Robert Young

It’s fun to wonder about the many mysteries about your teacher. If you’re tired of alien, vampires, and other unbelievable possibilities, you might enjoy reading The Secret Life of Ms. Finkleman by Ben H. Winters. Starting as an inquiry project (a great idea to get kids engaged) to “solve a mystery in your own life,” seventh grader Bethesda Fielding uncovers a secret about the quiet, mousy music teacher: she used to be a rock ‘n roll singer. This discovery sets off a whole series of events that affects her class, and then the entire school. This is a fun read, with lots of humor as well as twists and turns.

What’s a mystery in your life that you would like to explore?

Wow, what a great time in Pleasant Hill yesterday. Met with about 400 bright young writers. Questions filled the air, and that was good because questions form the basis for writing (and reading). Two really important questions we addressed were: “Why write?” and “What should I write about?”

When we did a lead activity, we saw that some students could write leads as good as the leads in published books. Not a big surprise given the expertise of Pleasant Hill students. When I told them about my very favorite book in the world – the dictionary, which contains all the books ever written, with the words rearranged – I saw some jaws drop, but enthusiasm crested when we did a dictionary activity to enhance their skills.

Not only did the students spend time with me during the day. They also attended workshops led by teachers and community volunteers, where they had the opportunity to learn more and become engaged with various types of writing. The afternoon was a celebration of student writing, during which they shared in small groups.

Writing Festivals: what a great way to inspire, motivate, and enhance students’ writing skills. Many thanks to Jeanne Miller, who organized the event; to the community volunteers, who shared their enthusiasm for the written word; to the teachers, who prepared their students well; to principal Devery Stoneburg, for sharing the vision of students as writers; and to the students, whose interest, curiosity, and enthusiasm made for a grand time!

I’m setting my sights south this week as I prepare to work with the writers of Pleasant Hill Elementary School in…you guessed it, Pleasant Hill, Oregon. The next best thing to the act of writing is the act of talking about writing. We’ll do that, and we’ll share writing, too. And, of course, there will be some surprises as well, including an ESP demonstration. That’s Extra Sensory Perception, in case you didn’t know.

Stay tuned for the summation…

I was interested to see that Abraham Lincoln had Confederate money on him the night he was shot. I wonder why, and where he got it, and when. What do you think that money tells about him?

I think that the things we carry tell a lot about ourselves and who we are. Pull a few things out of your pockets. Why are you carrying them, and not other things? What do they say about you? Write it down and share with others. This is a good way to learn more about yourself and other people too.

At 7:22 a.m. on this day in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln died in a boardinghouse, across the street from Ford’s Theater, where he had been shot by John Wilkes Booth.

I was curious about what Lincoln had in his pockets the night he was shot, so I started researching. Here’s what I found out: http://www.history.com/videos/what-was-in-lincolns-pockets#what-was-in-lincolns-pockets.

What do you wonder about Abraham Lincoln?

An historic day, when the first baseball game for the 2011 season takes place. Looking at the weather for east coast (snow possible), I wonder about past Opening Days and whether any were “snowed out.”  Not quite.  On Opening Day in 1907, the New York Giants faced off against the Phillies at New York City’s Polo Grounds after a heavy snowstorm. When the Giants fell behind, disgruntled fans began flinging snowballs onto the field, forcing the umpire to call a forfeit in the Phillies’ favor.