#sol16 I never thought

The other day, my Two-Writing-Teacher friend Michelle posted this: http://1gratefulteacher.blogspot.com/2016/03/changing-my-thoughts.html

I read it late at night, lying in bed, not my own bed, but in another - sort of as if I was running away from home, from the pending holiday, from what used to be....from what I thought I had.....from what I never thought would be....from my old life....

I read it with tears ready to bubble over; however, like Michelle, I did not let them flow.  Instead, I let the "green eyed monster" who expected to have one of those happily-ever-after families that go off into the sunset together go back under the covers and go back to sleep.  Like Michelle, my hopes, dreams and plans have not played out the way I thought they would, the way I expected they would, they way I planned....

I read it thinking I wanted to drive to her house and give Michelle a big hug and tell her that I understood....I really did.....Life does not always play out the way we want it to....the way we thought it would...the way we wanted it to go.....

I'm not sure the source of this quote (although the internet gives credit to Hilary C.) but I cut it out a few months ago from something I saw on Twitter and put it in my quote book:  Life is not about what happens to you, it's about what you do with what happens to you - so get back out there."  

So on this eve of the holiday filled with hope for unimaginable miracles and calorie free chocolates,..on the even of this holiday where hope springs eternally...on the eve of this holiday of brighter colors and lighter jackets and hope for better days ahead..... I'm going to keep on going and doing, and praying and loving......'cause sometimes, life is not how we thought it would be....but I'm glad I got back out there because:

Oh My Goodness, 

Doggy loving moments

Baby hugs and kisses

Are some of the greatest joys 

On earth

I am glad 

I am trying 

To get back out there

Even though I never thought......

#sol16 Determined

Determined

To gnaw Sophie,

To chew on that football,

To move forward,

To discover,

To look ahead,

To see the magic

In walks, specks of dirt,

To enjoy the moment

Reach for new heights

Embrace new adventures
To see things
From this new perspective.

Determined 
To go forward.

  

#sol16 Everybody wants me to do it their way

I'm not usually held to the tight confines of curriculum demands, such as writing a report with clearly designated sections.  My job is to meet students where they are and help them close the gaps in their learning.  Yet, teaching is never an "in the box" kind-of-job; thus, sometimes, my job more closely aligned with what might be referred to as a "resource teacher" and I find myself helping students compete challenging assignments.  

So it was the other day as I tried, without a lot of success, to "coerce"a student into to write about the education system in Mexico as part of her Grade Level Assured Writing Project.  "I just want to write about the animals," she said with tears bubbling in her eyes. "Really, I don't want to write about their education.  I don't have to do that.  My teacher didn't say so," she implored as the tears began to flow. "Everybody wants me to do it their way."

I sent her off to get a drink of water and tried to wrap my head around her strong response.  I pondered how I could rework this task so that it was "her way."  To be honest, I wasn't even sure what the problem was!

After a chance to "cool off" and a long, long drink of water she returned to the table and sighed deeply, in the way that makes teachers rethink assignments and reconsider what is important. "So what do YOU want to include in your Mexico report?" I asked as she settled sullenly into her seat.

"Clothing, of course," she said with a smile.  "I want to write about the dresses with flowers all over and the big hats to keep off the sun.  I want to write about the way kids wear uniforms to school.  I don't even know what EDUCATION is anyway!"

"Of course," I said as I smiled and "jumped on" her clear explanation of the problem. "Let's start with clothing because that is indeed your area of expertise!  But I think you might want to include the part about wearing uniforms to school in the Education section.  Education means schools and learning.  You are getting an education right now," I said with a smile.

"You should have told me that education meant school," she said with a laugh, "I can do that."

"Let's start with clothing," I responded.  "That is an area where you are an expert!"

"Everybody wants me to do it their way," she laughed as she wrote "Clothes" as the title of the page.
"In Mexico, people were big hats to keep out the sun.........but they do not wear shorts.  They are too modest!"

#sol16 March 3 A Moment in Manhattan

The sky is dark when I leave when I leave my Lincoln Center Campus.  It's a long day for me as I get up before 5 AM, commute more than an hour to my day job, teach struggling readers all day, and then grad students at night.  I am tired when I head out of the city sometime after 9 PM for my long commute home! 


Perhaps it's the deep thinking that goes on or perhaps it is the caffeine I inevitably consume to keep me energized; whatever it is, I usually have MORE energy when I leave campus than when I arrive! 

Last night, however, as I stepped onto the busy street corner in Manhattan, I thought I was either over tired or just imagining things.  There appeared to be a person walking/running towards me.  As he got closer, it was clear that the person was driving his stand-up-motorized-walking stick down the busy street. He waited at the light and then sped off down the street.  I must admit to staring to make sure I was seeing what I was seeing.  I wish I had taken a picture but frankly I was too shocked to do so!  I did look around to see if others at the intersection were as surprised as I was. Everyone else was busy talking to friends or texting on their phones leaving me to wonder on the drive home is I had really seen what I thought I had seen! 

So now, I will forever wonder if I was just overtired or did I really see what I thought I saw on a busy street corner in Manhattan!   I guess the "central message" is to capture those "moments" in pictures as well as words!

#sol16 March 2 The Next Chapter

I was driving around in circles, 

so to speak,

Trying to find a setting, 

For this next chapter of my life

On a warm, sunshiny, late winter afternoon

Filled with the promise of spring.

I found myself repeatedly

Circling by this huge, dirty, ugly,

Melting reminder of the chapter and season

Coming to a close.

"Be done with you," I thought

As I turned the corner, 

And began the next chapter.

sol16 Marching Through March Without the SOL Community?

I thought about skipping this year,

I thought about how much I have to do,

As a teacher of reluctant and struggling readers,

With lesson plans, CSE meetings, multiple reports pending,

As a professor to 30+ graduate students,

With more reports to read than I can count.

As the mother of new parents,

Who could use painting, babysitting, cooking, support,

As the Grammie to two snuggle-puppies,

Who make my heart grow as they roll, cuddle, and coo,

As the Auntie of many

Who need to know that life goes one

As well as some books, snuggles, and veils.

As a friend who would like to share breakfasts, dinners,
Talk about the past, the present, the future,
As the caretaker of a house-on-the-market

Who must vacuum every dust bunny and wash every dish,

As the getting-ready-to-move-lady,
Who should be packing and finding a place to live.

As the caregiver for my last surviving Aunt,

Who needs to know that someone still cares,

As the executor for my mother's messy estate,

With more forms, accounts, reports, worries
With two houses to sell, three income taxes to file,
With more daily cringe-inducing- messes
Than I care to acknowledge.

Then, March 1st came.

There were slicers posting soon after midnight.

I got excited about Opening Day.

I wondered what March would be like without SOL?
I told myself I had to try.

Writing is part of who I am now,

Part of the Teacher, the Professor, the Mother, 

The Grammie, the Auntie,

The Caretaker, the Caregiver,

The Executor,

The Writer.

So, 

I will try

To write and read,

To heal and grow,

To reflect

To look ahead

To look at the Slices of My Life

Through

That Writer-ly Eye.

Once upon a time

Once upon a time, there was a teacher, who spent many a winter and spring break
in the cold snowy northeast.  She knew other teachers went "away" to warm sunny places and noticed they came back more relaxed and rested than those who stayed home and cleaned their pantries. 
There were lots of reasons to not go away for many years.  Some years it was money and other years were just too busy to plan.  There were family responsibilities and college tuition to pay over the years.  There were papers to write and chores awaiting.  Vacations were in the "want" rather than the "need" category. 
But times change, children grow, and eventually those tuition bills were paid in full.  There were losses of life and love, finding that teacher in the fully aware of the need to "carpe diem" category.

Long before the break, long before there were reservations, this teacher decided "this was the year." She would leave behind her stressors.  She would forget about health, financial, housing, and estate issues.  She decided it was not a want, but rather a need to dip her toes in the sand and replenish her soul in the sea. 
So she made some  plans.....hesitantly....and wondered if she could "pull it off!". She sent off an expedited passport request and secured bargain flights and a place to sleep after a day at the beach. 
Then, she waited and the date of her departure loomed within sight. 

Then, the test of her real grit began. She drove many a mile, in a pilgrimage to her birthplace for a post-911 birth certificate. Eventual she secured a vital certificate.  She camped out at passport offices in two states and secured a personal contact with the national passport system. 
She was reminded, as the cold wind swirled around her ankles, that those who persist and face obstacles with a smile and determination will know the warmth in your heart that comes when you "give it 100%."
Eventually she secured a passport, downloaded 3 books in a Kindle, and was ready to relax.  But she was exhausted. So, ............

#sol16 My OLW Persistence

per·sist·ence  pərˈsistəns/

noun

Persistence: firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition

I've been incorporating the One Little Word Philosophy into my life for 3 years now, thanks to some of the Two Writing Teachers and Ruth Ayres Writes followers who do so.   The first year, in spite of an aging relatives who were increasingly demanding, I chose JOY.  Such as small and simple word that seemed to contribute to a year of focusing on joy rather than focusing on complaining.  It was a year that in spite of lots of stressors along the way, culminated in a wonderful family celebration where aunts, uncles, friends and even a grandmother gathered to dance and celebrate the gift of family.

Last year, I chose two little words: WHY NOT?  These two little words chosen as I embarked on a mission to reach outside my comfort zone and  climb the Grand Canyon!  Over the year, my Why Nots included, "Why not have a grandbaby or two this week?" and "Why not challenge the status quo of life?" as well as "Why not face death with dignity?" It was the most challenging, scary, gut-wrenching and yet miraculous year of my life.  By New Year's Eve, I was asking myself, "Why not remake your life after the hurricane?" 

I've blogged little in the past 6 months as a hurricane of epic proportions has swirled the pieces or my life around.  I had not even thought of a OLW for 2016; however, as so many others have said it does, my OLW found me.  At school each morning, we remind our students, "To do their work with pride and persistence."  I started reminding my students of the need to "persist" as a way to get back on task at the end of morning announcements.  While there are other words in our school pledge, the word persistence is the one that kept popping into my head.  As I geared myself up for several "fights" and readied for one of the hardest meetings in my life, the need to persist, in spite of the many obstacles along the way, seemed to become clearer and clearer.  As I encouraged my kids (big as well as little ones) to continue in spite of obstacles, the word PERSISTENCE kept popping into my head.  At times, we all need to be firm and to fight for what we know is right and just.  In all lives, the difficulties and oppositions will be plentiful; however, we are called to persist even when times are hard.  It takes strength and builds character to persist during the hard times. I am pretty sure the "gifts" are plentiful for those who do. 

Before posting, I "googled" persistence quotes and found out that "PERSISTENCE" has been the OLW for lots of others!

When I thought I couldn't go on, I forced myself to keep going.

My success is based on persistence, not luck

 Estee Lauder

My greatest point is my persistence. I never give up in a match.
However down I am, I fight until the last ball.
My list of matches shows that I have turned a great many
so-called irretrievable defeats into victories
Bjorn Borg

Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence,
is the quality that most frequently makes for success
Dale Carnegie

Vitality shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Patience and perseverance have a magical effect
before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish
John Quincy Adams

Obstacles don't have to stop you.
If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up.
Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it

Michael Jordan

It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop

Confucius

If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Victory belongs to the most persevering

Napoleon Bonaparte

Perseverance is failing nineteen times and succeeding the twentieth

Julie Andrews

As you go along your road in life, you will, if you aim high enough, also meet resistance ...
but no matter how tough the opposition may seem, have courage still and persevere

Madeleine Albright

What this power is, I cannot say. All I know is that it exists and it becomes available
only when you are in that state of mind in which you know exactly what
you want and are fully determined not to quit until you get it A

lexander Graham Bell

One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses
the only strength which can overcome adversity

Albert Schweitzer

A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere
and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles

Christopher Reeve

I'm very determined and stubborn. There's a desire in me that makes me want to
do more and more, and to do it right. Each one of us has a fire in our heart
for something. It's our goal in life to find it and to keep it lit

Mary Lou Retton

Energy and persistence conquer all things

Benjamin Franklin

Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal.
My strength lies solely in my tenacity

Louis Pasteur

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent

Calvin Coolidge

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a persons' determination Tommy Lasorda

Learning To Be Writers and Readers: In The 21st Century: Curriculum Based Assessment Resources

Reposting Learning To Be Writers and Readers: In The 21st Century: Curriculum Based Assessment Resources

Because these are still good resources!

#sol16 Read to me

                                                I think about the power of read-alouds

When called upon to cover a class

Sharing Balto, Owl Moon, Babymouse, 

Or Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.

In rapt attention, 

If only for a that brief moment,

The hooligans halt their shenanigans

Hanging on every word.

I think about the power of read-alouds

When I see glimpses of a once-so-tiny-preemie,

Happily sharing a book.

Her foundation for language, 

Vocabulary,

Phonological awareness, 

Concepts of print, 

Are as strong as she is now.

I think of the power of read-alouds

As I share Snuggle Puppy, Good Night Moon,

Brown Bear, Brown Bear,
Are You My Mother?

Clifford the Big Red Dog.

With little ones,

Who cannot yet sit up,

Who cannot yet crawl,
Who cannot yet call me Grammie,

Yet love a good story,

Like generations of readers,

Before them.  

When I think of the power of read-alouds,

Strickland Gillilan's words of long ago,

Still so true,
Dance through my head.

You may have tangible wealth untold;   Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.    Richer than I you can never be--    I had a Mother (Father, Grammie) who read to me.

 http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/early-language-literacy/earlyliteracy2pagehandout.pdf