Anchored Word Instruction

Happy Anniversary!!! To my day and step-mom. 19 years today that they have been together. Kudos to them. I don't think I have been in a relationship that has lasted 19 months let alone 19 days. Oh well I am no hurry. Guys are fertile longer.lol

This morning I woke up at 5:30a because I had to go babysit my 1yr and 2yrs old nieces. I don't really spend that much time with them so it was good to get in some face time. Working with school age children I forget how tiny 1 and 2 yr olds really are. The 1 year old one woke up first so we chilled out on the couch watching t.v. We played take the remote and change the channel unexpectedly a few times. She was so freaking cute. I loved her wobble and baby talk. I couldn't understand a word she said but it seemed "juice" always worked. It was about 7am and we started to watch "Bridge to Terabithia". She fell asleep, barely taking up a couch cushion laying length ways. Then I began to nod off as well, but I was really into the movie. I remember reading the book. Sleep over came me and I fell asleep. Next thing I know I hear baby giggles and tiny feet are kicking me in the face. It was the most precious thing I have ever seen. She seemed purely happy with kicking me in the head, which I know a few people who would be too. So we finished watching the movie and she started to get fussy. So I changed her pamper and made us some breakfast. And by made us some breakfast I mean poured us a good size bowl of cereal and shared it. Then my other niece woke up. I thought she, being 2, was capable of having her own little bowl of cereal by herself, but I was mistaken. I spent the next 2o minutes cleaning cereal off the couch and out of the 1 yr old's hair. All I could do was laugh.

After babysitting I went home and watched a movie with twin. I am going to miss vegging out when I have to get a real job. Speaking of jobs that interview I went in for the other day, well congrats to my friend Wendy Lee for getting it. I am happy for her, I really am. I did get a call for another interview at Double File Trail Elementary in Round Rock. It was one of those interviews where everything that came out of my mouth was gold. I was really happy with that interview. I will know by weeks end what they decide either way. Fingers crossed again!

The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to pure laziness. I made a nice dinner for my parents anniversary and then I started rereading a teacher book. It is "Classrooms That Work: They Can All Read and Write" by, Cunningham and Allington. I came across a term I had either not known or forgotten. It was Anchored Word Instruction. In my attempts to remember it in the future I will define it for you. "Choosing important words from reading, printing them on cards, and focusing specifically on their meanings is what Juel defines as anchored word instruction(pg. 6)". Easy enough, but who is Juel? I guess back to reading to find out.