SoL Challenge day #27

Today's golden moments:

• 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.

• 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!

• 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. 

I hope you all had a delightful start to your week as well!

SoL Challenge Day #26

Today I crave

whitespace,
dried mangoes,
daisies,
and naps.

It's time for the
crawlspace in my
chest to be emptied
of this heavy winter.

Slice of Life Challenge Day #25

I hear his voice best when I'm driving,

off key proclamations of love and sorrow

one eyebrow cocked 

rearview laughter blurring with the miles.

 

Slice of Life Challenge Day #24

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.

My heart is full, but my gas tank is empty.

Enjoy your weekend, folks!

SoL Challenge Day #23

When 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.

After the principal delivered the message, I gave them a choice.

1. You can work on your speech if you do not need the internet.

Or

2. You can read.

Books were quickly retrieved out of backpacks and the classroom noise died down within moments.

My students dove into their adventures for one beautiful and technology free hour.

No internet? No problem.

SoL Challenge Day #22

I had two good moments today for every bad moment yesterday.

My favorite moment came at the end of the day when two students came into my room to waste time between school and practice. 

Both of these girls finished All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven two days ago, and have been anxiously waiting for me to finish as well.

"Have you finished yet?"

"Not yet. I will though. I promise!"

"Well... where are you in it? What can we talk about?"

I thought for a moment. I'm a few chapters in, but I keep flipping back to the epigraph by Ernest Hemingway.

"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places." 

When I looked up, they were giving each other a baffled version of side eye. 

"I didn't see that part."

"Me either. That's actually really cool. Who is Ernest Hemingway?"

Be still, my beating heart.

I listened and prompted as they unpacked his quote and asked Siri a slew of questions about Hemingway.

I drove home smiling, and was reminded of the beauty in this daily writing challenge.

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.

SoL Challenge Day #21

Today I am left with more questions than conclusions about this profession.

I felt that film of anxiety that I thought I'd shed over break creep back over me.

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.

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.

It happens when the aide in my classroom whispers that she saw a student snap a photo of me.

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.

It is exhausting.

But, when tomorrow arrives, I will have had those experiences.

My teacher reflexes will be one more step toward cat-like.