tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60455265674519438852024-03-12T21:07:16.572-07:00Taxonomy of a TeacherTaxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-50611515503297805502017-06-21T16:09:00.004-07:002017-06-21T16:09:59.700-07:00Being Deliberate My second year of teaching came to a close three weeks ago, and I am nearly two weeks into my first graduate course.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My head and my heart are struggling to catch up. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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Adulthood is no longer something that I can smirk at and roll my eyes toward. </div>
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<br /></div>
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It's real and it's here and it needs my attention immediately. </div>
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<br /></div>
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As I slug through the motions of finding a new car (my car was totaled about two weeks ago when a massive deer decided to stand its ground in the middle of the highway), learning how to budget, reflecting on last year, and trying to honestly process the readings I'm assigned, I keep returning to the same thoughts.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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Are my actions reflecting my ideals?</div>
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<br /></div>
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How can I make sure that all that I am learning changes the parts of me that need to change?</div>
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<br /></div>
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How the hell do I relax and find a healthy work/life balance?</div>
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<br /></div>
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I don't exactly have peace right now, but I know that deliberate decisions have to come before the peace does.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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So, for tonight at least, I am making a deliberate decision to shut this computer down and run until my thoughts run out.</div>
Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-18756569906550184232017-06-19T21:29:00.000-07:002017-06-19T21:36:01.071-07:00Oneida Street<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was seven years old the first time I heard a gunshot. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'd waited for my parents to turn off their bedroom light</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">before quietly stacking my dolls under my arms to continue</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">my play by the light of the streetlamp in the living room.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Three shots were fired.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rubber screamed against cement.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Three beats of silence and then sirens.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don't remember the sound of glass shattering,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">but the bay window from the house catty-corner from</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">my own was now scattered across the lawn. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My father ran into the room and I waited for</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the furrowed brow and demand of an explanation.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His anger never came.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The doorbell rang and my mother jumped.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A tired policeman sat in our living room,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">one restless foot crushed the arm of my doll.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My mother brought him coffee and</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">he asked questions that I didn't </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">know how to answer.</span></div>
<br />Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-71619036565367097172017-05-02T18:54:00.001-07:002017-05-02T18:54:28.531-07:00Growth Is Messy<i>I need to go run.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I stared up at the ceiling and contemplated another nap.<br />
<br />
<i>Get your shoes on. Run for ten minutes. Then you can nap.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
A drawn out and dramatic exhale left my chest.<br />
<br />
I traded my dress pants for shorts, laced my running shoes, and was off.<br />
<br />
The past few weeks have been nothing short of a whirlwind, and I've evaded processing it all for a stretch of time now. Some things are small. Some things are big. Right now, most of them remain labeled as "things" as I run through each labored breath.<br />
<br />
Parts of the past few weeks will take time to process. They'll need to remain vague reflections until I have enough distance from this period of time to understand them clearly.<br />
<br />
Other things are becoming clear in quick and unexpected moments.<br />
<br />
Today was full of those moments.<br />
<br />
It was the last period of the day, and my sophomores were about thirty minutes into selecting research topics and developing research questions. As I knelt down next to a group of students, each with questions and voices overlapping the next, a wave of exhaustion came over me. I put the group on pause so I could get a drink of water and let a moment of silence reset me.<br />
<br />
I walked back into the room and smiled at the messiness of the writing process. They were caught up in it. Words were simultaneously being tangled and untangled. Each voice a layer to an overarching conversation we have been having all trimester.<br />
<br />
So. Stinking. Beautiful.<br />
<br />
My teacher heart swooned, and I realized how well I know their voices.<br />
<br />
How well I've come to understand their idiosyncrasies.<br />
<br />
How easily I can determine what kind of conversation is going on in any part of my classroom.<br />
<br />
I feel so differently about my classroom than I did ten months ago.<br />
<br />
Growth in the classroom equates to so many small moments, and few of them have built consecutively.<br />
<br />
It's messy, just like the writing process.<br />
<br />
But it's also pretty stinking beautiful.Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-18396031717325597272017-03-31T15:35:00.001-07:002017-03-31T16:41:40.332-07:00SoL Challenge Day #31It's the last day!<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
I'm excited that I managed to write every single day, and I'm hoping that I can keep up the habit in the coming months.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
For my final day, I wanted to share a moment that is still echoing inside of me.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
My creative writing students spent a great deal of time this past week reading and listening to poetry. We looked at different poetic elements and forms, but mostly, we responded to how the poetry impacted or didn't impacted us. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I created a Sweet 16 Poetry Bracket on one of my walls, and the students searched for poems that they felt belonged on that bracket. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Today we listened to first two contending poems: "OCD" by Neil Hilborn and "I'm Sorry" by FreeQuency. One, obviously, deals with OCD. The other deal with the way our society speaks about rape. Both poems are intense, and both poems have the power to make an audience uncomfortable.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
After having the students respond to the poem in writing, I took a seat on my stool in the front of the room and asked them to listen carefully to me.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
"Raw and incredible writing is not always appropriate for the general classroom. It requires a great deal of respect, reflection, and maturity. With that said, my classroom should not be a place that crosses your personal boundaries. If you feel the poems we read today cross your personal boundaries, I will redraw mine for this classroom. Send me an email or talk to me after class if topics like this are too much for you."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I went on for a few more minutes, but then asked them to share their responses to either of the poems with their table partners. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I noticed one boy, who is usually rather outspoken, silent and staring blankly at his paper. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I pulled him aside as students filed out for their next class.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Was that second video too much for you? I do not want you to feel uncomfortable in here."</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
"Not at all. It's just... it's sobering. I'd never really thought about it. I just didn't know what to say."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sobering. Poetry can be sobering.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In that moment, I was reminded of my own high school self discovering poetry that angled my view of the world. Anis Mojgani. Buddy Wakefield. George Watsky. Sarah Kay.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sometimes the lines need time to turn and settle in us.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The words need us to be patient. To wait. To let them linger and echo in us as we grow.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My heart aches. This is why I write. This is why I read. This is why I teach.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dAtNy8vNzb4/WN7Zkm5JOJI/AAAAAAAAALw/IKancMPGU30NkzQHOnsOvv0OHU1U_ck0wCK4B/s1600/31-day-streak-with-border.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dAtNy8vNzb4/WN7Zkm5JOJI/AAAAAAAAALw/IKancMPGU30NkzQHOnsOvv0OHU1U_ck0wCK4B/s400/31-day-streak-with-border.jpg" /></a></div>
Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-9765016404253701922017-03-30T15:38:00.000-07:002017-03-30T15:38:01.711-07:00SoL Challenge Day #30Subjective grading<br />
gives me much anxiety.<br />
I wait for complaints.<br />
<br />
In addition to getting better at staggering due dates for my own grading sanity, I realized today that this foresight has other benefits.<br />
<br />
I crumble a bit inside when students don't feel I've graded them fairly. I go through the rubric with them. I give feedback on drafts. We look at enough examples to understand the product without stifling their creativity. Their final grade is explained. Yet, it seems, with each assignment there are one or two students who don't feel they were graded fairly.<br />
<br />
I handed back two larger writing assignments today. After watching one student crumble up his paper without reading the comments and another mutter anger under her breath, I felt entirely deflated.<br />
<br />
So much time put into each assignment.<br />
<br />
My willingness to discuss any grades after class was not taken up on, and I fought frustration with my students and myself the entire way home.<br />
<br />
Tonight I will work through another rubric and try to eliminate as much potential for subjectivity as I can.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow, I will try again.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SoufDhM0K3M/WN2Ixm0gdpI/AAAAAAAAALg/Y1tSXvtK4oUVI3pMnKTss52nMQyOjj1AgCK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SoufDhM0K3M/WN2Ixm0gdpI/AAAAAAAAALg/Y1tSXvtK4oUVI3pMnKTss52nMQyOjj1AgCK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a>Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-91444749620752544522017-03-29T17:17:00.002-07:002017-03-30T04:46:53.941-07:00SoL Challenge Day #29The first time a student had a panic attack in my classroom, I was a student teacher.<br />
<br />
It was the second day of class, and I noticed her as my mentor teacher was handing out papers.<br />
<br />
She had bustled in a few moments after the bell rang, quickly dropped her stuff and tears immediately sprang from her eyes. I walked over to her and asked her if she wanted to go to the hallway. She readily agreed and followed me out.<br />
<br />
Once in the hallway, we just sat there. After a few minutes of breathing, she explained that she'd fallen on the arm that she would soon have surgery on. Panic ensued, but eventually subsided.<br />
<br />
It happened to me for the second time yesterday.<br />
<br />
She was the last speaker of the day, and the class waited patiently for her to come in from practicing in the hallway.<br />
<br />
One minute passed.<br />
<br />
Two minutes.<br />
<br />
Three.<br />
<br />
To the hallway I went.<br />
<br />
I propped open the door to a study room outside of my classroom, and she was heaving with sobs.<br />
<br />
<i>Oh man.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Cue camp counselor mode.<br />
<br />
"Can you sit on the ground with me?"<br />
<br />
She nodded.<br />
<br />
"Okay. I want you to breathe in when I do. I'll count for you. One...two....three. Let it out."<br />
<br />
Several jagged breaths escape.<br />
<br />
I smiled. "One more time."<br />
<br />
Her breathing evened.<br />
<br />
In the few minutes before the bell we discussed her speech, her nerves, and I told her all of my favorite dad jokes I'd heard on Jimmy Fallon the night before. She left, seemingly calm, with her best friend on her arm.<br />
<br />
Breathe in. Breathe out. Everything will be fine.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UIgqTvgaqwI/WNxOXLzwDhI/AAAAAAAAALQ/aB8kkg0XS1wdCRDFObid_m3ynty1_-q0wCK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UIgqTvgaqwI/WNxOXLzwDhI/AAAAAAAAALQ/aB8kkg0XS1wdCRDFObid_m3ynty1_-q0wCK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a>Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-30139457077333953262017-03-28T16:32:00.000-07:002017-03-28T16:32:08.565-07:00SoL Challenge Day #28Things I've noticed since beginning this challenge:<br />
<br />
1. It is so challenging to write substantively for myself when I am giving tons of feedback on student writing. It's like my brain is rationing my ability to put words onto a page.<br />
<br />
2. Writing through difficult days has made me better at navigating them as they are happening so there isn't quite so much emotional aftermath. I try to be a reflective thinker in general, but writing through the mess requires more from me, and gives me more in return.<br />
<br />
3. I miss getting the amount of feedback on my writing that I did in college, but this process has encouraged me to start submitting my work to different places.<br />
<br />
My brain is mush. There are more papers to respond to, but I am happy to do it. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1zVwAHonRek/WNrydpyW5oI/AAAAAAAAALA/HtE9C8YS1A0heX7W1Tf5VT8sZBS9_3v9QCK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1zVwAHonRek/WNrydpyW5oI/AAAAAAAAALA/HtE9C8YS1A0heX7W1Tf5VT8sZBS9_3v9QCK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a>Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-34984942826886840552017-03-27T15:42:00.000-07:002017-03-27T15:42:19.757-07:00SoL Challenge day #27Today's golden moments:<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Introducing a poetry unit to my creative writing class. I hesitate to say unit because I try to incorporate poetry into everything, but the "official" introduction could not have gone better.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>I had my last observation of the year today! I think it went well, but I'm also just excited to almost have my full licensure. Woo!</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>A student who has been agonizing over her speech for the past week absolutely nailed it today. She received an ovation from her peers, and left beaming with pride. </li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
I hope you all had a delightful start to your week as well!</div>
Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-67369666395268706952017-03-26T17:02:00.000-07:002017-03-26T17:02:15.562-07:00SoL Challenge Day #26Today I crave<br />
<br />
whitespace,<br />
dried mangoes,<br />
daisies,<br />
and naps.<br />
<br />
It's time for the<br />
crawlspace in my<br />
chest to be emptied<br />
of this heavy winter.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AI5tLJbvWSY/WNhWeo8iJwI/AAAAAAAAAKw/n-zt0_qTEcYBACxtlIRU9cZ5AfVtvJuegCK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AI5tLJbvWSY/WNhWeo8iJwI/AAAAAAAAAKw/n-zt0_qTEcYBACxtlIRU9cZ5AfVtvJuegCK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a></div>
Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-53210672581315144862017-03-25T12:31:00.001-07:002017-03-25T12:33:15.782-07:00Slice of Life Challenge Day #25<div>
I hear his voice best when I'm driving,</div>
<div>
off key proclamations of love and sorrow</div>
<div>
one eyebrow cocked </div>
<div>
rearview laughter blurring with the miles.</div>
<div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CF8H2GMdqRw/WNbFcyKJplI/AAAAAAAAAKg/MOsJjOQHiwAfxYE6ycRCVmTjEm9PNOaIgCK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CF8H2GMdqRw/WNbFcyKJplI/AAAAAAAAAKg/MOsJjOQHiwAfxYE6ycRCVmTjEm9PNOaIgCK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a></div>
Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-3419077351003757662017-03-24T13:54:00.004-07:002017-03-24T13:55:18.737-07:00Slice of Life Challenge Day #24<div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CMn13UT7JcI/WNWHZ6sRyHI/AAAAAAAAAKA/wcAhOjcnrMYY15KPzOV26hLlnlTzTxoHACK4B/s1600/large.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CMn13UT7JcI/WNWHZ6sRyHI/AAAAAAAAAKA/wcAhOjcnrMYY15KPzOV26hLlnlTzTxoHACK4B/s320/large.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
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In a few minutes I will be heading to Des Moines to sing and dance to one of my favorite bands with my favorite people. I will be singing The Lumineers the entire way there and back.<br />
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My heart is full, but my gas tank is empty.</div>
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Enjoy your weekend, folks!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-loXeh7VmC2Y/WNWHi1t4DVI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/50hkyvHapZogbjLhg7CGcue3wR9uKYJKQCK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-loXeh7VmC2Y/WNWHi1t4DVI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/50hkyvHapZogbjLhg7CGcue3wR9uKYJKQCK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a></div>
Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-74780690339959155462017-03-23T15:00:00.002-07:002017-03-23T15:00:59.808-07:00SoL Challenge Day #23When the internet goes out during the last period of the day, and all the writing the students have done is stored in Google Docs, a quick decision must be made.<br />
<br />
After the principal delivered the message, I gave them a choice.<br />
<br />
1. You can work on your speech if you do not need the internet.<br />
<br />
Or<br />
<br />
2. You can read.<br />
<br />
Books were quickly retrieved out of backpacks and the classroom noise died down within moments.<br />
<br />
My students dove into their adventures for one beautiful and technology free hour.<br />
<br />
No internet? No problem.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GwmYMP4HryI/WNRFil_yMhI/AAAAAAAAAJo/0TKSCJ8iMZ49LYvCRKYlKtvEk5_aZtTJACK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GwmYMP4HryI/WNRFil_yMhI/AAAAAAAAAJo/0TKSCJ8iMZ49LYvCRKYlKtvEk5_aZtTJACK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a>Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-12548662175133827242017-03-22T17:53:00.003-07:002017-03-22T17:56:58.691-07:00SoL Challenge Day #22<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> two good moments today for every bad moment yesterday.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My favorite moment came at the end of the day when two students came into my room to waste time between school and practice. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Both of these girls finished <i>All the Bright Places </i>by Jennifer Niven two days ago, and have been anxiously waiting for me to finish as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Have you finished yet?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Not yet. I will though. I promise!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Well... where are you in it? What can we talk about?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I thought for a moment. I'm a few chapters in, but I keep flipping back to the epigraph by Ernest Hemingway.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places."</em><span style="background-color: #faf8f5; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #faf8f5; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #faf8f5;">When I looked up, they were giving each other a baffled version of side eye. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #faf8f5;">"I didn't see that part."</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #faf8f5;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #faf8f5;">"Me either. That's actually really cool. Who is Ernest Hemingway?"</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #faf8f5;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #faf8f5;">Be still, my beating heart.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #faf8f5;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #faf8f5;">I listened and prompted as they unpacked his quote and asked Siri a slew of questions about Hemingway.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #faf8f5;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #faf8f5;">I drove home smiling, and was reminded of the beauty in this daily writing challenge.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #faf8f5;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #faf8f5;">Yesterday was hard. Today was easier. Thank you for lifting me up on the bad days so that I can look forward to the better ones.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #faf8f5;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #faf8f5;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0yioATUxUEo/WNMcmqb_u7I/AAAAAAAAAJQ/D6LWFeHy_6Uz2Z0-_zbsZhYI-3eiiQGHQCK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0yioATUxUEo/WNMcmqb_u7I/AAAAAAAAAJQ/D6LWFeHy_6Uz2Z0-_zbsZhYI-3eiiQGHQCK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a></span></span>Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-42030450459423638082017-03-21T15:26:00.001-07:002017-03-21T16:38:21.571-07:00SoL Challenge Day #21Today I am left with more questions than conclusions about this profession.<br />
<br />
I felt that film of anxiety that I thought I'd shed over break creep back over me.<br />
<br />
It happens when I give students time to write and revise, and neither of those things really happen to the extent that I wish they would.<br />
<br />
It happens when the student that I thought I had finally gotten to a good place with in terms of respect rolls her eyes in response to a direction.<br />
<br />
It happens when the aide in my classroom whispers that she saw a student snap a photo of me.<br />
<br />
I am not just trying to learn how to respond to these moments, but I'm trying to learn how to respond to them in a way that makes sense with who I am as a person.<br />
<br />
It is exhausting.<br />
<br />
But, when tomorrow arrives, I will have had those experiences.<br />
<br />
My teacher reflexes will be one more step toward cat-like.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X_qVGvt3VOs/WNGoeYI6yhI/AAAAAAAAAJA/ZA1TcUU52XUNN7EKShObrSXBm3wMmsgSwCK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X_qVGvt3VOs/WNGoeYI6yhI/AAAAAAAAAJA/ZA1TcUU52XUNN7EKShObrSXBm3wMmsgSwCK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a>Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-87746055486209058092017-03-20T16:35:00.001-07:002017-03-20T16:42:55.887-07:00SoL Challenge Day #20For the past two weeks, my sophomores have been creating speeches about what it means to be a learner versus someone who plays the game of school.<br />
<br />
I poured hours into this assignment, and was so excited to see what they would do with it.<br />
<br />
While a few students hooked into it, so many students were creating carbon copy speeches of my example.<br />
<br />
I was disappointed. We'd read through numerous articles that approached this topic from different angles. I'd created a Flipgrid response where several adults reflected on how the way they interacted with their high school education has impacted their adult life. I gave my own personal testimony, and we reflected in our journals every single day.<br />
<br />
So, after giving a great deal of feedback, I tried again with a more straightforward approach.<br />
<br />
I took an example paper from last trimester that looked a whole lot like so many of the papers I was seeing.<br />
<br />
This group likes to critique, and they're pretty awesome at it.<br />
<br />
"This falls flat at the end, like the writer just kind of gave up and repeated himself."<br />
<br />
"The arguments feel generic. Actually, it looks kind of like my paper."<br />
<br />
Small group conversations focused largely on these two ideas. I explained that while this paper technically meets the requirements of the assignment, the student isn't really taking advantage of this opportunity to reflect and to understand something about themselves. Therefore, it's not all that interesting to read.<br />
<br />
Something seemed to shift, and when workshop time started, hands were up calling for my attention. I was worried that students would be asking me to create their papers for them after realizing that what they'd created needed quite a bit of work.<br />
<br />
I really shouldn't assume. They keep surprising me. Their questions were direct and specific. They didn't need me to reiterate everything I'd explained minutes before. They were applying, and just needed guidance with specific aspects of their piece.<br />
<br />
I am pooped, but pretty excited to see how these pieces of writing develop<br />
<br />
.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J1smQQucZPs/WNBnM-6mVgI/AAAAAAAAAIw/irCw3-3Cv78uBKE--jDYKDz1yMzW_X6ZgCK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J1smQQucZPs/WNBnM-6mVgI/AAAAAAAAAIw/irCw3-3Cv78uBKE--jDYKDz1yMzW_X6ZgCK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a><br />
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<br />Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-77151272005214013572017-03-19T15:08:00.002-07:002017-03-19T15:08:35.409-07:00SoL Challenge Day #19Spring break is over, and I am sad.<br />
<br />
Even though I spent a chunk of each day working on school related tasks, I still feel like I haven't done enough. That I haven't planned lessons that will be exciting enough. That I missed a whole array of things I could have been doing instead of relaxing.<br />
<br />
However, I feel relaxed. I feel rested. I feel full from the laughter and conversations I was able to have with family and friends over the past week.<br />
<br />
I will work for a while tonight, and try to come to a good place with my work and with myself.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow, we start again.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-acAjoAGcEC0/WM8BYZ4UdiI/AAAAAAAAAIc/tJ-gFBnzY9gDePtcQJHbdYIfmT1ipoG3QCK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-acAjoAGcEC0/WM8BYZ4UdiI/AAAAAAAAAIc/tJ-gFBnzY9gDePtcQJHbdYIfmT1ipoG3QCK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a>Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-24367404038884056372017-03-18T09:38:00.001-07:002017-03-18T09:38:22.063-07:00SoL Challenge Day #18I am learning a lot right now as a new teacher. Like, a lot. Every single day. My brain is saturated with information. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Some things stay there. Some things are involuntarily swept away as new information comes barreling in. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
The things that stay though are shaping the edges of my teacher brain, and I've been thinking about one piece of advice in particular over the past few days.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
"We have to respect teachers where they are at. We have to respect what they do well, even if we more prominently see their shortcomings. If we do not acknowledge and respect who they are right now, we will have very little impact on their potential growth."</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
This is paraphrased, but is the essence of what I heard many months ago. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I feel like other teachers have given, and continue to, give me this grace. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I hope that I give other teachers this same grace. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7SXbEfRBvjU/WM1ielbU_MI/AAAAAAAAAIM/ykine_A9qX8ZPgy31jVOWB-l4W_jpUH5wCK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7SXbEfRBvjU/WM1ielbU_MI/AAAAAAAAAIM/ykine_A9qX8ZPgy31jVOWB-l4W_jpUH5wCK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a></div>
Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-23073383617687869912017-03-17T15:07:00.000-07:002017-03-17T15:07:45.182-07:00SoL Challenge Day #17<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sm1wyavT_A8/WMxeJn4onyI/AAAAAAAAAH4/O_GQKpL6GOglzvMjOqNRFPESNUiGXINmgCK4B/s1600/17342628_10210643703826824_6807492434383124280_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sm1wyavT_A8/WMxeJn4onyI/AAAAAAAAAH4/O_GQKpL6GOglzvMjOqNRFPESNUiGXINmgCK4B/s320/17342628_10210643703826824_6807492434383124280_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I spent most of the morning and day today hiking Effigy Mounds with the science teacher in our building.<br />
<br />
She's on the opposite side of the building and I hardly see her during the week, but I am so grateful for days like these when I get to explore nature and sort through some of my backed up teacher thoughts.<br />
<br />
It is relieving to hear someone speak frankly and directly when I present them with my challenges, school related or otherwise.<br />
<br />
I crave honesty and feedback regularly in my life, and I have found a wonderful marigold of a teacher who values growth through conversation in the same way that I do.<br />
<br />
With spring break quickly coming to a close, I began to feel the anxiety of school return while I gave feedback on student work last night. I fell asleep still running possible lesson plans through my head.<br />
<br />
As I verbalized all of the things I want to do in my classroom to her, she paused and said, "Well, then do it. Why can't you start some of those things next week?"<br />
<br />
Good question. Fair question.<br />
<br />
I'm a planner and a micromanager, and neither of those lend themselves to spontaneity in the classroom.<br />
<br />
She's right though. I see opportunities for great learning experiences right now in my classroom, but I'm too nervous to act on them without a summer of careful thought and planning.<br />
<br />
My plan this next week: Let it be messy.<br />
<br />
I can let them explore and present them with challenges to which I do not have an answer.<br />
<br />
With a little over two months left, I want to challenge myself in this way for my students.<br />
<br />
I will revel in the stretch that I can feel happening as I write this. :)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YFMf8tVKcII/WMxeA-yVTwI/AAAAAAAAAHw/ji11pImrUVMMA4EUJx1qrqjZiZO1c9QogCK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YFMf8tVKcII/WMxeA-yVTwI/AAAAAAAAAHw/ji11pImrUVMMA4EUJx1qrqjZiZO1c9QogCK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-6873027403958367962017-03-16T14:32:00.005-07:002017-03-16T14:32:53.686-07:00SoL Challenge Day #16Over halfway there!<br />
<br />
Tonight...<br />
<br />
I will finish giving feedback on my mythology students' myths.<br />
<br />
I will start giving feedback on sophomore speeches.<br />
<br />
I will start planning for next week.<br />
<br />
I will get to the gym and hit the treadmill for thirty minutes.<br />
<br />
<br />
Wish me luck!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--swzzb5HDEg/WMsEgVpcnGI/AAAAAAAAAHg/Kn5GUCLUOZYgyPO_D1ciA1U1RbQDUXGzwCK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--swzzb5HDEg/WMsEgVpcnGI/AAAAAAAAAHg/Kn5GUCLUOZYgyPO_D1ciA1U1RbQDUXGzwCK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-89951260671091727042017-03-15T21:38:00.003-07:002017-03-15T21:39:31.163-07:00SoL Challenge Day #15<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Li5UY7xp_Fk/WMoXADlWB4I/AAAAAAAAAHQ/WGIIjoL7el4fg9IqAZvdYnEWVKRcOfsTQCK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Li5UY7xp_Fk/WMoXADlWB4I/AAAAAAAAAHQ/WGIIjoL7el4fg9IqAZvdYnEWVKRcOfsTQCK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
I have kept a plant alive for almost nine months now.<br />
<br />
This is a big deal, you guys. I received it as a present and, because I see this friend often, have managed to care enough for it to keep it mostly healthy. I've forgotten what kind of plant it even is.<br />
<br />
Over the past two weeks though, it has started to wilt. Leaves have browned. I watered it faithfully, but nothing seemed to be helping.<br />
<br />
So, I poked around with it for a few minutes and when I pulled the plant out of its original plastic casing, I could not believe it.<br />
<br />
The entire thing was roots. There was hardly a speck of dirt left underneath.<br />
<br />
The darn thing was starving.<br />
<br />
One trip to Target, and an hour later my plant was feasting in its new, larger, and dirt filled abode. Within three hours the entire plant seemed to have lifted.<br />
<br />
I sort of roll my eyes when people compare students to plants. It's cliche, but the change that happened in mere hours after giving my plant nutrients reminded me of its truth.<br />
<br />
I am responsible for the quality of the nutrients, information, my students receive.<br />
<br />
Could they still grow with dry material presented to them in pretty uninteresting ways? Probably.<br />
<br />
Will they thrive? Probably not.<br />
<br />
My reward as a teacher is their growth as students and as people, and I want to see them flourish in both roles.<br />
<br />
So, as I enter into the latter side of spring break tomorrow and begin planning for next week, I will hold this cliche close to my thoughts.<br />
<br />
Next week I will provide them with good soil to grow and flourish in.Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-34258725439348340092017-03-14T20:40:00.005-07:002017-03-14T20:46:39.187-07:00SoL Challenge Day #14<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-03XLBzt4uas/WMi3wymt3SI/AAAAAAAAAG8/KH-CS2oJux0ffFuH2Xv1uqypRh6aagXDQCK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-03XLBzt4uas/WMi3wymt3SI/AAAAAAAAAG8/KH-CS2oJux0ffFuH2Xv1uqypRh6aagXDQCK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a>I finished up my errands around eleven this morning, and found myself driving through the neighborhoods around the University of Northern Iowa's campus.<br />
<br />
Living a post-college life in my college town is this weird blend of familiarity and unfamiliarity.<br />
<br />
This small area of town was an entire world to me for four years, and I'd learned nearly every square foot of it.<br />
<br />
I pulled over on an off street and walked into the local campus coffee shop to treat myself for getting my errands done before noon, and smiled inwardly at the fervor of conversations between students.<br />
<br />
Oh, academia. Paired with caffeine, you set people alight.<br />
<br />
One pair discussed the social hierarchy of their dorm floor with gusto.<br />
<br />
Another pair discussed an upcoming accounting exam with dread.<br />
<br />
I love this. I miss this.<br />
<br />
I felt my smile twist for a moment and then fall.<br />
<br />
I can recognize my faults as a, basically, first year teacher. Most of them I've at least improved upon, but allowing my enthusiasm for writing and reading to overcome the stress and pressure I feel to look basically put together has been challenging. <br />
<br />
I do love what I am teaching. It's difficult to get out of my head enough during a class period to allow that joy to spring forth.<br />
<br />
I'm forming habits right now though, and I'm grateful for this reminder to make joy in teaching a priority.<br />
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These thoughts are only partially formed right now, but I think they're important to keep sorting through.Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-13113315478942166552017-03-13T10:28:00.000-07:002017-03-13T10:31:44.992-07:00SoL Challenge Day #13<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "dancing script";">The five things I would share with guests at </span><a href="http://adayinthelifeof19b.blogspot.ca/2017/03/youre-invited-sol17.html" style="color: #767568; font-family: 'dancing script'; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Leigh Anne's Favorites Party </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "dancing script";">-</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "dancing script";">1. Aroma's dark roast coffee and vanilla creamer. I miss living near Omaha for a few reasons. The zoo, the bookstores, Ted & Wally's. Mostly though, I miss Aroma's coffee and baked goods. Nothing makes me feel quite as settled and ready to write as the smell of freshly brewed coffee and caffeine setting sail in my veins. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "dancing script";">2. Books of poems. Poems have always been the best writing prompts for me. I love being able to look at the language and ideas woven together in ways I would have never considered. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">3. Huck, or any dog really. This is my puppy nephew, and I have spent a good portion of spring break determining the pros and cons of getting my own pup. There is so much joy in this little guy's heart. It's infectious, and it is impossible to not feel more childlike and joyful with him around. </span></div>
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4. Dark chocolate, especially the kind with sea salt in it. Mmm. </div>
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5. A brand new Moleskine. Most of mine have been given as gifts. There is something that feels so academic and collegiate to me about writing in one.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f8XyBeVsnBQ/WMbWaaQaEqI/AAAAAAAAAGg/7Q_9LoSD9tkIavGDD70HWacUKJuZwKAOwCK4B/s1600/14538426447_fe6a401d01_z.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f8XyBeVsnBQ/WMbWaaQaEqI/AAAAAAAAAGg/7Q_9LoSD9tkIavGDD70HWacUKJuZwKAOwCK4B/s200/14538426447_fe6a401d01_z.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-88398956711556057212017-03-12T19:52:00.001-07:002017-03-12T19:52:43.205-07:00SoL Challenge Day #12<div>
There is something so lovely about a deck covered in snow.</div>
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Netflix documentaries playing one after another.</div>
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Coffee, scrambled eggs, biscuits, and homemade jam.</div>
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Pinterest on one screen in search of healthier food options for tomorrow.</div>
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Student drafts on the other screen, </div>
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slowly making headway. </div>
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It's hard to focus with this goober next to me. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CZX6VKVtJUY/WMYJTv8BXEI/AAAAAAAAAFs/NzmJDaMoQnkwcz2elTyFZkrbS-qGhkZIACK4B/s1600/IMG_0722.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CZX6VKVtJUY/WMYJTv8BXEI/AAAAAAAAAFs/NzmJDaMoQnkwcz2elTyFZkrbS-qGhkZIACK4B/s200/IMG_0722.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-10292750680827360992017-03-11T14:52:00.000-08:002017-03-11T14:52:55.187-08:00SoL Challenge Day #11Whittlespeak<br /><br />I am twenty-five years old and still stumbling over<br /> the mudwasps working something furious in my throat,<br /> trying to form fists that are both heavy and light<br />enough to fit around their straight shooter smiles.<div>
<br />I haven’t quite gotten a handle on it all yet. <div>
<br />But I can weave whittlespeak timbre<br />over sun-spilled porches,<br />stitch leftover lines into novelties, <br /> and bend the sky beneath <br /> all of the whitespace I’ve <br /> ever written into existence.</div>
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<br />My fists will never stop buzzing banjos,<br />and my voice will never stop searching<br />for any shape of consistency.</div>
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Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045526567451943885.post-13968608839913388712017-03-10T15:16:00.002-08:002017-03-10T15:16:40.416-08:00SoL Challenge Day #10<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pzylmwZVV9c/WMMu0vQZpsI/AAAAAAAAAE4/0iK80ZYdonQ3kmgj_8I3_zDZ7bhXhLJngCK4B/s1600/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pzylmwZVV9c/WMMu0vQZpsI/AAAAAAAAAE4/0iK80ZYdonQ3kmgj_8I3_zDZ7bhXhLJngCK4B/s400/slice-of-life_individual.jpg" /></a><div>
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Spring break is here. Big exhale. </div>
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On my drive home today I started to think to the last chunk of the year, and what I can do over my week away to make the remainder of the year more enjoyable for myself and my students. I'm sure I will add to this as the week progresses, but this is a start:</div>
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1. Eat lunch, for goodness sake. A real one.</div>
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My stomach rumbled at me as I walked out of school. I had packed yogurt and an apple for the third day in a row. A handful of students had stayed after school in my classroom today to watch spoken word poetry, and I could not focus or keep a conversation going at all. I need to fuel my body with real food every single day. </div>
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2. Stagger due dates for longer pieces of writing. </div>
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There was a stretch of two weeks last month where I gave feedback until 10:00 every single night. I felt grouchy and sleepy when I woke up, which was only moderately cured by my second cup of coffee.</div>
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3. Carve out time to work out.</div>
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I am a happier and more energetic human when I've spent time running the trails or treadmill. The past few weeks I have not prioritized this.</div>
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4. Trust yourself to change the plan.</div>
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Some of the best lessons I've taught this year happened when I felt comfortable enough to shift away from the original plan. I'm getting better at reading the room and adjusting, and I need to trust myself more with this.</div>
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5. Spend more time with colleagues.</div>
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I work with pretty awesome people, and I want to actually get to know them past brief hallway exchanges. This one will be easy if I treat it as a daily goal instead of a long-term goal.</div>
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Tonight though, my only goal is to sleep for eight hours and have a glass of wine. Yay!</div>
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Taxonomy of a Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025607432529293326noreply@blogger.com4