It's a Party! #sol18

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we share a slice of life every single day in the month of March.

I am kicking off this year's challenge the same way as last year - with a party!

This is the slice that keeps on sharing. Sometime this month when you need a slice, (and yes, you know it WILL happen!) accept this invitation to my party.  The best part is that you can stop by anytime during the month, but here is the catch.  You have to bring five items that are listed on the invitation below. 

What a great way for us introduce ourselves and get to know each other a little bit better as the month moves along.  Imagine a big party full of slicers!

Here is what I am bringing:

Favorite book:  This is a difficult one for me because I have so many favorite books. I will have to go with my favorite book I have read so far this year, and that would be Scythe by Neal Shusterman.  This book has been spreading through my room almost as fast as the flu virus! 

Favorite person:  I would bring my sister, Janis.  She is a fellow teacher, a cancer survivor, and one of the most positive people I know, and she brings life to any party she attends.  Although we are nothing alike, I know you will love her!

Favorite food or beverage:  We have a local pizza place, Bobe's, that has been around since the 1950's.  We have people who have lived here and moved away, and Bobe's is always a stopping place when they come back to visit.  Some people even have these pizzas mailed to them!  They are that good.

Favorite song:  When I was in high school, our basketball team won the state championship.  And if you know anything about Indiana basketball, then you know basketball is king.  Those four weeks of high school are some of my fondest memories. The song Celebrate by Kool and the Gang was played at every pep session and became our theme song.  And since it's a party, why not CELEBRATE!

Surprise:  I would bring each of you a notebook to record our laughs and memories of our time together.  What a great party this would be!

Thank you for stopping by today.  I hope you consider joining me sometime this month and bring along a few friends. Don't forget to RSVP when you post by either commenting here or tweeting me @Teachr4.  That way I can include you in this post and we can all share in the party fun! Last year we had 24 slicers join us, and I can't wait to see who all attends this year!

Let's get this party started!

Look who is coming!

Kendra from Simply Learning Together
Dani from Doing the Work That Matters
Wendy from Chaulk It Up!
Michelle from One Grateful Teacher
Sarah from Read. Reflect. Teach
Jennifer from Wahooliteracyteacher
Deb from Coffee with Chloe
Terje from Just for a Month
Ramona from Pleasures from the Page
Christie from Wondering and Wandering
Pat from Missives from Missouri
Elisabeth from The Dirigible Plum
Christine from Mrs. Senior's Slice of Life Blog
Tammy from Tammy's Reading Life
Carol from Beyond Literacy Link
Judy from Joodles Now & Then
Diane from Newtreemom
Lisa from A Slice of Lisa

Every Journey Starts with a Single Step

I am so thankful for Ruth Ayres, who extends an invitation to share the celebrations from our week.  Here's what I am celebrating today!

Last September I took a big step in my journey as a teacher. I began working on my Master's degree. I am ready for a different turn in my journey, and I knew this path was the one I needed to take.  

Looking back at that first assignment, I remember the tears and the doubt and the fear, and I honestly didn't know if I could do it.  With the empty nest on the horizon, I knew it wasn't a matter of running kids here and there and being present in their lives. I had the time. Teaching full time is a challenge, but now that I had taught 6th grade for three years, I felt comfortable with my curriculum.  The workload wasn't the problem.

My biggest fear stemmed from own self-doubt.  Could I really do this at my age?  At the age of 54, many teachers are thinking about retirement, and I am thinking about stepping out into a bigger circle in the education world.

Today, I celebrate learning, as my first semester officially ends this week. Yes, I did it!

When I chose step as my one little word this year, the decision to go to grad school was a big part of it.  Now I am ready to swing my arms back and jump to the next rock.

And I can't wait to see where this journey takes me.

The Table is Full, Momma

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for creating this space for me to share my corner of the world.

Our son is away at college, although "away at college" equates to only 60 miles.  I know I am lucky because I get to see him more often than most college parents.

Although my daughter still lives at home, my husband and I have slowly adapted to a quieter house, lower food bills, and less laundry.  But it is still difficult to see one less plate at the dining room table.

Our dining room table has been our gathering place. We have laughed and cried.  We have rolled out cookies and played board games.  We have carved pumpkins and completed homework.  We have written research papers and filled out job applications. But nothing gave my husband and I more joy than sitting down and eating a meal together.

Life happened at our dining room table.

Our dining room table has changed.  I have moved to my son's spot, and books and papers are stacked at mine.  My husband and I eat meals together, just the two of us.  Now, I grade papers by myself instead of helping the kids with homework. The baked cookies are now half-batches because they go stale before we can eat them all.

Yes, the dining room table has changed.

Recently, Ethan came home for a Sunday afternoon visit, (and if the truth be told, a home-cooked meal!) As we all sat down to eat, we shared stories and laughs, just like we always have.

My husband looked at me and said, "The table is full, Momma!"

Yes, it was.

Life still happens at our dining room table.

A Hole In My Cape

I believe teaching is a difficult profession, yet one of the most important and rewarding. Children sit in our classrooms today and tomorrow will be the ones leading us, taking care of us, and making decisions which will impact all of us.

That is a humbling thought.

Many people see teachers as super-heroes.  If this image is accurate, then my cape got a hole last week.

Without giving too many details, I was verbally attacked by a group of students.

I was in the middle of working with them through a difficult text, and they were not doing their part in the learning process.  Because of their behavior, I stopped teaching and had a conversation about the importance of learning, graduating high school, and finding a good job in order to support themselves.  I told them it starts in sixth grade.

I am sure many of us have had similar conversations at some point with our students.

Sadly, they took my words, twisted them, and spit them out with a "strong dislike" for me, teachers, and school in general.  They became enraged and took that rage out on me.

The next day, I talked with the dean of students, and I requested that no suspensions be given.  However, I assured him I would stand by the consequences they thought would be best.

Later that day, a few students came in and said they owed me a thank you for not getting them suspended.  Another one asked why I would do that.

A third one, who was not involved in the incident but is a student in the class, quietly replied, "Because she is nice."

I didn't do it because I am nice.  I did it because after much thinking, I felt it was the right thing to do.

• I want them to know they have a voice, but that doesn't mean their voice needs to be disrespectful or full of hate.  Suspending them would only send a message that their words don't matter to me. I want them to know they have a voice in my classroom.

• I know suspending them would not lead to the results I want.  I want a community of learners who listen to each other, who question perspectives, who discuss problems, and who collaborate and work together to find solutions.  Suspending them would not get me those results; it would only feed the anger.

I know that I need to learn from this experience as much as they do. Reflecting back on that day, I have questions of my own and answers to find.  Why do they dislike school so much?  What can I do to teach them how to handle disagreements? How do I show them to use their voice in a positive way? How do I rebuild those relationships? How can I get them to understand that literacy is the key to opening up their world to all that is possible?

But the most important question I have from all of this is where do we go from here?  I have a three day weekend to think about how I will handle things on Tuesday afternoon.  

Yes, my cape got a hole last week, but thankfully, I know how to sew.  I will wrap that thread up in resilience, compassion, and respect.  And hopefully, we will patch that hole up together.

Kaleidoscope of Color #PoetryFriday

It's Poetry Friday, and Sally is hosting the round-up and sharing some terse verse with us.  Check it out!

This week I wrote a poem using the 15 words or less picture prompt from Laura Purdie Salas. This image is from artwork found in an airport!

It reminded me a little of stained glass and a kaleidoscope.  Here is my rough draft.

Photo by Laura Purdie Salas

a kaleidoscope of color

stretches to the sky

perfectly placed pieces 
just beyond my reach

Morning Crystals #PoetryFriday

It's Poetry Friday! Carol at Beyond Literacy Link has the round-up today and is sharing her invitation to the Winter Wonderland Gallery. 

January brought with it a true winter - cold temps, wind chill, snow, ice and the flu. During one winter storm a few weeks ago, ice made its debut.  I don't like traveling on ice, but it sure creates some magical moments.  

Here is one I share with you today and with Carol for her gallery.

Celebrating My Grandma #celebratelu

I am so thankful for Ruth Ayres, who extends an invitation to share the celebrations from our week.  Why don't you join us?

Today I celebrate the life of my grandma.

Today I woke to the message that she peacefully passed early this morning.

Today I remember how hard she worked, 

                      how hard she lived, 

                      and how hard she loved 

                      ...for 92 years.

                     

Today I celebrate the 54 years (minus one day) I had her in my life.

I am one blessed granddaughter.

Merry-Go-Round #PoetryFriday

It's Poetry Friday, and I am trying to sustain the habit of writing. Today, I join Kay at A Journey Through the Pages and many others to share a bit of poetry on this once again cold weekend.

This is the time of year when my students and I read The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis. This book leads us into a study of a historical time. Many discussions ensue from reading the book and the informational text that I include in the unit.

Each year, I glean the internet looking for additional resources or ways I can change things.  Last year I added "The Ballad of Birmingham" by Dudley Randall.  This year I am adding this poem by Langston Hughes.  I look forward to hearing students' thoughts on the metaphor of the merry-go-round, the voice of the narrator, and the connection to what they learn about the Jim Crow Laws.

Merry-Go-Round

Where is the Jim Crow section 
On this merry-go-round,
Mister, cause I want to ride? 
Down South where I come from 
White and colored
Can't sit side by side.
Down South on the train
There's a Jim Crow car.
On the bus we're put in the back— 
But there ain't no back

To a merry-go-round! 
Where's the horse 
For a kid that's black? 

~Langston Hughes

Reunited with Slicing #SOL18

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for creating this space for me to share my corner of the world.

Scrolling through my blog posts and searching for my last Slice of Life, I landed on June 27th.  I cannot believe it has been that long.  

At #TeachWrite Chat Blog, we have been talking about writing goals this year.  If you have never seen our blog, I encourage you to check it out.  I do not have goals, but more of what I would call position statements.  My goals are not measurable, but just a "position" that I want to take when it comes to writing this year.

One of them is to write more slices.  Slicing is the roots of my current writing life. Slicing brought my writing life out of its dormancy, and it nourished it in its early stages. It's where I met the people who have supported my writing life for almost five years. In many ways, slicing has also sustained my writing life.

One of the best parts of the slicing community...and there are many...is that they always welcome you back.

It is where I hope to be reunited today.

The First Step

I am so thankful for Ruth Ayres, who extends an invitation to share the celebrations from our week.  Why don't you join us?

I have yet to write about my one little word. There are many reasons why, but the one I am about to write is the biggest.

September 1st I started working on my Master's degree.

September 2nd I was in tears, wondering what in the world was I thinking.

I became a teacher at the age of 43 and was a non-traditional student in a distance program (now called on on-line program!).  I was a stay-at-home mom at the time, and I worked hard to finish that degree.

But this is so different.  I am now almost 54 and working full-time.  Going back to school at this time in my life creates a whole new set of challenges.  The most significant one is time.

I found myself not reading or writing because the guilt would set in.  I felt guilty knowing that  I should have been reading my textbook or writing papers.  I read two books the first semester, when I typically read about 25. But that is for another post.  I wrote a few blog posts, more out of obligation than for the pleasure of just writing.

I missed that part of my life.

Yesterday, I submitted my final assignment for my first semester.  And I finished six weeks early!

When I picked my one little word, I knew I had several journeys ahead of me this year.  This degree is just one of them.

Today, I celebrate taking that first step.

Talking in Black Ink #PoetryFriday

It's Poetry Friday, and I am trying to get back into the habit of writing. Today, I join Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core and many others to share a bit of poetry on this cold Friday!

I am one of the co-moderators for the #TeachWrite chat which is a community for teacher-writers.  This month we are writing and having conversations about writing goals.  I have not written my goals down yet, but I know I want to include something about keeping a writing notebook.

I have a love/hate relationship with writer's notebooks.  I think the issue I have is that mine will never compare to those that I see out in the writing world. (And yes, I know I shouldn't do that!)

As I was looking through some drafts of blog posts, I found this poem that I had scribbled out after I read a blog post by Austin Kleon.  In this post, he says, "Notebooks are a good place to have bad ideas." 

And using a line from his post as my first line, a poem about a writer's notebook is born.

talking in black ink

whispering between the pages

retaining possession

of hopes

dreams

and bad ideas

©Leigh Anne Eck, 2018

Maybe there is hope for me yet.

#MustReadin2018

I said I wasn't going to do it.  No way, no how.

I have done terribly with these Must Read Challenge created by the amazing Carrie Gelson at There is a Book for That, and I wasn't going to embarrass myself again.

And here I am making a new list of "must-reads" in 2018.  Each year my list has decreased, but that has had no influence on my success or progress.

But there is something cathartic about making a reading plan, even if I don't stick to it.  Thinking about the "next" book is an idea I always want my students to be mindful of, so I must be the example.

This year I have narrowed it down to just eight titles - two for each quarter.  Sounds doable, doesn't it?

Below are the eight titles that I missed reading in 2017 and are my "must-reads" in 2018.  Many of these titles are names that are receiving some award buzz, so I need to get reading!

Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder  Read February 9, 2018
Scythe by Neal Shusterman  Read February 1, 2018

Posted by John David Anderson
Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

Restart by Gordan Korman  Read August 24, 2018
Refugee by Alan Gratz Read May 29, 2018

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate Read January 7, 2018
The War I Finally Won by   Kimberly Brubaker Bradford  Read June 6, 2018

This challenge is for anyone who has a To Be Read list.  For me, that list seems to be endless.  If you are interested in joining the challenge, you can get all the details here on Carrie's blog.  She will share the lists on her blog, send update reminders on Twitter, and we get to see our own lists grow longer!  

Happy Reading in 2018!

Celebrating A Tribute to Ruth

Each week Ruth Ayres extends an invitation to share the celebrations from our week. I began 2017 celebrating those people who have inspired my writing life.  One of my beliefs for this year was that we RISE when we lift others.  My goal was to lift a person each month.  Sadly, this didn't happen, but you can read my other tribute posts here:

A Writing Gift - A Tribute to Fran
Found Poetry - A Tribute to Terje
The Beginning - A Tribute to Katherine 
Cherishment - A Tribute to Margaret

I want to end the year with a final tribute.  I have waited to write this post because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to capture everything I wanted to say.  I wouldn't be able to get it right.  And I want it to be right because this person has helped me to RISE as a writer, a teacher, and a person. (And yes, I still think it falls short.)

Today I celebrate my friend, Ruth Ayres.

I remember the first time I met Ruth face to face.  It was my first time at the All Write Conference.  I had known Ruth through blogging for almost a year and was looking forward to meeting her.  I walked into the lobby of the hotel and there she was with a a group of fellow bloggers.  She recognized me and came over to hug me. 

What I remember most about that time was how welcoming and down-to-earth Ruth was.  She included me in conversations, in time by the pool, and in lots of laughter.  I quickly learned, that is just Ruth.

In time, I realized that Ruth began influencing my life beyond my blog, and I began a far-away friendship with her.  

As the school year started, I would come from conferences with students from hard places.  My heart would ache for them and the life they were living.  I remember saying to my team, "Every child from a hard place needs a Ruth."  

During my daughter's first year of teaching, I didn't think she was going to make it through the first few months.  I sent a message to Ruth asking for help, and she began praying for Megan.  That is when I told myself, "Everyone needs a Ruth."

I wanted to push myself as a writer and extend it beyond my blog.  Ruth has become my encourager, my nudger. (She's quite good at nudging!)  She helped me to say and mean the words, "I am a writer."  I remember thinking, "Every writer needs a Ruth."

If you are here celebrating today, then I know I am not alone in my admiration for Ruth and the gratefulness for the impact her words have on us.  To celebrate, I have written a found poem from comments from her fellow bloggers and friends.

Your words, 

filled with passion,

connect many

shine brightly
and give us hope.

Your love,

permeates everything you do

and spreads to everyone 

who knows you.

You,

reach out to others

and lean into love.

You,

bring joy and inspiration

make our world beautiful

and make us smile.

You,

are a gift.

Thank you

for nudging,

for sharing, 

for writing, 

and for being a light 

in the darkness.

Deeply grateful for your words
and to have your voice 
in our ears
in our hearts, 
For, we would have never written a word to share  

if it weren't for you.

©Leigh Anne Eck, 2017

Thank you for just being Ruth.

Opening Minds - A Teacher Study

A group of colleagues and I are reading and discussing Opening Minds by Peter Johnston.    This book is about how our words impact our students.  The purpose of this book study is to help us focus on growth mindset, and I am certain that it will.  But this first chapter gave me much to think about not only as a teacher, but also as a learner.

I believe that I have a professional responsibility to be the best teacher I can be.  I try hard not to criticize or judge those who accept the status quo, do not partake in professional development, or become stagnant in their teaching practices. That is their choice, and who am I to judge? (Ok, maybe I did judge a little there.)

Instead, I choose to share my learning and to encourage others to seek out opportunities to learn. Reading this first chapter made me think about opening my own mind as a teacher.

I believe I owe it to my students, my colleagues, and my profession to be a learner and to hone my craft as a teacher.

The book opens with a short vignette about a teacher who admits she has made a mistake. Johnston explains that by admitting mistakes, we level the "power difference between teacher and students" (pg. 3).

Students need to see that we are not perfect, and we should not desire an image of perfection.  But as I read further, my thinking turned inward.  How often are we, as teachers, allowed to make mistakes?  When we have a mark of not meeting expectations or ineffective on our evaluations, do we see this as an opportunity for growth?  Or do we see it as failure?  Do administrators allow us to make mistakes and turn them into learning opportunities?  Or do they see us ineffective?

Another take-away from this chapter is that if they(we) don't understand that making a mistake does not mean they(we) are "incompetent, stupid, or not a good person" then "they will not be able to risk taking on learning challenges for fear of making mistakes" (pg. 3).  How often do we, as teachers, risk taking on new learning challenges?  How many teachers even see themselves as learners?  How does this view impact our classrooms?  Our teaching?

If we don't see ourselves as learners and risk taking on learning challenges, how can we even begin to project and instill that image to our students?

I look forward to learning more in the chapters ahead.  If you have read Opening Minds, please feel free to share your thoughts.

Rise and Shine - #PoetryFriday

It's Poetry Friday!  Buffy has this week's round up so please join her at Buffy's Blog.

Welcome to my dusty little corner of the poetry world! 

When I added the title of grad student to my already overwhelming list of titles, I knew something(s) would have to go.  Blogging on a regular basis and writing for fun (academic papers are not what I call writing for fun!) seem to be the current targets of my time stealer.

This past year, I cautiously tipped my toes into the Poetry Friday waters.  You all welcomed me with open arms and hearts.  I hosted a round-up for the first time, and I signed up for the Winter Poem Swap which was organized by Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference.

Several weeks ago I received my package from Mary Lee at A Year of Reading.  I couldn't wait to share her perfectly-written-for-me poem.  The first Friday went by, and no post.  Then the next Friday.

So, today I publicly apologize to Mary Lee for the delay in acknowledging her beautiful and thoughtful words and publicly share her poem.

Rise and Shine

Like the moon

as she waxes and wanes,

Like the seasons

as they flourish and rest,

Like the cup of tea

as it gathers strength before the sip,

So you rise

reclaiming your reading life,

So you rise

from writing teacher to teacher-writer,

So you rise

leading a whole community to Wonder.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2017

Thank you, Mary Lee, for capturing my heart in your words. 

The Needle and Thread

Each week Ruth Ayres extends an invitation to share the celebrations from our week. It has been awhile since I have written a celebration post.  This week was one of those weeks where I taught lessons and learned a lesson.  That is always a cause for celebration!

This week my middle school held its second annual door decorating contest.  It is a week a chaos, messiness and a whole lot of fun.  

My students created a Christmas quilt for our door.  It has not been one of my best years, and I was leery about letting my entire class participate in this year's contest.  I tried to make it simple, yet include each one in the process.  I decided the quilt would be just the answer.

Each student had a nine block pattern and created their own design pattern.  The only rule was that it had to be colored with red, green, and yellow crayons.  (Another reason why dandelion should NOT have been retired!)

My students of the week began piecing it together on the door.  We used the words which were suggested by Margaret Simon, 

"Christmas stitches us together 

with JOY!"

Now if any of you quilt, then you know just how important that 1/4 inch seam allowance is!  As the students pieced it together, the more distorted it became.  And the more I had to close my eyes and say, "kid created" because the sashing, borders, and blocks not lining up was driving me crazy.

Our blocks were crooked, our seams didn't meet, and we had gaps where we shouldn't have had gaps.  As I stood back and looked at our finished door, I realized that my classroom was just like this quilt.  

Each block is different with their own little design, just as each one of my students are. They come from different backgrounds, different abilities, and different personalities. But each one is special in their own scrappy way. Their seams don't always meet. They make mistakes which create crooked paths. They have gaps socially, emotionally, and academically which need to be filled.  

As this epiphany hit me, I realized how much they depend on us, as teachers, to "patch" them up.  Teachers help them to realize they are unique designs, and each block has a special place in the quilt.  We help them to realize their seams might not match, so we set them on a straighter path.  We may even have to rip some out and help them realize starting over isn't so bad.  We need to teach them that the seams are what holds the quilt together.  

And the gaps...oh my are there gaps. That is when teachers add a little here and add a little there to help the masterpiece come together.

And so I added the line,

...and teachers patch us up

with LOVE!

Our door was 6th grade runner-up,
but I think it was the emotional appeal of the judges and NOT neatness! 

So yes, my door is a little scrappy, a little crooked, and in need of a little patching.

Just like my students.

What did I learn this week?  I need to look at my students like this quilt and realize they are not perfect, and they have gaps, and they certainly have crooked seams, but they are trusting me and needing me to hold the needle and the thread.