Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Friday, February 10, 2017
Grumpy Cat writing activities and a quote
Grumpy Cat writing activities and a quote
This week was another whirlwind and I hardly got a chance to post anything! I wanted to take a moment and share a couple things weve been doing this week.
BUT first, my younger cousin came to visit our classroom yesterday. She volunteered for one week during our summer school program so about half of my students already knew her. Which means shes become famous in my classroom. When my students came in and saw her there, all of my students began whispering..."Jackie, its Jackie"...if you watched the show Lost it was sort of like when they would whisper "the others", it was really cute. So needless to say they were thrilled that she came to visit again.
The cutest moment was when one of my students asked her where she was staying, and she responds, with Mrs. Castro...they looked at each other like, they couldnt believe it...his next question was the cutest though..."do you know Max and Ellie?!", he asked in a whisper. When she responded that yes she knew them and in fact they pestered her all night, she moved up into the super hero category for some of my students...
I told you Max and Ellie are famous in my classroom.
Here are our Grumpy Cat writing projects. I got this idea on anther blog, as usual. We found it at Mrs. Ts First Grade Class... Looking back at her blog, hers are amazingly well done...ours are a bit more...interpretive, or avant-garde. We buddied up with the bilingual 1st graders to do this. The kids love buddying up! Second graders feel like big kids for beings so knowledgeable, and the first graders are excited to work with the bigger kids. They all loved the Grumpy Cat story and could make great connections...we all have grumpy moment, right?!
This was a good experience for me too, because I got the chance to get to know the kids who are coming up to me next year. Its a big group, and a bit infamous. But getting a chance to work with them made me less intimidated by this group.
We also spent a some time doing the super cute St. Patricks day freebie you can find at The Teacher Wife. The kids really enjoyed this project and I needed something to make my room at least slightly in tune with the season. They turned out very nice.
Also, I switched out a bulletin board. Im not a big bulletin board changer-upper, so this is kind of a big deal. I originally made this a soccer bulletin board, painted the field on the paper and everything! (Very proud of myself!) BUT Ive run out of room on my classroom walls and bulletin boards so I had to use this one outside of my classroom to display more student work.
Original board:
New bulletin board displaying a writing project that took us forever to get finish. Sometimes I struggle to work up the fortitude needed to finish these larger writing projects. But we finally got to it.
The students wrote about what they want to be when they grow up and why. They then created collages representing what they wanted to be. This was my first collage experience and HOLY MOLY was it stressful. Students didnt really have strategy for spelling out their selected vocation....which means theyd look through an entire magazine for a "P" and then start all over to look for an "O"...
Note to self, next time teach collage strategies before doing this!!!!
They did turn out quite cute. Her are a couple examples:
Chef
Police Officer
Mesero - Waiter...this is one of my kids who isnt ready to begin writing in English.
Thats it for today. I want to post soon about the spelling program Ive been using - Words Their Way. Im so happy with this program and how it provides automatic differentiation and a deeper understanding of where my students lie in terms of English development.
Quote of the day:
Is that the movie with whats-her-name? Yes.
The one whos in whatch-ma-call-it? Yes.
My sister speaks my language.
Cheers,Mrs. Castro
Available link for download
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Great Advice For Writing Cover Letters
Great Advice For Writing Cover Letters
You are applying for that job you would really love to nab. You have created a strong resume. Now comes the cover letter. What should it say? How should you communicate your skills and experiences in a way that the reader will find compelling? At Fast Company this week, Sara McCord has written an unbelievably good article about the mistakes that people often make when drafting cover letters. She offers some great tips for how to strengthen your letter, grab a recruiters attention, and make yourself stand out from the crowd.
First, McCord argues that you have to get the basics write. Make sure you proofread carefully. Typos, spelling errors, and grammatical mistakes are all disqualifying immediately. Address your letter to a specific person by name. Dont address it, "Dear Sir or Madam." Dont just thank the recruiter for considering you; make the case that you are the perfect fit given the requirements of the position and the culture of the company.
Second, come up with a killer opening sentence that grabs the reader. Dont start with, "Im interested in applying for the marketing analyst position at your firm." Instead, she suggests writing an opening sentence that makes the reader to want to know more about you. She offers three examples:
- I’ve wanted to work in education ever since my third-grade teacher, Mrs. Dorchester, helped me discover a love of reading.
- My approach to management is simple: I strive to be the kind of leader I’d want to work for.
- In my three years at [prior company], I increased our average quarterly sales by [percentage].
Finally, she argues against compiling a laundry list of your skills in the cover letter. Instead, focus on what distinguishes you from other applicants. Dont just talk about skills. Provide anecdotes, examples, and descriptions of experiences that illustrate the talents and capabilities you would bring to the position.
McCords article is a must-read for anyone applying for a job. I would add one important piece of advice to her suggestions. You must know your audience! Take some time to learn about the culture of the company. That research will help you understand the approach you should take. Can you be light-hearted or humorous? The answer is simple: it depends. Doing your homework on the company culture will help you find the right tone and format for that cover letter.
Available link for download
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