Every Little Cell...

Back when I was a sponsor for Youth of Unity, we used to sing this silly little song called 

"Every Little Cell in My Body is Happy."  

Boy, did I feel that today.

The beaches have reopened.  I went to Bunche the first hour after dawn.

I was not prepared for this.

 

The energy!

The deep breathing!

The incredible high!

In fact, on the way home I heard Muddy Waters singing "Champagne and Reefer" 

and I thought, yeah...like that! 

Only better.

52. Current Reality

#64Challenge

Inspired by "The Ceremony" by Joy Harjo

The new rituals

of making sure I sign in

around breakfast time

and doing everything

on a screen and

the difficulty of the

absence of physicallity

that messes with my

mind, the need to

escape at the end of

the day, the tears that

come at random times;

these are ceremonies

and rituals and the 

so-called "new normal"

I can do without.

Dan Rather called we

teachers fountains of 

optimism or something

like that, something 

not at all my

current reality.

Write Around the Corner Meeting Prompts 4/25/2020

#WriteAroundtheCorner


Once again, Laurie come up with a wonderful sequence of prompts to get our writing pens flowing. If I am ever so lucky to get back to the classroom and teach creative writing again, I think this group of writing activities will be my starters.

#1.  Write down 5 words. Any words.  Doesn't matter what part of speech or what they pertain to.
#2. Take each word and freewrite about it.

#3. List as many relatives as you can in a couple of minutes
#4. Write a declarative sentence about each one, revealing some detail about that person.
#5. Choose one of the relatives and write a short micro memoir or poem.

#6. Write down some song lyrics you know well. Several lines, if possible.
#7. Take each line and expand on it. Can do individually, or connect together somehow into a piece of writing.

#8. Go back to one of the words you free wrote about at the beginning. Expand one of the words into a poem or piece of writing.
**

Here are my final pieces of writing in the form of  Pi-Ku.  Like Pi (3.14)  Like haiku because it is a very short form.

Three words
One word
Four words

My word was "shining."  And that is always how I feel after our meetings -- all aglow!

Remember This Day

Inspired by a writing prompt using a photograph. This is a series of haiku.

Remember this day

Magical November vibe

Miami Book Fair

Hard Rock Cafe lunch

Dana and Jim Morrison

Long conversation

Sigma Tau Delta

These are the ones who fed me

Book nerds united

Remember this day

When we were all together

Two thousand and four.

51. No Laughter

#64Challenge

Inspired by Mary Biddinger's poem "Oktoberfest Syndrome."

The classroom feels so
far away, a place
haunting me daily,
a place I used to go
to every day, my haven,
our place to gather
together to discover
and discuss and
laugh and yes, even
struggle. We took it
for granted, just like
movie theaters and
restaurants. But now
we know how precious
these meeting spaces
are, as we sit in
isolation and look at
computer screens and
discuss with ourselves,
no laughter,  no camaraderie,
not even any conflict.
Just the words and images
on a screen. A small, repeated
death.

50. New Moon Today

#64Challenge

This post begins with a copy of an email I wrote yesterday to my department chair:

So today while I was eating lunch, my husband told me about an Education Virtual Town Hall that was on TV so I watched it. They had Arne Duncan and Bill Bennett on, talking about virtual ed. Then they had some parents talking about their experience teaching their kid at home. Then they had a psychologist answering the parents questions.

The last third of the show they had teachers discussing the state of things and answering some questions.

The most outstanding thing I heard was from the psychologist. We all know we are under stress, and that accounts for a lot of how we feel and react.

But even more, kids at the stage of puberty are in such a place in their development, that this is harder on them. What struck me was that she said something to the effect that stress without an endpoint in site actually causes the brain to rewire itself, basically slowing down the frontal cortex which affects memory, motivation, and even motor skills and spatial reasoning. It can add to changes in behavior like aggression (which I’m guessing is why there have been so many kids Baker Acted lately)

What I came away with was an even deeper understanding on how we have to be careful about our expectations. In many cases, the kids really may NOT be able to remember if they did an assignment, or be able to read or understand what to do. And it might cause them to push us away, as they may no longer be responding to the “reward” of a job well done or good grades. The brain may have made those things unimportant as a means to survive and handle stress. 

I know you are doing a presentation tomorrow, and I know you may not have time to get into this stuff. But it seems very important to understand that there can be some real physical changes in the brain that will affect our kids. 

Today I wrote this poem, modeled after Owen Sheers' "Winter Swans."

It's a new moon today

and it has brought

me back in balance.

It has been so

up and down

this week, trying

to figure out my

new role, trying to

make sense of where

we are. And I am

coming into a place

of understanding

all I can do is be

a safe place, a

possible haven

in a world with 

no endpoint in sight.

Write Around the Corner Meeting Prompts 4/18/2020

 #WriteAroundtheCorner


#1.  Laurie read the poem "Kindness" by Naomi Shihab Nye

#2  Writing from a Photo.
Choose a photo and consider the following:
a. Who or what are in the photo?
b. What is behind the photo?
c. What is not in the photo?
d. What do you feel as you look at the photo?
e. What recollections do you have about the time or place or people?

Write from the perspective of a person or thing in the photo, beginning with She/he/I remember...

#3. Collaborative Conversations
Partner up. Decide on a #1 and #2.
Each person should create the dialogue in character without telling the other person who the character is.
Person number 1 starts with a provocative statement, something to draw a response.
Person number 2 writes their response.
Conversation continues until time is up.
Partner read their conversation with voice and character.

49. God's Will

#64Challenge

Inspired by Nick Flynn's poem "God's Will."

And a piece of writing from a student.

We all want to be held a little higher

I don't know if this

pandemic is God's will.

I do know a little girl

was taught by her father

that she was on a yellow brick road,

but to remember

it was paved by the people

that came before her.

She lost him in such a 

painful way.

Will "every little thing be alright?"

God willing.

48. Gentle Measures

#64Challenge

Inspired by the poem "Gentle Measures" by Terrance Hayes, that itself was modeled after a book of the same title from 1871.

Chapter 1: Three Modes of Management
Make the assignments short and easy to follow. Give them a solid way to report back -- easier for them and me. Use visuals.

Chapter 2: The Art of Training
Getting everyone going in the same direction is never easy. Train them to follow their own mind, approach things their way. Then let it synthesize.

Chapter 3: Faults of Immaturity
Even with safeguards and prompts, they are kids. They will resist. Forget. Obsess. Hide. Fail to comprehend. It's okay.

Chapter 4: The Activity of Children
My father once wrote to me in a letter that he was often "in awe" of what his children could do. I feel the same. I've been moved by their responses at times. Somehow this is enhanced by the distance. This is a gift -- a wonderful, strange gift, unexpected and grace-filled.

47. Touchstones from the Classroom

#64Challenge

Yesterday during our Write Around the Corner meeting, we were given a prompt to list things in our home that are important to us. Then we were encouraged to choose one, and write a little micro memoir.

Today while eating my Cheerios, I was looking at these guys who are sitting on my kitchen table:

Yes, that's right. Dorie and Nemo.

I bought these plush creatures at the beginning of the 2017 school year. They are useful for getting participation going, and also for what we call "Silent Fish" -- like Silent Ball, but with, well, FISH.

Every 5th period class this school year we have ended with a game of Silent Fish. It happened that way because we come back from lunch and have five minutes to spare -- so, game time.  Or, well, TEAM BUILDING time.

Dorie and Nemo sit on the front table of my classroom where I stage what I need for teaching, and have witnessed every lesson in every class for three school years now. They hung out at Cypress Lake Middle School during the two week shut down after Hurricane Irma. They were left behind at the beginning of spring break.

But then I had to go back in and get the items out of my refrigerator. And there were Dorie and Nemo, sitting on an empty table, looking forlorn, waiting to be rescued. What else could I do? I decided to bring them home.

And I'm glad I did.

They have become a touchstone back to my students, who truly love Dorie and Nemo. Most of them have held them in their hands at least once.

These sweet little guys are keeping me company.

This past week, I put their picture on the Google Classroom page. I changed the theme for 5th period to their picture.

I forgot to take other things out of my classroom that I wish now I had thought to grab. But I am super grateful that I chose to bring Dorie and Nemo home, to keep my connected to the students until perhaps we can be together once more.

And you can bet, the first order of business will be a game of Silent Fish!

Write Around the Corner Meeting Prompts from 3/28 & 4/4/2020

 #WriteAroundtheCorner


#1.  I am here...

#2. Right here, right now...

#3. 7 minute Autobiography

#4. "Do not count tragedies, but normalcies and blessings."

#5. Today I feel... (a color)

#6. Thank you letter to something unusual.

Write Around the Corner Meeting Prompts 4/11/2020

 #WriteAroundtheCorner


For those who missed the meeting, or anyone who would like to revisit:

#1. The Voice
Laurie read this poem by Shel Silverstein from his book :
Falling Up

#2.  Imaginary Descriptions.

We came up with our own definitions for these words:

absquatulate
gwenders
nudiustertian
( I have put the actual definitions at the bottom of this page.)


#3. Advice
Laurie shared this poem written by Heather Davis. We then wrote our own advice pieces.

#4 List things in your home that are important to you.

#5. Choose one of the things on the list and write a micro-memoir. 


The definitions for the words in #2:

absquatulate -- to leave abruptly
gwenders -- a disagreeable tingling sensation caused by cold
nudiustertian -- not comparable, rare, obsolete

46. The Struggle to Read

#64Challenge

This is a day I didn't think would come.

A day when I continually find it hard just to sit and read.

I have noticed the issue, and I've been trying to understand it. I've tried to tell myself that I'm just not dedicating thetime, that I have been giving more time over to walking or listening to music. But that is only part of the truth.

It seems hard to read.

I have two high stacks of books I had every intention of getting to, knocking out one at a time. But once I finished the last book, I went to my shelf and pulled down an old Carl Hiassen paperback, one that came my way for free. I knew it would demand little from me, and that is true. But even that book seems hard to stay focused on for any period of time.

Today I was turning off my computers and heading in for a nap when I came across this article by Pernille Ripp. In it she speaks of the exact thing I am going through.  It is a must read.

My New State of Reading by Pernille Ripp

She says many profound things, but my favorite is this:

...if we, as professional adult readers, are struggling, how does it feel for the kids? 

I'm seeing this happening. My advanced readers are having difficulty comprehending a text, and answering questions with any degree of accuracy. My intensive readers have all but disappeared -- I know their academic classes are bending their brains.

This is not a normal time. And our reading minds are being affected.

This second week of crisis schooling was quiet and a bit of a downer. But at the same time, it has opened my eyes to the realization that what we are doing is not working.

I have a four day weekend. I hope before I come out of it, some ideas will surface.

This is the great challenge of teaching during a pandemic. This is what school is like in April 2020. A place of struggle and uncertainty. A grand experiment in getting through.

And we will. I know we will. But only with a willingness to make it different. To get creative.

To be a blank page and find what will be written upon it.

And honestly...I think less reading and more writing. My creative writers have been doing a wonderful job writing about the topic of change. Some are speaking on matters of today, but others have gotten more personal, more generational, and more internal. In addition, I had my advanced kids writing an email as a response to the reading. Nearly 100% who completed the assignment did a fine job on that.

So perhaps less reading...more writing. Less trying to figure out someone else's thoughts, and more expression of our own. An open space to play with ideas.

Hey...it's a thought. Over the next four days, I will think more on this. I'll see where it takes me.

45. Among the Joshua Trees

#64Challenge

The next assignment for my creative writing classes is focused on an overarching theme of "change." They will read two poems and read the lyrics and listen to John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change," and then decide on their theme and format and write.  I always offer a model of my own. This is what I wrote for them -- and for me, and anyone who cares to listen.

Among the Joshua Trees: A Lesson in Slow Change

In 1990 I visited Joshua Tree National Forest when I was in California. I didn’t know until I arrived what a Joshua Tree was. The photo above was taken when we first entered the park, and I got so excited seeing these unusual trees: spiky, slow-growing, with branches that rise up. The tree was named by the Mormons who thought of the tree as Joshua from the Bible reaching his hands to the sky. The Joshua Tree lives in arid conditions and depends on perfectly timed rains to keep it flowering and growing. They are not in a hurry, and grow for a very long time – up to 300 years. They live amid other desert flora and jumbo boulders of red stone.

Now this is 2020, and I find myself living in an arid time. I am without my classroom, without the ability to have natural connections to my students, filling my days looking at the computer. This is as dry as it comes for a teacher.

So I turn to the Joshua Tree. I am reminded of the hope and strength it symbolizes. Its changes are slow. It is not in a hurry.

Most of us are feeling like we’d like an end date to this pandemic. We want to return to our gatherings and classrooms and be able to buy groceries without fear.

But here in the desert of life today, there is no time frame. There is no end date. There is only the will to survive in tough conditions, to see it through, one small change at a time, until the future becomes the present.

In Florida we are used to our swamps and rains. We are used to things growing quickly, green and glorious.

But today we are in the forest of Joshua Trees – spiky, slow moving, and raising our hopes to the sky.

It is an uncomfortable place.

It is a place of grief.

In the hardest times of my life, I have looked to a symbol to help me through. Today I turn to the Joshua Tree. It is the symbol of Endurance because it grows without sufficient water. It is the symbol of Strength because it overcomes unfavorable conditions, and has the power to make progress against all odds. And finally, it is a symbol of New Beginnings. It has the ability to produce leaves, flowers, and fruits.

The Joshua Tree is a concrete image for me, one to remind me I need to look to my own life and see what I can produce in this dry time, this quarantined life.

It has been stated more than once that we will come out of this time as different people. I think that could be true. But only if we endure, find strength, and see this as a way to a new beginning.

I am keeping the spirit of the Joshua Tree inside of me, as I face times of disappointment, resentfulness, and worry. When those feelings arise, I will see it as a chance to change my vision. Turn to endurance. Turn to strength. Turn to a new way of seeing things. The gifts given by the Joshua Tree.

The fruits and flowers will be realized one moment, one turn of a thought at a time.  I vow to do this for myself. I vow to do this for others.

With the Joshua Tree by my side, I believe I can make it out of the desert, into a new future yet to be imagined. This is the essence of slow change.

I will make it. We will make it. Together.

44. Day Three

#64Challenge

On on the third day, she rose again.

More like crashed down.

Day One was super busy. Day Two, I was tracking well, feeling great.

Now...Day Three.

Full resistance to having to go to a faculty Zoom meeting...and then the ending where my principal told us in a round about way that she was retiring, then signed off before she could cry in front of us.

And now I'm trying to concentrate, and I simply cannot.

I've tried now for over 90 minutes. So I decided the best thing I can do -- the thing I would tell my students to do -- is to write.

This is a day people don't seem to have answers for.

This is a day when those students we were already worried about haven't checked in, and now we're even more worried.

This is a day I need to get through.

This is a day I need to TRUST.

This is a day I need to know everything changes. This will, too.

I will take care of myself.

I will find the energy for lesson planning and the rest -- AFTER I take care of myself.

This is the third day.  The first day of a new month.

A day not to rise, but to float.

Let it be.