Today’s post is short and sweet (bittersweet to some degree).  It is sandwiched between a day of taking my daughter to a New Student Reception at college and a day of working on my National Boards.  The learning just doesn’t seem to stop in my family-and I’m GREAT with that.

I know a lot of it has to do with the fact that my husband and I are both in education (he’s an elementary school guidance counselor), but I believe whatever profession we’d have chosen our desire to continue learning would be central to our lives. Our kid have been brought up in a house where new learning is the norm. They’ve seen me take classes in photography, my husband buy video lessons on golfing, as well as all the workshops, grad classes, and professional books that have inundated our lives and schedules.  Our kids are seeing that learning continues long after graduation.

No matter how many other ways we might have ‘messed up’ with this parenting gig, I can be proud of that.  So as my daughter finishes her high school career, there was never any question in her mind that her learning would continue.

I also realize that she is very lucky.  Not all of our students have the expectation or the means to make that happen.  But each day I work with them, I will teach as though they do.  Encouraging a growth mindset will help them to see that we are always growing and learning throughout life.  That can look very different for everyone, but that desire can be universal.  There is so much out there to discover and experience-may you all enjoy that journey!

What’s On My Book Radar?

The Wild Robot, Peter Brown’s first middle grade novel, is the story of a robot (Roz) who is the lone “survivor” of a shipwreck and finds herself on an island with wild animals. Through Roz we get to contemplate some deep existential questions: What does it mean to be alive? Why are we here? What is love? And yet it is just a simple story about a robot and some animals if you choose to read it that way. Lots of potential layers for readers in this book for grades 3+

#SOL16 Day 31…this is it!

(My apologies to those who saw this post yesterday. In all my craziness I uploaded the wrong one. This bolsters my thesis that this challenge was indeed a challenge at times!  haaa)

This whole month has flown by in a flash.  When I decided this was the year I would finally take the challenge, I had no idea what I was getting myself into! I think my title reveals my lack of preparedness and level of understanding for this undertaking! I have learned so much about myself as a writer. Even after just finishing a book called CLOSE WRITING, (bashful shout out to my peeps at Stenhouse) I am humbled by how much there is still possible to discover.

Here are my Top 10 Take-Aways from the Slice of Life Challenge 2016                                   (These are in no particular order and would probably change if you asked me tomorrow!)

1. Stories are everywhere-seriously…EVERYWHERE!
2. We are not the center of the universe.
3. Some days writing is hard.
4. There is no standardized unit of measure for a “slice”
5. Some slices whet our appetites for writing!
6. Getting comments on your writing makes you feel good.
7. Writing gets easier when it becomes a habit.
8. Being a part of a writing community enhances your writing identity.
9. Writing shapes the way you think about the world.
10. I am going to miss the intensity of pulling story from experience each day.

If you had asked me February 29th what I would get out of this challenge I would have talked about the importance of writing teachers being writing teachers. This month of writing has confirmed and intensified that assertion.

Thank you, and I mean this so sincerely, to all of my fellow slicers.

Your posts gave me inspiration, made me laugh, brought me to tears, dazzled me with your talent, and made me feel grateful.  Your comments made me smile, gave me ideas, and kept me going.  I am going to miss you all.

To the “Two Writing Teachers”: Stacey, Tara, Kathleen, Deb, Dana, Anna, Beth, and Betsy… I say thank you! I can only imagine how much work this has been to pull this off and create this community.

Until we meet again I raise my glass to you, offer you a slice of lime, and wish you good health.  “Salud!”

To lay a foundation for “close reading” in the primary grades, we can begin modeling what that process looks like with our read alouds. Poetry is a great source, because it is short, but filled with imagery and ideas that can challenge and stretch our thinking. With National Poetry Month on our doorstep, I am busily prepping classroom lessons.

Our K students can’t often verbally analyze a poem the way older students can.  They may lack the language and experience to appreciate the layers of meaning, word choice, and structure,  more seasoned readers can.  But they can experience a poem on a deeper level if we guide them into it.

One way young students often explore and express their thinking is through drawing.  Through drawing they often visualize the ideas of the writer, focus on certain details or aspects that are important to them, discuss their thinking as they draw; often revising or adding ideas as they sketch and doodle.  When they share their drawings with peers it is often accompanied with rich language for describing and explaining that might not have occurred without the supporting artwork.

This exemplifies the transactional nature of reading Louise Rosenblatt talks about when she says, “The text is simply ink on paper until a reader comes along. The poem on the other hand, is what happens when the text is brought into the reader’s mind and the words begin to function symbolically, evoking, in the transaction, images, emotions, and concepts. ” (Rosenblatt cited in Probst, 1987) I love watching this happen in kinder classes! Our youngest readers and writers bringing that ink on the page to life.

Here’s the lesson I do. Quick. Easy. POWERFUL when done with intention!

…and then these readers came along!

Thank you, Louise Rosenblatt!

#SOL16 Day 29

(I changed the name of this post -formerly Balancing Dans and Debbies because I in no way meant to disparage all of those amazing Debbies out there!)

There is so much negative energy that can permeate our lives each day…headlines about terrorism and local tragedy, a political landscape that continues to sink to new lows, teacher bashing, and just daily stresses. It’s critical that we find ways to bring some balance to our universe.

This morning my sister sent me a Facebook post from one of her friends.  She said every morning he sends out some positive message and that she looks forward to reading his posts to start her day.  It was incredible.  His message was so inspiring and uplifting.

I scrolled through my Facebook feed and noticed so many more positive messages. I realized, I have control over some of the energy around me.  I can’t control events, but I can regulate some the incoming messages and responses with the push of a button. I can choose the type of energy that I surround myself with. Certainly life isn’t all rainbows and ponies, but it sure as heck doesn’t have to be crowded with Debbie Downers!  I encourage you to take a look at who you invite into your world. Do they stretch your thinking, inspire your soul, lift up your heart?  Is that important to you?  It certainly is to me. I just friended Dan. We all need more Dans than Debbies in our life.

It’s YOUR choice!

#SOL16 Day 28

Today I was talking with a colleague who shared with me that her young mother had recently been diagnosed with a very rare cancer.  She was trying to wrap her head and heart around it and has been understandably shaken.  She said it was so funny that an email I sent her last week caught her attention when she was feeling down.  The subject line simply said “HEALING THOUGHTS”.  In it I wrote, “Thinking of you tonight. Hope you are feeling better (and are actually sleeping right now)!”  I sent it out before I went to bed that night. I had missed seeing her at school and heard she was out sick. She said she showed it to her fiance and it was just what she need right then. Healing thoughts were definitely on her mind.

We can’t be certain when a comment, a message, or an email might have an impact on another person, but you can be guaranteed that every kind comment, message, or email will be received with a grateful heart. I was thinking about this colleague that night and could have left it at that. I chose to take one minute and send an email letting her know she was cared about.

How many times have we thought about someone and considered reaching out, but didn’t? We are busy, we don’t want to bother them, we don’t think what we say can make much of a difference.  When in doubt…choose kind!

I was inspired by a fellow slicer this weekend (I’ve read so many posts now, I am sorry I can’t recall who) to leave some notes this week for the teachers I work with.  I had already written out several to deliver when this teacher approached me about the email I’d sent.  I wished right then I’d had written about a dozen more! These teachers just had a week of report cards and  parent conferences, and more weeks of standardized testing.  They needed to hear how appreciated they are  (and not just during the first week of May!) Think about how uplifting it is to find comments each day on our SOLC blogs! I want my colleagues to experience that lift more often, too!

I hope that I never pass up an opportunity to offer a kind word, or a quick and simple hug to another person who could use it. With the odds we are given in this life, there will be days when we all could use it!

May you all have a blessed and benevolent week.

#SOL16 Day 27

I miss hanging eggs in the lilac bushes out front.

I don’t miss hunting down the “uncracked” and “unfaded” eggs in the attic.

I miss filling baskets for my babes with goodies they’ll love.

I don’t miss waiting until half-past exhaustion to fill them at night.

I miss seeing their faces as they rush to find their baskets.

I don’t miss waking up at quarter-past too-early to grab my camera before they race down.

I miss hearing them thank the Easter Bunny for their treats.

I don’t miss some lagomorph taking credit for my planning and hard work.

I miss watching them don Easter outfits to celebrate the day.

I don’t miss underdressing in some spring fashion when it still feels like February.

I miss my babies.

I love my teens.

I miss some of our old traditions.

I embrace the ones we are making today.

#SOL16 Day 25

Our schools just began a month long engrossment with our state’s high stakes, standardized testing (MEAs). Staff are stressed out with the disruption of schedules,  technology demands, and  strict rules (no looking at student screens or student test books, two teachers in the room at all times, no other electronic devices in the room, etc).

So to add to the mayhem,  fifteen minutes into the testing yesterday afternoon we are assaulted with the “ERRR…ERRRR…ERRRR…” of the fire alarm.  We teachers know this one wasn’t planned. The kids calmly evacuate with practiced perfection. Unfortunately, part of that protocol is an admonition to take nothing with you-including coats.

It’s 24 degrees outside. I’m walking out with a group of bare armed kindergarteners.

Teachers line up their classes, take a head count, check for stragglers. And we wait.

“Is this a real fire?”

“This is just practice.”

The emergency vehicles are first heard, and then seen.  One.  Two. Three.  Four.  Four different fire and ladder trucks pull up.

“Why are the fire trucks here?”

“They need to practice too.”

A paramedic vehicle arrives. I don’t think we are going in anytime soon.

“I’m cold”.  “My ears hurt.”  “I want my coat.”

This is not good.  “Ok guys…huddle up!  Come here and snuggle up together!” 

The kids flock to my legs and waist!  I try to move the sleeveless kiddos to the center.  When I look down at these cuties I am reminded of a beehive in winter. There the bees cluster into a ball and take turns switching from the outer to inner parts of the core. They generate a heat of about 93 degrees in the dead of winter! These honeybees begin to giggle and smile. This is good.

“Hey, let’s take a picture of our huddle!”  I snap a bird’s eye view of these busy bees.

We enlist some older students with coats (they were already out at recess) to form an outer wall around our littlest. What a cool hive!

Before we know it, the all-clear bell sounds and we untangle and disband our snuggle ball. We trek back into the school. Toward the end of the day I walk to the kindergarten to share the pictures I took with their teacher.

“Hey, you’re the one who snuggled us!” Several students run over and throw their arms around me.

Now I know how the queen bee feels. I love this colony.

…You can call me queen Bee
And baby I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule, I’ll rule.
Let me live that fantasy.

from Royals by Lorde

(Just to be clear, their teacher is the true queen bee! She is amazing.   I just got a chance to visit that hive and feel the love they give her everyday!)

#SOL16 Day 24

One day a week I work in a functional skills (special education) classroom with 3rd through 6th graders during their writing block.  It’s one of my very favorite classes.  Today three of the students were working on an essay for a scholarship from a local credit union.  Every year all 5th and 6th graders enter this scholarship contest and write essays that share their aspirations, these students wanted to join in.

Tasya* was sharing her essay with me as Corey* listened in.  “When I grow up I want to be a midwife and go to college to be a midwife and I will get hired.  My boss will pay me money so I can take care of my family.”

Kevin asked, “What’s a midwife?”

Tasya answered, “I don’t really know what all they do.  I know they give baby check ups and they wrap up the babies.”

Corey looked a little confused so I added. “They help a mother when it is time to have a baby. They help the baby to be born.”

“So Tasya can help my girlfriend’s baby be born?”  Now Corey is 12, so I replied, “Not for a long, long time.”

Corey responds,”Yeah, my dad said he wants me to have a girlfriend when I’m 18.  Can you have a baby when you’re 18?”

Tasya answers, “No.  You have to be in your 20’s, like maybe 25 or something. My mom says you can’t get married til you are in your 20’s.”

I could see this conversation was not moving in a direction we had time to explore, and wasn’t helping them to their focus on the essays, so I try to circle back.  “Corey, what is your essay about?”

“I’m gonna be a pilot. I’m gonna get a lesson to fly a plane and get my license.”

“That’s gonna be a good one. I like that one.” Tasya encourages him.

I see Ariana* sitting at the end of the table. “How about you, Ariana? What do you want to do when you grow up?”

She taps on her paper.  “I’m gonna be a crime investigator and solves all those crimes. My mom lets me watch that show where they solve those crimes. I can do that.”

Corey has a look on his face that screams, “Whoa!”

“That’s gonna be a good one. I like that one, too.” Tasya offers again.

As I listen to them sharing their hopes and dreams for their futures, I am struck with the realization that those dreams won’t come easy (if at all) to these beautiful children. The opportunities in life that  we frequently take for granted are sometimes out of reach for others.  For now, I help them celebrate  and work toward their dreams, and hope that throughout their life they will find encouragement if their aspirations become altered.

My own daughter will be off to college next year, and I’ve never had a doubt that whatever she dreamed, she could become.  It hits me hard knowing that not all parents have that same experience.  All children have dreams, but not all will be realized the way we might hope for them.

It is my wish that they keep dreaming, and recognize there is never just one dream. I will keep working, encouraging, and guiding these students to be the best whatever they want to be.

To dream … the impossible dream …
To fight … the unbeatable foe …
To bear … with unbearable sorrow …
To run … where the brave dare not go …

To right … the unrightable wrong …
To love … pure and chaste from afar …
To try … when your arms are too weary …
To reach … the unreachable star …

This is my quest, to follow that star …
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far …

From Man of LaMancha
Lyrics by Joe Darion

*pseudonyms