MzTeachuh: Phenomenal Woman (referencing Maya Angelou)

MzTeachuh: Phenomenal Woman (referencing Maya Angelou): Phenomenal Woman: Maya Angelou by Stacy West Machine applique, quilting; hand beading. Phenomenal Woman  Ma...

Phenomenal Woman (referencing Maya Angelou)

Phenomenal Woman: Maya Angelou by Stacy West Machine applique, quilting; hand beading.

Phenomenal Woman 

Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Maya Angelou Official Website  http://mayaangelou.com/

MzTeachuh: Special Needs Tweets of the Day 5/28/14

MzTeachuh: Special Needs Tweets of the Day 5/28/14: Fifth-graders give adaptive bicycle to boy with special needs http://www.kmbc.com/news/fifthgraders-give-adaptive-bicycle-to-boy-with-s...

Special Needs Tweets of the Day 5/28/14

Fifth-graders give adaptive bicycle to boy with special needs

http://www.kmbc.com/news/fifthgraders-give-adaptive-bicycle-to-boy-with-special-needs/26209886 

Motivation is the Best Accommodation: Using Student Interest to Tap into the Common Core

http://www.specialeducationguide.com/blog/motivation-is-the-best-accommodation-using-student-interest-to-tap-into-the-common-core/ 

Feds Pledge Millions To Tackle Disability Employment

http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/05/28/feds-pledge-employment/19400/ 

Spec. Ed. Bill Advances in Louisiana, With Backing of State Schools Chief

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/speced/2014/05/spec_ed_bill_advances_in_louis.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OnSpecialEducation+%28Education+Week+Blog%3A+On+Special+Education%29 

Celebrating Milestone Birthdays in a Special Needs Family

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-gallagher/celebrating-milestone-birthdays-in-a-special-needs-family_b_5377052.html 

Differentiation for SEN students: tips for boosting attainment

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2014/apr/09/special-educational-needs-tips-boosting-attainment 

MzTeachuh: For the Last Week of School Tweets of the Day 5/28...

MzTeachuh: For the Last Week of School Tweets of the Day 5/28...: Not to be snarky, but environment is spelled wrong. I know, the pot calling the kettle black, me and all my typos. A 4-Step Guide To Ef...

MzTeachuh: White Fang, by Jack London: Great Summer Read

MzTeachuh: White Fang, by Jack London: Great Summer Read: White Fang illustration by Kako White Fang by Jack London: Great Summer Read Its like a hundred degrees outside. Even video games...

White Fang, by Jack London: Great Summer Read

White Fang illustration by Kako

White Fang by Jack London: Great Summer Read

Its like a hundred degrees outside. Even video games are boring. What's a kid to do?

Jack London will take you on an adventure anywhere, anytime. Boy or girl from grade 6 up will enjoy this, and you may even choose to go on the adventure, too, and share the reading. London's great talent at creating setting can give you goosebumps like its forty below when its July 10th and 97 degrees in the shade. White Fang, like the companion Yukon book The Call of the Wild, both really take you to the Gold Rush in Alaska in the 1890's. Maybe because Jack London, never one to be a wimp, actually lived in the ultra-rugged region himself. Here's more about him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_London

It is still unbelievably difficult to get there and stay, but Jack's cabin is there for the visiting if you are a hearty soul. Or you can check out these websites:

http://www.yukoninfo.com/dawson/info/jacklondon.htm

http://www.arcticwebsite.com/LondonJackKlond.html

The She-Wolf leads the pack.

The very best aspect of this book for all readers is the point of view. Somehow London brought us to the wolves' minds. First, as we meet White Fang's parents and the wolf pack, and then the wolf cub's perspective of growing up and surviving the standard conflicts of nature, others, and self. The chapter when the cub first ventures out into the world by himself is absolutely amazing-- I really like Jack London. The several times I have taught this story to middle school kids, they have totally gotten sucked into the wolf's experiences.

White Fang is the lead

Of course, there is one crisis after another. It is an adventure story, with villains and heroes, both human and animal. And this book is truly much better than any movie--there is no way to portray White Fang's perspective except with London's narrative. And this book, unlike almost all other stories about canines, has a really happy ending. Whether you reveal that to the young reader at first or not is up to you.

Here is an online link with White Fang. The titles of the chapters are compelling just by themselves.

http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Jack_London/White_Fang/

Jack London has numerous stories you may be interested in sharing with a youngster from middle to high school.

This is an online collection:http://london.sonoma.edu/

The dog wonders at the man's actions.

Maybe not such a good idea

.

Here is a specific site for possibly London's most famous story, "To Build a Fire." Be warned, it is intense.

http://www.jacklondons.net/buildafire.html

These stories bring up themes of survival of the fittest and of man's inhumanity to man and animal, of course. But there are also rich veins of kindness to be mined, and gold nuggets of friendship and loyalty.

My family and my classes have made visits to Wolf Mountain Sanctuary here in Southern California. There are even movie star wolves there! Check it out, you may wish to contribute for their upkeep.

http://www.wolfmountain.com/

White Fang, the adventure hero!

Meet you on the Chilkoot Trail!