In our ELA class, we have been working hard as readers and writers to understand authors' messages and purposes for writing. This is a useful skill for all of us since choosing the right format to convey our messages is just as important as the words themselves. Understanding what an author "meant" when they say something is a difficult task, not just for fourth graders, but adults as well. Each week we spend time examining quotes and lines from stories to help understand what the author meant or their reason/purpose for saying it.
To continue practicing this skill , we revisited an old story that many of us were familiar with. The story was, The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss. You may be familiar with it yourself, and if not, you should definitely check it out.
For your comments for this post, I would like you to do your best as writers to explain to our readers what the last lines of the story mean to YOU or what you think Dr. Seuss was trying to tell us.
"UNLESS someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better.
It's not."
Mr. Fletcher
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Wow Wow
This past Friday, I went out for wings with my best friend. This may not seem like a big deal, but back where I come from, chicken wings are a way of life. As much as I enjoy living down here in the Catskills, the one let down is the wings. They simply are not the same. Not even close. So, when I am able to find a place that prepares their wings close to the way I get them back home, it is always a treat to go and indulge. To have a night out to catch up with my best friend is also a huge treat. During the meal, I found myself doing something that I have been trying hard not to do lately.
It has been said that the things that you dislike or find annoying with others are the things that you don't like about yourself. I have always had a hard time with the people who I call the "One Uppers." These are the people who, when you talk to them about anything, they make it a point to out do you. They either know someone that the same thing happened to, but to a higher extreme, or it is themself. When I encounter these people, I have a hard time not rolling my eyes or making things up to see if it is possible for them to out do me. I have had to face the difficult reality that I, myself, am a "One Upper." Now it makes sense why it drives me so crazy with others. I hate that I do it. I hate that I don't realize I'm doing it until later on when I think back on the experience or conversation.
You may be wondering what this has to do with the beginning of this post, so I'll connect the dots now. I am at my most "one upping" when I am with my friend. Seriously, I don't know how he can stand it.
While the snow came down yesterday, I was sick in bed. So, those of you who know me can imagine the mood I was in. With the time I spent laying around, I reflected on my annoying habit and what I could do to fix it. During this time, I realized that there are three types of people out there. I will do my best to explain each type to you now.
Type 1: This is the person who thinks they are perfect.
I have a hard time with these people, because I truly believe no one is perfect.
Type 2: This is the person who knows they have a fault.
This person is aware and does nothing to change the problem.
Type 3: This is the person who knows they have a fault and works fix it.
I used to think of myself as a type 3 person. I know I have this annoying quality and I try to be conscious of it to improvie myself. This got me thinking, however. If this is what I am doing, then aren't I trying to become a type 1 person? I already stated that I don't think type 1's really exist, so why am I trying to become something that isn't real? It's deep, I know. Stick with me. Next, I then began to think that I should be more of a type 2 person. I should just own my faults and rejoice in my "one upness." This however seemed lazy to me since I have a hard time just accepting things. At this point I began to think that I was in some kind of DayQuil daze or that I might be going a little batty (pardon the Halloween reference).
Luckily, everything was quickly put into perspective for me in the simplest of ways, with the most surprising package. As I sat in bed, my youngest son, Chase, who is two and a half, came tromping into my bedroom in his bright blue fleece footy pajamas wearing bright green plaid rubber boots. He walked over to me and simply sang out, "BE YOURSELF AND YOU'LL BE COOL, DAD!" In that moment, I couldn't help but laugh and appreciate the appropriateness of his random message. On his way out the door, he turned to remind me that "KOOKY IS COOL!" Who knew that my little guy was so insightful and at just the right time too. So, to all my friends and those of you I interact with: I am a one upper! I am aware of it. I will try to control it, but no one is perfect.
Thanks Chase...and Wubbzy. Daddy is listening.
Mr. Fletcher
It has been said that the things that you dislike or find annoying with others are the things that you don't like about yourself. I have always had a hard time with the people who I call the "One Uppers." These are the people who, when you talk to them about anything, they make it a point to out do you. They either know someone that the same thing happened to, but to a higher extreme, or it is themself. When I encounter these people, I have a hard time not rolling my eyes or making things up to see if it is possible for them to out do me. I have had to face the difficult reality that I, myself, am a "One Upper." Now it makes sense why it drives me so crazy with others. I hate that I do it. I hate that I don't realize I'm doing it until later on when I think back on the experience or conversation.
You may be wondering what this has to do with the beginning of this post, so I'll connect the dots now. I am at my most "one upping" when I am with my friend. Seriously, I don't know how he can stand it.
While the snow came down yesterday, I was sick in bed. So, those of you who know me can imagine the mood I was in. With the time I spent laying around, I reflected on my annoying habit and what I could do to fix it. During this time, I realized that there are three types of people out there. I will do my best to explain each type to you now.
Type 1: This is the person who thinks they are perfect.
I have a hard time with these people, because I truly believe no one is perfect.
Type 2: This is the person who knows they have a fault.
This person is aware and does nothing to change the problem.
Type 3: This is the person who knows they have a fault and works fix it.
I used to think of myself as a type 3 person. I know I have this annoying quality and I try to be conscious of it to improvie myself. This got me thinking, however. If this is what I am doing, then aren't I trying to become a type 1 person? I already stated that I don't think type 1's really exist, so why am I trying to become something that isn't real? It's deep, I know. Stick with me. Next, I then began to think that I should be more of a type 2 person. I should just own my faults and rejoice in my "one upness." This however seemed lazy to me since I have a hard time just accepting things. At this point I began to think that I was in some kind of DayQuil daze or that I might be going a little batty (pardon the Halloween reference).
Luckily, everything was quickly put into perspective for me in the simplest of ways, with the most surprising package. As I sat in bed, my youngest son, Chase, who is two and a half, came tromping into my bedroom in his bright blue fleece footy pajamas wearing bright green plaid rubber boots. He walked over to me and simply sang out, "BE YOURSELF AND YOU'LL BE COOL, DAD!" In that moment, I couldn't help but laugh and appreciate the appropriateness of his random message. On his way out the door, he turned to remind me that "KOOKY IS COOL!" Who knew that my little guy was so insightful and at just the right time too. So, to all my friends and those of you I interact with: I am a one upper! I am aware of it. I will try to control it, but no one is perfect.
Thanks Chase...and Wubbzy. Daddy is listening.
Mr. Fletcher
Friday, October 14, 2011
Welcome New Bloggers!
Good Morning Everyone! Welcome to your first blog posting of the school year! This is a format that we will be using frequently. Once you get the hang of it, you'll see how easy and FUN it is! Whether you are asked to leave a comment, or whether you just want to respond to something on your own, there are a few simple steps to leaving a comment.
1. After you have finished reading the blog post, click on the word "comment" at the end of the post. Sometimes it will be a number and word "comments" if people have already responded to the post.
2. A box will come up and you can type your comment in that box. At the end of your comment, please put your first name only. This is because you will be posting your comment as an anonymous user in the next step (unless you are an adult and have a user account, in which case you can/will use that).
3. Below the box where you typed your comment, you will see some different buttons. The first says "post comment as" and has a drop down menu. In that drop down, please choose "Anonymous".
4. Next click the button for "post comment". Sometimes you have to do this step twice.
5. Next, you should get a box with text inside it that you need to type into another box and then press enter.
6. Finally....if everything has gone as it should, you should get a message telling you that your message is waiting for approval for it to be published. This is because no one can post anything on our blog without my approval first. Each message someone leaves goes to my email, where I review it and then approve or deny it based on its content. This is my way of making sure we all stay safe in this format.
Once you get the hang of it, it is a piece of cake.
So....for your first blog comment, I am going to ask you to answer this question as a comment on the blog:
Which would you rather be...a dog or a cat? Explain the reasons for your choice.
Have fun!
Mr. Fletcher
1. After you have finished reading the blog post, click on the word "comment" at the end of the post. Sometimes it will be a number and word "comments" if people have already responded to the post.
2. A box will come up and you can type your comment in that box. At the end of your comment, please put your first name only. This is because you will be posting your comment as an anonymous user in the next step (unless you are an adult and have a user account, in which case you can/will use that).
3. Below the box where you typed your comment, you will see some different buttons. The first says "post comment as" and has a drop down menu. In that drop down, please choose "Anonymous".
4. Next click the button for "post comment". Sometimes you have to do this step twice.
5. Next, you should get a box with text inside it that you need to type into another box and then press enter.
6. Finally....if everything has gone as it should, you should get a message telling you that your message is waiting for approval for it to be published. This is because no one can post anything on our blog without my approval first. Each message someone leaves goes to my email, where I review it and then approve or deny it based on its content. This is my way of making sure we all stay safe in this format.
Once you get the hang of it, it is a piece of cake.
So....for your first blog comment, I am going to ask you to answer this question as a comment on the blog:
Which would you rather be...a dog or a cat? Explain the reasons for your choice.
Have fun!
Mr. Fletcher
Friday, September 30, 2011
A Change Would Do You Good
Last night was our open house. I will be perfectly honest and say that normally, this is something that I don't look forward to. In the end, I always have a good time and am happy with the turnout, but the preparation for and anticipation of open house usually stresses me out. For the past few years, I have created brochures and hand outs, art projects, packets, and some pretty impressive flipchart pages to dazzle the audience with my techno skills. As I prepared for this year's open house, I began to think about the years past and realized all that "stuff" is what makes me not excited for the event. Students and their familes come into the room sit at desks, fill out paperwork and then listen to a "speech" I have prepared, followed by a Q & A session. In reflecting on this, what I have realized is that I have been talking AT people and not talking TO people. There's a big difference.
This year, I kept it low key. I didn't feel the need to dazzle. I didn't think of the people coming as an audience, but rather, as friends. I had a blast! I had conversations with people. I met new people for the first time and reconnected with families from the past. I got to talk to former students. No one even sat down. Not a piece of paperwork was given that needed to be filled out before people left. This year, my room was an open door where people could come and go as they pleased and then come back again if they wanted to. This year, open house was FUN. It was what I had always wanted it to be. I left last night with such a positive feeling. I thank everyone who was able to come, whether it was to introduce yourself, to ask a question, or just to say hello.
Now that my oldest son is in school, I am getting my first taste of what it is to be a "parent" of a "student." It is overwhelming and has given me a whole new appreciation for all the incredible parents I have met over the years. You have all helped to shape me into the parent I want to be for my boys.
Chasing dragons with paper swords,
Mr. Fletcher
This year, I kept it low key. I didn't feel the need to dazzle. I didn't think of the people coming as an audience, but rather, as friends. I had a blast! I had conversations with people. I met new people for the first time and reconnected with families from the past. I got to talk to former students. No one even sat down. Not a piece of paperwork was given that needed to be filled out before people left. This year, my room was an open door where people could come and go as they pleased and then come back again if they wanted to. This year, open house was FUN. It was what I had always wanted it to be. I left last night with such a positive feeling. I thank everyone who was able to come, whether it was to introduce yourself, to ask a question, or just to say hello.
Now that my oldest son is in school, I am getting my first taste of what it is to be a "parent" of a "student." It is overwhelming and has given me a whole new appreciation for all the incredible parents I have met over the years. You have all helped to shape me into the parent I want to be for my boys.
Chasing dragons with paper swords,
Mr. Fletcher
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Back in Business
It seems like forever since I made my last blog post. My original intent was to take a break for the summer and start fresh with the new school year. However, each day I found myself wanting to write something on the blog and then decided not to because I thought "Who would read it?" Because of this, I spent a lot of time thinking about the direction this blog has taken and where I want it to go.
When I first put this blog together, I had these big dreams of putting things out there and having people respond to them through posts. Afterall, the few blogs that I follow daily have hundreds if not thousands of followers and hundreds of responses to posts that have been made. That is what I kind of envisioned taking place here...maybe not on that scale since I keep the blog relatively private, but followers of the blog reading what I wrote and then responding because they wanted to and not because I told them to. This is the case in the posts that I make the kids respond to. I found myself getting extremely frustrated because I would always have people say to me, "I really enjoyed your last blog post." My first thought would be, "Then why didn't you leave a comment?" I know, it sounds really snotty. What I then realized is that I do the exact same thing. I have a few blogs that I follow daily and I have never left a comment on them. Never. I enjoy reading each new post and applying it to my own life, but not once have I ever responded to the creators of the blogs I follow. What I now know is that the number of comments people leave is not what makes a blog successful, but the number of READERS! After all, isn't that what makes all authors successful? I have read hundreds of books and have never written a letter to the authors with comments about the books, but that doesn't mean that they had no impact on my life.
So, enough with all the philosophy and let me put the snotty little "me" to rest. A big thanks to anyone and everyone who has ever read this blog. Readers are what bring validation to writers and that is the message I try to instill in my students everyday. I will keep writing. The kids will keep writing. You...keep reading. Please don't think that you must leave a comment....the fact that you have read this is more than enough for me.
It's no good
when you're misunderstood,
Mr. Fletcher
When I first put this blog together, I had these big dreams of putting things out there and having people respond to them through posts. Afterall, the few blogs that I follow daily have hundreds if not thousands of followers and hundreds of responses to posts that have been made. That is what I kind of envisioned taking place here...maybe not on that scale since I keep the blog relatively private, but followers of the blog reading what I wrote and then responding because they wanted to and not because I told them to. This is the case in the posts that I make the kids respond to. I found myself getting extremely frustrated because I would always have people say to me, "I really enjoyed your last blog post." My first thought would be, "Then why didn't you leave a comment?" I know, it sounds really snotty. What I then realized is that I do the exact same thing. I have a few blogs that I follow daily and I have never left a comment on them. Never. I enjoy reading each new post and applying it to my own life, but not once have I ever responded to the creators of the blogs I follow. What I now know is that the number of comments people leave is not what makes a blog successful, but the number of READERS! After all, isn't that what makes all authors successful? I have read hundreds of books and have never written a letter to the authors with comments about the books, but that doesn't mean that they had no impact on my life.
So, enough with all the philosophy and let me put the snotty little "me" to rest. A big thanks to anyone and everyone who has ever read this blog. Readers are what bring validation to writers and that is the message I try to instill in my students everyday. I will keep writing. The kids will keep writing. You...keep reading. Please don't think that you must leave a comment....the fact that you have read this is more than enough for me.
It's no good
when you're misunderstood,
Mr. Fletcher
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Shame, Shame, Time to Leave Me Now
As I sit here thinking about this past school year, it is impossible for me not to smile and even laugh out loud. It has been a year of growth for all of us in many different ways. For this final blog posting of the year, I am going to pass along some advice I hope you will consider as you grow.
1. Be a source of light. Shine brightly. Make others want to bask in the glow that is you. Send that light out and inspire others to shine as well.
2. Don't be ordinary.
3. Don't take things at face value. Ask questions and demand explanations when your questions aren't answered. Make anything new you learn meaningful to you and you will not only learn it better, but will remember it forever.
4. Laugh everyday. Be able to laugh at yourself. Remember to laugh WITH others and not AT them.
5. Be proud of who you are.
6. Listen to your parents' music with them. It will make for some great memories when you are an adult.
7. Be willing to help others.
8. Think before you act or react. Consider all points of view and work towards a solution to a problem.
9. Be confident.
10. Always feel welcome to come to my room. Whether it is for a place to cool down, for help to solve a problem, or just to chat or say hello. You ALL will always be welcome in my room.
These are the top ten pieces of advice I have for you because they are the top ten things that you have taught and reminded me of this year. For that, I can't begin to thank you and your families enough. Everyday I am inspired by how you work together as a group to encourage and support each other. Don't ever stop doing that. Your compassion, is inspiring.
I am proud to know each and every one of you and to have had the privilege to be your teacher this year. You have made me proud in more ways than I can count. Make your future teachers just as proud.
Time does indeed fly when you are having fun.
Look out for each other, take care of each other, and most of all, have fun together.
Shame, shame, we had our fun,
Mr. Fletcher
1. Be a source of light. Shine brightly. Make others want to bask in the glow that is you. Send that light out and inspire others to shine as well.
2. Don't be ordinary.
3. Don't take things at face value. Ask questions and demand explanations when your questions aren't answered. Make anything new you learn meaningful to you and you will not only learn it better, but will remember it forever.
4. Laugh everyday. Be able to laugh at yourself. Remember to laugh WITH others and not AT them.
5. Be proud of who you are.
6. Listen to your parents' music with them. It will make for some great memories when you are an adult.
7. Be willing to help others.
8. Think before you act or react. Consider all points of view and work towards a solution to a problem.
9. Be confident.
10. Always feel welcome to come to my room. Whether it is for a place to cool down, for help to solve a problem, or just to chat or say hello. You ALL will always be welcome in my room.
These are the top ten pieces of advice I have for you because they are the top ten things that you have taught and reminded me of this year. For that, I can't begin to thank you and your families enough. Everyday I am inspired by how you work together as a group to encourage and support each other. Don't ever stop doing that. Your compassion, is inspiring.
I am proud to know each and every one of you and to have had the privilege to be your teacher this year. You have made me proud in more ways than I can count. Make your future teachers just as proud.
Time does indeed fly when you are having fun.
Look out for each other, take care of each other, and most of all, have fun together.
Shame, shame, we had our fun,
Mr. Fletcher
Friday, May 27, 2011
Ashokan Bound
Next week we will be departing for our trip to the Ashokan Center! We are all very excited and looking forward to the trip. For this post, I'm calling on past students to share their fondest memories of the Ashokan trip with us.
Like a wiggly bridge,
Mr. Fletcher
Like a wiggly bridge,
Mr. Fletcher
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