Forward Movement (7 Lines/7 Day #96)

 #108Weeks

March 13-19, 2022

I made the decision to stick it out for three more years and retire in 2025.

Saw my first Swallow-Tailed Kite of the season.

Big beautiful teacher moments: having a student hand me a $25 gift card at Costco, and receiving an invitation to be a guest of honor at the Lehigh Senior High Class of 2012 Reunion Breakfast in May.

I’m on a mission to get my Creative Writing classes back.

We are updating our lanai furniture. Takes lots of work to get it ready!

Talked to Mike about the Creative Writing classes. No guarantees, of course.

Getting back on my bike makes my whole body feel better.

Reaching In, Reaching Out (7 Lines/7 Days #95)

 #108Weeks

March 6-12, 2022

Discovered a great show on Apple TV called Dear…

Really enjoyed reading How High We Go In the Dark

Drinks after work with Kara was much-needed time together

Thinking a lot about people I know who are suffering

Creative Writing Club was cool—an hour of writing stories from a photo

Fantasy story writing in the classroom made me feel alive again

4 more school days until spring break

Some Bright Spots in My Week (7 Lines/7 Days #94)

 #108Weeks

February 27-March 5, 2022

Painting by Banksy

Fell in love with Aretha Franklin’s album Young, Gifted, and Black.

Watched the movie Waitress again. So delightful. And completely void of the F word which was refreshing.

The present changes the way we see the past.

Rebecca Makkai is an excellent short story writer.

I remembered this week to ask the Holy Spirit for help which was a promise I made to myself in my beach walk.

I hate that there is war, but love seeing sunflowers and peace symbols everywhere.

Feeling happy and proud of what I am accomplishing in the classroom. It’s all good.

Building the Future (7 Lines/7 Days #93)

#108Weeks

February 20-26, 2022

I wrote something on the 20th that permeated most of my week, so I thought that instead of parsing out 7 lines, I would include the entire thought here. Once again I recenter myself into what is important, and it is driving us forward.

 

 

I am a teacher.

I do what is best for my learners as we build the future.

I show up every day and work smart to help them grow.

I do not have a narrow vision of what I do or who I am.

I have power and I have a place to stand strong.

I have freedom and I won't forget that again.

I have made the right choices and will continue to do so, for the learner in front of me.

I pour myself into what I do, heart and soul.

I am not complaining and I am not quitting.

I am a teacher.

A professional.

I decide what's best.

Creativity Rising (7 Lines/7 Days #92)

 #108Weeks

February 13-19, 2022

Getting a firmer grip on everything and feeling positive change. 

Finally reading Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan and loving it.

Starting to count the days to spring break and musing what I might do with that time. 

My Global Perspective kids made paper towers and had a blast. The highest was 4 foot, 4 inches. 

Got Thursday’s Wordle in two!

On Friday I was able to connect with a young teacher I don’t really know and have a conversation about common issues. 

My creativity is rising and it feels great. 

(The paper tower challenge—kids were given 20 pieces of copy paper and had 2 minutes to plan and 10 minutes to build. The structure had to stand long enough to be measured).

Being Zen (7 Lines/7 Days #91)

 #108Weeks

February 5-12, 2022

 

This week I had a hard time finding lines to write for this project, as things are going extremely well. I almost thought of giving up. I kind of hate to do that, though; I'm on week 91, which means I just have 17 weeks to go. 

Then I remembered that Creative Writing Club met this week, and one of the things we were doing was making found poems from pages of old books. I had highlighted a lot of phrases from Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, and so I thought, hmmm, maybe there is something there.

 Sure enough! This is what came together.

(P.S. Thanks for all who actually read this each week. I appreciate your loving support.)

 Note: italicized text is from the book. The rest are my words linking the thoughts together

 

 The most annoying thing in the world is a room full of crazy young teens who want to do anything but what they are supposed to do

It often tests my self-esteem and sanity

But on Friday, I was in a particularly good mood

As I sat on my raised chair up front, my sacred perch 

To tell you the truth, I was kind of surprised I was not annoyed

That I was pretty tranquil for a change--it was the coolest part

There. I can live with that.

 

 

All I Know (7 Lines/7 Days #90)

 #108Weeks

January 30-February 5, 2022

Taking care of myself is priority #1.

It's taken a long time, but I have figured out how to approach the curriculum.

Found out where to find Linda Ronstadt's final recording before she retired, and it's a beauty: 

"All I Know" with songwriter Jimmy Webb.

 

I have been plodding through a book considered one of the best of 2021 (Firekeeper's Daughter), and I'm constantly reminded I don't like mystery thriller novels. It ended fine, but never again!

 

We completed the second season of For All Mankind. It was something else!

It was fun watching the Global Perspective kids getting creative with their proposal project, making videos and Instagrams and commercials. This is the kind of thing I live for as a teacher, and I can't wait to see their end products.

4 out of 7 days I got Wordle in 3 tries!