Welcome to Sharing the Blue Crayon book group.

Since you committed yourself to this book group and I need to be accountable for providing this as professional learning, there are a few expectations. I (or Cathy) will provide you each week with some guiding questions to ponder as you read the week’s pages. Feel free to deviate from the questions and share your “ah has,” “I wonders…” and/or questions. In the past with a lot fewer people I would ask everyone to respond each week. I have tried to figure out the best way for people to share without overwhelming everyone with having to read 43 comments each week. The expectation is that everyone will:

·       Comment at least 2 times over the course of the 7 weeks ( if you want to contribute more please do)

·       Provide one resource that pertains to the readings (a children’s book, a website, a teacher resource….) These will be collected from comments and placed in the resource section of the blog (right side under the book picture.)

·       Be prepared at the end of the seven weeks to describe how the information/conversations have impacted a change in your professional practice AND what you see happening differently with students (including some specific examples.)

You will receive a certificate at the end of the 7 weeks once the above information is received.

This week we are reading the Introduction, Chapters 1, 2 and 3.  Here are some possible “comment” starters but feel free to reflect on what struck you as you read.

On page10 the author says “ Our conversations and discussions during Friendship Workshop help us reach academic standards; they don’t pull us away from these goals.”  Do you agree with this? What assumptions does the author hold? What do you want to argue about this?

If you are not a classroom teacher, what pieces can you take and use from the book?

The author speaks of young children still being self-centered. What can you be modeling from her suggestions? What can you be doing until they are developmentally ready to participate deeper in Friendship conversations?
Happy Reading!!!