn it back on and leave it on all day. The administrators walked the halls off and on all day to make sure they stayed on. I had the job of trying to explain to students what we were seeing and all the while trying to make the feel secure. Some were so distraught for so many reasons that we had to allow them to call parents to pick them up. I hated that I had to try to assure my students that everything would be okay when deep down I wasn't sure it would be.
My biggest problem eight years later is that so many of my students were so young. Most were in 1st grade and don't remember anything except what they might have seen on TV. The majority have seen replays of the video for the last few years. They have grown cold toward it. I overheard a student make the comment, "cool" while watching the footage of the planes hitting the towers and the massive explosion. These kids grew up in an era when all things violent and explosive on television is the norm. I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from say to the student (in a loud and hateful voice), "Cool? Would you feel it was cool if that was your mom or dad on the plane or in that building?" I didn't say anything like that. I looked the kid in the eyes and said, "For the people who lost loved ones on the plane or in those buildings, they see nothing cool about the explosion. I know you didn't mean it that way, but remember there are always those around you who have strong emotional ties to the events of that day and you won't always know that until you say something like that and get their reaction." I impressed upon them to think about those events and remember them. As our future leaders they need to understand the reasons something like this could happen and thinks about ways they might be called upon in the future to prevent this from happening again. I have 20 computer disks full of pictures taken in New York ten months after 9/11 (We were there for a national dance competition our daughter was in). At least 15 of them are pictures taken of ground zero and surrounding buildings and memorials. On the day we visited ground zero for the last time sirens went off and an ambulance was called because they had found more bone fragments. The dedication and respect shown to those who lost their lives was overpowering. The dedication to retrieving anything no matter how small was awe inspiring. I have been haunted by the pictures and video footage of that day for years. Haunted enough I had written a book about three teens who find themselves in the Twin Towers on that fateful day. It is as yet still unpublished. However, the process of actually writing the book brought some closure to the haunting pictures in my mind. My sister-in-law lived not far from the Pentagon and said the explosion was so great that dishes fell from her cabinet. My husbands cousin waited for three days before he found out his daughter, who worked in the Pentagon, was okay. We all know someone, who knew someone, etc. I live in Sarasota, Florida. I remember President Bush being at one of our schools. I remember talking to one of my friends whos son-in-law (a senator) was with the president that day and how scared my friend's daughter was because the President and those with him were taken to an undisclosed place for a period of time for security reasons. We have much to be thankful for in this country. We need to remember all of those in other countries who helped us heal. We need never forget, yet we need to move on and lift up those who still have difficulty moving on. Let us teach our children about the events of that day and let them know that they are our future hope for preventing things like this.

Reading: Where Has all the Fun Gone

Daphne at The Places You Will Go asked where has all the fun gone in reading. Check out her blog. As some of you recently read in my post in August where I vented about the fate of reading this is an ongoing problem. As long as we have programs that are scripted and take the fun out of reading, and as long as we don't teach children how to choose books that they might love then they will never find fun in reading. I have been telling my students all week that I would love it if they all suddenly learned to love reading. I know that only a handful will cross that line. However, since they are our future I want them to be able to understand what they read and make important connections to their world around them. They will never make those connections if parents and others in their lives don't teach them to value reading. Ask yourself the following question. What can I do to help a child learn how valuable reading is? If we have parents who don't care maybe it is up to those of us who value reading to do the caring.

Benefits of Jury Duty

Today I sat in a waiting room to see if I would be one of many called upon to sit on a jury. While many around me complained of waiting and wasting time, I joyfully pulled out my books and began to read. I was there for a total of seven hours, six of those just waiting and reading. I finished off two books. What follows are my reviews. Both of these books were read as part of my Reading Challenges. The August Book Challenge hosted by Pizza's Book Discussions and 100+ Reading Challenge hosted by J.Kaye's Books

The Sacrifice by Kathleen Brenner Duble

This book came from my shelves at school.

We have all heard the stories of the Salem Witch Trials. Few of us are aware of the fact that Andover, Massachusetts had more people accused of being a witch than in Salem. This Historical Fiction novel is the story of one such family. Based on facts discovered about the author’s own family it is the story of Abigail and her sister Dorothy who find themselves accused of being witches. Abigail’s character in the book is seen as being wild by Puritan standards. The story starts and we find her sitting with her legs locked in the stocks for lifting her skirts and running. During the 17th century this is seen as sinful. It doesn’t help that the townsfolk see her father, who is prone to “fits” as a weak person. It also did not help her case that her grandfather is their preacher. Dorothy is Abigail’s older sister. She is the absolute opposite of Abigail. She is quite, obedient and hates to run. Their grandfather, instead of admonishing his grand-daughter in church, talks about spreading falsehoods. No one knows what he is talking about until they are told about the young girls in Salem who have accused others of witchcraft. Now they are to be brought to Andover where they are to discern witches among the people of Andover. Many are accused and sent to Salem to await trial. Abigail’s Aunt Elizabeth is the first in their family to be accused and sent off. While attending their sick mother who is hallucinating due to a high fever, their house servant sees this behavior and accuses Abigail and her sister of being witches. The rest of the story is their survival and family sacrifices made on their behalf. The book had been in my pile to read for a long time. I finally got around to it and am sorry that it took me so long to get to it. It was read for the 1st in series challenge held by J. Kaye’s Blog and for the August Reading Challenge. I believe it is a must read for anyone interested in the Salem Witch Trials.

Death of a Cure by Steven H. Jackson

Death of a Cure by Steven H. Jackson is a book that normally I would not pick up without someone recommending it to me. Since I teach middle school, most of my books are Middle Grades or Young Adult in nature. Recently I vented about the reading program I must teach in school this year. The author read my post and asked if I would be willing to preview his book and review it. I checked it out and decided it had a premise that sounded promising so I agreed. My review follows.

Dr. Ronald Briggs works for an organization trying to find a cure for a disease called CID. Now that he has found some success in finding the cure it is snatched from him. The story opens with the violent action of someone demanding the disk that contains the information about the cure while holding him at gun point. As Dr. Briggs body slams into the pavement his last thoughts are of the cure and how it will die with him. Enter Dr. Thomas Briggs. A Marine Surgeon, Thomas is on assignment when he gets the message of his brother’s death. He flies to New York and like a bull in a China shop begins investigating. He brings in a long time friend and part-time girl friend, FBI agent Marilena. He needed her to head the investigation into his brother’s death. Not for one moment did he believe that it was a suicide. He knew that sometimes you needed to use a little finesse when dealing with people. This was something he was not good at. On their first night together they are almost run down by a yellow cab. That was my first hint that Thomas may be right about his brother’s death. I had my own ideas about who the murderer was. I was so wrong. book kept me turning the pages one after another. I was very pleased with the character development, the subtle romance that was building. The author even had me guessing about the romance. Would it develop or not? The book was well researched. Not just anyone could write about a not-for-profit organization. I was taken into the world that sometime is a little more than what is portrayed on the surface. The medical information was not grotesque but detailed and informative enough to keep me reading. Although, had it been a grotesque , detailed oriented book that dealt with the issues of someone falling from a building, and the effect it has on the body, I would still have read it. Call me weird. You are talking to someone who spent her summers reading her sisters nursing books for pleasure. I believe this book would appeal to many people; those who are looking for a corporate thriller, those looking for a killer in the medical field and those who just like to read. The plot and the characters were well fleshed out. I look forward to reading many more novels by this author. It is definitely books like this that pull me back from my Middle Grades/ YA books and into the world of the adults. I can’t wait to share this book with many teachers at my school.

Thanks for All of the Support

Thanks for all of the kind words and thoughts. I had written that blog to vent my frustration, never realizing I would get the responses I have.

Jen - Thanks for listening. Blogs like yours are what has inspired me in so many ways and introduced me to the world of blogging. I actually found some of the blogs I now follow by going down your blog roll.

Teachmama - I have check out your site and will definitely return. I look forward to more reading conversations with you.

Kevin - Don't despair. My vent sounded very negative, but I refuse to throw in the towel. There are too many teachers who don't care and just go with the flow. We need to stay the course.

Ruth - We need people like you to continue the fight. So many librarians in our schools don't interact with the kids. Our district got rid of most of our reading coaches. My reading coach was transferred into our library where she is excited because she can bring new books in and get them into the hands of our students. I so look forward to working with her this year.

Anne - I am still somewhat of a quiet rebel. I have sent a copy of Readicide by Kelly Gallagher and The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller to our new School Superintendent. Whether anything will come of this I don't know. Those two books are what started me on this path. From a shy girl in high school who couldn't look other students in the eye to what I have become is quite an accomplishment. Maybe it has to do with the passion I feel for education and reading in particular.

Amy - like you I am a woman of faith and prayed before I sent the books to our new superintendent. I figure the worse that can happen is that I will be fire. If that is the case I also believe God will open another door. (Maybe he'll allow my book to find a publisher). Either way I've known since I was in 4th grade I was to be a teacher and I will continue to fight for the rights of our students. The rights to learn to read independently, for pleasure and to becom life long learners. Too often the attitude is just get them through school and graduated. What next?

Wendi - I agree we have done some damage in this country to all of education. The problem is we let companies take over education and tell us how and what to teach.

To anyone and everyone else who reads my blog - As school starts up next week for me I won't be reading a book or more a day and blogging about it. I will probably be down to once or twice a week. That is okay. I have always read for pleasure, especially YA books. I tell my mother every summer when I bring in or purchase 60+ books that it is my summer homework. I must read them so I can recommend them to my students. How can we turn kids on to books if we don't read them. That is another problem. So many reading teachers I talk with think I am crazy for the number of books I read. I have read over 73 novels since June 5th, my last day of school before summer break. Yes I found time to write, paint, got some quilting in and of course library days and sleepovers with my granddaughter. She currently has 34 books at my house. She enters, gives me a hug and goes to "Her Cabinet" to get out "Her Books". Looking at my grand-daughter's love of books and knowing how much her mother, my daughter, struggled with reading yet has made it an important part of their life gives me hope for future generations. My own daughter was like one of the students I teach. If she could be turned into a reader because of a teacher, not me, who took the time to find an author she would love then how can I do less. Her 7th grade reading teacher required 4 Historical Fiction novels a quarter which seemed impossible to my daughter until she read books by Ann Rinaldi, recommended by this teacher who valued reading. I will always appreciate her for doing what I was unable.

Okay I will get off of my soap box now and just close by saying thanks to all of you for your support. Let those teachers in your area know you support them. Sometimes it is nothing but your kind words of support that will lift them up and spur them on.

Venting About The Fate of Reading and Reading Teachers

I have thought about this topic all day and finally decided to just write it out. I spent all day yesterday in a training session with 11 other "reading" teachers. We were there to learn the ins and outs of the newest version of scripted reading program we are forced to use in our classroom. I understand that the students I have did not pass our state's reading test. I also understand that I will always get students who just blew off the test and are now forced to be in my reading class for the year. The particular program and level I must use will remain nameless. The reason for this is that it won't matter one iota because there are many such programs out there like this one. Through this program I will be teaching students to make predictions, how to read graphs and charts, how to identify the main idea, make inferences and summarize. I will help them with dictionary skills and how to learn vocabulary. All of these are things tested on our state test. Oh by the way, did I tell you I will be teaching this to 7th and 8th graders. ALL of the passages in the anthology are either persuasive or expository. They will learn about the global community, Crime Scene Investigations, Space, General Health and Nutrition, Weather Disasters, Technology, World Exchange System, Environmental Issues, Viruses and Bacteria, Technology Solutions, The Science of Motion, Figures from Past and Present Literature and Life, and Pivotal Moments in One's Life. These are all either Science or History related. These lessons take at least 12 days.
Here is a brief rundown of those 12 days. I must cram a 50 minute lesson into 45 minutes.
Day 1 Advanced word study, preview with DVD, read passage review vocab.
Day 2 Review vocabulary, Re-Read yesterdays passage, fluency practice & workbook
Day 3 Advanced word study , preview, read passage, review vocab.
Day 4 Review vocabulary, reread passage, fluency practice & workbook
Day 5 They have a computerized session where they read or listen to a passage and answer
comprehension and vocabulary questions
Day 6 Advanced word study, re-watch DVD, Read passage, Review Vocab.
Day 7 Review vocabulary, Re-read yesterdays passage, fluency practice & workbook
Day 8 Advanced word study, preview, read passage, vocabulary & workbook
Day 9 Review vocabulary, Re-read yesterdays passage, Review all of the readings for
this unit. Watch closing session on DVD.
Day 10 computerized program like day 5
Day 11 Writing lesson
Day 12 State Test prep

If they finish a lesson early they may read one of the following books from the program's library: The Tiger Rising, Johny Hangtime, Bird, The Boy Who Saved Baseball, Night of the Twisters, Every Living Thing, Locomotion, Granny Torrelli Makes Soup.
Only these 8 books - OR -They may read either the Kids Discover Magazine, Cobblestone Muse, Faces or Odyssey Magazine or Footsteps. Of course they (the program) have picked the approved topic such as Bridges, climate, fairy tales, Chemistry of chocolate, or Folk Art.

On day 5 and 10 if they finish their computerized lesson they are to go to the online book cart (part of the program) and pick one of their selections and read it and test on it and then go to their online books (part of the program) and read a passage and test on it.

If at anytime they finish all of the above the only other approved book is their required novel from their Language Arts class. Due to our curriculum, all 6th graders in the county read the same novels, at the same time and follow the exact curriculum at the same time. The same goes for the 7th and 8th graders. As of this year they have implemented the core curriculum for high school and I believe elementary. That way if a kids transfers schools in the district everyone is at the same place at the same time. What? You are asking what about the child that can't keep up and never gets that book read? We are told they need to learn the skills to keep up. If they are ESE or ESL there are built in modifications that the entire district is supposed to follow.
All pleasure reading is to be done at home. LOL I teach in a Title 1 school. Few of my students have books at home and since a large percentage of them don't speak English and a large percentage of them play sports or are in gangs (this info comes from conversations with my own personal students) Then it is highly likely that without requiring them to read good books and teaching them how to pick good books, they will never become readers. So the 1200+ books that I have purchased and placed on my shelf are for naught. Oh did I mention they will be doing fidelity checks to make sure we are following the program to the T? How degrading. Do I disobey and work the program only a portion and try to teach them about good books? I will tell you this. I decided to become a teacher to teach students. Not to teach them to hate reading. I will do as usual. Against the district I will modify my program and teach them about good books and put good books in their hands and if they keep those books then I will go out and buy more. Until they fire me I refuse to fail my students. Here is a real kicker. When asked to tell how we spent our summer and what we did for fun. Everyone had travelled, except me. Only one other teacher besides myself had read a book and she used to be my reading coach and had only read one book all summer. When they asked what I did, I told them I spent the summer reading 70 books to find good ones for my students. I got a lot of "wows" followed by "I just can't get into reading over the summer", or my favorite, "I left all that crap in my room". Makes me wonder why they became reading teachers. When they talked about the program's library the facilitator who was from out of town turned and pointed to me and said, "I imagine Sandra has read all of the books in our library". I looked at her and assured her that I had and I also own them all and have them on my shelves. Everyone just shook their head. You want to know why Johnny and Johnae can't read? We have too many teachers willing to let administrators spend thousands of dollars for canned programs that list the benchmarks and what to say and even have the lesson plans written up. That way they don't have to do anything. this program costs $7500 for 1 teacher/30 students. I have 4 classes and my school has two other teachers that teach these same programs. It is sad that my classroom library is almost as large as our school library and I have more current books. Most books checked out of my room are from students who aren't even mine. Other teachers send them to my classroom for books. I am glad to oblige them.

Sorry about the length but reading is such a passion and to have it squashed like this is such a travesty.

Finally Catching Up, I Think!

Well it has been a total of fourteen days since I last posted. I finally got moved and have most everything unpacked. I am driving again, no more boot or walker or wheelchair. With only one and a half weeks until Spring Break I am working as hard as I can. I want to spend a large part of that week doing serious writing.

I got behind in my 2YN class and finally got that caught up. It was fun doing this last assignment. I had to take my characters and pick who I would cast in their role if my novel were to be made into a movie. I am writing for YA and watch very little movies that have teens in them. I found a way around this situation. I wrote a small synopsis for each of my characters (3 girls and 2 boys ages 15 - 19). I handed this out to my middle school students. Based on the description of my characters and the role they would play they had to find actors and actresses for the parts and explain in writing why they thought they would be good in this role. They had to tell me what movie they based this on. I then looked the movie and actor/actress up online.

Here is a brief run down of my characters:
Hannah - a fifteen year old girl with trust issues is sent to an art camp in NYC where she finds herself transported back in time to East Berlin, 1985. She must help two other teens escape to the West. She is supposed to be the leader but often turns the role of leader over to Ivonne.
Ivonne - a fifteen year old whose parents have been taken away by the Stasi for speaking out against the government. She escaped along with Tobias whose parents were taken away for the same reason.
Tobias - a sixteen year old who is on the run with Ivonne. He is in love with Daniela whose father is a member of the Stasi (secret police).
Daniela - a sixteen year old in love with Tobias. She would do anything to keep Tobias with her, including turning them over to her father.
Stefan - a German soldier who has to change his belief system. He has seen enough young people shot for trying to escape. He will play a key role in helping these young people with their escape plan.

It was actually one of my ESOL students, a young 6th grade Haitian girl that picked three of my characters, and I found the other two. She chose the three oldest children from the movie the Chronicles of Narnia The following is what she suggested and her reasons. I happen to think she did a great job for being in the country for only one year.
Ivonne ccould be played by Anna Popplewell because my student saw her as being a strong person and sometimes she seemed scared. Tobias could be played by Skandar Keynes who played Edmund. I laughed when she told me that he was a bad boy in the movie and he was good at the end. He was selfish and wanted his own way and she thinks that is what Tobias wants. This could be an interesting side trip for my character. For my German soldier Stefan, she thought William Mosley who play Peter was the natural source because he was cute. She also thought he was the oldest just like my character and he made mistakes and had to change his mind about things.
I chose two actresses from the movie Speak based on the book by the same name written by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Hannah could be played by Hallee Hirsh who played Rachel Bruin and Daniela could be played by Kristen Stewart who played Melinda Sordino. Their looks and behavior in the movie was what I was looking for.

This was an interesting assignment for me and another interesting assignment for my students. After helping me with my assignment then they asked if they could do the same thing for the books they were reading. I allowed this for extra credit on any assignment that they had totally bombed or did not do.

Until next time, keep reading and writing

National Day on Writing Information Form

National Day on Writing Information Form

Graffiti artists on the Wall

Once again school stepped in to slow me down in my writing and research. I had hoped to do so much more this weekend then remembered I have a class at my local museum. I searched for graffiti artists who had painted on the wall. My reason for this is simple. My main character touches a section of the wall at a museum and finds herself transported back to the East side of Berlin. I had originally said I would send her back to 1961. After doing research I will need to change the time frame. I will place her there in the 1980's. I am not real sure of the exact year. This was when most of the painting began on the wall. I read about two artists who lived five meters from the wall. The wall at three meters behind the actual border. Thierry Noir decided to paint on the wall. He never painted alone. This was for security reasons. They watched for the guards because they could be shot or arrested for being so close to the wall. Thierry Noir wanted to call attention to the wall, for all the world to see. He and his friend screwed a urinal, wash basin, cellar door and a pair of shoes to the wall. It was a form of protest against the wall. I thought this was hillarious because it took the guards several weeks before they noticed it. This seemed to be a game of cat and mouse. I plan on researchng more so I can get the time frame down. I next wat to research the methos of escape. I know there were some people who passed from the east to the west through tunnels, by driving their car through checkpoints.

My desire is to spend some time this weekend and actually write. I have a busy month ahead. Our school is preparing for a visit to be a certified IB school so we are preparing for our visitors. I am also preparing for another eye surgery, my fourth in the last eight months. So with so much on my plate I hope to set some goals this weekend and work to meet them in the next month.

Happy Writing!

Journey of discovery

Today was a day away from school. Things have been hectic since returning from Christmas break. As our school prepares for a visit to certify us as an IB (International Baccalaureate School), tension at work has risen. We are trying to prepare for the visit at the end of February. Starting in February and going into March we have those lovely state tests. All of this is on my plate as I prepare for a fourth eye surgery in the middle of February and a house move at the end of February. It seems the only sane constant in my life right now is my writing. I wish I had more time just for it. So today I made a major decision.

Today I began my journey of discovery on the Berlin Wall. I am not actually headed to Germany in the physical sense. I started my intense, in depth research of the Berlin Wall. I have checked out a few resources in the past for a lesson that I had taught. I wanted to know the reasons the wall was built. That one wasn't too difficult. My main interest in this journey is to discover how and why people escaped. I also want to explore the lifestyles of the people who lived on each side of the wall. I want to compare and contrast them so that my main character Hannah, will be very believable. I am exploring issues of trust. My main character has major trust issues. Her parents seem to always let her down so she doesn't really trust them to keep their promises to her. Friends no longer hang out at her house because of her parent's constant arguing, so she feels they have let her down, and can't be trusted to be there for her. Her parent's solution is to send her off to camp while they try to work on their marriage. Hannah through an accident finds herself thrown back through time into East Berlin. She must help two other teens escape to the West. This should be an interesting journey for me. Follow me as I take my journey.