The Giver and How I Feel About It Now

I need to make a confession… I read The Giver when I was about 12 years old and it was a serious struggle. I did not enjoy the book at all and I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me and why I did not love this book the way that so many other did. I have found over the years that I just struggle with futuristic situations, where I know I would be the person that was always trying to change things. I think that was the main issue. I just didn’t believe in the story. I also think that while I appreciate the story now, I didn’t understand the story at all before now. I didn’t understand why any one would make a world like the one that Jonas lived in. I feel like I now have the ability to learn from this story and appreciate the things that they characters in the story have to live with out. 

I finally finished The Giver and saw the movie over the weekend. The movie was very good. It was slightly different from the book, but most movies based on books are. They added a love story and also some violence that just added excitement to the story. The movie did offer something that I really liked. I am a very visual person and so I respond very deeply to movies. I loved the way they showed the memories in the movie! I felt so much emotion for every memory that was shown. I found myself laughing and crying and being thankful for something that I don’t often find my self being thankful for. I found myself being so thankful for the fact that I am a human and that I can feel emotions. I know what it means to be an individual that feels what I feel when I feel it. I know that feeling of happiness and anger. I feel love and warmth often. The movie made me feel lucky.

I will say that I feel much differently about the book now than I used too. I have great respect for Jonas as a character. He was a character that had so much personal growth during the span of 179 pages. I grew to love him and the fight that he stood for. 

Have you seen the movie or read the book? What did you think? Let me know. I would love to talk about books with you! Have a great week and enjoy all the time you have with your students!

Keep reading

Ms. Cara

Back to School Love and Book Orders! Oh My!!

I love the start of school and the fact that I can finally start one of the most amazing adventures of my whole life. I am in student teaching which feels pretend all the time. I have an amazing boy friend who is the best support system that I could ask for and I am really and truly learning more everyday than I ever thought possible. Here are a few pictures so that you can see what is going with me.

Sorry I couldn't figure out how to fix it, but this is my first  book order of the new school year :) I love it so much and they are all such great books.

This is my friend Aleisha and I at our first day of student teacher placement.  I feel like we look like such cute teacher friends.

This is my boy friend, Dylan and I. We are on a date that consisted of us going to dinner and me taking him to my favorite local book store. I love to share all of my teacher things with him.

     Last week, I had a chance to go to my first real Professional Development experience. I saw Jan Richardson the Guided Reading master. I learned so much that it was somewhat overwhelming. Seeing her and seeing how I can help students better really made a difference in my thoughts of how I will teach. I can not wait until I get my guided reading group in my student teaching classroom.

I am so excited for the week ahead and what I will learn in my classroom. It will be a great week. I get to teach all of our phonics lessons. We also started LuLu Walks the Dog as our new read aloud. The kids are always just dying to read more!!

Last week, I also read an article from a blog about how to books the book orders in your classroom. I found this so interesting especially since we only had three people turn in book orders in our class a few weeks ago. I wish that I could show all parents the joy that children have when they receive those books and know that they love that that book belongs to them. Today, when the book orders arrived, one little boy asked me about 10 times if he could open his books. I was so happy that he was so so excited about reading. (HERE is the website with the great Scholastic tips. I really think these are worth thinking about!!)

For me picking great scholastic books is just too easy. I can go through the book orders each month and find about $200 worth of books I need and must have for students. I love getting a huge book box and feeling so happy to open a book and know that I am the first one to read it. It is a great gift to my classroom and my class. Also believe that some thing that boosts book orders is when you are  introduce students to new characters to love they will want these books to take home and enjoy with your family. Really the bottom line is… Kids love book and they love to read. Lets give them everything that they need to become life long readers.

Keep reading,

 Ms. Cara

The Giver

     This week I have my regular college classes rather than student teaching and let me say, I can not focus on anything because I want so much to be in my first grade classroom. That classroom is just one of the biggest blessings in my life right now!!
     Since I won't have any planning to do this weekend I will be able to catch up on some great reading. Now that the movie is coming out or should I say has come out, I have started reading The Giver again for the first time since I was 12 (that was ten years ago!!) I am excited to read it. I don't remember anything about the story so I really don't have any expectations.

    I am excited to share my thought on a classic and then this weekend I am hoping to see the movie. It's exciting to me that they made such a beloved novel into a movie that actually looks like it is worth seeing!
   I hope that everyone has the best week! I know that I will be beyond excited to be back to teaching next week!!

Happy Reading,

Ms. Cara

I love a good read aloud

     Hey hey hey!! It has been quite some time.  I have started student teacher and I have been so busy that its crazy, but I am learning so much and really growing to be a better teacher. I love every minute that I have been able to spend with my sweet first graders. I particularly love love love my school because that are very reading based so I am learning a great deal about my passion!

At my school, they do their reading based on the teachings of Jan Richardson. I am learning a lot from her and I feel like I am really building my skill level in a way that I never thought I could. I am reading the book, The Next Steps in Guided Reading by Jan Richardson. There are also some great resources on Jan Richardson website. I am going to make a binder of all of these resources that I am excited to use.

Something that I love about my classroom is that my teacher lets me do our daily read aloud. The kids love to listen to stories and I also think that maybe they like listening to me too. This week I read Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst. I have always loved this story and I have always wanted to use it as a read allowed. I finally got it and when we finished it today the kids begged for me to start it over. It was such an amazing feeling!! It made me feel like I was doing such a great job. I am thinking that this will be one of my favorite parts about being a teacher. It is magic to connect with a class through a great book!!

I will talk to you all soon. Do you all have a favorite read aloud for the first few weeks of school? I would love to hear what it is and how your kids love it. Have a great week :) 

Keep Reading, 

Ms. Cara