Pink Tiara Book Blog Tour: An Interview and a Giveaway!

Some people want to be in the movies or on television.  Others want to meet a movie star.  Not me.  I always wanted to meet an author and talk about the process of writing a children's book. 

Recently, I had the chance to do just that!  I was given the opportunity to interview (technologically-speaking) Maria Dismondy, author of Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun, The Juice Box Bully, and her newest book, Pink Tiara Cookies for Three.

It was quickly apparent that Maria would be a great friend.  In addition to writing, she talked about family and friends... and pajamas!  She even talked about her OLW! 

Here's how our conversation unfolded... 

Maria Dismondy

Q: Why did you decide to become a children’s book author?

A: I became an author to make a difference.  I thought about the message I wanted to get out there and how many children I could reach by selling books.  Even if a teacher reads one of my books to her class of 25 students, that’s 25 people who get to hear my message.

Q:  What is your earliest--or most definitive--memory of "being a writer" as a young child?
A: My grandparents would watch my sister and me every day after school. I remember my grandpa (we called him Dzia-Dzia) writing notes to me. It inspired me to be a note writer in school!!! I still have hundreds of notes I wrote back and forth to friends in school! My mom bought me a diary (with a lock and key, of course) when I was in Kindergarten. I filled the entire diary, writing day by day, about the weather. That's right! I have a record of the weather from the early 80's!

Q: Teachers work hard to encourage students to write.  What can teachers do to encourage our students' "inner authors"?
A: Teachers can encourage students to write what they know. Write about what has happened in their lives. Personal diaries or journals are a great place for many kids to let go of the pressures of writing (grammar, punctuation, etc) and allows them to get the story, along with all their emotions, down on paper!

Q: Where do you do most of your writing?

A: I write anywhere and everywhere. I especially enjoy coffee shops and pajamas. Although, I don’t write in my pajamas in a coffee shop! I get my greatest ideas while driving my car so I jot notes when I arrive at my destination before getting out!

Q: How did you come up with character names in your books?

A: Almost all of the character names are after my family members or someone important in my life. There are hidden messages in all of my books.  You can learn more about these when you hear me speak at schools, libraries or in bookstores! Or follow me on fb and twitter---I share a lot of secrets there!

Q:  How did the image of "pink tiara" come to you?

A: I try so hard to incorporate Legos, cars and trains into my daughter's play. I want her to know that there is more to life than her little kitchen and shopping cart! But with all the exposure to "boy toys" I find her wanting to play dress up and grocery store. Therefore, I wanted to write a book for all the little girls out there (I know girls, we have two of them). However, I play fair! My next book is currently being written and has all male characters!!!

Q: What do you like to do when you are not writing books?

A:  I like to dabble in a number of different things such as fitness, reading, crafts, photography, digital scrapbooking, cooking and finding new adventures with my family.

Q: Who is someone you look up to?

A: I look up to people who have a dream and make that dream happen! I admire people who have balance. Balance meaning they have strong work ethics but manage to put family, friends and health before work.

Q:  Many people in the BlogWorld has been mulling over the idea of OLW (One Little Word) Have you heard of this?  If you were to pick One Little Word, what would it be?
Yes! [I’ve heard of OLW] My OLW for last year was Peace and looking back, I think I was able to achieve a great level of Peace in my life. This year my OLW is Balance. Having a newborn, a two year old, an amazing husband, family, friends, my own business, a job teaching aerobics, hobbies galore, etc… Balance is something I have to remind myself to find, because when mama is balanced, our home is a much happier place

.

Q:  This website has JOY in the title.  I think JOY is important.  What brings you JOY?
A: Doing things for others brings me Joy. My friend and I started a non-profit called Making Spirits Bright. It's so true. If everyone could Pay It Forward, there would be a lot more love to go around.

So there you have it.  Isn’t Maria just great?!  

And
There's

More…

Click here to connect to one of the cutest websites I’ve ever seen. There is so much to enjoy!  You can download a Readers Guide with GREAT ideas for using the book in the classroom.  And after visiting Maria's site, you can honestly say, “I watched the clouds go by.”

You can purchase an autographed copy of the book on Maria’s website right here. Wouldn’t your kids/students love to read the book signed by the author?!

And there’s a link to the book on Amazon right here.

WAIT!

There's Still

More…

You have a chance to win a copy of the book (AND A CUTE TIARA COOKIE CUTTER) right here, right now! All you have to do is add a comment for Maria in the space below.  And it can be something simple, like "Hi Maria," or "I'd love to read your book, Maria."  Of course I'd love for you to be a follower of Joy in 6th too! Don't forget to leave your e-mail address, so that we can contact you to send you your prize!

The winner of Maria's book and the tiara cookie cutter will be drawn using the random number generator on Friday, January 27th at 9:00 pm (PST).  If you are having trouble leaving a comment using IE, try Firefox or another browser because I am REALLY excited about giving away these sweet gifts!

I hope you'll show some love for this blogger's first giveaway...and enter to WIN a book (and a cookie cutter) that will be fun to share.

And, thanks, Maria, for including us as a stop on your tour!

Clutter-Free Classroom Project: Week 3

It’s Week Three in the Clutter-Free Classroom Project!  Part of the prompt said, “Let us see those trash bags bursting at the seams, the recycling bins filled to the brim, and the boxes of treasures waiting to be welcomed into the lives of other teachers…” and I was beginning to panic.  Then I looked at the title of the assignment and took a deep breath.  If you look closely at the graphic, printed under “The Clutter-Free Classroom Project,” you can read the challenge: “Week 3: START to Purge the Clutter.”  Okay, I’ll admit: I added the capital letters to the word, START.  But I sure felt a lot better after I did!  (I’m sure Jodi doesn’t want us hyperventilating—or giving up!)

 

I guess I am just a “baby steps” person. In my heart, I want to be a “giant steps” person, but I find it is pretty easy to get discouraged when I think like that.  When I originally checked, no one had posted any pictures, and I didn't want to be first.* That made me nervous all over again because some lucky declutterer might have filled a dumpster and I had just gotten started.  But then some real nice people posted and I felt better.  Again.

*(By the way, it seems like I only enjoy being first when I can beat Hadar, Farley, or Reagan to posting first on Teeny Tiny Teacher’s site—and those gals must be fast typists because I rarely win!) (And, meandering FURTHER off topic, which I am justifying by using yet another set of parentheses, did you know that Farley and Reagan met up with several other BlogFriends on Friday, and  I am so, So, very SO, THO jealous!!! I AM expecting pictures!)

Back to decluttering…

A million years ago, in January, I posted some pictures of some huge piles of school stuff in my house.  I took several boxes out of my classroom because my room was looking so cluttered and I no longer knew what was in the boxes!  (Note to self:  Bringing unidentified school stuff home is usually a bad idea!).  Once I photographed the piles, I felt even worse… but not as bad as I did when I decided to spread all of that wonderfulness {heaping sarcasm} all over my house.

Which is why I mentioned those baby steps…

I had to start somewhere.  So I began with the pile in my house.  (Here I need to clarify:  It’s the pile that was photographed.  Please do not infer that other piles--of school stuff and home stuff--cannot be found elsewhere!)

I started the clean-up with seventeen boxes—seventeen boxes filled with a peculiar combination of items.  First, I put away the Christmas presents, which, in some cases, meant I ATE my way through the Christmas presents!  Then there seemed to be a clothing section, so the scarf, mittens, and socks from the Washington trip (and a collection of hangers) were put in their rightful spaces.  I never found the cupcake that went missing, but a few pieces of chocolate resurfaced (not hard to figure out where those went) along with two Starbucks cards that went directly into my purse.  There were also several things that went back to the classroom (they already had homes there).  And some bills were paid, important papers were filed, and a recipe for an Indian dish that was in the math practice book (No, I don’t know why) was instead relocated to the front of a cookbook.

What became obvious as I dug deeper was that several of the boxes were filled with books—mixed in with other debris.  So, I pulled all the books together in boxes and labeled them, “Books.” (Crafty, aren’t I?)  These books need to be labeled and leveled to be put into my classroom library, but it was clear that they were books and not cupcakes, so that put my mind at ease.

That left three boxes to be sorted.  I turned on some less-than-educational TV and got through the first box.  Two boxes remain.  If you can’t read the label, it says, “Items to be sorted (Gee I wish I knew where this stuff went!)”  I did give the piles a quick perusal to determine that there was nothing critical, time-sensitive, or living.  The recycling bin shows the evidence, but I’ll leave the “trash” to your imagination.  

I have a lot more to do.  But I have made a START.  After all, that’s what the graphic said.  And typing this post has given me motivation to look in the second box.  There may be more Starbucks cards to uncover or another piece of chocolate.  I just hope I don’t come across that missing cupcake.

Now, click on  the Cluuter-Free picture up above or here and read some more decluttering tales.

AND check back here at Finding Joy in 6th Grade on Sunday, January 22nd, because I have interviewed Maria Dismondy, author of the new children's book, Pink Tiara Cookies for Three and I just KNOW you are going to love her.  You may be the one who takes home a copy of her book (and a tiara cookie cutter too!)

What?
Can't wait until Sunday?
Want a chance for a copy of Maria's book right NOW?
Here's an idea... Click below to go to The Corner on Character.  She's GIVING AWAY a copy of the book AND a pink tiara cookie cutter!!  And then stay awhile and read some of Barbara's other posts!  She is amazing!

Oh, and one last (I did say LAST) thing...
Tara at 4th Grade Frolics is just two blinks away from reaching 800 followers.  EIGHT HUNDRED.  That's really a lot.  And she has a great blog!  Right now she's at 798.  But since 800 feels like a LOT more than 798, you could jump over, become a follower, and give her that 800  It could be you who brings JOY to sweet Tara's day.  Wouldn't that feel nice?  So, just do it!  Click below. Be the one...

Linking Up to A Day in My Shoes

Once again, Blogger and its Blog Roll tactics are defeating me.  I posted about A Day in My Shoes, the Linky Party with Katie from Adventures in Sixth Grade, but it just won't appear on my Blog Roll.  So, if you're interested in how things are humming along (or, occasionally, bumping along) with my sixth graders in California, just scroll down, or click on "Older Post" and join us for a day...

A Day in My Shoes... A Linky Party

Today I am linking up with Ana at Ingles 360 as part of TBA International Blog Hopping journey.

This post was originally published as part of a linky party at Katie's Adventures of a Sixth Grade Teacher... where the topic was:  “A Day in My Shoes...”

My shoes are a bit scuffed and worn down at this point.  Just like me at the end of the day on Friday…

4:00 The Alarm Rings

I usually get up between 4:00 and 4:30 because that is my most productive planning and thinking time.  After checking the news on my computer and a quick check on some blogs, I polish up my lessons and make sure I have what I need.  Sometimes I need to collect some items or print a few things, and I do my best to accomplish this and be out the door and into freeway traffic by 6:30.

6:35 First Stop

At the first exit from my house is the local Starbucks.  At this point, my day usually gets a lot cheerier.  From here, it takes me about half an hour to drive to school.

7:00 Getting Set Up

Once I’m in my classroom, I unpack my belongings, turn on the technology, and write the schedule on the board.  Then I grab my fluorescent orange vest because on Friday mornings I have duty.

7:20 Morning Duty

My duty on Fridays is “Meet and Greet.”  I stand in front of the school and greet families and students, welcoming them to school. I usually give everyone a high-five (Purell, anyone?)  For the longest time, I would put my hand up to give a high five, and students would think was I signaling for them to Stop.  I didn’t know this and I simply could not figure out why so many children were afraid of me—since they always seemed to stop when they saw me in the morning.  Now I say “High five.”  Lesson learned.

7:30 Time to Come on Campus

At 7:30, I walk with the children from the front of the school toward the playground area.  Here, they drop off their backpacks on the playground, and they go to Walk and Talk.  Students in all grades walk together in a big oval around the field.  This helps them to wake up and get energized for the day.  It also keeps some children from standing on the playground and hitting each other over the head with their backpacks which is what they used to do before we started the Walk and Talk program.

7:40 Line Up Time

A bell rings at 7:40, and all of the students line up with their teachers and classmates. 

7:45 Morning Assembly

At this point, a student leads the Pledge and we sing a patriotic song.  The principal makes a few announcements and there may be other comments by PTA, teachers, or Student Council members.

7:50 To the Classroom

We walk to the classroom and hang our backpacks on the hooks outside our room.  Children bring their books, binders, and other belongings into the classroom.  There is no room for backpacks inside because the room is crowded with thirty four sixth graders, and as it is, I have to walk sideways to navigate in between the tables.  Because I have some students in my classroom who are deaf, there is always an interpreter in the classroom as well.  They’re one of my favorite parts of this school year and I am continually awed by their talent and their gracious hearts.

7:55 Getting Settled

Each morning, there is a message on the Promethean Board reminding students what they need to do.  Students have a number of morning tasks.  They record their reading in their Book Logs.  They turn in their homework.  Some students have morning jobs that help keep our classroom running smoothly (checking in homework, organizing the library, etc).  Although it is posted on the board (and it IS January), I still need to remind a few kids what they should be doing.  This is complicated by the fact that there are often several children who choose this exact moment to tell me that their hamster died, or they fell off their bike, or they are going to be absent for a week-long trip to Disney World, or they have misplaced  their pencil, homework, backpack, or some other must-have item.  Once everyone is settled, the students begin their independent reading work (or at least they pretend to).

8:10 CAFÉ Choice 1

I have five different reading groups in my classroom.  During the three CAFÉ choice rounds, they are doing one of several things: guided reading with me, reading or discussing Book Club work, independent reading/writing/word study work, working on reading or writing tasks on the computer, or reading with an adult if we are lucky enough to have a visitor that day.  On this particular Friday, our work ranged from a group following the plot sequence in an excerpt from a Beverly Cleary novel to a group looking at character motivation in the short story “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant.   I often work with a group on the floor, which goes something like this: Start with my group, ask another group to focus, continue with my group, ask a child why he is out of his seat, continue with my group, ask two students to stop talking, finish with my group.  Sigh.

8:50 Shared Reading

I love this part of the day.  Most of the students sit on the rug for this lesson, and the sense of community is quickly visible.  We have grown comfortable together. The text is usually on the Promethean Board and students have copies if they will be annotating.  We often discuss in pairs (knee-to-knee) and sometimes we “walk and share" as a bigger group.  A writing activity usually follows. The text may be fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or, my special favorite, song lyrics.  This may explain why students occasionally begin singing “Yellow Submarine" in the middle of a math lesson.

9:30 CAFÉ Choice 2

Another round of groups, choices, and tasks, with the addition of a push-in teacher who provides extra support to some of the kids who are struggling.

10:00 Recess

Ahhhhhh.  A few minutes to catch my breath.  These fifteen minutes are usually spent tutoring a child in math, working through a behavior issue, or making a quick phone call.  We only have “prep” or “conference” time one day a week (for 50 minutes), so recess minutes are treasured.  Often I spend this time running across the grass (Shhh.  Don’t tell!) to the office to run off some forgotten assignment.  If the copy machine is broken (!), I spend recess trying to quickly design an alternative lesson that can be done without the materials I had planned on using. The bell always rings too soon.

10:20 ELD/ CAFÉ Choice 3

The students who are designated as English Learners are broken up by fluency level and redistributed to different classrooms for instruction.  This means that each teacher receives students from different classrooms and different grade levels at this time.  Fortunately I only have fifth and sixth graders in my group this year, which is far preferable to the fourth/fifth/sixth combination group I had last year!  During this time, the students not in the group move on to their third rotation of CAFÉ choice literacy groups.

10:50 Math

More than any other year, I have students with a HUGE range of skills in math.   At the beginning of the year, I was dismayed to discover that I had a number of students who were not able to count by twos or by fives.  I was also amazed to find out that I had a few students who were remarkably proficient in algebra.  This, my quest this year has been to try to find something for everyone.  Still, all of the students will be tested on the same material on the state test, so I feel compelled to be sure that all of them have practiced the skills that are reflected in the state standards.

Usually our lesson proceeds like this:  I design a flip chart on the Promethean Board.  After an introductory discussion, I demonstrate the concept. We then work through a few problems for guided practice, often with manipulatives.  When we break for independent work, students go to different tables where they work on different tasks. 

One group needs very little support.  They complete a few problems as evidence and then move on to a “Work Ahead Module” in algebra.  There are two more groups that can complete the assignment with occasional assistance so I circulate amongst them when I can.  I also have some “Math Masters” who are designated as support staff for other students.  I have two other groups of student who need a LOT of help.  These students begin with easier problems and there is a lot of support using manipulatives.  If there are any volunteers available during math, they come to support the kids in these groups.

11:55 Lunch!

Our lunch is only thirty minutes long, but we are allowed five minutes for travel time. (Students have twenty minutes to eat and ten minutes to play.)We are in the building farthest from the cafeteria, so we always intend to start out early, but by the time we have put away out math work, gathered our lunches and gotten organized, we usually arrive a few minutes late.  Lunch is usually spent with chatting with my sweet colleagues or in my classroom trying to get a lesson or materials ready for the time after lunch.

12:30 Social Studies

We have just finished our Unit on Early People so the social studies time was jam-packed.  We are sooooo behind and it seems like we never have enough time for "the other subjects." During social studies, we reviewed three PowerPoint presentations, watched a video clip on hunter-gatherers, and played a game to review the material for the test.  I found myself wondering why eleven and twelve year-olds still feel the need to call out “He’s cheating!”  I was relieved, however, to hear that most of the students seemed to know the answers to most of the questions.

1:00 Science

Just a few minutes to squeeze in science today.  We reviewed the layers of the earth (with gestures!) We will be learning about tectonic plates on Tuesday, so I wanted to review what I thought they might already know.  There were more than a few looks of confusion, so I made a mental note to add some material to next week’s lessons.  So often I feel like we need more minutes in our day!

1:30 Book Buddies

On Fridays, we have Book Buddies with the kindergartners.  This is an activity that was implemented over a decade ago, and many lasting friendships have been made.  Each of my sixth graders reads with one of the kindergartners (from two classes).  We also do other activities together.  A few months ago, the kindergartners were an appreciative audience at our flute recital.  We played “Mary Had A Little Lamb” and something that sounded a little like “The Lion Sleeps Tonight."  They clapped enthusiastically.  It is fun to realize that in a few years, these kindergartners will be the "Big Buddies" reading to another group of kindergartners!

1:55 Almost Done

The children gather up their backpacks and get ready to go home.  There are smiles and laughter and good-byes (and a few shouts of “Text Me!”).  The day is over and the weekend lies ahead.

2:00 Going Home

I walk the kids to the front of the school where some meet up with friends, siblings, and family members.   Some of the kids walk home and few leave by car or bus.  Many of my students attend the after-school program each day at our school.

If there isn’t a meeting, I check my mailbox and head back to my classroom.   Although I know it is a bad habit, I often collect my belongings into a bin or my "rolly cart," turn off the technology and head for my car.  I think better at home and O can avoid the distraction of visiting or having visitors which can keep me at school for an extra hour (or three).

I have tried to be succinct (especially since I had to re-type this post after losing the first effort to Cyberspace!) and yet it still looks somewhat like plans to build some sort of crazy machine.  This confirmed to me that teaching is complicated and difficult work.  That’s why I love blogging!  You are communicating with people who understand what a day is like.  I guess that’s what Katie was thinking when she planned her link up.

So you’ve heard about my day.  What was the day like in YOUR classroom?