the librarian who doesn't read?!?!

Wait!  Obviously I do read.  I read books aloud to students (almost) every day.  I read news articles online, I read magazines, I read street signs (hey...it's reading)--but I don't give myself time to read for myself or time to read new children's books.  And I miss it.  While reading and inspiring students to read is not my sole job, it's a big part of it, and it's probably the number one reason I started to pursue this profession...the other pieces just fell into place.  I'm not a big before bedtime reader (I fall asleep after a page or two), and I tend to veg in front of the TV when I get home (shhh...don't tell my students).  The only time I get to read is when I carve out a morning/afternoon/whole weekend day to make it through a stack.  I rarely sustainably read books.  And it's driving me nuts.

So I've come up with a plan.  My lunch-hour (ha, 45 minutes, but really 30 minutes, once I run into/converse with teachers, heat up my lunch, and make it to the bathroom for the first time all morning), will now be devoted to reading.  I can read whatever I want (adult or young adult or children's, fiction or non-fiction, but it must be a book (or e-book).

Follow me on GoodReads and hold me accountable!  (I started this on Monday and am already 120 pages into a book...it's looking promising!)

Blueberry muffins...

http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/muffins/products/betty-crocker-premium/wild-blueberry

:::Shhh:::  It's a secret.  I take fabulous Betty Crocker muffin (and cookie) mixes and tweak them to make them even yummier.   People love them.  This is my latest, but I promise, I will share the others.  Thank you to Betty Crocker for creating mixes that mean I can bake without having to try THAT hard.

One of my many allergies is egg whites.  But I love to bake.  This causes problems, and tends to lead to sinus infections (don't ask...it's annoying yet true), which tends to make being a human, let alone a teacher, quite difficult.  I decided I would start testing out different baking substitutes.  This weekend was applesauce.

I took the Betty Crocker Wild Blueberry muffin mix and did this to it:

• exchanged blueberries provided with a pint of fresh blueberries
• instead of two eggs, used a snack applesauce cup (approx. 1/2 cup)
• added a mashed banana
• 2 T of flax seed
• 1/4 c of oatmeal

I baked these in the oven at the prescribed temp and time and was pleasantly surprised.  No idea if this will turn out twice in a row, or how it will work for people not at altitude (5,280 feet).  

Good luck.  Enjoy.  And next time can it snow after I make it home?

Ms. Book Lady

Welcome to the land of the books...

http://www.librarygirl.net/2011/05/rose-by-any-other-name.html

Something clicked.

Today I decided I'd break ground and start a Twitter account, as well as start blogging again.  While this account will focus a lot on teaching, I will throw in a few recipes every once in a while, since cooking/baking is my other passion besides learning and teaching.

I've learned that the only way to deal with some interesting allergies and intolerances is to listen to my body and make food for myself (or eat really really good expensive food at restaurants).  This connects directly with my opinion on teaching students--while I can fight the obvious, in all honesty, listening to my students and taking their cues and fixing my actions rather than taking it out on them is much more successful.

Case in point: Fifth grade.  Oy vey, fifth grade.  They have given me so much trouble and headache.  Today was different.  Our 45 minute class period today was scheduled and full the entire way through.  The students were learning, taking notes, and filled out exit tickets that showed me they had been listening.  The students had valid questions, and were focused.  Their teacher was shocked and excited...and so was I.

Please stay tuned for more.  I'll try to post as often as I can...or when something goes amazingly well/awesomely horrible.

Ms. Book Lady  (The moniker I've taken for myself in the cyber world.  A kindergartner once whispered blushingly to his mother while pointing to me "mom, that's the lady who loves books"...and book lady was born.)