Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life March Challenge
In the middle of the night, an Amber Alert alarms on my cell phone. I put on my glasses, checked the phone, and saw something about a 1979 white Cadillac… I went back to sleep.
At morning recess shouts and screams enter the hallways. I close my door.
The bell rings, my students enter, visibly stressed, breathing differently, heavier.
We talk about it. One says, “I’m so tired of all this bullying. I just want people to get along.” Her eyes tear up. I offer a hug.
Another student says, “Let’s meditate! I need it this morning.” Blankets and pillows come out. Breathing slows as we imagine the stress leaving our bodies.
We breathe slowly in silence for 4 minutes.
We begin the work of the day, reading and writing.
I don’t have any answers for the fears, the cries, the bullying, but I can offer a safe place of mindfulness. It’s something. Some days it’s everything.
Note: My student Faith wrote about the fight in this Slice of Life post.
For meditation, I use Mindful Kids, a box of kid-friendly meditation cards by Whitney Stewart. Available on Amazon.
Reflections on the Teche 