tornado

Here is a website to see some of the photos and videos of our school after the tornado yesterday afternoon. This video features one of my students, Miriam. She was in the after school program and when the tornado hit she grabbed several students and helped carry them to shelter. Such a precious girl. I must say that this was the first time I have truly been scared for my safety and those around me. The gush of wind that I felt from the tornado is like none I have ever felt before. Needless to say, I would really like to not ever feel that again. I am thankful everyone was okay. Pray for our Assistant principal...she was injured when trying to get students off of a bus and into safety. She was hospitalized Tuesday night but has gone home and she hopes to come back to school this Tuesday! My class has nominated her for our classroom Hall of Fame!

We Are A Liberty Mutual Classroom

Hall of Fame:

So many of you have seen the Liberty Mutual ad. If not scroll down on my blog to the month of June and watch it. I used this ad on the first day of school this year.

On the first day I showed this video and then asked students why they thought I would show this video. Students looked a little puzzled so i played it one more time. I think they caught on the 2nd time around. Anyways, I explained how i hoped all year long they would model the same kind of acts of love and kindness toward each other all year long! I have a "Hall of Fame Nomination Jar" and a Hall of Fame Wall. Students are allowed to nominate each other for different acts of kindness they see taking place in the classroom. Once a month I pick two winners from the nomination bucket and they go on the Liberty Mutual Hallof Fame! I must say my bucket is already full! It's a beautiful thing to watch kids grasp the concept of serving others.

Although...this is my favorite story:

After the first week of school I quickly reminded students to remember to fill out nominations if they had any from the previous week...Isaac came up to me and said, "Mrs. Moore, can we nominate you? You have helped me become a better reader this week."

And this is one of the things that keeps me going on those "hard to teach' days.

family time...

B. and I were watching America's Funniest Home Videos for a min. tonight. There was one family who had a weekly tradition of dancing around the living room...mom, dad, little girls..it was too cute. We started talking about what weekly family traditions we would want to have when we have children...( I know it's a little early being since we don't have kids and all...but I love to dream of when we do)....So what about you?

what are your weekly traditions for fun family time? Or what are your hopes when you do have a family?

A journal thought

My journal entry today...

"Teach me to be more like You....this is the greatest challenge of my existence."

Chris Sligh - Empty Me (live)

I am proud to see NGC alums in the spotlight. So yeah..I am a Chris Sligh fan.

Our lives are a story...full of good and bad chapters

I am preparing lessons for school this week. We are now in our 4th full week of school. Things are going well. Since I attended the Reading Institute this past summer in NY my Reading Workshop time is so much richer. I look forward to my reading time everyday and can't wait to teach them how to become better...more active readers.

The other day we discussed how our lives are like a chapter book.....how we have good chapters and bad chapters (this metaphor was actually from Adrienne Gear's book entitled, "Reading Power").

I think if I were going to give my current chapter in life a title I would call it, "New Beginnings...A crazy and fun life at 90 mph."

What would you call your current chapter?

Charlie bit my finger - again !

Our pastor showed this video in church this morning. So hilarious. I am still laughing!

Funny blog

Please read my husband's blog. The story entitled "Georgia is a country too" is really funny.

excited for church

Right now I am excited to go to sleep and wake up for church in the morning! Tomorrow 12Stone Choir is singing...I love hearing the voices of a choir! So needless to say, I am excited to go to worship Him in the morning!

Can you teach through cake and cookies?

Yesterday I brought cake and cookies for my class to eat during lunch. We ate lunch in my classroom (which my students always love) and watched Civil War videos until lunch was over. I asked one of my students Lariza to take Mrs. Wall a piece of cake. I love this conversation:

Mrs. Wall: Oh thank you! Who is this from?
Lariza: Mrs. Moore
Mrs. Wall: Oh...is it someone's birthday?
Lariza: No. Our teacher is just really nice.

I think far too often teachers get a stigma of being mean and demanding..perhaps it's because for so long many were. I don't think you have to be super strict, discipline teacher to teach efffectively. One of my professors recently said, "The best way to discipline a student is to not be their friend, but to win their hearts over. If you can win their hearts over you can teach them anything and get them to do anything you want."

I think it's pretty good advice.

Two Writing Teachers

For any teachers who read my blog (especially writing teachers) you really should check out the blog on my blogroll entitled, "Two Writing Teachers." Their innovative ideas for teaching writing are incredible!

Growing Readers

I was thinking about this tonight as I wrote an email. This is something I teach my students the first day of school. It is imperative and essential for students to grow as readers:

The 5 finger rule:
When you choose a book open it up to any page. Give the book the "5 Finger Rule Test"
If you miss 0-1 words on the page the book is "Too easy" and you won't grow as a reader with "too easy" books.
If you miss 2-3 words the book is "Just Right" and you will grow as a reader because the book is "just right" for you.
If you miss 4-5 words the book is "Too hard" and you won't grow as a reader with books that are too hard to read.

what I am thankful for this week...

What I am thankful for today:
1. Norma Center and her family!-they are new volunteers in middle school and she is also our Real Estate Agent! She has such a sweet spirit. Every time I am around her I can't help but give her a hug...you can tell she has the joy of Christ in her life! She is also really great at what she does! Even though the market isn't great we have had several families come look at our home! Check out her page.

2. A Godly pastor who shows his congregation how to be Godly leaders in the world.

3. Flaky layered biscuits from the can(they are so good...anytime of the day!)

4. The Olympics...I get so nervous everytime I watch it.....when the USA is competing I usually have a pillow covering up my face bc I can barely watch it! Michael Phelps has had me pacing all over our house!

5. A great week at school. I have such a sweet class. Please pray for them. Some of them have a long way to go. (As I write that part I really wish all of you could meet them...I know you would just fall in love with them)

6. A really precious niece. She is just so cute.

7. Fall is not far away! My favorite time of year!

Decatur

Got a haircut about a month ago. I go to Salonred in Downtown Decatur. They've really made this area very cool and family friendly. Here are the sites to a couple of the places I enjoy there:
http://salonred.com/locations
(My favorite Hair Place)

http://www.littleshopofstories.com/index.php
(Best Bookstore I've been to in the Atl)

http://store.heliotropehome.com/
(Cool Gift Store)

http://www.lucieclaire.com/
(Great Baby gift Shop)

Here is the site to the decatur book festival they have every year. Looks like a very cool things for both kids and parents! It made me want to have kids just so I could have an excuse to go...(Maybe I'll go anyways:) I'm sure my sweet husband would love it;)

http://www.decaturbookfestival.com/2008/index.php

Brooke Fraser - Arithmetic-things appreciated

The things I appreciate from this week:
1. Date night with B. (always my favorite night of the week).
2. Watching opening of Olympics with sweet,new friends.
3. Worship at 12Stone this morning.
4. Reading through Crazy Love by Francis Chan. His relationship with Christ has created a deeper desire for greater faith in my own life.
5. Listening to this song by Brooke Fraser

classroom

my classroom this year! I wanted to take some pics pre-kids.

School starts tomorrow. Pray for me and my new students. I feel like a kindergarten student on the first day of school:)

team building thursday

I am having Team Building Thursday every week in my class during recess. I thought this would help bring my class closer together as a community. The problem is... I don't know a lot of team bulding activities......anyone have any good ones?