School's Almost Out...What to Do....

Well, it's been a while. Life catches up with you. I am waiting for the summer to begin and for school to end. I am waiting for my sweet little girl to find the right friend for her. Girls can be so mean. I am looking forward to spending time with my children and yet I am afraid I will be ready for school to resume before it's time. Here is what is on my bedside table to read as soon as school is out:

Before I Die by Jenny Downham
(I still have the ARC and haven't read it!)

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Unwind by Neal Schusterman

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeiffer

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

My oldest and I are still moving through Riordan's The Lightning Thief and, although I thought it was too mature for an 8 year-old, she seems to devour it, even picking it up to read when I have to be out at night.

I hope to be able to blog more often now that school is almost over. Next year will be the first year I am not working full time since I began teaching! Thrilled doesn't even come close to how I feel about that. Now, I just need to curb my book buying habit.....since we'll have only 80% of my pay. Perhaps I could go without food instead.....

Apologies

My apologies. I am fairly new to the blogosphere and I'm not sure how to embed links. My link to The Reading Zone doesn't work, but there is a link on Blogs I Love at the side.

What's Happening to our Curriculum?

Hop over to The Reading Zone thereadingzone.wordpress.com/ to check out the latest on the state of our Readers and NCLB.

Personally, I was at a 1/2 workshop yesterday where we were supposed to be coming up with A Writing Curriculum. Astounding! They wanted to prescribe what assignments should be taught at what time of year(some down to the exact month)! I haven't been part of this group for a couple of years and I can't believe the turn it's taken. Why do we think that closing achievement gaps and higher scores on HIGH STAKES TESTS can only be accomplished with more skill and drill? What has NCLB done to us? How can I help more? My own progressive school district (I thought) seems to have ventured to "the dark side."