Notebook Know How page 15 to 34 August 31, 2008

I really liked this section of the book and how Aimee Buckner gave her ideas on different ways to get children writing.  I especially liked the idea of writing from a list.  I tried to think of my ten best list and my seven worst list.  Unlike the students, it was harder for me to come up with my worst list than my best list.  A few on my best list are my parents, moving to North Carolina, my amazing friends, my nephew and niece being born and coming to school at ASU. 

Aimee seems like a really great teacher and her students seem to really enjoy the idea and thought behind the notebooks.  I hated writing when I was younger and I think this is a great idea to help children learn to like writing.  In elementary school we always had to write about the prompt and what our teacher told us to write about.  With the idea of the notebooks, the children can write about anything they want to.  It is a wonderful idea and gets kids excited about writing. 

Notebook Know How to page 15 August 28, 2008

Page 2: “Two (of several) reasons I love my job are we get to start afresh each school year, and we get to use school supplies.  I’m a maniac when it comes to supplies.  I love shopping for pencils, markers, notebooks, and glue.  Scanning the sales section of the Sunday paper beginning in July is like a challenge on Survivor!  Can I hold out for the best deal and grab it before anyone else does?”

I absolutely loved this quote in the book.  I love love love school supplies.  I don’t know what it is about them, I just love them.  Even when I don’t need any new supplies, when it’s on sale, you have to buy it.  I was in Wal-Mart this summer and picked up a whole bunch of supplies for really cheap.  They had boxes of crayons for like $.25 and packs of my favorite pens for $.50.  You can’t beat that!

I usually have a hard time reading “text” books but this book is a breeze to read.  I read the assigned pages before I knew it.  I feel like Aimee Buckner is talking directly to me.  She makes you feel very connected to her and she puts what she says in plain and simple English.