One Word at a Time

This month has been an awakening the causes  of which are myriad and complex But who am I to judge ? Whether it be mornings , Sundays , or Monday , So far in my life, there is no comparison . Were there nerves ? Absolutely. Currently , they are slowly coursing through my veins. But this community has been like a mentor , an experienced and trusted advisor on all of life's stuff . During my many trials , I have taken solace in silence In the snuggles of my cats, in the stacks of books around my home When it felt like life was kicking me to the curb When every day my mind went back-and-forth Your slices  brought me to a space  I needed A space where I could look out for signs   Signs like more sunlight through DST Sweet sunlight that eases my worry So on this final day of our challenge Where many of you have acted as a life coach for me Commenting on my slices and offering me support and encouragement I want to express my appreciation for t...

~*~a love letter to yoga~*~ My darling, sweet Yoga, I don't think there are enough words but I'll try my hardest to show you how I feel. Nine long years ago. Some friends suggested I meet you during my first year of teaching as a way to be active during the winter months in a small group setting that was convenient, considering that first year I was at school until all hours of the night. I fell in 'like' with you then. I liked how you gave me back some of the flexibility and muscle I had lost after playing soccer. I liked how you made me feel calm and in control. And I liked the bonds you helped create between me and my fellow teachers. But alas, it was not meant to be then. We drifted apart. I had other new, lovely things to fill my time with, and you slowly faded into a sweet memory. Over these last years, I've toyed with rebuilding our relationship.  I've dipped my toe in, tried to find you on many different mats and in...

Independently or collaboratively, build a vision. Communicate that vision. Get others on board with your vision. Utilize that vision when making decisions. Reflect on the progress towards your vision. Uphold that which supports your vision. Address that which undermines your vision. Hold all accountable for upholding that vision. Reflect on the progress towards your vision. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ This may have come about through a conversation with my principal this morning, but I believe that it is a very important concept for anyone in any leadership position. If we want collaborative spaces, where all are working towards the same end goal, where growth mindset is rampant, where all voices and ideas are held in the highest esteem, these are some big important steps to take. Do you feel like you know what the "vision" is where you work? Do you feel like everyone is acting in support of the vision?

"I think I just need to actually try this work. Do it myself. I can't teach it if I don't know what I'm teaching." Amen , I said to myself. "Does everyone else feel the same way? How can I help to make that happen?" A short conversation ensued, and it was decided that since I tend to have more available time than they do, I would do some work to create an experience for them to mirror the work their children will do in our next unit. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "I think this piece is developed." "What makes you think that?" We were looking at a student's performance assessment after our last unit, determining where they fell on our district rubric. This is still very new work for our teachers. "Well, I don't think you can quantify 'developed' in a piece of writing - it can't be just certain numbers of details." "I agree. But I'm looking at the language of the expectation - that t...

My  feet are tender lower back aches hands are cramping eyes are tired cheeks are sore from 14,000 steps sitting in little kid chairs counting all the money not getting home until 10:00 so many smiles all for a great cause a great community a great family a great child a great love Our St. Baldrick's event tonight was a success! While I'm sad to see our run with the event end, I know in my heart we made the right decision. We have raised over $150,000 over four years in our small town. That's a lot of money to go toward cancer research so that no child ever has to go through what our honored kids and families have had to go through. My body may be tired, but my heart is full. ❤

I never really had a hobby growing up. I played sports and it seems as if that took up all my time.  But as I've grown older and moved out of the sporting world, I've tried to fill my time with new and different things.  As today went by, I thought about how much I want my hobbies to grow to be healthy things I turn to. This challenge has reminded me why I love writing and so writing has become something I've done in my spare time. I need to think about how to incorporate it more once the challenge is over. I've always loved photography, but tend to rely on only taking pictures where I happen to be, and don't make specific trips just to take pictures. I want to be more aware and continue to take pictures, as well as continue the online course that I started forever ago. Taken out of the window of my car with my phone I've played around with chalkboards, but need to learn a lot more lettering to really be great at them. Plus I just need to keep mak...

In a conversation yesterday with a friend of mine who is our middle school softball coach, she mentioned how she handles team selection and notification. I thought it was perfect, especially for middle school and the self-discovery and differing levels of confidence. On the day that team selections are announced, the girls are gathered in the gymnasium.  A short speech is given, specifically around the idea that no matter what it says inside the envelope, that if they have a passion for the sport, and they really want to grow as a player, that they should take what is inside seriously and know that this day is not the end of the road. They specifically mention a former player, who is now a star at the high school, who was cut from the same team as a 6th grader. Then, inside the envelope are three pieces of paper. One says, "Congratulations, you've made the team" or "Unfortunately, you did not make the team." Another is a "standards-based" rep...