Time for a Book: “The Library Book” by Orlean

Celebrating books / Naomi’s Photos

This is a very engaging non-fiction book about A specific library and about libraries in general. While highlighting the role of libraries in our lives, Orlean takes us through different time periods, to different countries and cultures, to times of war, of book censorship, to the surprising connection between billionaires and the advent of women librarians and to beloved writers whom we never would have heard about if they hadn’t had a library in their lives.

And so much more…

The book’s framework is investigative journalism, researching the unsolved mystery of who set fire to the Los Angeles Central Library in 1986, and why. Not only were more than 400,000 precious books lost, it became a mythic fire in its proportions and unique characteristics, the kind most firefighters, thankfully, have never seen. How does a library recover from such a devastating event?

Naomi’s Photos

The answer to the question of why most of us have never heard of this incredible fire is interesting too!

The author also discusses the role of public libraries in homeless people’s lives. This was new to me as it is not something I have encountered here.

The book could have been a bit shorter, but otherwise, I really enjoyed it!

Time for a Book: “Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead” Olga  Tokarczuk 

Natural harmony… Naomi’s Photos

I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to read this book as the title is rather off-putting. However, after seeing both my husband and our younger son get excited about the book, I decided to give it a try.

I’m so glad I did.

What a unique book!

The style of writing captured my interest right away – I was hooked within minutes.

The book is written so cleverly that the story is, at the same time, all of these things and more:

  •  a vivid personal account of thoughts and events as seen through the eyes of an unusual woman who lives on a fairly secluded mountain top.
  • a murder mystery full of action and suspense.
  • a relentless cry to respect and protect animals and nature
  • keen observations on human nature, society, and bureaucracy.
  • humorous moments
  • a homage to William Blake
  • a fascinating window into the joys and complexities of translating poetry
  • a delightful use of language.

There, I haven’t spoiled anything for you – give the book a chance!

I’m looking forward to reading other books by Tokarczuk.

“But Teacher, I Knew the Answer, I just DIDN’T NOTICE that…”

Look at me! Naomi’s Photos

“Hey, look at me. I completed the test really quickly!  See? I’m leaving the exam room and you all are still at it. So who’s the smartest student in this class? ”

_________________ (add relevant students’ names. You know                          who these students are!)

So what are these “speedy students” missing?

Lots of things.

But for the moment I’m only trying to tackle one specific point that causes students to wildly jump to conclusions – line numbers.

Lines – CAUTION!   Naomi’s Photos

True, if a question is phrased like this, students know where the answer will be found.

  1. What does the writer explain in paragraph I?

However, what happens when the line numbers only denote the source of the quoted phrase, while the answer is located elsewhere?

  1. What does the word “this” ( line 6) refer to?

We know what happens.

All those who work quickly without paying attention to every word of the question, lose a lot of points…

Here’s a short interactive, self-check worksheet, intended to highlight the different ways locations in a text are referred to on reading comprehension questions.

Where Would I Find the Answer in the Text?

https://www.liveworksheets.com/qa2708231ys

Hopefully, the students will get the point and not lose points…

Giving Robert Frost Digital Advice on Choosing Roads

Advice needed!

Note: Inspired by one of my favorite children’s books, “Fortunately” by Remy Charlip.

FORTUNATELY, we’re back to teaching at school every day – no distance learning!

UNFORTUNATELY, due to Covid, the students have missed out on many school activities, both academic and social /emotional ones, and have a lot of catching up to do this year.

FORTUNATELY, schools are intensively trying to make up for lost time – students are going on school trips and outings, experiencing workshops on topics ranging from health and safety to inclusion, and even doing volunteer work.  Wonderful things! These experiences are certainly more meaningful for high school students than the additional reason their English lessons are canceled – taking exams in other subjects…

UNFORTUNATELY,  I have discovered that Merriam-Webster’s definition of the musical term “staccato” is now applicable to my lessons:

“1acut short or apart in performingDISCONNECTED staccato notes”

By the time we discussed the last stanza of  “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost during one of the lessons that did take place as scheduled,  my Deaf and hard-of-hearing students needed a review of what we talked about at the beginning of the poem…

I needed an activity reviewing basic understanding of the poem.

Response cards

Suggestion cards

FORTUNATELY,  I had a review ready, one which I created in 2019. In this review, the speaker solicits advice from a friend about his dilemma and then explains why he rejects the advice.   You can find that activity here:

DARING TO DIVE INTO THE DILEMMA – “THE ROAD NOT TAKEN”

UNFORTUNATELY, The review activity is written on flashcards, housed in a box in the classroom. This means that the activity can only be done in class…

There is so much ground to cover when the students are in class…

FORTUNATELY,  I just created a digital version of the activity. I now have the speaker, stuck at the point where the two roads diverge, using his cell phone to solicit advice from friends.  I posted it online using LiveWorkseets, a format which is convenient for the students to access and use, even on their phones, and is easy for me to work with.

I did not make the worksheet a self-check one. I wanted the students to type in the missing sentences, so at first glance, it would have made sense just to type in the answers and let them check themselves.   However, my Deaf and hard-of-hearing students often type with spelling mistakes, and then LiveWorksheet would mark a correct answer as WRONG.  I simply ask the students to send me pictures of the completed worksheets.

UNFORTUNATELY,  the students ended up doing the review activity in class after all…

I may have completely wasted my time but perhaps I’ll be glad to have a digital copy in the future.

I’m sighing now but I shall not be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence – I will have forgotten about it by then!

Here is the link:

https://www.liveworksheets.com/et2648217sy


 

Books about Nature: The End of Nature, It’s Calming Effect & Human Nature

We’re ignoring you…
“The Children’s Bible” by Lydia Millet

WOW.

This is certainly a clever book that packs a punch.

Remember when Greta Thunberg thundered:

“My message is that we’ll be watching you. This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you. You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. Yet I am one of the lucky ones. People are suffering.”

In case you were wondering how exactly ignoring climate change/not protecting the planet steals children’s futures, Lydia Millet spells it out for you in a very clever way, using the familiar framework of well-known stories from the Bible, as told by children.  You know there’s no happy ending here but you can’t stop reading…

Gripping, clever, and so scary as it is all too real for comfort.

Is the coast clear? Naomi’s Photos
The Second Sleep by Robert Harris

After the previous book, I was looking for something different to read next. When I saw this book by Harris I knew I would get a fast-paced tale, full of suspense, all told within a historical framework. So I just began it without knowing a thing about the book.

While the book is certainly all of that, the history part is actually set in the future, 800 years after the apocalypse!

This time Nature recovers and survives, but the human race is having a much harder time bouncing back. Not many people survived because (as the author is wont to remind us) people who cannot produce food are only 6 meals away from starvation when technology collapses completely…

800 years later finds Britain back in the Middle Ages with an all-powerful Church who has outlawed science and technology – that brought about the end of the world, so it’s obviously evil, right?

Our heroes are, naturally, a very curious bunch who are looking for answers the Church won’t provide.

Sailing, without a boat! Naomi’s Photos
The Narrowboat Summer by Anne Youngson

There is some calming magic in Youngson’s writing style, I began to feel it by page two!

Here nature is relaxing. When you navigate a narrowboat through Britain’s canals and locks, you must adjust to a slower pace of life, with plenty of time for contemplating and looking at your surroundings. Spending time outdoors isn’t some event you plan for once a month.

No one is rejecting technology in this book or even complaining about it. Rather the necessity of making nature a part of your daily life in some way or another is emphasized as having a strong connection to well-being.

If you haven’t read anything by Anne Youngson, start with “Meet Me at the Museum”. That one is much better but I still enjoyed reading this one too.

Naomi’s Photos
168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam

The title is great clickbait but resist temptation.

Don’t read this book.

While the author only lets the word “lazy” slip once, it resonates pretty loudly in the book. It’s not clear whether she studied human nature or Mr. Spok’s Vulcan character.

While I do agree with certain very specific points Vanderkam makes, I reject her overall attitude completely. Not everything you do is about excelling. You do not have to focus only on the hobby you are good at and hone it to perfection – it’s perfectly fine to enjoy dancing or playing the guitar even if you are truly bad at it. Or just dabble in photography…

Your volunteer work is worthwhile even if you happily remain the one who carries the boxes of donated clothes for years and don’t even think about joining the board of trustees.

Worse, Vanderkam floored me when she was talking about children and the home. Was she living in a different world from mine? To be fair, she truly emphasizes the importance of parents spending time with their children. No argument there.

BUT…

How can she discuss managing to stick to your rigid schedule dividing work time and parent/child time, while ignoring the mornings when your mind is mush because you were up half the night with a teething baby, a sick child, or one who just has nightmares?  Sleepless nights for so many parents are more than twice-yearly events that playing catch up over the weekend can solve all issues.

Then there’s the part about food.

I am truly respectful of anyone who makes a conscious decision to rely heavily on ready-made frozen or tinned food as meals.  Everyone has to balance his/her life choices, I can understand that.  However, calling such food healthy and nutritious is beyond my comprehension.

In short – skip this one and read the next one.

Small but meaningful
Naomi’s Photos
Atomic Habits by James Clear

Unlike the previous book, I felt that this book was very relatable.

No wonder so many people recommend it, particularly to teachers! I see many quotes referring to it.

James Clear presents his methods for creating habits (or breaking bad ones) in small steps with realistic examples. Not only does he not expect you to constantly have lofty goals, but he also emphasizes the process. I had never realized how much focusing on the process (as opposed to just the final goal ) could serve as a motivating factor.

Throughout the book Clear repeats and summarizes his four principles, again and again, highlighting how they fit together. I found this to be helpful.

I haven’t had a chance to try out anything in class yet. Or actually, perhaps I have, at least to some degree.  While Clear focuses on what you do for yourself,  the book “Switch” by Heath and Heath discusses some of the same points from the perspective of making the habit/ behavior you hope your employees/students do be the easiest choice available. In that respect, I think the books complement each other.

I also enjoy Clear’s brief weekly newsletter – reminds me of what I have read.

I have no shiny new habits to share.

Yet.

But I’m blogging more regularly again!

 

 

“Beware of the Underscore!” & Other Classroom Adventures

Moving forward – always something new to learn! Naomi’s Photos

It seems I don’t have to worry about falling into the veteran teacher’s trap of thinking that I’ve seen/heard it all.

I have my students to thank for that!

Access Denied!
Don’t Give Up!            Naomi’s Photos

 

When your student repeatedly fails to log onto the classroom website, you’ve looked at her username, reset her password twice, tried typing the details in yourself (on two different browsers), and rebooted the computer, check the underscore!

I now know that it is very easy to miss the fact that a student has chosen to use a double underscore in her username (or was it a typo? We’ll never know).

Case Closed
We’re out of here – BYE!   Naomi’s Photos

When launching into your standard “pre-poem-teaching” conversation with a new student about invisible barriers, stereotypes, and racism, your student suddenly shuts the book firmly and declares (in mother tongue):

It is not right to judge people by the color of their skin. That’s what the point of this poem you want me to learn is. See? I learned that. We’re done here.

When this happens, try to remember to close your mouth after your jaw drops…

The Draw of a Drawing

When you decide to add a drawing which you “created” in three minutes* to a message in the class WhatsApp group instead of using a carefully chosen humorous photograph (which you took yourself using a real camera!!) and then a student who never reads messages actually comments on it, don’t get insulted!

It seems that among the countless photos a student scrolls through, a drawing stands out a bit more.

Who knew? I can’t draw so I certainly didn’t know…

– – – – – – – – – – — – – — – – – – — –

I created my drawing thanks to a recommendation from Pete Clements, who blogs at  ELT Planning  

Open Peeps  – A hand-drawn illustration library 

It’s very easy to choose a character and then edit it using the menu. I go into the site from my phone (though you can use a computer), save my “creation” to my phone and send it off.  I didn’t download anything, I just use the “Blush” option.  Play with it!

 

Two “Feel Good” Books

I don’t know if you could call it “Cerulean” but it IS the sea… Naomi’s Photos

One review that fits two different books.

Now that’s a first.

I just feel pretty much the same about both books.

“The House in the Cerulean Sea” by T.J. Klune and “Britt Marie was Here” by Fredrik Backman

Both books have a basic plot that is clear from the beginning and it isn’t a spoiler. You know  that the main character, a person who lacks self confidence, is ignored by everyone and leads a limited existence,  will learn to spread his/her wings.

In both books the issue is ” the how”  – more than “the what”.  I particularly liked the  self dialogue the main characters held with themselves in both books. In the book about Britt Marie the commentary is also delightful. In the other book the dialogues with the children are a real treat!

Both books promote inclusion and learning to see those who are different from you. Linus, the case worker, teaches others that “magical beings” (as far as I’m concerned, that reads as “children with special needs) should be respected and integrated into society.  LGBQT as well.  Britt Marie meets people whom society would rather not see – you miss them a bit when you have finished reading the book since you now care about their lives.

In short – well written “feel good books”.

Note: I saw the trailer for the film “Britt Marie was here” and I wasn’t pleased. Britt Marie NEVER did jumping jacks with the children, she spread her wings but in a way that was consistent to who she was. I may be judging hastily but the movie looks as if it crossed the line between “feel good” and “Kitsch”…

But Seriously, EFL Students, Meeting a Cow Will Help You Prepare for Your Exams!

The sea of knowledge is vast… Naomi’s Photos

I can’t possibly teach my students everything they need to know.

I couldn’t do that even before the pandemic granted me the pleasure of teaching students who haven’t studied without disruption for the past year and a half. Students whose studies may be disrupted yet again in the near future…

What DO my students need to know?

This question has an obvious answer, considering the fact that I’m a teacher in the national school system and we have a curriculum to follow.

So there’s plenty of familiar material that needs to be taught.

However…

There’s an additional factor to consider.

Let’s shed some light on this… Naomi’s Photos

I feel that the pandemic has widened the gap between my strongest students and my weaker ones.

And believe me, it’s not because these strong students (most of them, there were a few exceptions)  studied English on their own!

You also can’t claim that the students who are profoundly Deaf, from Deaf families,  whose primary mode of communication is Sign Language were benefitting from watching movies in English without subtitles or following the lyrics of songs in English (the latter is very difficult for hard-of-hearing students to do as well).

One of the things that I have noticed about these strong students is that they are super observant and make connections.  All sorts of connections!

They pay attention to words in English on packaging, clothing, bumper stickers, computer games, and websites they use.

But it’s much more than that.

I notice everything!
Naomi’s Photos

When the stronger students watch the same movies (or T.V programs) as their classmates, they garner useful information, even when the quality of some of the movies is questionable. From a film about aliens landing on the White House lawn and snatching the US President, they recall all the other references to the fact that the capital of the US is Washington DC and not New York ( as some of my students think… )

They take note of the fact that in the opening ceremony of the Olympic games, athletes from Greece always head the parade regardless of alphabetical order and want to know why.

When encountering a reading passage on their national exam “Next Stop: Mars?” or perhaps about “Trash in Space” the stronger students can visualize scenes from various movies they have seen (such as “Apollo 13” “The Martian” )  and computer games they have played as aids in understanding the texts, despite the complex vocabulary.  They recognize the symbol of NASA and know what it refers to.

Some of the stronger students had even seen footage from the International Space Station and even from the rover “Curiosity” when they read the news online.

The strongest students are more curious than their classmates.   When reading a text in class about “invasive green parrots” or “Piano Stairs  – The Fun Theory”, they will use Google to see visuals without me telling them to do so.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE IMPACTS READING COMPREHENSION!

So many gaps…
Naomi’s Photos

The gaps in struggling students’ general knowledge about the world hinder their performance on reading comprehension tasks regularly.

This has always been true.

However, before the pandemic, I had more time to discuss background information for every single reading passage with them.

The gaps in general knowledge are most striking when it comes to texts related to environmental issues.  There are many such texts in our practice books and exams.

It’s one thing if the students don’t know that it’s very cold in Canada and that Amazon is a name of a company that delivers products, and that drones can be used to do so (all my students know about Ali Express!). It is much more problematic when the students haven’t a clue no about the connection between cows and the environment (actually, I’ve had students who didn’t even know cows could graze on a pasture – they assumed cows were only raised in enclosed spaces). Think of a reading passage on the topic of environmentally friendly meat substitutes…

They need to know that satellites even exist before reading about trash in space.

Wild animals in the city… A Jackal
Naomi’s Photos

Forget satellites – a few of the struggling students are unaware that wildlife exists outside of a zoo or the continent of Africa. A text about the problems that arise when wild animals live in the city is harder to make sense of when you can’t visualize such a situation.

So…

Remember the ongoing problem called “lack of time in class”?

I’ve begun creating short homework  (or independent-work-in-class-time) tasks for my students in which the students watch a short video (VISUALS!) about a topic related to an environmental issue and then answer a few lower-order comprehension questions just to make sure they have paid attention to the main points of the video.

My students are getting these videos WITH SUBTITLES in L1.

It’s very simple.

These videos are too challenging for my struggling learners in English.

AND…

I don’t want to spend time teaching vocabulary items such as “satellites” or even “factory” when there is such a large number of basic and frequent words/phrases these students do not know.

The dictionary will tell them what a satellite is in L1.

What I am concerned about is that the struggling learners will know what THAT word is denoting when they see the translation.

Note: For some of my students, Sign Language is their mother tongue. I hope to add a version with sign language for each video during the school year – I have asked for assistance in this matter, so I’m quite hopeful.

Here is the first video, in English.  Perhaps it will be helpful to you as it is.


Here is the file with Hebrew captions. This is not a one-to-one translation, some captions have been edited for brevity and clarity. I’m trying to get a message across!

If you create captions in other languages for this video, please let me know!

Here is a link to download a copy of a Google form with “very unsophisticated” questions to ensure attention to the points I wanted.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Cr1IAGESBVJOT0dbVT3Hs4tFXz0KljLZ4JCwUezK6TY/copy

I’m currently working on the next video!

Time for a Book! “Umami” by Laia Jufressa

Unusual neighbors…
Naomi’s Photos

What a unique book!

It’s difficult to define exactly what makes this book so special – it’s like the difficulty in defining what exactly “umami” is, which is something not only discussed in the book but plays a role in the story as well.

It’s a novel which mainly takes place in Mexico City. It follows the intertwined lives of the different people who live in “Belldrop Mews” (I had to look up the term  “mews”!). It’s written from the point of view of several characters, some of whom are children. Their “voices” are so real, that I now miss them a bit – as if they were people I had met.

While all the neighbors are dealing with grief,  this is not a “depressing” book. There are very sad moments along with ones of wonder and amusement.

More importantly, I found the combination of “voices” relating the same events, particularly the children’s voices, to be a powerful storytelling method in this context. The children questioned, wondered at, or even directly challenged the adults’ way of handling grief, and highlighted the many layers and aspects of how life moves forward after a tragedy.

Naomi’s Photos

And yes, there is hope, and new beginnings in this book. Slow changes for the better that start small but mean a lot (no fairy godmothers here…).

I recommend that you don’t read too much about the book in advance – it’s best to understand things as they are presented.

Enjoy!

 

Time for a Book: “Frog Music” by Emma Donoghue

Try to hear the music… Naomi’s Photos

I really enjoy reading books by Donoghue but this is the one I enjoyed the least.

Don’t get me wrong, it IS a good book but I’m not particularly fond of the “whodunnit”  format, particularly in a historical drama. The constant moving between time frames (the murder is right at the beginning of the book, it’s not a spoiler!) bothered me somewhat. When reading Donoghue I’m used to really getting to know the character and the period before such a dramatic event.  Judging by the reviews online most people were not bothered by this at all!

This book, with its many musical references, might have been more enjoyable as an audiobook  – they tend to sing such things when possible,  Reading the afterword helped me realize the significance of the references and their relevance to the period and to the plot. I admit that I needed the explanations.

In fact, the afterword helped me appreciate the book more, as the author explains which historical facts were available to her about the two main characters’ lives (and deaths)  and how she used them to create the story. I was fascinated by that part!

The book takes place in 1876  in San Francisco –  a lot it takes place in Chinatown. The author’s depictions of the shameful way the Chinese immigrants were treated tied in with the information I learned from two other books I’ve recently read, “Interior Chinatown” by Charles Yu and “Disappearing Moon Cafe” by Sky Lee (this is set in Vancouver but covers a lot of the same ground as the other two).

There are still many books by Donaghue I haven’t read – I’m looking forward to reading them!

Skip to toolbar