How many times do I have to teach hyperbole before one student gets it?

To preface this post: I love my students, I love my classroom, and I love my school.

However-I just do not understand how my little angels' brains work.

How many times do I have to teach the different types of figurative language before one, JUST ONE, student understands what the heck I am talking about?

Since January, the students in my 5th grade reading resource classroom have been reviewing the South Carolina Standard 5.1.2 and 5.1.3. These standards review point of view and figurative language. Since January the students have been given charts to fill out, booklets to make, quick writes on the board, draw a question out of the basket....anything I can think of to get their minds working and able to apply what I am teaching to the passages we are reading.

Thankfully we have just recently passed the poetry section of our curriculum. Let me tell you, it is hard stuff teaching poetry when students do not know the difference between alliteration and personification. Boy!

We have now moved on to the folklore unit. We are studying Tall Tales, Legends, Fables, and Myths. As we review point of view, I figured it would be a simple task for them to apply to Tall Tales.

After reading John Henry, I asked my students what point of view the Tall Tale was written in. (I figured it really only gave them two options, since a Tall Tale is obviously not 1st person, and we only talk about 1st, 3rd Omnicient, and 3rd Limited.)  Hands went up! "OOOh OOh Miss Parrott, I know, pick me, I know!" So I said, "Ok student #1, what is the point of view?" "Miss Parrott, John Henry is written in 1st person."

"So, Student #1, what is first person, what do we look for when we think a story is written in 1st person?"  "OH, OH, OH, Miss Parrott, I got it this time. I know. I'm right now. Please let me answer!!!" ...I had faith, maybe I haven't been teaching all this time in vain... "So, Student #1, try again, I'm sure you have it now!"

"Miss Parrott, it is written in 2nd person, right? There are two main characters in this story, so it is 2nd person right?!"

Okay, so this really did surprise me! We have never even mentioned 2nd person!!!!

At the end of the day my cooperating teacher and I were talking. I mentioned to her how discouraged I was that the students seemed to not be really understanding or getting any of the information I am teaching.

So, can you guess what next week's lessons are going to focus on? Point of View!

Monday: 1st person! I am going to dress up like a movie star and proclaim, "It's all about ME!" (Hopefully I will be cuter than the picture below!)

Tuesday: 3rd person limited! I am going to make blinders for all of my students! They are all going to wear them, and maybe then they will understand what it means to have a limited perspective.

Wednesday: 3rd person omnicient! Here comes Santa! :) I can't wait to bust out my Santa Clause hat in March! I will use Santa as an example because he "sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake..." He's all-knowing!

Thursday and Friday will focus on other things...because I actually have to teach other things besides Point of View. :-(

My students will probably make fun of me for dressing up (they are at that stage that EVERYTHING embarrasses them! Oh, 5th grade!) I will sacrifice my pride and humble myself for the sake of their learning.....

(Student names were withheld, in fear of one day a student's parents stumble across this post...)

Sorry in advance!

So, in my classroom we just finished up our unit on poetry!  I was feeling pretty creativity, so while all of my students were writing their poems as their end of unit project, I decided to write one of my own!! :)

Thought I'd share! (Sorry for the cheesiness!)

Niagara

Touristy place,

Beautiful space,

Waterfalls!

Romantic evening,

Tomorrow we're leaving,

Bittersweet!

Out to eat,

We take our seats,

Hungry!

Heart beating fast,

I begin to laugh,

Surprised!

A sight to see,

You down on one knee,

Love!

Left hand bling,

Like a queen,

Happy!

A gleeful stroll,

Pause beneath a light pole,

Kiss!

Excited calls,

Lighted waterfalls,

ENGAGED!

With the splashing sound,

It's clear I've found,

The One!

(I know, it's pretty bad...) :)

Sequoias and Waterfalls!

 It's official! Flights have been booked. A cabin has been reserved. We have a honeymoon destination! Where are we going? Let's see if you can figure it out...

• To begin with, cell phone reception may be spotty because of the mountain terrain, and may not be available at all in some locations.

Currently, Justin calls me around 9pm for our nightly conversations. I guess when we are at this location we won't need any cellphone service, since we do not have a 9 o'clock phone call to catch anymore!! (Oh, the little things make me excited!!)

Okay, was that not a good clue? I'll try again...

• Remember Justin is a major part of the planning of our honeymoon, so of course there will be big trees in the vicinity!

Sequoias and Ponderosa Pines are just two of the trees we are anxious to see! (Since most of you know where Sequoias are found, this is a very good hint!)

Some intersting facts about our destination:

• In 2007, 12 bears were hit by cars here! I guess the bears haven't learned to use the cross-walks yet! :)
• The waterfalls are at their best in late May! Woo-hoo! Lucky us!
• We expect to encounter relatively warm days, since the average high is 73 degrees and the low is 42 degrees. There is still a chance for an occasional winter storm, though. (The website says relatively warm days, but I am assuming, since we are both from the Southeast, that we may get a little chilly!)

So, have you figured it out? I'll give you a couple more clues:

• Well, it is in California. We fly into San Francisco on Sunday, May 23!
• From San Francisco we will drive east four hours until we reach our destination! :) 

A picture may help!

We're going to YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK!

We can't wait to have our own pictures of the beautiful sites to share with you, but for now, I had to steal them from Google Images!

We fly out of Atlanta on Sunday, May 23 to arrive in San Francisco late that night. The next day we plan drive the rental car four hours east to our cabin located in Yosemite! We will spend a relaxing week site-seeing and enjoying each others company!! We will drive back to San Francisco on Saturday and fly home to Charlotte on Sunday!

Justin and I are both really excited to have finally decided on a destination and we absolutely can not wait to go!