#BestSchoolDay ~ Celebrate 2017 (twelve)

Each week Ruth Ayres extends an invitation to share the celebrations from our week.  

Best School Day - how many times have you said this?  Officially, I can say it was this week. On Wednesday, the Donor's Choose organization, along with 20,000 generous donors, supported 11,459 public school classrooms.  Through their #BestSchoolDay campaign, these donors gave over $2 million to projects created by teachers.  

Thanks to Donor's Choose, Aspect Ventures who matched donations, and a very special author, my classroom was one of them.

When I moved to middle school from 4th grade, I took many of my books with me. However, many of these books are geared toward middle grade students, not middle school, especially my nonfiction and poetry books.  

Earlier this year I created a nonfiction project, and it was funded by our local electric company.  Just a month ago, I created a poetry project.  

Middle school can be a tough transition into the teenage years. My 6th grade students try to balance school, home, friendships, parents, relationships, and extra-curricular activities, while keeping their emotions in check. 

One day my students are trying to outrun their childhood, and the next day they are thankful being a teenager is not within their grasp.

For my students, no day is typical, and each day is different. But literacy is the one thing that can help hold it all together.  My hope is that poetry will build empathy, allow for personal expression, and open their minds to different perspectives.

Today, I celebrate those who donors who are giving my students this chance.  

I celebrate those businesses who support literacy and freely give monetary resources to help teachers. I celebrate my author friend and other authors who support the hard work that teachers do each and every day. 

And as National Poetry Month begins, I celebrate poetry. 

These are just a few of the books which will be arriving in my classroom this month.

Ode to Dandelion #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

Today is also Poetry Friday and Amy at The Poem Farm is hosting today.  Stop by and indulge yourself in a little poetry.

Today I am participating in Michelle Barnes' monthly challenge at Today's Little Ditty. This month Helen Frost has challenged us to write an ode poem, following these instructions:   

Choose an object (a seashell, a hairbrush, a bird nest, a rolling pin). It should not be anything symbolic (such as a doll, a wedding ring, or a flag). Write five lines about the object, using a different sense in each line (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell). Then ask the object a question, listen for its answer, and write the question, the answer, or both.

I found out Thursday that Crayola was retiring the color Dandelion. This announcement made me think about all the suns that will no longer be drawn in the corners of children's artwork, and I questioned, "Why this one?"  This question was perfect for my Ode to Dandelion.

Ode to Dandelion

Oh, Dandelion I see you standing proud in your box of 24.

Your back-to-school scent lingers in my backpack. 

My heart races and

a gasp escapes as I carefully pull you out.

The tip of my tongue licks my lips as I create my masterpiece of a corner sun.

Why, Crayola did you have to take away Dandelion?

Just to make room for a new one.

© 2017 Leigh Anne Eck

Favorites Party Round-up #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

My first slice for this monthly challenge was an invitation to a favorites party.  I have to say that this slice is my all-time favorite because it was interactive and was a great way to introduce ourselves to each other.  

Twenty-five slicers attended the party and each brought their own special items. However, some items appeared over and over again and become the top favorites. So here is the Favorites Party Round-up from #sol17.

6.  Food and drink.  There were so many food and drinks that I had to throw all of them together.  There were all kinds of yummy snacks and both hot and cold beverages served in special containers.

5.  Captured moments.  I was touched by the slicers who wanted to capture our time together, whether that was through a phone, an iPad, or a camera.  (I voted Terje the official photographer.)

4.  Comfort.  It became obvious that this party was a place to wind down and enjoy the moments with each other.  Everything from comfy clothes to comfy shoes and blankets to pillows was included.  (We even moved the party from my front porch to Deb's lake!)

3.  Books.  Slicers wanted to share books from their favorite authors to their favorite poems.  This goes to show that writers are also readers.

2.  Pens.  You can tell we are writers because pens, especially Ink Joy pens were popular.  This party forced me to try Ink Joy for the first time and oh my...they are wonderful!

And the top favorite item was CHOCOLATE!  Chocolate came in candy, cookies, brownies and everything in between.  We obviously know what feeds the souls of writers.

Lisa gets the kindness award for bringing the hostess a gift!  Thank you Lisa.

I hope all of you enjoyed the party as much as I did and will stop by again on Tuesdays.

Here's to a great month of slicing!

The Good Old Days #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

You realize how dependent you become on something when you no longer have it.  We become spoiled.  We expect it to just "be there."

These words are so true and are words that I lived out the first two days of this week.  Part of our computer management system was down the first two days back from spring break.  What a difference it made in the way we "did school" this week.

The office staff was not able to look up on the computer where students were.  They would have to either email or walk down to the wings to look for students.  

This chaos sure made us appreciate the old days when students had their schedules written down on cards, and the cards were filed by grade level in aphpahbetical order in a file box.  

Oh what we would have done to have that system in place this week.

We would have appreciated the good old days.

Professional Development Books ~ #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

Friday I wrote about a new addiction, Ink Joy gel pens, and it seems that I have lots of company with that addiction.

Today's post is about another obsession - buying professional books.  Yes, I have many more than I need, and yes, I have some that I have not even read.  "But I might learn something new" is my mantra and my justification when it comes to purchasing professional books.

Reading professional books is cheap PD.  Many school districts are decreasing professional development opportunities for teachers due to budget cuts, and what I learn from reading these books and apply in my classroom, is well worth the money.

It is our responsibility as professionals to stay current in best teaching practices and to learn new ideas of what works in classrooms.  Why would we not want to improve our teaching?  Why would not want to personalize our PD to fit our individual needs and our passions? Why would we not want to read information on which to base our instructional decisions?

David Guerin wrote a great post "So You're an Educator and You're Not Reading" about taking ownership for our professional growth through reading professional books.  It's a great read and further justification for my (and maybe your) addiction.

So what new books did I just order that will be pushing my thinking soon?  Here's my list that should be arriving this week:

What professional books have you read or purchased lately?

PD Book Spine Poetry #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

I love creating book spine poetry, looking through my shelves, arranging and rearranging titles.  One year I wrote book spine haiku for an even greater challenge.  

This month, Diane at Newtreemom created a book spine poem using professional books.  I have been on spring break this week, so my poem had to wait until I was ready to could get back to my classroom to see what titles I could add to my book stash at home.  

Here are my creations using professional books - one for writing and one for reading.

Write beside them

day by day

bringing life to words

after the end

the journey is everything

Book love

igniting a passion for reading

kids deserve it

Is It Enough? #sol17 #digilitSunday

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

Today I am participating in Digital Literacy Sunday with Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche.  

I sit here today thinking about final plans for this week.  We have three more weeks before our second round of testing which lasts two weeks, and then we have our last three weeks of school.  For me, this school year is almost over.  It becomes a time of reflecting, questioning, and doubting.

This is my tenth year of teaching.  I have taught grades 4-6, and I have taught language arts and math.  Teaching sure has changed dramatically in these short ten years.

My first year we used a basal reader and all of the accompanying worksheets.  I hated it, and the kids hated it.  (That was the one and only year I did that!)  

We went to a computer lab once a week where we typically worked on keyboarding skills or a math facts program and occasionally completed research and created a Powerpoint presentation.  Presentation options were limited.

I taught with transparencies on an overhead projector which sat in the middle of the room and projected on a pull-down screen.

Learning was contained within the four walls of our classroom and was mostly teacher-driven and teacher-led.

Reflecting on that first year, my teaching seems archaic.  It is hard to believe it was just ten years ago.  

Technology has allowed learning to become personalized, global, and more engaging. Learning is student-led and student-driven.  Our world has become larger because of connections, and learning no longer has walls.

For me, teaching has become more rewarding, yet more challenging.  It was much easier to open the teachers manual and read from a script and say that we were "teaching."  

Now, I spend hours, days, and summers learning new ways to improve my teaching through the use of technology and to make learning more engaging.  I read books and blog posts, go to conferences, and collaborate with teachers from far away places.  I build that passion that crafts my teaching.  But after spending this time becoming a better teacher, a burning question raises its ugly head.

Is it enough?

We, as teachers, are our biggest critic.  We are first in line to question, Have I done enough?  Is this engaging?  How can I make this better?

I need this burning question to drive my passion and my desire to improve, but without beating myself up.  Without the question, Is it enough? would I still be teaching like I did ten years ago?  I owe this burning question to my profession, to myself, and to my students.

Passionate Teachers ~ Celebrate 2017 (ten) #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

Today I am also combining my two worlds of writing by celebrating my week with Ruth Ayres. 

Remember what it was like when you were a child on Christmas Eve, so excited and couldn't sleep?  Or maybe it was the night before the first day of school and you are filled with anticipation of a new class of students and new ideas to implement?

That was me last night.  I came across a recorded 2016 webinar with Penny Kittle, who just happens to be one of my teacher idols.  It was one hour and 35 minutes long, but with all of the stops to write notes and "back 'em ups" to catch something brilliant she said that I missed the first time, it took me over two and a half hours to watch!  Finally at midnight (just after the Two Writing Teachers email came through) I decided I needed to go to bed.

But I couldn't sleep.  I could not turn my brain off because all these ideas and thoughts were swimming.  There is so much brilliance to share, but today I celebrate passionate teachers.

In the beginning of the webinar, she talks about passion, and this quote was one of her slides.

She explains how her passion, everything she has wanted to do, has come because somebody showed her their passion.  She affectionately tells about how her father instilled her passion of fishing though his own passion.

Of course, she then moves to her passion about reading and writing and this had me thinking.

Do I show my passion each and every day?  Do I share my passion to each and every student?  How can I do a better job of sharing my passion with my colleagues?

Who shares their passion with me?  

When I think about how my teaching has changed because of what other teachers have shared with me, I am overwhelmed and so, so grateful.  I am not talking about the teacher down the hall who shares a resource or an idea.  Although I am thankful for them, I celebrate teachers like Penny -- and so many others -- who share their passion with us through webinars, online courses, tweets, blog posts, books, and conferences so that we may become better teachers.  

To paraphrase Penny, everything I have wanted to do in my classroom and my career, is because somebody showed me and shared with me their passion.

This is the true celebration. 

My Soon-to-Be Addiction ~ #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

I have a new addiction.  Not that I need or want one.  

I had heard about this soon-to-be addiction from some of my friends - Michelle Haseltine and Jennifer Laffin.  (I blame it on them!)

Walking down the aisle at Walmart, I would look at this soon-to-be addiction and convince myself I didn't need them.  The next shopping trip (and the next), I did the same thing.  I tried to ignore it, but one day I had a meltdown. 

I stopped in the aisle and said, "I can't take it any more!"

I bought some.  It was a small package of this soon-to-be addiction because I was just going to "try" them.  But I fell in love. 

Then, as I was walking down the aisle of Walmart again, I heard a bigger package of this soon-to-be addiction calling my name.  It's like they were taunting me.  I kept telling them that I didn't need them in my life.  The small package would be enough. But when you have a soon-to-be addiction, that little voice in your head just won't stop...

until...

you buy them!

That soon-to-be addiction is now a real one.  I love the way these pens glide over the paper without smearing and the colors...oh, look at the colors.  The sad part is, I know there is an even bigger package lurking on the shelf!

But I am not listening!

A Little Commenting Math ~ #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

We are twenty-three days into the challenge.  Ideas for posts are becoming more difficult to find, and the neglect of other responsibilities in order to read and comment on slices may be at an all time high.  

Sometimes I feel as if my computer has a suction hose and is keeping me attached to the screen and keyboard.  I begin reading slices and commenting and find that hours have passed.  I have forgotten to start dinner, left laundry in the washer, and stayed in pajamas until noon...all because I was reading and commenting.

Then the guilt sets in.  There are so many new slicers that I have yet to "meet" and regular slicers that have been forgotten, just because there is not enough time.  We all know that it is the comments that fuel the writing.  When our writing has been acknowledged, we are motivated to continue.  That is the beauty of being a part of this community.  But it is also the time consuming part.

One day I decided to compute just how long it would take if I read and commented on every slice.  I went back through the daily posts at Two Writing Teachers and found the average number of posts was about 285.

If it takes four minutes to read and take in the deeper meaning and to leave a thoughtful comment on every slice, it would take 1,140 minutes for all 285 slices.  When you divide that by 60 minutes, it would take 19 hours!

Even if you are a quick reader and take just three minutes per post, it still takes over 14 waking hours!  If it is a commenting challenge weekend, you might take two minutes, BUT that still means 9 hours of commenting in a day!  

And that my dear slicers, is a little commenting math to think about as you read and comment today.  Now, to get back to that laundry!

Teacher's Rally Cry - A Snipped Poem #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

March is a time when we look and notice with a keen eye.  We notice small moments, and we look for stories of the past and of the everyday.  We wonder about the ordinary and marvel at the extraordinary.  We open our notebooks...

and yes, we steal ideas from others!  

As is the case with today's slice.  I found this idea on Pinterest, but the idea is a 2013 slice from Elsie at Elsie Tries Writing who took the idea from Alan at Living Life Twice. (See what I mean about stealing!)

Today's slice - a snipped poem - started out like this.  I cut words and phrases from magazines.  (I have to admit, this became a little addicting.)

After snipping, I began arranging and rearranging the words, grouping them together to form ideas.  I found that I had several different threads, but when put together, just didn't make sense.  After further arrangements, I began to see a common thought merge from the menagerie of snippets.  

What I found was a sort of rally cry.  I know teachers who question if teaching is what they want to be doing for the rest of their lives.  I know teachers are approaching the testing season and wonder if they have done enough.  I know teachers are exhausted, yet need to make it through these last few months of the school year.

This poem is for all of us, to help us realize we have important work to do and to encourage us to carry on.





I found the strength to do what I
       love --
making a difference,
to give others hope,








Oh, I wish...
the challenge ahead    
doesn't have to mean
everything perfect,









Don't just live --                     give something wonderful,
a change for the better,









Brave hearts --                        
you can make it.
Today is your day!

The Man with a Box ~ #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

I recently came across an online photo gallery from Paul Willis, a photographer who worked in my hometown many years ago.  One gallery was labeled 1978, where I found this picture.  

I was captivated by this gentleman and his box.  I wanted to know the story, his story.

I emailed the photographer and asked him if he remembered anything about the photo.  Unfortunately, he did not.  He told me that it was early in his career, and he would drive around the county taking photos of "everything I saw."  Many times photos such as these were never published in the paper to avoid embarrassing someone.  

I have no name and no story, so I decided to create one through a conversation in verse 

between a little boy

and the man with a box.

Photo by Paul Willis

Good morning, sir

how are you today

weather sure is chilly

isn't it

I'm curious about your box, sir

looks like a special box

a box where I would keep 

my important stuff

May I have a look, sir

hmmm....

Is that important, sir

One day, son
a long time ago,
I learned what it was like 
to live without

One day, son
you'll understand 
that what's important in life
doesn't fit in a box

but fits perfectly
in your heart

Yes, sir

© 2017 Leigh Anne Eck

The Bench ~ #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

"Leigh Anne, you have a visitor," a sorority sister announces on the intercom in my room.

A visitor?  I never have visitors.  Who would be visiting me at 8:00 at night?  These questions invade my thoughts as I make my way to the foyer of our sorority house.  

Looking down over the balcony, I see my grandmother and my mom standing just inside the doorway.  I immediately think, who died?

"What are you doing here?" I ask, studying their faces for a possible answer.

"We just came to get you and Janis (my sister who went to another college in Indianapolis) for a little bit," explains my mom.

I know something is up because she wouldn't drive over two hours on week night for nothing.  But she assures me that no one has died.  I go back to my room, get my coat, and leave with them, still not knowing the real reason for their visit... 

The night I learned my parents were getting a divorce will forever be etched in my memory.  It was October, and the night air was chilly.  We were sitting on a bench on my sister's college campus when my mother told us that she and my dad were separating.  We had questions, many questions.  I was twenty at the time.  

Many people believe divorce is harder on younger children.  But I don't.

Twenty years is a long time to be a part of a family.  

Young children are told "Mommy and Daddy just don't love each other any more, but we both still love you," and they begin their life being shuffled between two households.  Young children are more resilient and often accept this new way of life.

But twenty year olds understand.  

We understand the lies, the deceit, the cover-ups.  

We understand what it means when a parent doesn't come home at night.  

We understand the words affair, adultery, unfaithful. 

We understand the emptiness of the words, "I am sorry."

We understand that a family can be shattered 

in a single moment 

on a bench 

on a college campus.

It's something we don't forget.

A Writing Gift ~ #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

Writing every day is a challenge, not only in finding the time, but in finding the topic and writing something that is worth sharing.

Too many times this month I feel I have slapped a slice together and hit the publish button, just to fulfill the requirement of writing posting each day.  I have reasons excuses, but I don't allow excuses from my students, so I don't want to use them either.  

I have "met" a new blogger this month, and her writing has inspired and refueled me as a writer.  She crafts slices of memories that place me, the reader, right there.  She is a true wordsmith, using perfect words to create the perfect image.   Her writing sucks me into her story, day after day after day.  I have placed many of her slices in my mentor text file, not only for my students, but for me as well.

If you have not had a chance to read Fran Haley's slices from Lit Bits and Pieces, I encourage you to find some time today.  And when I say time, I mean time to read each and every piece of her writing.  I promise, you will come away inspired and motivated to reach for the pen.

In one slice she writes about “...creating the magic” – writing about what matters to you, tapping into your heart, your dreams, your struggles, your memories, making your writing authentic so you can help students do the the same..."

I have lost some of that magic this month.  I wonder if it is because I am just trying to "complete the assignment."  But for me, that is not why I write.  She also says,

"Writing is the closest thing to magic that there is. As teachers we create the atmosphere for our writers. It’s one of excited expectancy, of energy, when young writers discover the power within them, learning how to harness words to impact readers. Writing, after all, is meant to be shared – it’s the connecting of human minds and hearts."

It is our responsibility to create that magical atmosphere for our students.  But when another slicer creates it for us, we are given a gift.

I am on spring break this week, and I will have some extra time to accept the gift I have been given through Frans's writing.  I hope to "harness words" and reconnect with my writerly self to find that magic once again.

Spring Break Resolutions ~ #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

Today I am also combining my two worlds of writing 

by celebrating my week with Ruth Ayres. 

Spring break has arrived!  That is a celebration!  No snow days make for a long winter, but I will love those Fridays off in May!

I typically become overambitious during Spring break week with a to-do list that is longer than my days.  I want to be productive, yet I still need time for me and for relaxation to refuel for these last eight weeks of school.

To leave room for celebrations, I have created a plan.  I have decided to make spring break resolutions  - one for each day (but not in any particular order) and includes a little fun mixed in with a little work.  

Hopefully a week from now, I can celebrate many accomplishments!

1. Clean my house
2. Read two+ books and mail them to my #bookrelays team
3. Finish writing an article
4. Have lunch with a teacher friend
5. Write a conference proposal
6. Finish Ruth's online course
7. Try a new recipe

Have a great week, and may you find many celebrations 

along the way!

Miracles ~ #sol17

I believe being a writer is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your students. ~ Stacey Shubitz

This month I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for creating a space for me to share my corner of the world.

  

It's also Poetry Friday, and Robin Hood Black has the roundup today at Life on the Deckle Edge.

No shamrocks, no leprechauns, not even any green today.  

Instead, I chose to think about the small things in life, the things we sometimes may take for granted.  It may be that we live in such a hurried world, and we forget to stop and pause and wonder.  Or it may be that things have become too ordinary.

When I return from Spring Break, I will introduce my students to "Miracles" by Walt Whitman.  This poem, with its list of miracles, helps me to remember that my world is made up of the little things, the little miracles

in the every day, 

in the ordinary.

I hope you take some time this weekend to answer Whitman's question:  "What stranger miracles are there?"  I may just answer him in my own little poem as a slice this week.

Miracles

Walt Whitman, 1819 - 1892

Why, who makes much of a miracle?
As to me I know of nothing else but miracles,
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,
Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the
        water,
Or stand under trees in the woods,
Or talk by day with any one I love, or sleep in the bed at night
        with any one I love,
Or sit at table at dinner with the rest,
Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,
Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer
        forenoon,
Or animals feeding in the fields,
Or birds, or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,
Or the wonderfulness of the sundown, or of stars shining so
        quiet and bright,
Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring;
These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles,
The whole referring, yet each distinct and in its place.

To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,
Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,
Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the
        same,
Every foot of the interior swarms with the same.

To me the sea is a continual miracle,
The fishes that swim—the rocks—the motion of the waves—the
        ships with men in them,
What stranger miracles are there?