Spiritual Journey Thursday: Family

  

I am delighted to be hosting Spiritual Journey Thursday this month. This month our topic is family. Please link up below if you would like to join us.

When I chose this topic, it was the Sunday our priest gave a homily about the importance of family. It was really much more than that, but I can't remember, and I did not write it down. So, as I was thinking about what I was going to write about, my thoughts turned to my mother.

My mom passed away in April after years of suffering from dementia. As many dementia patients do, my mom repeated the same stories over and over. Sometimes within minutes of each other.

One of her favorites was about her family. She would tell how she had “two daughters and a granddaughter who were teachers: one high school, one junior high and one grade school.” She was so proud of that.

Today, we added another granddaughter to the story. Although we told Mom Addie was going to be a teacher too, that part of the story just never stuck. Mom didn't live to see this moment today as we snapped this picture at our opening day, but I know she was smiling down from heaven.

Me, my niece, Addie; my daughter, Megan; and my sister, Janis

Over the years, I have wondered why some stories stick and others don't. I am not a brain expert, but maybe it's those stories about family that we hold closest to our hearts that we remember. Maybe God places them there to help those left behind feel our loved one's presence after they are gone. Maybe those stories are the ones that connect our hearts.

I know Mom would be so proud today, and I am grateful I have this story to share.

If you would like to join us and share your family story, please link up below. And don't forget to come throughout the month to find later posts!

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Click here to enter

Screen Free Classroom

We just wrapped up our standardized "testing season." For the last two weeks, I did my best to keep my classroom screen free because I wanted them to save screen time for the hours of testing. We worked on a creative project, wrote some fun stories, and played word games.

Friday, the final day of testing, I only had my afternoon classes because of the testing schedule. I decided to give them free time, which they know I do not do very often. I was catching up on my to-do list after missing almost two weeks of school due to the passing of my mother, and my only requirement was that the noise level had to be tolerable. 

Fifth period, I looked around and couldn't believe what I saw. Every single student had chosen to NOT be on their computers. Instead, they were playing games and having fun with each other. Some sat around one desk while others sat on the floor. It was glorious.

This made me wonder what if we gave students more opportunities to be screen free. Would they choose no screens on their own? Would not being on computers help them focus when they do have to use them? 

This experience has certainly given me something to think about...and to smile about.

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

A Literary Hug

When a writer sends words out into the world, she never knows upon whose heart they may land.

A comment on my mom's online obituary began a serendipitous trail. 

Let me back up to March 24th, where I was wrapping up my slice of life challenge. My writing group had a journal club meeting, and one of the prompts was about a hiding place. I wrote about a mulberry tree that I used to play in with my childhood best friend. I turned that entry into a poem and posted it as a slice the next day.

As I was reading the comments on the obituary, I saw one from this childhood friend. She wrote about how my mom always included her even with all my mom's responsibilities. I was touched by the comment because I have not seen this friend since we graduated high school over 40 years ago.

A few days later, my sister sent a text showing me a post by my friend. Apparently, she Googled me and found my blog.

And found the poem I wrote about her.

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

Another Post about Comments

During the slice of life March challenge, I wrote a post about commenting. Commenting on slices is similar to giving writing feedback to students. It really is an art.

And I am not feedback artistic. It is something I constantly work on.

I currently teach an education class at our local university. I love it, but I still have so much to learn about teaching at that level. It is definitely not middle school.

Last week I was teaching about quick writes and the many different ways teachers can use them in classrooms. I had them write an admit ticket, and to show them a way to apply accountability, I had them share their exit tickets and write a comment or an add-on to the writing.

I could tell right away this was something they were not comfortable with although I can tell some of them put some thought into their response.

And then there was the one that made me think I need to add feedback to the syllabus for next year!

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

Tinker Toys and Slicers

Image by Aldren Gamalo from Pixabay

What do the numbers 12, 1000, 2013, and Tinker Toys have in common? It's the history of this blog and my connection to the Slice of Life community.

This is the 12th year of participating in the challenge for me. The past three years I debated on participating, but the community is what kept me signing up. Last year, I didn't complete the 31 days, but I was still proud of what I did write. This year was not as hard as what I thought it would be, but my knee injury provided much fodder for writing.

I started this blog in April of 2013, not knowing what I was doing or who, if anyone, would ever read what I wrote. Two months later, I was brave enough to write my first slice. It was about milk jugs, of all things! A year after I started my blog, I participated and completed my first challenge. This challenge gave me confidence and was the catalyst for creating a true writing life.

Through those early years of blogging, many slicers became very dear friends. The following summer, I attended an All Write Conference and met many of them in person:  Ruth, Elsie, Linda, and Christie. I attended a slicers get-together at that conference. Since it was my first time, and I knew no one and am an introvert, I stayed on the outskirts. Stacey and Betsy were there, and I regret not introducing myself.

Through time and at other conventions I have met many more slicers:  Diane, Erica, Margaret, Denise, Glenda, Heather, Christie, Cathy, Arjeha (Bob) and I am sure I am missing others. 

It is one thing to have online connections, but face-to-face connections and real hugs are so much better. 

This blogging community is like the picture of Tinker Toys, different parts coming together to create something amazing. I am so grateful for the friendships that have developed and the friends I have met in person simply by sharing my words these last 12 years.

The number 1000 stands for my 1000th post. And I think it is only fitting that I write it on the last day of this challenge with the community who built my writing life and who continues to sustain me.

May you keep writing and may that writing continue to create connections.

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

The Sky We Share--A Book Spine Poem

With two days left, I realized I have not done a book spine poem yet. I typically do one toward the end of challenge when I am stuck and have writer's block. This year, I have not had one of those moments where I needed inspiration, but since I love "writing" book spine poems, today seemed to be the perfect day.

Late fall, I received a grant to purchase books for my classroom library. The books were delivered in January, and because of that topic I refuse to write anymore about, I have not had the opportunity to get them ready for the shelves. They are stacked and bagged in my bedroom. 

I opened the bag and played with, arranged, and rearranged the titles. Several of them were sports books, and those titles just weren't working. 

Off to bag number two and the stack sitting on the floor. I stacked a few, but they weren't right either. Dove in and restacked again. This one had some potential. I liked the two titles with the -ing words together, but I needed an ending. I love the idea that the sky we share will carry me home!

Here is spine poem 2025!

The sky we shared

where we used to roam,

racing the clouds,

learning to fall,

carry me home.

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

Celebration Saturday

Throw the confetti! It's time for a Saturday Celebration!

1. Having lunch out on a Saturday is a celebration for me, but it is super sweet when I meet with an EJD, also known as a high school friend. She was home visiting her mom, but I got to spend a few hours with her. 
2. My students have a regular notebook assignment. I give them three prompt choices, but they can always choose their own. Today, when I read a few of them, I noticed how much they have grown as writers. Even though these are low stakes writing, I see evidence of the lessons I have taught them. They are writing stories using dialogue without being prompted and using figurative language and descriptive words. I can tell they are trying to use purple words, which some teachers call wow words. I see transitions and specific ways to include details for informational writing. It may have taken us awhile to get here, but the evidence is a call for a celebration!
3. For the BIGGEST celebration--today I walked for 10 minutes on the treadmill! It may not be much, but I did it without any pain for the first time! I have patiently waited, well maybe not so patiently, for this moment! Hopefully, it is a two-step-forward kind of day!

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

A Word List Only in Middle School

I am a word nerd. I love finding and collecting words. My pages are filled with word lists, but today two girls at school took a word list to a new level.

At our middle school, we have student cadets. These cadets are students who were in study hall, but teachers pull them out to be in classrooms to do errands or small tasks for teachers.

This morning during my prep, I left my room and saw this list of words on a whiteboard sign we have in the hall. 

As I read the list, I knew it was from first period cadets, and I tried to figure out just what this list meant. The names of what? There was no commonality at all, and I was perplexed.

I finally asked the teacher next door whose daughter was one of the authors of this list, what the words meant. She laughed and said, "You won't believe it!"

I think this is the most unique list ever:  names we'd give our kids if they didn't mean what they do.

Only in middle school!

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

A Mutinous Spider

Being a lifelong learner sometimes means telling students we don't know something. But I love those moments because they look at me and think, "You don't know this? But you're the teacher."

That's what happened today. We are practicing interpreting figure language. I wanted to get them up and moving, so I put task cards around the room, gave them a clipboard and an answer sheet, and sent them off. One student asked me to come over to a card. He said, "Mrs. Eck, I don't know what this word means."

The card was a story about a "mutinous" spider on the wall. I told him, "Well, I am not 100% sure either. I know the word mutiny means a kind of revolt, and this word looks pretty close to it. I bet it has something to do with that. I'll go look it up, and we will both learn something today."

I went to good ole Google and searched the word. I am not sure I would call a spider mutinous, but it was a learning moment for both of us.

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

A Little Oopsie

I wish I could promise this would be the last one...but I ain't making promises I may not be able to keep, so here's one more knee story.

Have you ever done something really stupid, and you wonder, "How did nothing bad happen to me?"

Right after my knee injury, I began taking an old prescription for Ibuprofen, thinking the higher dosage would surely do something for the inflammation. I didn't take it regularly, and I didn't take it every day...thank goodness.

One morning, when the pain was bad, I reached up for the bottle and just happened to notice the dosage:  one tablet every 8 hours. My heart started racing, and I began to panic. 

"What have I done?!?"

I had been taking two of those pills, a total of 16 milligrams at one time. The one time I took it twice in one day, my nose started bleeding in the middle of the night although I didn't notice it until I saw it on my pillows the next morning. However, I didn't realize at the time that it was probably from the medicine.

For the next several days, I did not take any medication at all. I wanted to get all that out of my system. My doctor said, it wasn't wise to do that, but he didn't think any long-term complications would arise.

Now fast forward to yesterday. I began taking Tylenol for arthritis because that is the main cause of my problems. It has really helped, but all of sudden I had that moment of fear again:  I was taking two pills. 

Was I supposed to take two or just one? 

I grabbed the bottle to look, and of course the print was so small, I couldn't read it, hence the slice for yesterday!

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

Yes, I did it!

Yes, I did it.

Have you done it?

Or are you not old enough to have done it yet?

What did I do?

I took a picture on my phone of small print just so I could blow it up and read it.

Yes, I did it.

Have you done it?

Or are you not old enough to have done it yet?

There is a story behind why I did it, (besides not being able to read it!) which will be tomorrow's slice!

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 

a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories. 

The Mulberry Tree

Last night, my writing group, Teach Write, held our monthly journal club. We wrote to a prompt about hiding places. My best elementary school friend, Angie, and I would hide and play in a huge mulberry tree. It may have been more of a hang-out spot rather than a hiding place, but we sure did spend a lot of time there.

As I opened my notebook and began to write, the memories came flooding back and fell into this (backwards) nonet poem of nine lines with an ascending syllable count.

Out

in the

field stands a

mulberry tree,

cascading branches

creating a hideout.

I stretch out on a long branch

tasting the sun-sweetened berries 

as our childhood friendship ripens, too.

 

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

An MRI Surprise

Image by Saul from Pixabay

If you have read much of my blog this month, you are probably getting tired of hearing about my knee. Honestly, I am tired of writing about it, but it is has consumed me.  So, one more story about my MRI.

I have never had an MRI, so I wasn't sure what to expect. After removing my wedding ring, I was ready to approach the machine. The technician told me the procedure and reassured me that if at any time I needed to stop, I could. I wasn't nervous about it, so I put on the headphones, listened to the music, and in I went.

Throughout the procedure, she asked how I was doing, and I was fine. At one point the machine stopped and she came in and asked me, "Is your knee hurting?"

I thought it was an odd question because that is where my injury was. I told her no, and she asked, "It's not burning?"

I told her no again.

"You have a piece of metal in your knee. You must have knelt down on something at some point in your life. Because it is metal, and this is like a big magnet, it can cause the metal to heat up. As long as you don't feel anything, we can go on. I can show you the picture when we are done."

After we were finished, she showed me the image with the small piece of metal in my knee, and my fingers went straight to a scar.

When I was in second grade, over 50 years ago, I began sewing. I received my own sewing machine for Christmas, and I was making something (though I don't remember what). 

I dropped a needle on the floor and began looking for it. You know where this is going, don't you?

Hysterical, I told my parents I thought a needle went into my knee. They didn't believe me until they saw the other broken half on the floor. Yes, the needle went into my knee, and I went to the emergency room to get it out

...well, most of it out.

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

5-4-3-2-1 Friday Reflection on a Saturday Morning

Image by Crystal Procknow from Pixabay

One of my favorite ways to wrap up the week is the 5-4-3-2-1 Reflection.  I know many slicers have used this form as well. I typically write this in my notebook on Fridays, but I decided to use it for my Saturday slice to look back on my week...but in reality, my inspiration is wanning.

Five things that made me smile

Shopping with my daughter.

Finishing a book.

Walking without my crutch.

Avoiding severe weather.
Having my son home for the weekend.

Four words to describe my week

relaxing

windy

restful

hopeful

Three plans for the weekend

Do some light cleaning (as much as my knee will let me).

Enjoy time with my son.

Catch up on grading.

Two things I learned this week

Losing weight will help my arthritis (not that I didn't already know this, but my orthopedic surgeon politely reminded me of this yesterday).

I need to reteach how to write a constructed response.

One goal for the week ahead

Eat better (see the first thing I learned this week).

Happy Weekend!

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

Favorite Books and Authors

"Mrs. Eck, do you have a favorite book?"

I have been asked this question so many times during my teaching career, and I usually answer it in two different ways. "That would be like asking me if I have a favorite child," or "There are too many good books to have a favorite."

Groans usually follow that answer as most students don't like either of those answers, and I understand it. I think they are looking for validation of a choice they made, or the fact that having a favorite is acceptable by someone who (typically) reads a lot.

Because of this, I back up my answer with a comment such as this is my favorite for this week, or this month, or this school year.

I'm also asked about favorite authors, and I can honestly say I don't have one of those either. This made me think about a recent Goodreads post when I used the phrase, "one of my favorite authors." 

I finished reading Old School by Gordon Korman, and I thought about what makes him one of my favorites. 

1. He writes books that almost all middle school readers can relate to.
2. His books are funny and many take place in school, giving school a positive image.
3. His books have a deeper message that kids can understand.

But maybe the real reason why he is one of my favorites is because he has written 105 books! When someone writes that many books and when you read many of them, I believe that automatically launches him into "my favorites" category.

I saw him speak at a conference, and he is hilarious. I could easily see his personality reflected in his books.

 

Old School is about a boy who has been raised and homeschooled by his grandmother with the help of others in a retirement community. Dexter is twelve...going on 60!

I can't wait to get to school, and book talk this one to my students and say, "This is my favorite from spring break!"

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

A Rambling Slice of Rambling Thoughts

It's 3:00 am. After a trip to the bathroom, I snuggle back under the covers and wait for sleep to return. My mind turns to my need-to-do-tomorrow list, which includes writing today's slice. I have been writing my slice the day before, but that didn't happen yesterday, so here I am thinking about possible topics.

I could write about...

visiting my mom and meeting a new 98-year-old resident or how tornadoes hit Indiana again and how we may get snow today or how I walked through Walmart without using a crutch or how I am moving into teaching my college students how to use quick writes to teach content or how I've read two books this week, and the week isn't over yet or how we marked the 1-year anniversary of empty nest by eating dinner at our daughter's house or how my house needs cleaned because I have not been able to do  much since my knee injury or how I still have so much grading to do or what I am going to do on my last few days of spring break...

but luckily, I fell back to sleep, and now I have a slice, albeit a rambling one!

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

Some Thoughts on Commenting

Image by Peter Olexa from Pixabay

This community is fueled by comments, but commenting is something I struggle with. What kind of comments do I need to make? What kind of feedback do slicers want to see? Do I comment on the subject of the slice? Do I comment on the connection I make to my own experiences? Do I comment on the craft move?

I don't believe there is a right or wrong way to comment, but my comments always feel inadequate.

When I write a slice, or anything for that matter, I want the reader to connect with it, to elicit an emotion, or to make the reader think about something in a new way. This is also a writing challenge with a place to try out craft moves with no risk. A place to play and experiment. 

As I read one of my recent slices, I noticed a comment by Fran McCrackin: "I like how your structure is good for describing a journey: you begin and end with today, and in between you chart out the time and events. It works."  Yes, I intentionally did that, and she not only noticed but also commented on it.

I decided to go back and look at Fran's comments on others' posts, and I began to notice the craft moves of the comments she writes. Fran will comment on her favorite line or paragraph, or the perfect word choice and how that word(s) made her feel. She comments on the mood of the piece and what lines or words create that mood. She sees structure and identifies it in ways I would never think of. She always comes back to the writing itself. 

And isn't that what this challenge is really about? Improving my writing?

Moving forward through these next 12 days, I want to be a more intentional commenter, to really look at the writing along with the chosen topic and the connections to it. This will take more time, and I will not get to read as many posts, but maybe I won't feel quite so inadequate!

Thank you, Fran, for being a commenting mentor!

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

The Day Called for Retail Therapy

Teaching is becoming more and more difficult. My daughter and I are both teachers in the same district, and we share common problems:  disrespect, lack of motivation, and just unbelievable behaviors. 

We are on spring break this week which means the end is closer. I try not to "count the days," but a recent conversation went something like this:

"We have eight weeks left."

"Only four more weeks until our four-day weekend."

"And we have two weeks of testing."

"And the last week of school doesn't really count."

"So that really leaves only five weeks."

Ok, so we may not be counting the days yet, but we are certainly paying attention to the weeks.

It is a struggle, especially for her this year.  I have been worried about her, so I decided we needed to leave town yesterday for some retail therapy. We were limited due to my knee problems, but we both needed this time away and together.

Barnes and Noble is always on our shopping plan. 

I started Old School last night, and it is Korman at his finest!

Spring-scented candles for my writing room. 

Now, I just need to get this knee completely healed 

so I can go up the steps.

A few new collage supplies for my notebook 

and for making bookmarks.

We ate at one of our favorite places, but I didn't think about 

writing this as a slice...so no picture. 

But the salad, breadsticks, and fettuccini were fabulous!

Cookies to eat with Dad when we got back home. 

The pink sugar cookie was my favorite 

although the mint chocolate cake was delicious, too!

And my favorite drink, cherry limeade, for the ride home.

What a wonderful day with a wonderful person! I think we might just make it these last eight (but really five!) weeks of school!

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

St. Patrick's Day Writing Challenge

I came across a St. Patick's Day writing challenge on Face Book by Tolentino Teaching. I don't write much fiction, so I thought I would give this a try. The challenge is a 10-sentence story using the following specific rules. Here is a link that will take you to all of his 10-sentence Challenges.

Patty grew up in a poor family who didn't believe in good luck. She lived in Leprechaun Village, a town with luscious fields of green clover, and rumor was that pots of gold could be found at the end of a rainbow if you were lucky enough to find one.

One day her bother came running in and announced that someone found a pot of gold. Patty pondered at the announcement, something she desperately wanted but could never find. Why couldn't she be lucky? 

She grabbed her coat, vanished out the door, and looked up into the sky. Suddenly without warning, the skies opened up and rain poured down upon her, completely soaking her coat and clothes. She waited and waited for a rainbow to peek out from the sun, when a tiny leprechaun climbed up to her ear and whispered, "You won't find a pot of gold here; your treasure is where your heart is." She dejectedly turned around to go home muttering something about never being lucky when just above her house was the rainbow she was searching for and her treasure waiting inside:  her family.

This was a fun activity, and I think I may try some of Brain's challenges with my students during our testing time.

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

Celebration Day SOL #16

 

Today is a day of celebration!

Almost two months ago, my knee went out on me. I could not walk on it at all, and I was on crutches (something not easy to do for an overweight 61 year old!).

A week later I got the flu and was down for about 3 days. I lost my voice for several days and coughed for several weeks.

A few days later, I received a cortisone shot. After a day or two with more pain, I was beginning to walk a little better. I felt like I was making progress.

That did not last long because not long after that, I got bursitis in my knee, causing extreme pain and an inability to walk again.

My therapist encouraged me to walk with one crutch to ease the pressure on the bad knee.

It has been such a long journey.

Today, after what seems like forever....I am able to walk on my own with no pain! A day to celebrate!

Now, to get it stronger and back to normal!

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

THE Day SOL #15

Friday was THE day. The day of noticing. The day when spring seems to pop out from its winter slumber. 

We had early dismissal, and we were officially on spring break. Maybe that is why I noticed the signs. Or maybe it was because it reached almost 80 degrees, and the flowers and trees decided that today was THE day. Whatever the reason, I am so glad to finally see signs of spring...well maybe not all of them!

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.