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My First Days of Reading
As a little girl, I remember reading "Fun with Dusty". I always wanted a puppy for a pet. My mom was not fond of dogs even though my father approved. Reading was easy at this time of my life. Dusty was the perfect puppy I could not have. -
Playing School
During my childhood, my two older sisters and I would play school in a tent in the backyard. My oldest sister took all of our books and created library cards for each book. Being her students, we would choose a library book to check out. She would get the card out of the file, and I would sign my name to the card. At this point in my life, reading was still fun and interesting. I could easily read "Sammy the Seal" and it encouraged me to continue liking school. -
A Change in My Life
My sixth grade year of school was definitely an eyeopener. Having three daughters is a challenge for any parent. My mom had each of us read "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." Reading this book helped me understand the changes my body was going through. -
My Senior Year of High School
During my senior year of high school, I had a very motivating English teacher, Mrs. Hundley. Although reading and writing were not my favorite subjects in school, Mrs. Hundley made learning English fun! She introduced my class to the novel, "To Kill A Mockingbird". I loved this suspenseful book and did not want to put it down. Along with reading the novel, we explored the culture and society of the time. It was very interesting to compare the judicial system from the past and the present. -
Six Hours From Front to Back
In July of 1995, I married my best friend, a U.S. Navy sailor named Fred. He was stationed in Edzell, Scotland; I would be joining him. Before I left, my parents took me to the peaceful mountains of Cloudcroft, New Mexico. We visited an English teacher friend who gave me "A Case of Need" to read on the trip home. She knew I did not like to read. I remember her telling me that I just had not found the "right, good" book! I enjoyed the mystery; it took me six hours to read. -
Our First Arrival!
In April of 2000, my husband and I were stationed in Oak Harbor, Washington. He had been deployed to Turkey. I decided to visit my parents in San Angelo, Texas rather than stay in Washington by myself. Soon after arriving in San Angelo, I was able to surprise my husband that we were expecting our first baby. "What To Expect When You're Expecting" was a very interesting and informative book. I reccommend it for any expectant mother. -
Our Daugther
Since our daughter, Baylee, was born, she has had different medical issues. In Pre-Kindergarten, we decided it was time to help her. She was unable to focus very long on any one thing at school or at home. Our doctor recommended we read, "ADD". The book easy to read even with the research documented throughout. It described our daughter, and even though she was five, we started her on medication for ADHD. She is a better student and person because we made this informed decision. -
Struggling Reader
Our youngest daugther, Baylee, has struggled with learning since she was born. At first, she would never sit down and read books. They did not interest her. Come to find out, she had bad eyesight and needed glasses. Once she was able to see, she began trying to read. We read "Sam I am" over and over again to her. Eventually, she was able to read the book by herself. Reading comprehension is her weakness. This is difficult for me because I did not struggle at a young age. -
Regional Math Collaborative
I have been a member of the Regional Math Collaborative for the past six years. Part of the requirements of the RMC is to have workshop/book study hours. Due to time constraints, I chose to read the book "Never Work Harder Than Your Students." What a concept? As a teacher of secondary students, reading this book was the beginning to my realization that student-led classrooms truly are the most educational. Since I am older, I am realizing reading books is a meaningful task. -
I'm Flipping Out!
The book "Flip Your Classroom" describes in detail a new educational concept. "Flippling your classroom" means to allow studednts to do their classwork at home and their homework in class. This book gives scenarios of everyday classrooms. It provides research and articles that are helpful to teachers looking to implement this in their classrooms. I tried to flip a few lessons this past year and have used this book repeatedly as a reference. "Flip your Classroom" is an easy book to read.
