To Blog, To Blog, To Blog!

I very much enjoy blogging!  I have three personal blogs and several with my classes...AND each of my students has his/her own blog!  Why do I blog?  The power of reflection is immense, and this genre has become quite the journal of my literary life.  I, also, enjoy reading other's blogs and follow many within my Feedly account.

Blogs I Follow:

• Literary Life:  I follow many, including some literary peers and leaders in our curriculum area, including Dana Huff and The Daring English Teacher.
• Crafty Chics:  When I have time...and one day when I retire...I want to grow up and be just like these cutie sites:  Debbie Doo's and Magnolia Market...as in, Joanna Gaines!
• Devotional Delights
• Bookish Thoughts:  I follow another of Dana Huff's blogs, where she posts reflections on books as she reads them.  I, too, have such a blog here at TG Book Thoughts.  (No, I haven't read as many books as I had hoped this year...had hoped to read one per week...but this year threw a couple of curve balls into that plan.)

An Impactful Post...or Two:

ISIS: Enemy of the State and World?

Here, in the good ol' United States of America, we often are so busy with our busyness that we forget the enemies we have abroad.  One those remains the group ISIS, a group...

According to Annie Barnard and Hwiadi Saad in their article "Raqqa, ISIS ‘Capital,’ Is Captured, U.S.-Backed Forces Say," they report, "American-backed forces said...they had seized the northern Syrian city of Raqqa from the Islamic State, a major blow to the militant group..."  While we sit here in the comfort of our schools and homes, our troops are overseas fighting an enemy that drifts to the back of our minds, hardly ever surfacing, leaving us living in a state of "fake" happiness...maybe?

My concern?  This:  "The United States Central Command stopped short of declaring victory, saying that 'more than 90 percent of Raqqa is in S.D.F. control,' a reference to the Syrian Democratic Forces, an American-backed militia group made up of Syrian Kurds and Arabs."  Do the math.  That leaves 10%.  Too many for too much celebration, for this group seems to have not problem recovering, recruiting, and retaliating.

Americans need to know and read and learn and care what happens.

Hacking...Hack! Hack! Cough! Oh, No!

People would hack into other's private information should have special kind of punishment awaiting them.  In The Week's article entitled "You Have Almost Certainly Been Hacked,"

According to the staff writer at The Week, "...some in the security community are advocating that businesses go on the offensive, breaking into their attackers' systems to steal back or delete stolen data or even damage their computers."  Add two sentences of CM.

Last Friday while doing a good deed, my credit was hacked.  Add two sentences of CM.

A three-sentence conclusion.

Benefits of Extracurricular Activities

Dark.  Moist.  Alone.  For hours.  For 58 hours.  Lukas Cavar, according to The New York Time's article entitled "Student Trapped in Indiana Cave...," spent those hours contemplating his future after losing contact with his college group.  Trips such as these are so important, but one must consider at what point does the trips lose their value.  Despite an occasional horror story, though, extracurricular activities should be an option for all students. (s)

According to Jess Deli, central region coordinator with the National Cave Rescue Commission, "she could not comment about what happened to Mr. Cavar but said in general, caving is safe and there are 'very few' rescues that happen across the nation."  This trip should not be the standard by which future trips are measured, for as Deli notes, the percentage of such successful excursions are positive. 

As a sponsor of a various extracurricular groups during my 27 years of teaching, I strongly support the value of being involved in activities outside the classroom, as they encourage friendships and help develop leadership skills.  Even now, I continue to be active in groups outside my job, including the Arkansas Reading Association and Arkansas Teachers for National Board Certification, both of which I hold a board position.  Through these I have met and worked with some tremendous leaders across our state.

For these reasons, students should push themselves to join a group that will further develop their leadership potential, resulting in opportunities for personal growth and possibly even financial gain via scholarships.  While some might consider this a trivial matter, the positives so far outweigh the negatives.

Thinking...about Thinking

Qtr 1 - Post #2
____________

To think...or not to think: that is the question.

As a teacher, I say, "Yes!"  

As a student, I say, "What?!  Who has time for that?!"  

As a thinker, I say, "About time!"

In Business Insider's article entitled "I've Adopted a '2-Hour Rule'...," author Zat Rana asserts, "...in the field of education, there has been a lot of work done on the idea of reflective thinking since the 1980s, and it's something that is now seen as a critical component of being an effective teacher."  With this, I heartily agree, and in continued support of this belief,  I have now been blogging for nearly a decade, spending time thinking, writing, reflecting.  Not on just one blog, either!  I am a bit of a glutton, for I blog somewhat consistently on three personal blogs and with my students on our class blogs.  

Also, about twice a year, I pick up a notebook, dividing the pages into sections for each of the responsibilities in my life, adding notes even then, creating task lists.  I carry this notebook everywhere, to work, to church, to various events, adding to the pages notes, questions, even more lists.  Then, after a time, I leave the notebook in a stack, for the purpose has been served, resulting in my being able to think, resulting in my accomplishing more, resulting in more success.

Unfortunately...or in conclusion, I just do not know if enough will take this topic seriously, for the world we live is just so busy being busy that time does not allow for just thinking, for many would view this as doing nothing, as a "waste of time."  Yet...if this tactic were good enough for Newton and Darwin, then why not for Mrs. Gillmore...and for you?!

Hurricanes: T Not Needed

Thus far, hurricanes have slammed the good ol' United States...in a harsh, destructive manner.  First, Harvey...and then Irma.  In essence, this year has forced...not encouraged!...my learning more about this natural disaster.

According to National Geographic, new information for me about hurricanes included, "A hurricane's high winds are also destructive and may spawn tornadoes."  High winds, I knew, but tornadoes I had not, thinking that the winds would just be too strong.  Not so, for an seen in the picture to the right, tornadoes were quite prevalent during Hurricane Irma.

This year, a yet-to-be-formed tropical storm will be named Tammy.   No, thank you.  Just no!  Before Hurricane Irma arrived, student Irma and I chatted about this and decided that, while we would appreciate our names in the newspapers, this, no this, definitely would not be our claim to fame.  Hummm...Mother Nature did not listen to our chatter, for here came Hurricane Irma, leaving too much destruction, devastating all in her path.  She was just very nice.

In conclusion, hurricanes need to take a break, and those in the paths of Harvey and Irma need time to recover and rebuild, time to focus on the day-to-day needs of survival.  These people, America supports.  Yes.

Argument Paragraph

Mrs. Gillmore's Topic: Six-Year High School

Claim = Topic Sentence:

Experiencing a six-year school would be beneficial for many students.

Chunk 1: Counterclaim = Does NOT Agree with TS

• Signal Phrase + Verb + "Evidence"
  • Opposing this, professor of psychology Jeffrey Jensen Arnett at Clark University in his editorial "At 18, It's Time for a Change," counters, "They [high school seniors] have a strong sense of being ready to move on to a new life stage in which they will have more independence and freedom to make their own decisions."
  • Commentary 1
    • His research illustrates the thoughts of many students today who even think they would benefit from not having to attend their senior years.
  • Commentary 2
    • These soon-to-be graduates relate to this as many of them already have mounting bills and secured to jobs to assist in their financially supporting themselves.

Chunk 2: Rebuttal = DOES Agree with TS

• Signal Phrase + Verb + "Evidence"
  • Even President Obama, though, as reported in "Obama, at Brooklyn School, Pushes Educational Agenda" supported a six-year school when he spoke,"If you think education is expensive, wait until you see how much ignorance costs."
  • Commentary 1
    • In other words, those not furthering their education will make less money and, in many instances, cost the taxpayers more money.
  • Commentary 2
    • Thus, promoting such educational increases also add to our economic growth as a nation.

Concluding Sentence

Therefore, secondary institutions across the land should consider this shift in a non-traditional school setting.


Current Connection 1.1

• Bold transitions
• Highlight sentences 2 and 5 - signal phrase and "evidence" sentences.

8-Sentence Paragraph

Experiencing a six-year school would be beneficial for many students. Opposing this, professor of psychology Jeffrey Jensen Arnett at Clark University in his editorial "At 18, It's Time for a Change," countered, "They [high school seniors] have a strong sense of being ready to move on to a new life stage in which they will have more independence and freedom to make their own decisions." His research illustrates the thoughts of many students today who even think they would benefit from not having to attend their senior years. These soon-to-be graduates relate to this as many of them already have mounting bills and secured to jobs to assist in their financially supporting themselves. Even President Obama, though, as reported in "Obama, at Brooklyn School, Pushes Educational Agenda" supported a six-year school when he spoke,"If you think education is expensive, wait until you see how much ignorance costs." In other words, those not furthering their education will make less money and, in many instances, cost the taxpayers more money. Thus, promoting such educational increases also add to our economic growth as a nation. Therefore, secondary institutions across the land should consider this shift in a non-traditional school setting. Therefore, secondary institutions across the land should consider this shift in a non-traditional school setting.

Current Event: Giraffe, Please!

My 2017 Spring Break

Again, time flies by, this time in the form of Spring Break.  Five days away from my normal routine.  Five days of choosing and completing projects.  Five days of going here and there and nowhere.  Five days that equaled a break...just for me.

Picture this:  traveling around the world, going to unknown destinations, conquering enemies I did not even know I had, all because I chose to read.  A book.  Then two.  Just a few more...for a total of six in one week (well, actually, two complete reads and four that I had previously started.)  These adventures were probably what I enjoyed the most about this Spring Break.  Yes...time to just sit and read.

I am not sure that I would change much about this year's Spring Break, a time afforded to me as this was just what the tired brain needed,  a time of few deadlines, lots of hazelnut coffee, good-byes said to friends moving to another state, time to bring put away St. Patrick and bring out the Easter bunny.  No, this Spring Break was just what I needed.

Now, back to eight more weeks of stamping out ignorance!  Here, we go, flshing back to 1984, looking forward to high scores on the ACT Aspire...and just maybe...just maybe...a pan or two of Gillmore Brownies to bring to an end what has been a very interesting year spent with the Seniors of 2019.

2017's My One Word

INTRODUCTION:  My one word for 2017 is diligent, continuing a now seven-year tradition from which I have gained much more insight about myself.  In what ways do I need to become more diligent, more conscientious?  I suspect in many, including personal and professional areas of my life.

CHUNK 1:  In some ways, some would say that I chose this word.  Maybe I did, for as the month of December rolled around, I did begin thinking of what my next word would.  I think.  I read.  I ponder. I listen.  I read some more.  I awake at night...and think.  This time, no word came.  Until.  Until New Year's Eve...about 10:30.  Then, I knew.  My one word would be diligent.

CHUNK 2:  I would say, though, that diligent chose me.  So how does a word choose me? Hummm...it just happens.  (I know...I am not supposed to use the word it.  That's right...I am counting on my students NOT reading this!)  So how does a word choose me?  I just feel that nudge, that conviction.  When I think of another word...and I did...my brain just immediately shifts back to this word.  As I assigned this word choice assignment to my students, this method worked for some of them, for before I was finished, I heard some saying, "My word is..."  Words do choose people.  Ask them.

CHUNK 3:  Some harbingers that might suggest this word's success in my life would be my diligence in completing tasks I begin in a timely manner.  This is already occurring as I continue to clean out areas of my life within my house, including closet, some boxes of papers, but, no...not my books.  Maybe this will occur throughout this year as I progressively work with this word...but I love books.  I own too many.  I have stacks I have never read, but I need them in case one day I want to read that particular book that I bought once upon a time that even, unfortunately, I cannot remember where nor why nor when.  Sooo...I will remain diligent as I continue to clean...for the most part, that is.

CONCLUSION:  For these reasons, I look forward to the results of this word diligent in my life...both its impact on me and the ways in which this word will affect others in my life.  From my previous years' experience, I know this is a life-changing experience...if taken seriously.  Just the other day, a lady shared with me her word...and then her two previous words and the impact they had had on her.  Awesome!