Debbie Diller

Richmond Institute coming soon!

debbiediller — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:54:30 +0000

There is still time to register for my Richmond Institute March 15-16, in the historic Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, VA! This is always a great institute and a great way to get together with your fellow teachers to learn and grow together.

Check out our “adventures” in Richmond from 2010 and then sign up for this year’s event. See you in Richmond!

Poetry Friday: Falling Snow

debbiediller — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:48:54 +0000

Even if you live in Texas like I do, it’s fun to think about snow in winter. That’s probably because I no longer have to shovel it! As a child, some of my fondest memories were of taking walks in the new-fallen snow with my dad. I loved sitting on the radiator in our living room at night, peering out the window, and watching the snowflakes illuminated by the streetlamp outside. I hope you and your students will enjoy this winter poem:

Falling Snow
by anonymous

See the pretty snowflakes
Falling from the sky;
On the wall and housetops
Soft and thick they lie.

On the window ledges,
On the branches bare;
Now how fast they gather,
Filling all the air.

Look into the garden,
Where the grass was green;
Covered by the snowflakes,
Not a blade is seen.

Now the bare black bushes
All look soft and white,
Every twig is laden,
What a pretty sight!

Poetry Friday: Snowfall

debbiediller — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:34:48 +0000

As I work with primary teachers across the country, they often say they have trouble finding poems for first grade, so I’m going to feature some over the next few weeks. Remember that poems are great for applying phonics and word study skills as well as for practicing reading fluency. Here’s one for winter:

Snowfall
Someone in the sky last night
Had an awful pillow fight
And when I woke today I found
All the feathers on the ground.

-Margaret Hillert

Poetry Friday: My Doggy Ate My Homework

debbiediller — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:33:41 +0000

Well, we’ve all heard this excuse before! Enjoy!

My Doggy Ate My Homework

By Dave Crawley

“My doggy ate my homework.

He chewed it up,” I said.

But when I offered my excuse

My teacher shook her head.

I saw this wasn’t going well.

I didn’t want to fail.

Before she had a chance to talk,

I added to the tale:

“Before he ate, he took my work

And tossed it in a pot.

He simmered it with succotash

Till it was piping hot.

“He scrambled up my science notes

With eggs and bacon strips,

Along with sautéed spelling words

And baked potato chips.

“He then took my arithmetic

And had it gently fried.

He broiled both my book reports

With pickles on the side.

“He wore a doggy apron

As he cooked a notebook stew.

He barked when I objected.

There was nothing I could do.”

“Did he wear a doggy chef hat?”

She asked me with a scowl.

“He did,” I said. “And taking it

Would only make him growl.”

My teacher frowned, but then I said

As quickly as I could,

“He covered it with ketchup,

And he said it tasted good.”

“A talking dog who likes to cook?”

My teacher had a fit.

She sent me to the office,

And that is where I sit.

I guess I made a big mistake

In telling her all that.

’Cause I don’t have a doggy.

It was eaten by my cat.

Book sharing party

debbiediller — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:46:15 +0000

I have written before about the holiday book sharing party I try to organize every year. It is such a great way to get together with friends and find out about new books at the same time! This year — or I should say “last” year — was no exception. Here are some photos of what ended up on our book sharing table — you leave one, you take one! What are you reading this year?

Poetry Friday: To the New Year

debbiediller — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:45:04 +0000

I picked this poem on the first Poetry Friday of 2012 because I think it beautifully expresses the stillness and hope of a new year. I hope your new year started in stillness.

To the New Year

By W. S. Merwin

With what stillness at last

you appear in the valley

your first sunlight reaching down

to touch the tips of a few

high leaves that do not stir

as though they had not noticed

and did not know you at all

then the voice of a dove calls

from far away in itself

to the hush of the morning

so this is the sound of you

here and now whether or not

anyone hears it this is

where we have come with our age

our knowledge such as it is

and our hopes such as they are

invisible before us

untouched and still possible

Debbie’s Christmas Vegetable Soup

debbiediller — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 06:30:04 +0000

On a cold Sunday afternoon, my favorite things to cook are a big pot of soup or a roast in the oven. Here’s my favorite vegetable soup recipe:

Deb’s Christmas Vegetable Soup

3 cans each: peas, green beans, corn

Add 1 bag baby carrots & chopped cabbage (1/2 head)

Put it 1 lb. ground beef (crumble it up- don’t need to precook it)

Add 2-3 large cans of V8 juice to fill large pot

Simmer 2-3 hours. Add rivels 15 min. before serving.

Rivels: (these are PA Dutch mini dumplings)

Mix in small bowl with fork: 1 egg and ¾ cup flour with a little salt. Drop into soup and stir to break up.

And my favorite roast beef recipe, cooked in my large red Le Creuset Dutch oven:

Chipotle-Coffee Pot Roast (from Country Home magazine)

PREP: 35 MINUTES COOK: 2 HOURS

1 2- TO 3-LB. BONELESS BEEF CHUCK POT ROAST

1 TBSP. INSTANT ESPRESSO COFFEE POWDER

2 TSP. GROUND CHIPOTLE CHILE PEPPER OR CHILI POWDER (HOT OR MILD)

1/4 TSP. SALT

1 TBSP. COOKING OIL

1 14-OZ. CAN BEEF BROTH

3 TBSP. TOMATO PASTE

2 TBSP. BALSAMIC VINEGAR

3 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED

2 LARGE PARSNIPS, PEELED AND SLICED 1/2 INCH THICK

8 OZ. BRUSSELS SPROUTS, TRIMMED AND HALVED OR 1 RED SWEET PEPPER, CUT INTO

CHUNKS

1 LARGE RED ONION, CUT INTO THICK WEDGES

See the Country Home magazine website for directions.

Favorite gift ideas

debbiediller — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:46:46 +0000

With the holidays approaching, I always am looking for interesting gift giving ideas. Here are some of my favorite sensory gifts:

For smell…

Aveda Soothing Aqua Therapy Bath Salts, discovered at a hotel- These smell like the ocean and are addictive!
Votivo Travel Candles (love Deep Clover)
a bouquet of fresh flowers from a local market- My favorite flower shop in Houston is AJ’s Urban Petals

For taste…

Toffee to Go from the St. Petersburg, Fl Farmer’s Market
Homemade Sea Salt Caramels from above; email donbarnordstrom@gmail.com
homemade bread from a local bakery or farmer’s market

For touch…

Crocheted hats from fiber artist, Nancy Bossert
Crabtree & Evelyn Citron Honey and Coriander Skin-Quenching Body Lotion
soap from Black Kettle Soap Company in Houston. My favorite is Charcoal Soap with Clay. Their Etsy shop can be found here.

For sight…

lovely calendars for the new year
time spent outdoors hiking a new trail or driving to an interesting new place- do a search for “day trips”
tickets to a museum

For sound…

a fountain, a walk to a waterfall, or a stroll on the beach- can’t beat the sound of water for soothing!
a new CD or an iTunes gift card
tickets to a concert

My favorite things: children’s books

debbiediller — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:24:18 +0000

Being the mom of two grown children, many of my favorite children’s books come from long ago. One of the best times of day was when we’d cuddle together at night and read books together. Here are some I loved and shared with Jon and Jessica:

I collect poetry books. Here a few of my new favorites:

The Robin Makes a Laughing Sound: A Birder’s Journal by Sally Wolf
Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Raczka
Dogku by Andrew Clements
Messing Around on the Monkey Bars by my friend, Betsy Franco

Poetry Friday: December 26

debbiediller — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 06:41:16 +0000

Here is a great children’s poem by Kenn Nesbitt — so simple and funny. Enjoy reading this as you get into the holiday spirit!

December 26

By Kenn Nesbitt

A BB gun.

A model plane.

A basketball.

A ’lectric train.

A bicycle.

A cowboy hat.

A comic book.

A baseball bat.

A deck of cards.

A science kit.

A racing car.

A catcher’s mitt.

So that’s my list

of everything

that Santa Claus

forgot to bring.