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Creativity and Vulnerability

Posted in Creativity, Teaching, tagged Big Magic, Creativity, Elizabeth Gilbert, vulnerability on May 5, 2016| 7 Comments »

I thought I might give blogging a rest. But in this wild world of social media, I have made connections. Irene Latham is a poet/blogger and the kind of person I will do almost anything for. She tweeted yesterday.

Hey, SJT peeps @MargaretGSimon @dorireads @cvarsalona @Mhaseltine @b_a_taylor Join me tomorrow in talking about Creativity & Vulnerability?

— Irene Latham (@Irene_Latham) May 4, 2016

Here I am again because this is a subject I live with every day.
Be creative.
Be vulnerable.
These two walk together with me as I wander this writing terrain.

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert speaks to me. She writes for 272 pages about “Creative Living Beyond Fear.” The reason this book has taken on such popularity is we are all battling this dualistic problem: creativity and fear. On Goodreads, there are 333 quotes from Big Magic. I could pick any one of them to make my point here. That creativity and fear (or vulnerability) walk hand in hand.

With my students this week, I have been creating an altered book. We have taken books that were discarded from the library for repurposing as a collection of writing from this school year. For the most part, we’ve been making a mess. But in the midst of the mess, creativity is evolving.

A favorite page using gel printed paper, collage, and a poem.

This is the freest I have felt about painting and creating in a long time. I’m just doing it. I don’t expect anyone but me to ever care about this book, so there is no fear. And since I feel absolutely safe creating alongside my students, I am not vulnerable either.

When I write for others to read, the stakes become higher. And yet, in this blog space, I have found a safety net. I have a group of people I belong to. I’ve gotten to know you by reading your blogs. You know me, and you leave encouraging comments. I may not know your face, dear reader, but I trust you.

Vulnerability is lessened by safety, community, and camaraderie.

Creativity breeds creativity. Endeavoring to express yourself artistically whether with a paintbrush, a musical instrument, or a pen exposes you to failure. Yet creating makes us human, and creativity is meant to be shared.

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SOL16: #6, DigiLit Sunday: Technique

Posted in Creativity, Digital Learning, Slice of Life, Teaching, Writing, tagged art lessons, technique, watercolor on March 6, 2016| 21 Comments »

Join the Two Writing Teachers blog for March Slice of Life Challenge.

I am taking a watercolor class. Like most art classes I’ve taken, the first few classes are frustrating for me. I feel defeated. I criticize myself over and over. This is very unattractive behavior, and my teacher is patient. He doesn’t praise me, though. He tells me that these techniques build upon each other. I am learning. It’s a process.

On Tuesday, I had my 4th class. It has taken me a while to create something I wanted to share with others. I finally pulled together the techniques into one art piece that I actually liked. My teacher pointed out the things I did well. The thin lines for branches, the shadows, the light. But still he held back. I said I was pleased with it, but he did not give out a great deal of empty praise. In fact, he told me to practice.

Watercolor pine tree by Margaret Simon

Sound familiar? How we try to lead our students through the writing process. We teach techniques. We look at models. We praise when we see a craft move. These lessons build a writer, but the process can be slow. It can be frustrating. Eventually, the writer will feel good about the product.

The motivation has to move away from teacher approval. The writer/artist must own the process to feel success.

My students have started the classroom Slice of Life Challenge. They are practicing. They are trying craft moves. They are noticing techniques in each other’s slices.

The creative process is a curious thing. We need to learn techniques. We need the guidance of teachers. But in the end, it’s just you and the paper. I believe in techniques, but I also believe in magic. Sometimes magic happens when you continue to show up.

Please use this button on your site for DigiLit Sunday posts

I invite other teacher-bloggers to participate in this weekly meme, DigiLit Sunday. Link your posts up below.

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How Long a Poem Takes

Posted in Creativity, Gifted Education, Poetry, Writing, tagged anaphora, Naomi Shihab Nye on February 12, 2016| 26 Comments »

Poetry Friday round-up with Kimberley at Written Reflections

Inspired by Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem How Long Peace Takes from 19 Varieties of Gazelle, my students and I wrote our own How Long poems. The repeated line “As long as” followed by images works well to inspire poetry. I wrote one about healing. I am slowly recovering from my tailbone injury. The bayou seems to appear often in my poems and as I am recovering, I have watched the bayou every day. Such a peaceful place to heal.

Peak through the old cypress to the brown bayou.

How Long Healing Takes

As long as reflections of tall trees on a winding bayou.

As long as the slow mowing of a field of grass.

As long as the the thread of soft yarn
winds its way into a baby’s blanket.

As long as the body insists
on being separate and human.

As long as instinct is ignored
and we just talk louder to each other.

As long as the cat
finds a box in the closet,
comfort in cardboard.
She hides all day invisible.

As long as the flowers in the vase
smile their peachy-orange smile
and say stay,
rest,
be well.
–Margaret Simon

And now for a few students’s poems.

How Long Patience Takes

As long as you rise at dawn

As long as the sun rises above
to shine upon us

As long as the teapot sings
a steamy song

As long as long as you make a wish
at 11:11

As long as you blow out you candles
on your special day

As long as you have
patience

As long as you leave at dusk

–Emily, 5th grade

How Long Creativity Takes

As long as you’re reading
with a smile on your face
so deep in your book
you can’t hear anything

As long as you’re drawing
letting the pencil control you
light and dark lines
here and there

As long as you’re brainstorming
with ideas flowing out left and right
shouting them out like you don’t care
while you peacefully think of some more

As long as you’re writing
with a pen in your hand
as you think of a story
and poem at the same time

As long as you let your imagination flow
making dreams a reality
and never losing hope
and letting your mind run wild

As long as you never stop believing
believe in the impossible
step out your comfort zone
and live a creative life

–Erin, 4th grade

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DigiLit Sunday: Balance

Posted in Creativity, Digital Learning, Writing, tagged balance, digital literacy, gifted education on January 31, 2016| 14 Comments »

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quotesgram.com

Yesterday I tweeted a call for topic ideas. Julianne suggested balance. And now I’m stuck. I liked that this was a topic that would make people think, but I wasn’t prepared for being stuck.

Balance is so open to interpretation. Are we thinking about the balance of reading to writing, technology to paper, challenging to easy? There are so many ways we can look at balance. In my own life, I need to balance work with play, eating healthy foods, using my time wisely, and on and on.

I look at each one of my students as a small balancing act. I need to give them enough but not too much. This week we were behind. Most of my students had spent their class time on creating digital Wonder presentations, so they hadn’t completed their writing assignments (Slice of Life and Reader response). A few of them were actually in a panic over getting it all done. The title of the day was “Finish it Friday.”

When I announced that I wanted to do a poetry activity, I heard groans. I insisted that we all stop and take 5 minutes to write together. This turned out to be a good decision. Creative juices flowed. My kids turned back to technology not as a chore but as a choice. I posted some of the results on Poetry Friday.

Teaching gifted students is always a balancing act. I want to challenge them to think deeper and work harder, and yet, I cannot forget that they are children. They need creative play as well. The best lessons are ones that balance the two. The funny thing about my kids is even if the assignment is not all that creative, they find a way to interject their own voices. They will be heard.

Kaiden’s presentation on how books are made included his own sense of humor as well as information on how paper became books.

Do you have “Da Knawledge?”

Please add the link to your digital literacy blog post.

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Creativity and Me

Posted in Creativity, Photography, Poetry, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged Big Magic, Creativity, fear, Lake Martin, poetry, tanka on January 12, 2016| 9 Comments »

Join the Two Writing Teachers blog for Tuesdays Slice of Life Challenge.

I’m reading a new book, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. I’m not sure where I read about this book. I know Leigh Anne is reading it, and so is Catherine. So here’s the thing: If there’s a group of us reading this book who want to chat, we could start a virtual book club. We could chat in Voxer or Google Docs. If you want to join in, email me at margaretsmn at gmail.

Four years ago I jumped into publishing and put out a middle-grade novel, Blessen. At the time, I found an old diary that told me I’ve wanted to be an author all my life. Notice my expectation as a teenager that maybe confidence came from someone else.

“I would love to be a writer if only someone would give me confidence!”

If growing up has taught me anything, it’s that confidence comes from courage that comes from your. own. self. No one else can give it to you.

Elizabeth Gilbert says she lives in fear everyday.

Creativity is a path for the brave, yes, but it is not a path for the fearless, and it’s important to understand the distinction.

Fear will always show up when you are trying to be creative. You can tell it to go away. But it’s always there. I love that this great author is telling me this.

I’ve grown to cherish this blogging space because I feel safe here. Whoever you are, reading and leaving me kind comments, you are my angels. You help me feel like my words are worthwhile and mean something.

Since my OLW is present, I am showing up. I’ll listen for the muse, the magician, whatever his name is and answer with a yeah, ok, let’s do this crazy creative thing together.

Being present this past weekend, my husband and I visited Lake Martin for the sunset on the way to our dinner/ dancing date. It was not the best of all sunsets. I got my boots muddy. But we showed up. With a little magic from the lens and Picmonkey, I created an inspiring image. On Sunday, I wrote a tanka for the image. And I am sharing it here. Kicking fear to the curb! See ya!

Photo and poem by Margaret Simon

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Celebrating Christmas Classroom

Posted in Celebration Saturday, Creativity, tagged Main Street New Iberia, Margaret George on December 19, 2015| 6 Comments »

Ruth Ayres invites us the celebrate each week. Click over to her site Discover. Play. Build. to read more celebrations.

The last week before Christmas break is a bit like the end of school, exciting, crazy, rushed, and long all at the same time. On Tuesday, my students had a visitor. What a treat! Margaret George is a local artist. She designed a window on Main Street that was full of little things kids love. So I asked her if she would come and paint ornaments with my students.

Artists like Margaret live in their imagination, so they can be scattered and perhaps a bit unorganized. But not Margaret George. She arrived early. She had a box full of supplies that included a glitter globe. She even brought cups for water, plates for paint, and an ornament tree to hang them on as they dried. She thought of everything.

My students gathered around the table and were engrossed in paint and artful play for two hours. Margaret bought glittery gold reindeer ornaments at the Dollar Store. She covered the glitter with white gesso paint. This gave the students a new surface to paint on. And she brought glitter that made the ornaments look like they were covered in sugar. Today I celebrate the gifts of a local artist, sparkly glitter, and the magical days before Christmas.

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Squirrels and Bears in the Minneapolis Airport

Posted in Creativity, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged #NCTE15, story, student writing on December 8, 2015| 6 Comments »

Join the Two Writing Teachers blog for Tuesdays Slice of Life Challenge.

After four days at NCTE, my brain was mush. I made it to the Minneapolis airport just fine with about an hour to spare before my flight. So I moseyed to my gate, stopping off at a cute shop. I decided to buy a squirrel for a new class pet. Not to replace Jack the lemur, or Ernie the penguin, but to add to the bunch. I took this picture outside of the shop. I planned to tell my students that I found the squirrel who needed a home.

Little did I know I was taking my time getting to my seat number, not my gate number. I got to terminal B and realized that my seat was 8B, but my gate was C5. I backtracked and made it to the gate with few minutes to spare before my flight.

When we returned to school last week, I told my students all about this adventure. I challenged them to write a story about the squirrel. Of course, we needed a name, too. Two of my creative writers took the challenge. I want to share them both because they are just too cute.

The Squirrel Anthony and And Bear Mowgli that got Lost at the Airport

One day not too long ago, they had a stuffed squirrel at the airport. The name of this creature was Anthony. Anthony had a friendly bear for a friend. His name was Mowgli. Mowgli and Anthony had been left at the airport for years, desperate for a home. One day many years after they had given up they found a nice, friendly, lost lady. Her name was Margaret. She was trying to get to Minneapolis but she got lost. Desperate for a new class pet for her kids that she teaches, she found Anthony talking to Mowgli in the crack of Mowgli’s arm. She asked Anthony if he would go back to Louisiana with her. Not being hesitant Anthony said yes! She finally recognized Mowgli. With a sorry and a, ”Will you come home with me and Anthony?” Mowgli said no! The reason he said no was because Mowgli was a statue and all Margaret had was a tiny little backpack. The bear also said that he wanted Anthony to be happy and that maybe someday he will get another offer to go home with somebody else. With a shrug and an, ”I wish you could come!” Anthony and Margaret set off into the depths of the airport and finally found the gate and set off to Minneapolis and came back to Louisiana to a nice Thanksgiving break and a room full of happy kids that is also the home of a pet squirrel named Anthony. They all loved him…(Lani)

Meredith, the Squirrel, and Smokey and Bruno, the Bears

Once upon a time there were two bears, a big one named Bruno and a small one named Smokey. And, they were the airport bears.They were statues and they stood there all day greeting people. But, one specific day Bruno and Smokey saw a rushing business lady, running to catch her flight and her bag was half-way open and as she ran a little grey squirrel fell to the cold airport ground. Then, a little girl picks up the squirrel and waits on the bench by the bears, when the child’s mother said that she couldn’t have the squirrel because they don’t know where it has been. So the mother places the squirrel in the crook of the arm of Smokey. Then they left to get on their flight. So, Bruno and Smokey started talking to the squirrel and found out that her name was Meredith. And, over the period of about 5 days they became good friends much better friends than she was with the business lady. And the most special day was when Margaret a GT teacher from New Iberia was on her way to Minneapolis when she found Meredith, and she took Meredith with her. Smokey and Bruno were sad , but they knew that it was right. So Margaret brought Meredith back with her class and they loved her very, very much. THE END (Emily)

Are you smiling? All the best stories end with “they loved her/him very much.”

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Write Beside Them

Posted in Creativity, Gifted Education, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged A&E Art Gallery, ekphrasis, The Shadows on the Teche, Writing to art on December 1, 2015| 8 Comments »

Join the Two Writing Teachers blog for Tuesdays Slice of Life Challenge.

Write Beside Them was the title of the NCTE panel of Donald Graves winners from the last three years. I felt so proud and privileged to be on this panel along with Heidi Weber, 2013 winner, and Emily Elizabeth Smith, 2015 winner. Donald Graves’ philosophy that the teacher of writing is a writer herself drives my interaction with my students.

On Monday, the first day back after a week long break, we had a field trip. Not usually a good idea, but I signed up for the first rehearsal spot for our play at the Shadows, a local historical home. The gifted students in grades 4-6 practice the parts and perform for first graders. They tell the story of one of the boys, Charles Conrad Weeks, his sister Harriet, and his friends Riley and Caroline who lived and worked in the home in 1840. My students look forward to this play every year.

In addition to the play practice, I led my students down Main Street to an art gallery. There they looked at local art. This is where we wrote together.

I wrote beside them. Each of us chose a painting or other piece of art to inspire our writing. I wanted to leave behind little snippets on the artwork, so I found miniature brown bags for the kids to write on. We left them next to the art pieces. When the owner walks in this morning, he will have words waiting for him.

I wrote a poem for the work in progress on the easel.

An empty frame
waits
layers
of color
build
a world,
a circus
of imagination.
–Margaret Simon

Writing and art mix well together. My students described the artwork as well as found some inner truth to express. I don’t have any of the poems to share here today, but check back on Poetry Friday.

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DigiLit Sunday: Inquiry

Posted in clmooc, Creativity, Digital Learning, Writing, tagged content standards, Creativity, digital space, inquiry, Write your Way writing camp on July 19, 2015| 11 Comments »

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This week I coached a writing camp. Usually space is important to me. The space we met in and wrote in was an art space, open and inviting, with pieces of folk art all around. The space felt comfortable and inspiring, not the case with the computer lab.

The computer lab was like a cave, long and dark. The AC didn’t work well, so it was warm. However, none of this mattered because once the kids got online and logged into our kidblog site, the space became as quiet as a bee hive, everyone buzzing and busy writing and commenting. When I asked the students about their favorite part of camp, the blog was high on the list. Online space is important, too.

I have not focused this week on the Clmooc make #4. The instructions were: “For this make cycle, we invite you to document, analyze and reflect on the variety of systems that influence your life personally and/or professionally. Use your creativity to document an existing system, access your ingenuity to improve an existing system or use your imagination to develop a unique new system and design a novel way to explain it.”

I decided to go back to my inquiry question, “How can I create an environment for student writing that encourages individual expression while covering necessary benchmarks?” I realized that the very act of content standards and testing is a system. So I am essentially asking about how I can hack the system. But I have to begin with research. Look at this Piktochart created by Christy Ball.

I am only on step three, doing the research. There is no rush here. Inquiry is like that. By its nature it’s slow and should be. If I rush into it, I risk losing focus and not valuing the question.

I started a padlet. Not much there yet. So far I am focusing on creativity. That is what I feel is most missing from standards and from testing. We are creating little boxes for students to fit in to. In reality, creativity is the thing that will lead to innovation and problem solving. How can I create a creative environment for my students? How can I value creativity and project-based learning while adhering to standards? Please inquire with me. You can add comments, write your own blog post, and/or add to the padlet.

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Creative Poetry with Kids

Posted in Creativity, Gifted Education, Poetry Friday, Slice of Life, tagged poetic forms, student writing on March 20, 2015| 9 Comments »

SOL #20

Join the roundup with Catherine at Reading to the Core.

This week we talked about form and being innovative and creative with form in Slices of Life and in poetry. We looked at Tara Smith’s call for Classroom Slices in which she shared the poem That was Summer by Marci Ridlon. I had not seen this poem before. I trusted Tara that it would inspire writing.

Have you ever smelled summer?

Sure you have.

Remember that time

when you were tired of running

or doing nothing much

and you were hot

and you flopped right down on the ground?

That was summer. From That was Summer by Marci Ridlon

Today I would like to introduce you to my student, Erin. I wish I could post a picture of her because she is quite adorable. She has long dark hair that accentuates her tan skin (her mother is Filipino.) There is a dimple that appears with every smile, and she smiles a lot. She is small for her age, nine, which only adds to her charm. Erin experimented with two forms this week, the “Remember that time” form and a two voice poem with Spring arguing with Winter.

Spring flowers, Lytes Cary, Somerset
Copyright nick macneill and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Can you feel spring? Remember the breeze blowing and you feel you’re flying.
That was Spring.

Remember the time you played catch with your dog,
and he knocked you down in the soft spiky grass?
That was spring.

Remember the wonderful warmth
of the sun on your skin
after the harsh winter.
That was spring.
—Erin

Spring
I’m spring here to kick you out.
No one likes you with your cold heart and all.
While i am loved by millions all around the world.

Winter
Ha you wish.
You bring mosquitoes and bees stinging all about.
I kill and make them pout.
I rule all seasons. While you are a slave.

Spring
Please, you wish.
You give people hatred and make them cry.
While I give them hope and sunshine.

Winter
Oh, really?
You make them happy.
I think that all that sunshine
is going to your head.
Now, be a good girl
and go to bed!
—Erin

Can you hear Erin giggle after that last line? She had a boy in class play the part of Spring. He was a good sport about it. In fact, I think anyone in our class would do anything for Erin. You can click on her name under either poem to leave comments just for her.

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