Characters

I have a class full of characters. If you know what I mean. I may be one too.

My teaching buddy and I discovered Kim Adsit and her wonderful reading workshop units. We taught her unit on "Revving Up" and now I am finishing her unit on "Characters".

The last week of this unit is all about Reader's Theater. My kids are eating it up!

The unit can be found on Teachers Pay Teachers.

They want to practice at recess, before school, any time they have their work finished.

So fortunate to have several options for them. A Teeny Tiny Teacher has some wonderful plays for two  people. (Look on TpT.) 

They would rather miss lunch (probably not, but being late would be ok) than not have a chance to perform for our class.

This is how it works. Two kids practice. Until they think they are ready to perform for our class. Then we decide. Are they ready, or do they need more practice. If they are ready I send them out into the world. 

To disrupt another class. To interrupt whatever is going on. To read their play. 

I have been selective so far. Only allowing some teachers to be the recipient of such good reading and theater. Once the word gets out, I will have all the teachers begging me to send kids to disrupt them. 

You see, we have 6 days left in the school year. And everything is going just swimingly fine. Wait, that is just a dream. It is CHAOS! 

Testing, field trips, and all around summer behavior.

So, soon, the teachers will be locking their doors and not allowing my students entrance.

That's ok. We still have the office. The secretary and principal never lock their doors.

Before lunch today I sent two kids to read for our principal. When they returned I asked, "How did it go?" One reported, "She started crying. She said we read with expression." Yahooy!

Now it is every student's goal to make our principal cry. :)

This afternoon (after 2 birthday parties) I wondered--how will I contain this energy (theirs, not mine)? Move the desks and work on Reader's Theater.

 This group of kids are waiting their turn to perform. (And they were patient--that rarely happens.) Their names are on a list. We have to be organized, or someone may get 2 turns!

 Performing a play.

This pair decided to get some extra practice before signing up.

So, I am in love with reading. We all know that. And these performances make me smile.

This note also made me smile.

I know I am not the best teacher. But I strive to be better tomorrow than I was today. I am certainly glad my firsties feel my love and dedication to them. 

Notes like these are priceless. And I've been getting a lot of them recently. 

Perhaps in my last newsletter home I will include my address. How cool it would be to receive a letter this summer.