212, 517 words later, the End of NANOWRIMO!!!

Ok, so many of you might not be that sad to be finished (or you may be sad because your headphones are now going away!) with what takes many authors years to accomplish! But, you have started something, whether it was an idea, a plot, a character, a setting or any other of the parts of a novel which got you to start writing! I am really proud of all that you accomplished, and I hope we can keep with this creative energy throughout the year. Remember when I first told you that you were going to write a novel? Remember the blank page in front of you? And now, take a moment to cherish what it feels like to put together a title, dedication, and author page, or to see others read your work, or to hear yourself called a novelist or author!?? You should be proud and feel great about what you have accomplished!

Thank you to all who participated and thank you so much to our mentors at Desert Island Supply Company. You all responded quickly in the darker stretches when many students were giving up! Thanks again, and hopefully next year, we will be able to work with you for the whole month of November.

I'd like to recognize Deion Jones for being the closest to achieving our goal in writing his novel entitled, Money, Handkerchiefs, and Deception with a total of 47, 580 words! INCREDIBLE!!!

Also, to Akeria Williams for reminding us through the words of her palindrome-named author, Nevaeh, that "hope is infinite, believing is seeing!" as well as by writing another reminder on Ms. Yeilding's arm on Auburn/Alabama day, (uh hum, War Eagle!)!!!

Thanks to all you NANO-Novelist, keep writing! :) Hope, Love, and Possibility!!!

NANOWRIMO- Week 3

Who thinks we can achieve our goal of 50,000 words? » make online polls
Tags : ms. yeilding ela

I think we can, and here are the top three reasons why...

1. Thanks to the Desert Island Supply Company, each one of you has now been paired with a writing mentor for the next two weeks!!!
They will offer encouragement, suggestions and edit any part of your novel that you would like to send them.
2. Did I forget to mention that if you get the 50,000 word goal, you get your own proof copy of your novel... YOUR words in YOUR novel, that will be AMAZING!
3. Most importantly, I believe in you and I am doing it too ! :)

"We have been created to help each other" ~Grace Lyimo, Kisa Project Scholar

Week 3: NANOWRIMO

Writing Norms:
1. Get help from everyone! (all teachers, writing buddies, and writing families)
2. Earn headphones to listen to music on pandora.com or playlist.com
3. Some days we will all listen to a new type of music.
4. Be respectful of the classroom environment.
5. Come in, sign out your computer and login to NANOWRIMO as soon as you come into the classroom.
6. Check the Holler if you Hear Me Box, Lying Cup, and Photographs for inspiration!

Tentative Schedule: (check calendar and outside of class for details!)
Week 1: Describe and develop characters
Week 2: Develop setting using imagery and sensory details
Week 3: Develop plot
Week 4: Check and edit dialogue, voice and mechanics
Goal: 50,000 words by November 30th, 1,666 words /day, about 167 pages!

Here's another video I'd like y'all to watch. It's about a student in Dar Es Salaam, Grace Lyimo. Through the Kisa Project she is getting an education which she believes will make her dreams come true, and then what does she want to do? Help orphans, beggars and the disabled. She also says we should carry someone else's problems as our own. Now there's some real swagger :)

Look forward also to an upcoming speaker in class, Amel Bahloul Benhssen! She is from Tunisia which is on the northern tip of Africa. She is here on a Fulbright Scholarship and teaching at Birmingham-Southern College.

NANOWRIMO- Week 2

So far, Week One has gone great! I am so excited to read your novels and I have even begun writing mine, it's called Shoes! It's a historical fiction that tells the story of Pandora from her perspective. Many of you are included in the story which tries to tell Pandora's story with a modern, Tarrant twist to it. Hopefully, it will reverse some ideas many people have of her, like the above video "The Lost Generation." Also, maybe think about reversing your story for the same effect as the poem or palindrome!

Try to use some of these words in your novel as well that are also palindromes from http://www.fun-with-words.com

racecar
eye
madam I'm adam

Don't nod
Dogma: I am God
Never odd or even
Too bad – I hid a boot
Rats live on no evil star
No trace; not one carton
Was it Eliot's toilet I saw?
Murder for a jar of red rum
May a moody baby doom a yam?
Go hang a salami; I'm a lasagna hog!
Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas!
A Toyota! Race fast... safe car: a Toyota
Straw? No, too stupid a fad; I put soot on warts
Are we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era?
Doc Note: I dissent. A fast never prevents a fatness. I diet on cod
No, it never propagates if I set a gap or prevention
Anne, I vote more cars race Rome to Vienna
Sums are not set as a test on Erasmus
Kay, a red nude, peeped under a yak
Some men interpret nine memos
Campus Motto: Bottoms up, Mac
Go deliver a dare, vile dog!
Madam, in Eden I'm Adam
Oozy rat in a sanitary zoo
Ah, Satan sees Natasha
Lisa Bonet ate no basil
Do geese see God?
God saw I was dog
Dennis sinned

"Wake Up Everybody!"

This weekend I had the opportunity to go see the long awaited documentary, Waiting for Superman, and WOW! It was mind-blowing, mind- boggling, disheartening, depressing, anger-causing, but also passion re-igniting, possibility-believing and determination-increasing. Well, really to be honest, I was left speechless and that is the best combination of words I could get to describe the amount of issues, horrors and possibilities seen in the film.

The above music was included which you might recognize from Akeelah and the Bee. Ultimately, I found that everyday, regardless of the excuses, we must all believe in the cases of Akeelah, Anthony in the movie, and the possibility that lies in each student in our schools. It seemed that the consensus was great teachers, but also community involvement, belief and high expectations must be carried out to all students in all schools. Even further, though, it was not only the failing schools in the urban and rural areas but even in suburban areas, the U.S.'s inability to compete with other countries was made clear. And then in instances of Cannada's Harlem Success Academy, many students outperformed everyone even though they are the students most often dismissed by low expectations.

I think the words of Nelson Mandela in Invictus go right along with what the film insists from all of us, "We all must exceed the expectations we have for ourselves for the sake of our country."

Check out waitingforsuperman.com for ways to take action, starting with Texting POSSIBLE to 77177!!!

I Slam, Therefore I am Workshop

A few Saturday's ago, the Very Infinite Possibilities (VIP) attended the Birmingham Library's 'I Slam Therefore I am' workshop along with the Desert Island Supply Company. We have films of all participants in the workshop, even Ms. Yeilding's first attempt, 'In The Wind' : )

Freedom Writer's: Freshman Year Response (Example)

In the Junior classes, we have begun reading one of my favorite books, the Freedom Writer's Diary. Many students have already seen the movie, but reading the book is completely different. The student's words resonate with issues that many of students all over the country face. So far journal entries have included: segregation, racism, bullying, student action, the undeclared war, revenge, peer pressure, learning disabilities, love, world peace and violence.

Memorable quotes:

"I've lost many friends, friends who have died in an undeclared war. A war that has been here for years, but has never been recognized, A war between color and race. A war that will never end. A war that has left family and friends crying for loved ones who have perished" (16).

"World peace is only a dream because people won't allow themselves and others around them to simply be peanuts. We won't allow the color of a man's heart to be the color of his skin, the premise of his beliefs, and his self-worth. We won't allow him to be a peanut, therefore we won't allow ourselves to come to live in harmony" (39).

Question of the day: "Ms. Yeilding, do you ever just sit in one place and breath?"

Students wrote essays for their nine weeks exams on what is freedom and how does one truly attain it. We also learned about recent nobel prize winning, Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa who said, "If there is no freedom in a society and you are a writer, you cannot say, that's not your problem, if there is no freedom, you write." Listen to the interview at:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1133828&ps=rs

Also, Cartoon Network has just launched a campaign against bullying as October is National Bullying Awareness month, check this out at

http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/promos/stopbullying/index.html



Keep writing guys, you amaze me (when you do)!!! :)

Self-Reliance, Gee's Bend, and Unity

Gee's Bend - slide show

FreeRice.com: Vocab Practice and End Hunger!!!

Thank you to Jordan for finding this website where you can practice vocabulary and end hunger all at the same time!

http://www.freerice.com

The World Food Programme gives 10 grains of rice for each correct answer! Subjects include Art, Chemistry, English, Geography, Language Learning and Math.

Link to Funnelbrain Flashcards, 11th Grade, List #2

11th Grade, List #2: what means agreeable

Myth Terms

Myth Terms : what shapeless nothingness

Link to Funnelbrain Flash cards, 10th grade List #2

10th grade List #2: what means acting occurring

"I can't breath without laughing."

As I scrambled around the classroom today during my planning period, I heard these words by an anonymous student walking by as she exclaimed mid-laugh, "I CAN'T BREATH WITHOUT LAUGHING..." I was so struck by this, perhaps because of the sheer joy contained in this statement. While I ran from task to task throughout the day, I continued to think of this expression. I continued to think of various quotes or pre-classworks that might go along with this none being as profound. Many of us have often heard the now cliche, "life is not measured by how many breaths we take, but how many moments take our breath away" or the quote by Victor Borge, "laughter is the closest distance between two people," and also by Carol Burnett, "We grow up the first day we really laugh at ourselves," I would say this quote definitely measures up in no type of cliche fashion.

I'll admit I laugh everyday. I also am guilty of smiling well before Christmas. The truth is, I love what I do. There is nothing more exciting to hear and read each day what the young minds of today have to say. (On occasions such as this) These words give me motivation, direction and inspiration. Voila, what have I been saying? I'm telling you words and ideas can change the world!

As I continued to reflect, I thought of times we laugh, laughing until you can't breath, my tendency in school to laugh uncontrollably (which consequently usually kept me in trouble), my tendency to laugh at everything, my own and several other friends distinctly unique laughing styles, and also my ability to make myself laugh (whether that's crazy or not). The truth is laughing makes you feel better and so does smiling. I went on to think of how funny the character of most teachers are, remembering those indelible characteristics of various teachers I had growing up and then I began to laugh at myself as well. So I guess, this statement even made the teacher who still looks like a student grow up a little bit.

With all the things we face in the world, I challenge each one of you to continue to smile, and try to not to breath without laughing each day! And to whoever passed my classroom saying this, find me, learningearnings for you, and keep spreading this wonderful attitude!

Why Walk When You Can Fly

First Day Slideshow

First Month - make slideshow

Back To School...

Looking forward to starting another year at Tarrant High School! It has been a great summer, and there is a lot to look forward to in the new school year. From Positive Behavior Support to Ipod touches for the students, a new superintendent and many returning faces who made our work great last year, we all should look forward to starting a second year in the new building with enthusiasm, belief and high expectations.

Focus for the school year:

Be resourceful, Be respectful, Be responsible

A few things I have been up to over the summer...

Red Mountain Writing Project, "Teachers teaching teachers"

For the month of June, I participated in a workshop with 22 other teachers from the Birmingham area with the focus of improving writing from the elementary to college level. Affiliated with the National Writing Project, RMWP creates an environment in which teachers learn, discuss, encourage, and perform for other teachers.

During the month, "fellows" learned many ways to incorporate technology usefully, prepared a demo lesson based on their content, presented a daily pic, daily text and daily log for the class, discussed various scholarly articles, and did a book study according to their grade level. This momentum culminated with the celebration retreat in Gatlinburg where we planned for the next year and future of the writing project in Alabama.

Check out the website at rmwp.org to participate in upcoming events, seminars, and workshops!

Legacy Summer Institute

Thanks to funding from the new "Protect the Environment" license plate for Alabama, Legacy Partners in Environmental Education "creates environmentally responsible citizens through balanced, fact-based education that considers diverse environmental views." For one week, many of the finest leaders in environmental action and education came together at Birmingham Southern College for an action packed week of learning, experiencing and investigating. Led by Toni Bruner, Program Director for Legacy and Roald Hazelhoff of the Southern Environmental Center, participants began with a tour of the SEC, pool turned into building, and the Ecoscapes garden with a fabulous reception catered by Crestwood Coffee.

Other activities included canoeing Five Mile Creek, a tour of American Cast Iron Pipe Company, trips to Petals from the Past, Turkey Creek, and Ruffner Mountain LEED certified Nature Center. Guest speakers included: Nelson Brook of Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Dr. Doug Phillips of Discovering Alabama, and Big Dave and friends from Camp Mcdowell's Environmental Center. All in all an amazing week of adventures in our own Alabama, the beautiful and as Roald would call it, "the beginning of the Appalachian Trail."

Check out their website for more upcoming events, http://www.legacyenved.org

Esalen Institute

For one week, I also traveled to the coast of Big Sur California, where a small utopia has been carved out from the sacred lands of the now non-existent Essalen tribe of Native Americans. This spiritual center has been created to explore "human potential" and has been bringing together philosophers, psychologists, artists, and religious thinkers since 1962.

While there I had the opportunity to take a workshop and participate in dance, yoga, meditation, gardening, and painting. I also observed the Gazeebo school at Esalen in which I saw students running to class and teachers who looked the students in the eye and said,"Welcome, how are you? I'm so glad you came to school today!" I also had the opportunity to be part of a discussion with twelve Gazeebo students who have since grown up and returned to Esalen. Facilitated by their teacher, the students described what they are doing now, remembered various moments at Gazeebo and recounted various beliefs and lessons which they had carried with them into the real world. A remarkable definition of this experience relayed by one of the students was that Esalen is "a place to open your heart." From my experience of harvesting sea kelp with a midwife of thirty years to visiting the home of John Steinbeck's birth, I would agree that Esalen is a place to open your heart to a way to live your life, a place "where miracles not only happen, but happen all the time."

Dalton Sherman

"The Business of Freedom" Interview with Mr. Andrew Smith

Question: How do schools really change?

Answer:

"My vision is a school climate that finds teachers in constant collaboration with colleagues and students to create rigorous, relative, learning opportunities, and achievement is obvious. I would like to create an environment where everyone is safe. They are safe to try new things,safe to be wrong and not be ridiculed or looked down upon for it, and environment in which everyone is learning and the desire to learn and investigate new things is increased daily. The only thing that I would add to define effective change would be; all teachers are on board with the vision and the vision is sustained and promoted by all stakeholders. Be prepared for and expect change, be willing to change. No one wants to visit a doctor who is still practicing the way he or she did fifty years ago. The same is true of teachers and education no one wants to learn the same way that their parents and grandparents learned. We must be willing to change our practices to match our clientele."

Inner City Lacrosse

http://simple-color.com/blog/?p=1150

Great pictures of lacrosse program at Whatley. GO BULLDOGS!

"Read When Frustrated"

This is a list of good moments in teaching that keep me going. I think this is a good practice for anyone. As Thoreau said, "Simplify, Simplify, Simplify," and these are my little miracles that make it worth if for me * Aujune giving me her book about “her story" * Lois reading his poetry at the end of Roxbury, “I Live"* Reading Mango Street in Brighton and having one of the girls talk about her neighborhood saying people talk all about us but they don’t really know us *“WAWAWEWA” Class holding up backwards signs that said, “We love Gail!” *Taylor jumping up and down at Penalty kick against UMS* Darion telling me thank you at graduation and yelling out in class, “I believe in awesome. * "Circumstances separate the heroes from the chumps.” ~Shelby * All the crayons still being in the box after getting my new box + 1 extra given by Andell* Today after the fight Torren read the word of the day from his seat in the second row and said, “Look Ms. Yeilding I am reading from here." * Mr. Smith—“today we’re in the business of freedom!”* Jacklyn finding the rest of the 7th period's papers in Corey’s binder, after the fight the day before* 6th period discussing, Souza quote, "Work like you don't need money, Dance like no one is watching. Love like you've never been hurt, Live like it's heaven on Earth," and saying, those are words to live by! * Ray bringing me his "I’m Free" paper in the hall on my way to ISS * Reneika apologizing for talking back to me, saying her parents didn’t raise her that way. * "We're black folks, we're on time, even when we're late." ~Tommy * "Ty Waatsa in da house" or "What's up Snoop Doggy dogs??" (realize this is a kindergarten kid on the Zuni reservation.)* Darius, the pundit and in the clouds, staying the last day of school to finish The Walk Across America essay contest w/o qualifying for the sweet prize. * Shyla quoting Napoleon Dynamite, "Got shocks, pegs, lucky, taken off any sweet jumps???" Monique telling me she passed the grad exam* Evan saying he was prepared for his next class because of me* DAndre typing in vocabulary for his blog, "dread head rock star" * Quontavius, "I like this class * Caviana and Davida's UTOPIA * "Freedom is being able to let something go." ~Jaqueria/lil boosie* "That's Ms. Yeilding's RESPECT ball, and it goes there!" ~Trent