Was it something I said?!

I noticed that I have lost two followers this week...yikes! Maybe the lack of posting while in Amsterdam resulted in bored followers! Obviously my posts are mostly focused on teaching, which only applies to a certain group of people who are actually interested in teaching and education, but I am guessing that most of you who follow are teachers or individuals interested in education and what I have to say about it, therefore once you start following you enjoy what you read and continue to come back for more...I sometimes post more about everyday life and the results from the poll I did a few months ago indicate that those posts are interesting to you guys, but I tend to like to keep the focus on teacher talk. Every time I see that number of followers drop, I get a little case of hurt feelings, wondering why someone would decide not to follow...was it something I said? Am I boring?  Although temporarily puzzled with rejection, I do feel that I am happy with what I write about, so I won't take it personally. I blog to be a better teacher and to hopefully inspire other teachers, and that is not everyone's cup of tea. But, if you happen to have any warm fuzzies to want to throw my way about what you do like about Sneaker Teacher, by all means.... :0) Everybody loves a good compliment every once in awhile!

So, back to the teacher talk...I have seen several of my fellow education bloggers (It's Not All Flowers and Sausages, Organized Chaos , and Elementary, My Dear, Or Far From It) post about this list of the top 100 books (novels) that every kid should read that is floating around. Mrs. Mimi over at It's Not All Flowers and Sausages has decided to read her way through the list and blog about it, in a somewhat similar fashion to Julie & Juilia (not really!) but I just saw that movie and I wish I could blog about something important enough to get a book deal out of it, which is exactly what happened to Mrs. Mimi and her super funny blog, which is just one of the many reasons why I envy adore her! Another reason I love Mrs. Mimi so much is because I am completely on the same page with all of the ideas she has or things that she does which she professes as self proclaimed nerdism in it's highest form. I am quite a big nerd at heart too, hence my love for post its, to do lists, color coding, and BOOKS! She is a teacher nerd after my own heart!

Now, I am not out to copy her idea, but after reading several of her posts about great books, I decided I wanted to give the list a go as well. I am not going to post summaries like she is (I will leave that to her and her extremely witty and charming writing skills), but I am probably going to mention which books I am currently reading and how far along I am on the list. Reading 100 good novels for kids...let the adventure begin! Yesterday I printed the list (which you can view if you click on any of the links above), and I highlighted the books I have already read, which include the Harry Potter series, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Holes, Matilda, Tuck Everlasting, The Golden Compass, Bud, Not Buddy, and The Witches. I have read most of those several times, so I am considering them doneso! Then I went to the library and got A Wrinkle in Time (which I read in 5th grade and can't remember at all), The Giver (which I read probably in HS and can't remember at all), and From the Mixe-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (which I read in 4th grade, loved, but could only vaguely remember). Do you notice a trend? I don't know how I made it through school with straight A's all those years without any of my teachers picking up on the fact that I have pretty bad reading comprehension! It wasn't until I became a teacher and taught reading to first graders that I really became a better reader myself. I am happy to say I am now experiencing improved comprehension!

After work yesterday, I read and finished The Mixed-up Files....I love how, as an adult, I can read a book that would have taken my elementary school self weeks to read in just one day--not even one day--more like one afternoon. After crossing that off the list, I began Charlotte's Web (which believe it or not, I don't think I ever read as a child!). I am almost done with that as well, although I still have the tissue requiring end to get through! Next up will probably be The Giver. I am hoping to get through the list by then end of summer and thankfully the library at my school has most of these titles. I have to read like a mad woman until school lets out because from mid-July to mid-August, when I return to Portland, I won't have library access, which will cut into my reading time! For some people, the thought of reading all these books would be daunting and completely not interesting, but for my nerd self, it is exciting and I am going to love every opportunity to slide my yellow highlighter over each title that I have completed!

14 down, 84 to go!