And If That Isn't A True Blue Miracle....
When the christmas season comes, I have to do certain things, and watching christmas movies is definately one of them. I have to see It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, and (embarrasingly) Christmas Eve on Sesame Street.

I love the Sesame street story. Every moment, from when the characters ice skate, to when they finally find Big Bird on the rooftop, with icicles hanging off of his beak. I love the songs and the message. I love the allusion to Gift of the Magi as Bert and Ernie exchange gifts, but sell their favorite possessions along the way. Oh! And then the end when Mr. Hooper (bless his soul) gives back their favorites so everyone has everything.

With the extra time that I have with my fourth period class I intend to first read The Gift of the Magi and then view all or parts of the movie (which I got in the mail via Amazon today, did I mention that I got Christmas Eve on Sesame Street in the mail which makes this the best day ever?). It should be fun.
- posted by Alicia @ 5:52 PM |

 
Collage
This is what I have spent the last few hours creating. I'm not quite sure if it is worth the superglue residue on my hands, but it might be. And in the end, (after squirting superglue on my hands but thankfully having the presence of mind to separate my fingers before it dried) I didn't even use the superglue to attach it. 
- posted by Alicia @ 3:16 PM |

 
TRASH IT
TRASHIT was something that I did in 10th grade English and then emailed my teacher to find out what everything stood for. I had fun teaching it to my students.

T - Title and Author -What are they? What do the words in the title remind you of? What else have you read by that author?

R - Read and Rephrase

A - Analyze the language - figurative language

S - Sound and Structure - rhyme, rhythm - sentence lenght

H - How the author presents it - tone, mood

I - Ideas - your personal take on it / connections to other things you have read

T - Theme
- posted by Alicia @ 8:05 AM |

 
He Ain't Heavy, He's My brother
After my very successful figurative language in songs lesson, I decided to play this song before reading The Scarlet Ibis. Instead of copying the song onto a CD (after I legally bought it), I just brought my iPod and set of computer speakers to school. I was a little nervous about having a $300 iPod within reach of 150 15 year olds, but it turned out ok. They were impressed that I had one and respected my rule about not touching it. 7th period later put a note on the board - "Touch the iPod and die".

So for the lesson, we listened to the song and then "Trashed It". The lesson went pretty well.
- posted by Alicia @ 8:01 AM |

 
Daylight Savings
I am living a lie. I still have not changed the clocks in my living room, kitchen, or car. And I am not quite sure that I am going to. It's not that I really love daylight savings time, because I don't. I think it is stupid. But I usually treasure my extra hour every Sunday when we fall back. This year I am trying a different approach. I have sprung forward and fallen back so many times in the last weeks that I am exhausted. But my math skills are astounding and I do love that feeling when I realize, Oh wait, I have an extra hour.
- posted by Alicia @ 5:05 PM |