Celebration: A Big Piece of Sadie

Posted on May 22, 2015 by carriegelson

This week I celebrate the magic of a last minute read aloud shared on Friday afternoon. Sometimes the mix is so very right: the perfect book, the right time, the ideal energy and a room full of eager listeners who notice everything.

Our afternoon started with finishing a picture book about residential schools and serious journal style reader responses. We had a little time to read more of our novel and then at 2 p.m. we headed out to skip with the whole school. There was music, dancing, skipping ropes everywhere and many moments of joy.

We came back to class with 15 minutes before the final bell. Everyone was hot, happily tired and still full of positive energy from our time outside playing together as an entire school.

I decided this was the perfect amount of time to share This is Sadie written by Sara O’Leary and illustrated by Julie Morstad. This book arrived in the mail yesterday and as soon as I read it, I popped it into my school bag because I knew it must be shared.

Sadie is enchanting. She embraces life – both the real and the imagined parts with gusto. Creative, inspired, endearing. Her story is a delight to read aloud. Morstad’s images are “ooh” and “ahh” and “wow” inducing. The combination is pure read aloud perfection.

Every page was pored over – especially the picture of the pool where Sadie swims with her friends – both neighbours from up the street and characters who inhabit her world of books. Here is my class character spotting.

“Oh! I see Red Riding Hood!”

There is a beautiful image of Sadie howling with wolves at the edge of a lush green forest. The text reads: “She has been a boy raised by wolves.”

“That would be the best life,” commented one child. And a conversation about howling and wild creatures and lots of freedom erupted. Many pages required us to stop and discuss the ideas and the images.

When I finished reading, there was a request to be the first person to read the book independently.

“Would anyone else like to read this by themselves next week?”

“Yes!” “Me!” “Not next week, now!”

It was a minute before 3 p.m. when we finished. I asked if anyone would share a reason they liked the book or a favourite part. Most of the class stayed on the carpet waiting their turn to tell me their feelings.

“One word: Imagination!”

“It’s a book loving book.”

“Adventurous!”

“It takes me away to my imagination.”

“It has such beautiful art.”

“I like how it had the fairytales in it.”

“Like something from heaven.”

“It takes you on a fairy journey.”

“On a beautiful path of imagination!”

“I love it because I am Sadie.”

“I have a little piece of Sadie in me.”

“I have a BIG piece of Sadie in me.”

I had some Sadie fans that didn’t want to leave at all! This little reader stayed behind to hold the book in her hands and tell me about how she MUST have her own copy!

I celebrate Friday afternoon read alouds that spill into after school time – how I love that this weekend, Sadie is following my students home.

Thank you to Ruth Ayres and the #celebratelu community! Being part of a community that regularly shares gratitude and celebrations truly transforms my weeks.

Celebration: Little appreciations

Posted on May 16, 2015 by carriegelson

This week I am celebrating the little things. The little things that are noticed every day. Quietly appreciated. Simple and soothing. These are the things that just make everything right.

Five little appreciations currently on my mind:

Picking up holds at the public library. Each book contains more than a story, it holds nuances of experience. Even though I don’t know the other readers who have already or will still read each story I read, I feel like we are sharing something.
Garden spaces that I walk by everyday. Right now front yards, back lanes and boulevards are exploding in colour and various shades of green. I particularly love the lavender, huge allium heads bursting out and hosta leaves unfurling.
Coffee jostling in our school cafeteria every morning. Staff shift in and out to grab coffee. There is time for snippets of conversation. Morning smiles and hugs from students eating breakfast remind us all about the strength of our school community.
Writers in my room. So many students have so much more confidence. Voice is developing. The ideas that are communicated are full of wisdom and curiosity and new perspective.
Laundry on the line. I love watching clothing shift with the breeze, the smell of course evokes decades of memories and the slight screech of the clothesline as I reel in clothes reminds me to slow down and be in the moment. There is something about doing a task that I have been doing since I was a child that is so grounding.

I celebrate these lucky little things that are mine with much appreciation.

Thank you to Ruth Ayres and the #celebratelu community! Being part of a community that regularly shares gratitude and celebrations truly transforms my weeks.

Celebration: It all adds up

Posted on May 9, 2015 by carriegelson

We all know that finding reasons to celebrate becomes even more necessary when there are lots of reasons to despair. Words have associations for me. Despair is a drain in a rainstorm. Celebration is light but full of energy. Leaps. Twirls and whirls.

Moment by moment. Tiny and full. We can choose to walk through our weeks gathering the energy to remain in the place to celebrate.

There is some sadness in my room. Some weighty things that are hard. But I collected the light and there is much that is joyful. It all adds up to many reasons to smile.

Sharing some of them here 🙂

We had a week of hiphop dancing with the brilliant Kimberly Stevenson from The Happening Dance Studio here in Vancouver. One morning I arrived at school to see an impromptu early morning rehearsal going on. Students all helping each other with their steps.

How I love the artists in my room. We have started hanging up our whale art inspired by the book Wild Ideas: Let Nature Inspire Your Thinking written by Elin Kelsey and illustrated by Soyeon Kim. Placed next to each other, we have a beautiful under the sea collage happening.

Buddy reading is always a highlight of our week. I caught this little guy mid bellow – the best kind of carried away laughing there is!

Here are my dancers! Showing me their silly just before our big performance. Dance teacher Kim is right in there with us. How we adore her!

Some little notes of gratitude for Kim 🙂

Flowers for Mamas.

Community. Posing with black and white hearts and a little bit of playground play on Friday afternoon. These pictures are for a thank you to Kim, our hip hop teacher which will be on our class blog.

Thank you to Ruth Ayres and the #celebratelu community! Being part of a community that regularly shares gratitude and celebrations truly transforms my weeks.

Celebration: Calef Brown Land

Posted on April 24, 2015 by carriegelson

This week I am thrilled to celebrate a very special visit from author/artist/poet/word-wizard/snail-inventor, the amazing Calef Brown! To say that we adore Calef Brown’s art and poems is an extreme understatement. We are ultimate fans! So much so that we have been working on creating what we have come to call Calef Brown Land: a world on our outside bulletin board that features creatures, flying machines, flora and fauna inspired by Calef’s work.

Calef’s book Dragon, Robot, Gatorbunny was the inspiration for many of these pieces We started drawing . . . And then we painted Creatures and such were cut out and collected. And then the building of Calef Brown Land began. It was admired 🙂 Because it is AMAZING! Full of whimsy, vibrant colours and all kinds of joyous charm. And then, today . . . Calef Brown, himself, was coming to visit! Books were ready (check out the top row) The schedule was set. Welcome signs were made. And then, we heard the shouts, “Calef Brown is here! He’s here!”

Staying in the room and calm went quickly out the window. Because today was the day! We got to visit with Calef Brown!

Sharing the mural was pretty special. But having Calef Brown share with us . . . Well, now, that was just full of wow! We talked about syllables and favourite words. Rhymes and near rhymes. List making. Word savouring. Rice paper. Tones. Inspiration. Silly. Colours. End papers and treasures under the book jackets. We got to ask lots of questions and found out many things like which came first – the poem? the word? the illustration? (Never the chicken or the egg in case you were wondering)

We watched Calef read poems (perfectly) upside down. And . . . recite multiple poems from memory. Most of his poems are stored in his head and he shared them with us, when the time was right, on multiple occasions. When the students had their recess break, Calef made each one a special note. (Yes, he really did this! I witnessed it!)

He also gifted a signed copy of his newest book Hypnotize a Tiger to our school. Calef got a little peek at my students doing what they do best: losing themselves in books! His books, of course, flew into hands and were shared together or devoured individually. In the afternoon, students got a peek at their individual notes. Lots of smiles all around 🙂 This week I celebrate Calef Brown’s generosity, creativity and time. His visit was very special for us, confirming our knowledge that book makers – readers, writers, artists extraordinaire are magical. They make the world extra everything! Thank you Calef Brown! This was a morning for the very important memory files. Filed under . . .

wordy wanderings

art meanderings

kindly offerings

Same number of syllables inspiration 🙂

Thank you to Ruth Ayres and the #celebratelu community! Being part of a community that regularly shares gratitude and celebrations truly transforms my weeks.

Celebration: Fuel

Posted on April 17, 2015 by carriegelson

Some weeks are hard. They are made up of many chunks of challenge, of upset, of stress. Not all day, every day. But, moments.

Moments of frustration. Moments where we worry. Moments where we wonder. Moments where we feel drained.

When too many of those moments happen in one week, the balance is tipped. It isn’t a week where amazing outweighs the challenges. It is a week where deep breaths are well utilized. Where some soul searching happens. Where teetering on the edge of here and there helplessness is the way it is.

I don’t usually say it, because it’s not where I focus, but I work in a school with high needs, high vulnerability, high poverty and sometimes, it is really hard. This is not the most important thing about what I do. I teach children. Amazing, creative and generous children. We do amazing, creative, inspiring things together. Not in spite of the stressors. Not because of them. But along side of them. And the amazing things? They shine so brightly that they guide me home and pull me back to do it all over again. Full of energy and excitement.

Every so often though, I need to gather fuel. Fuel to recharge when there are lots of hard moments. This week, I celebrate that thanks to some sunshine, some impressive and supportive colleagues and the laughter and smiles of the children I work with, I found the energy to go looking for that fuel. And of course, I found it. Right there. Where it always is. All around me. Waiting to be noticed. Ready to shine the light.

Each little moment is full of the promise of many more. So breathing deeply, I celebrate each of these pieces of my week. The fuel I needed.

Next week?

I am ready for you.

Hurrah! Off we went on a walk through the neighbourhood on a geocaching adventure.

A group brainstorming ideas and key words for their writing. Asking passionate questions.

Miriam and one of my students experiencing the beginning to read stage with one of our Kindergarten buddies.

Some love notes for my birthday.

One child also told me. “I like old people.” 🙂 Well, phew. I guess I can keep this job!

Thank you to Ruth Ayres and the #celebratelu community! Being part of a community that regularly shares gratitude and celebrations truly transforms my weeks.

Celebration: New Experiences

Posted on April 11, 2015 by carriegelson

Some days life can achieve the perfect balance of trying the things out there we haven’t yet done mixed in with a comforting dose of all that we know and treasure. Friday of this week was that day for our classroom.

We hosted a K class from another Vancouver school for most of the morning, through lunch and into the afternoon. For the little ones, everything was new! The bus ride, our classroom, the activities we shared and of course, all of us. They handled it all in the best 5 and 6 year old style. Frequent comments and questions were about the most important of things:

“Are we really going to get to play outside?”

“You have the best playground ever.”

“Do you have Elephant and Piggie books?”

For my students, there was joy in sharing what we know – our school and classroom, our beloved books, our playground, our lunchroom and our yoga skills. But, it was the different that made the day amazing. We had responsibility. We had to look after a little one whose entire day was new. We had to be in full out host mode. We had to care and be careful. We had to check in. We had to notice things. We were given a huge gift – the opportunity to do the giving – of ourselves and of our time. This is what I celebrate. Because watching it made me smile. Smile with pride. And joy. And awe. A beautiful day.

The wonderful Ms. Hales who brought her class to be with us shared their experience on her class blog and has invited us to come back to visit at their school!

A few glimpses into our day:

Buddy reading began within moments of their arrival!

Miriam led us through some incredible Earth yoga. Everyone was an instant expert!

In the afternoon we transformed our hands into birds and then our little buddies went back home. We can’t wait to meet up again!

https://twitter.com/Halessharon/status/586693563276066816

Thank you to Ruth Ayres and the #celebratelu community! Being part of a community that regularly shares gratitude and celebrations truly transforms my weeks.

Celebration: Three years

Posted on April 3, 2015 by carriegelson

We have just begun the third term of our 2014/2015 year. Everyone is remarking that time has flown. It always does. Talk is beginning of next year. Who will teach what? What classes might we have? What changes do we want to make?

In my classroom community, a bittersweet feeling is beginning to settle. This term marks the beginning of the end. Many of us have been together for three years. More than half of my current students began as Grade 2 children in a Grade 2/3 class. They then moved into a Grade 2/3/4 as Grade 3s and now they are in Grade 4 in a Grade 3/4 class. Others are in their second year in the room. We are close. Really close.

We have experienced many things together. Memory making things that connect us. But it is more than mere moments. It is the transformations. The changes that we have all witnessed and can name. Little learners have grown into older learners and have found amazing things along the way. Some of us have realized we are writers. That words, our words, can be powerful. Others have become readers and need pages to read like others need air to breathe. Some of us have become leaders. Artists. The rational voice. Singers. Athletes. Some have learned to speak up and share ideas. Others are beautifully compassionate and caring. Some offer incredible perspective. Some are quietly wise. Some are trying to inspire change, to stir up community. Many of us are outspoken and passionate. Even quietly, most of us have realized we have opinions and that others want to hear them.

Yes, all of us are a little of all of these things but identities are being developed. It has been amazing to observe, to nurture and to celebrate this.

I should only be celebrating but I know that I will have many moments of sad too. I would love to keep these children in my room forever. Even though I know that the new students next year will bring their own love and their own amazing.

It has been a very special gift to teach so many children for so long. I may never have this opportunity again and I know it. All children teach me so much. These children have been particularly influential. This is my 20th year at this school and I don’t think I have ever been so full of change and possibility. Wanting the room to be full of learning and security for these children has pushed me to risk take and shift and reassess constantly. My learning has been perhaps the most rich.

So that I am not a crumpled mess in June when I have to say goodbye to my students, I need to begin now to find perspective. The perspective that we will carry each of us in how we move forward, knowing, that we are so very blessed to have been influenced so deeply by each other.

This is what I celebrate this week. Each child in my room and the journey we have all experienced together. I will hold these last months very close.

Thank you to Ruth Ayres and the #celebratelu community! Being part of a community that regularly shares gratitude and celebrations truly transforms my weeks.

Celebration: Camp Read

Posted on March 28, 2015 by carriegelson

Sometimes a day just must be celebrated with lots of details. Today was that day. It was Camp Read at my school. All day, all literacy, all the time.

There was an author visit. We got to do yoga twice. Once outside. We had buddy reading for a second time this week. Lots of independent reading. Lots of reading aloud. I mean, really, could this get much better?

Our day began with the magical book Dream Boats written by Dan Bar-el and illustrated by Kirsti Anne Wakelin. This is a beautiful book to read aloud. It is lyrical and full of gorgeous images.

After I read the story, Miriam led us through some yoga experiences where we got to ride on our own imagined dream boats. Who says you need a boat to go sailing? Or even water.

We then got to go and meet author Dan Bar-el and listen to his engaging presentation. One of my students got to introduce Dan and then she spent the entire presentation in awe of his hilarious voices and dramatic retellings of his books.

“How does he do those voices? Really – how does he make his voice do that?!”

Such a fun and entertaining author visit! The children talked about it all day!

After recess, we had a very special guest reader come to our classroom. Our school secretary Sally came in and read us the charming book Library Lion written by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes.

It was so wonderful to share the story experience with an adult who is very dear to us but isn’t often in the classroom with us.

After reading some of our current class novel Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles, we headed outside to read Silence by Lemniscates.

A book like this must be followed by some mindful, quiet listening. And then some yoga.

Sun salutations.

Growing “seeds”

Group balance

After lunch we read more books – one aloud – Papa’s Mechanical Fish written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Boris Kulikov – and many on our own.

We also had a visit from our little reading buddies. Which is always delightful!

This week, I celebrate a beautiful day full of literacy. A day that highlights that so many of our days are full of literacy. Surrounded by stories. Inspired by books. Definitely worth celebration.

Thank you to Ruth Ayres and the #celebratelu community! Being part of a community that regularly shares gratitude and celebrations truly transforms my weeks. Read all of the celebrations by following the links shared here.

Celebration: Spring Break

Posted on March 20, 2015 by carriegelson

I almost feel guilty celebrating true spring here in the Pacific Northwest as I know our rain is someone else’s snow and our blooming spring flowers haven’t even peeked through in some places but . . . I just had a two week Spring Break and I celebrate it. I had 6 days in Seattle with my family, some of it happily spent with my sister and her family. We also had time to just be, work in the garden, go for walks, appreciate the rain. It has all been slow and lovely.

I celebrate

Exploring different cities

Incredible views

Evening walks on the water

Lots of bookstore time. List making. Reading. Purchasing.

Library visits that go on for hours

Cousins, Uncles, Aunties and walks

And some things I have no pictures of but made my break just as happy:

Coffee, thick books and sweets (all at the same time)
Organizing my bookshelves
Winning the war with the weeds
Transplanted tulips that still bloomed!
Dreams of garden plans that might really happen . . .
Happy twelve year olds and their chitter chatter
Listening to an audio book with the family on long car rides
Two more days until my 18th wedding anniversary

Celebration: Nerding out

Posted on March 7, 2015 by carriegelson

Oh there has been a whole lot of amazing bookish things in this week. If there is a land of Nerdy-book-club-ish-ness, well, I have been wandering about within it. Quite happily. Actually wandering is not the word. Leaping. Whirling. Rejoicing. These words better capture it.

It began a week ago with the amazing Western Washington Children’s Literature Conference and it kept going until today at the eerie and exceptional Serendipity conference here in Vancouver.

I have been so blessed to hear brilliant and passionate words (and have many books signed by . . . ) from Kate DiCamillo, Yuyi Morales, Joyce Sidman and Matt de la Peña (all in Bellingham) and Molly Idle, Holly Black, Andrew Smith and Mariko Tamaki (here in Vancouver).

I also got to attend the first EVER nErDCamp Bellingham last Sunday!

And then of course, all kinds of #booklove happened in my classroom all week.

I have too many words but can’t seem to settle them. So much of this will be in pictures.

The Western Washington Children’s Literature Conference was so amazing!

I learned a lot from each presenter. One (or two) line take aways

Matt de la Peña: “You can’t be a great writer until first you are a great reader.”

Yuyi Morales: “At the library, there are books with art in them like in an art gallery. Some of them were made for people like me and my story.”

Kate DiCamillo: “It is a privilege to have anything at all to do with books. Words matter. Words don’t fail.”

Joyce Sidman: “Why share poetry with children? Poems can never be wrong. Some might be more powerful. They can express our “souls””

And Sunday was all about nErDcamp in the gorgeous Whatcom Middle School Library:

I spent some time twisting and turning trying to see this gorgeous space from every angle

Loved meeting with friends old and new and learning together 🙂

Thank you to the awesome Adam Shaffer for his Nerdy vision!

I loved bringing Viva Frida back for Miriam and watching her share it with little listeners

Today at the Vancouver Children’s Literacy Roundtable’s Serendipity, more wonderful words and many laughs. Many of the gems are too – let’s call them – “too YA” to share.

From Andrew Smith: “My code is the English language. Like a wizard I can put words together and make poetry. It is powerful.”

From Mariko Tamaki: “There is a third writer in a comic book – the author, the illustrator and the person who puts it all together. The collaboration is important.”

From Molly Idle and Kelly Chipponeri (Editorial Director, Children’s Books at Chronicle Books in San Fransisco): “The process of putting together a book and doing what is best for the book is about kind, creative and supportive communication.”

From Holly Black: “It is intensely personal and strange to write a book. Writing is often answering the questions that we come across.”

I loved the chance to talk education with Andrew Smith and to share the sunshine with Molly and Kelly and hear more about their collaboration.

A gorgeous day all around.

My students adore Molly Idle‘s Flora so they will be thrilled that I got our classroom copies signed!

And yes, I love all of this – the authors, the illustrators and the literacy love. But why do I love it so much? Because I can share it with my students.