Skip to main content

Zone Day

Slice of Life Challenge
Please join the challenge over at Two Writing Teachers!


To celebrate the end of every quarter, we have Zone Day. 


The term is inspired by Nancie Atwell's book The Reading Zone. I LOVE that reading is a celebration for my students. 
My nephew Jack celebrating his great books!


My favorite part of Zone Day was watching one class sustain deep reading for 75 minutes.

 They only stopped to enthusiastically discuss what just happened! This same group of students could barely read for 15 minutes in September. Seeing this growth INSPIRES me! Watching them read and identify authors they love and recommend books to each other...I'm so proud. 


That's how I spent my day. I read with them, sometimes to them...all day long! What a great job I have...I get to read, celebrate reading, with amazing and motivated sixth graders!

I was so busy reading...I didn't take any pictures...so the pictures here are of my family reading! 

Labels:

Comments

  1. ABoydenMarch 28, 2014 at 5:27 AM

    It is awesome that you celebrated their reading with. . .reading!! and so sustain it for 75 minutes? That is a feat at school where the day is so often chopped to bits depending on the schedule. Thanks for sharing :-)))
    Www.parentingandpedagogy.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. JaanaMarch 28, 2014 at 6:51 AM

    You intrigued me yesterday with the mention of zone day; I am glad to read more about it! Celebrating reading is always a good thing. P.S. I want a mug like you have!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Linda BMarch 28, 2014 at 6:27 PM

    Wow-& your dog, too! What a treat! Seriously, this is an awesome idea, Michelle. Very glad to hear about it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Alyson BeecherMarch 28, 2014 at 7:38 PM

    Being able to get students to read for up to 75 minutes is wonderful. It takes some students so long to get there. This is inspirational.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jennifer SniadeckiMarch 28, 2014 at 8:20 PM

    Wow! You need to come here and read with us! Lots of time to read -- what a gift!

    ReplyDelete
  6. TaraMarch 28, 2014 at 8:48 PM

    Sounds like a perfect day. I like this idea of zone day, Michelle, and I know my kids will, too.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Please share your thoughts. I love comments!

Popular posts from this blog

Whatever Happened To...

Sharing this post on Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Do you ever wonder whatever happened to your students after the year you spend together? I imagine how my students are finding life...are they happy? Successful? Do they still read? Write? What is going on with them?   I taught fifth grade for eight years. Fifth grade was such a fun year to teach because the students were still young enough that school was something they loved and old enough that they could show some real signs of independence. Fifth grade is the oldest grade in our elementary schools, so the students enjoyed their final year before moving onto middle school and the challenges that came with that new adventure.  2007 was a tough year for me personally. My dad collapsed in September of that year and then died in March of that same school year. He lived thousands of miles away, so my mind was definitely unfocused that year...but that year, Catie was in my class.  Catie was a quiet stude...
29 comments
Read more

Chasing My Dream

I'm doing it. I'm chasing my dream. I've always wanted to run writing retreats and workshops for people, but I've always been too scared to do anything about it...until now. I don't know what's changed...maybe I've changed. I'm not allowing the fear to stop me anymore. I've started Selah Writing Retreats.  The past couple of weeks I've been getting the business end in order. I thought I would hate that...I don't. It's scary, but I am surprising myself with how efficient I am. Yesterday I went to a bank to set up a bank account. The woman I met with was kind and helpful and so enthusiastic about my dream. My website is set up. I've done lots of work on it. I hope you stop by and let me know what you think. It's  selahwritingretreats.com . Balancing creative with business has been challenging but fun. Creating the website, getting a federal tax id, making business cards, planning dates... My favorite voxer group is called Butt Ki...
21 comments
Read more

Someday...

Thank you to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Tara, Beth, Anna, Kathleen & Deb for this amazing platform to write and share writing! What a wonderful community you've created! I'm honored to be part of it. Join us at Two Writing Teachers . Do you have dreams? Kids are good at dreaming. I find many adults struggle with it. Speaking for myself, I get so caught up in the everyday drudgery of life, that dreams get nudged aside until they disappear.  It's important to have dreams. I've been writing about my dreams in my notebook and so I thought I'd share my dreams here... 1. Writing a book.  While I'd love to get a book published, my dream is to write a book...to complete the act of writing it.  I've started on this dream and it's hard and challenging and exciting and amazing.  2. Living at the beach.    I love the water, the waves, the ocean smell, the seafood, the sand...all of it! The Outer Banks is my favorite place in the...
23 comments
Read more