#sol16 It looks like you!

There was a time,

Not that long ago,

When I was a younger,

Slimmer, less wrinkled, less gray, 

Version of me, now!

As we shared this lovely tale

Of reading to family

The other day,

One of my kindergartners

Offered excitedly,

"She looks just like you!"

"Did you write this book?

She asked with a smile!   

"I wish I had," I commented,

"But I am very busy listening to 

My readers, like you!"

"I am a reader" she smiled

Rewriting the page as she read,

"I can read to Mrs. Ferreri

Who looks just like this!"

I'm pretty lucky

To have shared

Many wonderful

Reading journeys

Where I was an 

Auntie, Mom, 

Long ago,

Perhaps the 

"Cool, young" teacher.  

I'm fortunate 

To have shared 

Enough magical 

Reading journeys

To qualify me as

Grandmotherly

A title I proudly wear!

s

#celebratelu: Students and Teachers Are Slicing

It started, innocently enough, during a break in teacher-interviews as we discussed her "less-than-excited-to-write-third-graders."  I suspect I threw out something about Donald Graves, my guru, and writing for real, meaningful purposes about self-selected topics.  (I usually refer to Donald's powerful-to-me-message at moments like that!)  Next thing I knew, we were planning a Slice of Life Challenge for the After-Testing season! It was only a few days later that I realized this "writing-virus" had spread to the classroom next door.  There lots of students writing every school-day for a month! Our hope is that writing more about subjects we know and love would produce some writing that came from the heart and inspired us to write in order to understand and clarify our world.

Today, when they came into the reading-writing room, they proudly shared their SLICES OF LIFE NOTEBOOKS!  We don't have wi-fi yet and a laptop cart is still on the horizon; however, the SLICE-OF-LIFE challenge was really happening in my hallway!

So yesterday, I discarded my plans, picked up a piece of paper and encouraged my reluctant writers as I brainstormed aloud!  We wrote...I smiled...and I knew that while my world is in shambles these days, I still am still "inspiring" students and teachers to live readerly and writerly lives!
This morning, I celebrate the power of just a few moments of collaboration!  

Thinking: Under a clear blue sky

Patience and perseverance 

have a magical effect 

before which difficulties disappear 

and obstacles vanish.

-John Quincy Adams

Napping: Under a Clear Blue Sky

The sky was blue,

The clouds were few,

Grammy was around

The carriage was anxious 

To find solid ground.

As we headed out

There was no doubt,

She'd join a long line

Of those who find

Napping in the sunshine

Is mighty fine

She sang for a while,

Way less than a mile,

Then slowly drifted

Off to sleep

Certainly, with a smile!

Whatever your age,

Whatever your stage,

When that spring sun

Is high in the sky,

Napping is a good thing to try!, 

Despair under clear blue skies

The juxtaposition

 Of despair and hope,

Of unfathomable grief

And infinite love,

Of life-changing news

Amid blooming daffodils,

Of a sea of tears

Under a clear blue sky,

Of potential lost

While we were helpless,

To change the heartache,

To stop the rain, 

To corral the sorrow,

To measure the sadness.

Even as reminders

Of rainbows after storms,

Of peace after turmoil

Popped through the soft earth.

"Don't sweat the small stuff," 

He said

As another lamp broke

Or another jacket was lost.

"Break the rules.

Forgive quickly, 

Love truly. 

Laugh uncontrollably

Never regret anything that makes you smile,"

Said Mark Twain.

"Hold tight to those you love,"

I'm reminded.

As I reflect on yesterday,

Pray under today's sunrise,

Hope for healing tomorrow.

Got to write

After school today,
I debate teacher evaluations,
Wrote lesson plans.
Considered  students' IEPs
Reflected on CSE referrals,
Thought about those students
Teachers doing the work of writers.
I wondered how Beverly Cleary
Would look at my world
Of wanna be writers
Have to be writers.
Gotta be writers.
Then I remembered
Writing is thinking
Learning and reflecting.
It's not a lot Liz,
But this was my slice today.
I will try to.join your challenge
Everyday.

#sol16 New Life

 The promise of Easter

Is new life.

Sweet joy,

 After bitter emptiness,

Bright hope 

After disappointment,

Dreams,

 After nightmares,

Rebuilding

After disaster,

Miracles.

New hopes,

New dreams,

New beginnings,

New life.

#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!"