I Believe...

Blogging is a strange form of writing. It's public. I value authenticity, but sometimes being authentic and transparent isn't possible on a blog...like today...instead, I'll say this…

It's been a tough week. I've encountered a few situations that have challenged me...some expected and some unexpected. Dealing with all of this at the end of a busy school year makes it harder, because I'm also tired. Worn out. Why show up today to celebrate? I believe in it.  

That's what this week has taught me...to hold onto my beliefs, especially when challenged. "I believe..." It's easy to say that. It's harder to live those beliefs. This week I struggled through, but I remained true to my core beliefs and that's something to celebrate. What else do I believe? 

I believe everyone has a story.

I believe in grace and gratitude.

I believe today can be the best day.

I believe tears are cleansing.

I believe crying with a friend is better.

I believe in setting boundaries.

I believe teaching is about building relationships.

I believe it's more important to listen than to talk.

I believe that coming home to the love of a dog is the best therapy.

I believe in friends showing you who you are when you've forgotten.

I believe writing is how I enter the world.

I believe walking a labyrinth calms the mind.

I believe quiet is healing.

I believe in asking for help. I believe in celebrating struggles & successes.

What do you believe? 

Thank you to Ruth Ayres for providing this space to share our celebrations. Please join us and share your own!

We Are Readers!

As the school year winds down, we are reflecting back on ourselves as readers. I stumbled upon a great project on the Notice & Note group on Facebook. Students are making videos of their reading lives.

We are looking back into our reading logs. We are searching for books read months ago. We are taking pictures of our favorite places to read. We are creatively turning these things, and more, into a video.

Watching my students get so excited about this project inspires me. It's May 24th. We only have a couple of weeks left of school. Today, each class worked diligently for an entire hour on their projects. (I have no pictures because I was working alongside them.)

I love watching them use their voice in the video. I love watching them pose for their pictures. They asked if they could use all the pictures I took this year, so a student showed me how to upload them to Google Photos. Yes, a sixth grader showed me an easier way to share the pictures. What's better than that?

Every year we review our reading logs and talk about how we've grown as readers, but this project is requiring more. They are talking with each other about books. I hear, "Remember when you read that?!?!" or "Oh, that was the best book!! I want to read it again!"

The passion for reading is evident in my classroom. My students are readers. I can't wait to share the videos with you. (I'm making my own too. Can't wait for you to see that, too!) Coming soon...

Thank you to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Tara, Beth, Anna, Kathleen & Deb for this amazing platform to write and share writing! What a wonderful community you've created! I'm honored to be part of it. Join us at Two Writing Teachers.