Year 26 Reflections

Such a blessing to acknowledge this number of years in education.  As Year 26 comes to a closure and before I begin thinking too much about Year 26 (already planning!), here are some thoughts:

1. I have blogged little this year for a couple of reasons:  1) we were still immersed in a curriculum of which we had little choosing, which would have resulted in too much negativity on my part, and 2) I was busy!  I enjoy blogging, though, and, again, am committing to adding my input here.
2. I had the best of classes this year.  I still work them hard.  Maybe too hard?  I begin to think so, until this year I received the highest of compliments before school was even dismissed when several entered the door, after having tested for two days, saying, "Mrs. Gillmore, we aced that test.  You had us ready." (We'll see...sure hope so!)  Another added, "I was going to take Comp I and II my senior year; now I think I need to take your class so I will be ready to write for college."  Okay.  Thank you.  Good kids.
3. For the first time, I taught Teacher Cadets, still a fairly new class and move in our state to encourage students to be come teachers, for we have such a shortage of teachers in Arkansas.  The TC's seemed to enjoy the class (received college credit for the second semester), which involved much application...and no tests or extended papers.  Good news!  All ended the year more affirmed than ever that teaching is their correct career choice.
4. New curriculum coming in 2017-2018!  During the last week of school, our curriculum coordinator met with department and brought the winds of change and new beginnings, after which we met and began the process of selecting essential standards.  We have committed to meet in a week and build the units.  Yes.
5. At semester this year, my daughter switched English 12 classes and became my student.  This was a good move for us.  Making more precious memories.
6. I baked at least 75 boxes of brownies this year.  Don't think that is exaggerated by one box.  These kids will work for food!  "We want some of your brownies."  They would work, and I would reward.  Recipe:  purchase two boxes of any brand of brownies from your local grocery story.  Pour ingredients into mixing bowl.  Stir.  Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Bake for 31 minutes.  Yum!  Easy!  Cheap!
7. This year I taught three sections of English 12, two of English 10, and one Teacher Cadet class.  I enjoy all levels.  The hours fly by.  Then the weeks...months...until I sit here on my first Monday morning off from Year 26 typing this...reflecting.

What is a highlight from your year?

Now for a few weeks of "down time"...then the fun begins again.  Okay...now for a busy summer...more about in the next post!

Summer Begins!

Year 26 is in the books!  Wow!  Now, summer begins!  A summer of reading begins!

May I share my reading plans?

• ARA Book Club:  New!  In this one, we meet and read books with authors...LIVE!...in a private Facebook group page.  This summer, we are reading Jewell Parker Rhodes Towers Falling.
• BHS Reads:  After some discussion, we have settled on our first read:  A Court of Thorns and Roses, the first of a trilogy, each of which contains a retelling of some fairy tale.  Those in the club are discussing summer reads...not sure if we will finish the trilogy or choose other titles.  
• Paper Chase Book Club:  June's book is Death Comes to Pemberly.  Then in July I host book club with the novel Lowcountry Boil, the first in a series.  I do so enjoy meeting with this group of ladies and chatting about books.
• Book Love Book Club:  Penny Kittle is hosting an online book club, during which four books will be read.  So far, 400+ from across the land have signed up.  Cool!
• Online Bible Cafe Book Club:  Each month, this group reads a fiction and a nonfiction book.  I have purchased the three fiction:  Sarah Price's First Impressions, Lauraine Snelling's Someday Home, and Jane Kirkpatrick's This Road We Traveled.
• NCTE Reads Book Club:  For the first time, NCTE is hosting a summer read during the month of June of Teaching Reading with YA Literature by Jennifer Buehler.
• Talks with Teachers:  Each summer, this site host three books (fiction, nonfiction, and a book for teachers).  The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead will be this summer's fiction read.  

Have to stop!  No more!  Well...we'll see!

Now, for the total...and how many do I own and still need to purchase?

• 15 total...with more to be added.  Hummm...can I do this?
• 11 purchased
• 4 to buy (see last two bullets)

With all this in mind, I need to complete my current read of When the Morning Glory Blooms for the Online Bible Cafe Book Club's May read.  

Just writing this excites me...for I dearly love books...and has given me an idea...or two...for our faculty book club.  The trend seems to be to host book clubs using a group on Facebook; five of the above seven use this format (mine other two meet face-to-face...and that is a beautiful thing), but time often is our enemy with hectic schedules and such.  BHS Reads already has a Facebook group page....hummmm...:)

What are you reading this summer?  Diving into a To Be Read pile (mine just grew!)?  Happy summer...and happy reading!

Top Ten Gillmore Extracurricular Clubs

Below is one of the weekly blog assignments my students were assigned...that I wrote with them.

_____________________________________________

Type a three sentence introduction. (Startling Statement)

Queen of extracurricular; that is I, who I have always been.  High School.  College.  Then back to high school.  These clubs are part of the reason that my vocation is also my avocation.  This I wish for everyone.

In no particular order are ten of the clubs in which I have participated while teaching at Batesville High:

1. BHS Reads:  BHS Reads is a book club I created several year ago for teachers.  We have read everything from fiction to nonfiction...adult to young adult.  Currently, we are choosing our three summer reads; the first of which will be A Court of Thorns and Roses.
2. Paper Chase Book Club:  A few years ago, I joined our local book store's book club and have so enjoyed getting to know these ladies.  For June, we are reading PD James' Death Comes to Pemberly.
3. ARA Book Club:  This book club is brand new!  Very excited to see where this endeavor will take us.  In this book club, the author(s) join us for some/all of the meetings, the next of which will be Jewell Parker Rhodes as we discuss her novel Towers Falling.
4. Beta Club: This one is my baby.  This past year, I was recognized for having sponsored Beta Club for 25 years.  Wow!  Time has flown!
5. Student Council:  For a while, I also helped sponsor Student Council and enjoyed the activities and conferences we attended with this group.  One club, though, really is enough!
6. Drama:  During my first year at BHS, I was taught drama...sort of.  We even brought two productions that year.  Very amazing...considering my lack of background.  :)
7. Debate:  During that first year at BHS, I was also given the debate team, for which I also had a class.  I quickly learned that what I thought was debate was not quite what this class would work to accomplish.  We traveled.  We competed.  I learned so much!
8. Yearbook:  During that first year...and for several years...my students and I designed and created the yearbook.  Someone more analytical than myself might conclude that based on 6-8...I was either being encourage to leave...OR...Mr. C. certainly had confidence in me!
9. Student Book:  This one should have fallen after #2, as out of BHS Reads came a student book club.  With a bit more emphasis, this group could be much more active.  Need to work on that next year!
10. Project Unify:  During year one of the organizing of this group, I worked with them; then after a year two or so, I faded out of this one, as others, much more capable than myself, took over!  I learned much at Special Olympics and partnering with these students.  Very powerful.  Very.

Conclusion (Refer to the Introduction)

Clubs keep me young!  Forever young?  Working with students, assisting them as they develop as leaders, watching them grow, finding themselves and who they one day want to be, this is just one of the many perks of teaching.  Blessed I am!