After an author visit with Christopher Healy: Part the first: the reflection

The fourth graders used Padlet to share their reflections on the author visit from Christopher Healy.

It's an easy way to see what resonated with them. I am not surprised that the Tiered Writing Strategy was so frequently mentioned by students. This interactive part of his presentation was fabulous. Stay tuned for more on this!

Below are a few of the comments about Christopher Healy's visit from the students:

Celebrating the Book Birthday of SMART COOKIE with Elly Swartz

Yesterday, Elly Swartz celebrated the book release of her newest book, Smart Cookie, with my fourth and fifth graders. 

Happy Book Birthday, Elly!

 

Elly had my students at "hello." Her warm and approachable personality combined with her energy created an atmosphere that was like a calm buzzing.

The students listened attentively as she shared her writing journey, imparting advice along the way. There's a line from Smart Cookie that she shared that really resonated, "move my brave up to the surface." It's something many students connected to because it's something they do every day. Elly answered a question about ideas for her books and she explained that for her, "sometimes you find ideas and sometimes they scoop you up." It was a magical morning. 

You know an author or illustrator has made an impact, when: one, the students continue to talk about what they heard and learned during art, math, science, etc; and, two, the teachers email and call you to share what they heard and experiences. 

Here's a peak into her visit:

Elly came bearing gifts, along with bookmarks to post-it notes, she brought along supplies for making Smart Cookie Jars. The Smart Cookie Jar Activity that Elly created reinforces the central messages within the book - accepting yourself and recognizing those who love and support you. 

The students create a cookie jar and fill it with cookies that recognize and celebrate their idiosyncrasies (the things that make you you) as well as cookies that acknowledge the people in their lives who are in their herd (people who love you and all your idiosyncrasies unconditionally). 

As you can see, it was an incredible visit. THANK YOU, Elly. 

We are more than one thing: fifth graders and the unfolding identify project

This is the bulletin board outside the library. It's an expression of the self created from things the fifth graders shared while participating in the Unfolding Identity Project. The Unfolding Identity Project was created by Elly Swartz as a companion activity for her book Finding Perfect. Like the character Molly, Elly wants children to understand that no one things defines any of us. Elly Swartz introduced this activity during her visit to our school.

What appears on the bulletin board are the aspects of the students identity that they share with classmates, teammates, band mates, and the like. 

In the project these are the words and phrases the students add in steps five through twelve. I thought these would be the appropriate things to share anonymously but publicly. I put out pens, paper, scissors and a basket for them to contribute these words and phrases.

In the subsequent steps the students delve deeper into themselves and think about who it is they share with close friends and family and then ultimately those things they keep to themselves. They do not have to share this process if they don't want, but many did and many students worked in pairs to talk through the process. 

After reintroducing the project,the students were invited to collect materials and work anywhere in the library.

I circulated to make sure students both understood and were feeling okay about the process. If a student felt comfortable sharing, I asked if I could take a photograph. Below are a few examples of how my fifth graders see themselves. Most students did not get to the final steps in the project, which I prepared them for and which I think is good. Finishing this at home will give them emotional space and time to be thoughtful thinkers about themselves.

The final project can be folded into a fortune teller which becomes a tangible way to see how these aspects of their identity are revealed in different layers and protected deep within.

This was an incredibly cool day in the library.

Author Visit: Elly Swartz: Finding Perfect

My fortunate fifth graders were the recipients of a visit from Elly Swartz, author of Finding Perfect. It was a fantabulous visit. I know this because I watched the reaction of the students and teachers. I know this also because the fifth graders and their teachers are still talking about it a week later.

There are two specific things that made this visit remarkable. One is Elly's connection with students. Her passion and enthusiasm for writing and specifically writing characters from the heart was authentic and moving. 

The second reason is the subject matter of Finding Perfect. Elly's approach to talking about Molly, the protagonist who is struggling with undiagnosed OCD, allowed the students to hear and relate to Molly and develop empathy and understanding for her story. 

Have a look and a listen:

Just as Molly discovers that she is more than this one thing, Elly wants readers to know that about themselves. She shared Unfolding Identity Project, a project she has developed that helps readers understand themselves as complex creatures and therefore look at others the same way. When asked to share what resonated with them after the visit, the students recalled Elly's words, "you are more than one thing." Those are pretty powerful words to carry with you. 

Thank goodness Elly donated another copy to our library!

Here's an excerpt from Finding Perfect

To Molly Nathans, perfect is:
The number four
The tip of a newly sharpened number two pencil
A crisp, white pad of paper
Her neatly aligned glass animal figurines
What’s not perfect is Molly’s mother leaving the family to take a faraway job with the promise to return in one year. Molly knows that promises are sometimes broken, so she hatches a plan to bring her mother home: Win the Lakeville Middle School Slam Poetry Contest. The winner is honored at a fancy banquet with table cloths. Molly’s sure her mother would never miss that. Right…?

But as time goes on, writing and reciting slam poetry become harder. Actually, everything becomes harder as new habits appear, and counting, cleaning, and organizing are not enough to keep Molly’s world from spinning out of control.

Along with donating a book to the library, Elly brought some seriously cool book swag with her. The students are tasked with learning why these items and those portrayed on the cover are important to Molly. They are excited to find out!