adorable. <3
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The Book Thief
just finished it yesterday.
i'd bought it quite a while back--maybe a year and a half or so? i knew i wanted to read it, but never got around to it. then, during a professional development day, our facilitator had us read the prologue for an activity.
i decided to use the same activity with my kids because i loved it (and that excerpt from the book) so much.
then, i started reading.
i was in the middle of another novel, but that really didn't matter. because The Book Thief totally ROCKED.
i can't recommend it enough. i've only read one other book by Markus Zusak, and it was wonderful as well. but this book was just...really beautiful. and it's so appropriate for young adults. after we did the activity with the prologue in class, i had about six kids show up with the book in tow over the rest of the course of the week. and they really seem to be enjoying it so far. that makes me incredibly excited to be an english teacher. :)
THE BOOK THIEF
by Markus Zusak
i'd bought it quite a while back--maybe a year and a half or so? i knew i wanted to read it, but never got around to it. then, during a professional development day, our facilitator had us read the prologue for an activity.
i decided to use the same activity with my kids because i loved it (and that excerpt from the book) so much.
then, i started reading.
i was in the middle of another novel, but that really didn't matter. because The Book Thief totally ROCKED.
i can't recommend it enough. i've only read one other book by Markus Zusak, and it was wonderful as well. but this book was just...really beautiful. and it's so appropriate for young adults. after we did the activity with the prologue in class, i had about six kids show up with the book in tow over the rest of the course of the week. and they really seem to be enjoying it so far. that makes me incredibly excited to be an english teacher. :)
THE BOOK THIEF
by Markus Zusak
it's been a while.
sorry. it's been much too long.
the thing is, i jump back and forth between blogs because i don't really know what there is for me to write about.
lately, i have a lot.
school's in full swing, and we're currently closing in on Thanksgiving break, which i am particular thankful for.
it's actually been a pretty fun year so far. i really enjoy the kids for the most part (although some of their parents are a different story). we actually had a Skate Night a couple of weeks ago. it was a shindig at the local skate rink put on by the PTO. they considered it a rare opportunity for parent, teachers, and students to get together in a casual setting and interact.
i hadn't roller skated in quite some time, and hadn't been in an actual skating rink in even longer. it took me a couple dozen laps to get my sea legs back.
anyway, the rink people dimmed the lights and announced that everyone should come on over to the center of the rink to do the hokey-pokey!
i knew it was a bad idea. i knew i shouldn't go.
but Jackman and Lofty INSISTED that i join them in the circle.
so i did.
it started out okay. i put in my left and right leg with minimal wobbling. i thought i'd gotten past the worst of it.
i threw my left elbow into the middle of the circle, wiggled it around, and then proceeded to hokey-pokey in an circle. it was then that i felt my feet fly out from under me. i would later describe it as one of those trust activities--you know, the one where you just let yourself free fall backward? except in this case, there was no one to catch me.
i fell backward in almost-slow-motion, and not knowing what else to do, i stuck out my left arm (because apparently i was still in hokey-pokey mode) to break my fall. i didn't bend my arm or anything--just let it hit the ground and brace my entire body weight. (which is more than i'd like to admit, lately.)
i didn't think much about the arm at the time. i just peeled myself up off the ground (with a little help from Jackman) and tried to gather up as much dignity as i could carry away with me.
the next day at school, the kids who weren't even at the Skate Night told me they'd heard about my fateful accident during the hokey-pokey. Jackman said that her kids were talking about it too. except, they didn't know my name. so they just referred to me as "that one teacher who fell during the hokey-pokey."
"oh, geez," i told her. "i really don't want to be THAT teacher."
"what teacher?"
"the teacher that fell during the hokey-pokey."
thankfully, the moniker wore off after a few days.
but the pain in my left arm only grew stronger.
this past sunday, it was almost unbearable. i got on the internet and started trying to find a doctor who might be able to help. but honestly, i had no idea what kind of doctor i was looking for.
i looked over at LB, who was also sitting in the living room at the time.
"what kind of doctor do you go to when you think your arm is about to break?"
"callie."
i had no idea what he was talking about. "callie? who the heck is callie?"
"you know. from Grey's Anatomy."
that boy seriously needs to start watching some manlier shows.
field trip tomorrow! :)
the thing is, i jump back and forth between blogs because i don't really know what there is for me to write about.
lately, i have a lot.
school's in full swing, and we're currently closing in on Thanksgiving break, which i am particular thankful for.
it's actually been a pretty fun year so far. i really enjoy the kids for the most part (although some of their parents are a different story). we actually had a Skate Night a couple of weeks ago. it was a shindig at the local skate rink put on by the PTO. they considered it a rare opportunity for parent, teachers, and students to get together in a casual setting and interact.
i hadn't roller skated in quite some time, and hadn't been in an actual skating rink in even longer. it took me a couple dozen laps to get my sea legs back.
anyway, the rink people dimmed the lights and announced that everyone should come on over to the center of the rink to do the hokey-pokey!
i knew it was a bad idea. i knew i shouldn't go.
but Jackman and Lofty INSISTED that i join them in the circle.
so i did.
it started out okay. i put in my left and right leg with minimal wobbling. i thought i'd gotten past the worst of it.
i threw my left elbow into the middle of the circle, wiggled it around, and then proceeded to hokey-pokey in an circle. it was then that i felt my feet fly out from under me. i would later describe it as one of those trust activities--you know, the one where you just let yourself free fall backward? except in this case, there was no one to catch me.
i fell backward in almost-slow-motion, and not knowing what else to do, i stuck out my left arm (because apparently i was still in hokey-pokey mode) to break my fall. i didn't bend my arm or anything--just let it hit the ground and brace my entire body weight. (which is more than i'd like to admit, lately.)
i didn't think much about the arm at the time. i just peeled myself up off the ground (with a little help from Jackman) and tried to gather up as much dignity as i could carry away with me.
the next day at school, the kids who weren't even at the Skate Night told me they'd heard about my fateful accident during the hokey-pokey. Jackman said that her kids were talking about it too. except, they didn't know my name. so they just referred to me as "that one teacher who fell during the hokey-pokey."
"oh, geez," i told her. "i really don't want to be THAT teacher."
"what teacher?"
"the teacher that fell during the hokey-pokey."
thankfully, the moniker wore off after a few days.
but the pain in my left arm only grew stronger.
this past sunday, it was almost unbearable. i got on the internet and started trying to find a doctor who might be able to help. but honestly, i had no idea what kind of doctor i was looking for.
i looked over at LB, who was also sitting in the living room at the time.
"what kind of doctor do you go to when you think your arm is about to break?"
"callie."
i had no idea what he was talking about. "callie? who the heck is callie?"
"you know. from Grey's Anatomy."
that boy seriously needs to start watching some manlier shows.
field trip tomorrow! :)
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