Our Words at Work Porject Vlog #3: Formia

OWAW Project Vlog #2- Tuscany

Here is Vlog #2 from my Lilly Grant trip!

The following footage is from my time in Tuscany, I spent most of my time in the town of Castiglion Fiorentino.  It is a gorgeous, and lesser-known Tuscan town near Arezzo.  I spent 9 fantastic days attending the Cary Tennis Writing Workshop. During my time there, I attended a cooking class, visited Assisi and Florence, and ate a copious amount of gelato. 

 I learned a lot about writing and a lot about myself. But mostly I learned that to be a writer, you have to WRITE. I know that this sounds stupid, but the hardest part, for me, is making time and prioritizing my creative side and writing voice. So in the words of the wise Shia Labeouf (and Nike) , JUST DO IT! 

Our Words at Work Porject: First Blog/Vlog Post!

It is currently June 22, 2016. I am sitting in a 100-year-old venetian style bed. The Italian read comforter on the bed is flanked by a brass headboard and footboard. To the right of bed is a set of long, thin French doors that open out to a private balcony that looks over the Mediterranean Sea.  Our (my mother and I’s) room faces the ocean, but had we also been so lucky to be in a room that boasts a balcony on the opposite side of the building, we would have had an equally majestic view of the mountains. We are in Formia Italy, a little seaside town south of Rome that even many Italians have not heard of. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let me back up a bit. Let’s back up 12 days to the beginning of my trip and the crossing of the pond (AKA the longest 48 hours of my life!)

I somehow managed to fit 35 days’ worth of clothing into a carryon piece of luggage. It was definitely hard deciding what to pack when I knew I was facing 90-degree weather in Rome, 70-degree weather in the UK and 40-degree weather in Iceland! But I decided to pack for the happy medium of 70 degrees and resigned myself to being just a little too hot in Italy and just a little too cold in Iceland.  I hopped in the car and Sam drove me to the airport.

On the way to the airport I cried. Now let’s be real, I am an easy crier. I cry multiple times a week (just a couple tears)- mostly in response to something I find touching, or pitiful, or terrifying, or adorable, or devastating, or invigorating…… I think you get my point.  Anyway, I cried because I was going to miss Sam and my dog, and my friends, but mainly Sam. And Sam gently reminded me that I was, in fact, about to fly to Italy, to spend time with my mother, walk ancient cobble-stoned streets, eat homemade pasta, and attend a stimulating writer’s workshop. He also reminded me that I would see him in a short 14 days, in Rome.  With that logic, I couldn’t help but agree, so I hopped out of the car at the Indianapolis airport, quickly kissed Sam goodbye, demanded that he send me daily pictures of our dog, and headed off to catch my first flight to New York where I would meet my mother.

The first two Flights went off without a hitch. I flew to NYC and met up with my mom and then the two of us flew to Toronto where we would catch our flight to London. Unfortunately, this is where our luck ended. Check out the Vlog (Video Blog) below to see how our trip unfolded. (Sorry about the poor editing- I only have time to throw all of the footage together and call it good!)

-Kelsey

PS-I know that the dates are off and this was uploaded the 25^th not the 22^nd but it wasn’t until now that we had a strong enough wifi signal. Enjoy!

The Exciting Stuff

I have ONE WEEK until I set off on my trip. I will be gone for 5 weeks, WOW. I have had a lot of people asking where I will be going and what I will be doing. So as a way to quickly get the word out, here is my trip, in pictures ;).

Italy: 

Castiglion Fiorentino



Assisi
 

Formia


Rome

England-

London-



The Cotswolds

Scotland

Melrose Abbey



Dunnottar Castle
 

Eilean Donan Castle


Scottish Highlands-


Edinburgh

Northern Ireland

The Dark Hedges


Carrick-a-Rede Bridge

Ireland

Cliffs of Moher




Blarney Castle



Cork


Dublin

Iceland

Reykjavik


Gullfoss



Skogafoss
 

Fjaðrárgljúfur




Well, there is my trip in pictures! Now I realize that everything probably will not be as picturesque as it looks in these professional tourism photos, but I would bet that everything is still just as amazing :).  ONE WEEK. Whoohoo!

-Kelsey

I am Not a Quitter.

I played softball from the time I was 4 to the time I was 14. That is 10 years of softball, almost a third of my life. It was a sport that I was actually good at because it did not include a lot of running- Hallelujah! As it turns out, if you hit the ball hard enough, you can take your time getting to first base.  Softball was the only hobby I had managed to hold onto for more than a year.

I was a quitter. By the time I was 14, I had quit more hobbies than most kids had the privilege to begin. I quit gymnastics (I would much rather just twirl my ponytail in the mirror). I quit Jazz Dancing (I started in the middle of winter and it was too cold to leave my house). I quit summer theater (I was too old for it).  I quit singing lessons, town choir, and church choir (all the other kids took it way too seriously). I had even been kicked off of my 2^nd grade soccer team (umm running. No thank you). And I knew I was probably about to quit band too (I did a year later). 

The summer before my freshman year of high school, I decided to quit softball. I had recently taken up an interest in tennis, a sport I had never played before, and unfortunately Branson’s girls’ tennis and softball season were at the same time. So I had to choose one, and I wanted to choose tennis. Again, I found myself a quitter. I wanted to quit the ONLY hobby I had ever stuck with and I was terrified of telling my parents.

 My parents had invested thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of supporting softball. They paid for me to be on local teams and traveling teams and they paid for me to have the best bats, gloves, and uniforms. They footed the fee for all of my tournaments and paid for a trip to Andy’s frozen custard after every Springfield game.

My dad coached my team every single year I played, and it definitely WASN'T because he loved being surrounded by small screaming children. He would take me to the empty softball field during the off season and hit me ground balls and pop flies. He even tried to teach how to properly run once (he didn’t like that I had gotten in the habit of galloping around the bases. But hey! At least it was faster than running!).  And my mother, well, she never missed any games. She always managed to scrub the dirt and grass stains out of my pants, organize the snack schedule for the team, and she dutifully nursed my black eyes back to health every time I got hit in the face during a game.

 My parents had invested 10 years of time and money into softball and I had to tell them that I was going to quit, again. I wasn't terrified to tell them because I was terrified of them; I was terrified of disappointing them. They cared so much, and I was nothing but a quitter, a disappointment, a waste of time.

But I did it. I told them. I honestly don’t remember telling them, but I do remember what happened next.

That summer, my mother signed us up for tennis lessons. She said that we would learn how to play together, and we did. And my father, he signed us up for a co-ed doubles league. Did he know how to play? Nope. Did we even own a decent tennis racquet at the time? Nope. Were we the only ones in that league under 70? Yep. Did the elderly couples ask if we were married Every. Single. Time? Yep. But he did it anyway, and we got better, together.

By the end of the summer, I knew what a backhand was. I knew what “Australian doubles” was, and I actually knew how to keep score (Seriously. Who came up with tennis’s confusing scoring system? The Brits? Yea, definitely the Brits).  And not only did I make the tennis team, I made Varsity.

I stuck with tennis all throughout my high school career. I had a blast, met some of my best friends, and discovered a life-long love. 

 I am now on year 11 of being a tennis player (today I beat my husband 6-4 in a match J ). I finally made it past my 10-year record. 

I am officially not a quitter.

So thank you mom and dad, it took me 11 years and a new perspective to realize that you weren’t investing in softball, you were investing in me.













*Shout out to my sister, Kassadee for being forced to attend 14 years of softball/tennis games.

I'm Going on an Adventure!

I'm going on an adventure!



It is March 22 and in exactly 80 days, I will get on a plane and head off on a 5-week adventure.
I cannot wait to spill all of the exciting details, but before we get to that, I need to fill you in on how this trip was made possible.

Last summer, I spent over 40 hours working on a Teacher Creativity Grant. I spent most of my time at the Avon Public Library where I got to know the librarians very well (And where I witnessed a couple of teenage boys setup Bluetooth speakers on the bookshelves and proceed to play the soundtrack of a few "adult films" LOUDLY. My poor librarian friends were scrambling after that one). Anyway, On August 22nd, I shipped my application off to Lilly Endowment Inc. And on January 7th, the  foundation notified me that I had been chosen among the 100 educators in the state of Indiana to receive $12,000 to pursue creativity and inspiration.

Although I am certain that every one of you wants to read my 9-page application in its entirety, instead I will summarize my project in 50 words. Cue the cheesy title and overuse of buzzwords!

“Our Words at Work”: Turning Words into Impact!: This project aims to re-ignite my passion for harnessing the power of words! I plan to re-trace the steps of history’s greatest European word warriors, attend a TEDx event to study modern word-warriors, and grow my personal writing skills through a writing workshop in Tuscany, Italy, and blogging.

So that is my trip in a nutshell. I am going to be doing 5 weeks of literary-inspired traveling. I will be going to Italy, England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Iceland. I will be chasing creativity, renewal, adventure, and inspiration. I cannot thank the Lilly Foundation enough for granting (see what I did there?)  me a trip of a lifetime. I truly believe that when I return to the classroom in August, I will return an educator with renewed energy and passion.

I'll post more details about the trip soon!

-Kelsey

Top 10 Books I Recommend to my HS Students

As a teacher, I get asked hundreds of questions a day.

 "Did I miss anything yesterday?"- (Of course not! We can't learn without you! Instead we decided to reenact the entire plot of Interstellar!)

"Can I quick go get my binder/ipad/pencil before class starts? I'll only be a little late!"- (Sure, but you have to skip all the way there!)

"Mrs. Pomeroy, why were you gone yesterday? We had to have a sub!"- (Sorry, I was actually auditioning to be on the next Survivor, I will run it by you first next time!)

Of all of the questions I am asked, my favorite is, "What book should I read?"

Books are my favorite, and I LOVE suggesting books. As an English teacher, it is my goal to make reading a desirable activity for my students. Most times, this task, although honorable, seems hopeless. Some kids like to read, and some kids just don't. But as Abraham Lincoln says, "You just keep on truckin!". So I keep suggesting. Here are the top ten books that I frequently have success "hooking" students on. Because as Abraham Lincoln always said, "Get hooked on books and not on drugs!"

#1 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian By Sherman Alexie

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Who I recommend it to:

EVERYONE, but I especially recommend it to reluctant readers.

Why you should read it: 

I believe this book will become a part of future high school curricula. It touches on themes like: racism, poverty, bullying, and identity.  But don’t be dissuaded by the tough subjects, the book is fun! It is “slap your knee” hilarious. The narrator is smart and witty, and there are cartoons!

What is this book about? 

From Amazon.com: “Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.”

#2 Anna and the French Kiss By Stephanie Perkins

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Who I recommend it to: 

Typically, girls who are looking for something fun to read.  Boys tend to be put off by the title, but I will keep trying!

Why you should read it: 

Like the other books on this list, “Anna” has won numerous YA awards since its release. This book is a fun read. It is a love story that somehow makes you root for all of the characters instead of making you want to groan and roll your eyes. The characters are intelligent and their story gives you that warm and bubbly feeling in your stomach. The students who read this book often go on to read the other books in the series, Lola and the Boy Next Door, and Isla and the Happily Ever After.

What is this book about?

From Amazon.com: “Anna can't wait for her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a good job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's not too thrilled when her father unexpectedly ships her off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair, the perfect boy. The only problem? He's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her crush back home. Will a year of romantic near-misses end in the French kiss Anna awaits?”

#3. The Graveyard Book By Neil Gaiman

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Who I recommend it to: 

Everyone, especially reluctant readers and students who enjoy fantasy/supernatural books.

Why you should read it: 

This is a story unlike any you have read before. It is enchanting and weird in the best way. You will get lost in Gaiman’s world where the abnormal, is normal. The Graveyard Book is beautifully written, and it will continuously surprise you.

What is this book about?

From Amazon.com:“Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place—he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their ghostly teachings—such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him. Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead?”

#4 The Selection by Kiera Cass

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Who I recommend it to: 

Students who enjoyed The Hunger Games and Divergent.

Why you should read it: 

This book is an easy, fun read. It may not ever be part of the “Literary Canon”, but you will enjoy reading it the entire time. It is a dystopian novel with a “Bachelor” twist. My students typically come back to school the next day asking for the second book in the trilogy!

What is this book about?

From Amazon.com: "For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined."

#5 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

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Who I recommend it to:

 I recommend this book to students who are already frequent readers, but who are looking for something different than the typical YA stuff.

Why you should read it: 

“Curious” is a breath of fresh air in a world full of predictable YA plots lines. At points, the novel stings with the bitterness of reality, but the writing is always funny, witty, and genuine. At the end of the novel, the reader feels lucky to have gone on this adventure with Christopher.

What is this book about?

"From Amazon.com: Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow.

This improbable story of Christopher's quest to investigate the suspicious death of a neighborhood dog makes for one of the most captivating, unusual, and widely heralded novels in recent years."

# 6 Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King

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Who I recommend it to: 

To my reluctant readers, especially the ones who think they are “too cool for reading”.

Why you should read it: 

This is not the feel good book of the year. At times it is dark and bitter, but it is clever, sharp, and sarcastic. This book also has the fast-paced danger of war, an original take on history, and an emotional search for personal identity- a theme that teens tend to love.

What is this book about?

From Amazon.com:"Lucky Linderman didn't ask for his life. He didn't ask his grandfather not to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn't ask for a father who never got over it. He didn't ask for a mother who keeps pretending their dysfunctional family is fine. And he didn't ask to be the target of Nader McMillan's relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.

But Lucky has a secret--one that helps him wade through the mundane torture of his life. In his dreams, Lucky escapes to the war-ridden jungles of Laos--the prison his grandfather couldn't escape--where Lucky can be a real man, an adventurer, and a hero. It's dangerous and wild, and it's a place where his life just might be worth living. But how long can Lucky keep hiding in his dreams before reality forces its way inside?"

#7 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

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Who I recommend it to: 

Reluctant readers

Why you should read it: 

My students attach themselves to this book. The book’s premise is intriguing and it draws in even the most skeptical readers. Readers will want to find out what Hannah has to say, just as much as Clay does.

What is this book about?

From Amazon.com: "Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.

Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever."

#8 I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

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Who I recommend it to: Everyone, Young, Old, Everyone

Why you should read it: Malala’s inspirational true story is about strength, bravery, the importance of education, and the power of a single voice. Did I mention this is a TRUE (ongoing) story? This non-fiction work is so important. It reminds young adults (and Adult…adults) that one person really can make a difference in this world. Even if an entire country is telling you NO, if you work hard, and believe in yourself, then you have the power to stand up and say YES.

What is this book about?

"From Amazon.com: On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen...She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.
 Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she became a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize."

#9 Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

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Who I recommend it to: 

Readers who enjoy supernatural or scary movies/books

Why you should read it: Ransom Riggs has written a thrilling supernatural adventure that travels across locations and time. “Peculiar Children" is filled with delicious mysteries and outrageous adventure. It is definitely a page turner!

What is this book about?

From Amazon.com: "A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.



 It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous."

#10 The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

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Who I recommend it to: Mature/Advanced readers

Why you should read it: 

This is a novel about truth. This is a novel about story-telling. This is a novel about war.  This book will challenge you. It will challenge the way you think about truth, story-telling, and war. I include this novel in the top 10 most influential books I have personally read. Be warned: this book holds back nothing. It will wreck you, and you will be better for it.

What is this book about?

From Amazon.com: "A classic, life-changing meditation on war, memory, imagination, and the redemptive power of storytelling, with more than two-million copies in print Depicting the men of Alpha Company-Jimmy Cross, Henry Dobbins, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Norman Bowker, Kiowa, and the character Tim O'Brien, who survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three-the stories in The Things They Carried opened our eyes to the nature of war in a way we will never forget. It is taught everywhere, from high school classrooms to graduate seminars in creative writing, and in the decades since its publication it has never failed to challenge our perceptions of fact and fiction, war and peace, and courage, longing, and fear., Tim O'Brien's modern classic that reset our understanding of fiction, nonfiction, and the way they can work together, as well as our understanding of the Vietnam war and its consequences."

So what do you think about my list? Do you have any great book suggestions that your students love? Let me know in the comments!


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Always,

KP