A WONDERful Start to Our Year

Yesterday we started reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio. What a perfect way to help set the tone of our class, and to share a literary experience that will give us vocabulary for all those awkward middle school issues. We only have enough copies to read in class together, but I'm getting a new shipment of books (THANK YOU DonorsChoose donors!!) so I can check them out to students to take home too-- hopefully by next week.
Click here to see pictures that relate to the story. The teacher who made this website was smart! If you're not sure what a genie in a lamp is, it shows a picture. If you are unclear about the "Doogie" reference, there's a little explanation. Pretty smart!

Staggering Statistics

"Why do we have to read EVERY night?" My students often ask me why they are required to read independently every single day of the week (including Saturday and Sunday!) and here's why:

Now, pick out a book in your reading range and get reading!!!

Become a Highly Effective Teen!

Who am I?

 

I am your constant companion.  I am

your greatest helper or heaviest burden.

I will push you onward or drag you down

to failure.  I am completely at your command.

Half the things you do you might just as

well turn over to me and I will be able to do

them quickly and correctly.

                                                                                       

I am easily managed – you must merely

be firm with me.  Show me exactly how you

want something done and after a few

lessons I will do it automatically.  I am the

servant of all great individuals and, alas, of

all failures, as well.  Those who are great, I

have made great.  Those who are failures,

I have made failures.

 

I am not a machine, though I work

with all the precision of a machine plus

the intelligence of a human.  You may run

me for a profit or run me for ruin – it

makes no difference to me.

 

Take me, train me, be firm with me,

and I will place the world at your feet.  Be

easy with me and I will destroy you.

 

Who am I?