Top 10 Reasons to #OptOutside on Black Friday

We have plans to spend another Thanksgiving camping in Gatlinburg. We will be returning for the fourth time to Greenbrier Campground. We spent last Thanksgiving there and really enjoyed our visit.

REI is behind the #OptOutside movement which encourages people to choose the outdoors. They are hoping to get the word out that spending time in the great outdoors is much better than spending time in the mall.

Luckily I have never been a big shopper. You won't catch me going anywhere near a large store or mall on Black Friday. Nothing is worth the hastle!

Thanks to the #NatureWritingChallenge I have come up with my Top 10 Reasons to #OptOutside on Back Friday.

10. Nature is easier on your pocket book.

9. You can take your chance running into an angry animal or you can guarantee you will run into an
    angry parent.

8. Nature doesn't require you to dress to impress. Roll out of bed and go!

7. Nature is unlimited. The TV on sale for $199 is limited to one per customer.

6. You can see an open trail ahead of you instead of a line of people waiting for the register.

5. You can have a picnic with a view instead of fighting for a seat at the food court.

4. Wear a backpack instead of carrying an arm full of bags.

3. Nature is peaceful and stress free, Black Friday isn’t.

2. You can hear birds chirp instead of the ding of the cash registers.

1. Parking spaces are easier to come by and they have a view.
Happy Thanksgiving. Don't forget to find some time to enjoy the outdoors.

World Read Aloud Day

Thursday, February 1st is World Read Aloud Day.

Working in an elementary school I assumed that read alouds were still a daily part of a teacher and student's day, at least for the younger kids, but then I had two conversations this week that rocked my world. A first grade and a third grade teacher told me that they both didn't have time in their day to read. That is how scheduled their classroom time has become.

The first grade teacher dropped off her class and handed me an index card with the names of six students who were ready to start reading chapter books. When it came time to check out I showed them a few series that they might like and that would be appropriate for beginning chapter book readers. In my school first grade students are allowed to get one book. After one little boy made his choice he asked me if was allowed to get a picture book. I told him that next week I would let him and that I would increase their books up to two. He seemed disappointed that he couldn't get a picture book that day.

The teacher came to pick them up and asked how book selection went for these students. I updated her and told her about the little boys comment. She said she wasn't worried about it because she had hundreds of books in her classroom that they could read because she didn't have time to read them. What? First grade students don't get read to? We chatted about this and she told me that she just didn't have time in her day. How upsetting!

The other teacher was moved up from second grade this school year so she could teach third grade. When she came to pick her class up she commented about how much she missed being able to read to her kids like she did in second grade. What? Again no read alouds? She told me the same story about how she just didn't have time during the day.

I believe that students of all ages can benefit from a read aloud. When it comes to the older students it has to be the right book but there are plenty out there. It makes me sad to think that I may be the only teacher reading to them on a weekly basis. For most of my students, coming from their socioeconomic backgrounds, it is fairly safe to assume that they don't get much reading time at home with their parents. You know what they say about assuming though.

The two conversations this week prompted me to send out an e-mail telling teachers about World Read Aloud Day and inviting them to come visit me to get a book. I hope I will get a few visitors and that my teachers will find time on Thursday to fit a story in their cramped schedule.