Before And After

            I checked my mailbox this morning and found, to my dismay, my school pictures. I didn’t recognize the woman looking back at me. As I walked to my classroom it struck me that all this grief has changed me. Just out of curiosity, I looked at my photo ID from last year, what I refer to as BC – before Cathy died.

            I placed the ID on top of the new photo and studied my features.  Last year my smile was wide, my shoulders were pulled back, I was sitting up straight and my hair was flipped up in a wispy style that opened up my face.  In the new photo my smile was only on half of my face, my shoulders drooped down as if I had just sighed. My hair was flat against my face making it look long and drawn. The photographer must have said, “Smile!” and I was thinking, “yeah, right.”

            Since Cathy died a few months ago, I seem to refer to the past in terms of before she died and after. For instance, yesterday I was looking for a photo of my daughter at Girl Scout camp. As I was flipping through the photo album I was trying to remember if she last went to camp before Cathy died in December or in the spring since the accident.

            Last night as I was drifting off the sleep I was thinking about Thanksgiving last year, trying to put together a time line of our losses. I wondered how we would cope as an extended family when Thanksgiving roled around this year.

            Let’s see now. Last year we lost Aunt Barbara in July so that was the first holiday Uncle George was without his beloved wife. We all made great effort to be there with him – everyone except Cathy. She decided that she wanted to go to our mother’s for Thanksgiving so mom wouldn’t be alone. And I am so grateful she did.

            A week later Cathy died on December 1^st. The pain was so great. It’s so hard to explain. It was like a dream, surreal, time stood still for days. Then nineteen days later Gramsy died and entire family gathered on Christmas Eve to bury her. I remember calling the secretary at school because I was taking another day off for a funeral. I told her that we had decided not to tell Gramsy that Cathy had died. Edna said, “Well, she knows now!”

            Exactly one month to the day after Gramsy died Uncle George was rushed to the hospital where he had open heart surgery. He went through so much and he tried to hang on, knowing that we just couldn’t face another loss. As we grieved for our losses we also came to terms with the inevitable. Uncle George just couldn’t do it anymore and was ready to go. He begged to be taken back to his home to die. He wanted to be with Barbara.

            I wonder how grief will change me in the future. Will I my jaws begin to set in this stern position? Will my smile continue to be lopsided and insincere? I miss the carefree girl in the other photo. I wish I could bring her back to life.

About Me

I am a wife, mother, teacher and a writer. I started writing a children’s book four years ago. Richard and I have been married for 20 years and time really has flown by. Our son will be 18 next month and daughter is 11. We got our new kitten, Charlie, after losing our 17 year old cat in June. I’ve been teaching Family & Consumer Science (Home Economics) for 21 years and truly love my current position working with teen moms and dads in several school districts.

In June I finished a nine month program at Kent State U and earned my Reading Specialist Certification! I absolutely love children’s books and writing. I thought this experience would give me a better insight into a child’s reading development. I gained so much more than I ever imagined! More about that later.

There has been so much tragedy in my family in the past year. The only person our family lost in the past was Grandpa Ray in the 1970′s. But in July of 2007 my dear Aunt Barbara died in a tragic motorcycle accident while on vacation out West. Uncle George survived the accident but he passed away last Friday, September 5, 2008. We are all convinced that he died of a broken heart.

My sister, Cathy, died in a car accident on December 1st, 2007. And then Gramsy died 19 days later! I really can’t talk about any of this right now.

There’s Something About Christie

Literary Autobiography                                                                    

           

            The first time I gave any thought to how I developed my reading ability was two months ago when I completed an assignment in another class. I think it’s important to have a clear idea of how a person views his or her own literary development if they are going to help children improve their reading skills. The previous project was a life-altering experience because of the intense investigation into my own childhood. It seemed as if the pieces of my life fell into place and I finally made sense of those painful events.  The title of the book I wrote for the previous instructor was, There’s Something About Christie. 

            The story begins with a poem about a first grader sitting in a reading circle trying to follow along when the teacher suddenly threatens to put a clothespin on the very finger the child uses to point to the words.  I was surprised when this poem just came out of nowhere; as though the words spilled out from a deep wound that had not healed. From that point on I described the report cards that resembled spilled alphabet soup and that even though I did poorly academically I excelled in writing poetry and other creative venues.

            I described the child who loved books but couldn’t read them. And who eventually dropped out of college because she was so frustrated about getting poor grades. At that time of my life I remember reading my first novel at about age 22, Christy by Catherine Marshall.  And about twenty years later was diagnosed with Adult ADD.

            I have a whole new set of questions though, now that I am learning about the diagnosis of reading problems children can have. And it is even more unsettling to realize that perhaps all I needed was reading intervention, that I suffered through elementary, secondary, post-secondary, and graduate level education because this type of diagnosis was not available in the 1960’s.  And worse yet, I am being treated for Adult ADD that may have been misdiagnosed.  I am truly perplexed.

            As I look back on my experiences I claim that I did not read all of those books that I collected. I have no memory of reading the stories; I have no memory of having stories read to me. But I know I read. I would read in class when called on, I would read reports that I wrote. The key is that I have no memory of the stories. I must have had problems with comprehension.

            What remediation would have been suggested?  What could my parents have done to enforce the remediation? And what would my life have been like if I was able to comprehend all of the material that I read in each subject? Well, most of the content in my book wouldn’t have happened. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that I would want to change one darned thing. I wouldn’t have turned out to be the person I am today.

I have a drive now to share the love of reading with children. I want my students to realize that as a teen parent they can give their babies the gift of learning by reading to them. I show them how to read to their children by using expressive tones, asking questions, to make predictions. I don’t know if I would be this passionate about children’s literature if my life would have taken a difference course. 

October 1, 2008

Well, isn’t this ironic. I went to the public library the other day and when checking out the clerk said there was a book on hold for my daughter. Katie is only 11 and just started 6th grade! The book she reserved was Christy by Catherine Marshall.

Bookmark Strategy

 

Non-Fiction Reading Strategy                                               

Teaching and Reflection                                                         Bookmark  Strategy

The current unit for the GRADS program at all of my schools has been Family Literacy. We kicked off the Have A Heart, Do Your Part Radiothon with a fundraising project in which the students would list the books they read to their children, even in utero. Students also collected pledges and donations from friends and family. (see attached forms).

I brought bags of books to each school for students to borrow for this project. I also held an evening get together on January 29^th at the Cuyahoga Falls Public Library. We gathered in a conference room for refreshments where students from different schools could meet each other and introduce their babies. I supplied free books for students to take home.

I took them to the children’s section and they spent time looking through the books. I encouraged them to read to their baby and reminded them that they could include these books on their pledge sheet. At 6:30pm the students joined the other parents from the community for the weekly Family Storytime. That was a very enlightening experience for the students to observe adult parents. They were somewhat distracted at times with fussy babies and left the room to retrieve bottles, etc. It was a very powerful experience in multiple ways; too many to discuss in this project.

For this particular lesson I wanted the students to understand the meaning of family literacy. I used an activity from Dr. Hruschak’s class in which we listed all of the things we read that day, both fiction and non-fiction. We discussed the importance of parents modeling reading at home. None of the students read the newspapers and only a couple enjoys leisurely reading.

I distributed current newspapers and a Bookmark form with instructions to find the articles marked with post-it notes. The articles have significant meaning to the course curriculum and are varied in subject matter. The point being that as a parent it is imperative to stay abreast of current news and information that can impact their children.

The four students completed the Bookmark and then discussed the articles with each other. The students seemed interested in what others read and they asked each other questions. A couple students could not find any “stats” in their article. Another student came to class late and didn’t have time to complete her form.

I will definitely use the Bookmark Strategy in the future. I use the newspapers for current event activities with a Summary worksheet for students to complete. The students seemed more willing to fill out this half sheet of paper even though it’s basically asking the same information.

Bibliography

Antoniotti, Kathy. “Hands-oh lesson about dirt,” Akron Beacon Journal [Akron, OH]

29 January, 2008: B1

Cardwell, Jewell. “Surrogate mother doubles the bliss.” Akron Beacon Journal [Akron,

            OH] 25 January, 2008: B1

Stobbe, Mike. “Vaccine may be offered to boys too”. Akron Beacon Journal [Akron, OH]

                February 2, 2008: A3

Wheeler, Tracy. “Preterm problems,”  Akron Beacon Journal [Akron, OH]

29 January, 2008: D1

Writers Group

I worked on the My Book for a bit before going to WG. Lauren and Jenn made it. Katie sat with us for a minute – then had work to do to get ready for her next interview. Jenn shared another chapter and it was mesmerizing. I love listening to her voice when she reads. Lauren shared more of her story. It’s intense. I can’t wait until they finish. I’m buying both!!!

            I ended up reading my entire story and they spent so much time helping me. I felt bad because Lauren didn’t have much time for us to work on hers. They both gave me so many great suggestions. We worked on making transitions from page to page and worked on ideas for illustrations.

I need to settle the issue of Tommy not getting a gift in the story. Jenn feels bad for him and needs to know if he ends up getting something. Maybe the BDB brings them both a gift! Yes! at the end they run outside and there are two gifts. I love it!

 

 

Students Write Letters

Non-Fiction Reading Strategy                                                             

Teaching and Reflection

            I selected a newspaper article to share with my GRADS classes.  School was on break when the news broke about Jamie Lynn Spears being pregnant at age 16. It wasn’t until we returned to school in January that I had the chance to share the article and discuss how the students felt about the young Nickelodeon l actress becoming pregnant.

            The teaching strategy that I used was RAFT – which stands for Role/Audience/Format/Topic. This strategy involves a writing activity about the topic being read. The writing activity can be in the format of a letter, news article, poem, etc.

• The Role that the writer takes is that of a pregnant or parenting teenager.
• The Audience would be the actress, Jamie Lynn Spears.
• The Format would be a letter.
• The Topic is the student’s personal experience and advice about being a pregnant or parenting teenager.

I am continually amazed at the resilience that most of my students display with regard to their experience as a pregnant or parenting teenager. They are empowered by the experiences thrust upon them as a new parent. Unfortunately, they endure much criticism in school by their peers, teachers, and administrators and in society from the employer to the minister and the medical professionals assisting them.

I place tremendous value in their wisdom and try to create ways for them to find their voice whenever possible. Who better to share this knowledge with Jamie Lynn than these students?

I introduced this activity by asking if they heard the news about Jamie Lynn. The entire class had heard and proceeded to tell how they had watched her on Zoey 101. I held up the newspaper article and asked how they thought she would be feeling at this time. The comments were, ” scared, embarrassed, excited, and nauseous.”  Since I work with no more than 6 students at a time we took turns reading the article aloud, passing it from student to student.

After reading the article I distributed a worksheet titled My Thoughts About This and asked the students to write a letter to Jamie Lynn. Some of them balked at the idea, some said they didn’t know what to say to her. I suggested they pretend that Jamie is their Pen Pal and they are offering her some advice.  I also helped the students outline some topics they could write about. I reminded them that they have the invaluable experience of knowing what she’s going through and Jamie Lynn would probably be relieved to hear what they have to say. I coaxed and encouraged and told them that I couldn’t wait to see what they wrote.

Of course, there’s always one student who asks the question that makes me wonder why I ever came up with this idea.  Kim wanted to know if we were really going to send the letters to Jamie Lynn. Well, I said, “We sure will!”  What I meant was,  “Sure we will.” I am now taking names of people who know people who work in Hollywood!

Before we mail the letters I will have the students re-write or type and print on stationery.

Bibliography

Associated Press. “Britney Spears’ Little Sister, Jamie Lynn, pregnant at 16.” Akron   Beacon Journal [Akron, OH] 19 December 2007: D5.

Daniels, H., & Zemelman, S. (2004). Subjects matter: Every teacher’s guide to content-area reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. (Grades 6-12)

My Writing Journal

January 16, 2008

Had class. Was so excited about the multi-genre idea. Called Dad today to describe it to him.

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January 17, 2008

Spent some time organizing my college stuff in the morning. Worked on a project. Went through all old student files to develop case studies. Worked on grades. Thought about My Book just a little.

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January 19, 2008

Uncle George was life flighted to Toledo. Had open heart surgery. Torn aorta.

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January 26, 2008

I had so much homework. Spent time putting project together. Worked on My Book for an hour to get ready for Writer’s Group. I set a wider margin on the right so I could make comments on the illustration and Multi-Genre ideas.

We all made it to WG. The drive to Solon is not a problem for me. We all discussed what we brought and how we wanted to share it. Thought we would benefit the most by sharing with the group. Katie wanted to leave us on our own but we convinced her that we all would appreciate her input. We shared and I am in awe of the gifts these women possess and I can’t wait to see their final product one day.

I felt as if my writing is so elementary. I was kind of embarrassed to share. And my plans probably seem so farfetched. But they all liked it. I only read the first page and they wanted to know the rest of the story but I didn’t feel worthy.

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January 27, 2008

I have such a sore throat today. I put the book in a new format. Made pages the size of an actual book and filled in with text. I wanted to see how the story fit on 32 pages.

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February 14, 2008

I’ve spent some more time tweaking parts of My Book. I added a “grandma” and she comes up with the cake idea. I also added fact boxes for activity ideas. I want to find an illustrator next. Lauren and others met last Saturday but I was in Toledo visiting Uncle George. She put out an email last night but I have a big project I need to concentrate on.

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February 20, 2008

I’ve been sooo busy with the reading class projects – last class is tonight, next we have clinicals on Mondays and class on Wednesdays. I really want to devote time to My Book. Last night I searched how to make a website. I’m trying to figure out how much money it will cost and what I need to put in it. I know I’m jumping the gun because the book isn’t ready but maybe I can set this in motion. I could have the web site, people visit, learn about TBB and even start the tradition with their children. They can order “stuff” and later announce the book is being published. I need to figure out how to purchase the door bells and feathers wholesale and how to repackage the items. What about the Crumb Cake? Where was that manufactured? How much money would I have to put up front?

Down the road we could produce party plates and items, scrapbook supplies, and stickers. I visited author web sites last night too. I found things I’d like to incorporate:

• Create a birthday card with stickers
• Color a place mat
• Scrapbook pages parents created
• Family photos of the event
• Kids write about event
• Kids thank TBB

Ideas from the Highlights catalog for librarians:

• Bookmarks
• T-shirts
• Maps, atlas, games
• Board game
• Reproducibles
• Puzzle
• Story time crafts

I’ve also been bs-ing (brainstorming) ideas for producing worksheets using the reading strategies for my GRADS students.

The Wonder Book

Course: Reading in the Content Area with Lynn.

Live the questions, value the questions; they are doors to understanding. We need to convince kids that we value their questions and celebrate them for asking. Have the students keep a Writer’s Notebook to record day to day progress. These are sometimes called Wonder Books. The questions children have are great opportunities for authentic learning. They will become an active learner by researching the answers the their questions.

 These are the things I wonder about:

• How long is the grieving process?
• What would the post office do if I mailed a letter to  heaven?
• When will Cathy come to my dreams?
• What profession does my son want to go into?
• Is self-publishing becoming a more acceptable method for writers?
• How do you find an illustrator?

MultiGenre

January 14, 2008

Reading in the Content Area class: The lesson was to build toward producing our own multi-genre project. I had never heard of “multi-genre” but it seemed as though all of the other students (elementary teachers) knew exactly what it was.

The instructor distributed children’s books and asked, “What do you see?” I looked through “The Magic School Bus” and found the following: cartoon scripts, science facts, fiction story with nonfiction text, students essays, homework, compartmentalized (textboxes). The class came up with this list:

• Environmentally friendly
• Fiction/non-fiction
• Everyday language
• Kid friendly
• Letters
• Journaling
• Text boxes
• Repeated pattern
• Use of primary and secondary sources
• dialogue boxes, speech bubbles
• interactive
• different fonts
• inserts
• pullouts
• tactile artifacts
• postcards
• newspaper articles

Multi-genre are texts that are compressed with a variety of genre (poem, diary entries, letters) at the same time, the works are highly sophisticated and the reader would need to be flexible in order to understand the text successfully.

It seems that this is becoming a popular style in the publishing world. Multi-genre has wide appeal because each student sees something different. The topic would be boring in regular/same font format. Some examples of these books are:

· Regarding The Bees

· Amelia Tells All

· The Magic School Bus

· Snowflake Bently

· Cheese colored Camper

· Regarding the Fountain

· Black and White

· Dragonology

· The Jolly Postman

I did a lot of research on multi-genre to figure out how to do the class assignment. I also had an Ahha moment and decided to rework My Book in this format. I went to the library, found several books as examples. Can’t wait to add MG to My Book! So many ideas-head is swimming!

The Unqualified Writer

12/7/07

Katie,
I just wanted you to know that my sister passed away December 1st. I had mentioned her in an email to you when I bought the Sissy Duckling for her son.  When you shared that story I was so  worried that people may have treated Cathy badly as she was finding her true self but it was apparent from the people who attended the services that she was loved and respected by so many. Even the CEO of Arby’s flew up from Atlanta. As Barb put it, she was a great lady.

Christie

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12/7

Christie,
I am so so so so sorry to hear this.  My thoughts are with you and your family during this time, of course!  So glad to hear that she was so loved, for I am sure she was a lovely person, and I wouldve loved to have met her (knowing you, of course, I bet your sister was just wonderful too!).  :)  gosh, I am so sorry for your loss.  I am thinking of you …….

Some news I was going to email you about this weekend.  I am starting a writing group for people who are REALLY talented, like yourself, and might want to work together and share writings and help each other motivationally and with publishing.  What do you think????

Currently, there are about 4 members (if you decide to join).  I would simply organize things and be there for anything you guys might need, but it is a REALLY awesome, small, talented group of people that I think you guys would really do well together.  :)  let me know if you are interested, katie

Ps – so so so sorry to hear bout your sister…thinking of you……

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12/8/07

Heather, I got this email from Katie, the KSU instructor I told you about. Why do I feel so unqualified to join this writer’s group? I don’t feel as though I can contribute. What should I do???  Christie

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12/8

Christie:

I think this is a wonderful opportunity for you.  You should feel honored and you are qualified.  I think it would be good for you.  If she is going to set it up, I’m sure she will have some writing exercises for you all and will provide feedback and guidance.  All of this is a good thing.  You might also find it therapeutic.  I say go for it!  I believe in you as does Katie.

Cathy wasn’t afraid to live.  Remember that above all else.  Take chances and do not be afraid.  By doing this, we honor Cathy.

I love you, Heather

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12/8/07

Dr. Katie,
Thank you for those kind words.
When you invited me to the writer’s group it was so unexpected. I emailed my other sister, Heather (also much younger and wiser than I) for advise. I thought I’d share her response with you (below).
I have belonged to SCBWI for a few years now and can count the number of local chapter meetings I’ve attended on two hands, including the 2006 Conference in Cleveland. I never felt like I was getting what I needed. I think a smaller group just might be the ticket. So count me in.
Saturday’s or Sunday’s would work for me. Usually any time is good during the winter months.
What genre are the other writers interested in???
Let me know what you decide.  Christie

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12/8

Of course you are SO QUALIFIED.  Here is why: super-talented writer, strong heart, and a genuinely wonderful person with smart ideas and a sharing spirit.  :)  as your sister says, yes you are qualified!  :)  in fact, I really thought long and hard about whom I invited into the group, NOT because I was trying to be elitist, but because I wanted to place talented writers together, who were not only good at their craft, but also strong in heart and in caring mind.  The list that I came up with is composed of GREAT, HIGH quality people who care about life in general and about their writing.  I REALLY think you will like them.  :)

Your other sister, heather, sounds wonderful.  If she is ever in town, we should do coffee.  :)  and I would love to learn more about your other sister, cathy.  Again, my thoughts are with you.

I will keep you updated as to the rest of the group, and I encourage you to write a response to everyone too.  The sooner we all start talking the better.  OH, and great idea your sister had, for you guys to start making suggestions for what you would want from me at an initial meeting.  Feel free to start that sort of dialogue with the group.

Looking forward to seeing you soon.  OH, and please send, in your email to the group (assuming you are still interested) , some days or times that might be good for you.  :)

Take care, katie  :)  :)

Ps – yes, I whole-heartedly believe in you, and in this particular group!!!

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12/8

Heather, Look what Katie wrote! I wish you could have been in that class with me. She was a riot! I guess I’ll email the group and see what happens.
Love you, Christie

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12/9/07

Christie:

She sounds wonderful!  And again, let me say, I think you’ll do wonderful with this.  We haven’t talked that much about the art history minor that I am pursuing, but I met a wonderful professor who has invested an interest in me.  She has opened up the door to so many opportunities for me.  I’m finding that I have a natural knack when it comes to interpreting images.  With her guidance, I wrote my first grant and was approved.  I’m working as a Research Assistant and I feel so honored to be garnering her attention.  She is teaching me much more than I ever expected.

Katie sounds wonderful too!  I am glad that this opportunity has come your way.  Keep me posted on how it all goes!

Love you, Heather