artisticAlong the way today, I saw some interesting juxtapositions (remember J is for Juxtaposition): cows grazing among cacti. A sushi restaurant named THE SECRET GARDEN (yesterday that was the name of a florist in another small town) caught my eye as did a BBQ restaurant that also advertised taxidermy services (shudder). How, I wondered, do we get our students to look around them and see the curiosities? By modeling, surely. How often do we model this wonderment of the world around us, express our puzzlement at the juxtapositions (taxidermy and BBQ)? How do we show connections among the seemingly random? Tonight I began reading ADAPTATION and just a few chapters in have been making connections with other books I have read. Not that this book is derivative (it is NOT in the least), but there are things that connect this reading with others. I am seeing EVE AND ADAM as one possible tie (or a ladder rung perhaps). I know there will be more.
I want us all to talk to kids about our thought processes (metacognition) and show them that we do wonder and wander in our thoughts.
Tomorrow I get to spend the day with Donalyn Miller. We will talk about books and reading and community and lexiles (gasp) and our favorite titles from this year. Should be a blast!