tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16079893340306083612024-03-12T19:15:08.739-07:00Jae Holt Ordinary worlds. Extraordinary stories.Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-83278412630113271102020-12-07T10:34:00.002-08:002020-12-07T11:47:27.230-08:00How to Find Your Holiday Happy PlaceImage by Marcos Garzo from PixabayThe holidays are a stressful time in a normal year, but this year hasn't been exactly normal. My family had to cancel our yearly trip to visit family and friends in Hawaii, we spent Thanksgiving jumping from Zoom meeting to Zoom meeting, and we couldn't have dinner at the table because that was my new office. When expected routines get tossed out the window,Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-38576814485388209242020-10-10T01:00:00.001-07:002020-10-10T01:00:00.525-07:00Giving my Novel Some Much-Deserved Love
Image by fotografierende from Pixabay
Since this pandemic started, I’ve been staying mostly at
home to minimize the risk of someone in the household getting sick. Which means
I’ve gotten to catch up on some things, like decluttering the house, doing DIY
projects, and reading.
I started reading the ebooks
and paperbacks I'd purchased but didn’t get to yet. But one book sitting on my shelf Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-22695977567108938662018-03-01T10:01:00.000-08:002018-03-01T10:01:16.327-08:00Communication and Teaching: Dealing with Challenges
You've prepared for your assignment as best you could and
piled your bag of tricks full of useful stuff to help keep students on track.
You've utilized every method possible to help students stay focused or return
to the task at hand. But you are still experiencing a few hiccups with a
student or two that is making class time distracting.
My typical classroom
At this point you could Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-64635005527397290042018-01-03T09:49:00.000-08:002018-01-03T09:49:28.922-08:00Communication and Teaching: In the Classroom
So you made it to your assignment early and you had enough time to get to know your surroundings. You got this, right? Well, yes you do…until you don’t. Which means once class has started, what are you going to do to keep students engaged and cooperative?
Image from OC Register
While you may be a guest in the classroom, these are your students today and you are responsible for
giving them Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-24683272173782242912017-11-10T13:29:00.000-08:002017-11-20T11:01:08.828-08:00Communication and Teaching: Arriving Prepared
In an earlier post, I discussed how a substitute’s day
isn’t always “typical.” However, arriving early and being prepared for your
assignment will help you have as typical a day as possible. Here are a few tips
for arriving early and what to bring with you to prepare yourself for the day.
Explore your surroundings
Arrive early to your assignment so you have time to find
the school, Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-34655069459848032642017-10-27T10:21:00.001-07:002017-10-27T10:23:53.959-07:00Communication and Teaching: A Substitute's Typical Day
So what is a substitute’s typical day like? The answer is
simple: there isn’t one. A day may start like this. You wake up and get a call
from the sub system or directly from a school. You accept the assignment, get
ready for your day, and show up to your assigned classroom. That is about where
the “typical” day ends.
Classroom image via Pixabay
“Typical” depends
on attitude
Every class Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-43024324420756239822017-09-27T11:09:00.000-07:002017-10-17T09:29:29.928-07:00Communication and Teaching: Why be a Substitute Teacher?
When students first discover there is a sub in their classroom, one of two reactions occur: “Oh, no, a substitute,” or “Oh yeah, a substitute!” Yet both reactions usually point to the same student expectation – the class is going to be…different.
via Cliparts Zone
“Different” is going to depend on the sub
Dealing with one or two children can be difficult. Dealing with twenty to thirty Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-41017029518201431862017-02-02T13:06:00.000-08:002017-02-02T13:06:52.483-08:00Communication and Meaning: Not All Words Are Bad
This is a ninja (clipartion.com)
I really enjoy substitute teaching. Even when I am in a "difficult" class I have fun. Perhaps it is because I have a little bit of evil in me and relish in the challenge of an upstart student or two. I also enjoy not having to deal with school politics. I don't plan on being in one place long enough to get sucked in to any drama.
Until one day I inadvertently Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-11973183186065688912016-10-14T15:00:00.000-07:002016-10-14T15:03:44.628-07:00Communication and Kendo: Part 3Here is the last post, unfashionably late, in my "Communication and Kendo" series. I tied communication to the art of kendo in Part 1 by talking about kendo and self-improvement. Then I introduced the idea of "Ki Ken Tai Ichi" as the second point that brings kendo and communication together. Now I want to tie in the final point of kendo - respect yourself and others. Showing respect equates to Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-55958614606145686192016-02-02T11:36:00.000-08:002016-03-17T10:05:54.641-07:00Communication and Appreciating CultureI have unfortunately neglected writing my blog posts, and the main reason is I've been busy writing for Mapquest's new travel site, Parachute. My secondary reason is I contracted a mean case of the lazies while on Christmas vacation and now I need to kick it into overdrive to get back on track with my writing.
I did want to talk about my last article that I wrote for Parachute, because it Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-47234395404735263942015-11-20T10:11:00.000-08:002015-11-20T10:11:36.305-08:00Star Wars: The Reader AwakensThis is going to be a short post, as I am in between writing projects that I have been updating on my Reviews and Articles page, but I've been neglecting my blog and I apologize to my readers profusely!
My son is a huge Star Wars fan. In fact I'm embarrassed to say he may very well be a bigger fan than I am. He has watched the entire saga more than I have fingers, and in particular has rewatchedJae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-39161659344226102752015-09-28T17:23:00.000-07:002015-09-28T17:23:32.415-07:00Communication and Education: Questions to Ask Your Child's Teacher
Image copyright FreeDesignFile
It's been about a month now since my son started his new school, and I can't be happier about his experience. Our curriculum night is coming up, and I am excited to hear what his teacher has to say about learning in her classroom. I'm not worried that my kiddo isn't adjusting. He is thriving both academically and socially, and it all started with a few simple Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-86550342841281705892015-09-10T11:07:00.003-07:002015-09-10T11:10:27.893-07:00Where Short Stories Come FromEver since my first (failed) attempt at marketing my my first novel I have tried a few other times to drum up "buzz" for my work with near-zero success. Is it because my novel was terrible? Absolutely not. I put a lot of time and effort into creating a story I loved to read, so I know there are hundreds of others who would also love my book. But you wouldn't know it by the scant reviews and Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-4030380158443138642015-06-14T12:04:00.000-07:002015-06-14T12:07:03.889-07:00Question: How do I inspire my child to write?
It starts with a simple sentence.
Some of my most enjoyable moments were teaching a five-session writing class to elementary students. This is an age where their imaginations are getting broader and more inventive. This is the best time to get them to write those wonderful thoughts down on paper. But not every child I had was very excited to write.
My very first class had nine students, one Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-88086325320597163332015-06-07T06:33:00.002-07:002015-09-15T09:33:03.491-07:00Question: Are YA Novels Really for Young Adults?
This is a question I am often asked by parents. Parents are becoming more aware of what is written in today's "young adult" novels, thanks in part to the sudden flurry of books-turned-movies that have graced our theaters since Twilight. They are noticing that the books aimed at teenagers appear more mature in theme than the YA fare of their youth. But is it really becoming "too adult?"
First Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-63800885486802849462015-04-20T08:27:00.000-07:002015-04-20T08:27:00.395-07:00Question: How do I get my third grader to read regular books?
Image courtesy of Clipartpal.com
A while ago, a parent told me her third-grade son loved to read comic books, but she couldn't get him to read regular chapter books. She was frustrated by this and asked me for suggestions to get him interested in reading the "regular books." I asked her why she felt he needed to start reading those "regular books," and her response was, "His fluency scores areJae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-12574536978924265002015-04-15T08:43:00.001-07:002015-04-20T14:17:15.279-07:00Reinventing the Library Identity
Original post by Jae Holt
October 23, 2013
**This article was originally posted on the MamaManga website. The question, "if there aren't any paper books, is it still a library?" is still being answered. I wanted to reintroduce this article to readers and then revisit the question by inviting you to give me your answers. Please leave your comments below.
Carnation Library
In September of Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-26645928059018797782015-04-01T12:01:00.002-07:002015-04-02T12:20:03.560-07:00Raising a "Normal" Child - Social and Emotional LearningOne day, while watching one of my son's soccer practices, I began to notice how the kids interacted with each other and their coach. If a conflict arose, there would be some words exchanged and maybe a few huffs and eye-rolls here and there. But whatever the problem was either got fixed, or it wasn't important enough to continue talking about. The ones that did require some intervention were Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-69622705173732293712015-03-11T13:12:00.000-07:002015-03-11T13:16:10.914-07:00Interview With a Character 4
Emalie Napunoa
Emalie with obligatory cherry blossoms
As I'm polishing up my second draft of Under a Mango Moon, I'm getting to know Kai's mother, Emalie. She doesn't get much story time for some reason, so the other day I decided to get to know her a little better. I started off by imagining what she looked like. And since my drawing skills are not the greatest, I decided to bring Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-35605090631169450972015-03-08T12:01:00.000-07:002015-03-08T12:01:43.701-07:00The Fascination With Steampunk
Automaton from Cirque du Soleil's Kurios
When I embarked on this journey to write a story about a young boy growing up in a very different historical version of Hawaii, I knew that I wanted to incorporate the imaginings of an often misunderstood genre - steampunk.
When most people hear of the term for the first time, images of Victorian garb, goggles, metal wheels and cogs, ray guns, and Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-17077988194191952592015-03-03T08:10:00.000-08:002015-03-03T08:10:20.367-08:00Raising a "Normal" Child - Learning to be SuccessfulMy previous post introduced you to my family's horrifying discovery that we are not perfect. As parents, we made mistakes in the education and social upbringing of our son.Once strong willed, he was now fraught with anxiety issues and had difficulties engaging in social activities at school. The next phase of our lives involved acceptance, communication, and better expectations.
Anxiety can beJae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-15904572570336800512015-02-09T14:48:00.003-08:002015-02-11T11:44:32.079-08:00Raising a "Normal" Child - PreschoolI think the worst part so far about raising my son is having the expectation that school will be a place to watch him thrive and be challenged, and then have that expectation blow up in your face when you instead feel like school has opened your eyes to the possibility that your child is somehow broken. I have come to realize that my husband and I realize we are not alone in this experience, and Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-34422870072980076712015-02-03T09:49:00.001-08:002015-02-03T13:41:48.345-08:00Communication and Blogging with Kids
site used for student blogs
My son's teacher set up blog pages for her students to use. It is mainly to post their book reports, but they are also free to post other school-related or personal commentaries. It is an excellent lesson in responsible social media use.
First of all, students cannot immediately post to their blogs. Once they complete a post, it has to go to the teacher to be Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-10964460444199721882015-01-19T10:33:00.005-08:002015-01-19T10:35:53.273-08:00Interview with a Character 3
Kai Napunoa
Not the greatest art, but here's Kai!
I'm finally ready to introduce one of my characters from my newest novel. Thirteen-year-old Kai Napunoa lives in a plantation camp on the island of Maui. He is a curious kid who would rather go exploring instead of going to school. Living on an island might sound boring, but with a creative mind like Kai's, every day can be an adventure!
JHJae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1607989334030608361.post-69318880953020000932014-12-14T13:25:00.000-08:002015-09-22T10:11:21.767-07:00Review: Fantasy Meets Mystery in CITY OF STAIRSFantasy novels make for great stories of adventure, romance, or horror. But it isn't often that a fantasy is able to blend fantasy with a thrilling mystery and a tale of intrigue.
But City of Stairs, by Robert Jackson Bennet, does a masterful job of taking a political tale of murder and intrigue and placing it in the most fantastic of settings. Bulikov is a city built by beings revered as gods, Jae Holthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141936571760296685noreply@blogger.com0