Celebrate Good Times, Come On! 9/30

Each Saturday  Ruth Ayres invites us to share and celebrate events, big or small, from our week. Looking for celebrations has certainly improved my outlook on my week.  For that, I am certainly grateful to Ruth and to all of you who choose to celebrate with me.

A month.  A new beginning.  A celebration.

As August approached, I become apprehensive about my decision to move to a new school, a new grade level.  But after our first month, I have no regrets and much to celebrate.

Readers - I watched 100 books go out of my classroom library.  It was a very scary, but exciting day.  Sharing books with four times as many students was one of the many reasons I made the change to 6th grade.  Making connections with my readers has been exhilarating.  They are amazed that I not only remember what they are reading, but that I can have a conversation about the book with them.

Writers - Writing isn't where I would like it to be, but I am making progress.  Every three weeks we take a formative assessment, then reteach and retest.  This obviously takes a lot of time away from instruction, and in the past, writing has taken a back seat.  After proposing a three day reading and two day writing cycle during the week, we now will take the assessment every four weeks.  (I have a 48 minute period to teach both reading and writing.) I am hoping small changes will reap great rewards.

Bloggers - I have our class blog set up and ready to go.  Guidelines are typed and ready to be passed out.  Students are ready to blog, and we are going live this week!

Have a great week, and may you find many things to celebrate along the way!

Googling God - A Lesson on Patience

Every Thursday Holly Mueller from Reading, Teaching, Learning, creates a place where readers can share their spiritual journeys.  

Technology has changed my life in numerous ways, both personal and professional. But, it has also created a problem.  Because of the instant information at my fingertips, I have become impatient.  When I want an answer to something, or want to learn something new, I just Google it and with the click of a button, I usually have an answer.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if we could Google our prayers straight to God?

When we pray about a decision, wouldn't it be nice to Google God and ask, "What is the best thing for me to do?"

When we pray about the safety of our children, wouldn't it be nice to Google God and ask, "Will my children make good decisions and come home safely tonight?"

When we worry about a disease or an illness being cured, wouldn't it be nice to Google God and ask "Will I be healed, or am I going to die?"

Unfortunately, it doesn't work this way.  Instead God asks us to be patient and sometimes, this is not an easy thing for me to do.  He answers prayers in His time, not mine.  I know I need to patient, but many times I want to not only know the answers, but I want them immediately. 

But he tells us, "Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

But Googling sure would be easier!

The Bedraggled Ragamuffin

Every Thursday Holly Mueller from Reading, Teaching, Learning, creates a place where readers can share their spiritual journeys.  

When Holly tweeted out the theme for this week, my first thought was, "Why did I ever think I could do this?  What was I thinking"  

Then, I started thinking and realized these words are an accurate description of my faith journey.

ragamuffin - a dirty young child wearing torn clothes

bedraggled - looking untidy, wet, and dirty

When I think about my faith journey, I have been out on the streets for some time, lost and wondering where I belong -  just like a ragamuffin.  

Although I am a cradle Catholic, I have been distant from my church for awhile now.  An incident happened that made me begin to have a lack of trust in leadership.  I felt I was lied to, and I have had a hard time trusting again.  

As with most things in life, when you stop doing them, new habits form, especially the habit of not attending church.  I have many connections with people from another church who have tried to bring me into their fold.   But for some reason, I just can't break away from my Catholic roots.

Last week I wrote about my fear of being called a hypocrite.  How can a bedraggled ragamuffin write about a spiritual journey?  Can a dirty young child wearing the torn clothes of a lost faith and living "out in the streets" and away from the church, still have a relationship with God?  I think about this all the time.  

When I tweeted about concerns about the theme, Jaana, from Jaana's Writing Blog, sent me a link of quotes from the book in which Holly referred.  

This one grabbed my heart and wouldn't let go.

“We need a new kind of relationship with the Father that drives out fear and mistrust and anxiety and guilt, that permits us to be hopeful and joyous, trusting and compassionate.” 
― Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out

Reading this made me think that yes, there is room for a bedraggled ragamuffin who is lost on the streets.  

I can have that relationship with the Father that drives out my fear and mistrust and anxiety and guilt.  

I can be a person who is hopeful and joyous, trusting and compassionate.

There is hope for the bedraggled ragamuffin.  

Thank you, Holly for helping me to continue on this journey.

What I Believe

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating a place to share our Slice of Life. Read more slices or add you own here.

I just finished the book,  Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson.  The book is to be released later this month, but I received an advanced copy from some friends on Twitter.

This is an amazing book!  The writing is absolutely beautiful, and knowing that it is a memoir makes it even more special.

Toward the end of the book, Jacqueline writes a list of "what I believe."  I decided to use this as a mentor text for my slice this week.  This is unpolished and is certainly a first draft, because I finished the book just 30 minutes ago.

What I Believe

I believe in the power of a smile, given in an unexpected moment.

I believe that everyone deserves to be happy.

I believe in the power of words, words that heal and give hope.

I believe in love at first sight and love that lasts forever.

I believe in marriage, a connection of hearts.

I believe in second chances.

I believe in mornings and starting over 

each and every day.

If there is only one book you read this fall, please consider Brown Girl Dreaming.  I don't think you will be disappointed.

Celebrate Good Times, Come On! 8/16

Each Saturday  Ruth Ayres invites us to share and celebrate events, big or small, from our week. Looking for celebrations has certainly improved my outlook on my week.  For that, I am certainly grateful to Ruth and to all of you who choose to celebrate with me.

It has been a week of beginnings and endings for my family.

Me - Last week was our first full week of school, and as a teacher, I walked new halls for the first time.  I began teaching 6th grade ELA in a five year old school.  I have much to learn, but it was a great first week not only learning the ropes of the new building and a new grade level, but also learning the differences between 4th and 6th graders.  This experience should give me much to write about this year.

My Husband - Monday, my husband started a new job.  He worked for a bank for 30 years, our entire life together.  Banking, just like teaching, has gone through many changes, and this career change has been a breath of fresh air for him.  

My Daughter - Megan, my daughter, begins her last semester in college.  I remember the excitement and fear of knowing that I would soon be in the real world.  She is beginning her last semester with the anticipation of beginning her adult life.

My Son - Ethan, my son, begins his last year in high school.  So many emotions accompany this year.  Enjoying each senior experience, yet knowing this year may be the last time he sees many of his classmates.  Wanting to grow up, yet enjoying that care free life for one more year.

Many great celebrations for us this week and I am sure, throughout this entire year.  It will be a busy time, but we must take the time to stop and celebrate those small things along the way.  

Have a great week and may you find many celebrations in your lives along the way!

Joy - Spiritual Journey Thursday

Holly Mueller blog,  Reading, Teaching, Learning is a place where readers can share their spiritual journeys.  I have been reading these posts for the past several weeks, but was hesitant about participating.  The main reason is that I wanted my blog to be an educational blog where I share my life as a teacher, a reader, and a writer.  I did not feel like my spiritual journey belonged here.  

Then I thought, writing is writing.  It doesn't have to belong in the educational setting.  It can belong in my heart and come from my heart.  I read Christian and spiritual books, but I have never shared those on my blog, only kid lit.  I hope that I am a teacher not only in a school setting, but in life or in my spiritual journey as well.  I am still considering another blog with maybe a spiritual focus because I think it would help me REACH in ways that I need and desire.

The other reason is that I didn't feel like I belonged there.  I didn't feel like I had a strong enough  Christian life to write about it.  I did not want to be compared to other Christian writers, because I knew I would fail.

Then I remembered seeing this quote on Michelle Haseltine's blog, One Grateful Teacher.

"Comparison is the thief of joy."  ~ Theodore Roosevelt 

There was my answer and here is my post.

When I saw that the topic was JOY, I knew I wanted to go back and reread my favorite section in Joel Osteen's book, Every Day A Friday.  

"No one will take away your joy" (John 16:22)

The first section of the book is about joy and the power that we have over our own joy.

This past year I let someone take away my joy.  I let the comments made about me affect me in negative, emotional ways.  I let her take away my joy.  When we allow someone and what they say to upset us, we are giving that person control.  What I learned was what people say about us does not define who we are.  I am me, and no one can change that.  I am in control of me.  I will not let someone take away my joy.

God tells us that "joy comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:5.)  Each day we wake up and God gives us the gift of joy.  We get to decide if today we will accept joy, or will we let someone take it away.  

Today when you woke up, I hope you heard God's knock at the door and accepted his gift of joy.

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118: 24)

Tony Stewart - A Teacher's Perspective

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating a place to share our Slice of Life. Read more slices or add you own here.

It has been awhile since I have written a slice.  Actually about a month and a half. July marked my one year anniversary as a "slicer," and I missed celebrating that milestone.  But, I needed some time away, and I am back and ready to begin writing again.

Picture this scene from a typical playground, possibly even yours.

Children playing on the swings and slides.  A student who is a known bully pushes another student and makes him fall.  The bully continues to play, but the student who was pushed comes after him shaking his fist and yelling,  "You can't do that to me!"

The bully continues to play for a few minutes, and as the student approaches him, the bully takes a swing and injures the student.

The teacher comes out, and the injured student is so badly hurt, he can't tell his side of the story.  Only the bully can talk, and he says he didn't mean to hurt him.  But, the bully has a past full of anger.

Have you seen this situation?

As a teacher, what do you believe?

Most importantly, how do you react?

Last weekend a similar incident occurred on the race track with Tony Stewart and a 20 year old young man.  The young man died of injuries caused by the accident.  Tony Stewart has a reputation for being a "bully" on the track.  He is known to show much emotion and yes, many times, anger.

As the reports started rolling in, some said it was simply an accident.  Others brought up his reputation and automatically assumed he intentionally tried to hit the driver.

The only person who really knows what happened is Tony, and he will have to live with this for the rest of his life.

My thoughts were how people automatically assumed guilt because of his prior behavior before the accident was investigated.

How many times do we, as teachers, do that?  How many times is there a situation where we assume guilt before we investigate because of a student's prior behavior?  I know I have.  Is this fair?  Is this how I should have reacted?

This tragedy has given people some important things to think about.  This teacher included.

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

Each Saturday  Ruth Ayres invites us to share and celebrate events, big or small, from our week. Looking for celebrations has certainly improved my outlook on my week.  For that, I am certainly grateful to Ruth and to all of you who choose to celebrate with me.

Thursday was our first day of school.  It was my first day as a 6th grade teacher.  It was my first day at a new school.  I don't know who was more nervous, me or my students.

With new beginnings, sometimes comes doubt, fear, and hesitation.  I have felt all three this week.  I am still learning how to combine a 90 reading block and an additional writing block into a 48 minute period.  I want to teach the way I have always taught, and I am just not sure how that looks just yet.  How do I incorporate my ideas and philosophy into a new setting?  How do I not step on toes, yet stay true to what I believe?  How do I celebrate reading and writing with 6th graders?

It will be a year of trial and tribulation, but I am ready to find the answers and celebrate the journey.

Have a great week and I hope you find many things to celebrate!