Tag Archives: writing

Precept of the Day

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The precept of the day came from a preacher. My 10 students watched a small video about Charles Spurgeon.

Then they were asked to to explain what he may have meant when he said, “By Perseverance the Sail reached the ark.”

I wasn’t too sure how many of then knew about Noah and the ark. Their response ranged from ordinary to extra ordinary.

This precept, McKenzi wrote, means even if [the] snail [is] slow, he still can reach Noah’s scared chest. For example, she continued, the snail [tries] to catch a boat but he is [too] slow. He believed in himself and got on the boat.

Meanwhile, Carson tapped into his inner reverend. Although out of chronological order, He tried his best to paraphrase the story about Noah and the Ark. I think this quote means, he said, when God struck land with a flood for 40 days and 40 nights…Noah sent the dove and the dove came back…Noah finished building the ark..[He] put the animals in the ark…it started raining…the snail still made it.

Banned Books

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Last year one of my little fifth graders came in my classroom and asked me what masturbation meant. I first asked her to repeat the question to make sure I was hearing correctly, then I asked her where she heard the word.

It’s in this book I’m reading

What’s the title?

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Oh, I replied. Can I see the book?

She gave me the book and I told her to first let me scan the book and then we could ‘talk’. For the rest of the day I was wondering how to handle this situation. Finally, at the end of the day she came back for her book. I told her to first give me more time to read it. I thought maybe she was reading a book that was not written for her age bracket but then I found out the total opposite. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is written for people her age!

To say the least, I never explained what the word meant neither did she get her book back. Instead I gave her Ellie McDoodle Have Pen, Will Travel by Ruth McNally Barshaw.

I learned from Courier-Journal.com that this week is supposed to be Banned Book Week. Fight against censorship and free speech they call it…who’s fighting to keep our children innocent?