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DigiLit Sunday: Sharing our Lives

Posted in Blogging, Digital Learning, Teaching, Writing, tagged essay writing, Katherine Bomer, Notebook Time, writer's notebooks on June 12, 2016| 6 Comments »

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Into every day,
a cloud must come.
Here’s hoping all your clouds
are this filled with light.

How often do you post on social media? Once a day? Once a week? Occasionally?

I am curious about what makes us connect and why some share more than others. And when I read a post, on Facebook or Twitter, who am I really seeing?

If I am honest, I am a pretty free sharer of my life. I probably post at least once a day on Facebook. I’m not as active on Twitter or Instagram, but I have a presence there. And then there’s this blog right here.

I am partial to my blogging space. I feel safe here. I open the draft and spill out onto the page whatever is on my mind.

I’ve been reading Katherine Bomer’s book The Journey is Everything: Teaching Essays That Students Want to Write for People Who Want to Read Them. In Chapter 4, Living Like an Essayist, Katherine makes a case for the Writer’s Notebook as a place to think and generate ideas. While I am determined to give this a good shot next school year, trying it out myself was not easy. I have gotten better and better at typing and backspacing, type, delete, copy, paste, highlight, spellcheck.

The notebook has lost some of its usefulness to me, at least for writing rough drafts. I still take notes in a notebook and apparently this is good for my brain. NPR posted an article about the advantages of hand-written notes in college. But unless I need those notes for something I am writing, they get lost in the pages of my notebook.

From this chapter, I gleaned five ways to make use of notebook time. (I think I’ll call it Notebook Time in my classroom.)

Write daily for 12-15 minutes: Free writing that may lead to a good essay topic.
A thinking space for slow pondering, not rushing toward an end product.
Share notebook writing with a partner or small group. Reading aloud what you have written can validate or deepen thinking.
Writing leads to more writing. Ideas lead to ideas. Allow for this free range thinking time.
Write what is true. This space should be used to explore the deep dark corners of our lives. Shake it all out. Don’t write only what makes you look good. Be authentic on the page.

I truly believe in sharing our lives. By putting our true selves out there, we can find connections in new and exciting ways. As I read and think about what I want for my students, I am more convinced that writing your truth makes you a stronger person, reaches out to others, and creates a caring world community.

DigiLit Sunday will be on hiatus for the next 6 weeks as I will be traveling. We will be back on July 31st. Have a wonderful summer!

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Reading, Writing, Judging

Posted in Slice of Life, Writing, tagged judging writing, LA Writes on June 7, 2016| 7 Comments »

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Reading, reading, reading…

The unmistakable voice of my daddy checked me out of the Anxious Hotel and back into reality. Elizabeth Tow, 8th grade

In the midst of the stacks of student-written stories about monsters and disasters and parents dying in car crashes, there were a few gemstones.

Monday was the annual LA Writes judging at my home. Teachers gathered around fruit and muffins and coffee to read 622 entries from Kindergarten to 12th grade writers from around our state.

Amidst the state standards and curriculum mandates, we writing teachers hold out hope that someone is cultivated creative writing in their classrooms. Interestingly, most of the best writers came from only a few teachers. Either these are the teachers keeping writing alive or these are the teachers who take the time to enter students in contests.

I have been coordinating the LA Writes contest for a dozen years, and I look forward to this day every year. I get to see some of my favorite teacher-friends and share my home with them. We talk and read, read and talk.

We find favorite lines. My friend, Nettie picked these lines to share.

The radio comes alive like low heeled boots. By Lily Adam

Alone together in a room for all
A kiss meets lips like stroking midnight buds. by Jasper Koelbel

Resting on the back of a goose wing, trying to blend into the cream colored feathers. By Rangasri Narayanamoorthy

When we started this contest, we created an acronym for our judging criteria with the word VOICES.

Voice
Originality/ surprise
Imagery/ figurative language
Clarity
Economy
Significance/ insight

As a teacher, I am in tune to these elements and encourage my young writers to reach not only for clear and precise writing, but writing that sings and makes the reader look at something in a new and surprising way. These elements are hard to teach, but we all know good writing when we see it. My students know good writing. They don’t always know how to name it, but they know it when they see it.

Yesterday we culled the stacks and stacks of writing down to 5-10 in each category in each grade-level division. It was hard work. It was good work. We will send these finalists on to our author judges, authors from our state including our new state poet laureate. We hope that they will see the gemstones that we saw and enjoy the looking.

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DigiLit Sunday: ReImagine Space

Posted in Digital Learning, Writing, tagged Christina Nosek, de-clutter, Kari Yates, ReimagineEd on June 5, 2016| 6 Comments »

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The past few days I have been cleaning out an upstairs “art studio.” I put art studio in quotes because that is what I call it, but it has become a gathering place for stuff. Usually artsy stuff, but the stuff was turning into clutter.

Recently I read a blog post co-written by Kari and Christina. They outlined five essential questions for cleaning out your classroom. They asked their readers to post before and after pictures to Twitter with the hashtag #ReImagineEd. While my classroom was packed away a few weeks ago, I decided to participate with my studio. It needed doing.

As I cleaned out the cabinets, I listened to podcasts. Podcasts make me feel smarter. I love listening to Penny Kittle talk about her experiences as a writing teacher. I also enjoy Krista Tippet with On Being.

In the clutter, I found a few treasures: old pictures, a bookmark made by my youngest daughter, and birthday cards. I saved some paintings I thought I could re-work. And I made piles: trash, classroom, and give-away.

A serious donut maker, my daughter in pre-K or Kindergarten.

There is something reflective and valuable in cleaning out. You see stuff in a different way. Is it useful? sentimental? creative? Does it bring me JOY?

Reflecting on the things we hold and store is cleansing, renewing, and relaxing. I can look up at the loft and see space for re-imagination.

Where in your life can you de-clutter and re-imagine? Join in the conversation with Kari Yates and Christina Nosek at #ReImagineEd.

Art studio Before

Art studio After

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Slice of Life: Are you Bored Yet?

Posted in Photography, Poetry, Slice of Life, Writing, tagged blueberry picking, summer on May 31, 2016| 16 Comments »

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I just got off the phone with my mother-in-law who asked me if I was bored yet. I laughed. Well, I did clean the grout on the bathroom floor. Does that mean I’m bored?

Actually, my summer list is long and growing. This morning I accomplished one of my goals, blueberry picking. I do this every year the week after school gets out because this is the time when the blueberries ripen. In 2014, I wrote a poem about this ritual that begins with…

Some things wear their becoming,
like this blueberry, for example,
plump and perfectly indigo
surrounded by pinky-red brothers and sisters,
it boasts to be chosen
falls easily into my palm
joyfully plinks the plastic bucket.

See the rest of the poem here.

My friend Suzanne came along. She couldn’t believe she had never done this before. It was fun to share the joy of fresh blueberries with her. Here is the Facebook page for Bayou Blues Blueberry Farm.

A Painteresque view of me picking blueberries.

Blueberry sky

Kitchen brightened by fresh fruit and fresh flowers.

Slowing down, enjoying simple things, and savoring summer days. No, I’m not bored yet.

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DigiLit Sunday: Perspective

Posted in Digital Learning, Writing, tagged digital literacy, Donald Graves, essay, Katherine Bomer, reading, writing on May 29, 2016| 12 Comments »

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I have taken a few art classes. In art, perspective is important and obvious to the eye. One of my favorite artists is Georgia O’Keefe. A series of her paintings focuses in on the center of a flower. Looking closely changes the perspective. Seeing the center without white space to guide your eye makes the image more focused.

wikiart.com

My school year ended ten days ago. This period of time I have worked hard to relax and be present. I have actually avoided thinking at all about school. However, teaching is never far from my radar.

Today, I can see more clearly the white space. I understand the structure of my year and have some perspective on things.

At the center of focus is always literacy. Writing is an important component in my class. We wrote daily about our lives, about our reading, sprinkled with poetry.

But as I look forward and begin to shift my perspective to the horizon line, I see where my focus should be next year. I will have the same students. In many ways this makes the transition to a new grade level much smoother. They know what to expect. They know me.

Because of this, I will have to be intentional about changes and make them happen early on. I am reading Katherine Bomer’s book, The Journey is Everything. The intended audience is teachers of middle grades 6-8. The highest grade I teach is 6th, but I can see ways to incorporate her ideas in my lower grades as well.

While we need to pay attention to structure in the essay, that is not the purpose. I will continue using blogs as the main format for writing. A few points of perspective their writing will take are 1. writing to discover and 2. writing to explore language.

I want to be more aware of my students’ perspectives and allow them to discover them safely in our classroom. When we focus on the single poppy in the field, we can see more clearly the unique individual. We can honor their voices and work toward developing authentic, valuable writing.

In order to prepare to teach essay differently, I am experimenting with my own writing. I am trying out “writing for discovery” and “exploring language” with more intention in my blogging.

Perspective as a writer gives me a clearer lens for teaching writing.

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Poetry Friday: Joy

Posted in Photography, Poetry Friday, Writing, tagged joy, Kim Douillard, nature poem on May 27, 2016| 9 Comments »

Poetry Friday round-up is with Julie at The Drift Record

Photo by Kim Douillard

The Butterfly

touched my outstretched hand
for only a millisecond,
yet left behind
a tingle

on my sensitive,
scarred skin.
I kept my arm
outstretched
waiting,

watching
this fluttering yellow kite
dart through the goldenrod
Daddy grew from seed.

How could he have known
when he sowed and watered
that at this moment
when I needed it most

A butterfly would
leave Joy
on my outstretched hand?

Margaret Simon, all rights reserved

Reflection: Yesterday, I wrote about touch. I saw this amazing photograph on Kim Douillard’s post this morning. All day the gift of touch has been on my mind. Even the slightest touch of a butterfly can wrap us in a moment of Joy. What else is there?

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Spiritual Thursday: Touch

Posted in Spiritual Growth, Writing, tagged touch on May 27, 2016| 4 Comments »

My dentist died this week. He has been my dentist for 30 years. When I think of him, I think of his hands. His hands were soft and gentle. They moved with confidence. His hands calmed me down. I will miss his hands.

One of the givens of human nature is the need for touch. Research shows that when a child is deprived of human touch, he will not thrive. Sometimes we forget this basic need. We get busy with life and forget about touching the ones we love.

When my daughters were born, touch was a part of our daily life together. There was feeding, bathing, changing, and cuddling. Even after they could dress themselves, cuddling together at night with a book on the sofa or in the bed kept touching a part of our lives.

When did we stop touching? I don’t remember the day we stopped cuddling. They grew up. We got busy. It happened without me noticing.

Now my daughters are adults and live their own lives. Touch is the occasional hug when we get together.

The same thing happens to couples. When my husband and I were dating and then married, we touched constantly. A kiss, a hug, a pat. But now we’ve been married almost 34 years. We have to be more intentional about touching, or we get busy and forget.

Dancing has brought us back to touching. We dance at least once a week. Dancing requires touching. We hold each other. Our hands touch and hold and spin. Sometimes we step on each other’s feet. Usually we are smiling. Touching, music, and movement bring joy, laughter, and love.

My last dentist appointment was a few months ago. Clyde had retired in January, so I was surprised when he came in to check on me. He couldn’t stay away, he told me. I was so relieved to see him. I didn’t know it would be the last time.

Take time today to remember the power, the magic, and the love of a gentle touch.

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DigiLit Sunday: Intention

Posted in Digital Learning, Photography, Writing, tagged intention, Katherine Bomer, Summer reading on May 22, 2016| 7 Comments »

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The school year has ended for me. The end isn’t a celebration for me. I try to feel excited about summer, but my heart is hurting. I miss my kids. I wonder what they are doing. I miss our daily connection. I hear their voices in my head. Eventually this fades, and I fit into my days like they were meant for me.

This weekend in order to tender the depression I know is coming, I traveled home to my parents’ house on the lake. This is a beautiful place to reflect, read, and relax.

While at the lake, these Canada geese hatched five goslings.

Teachers need this time as much as our students do. Time to not worry about the next lesson or the necessary evaluations. Time to look out at nature and just be present.

This is my intention: Presence.

My other intention is professional reading. I have started Katherine Bomer’s book The Journey is Everything. What I love about this book is Katherine writes as if she is speaking directly to me. Her tone is easy and conversational as she marvels in the wonder of the essay. I think her book will transform me personally as a writer as much as it does me as a teacher. The very things I love about writing this blog, writing to know what I’m thinking, is central to her theory about essaying. I grabbed the following quote to keep.

In order to read with more intention, I will be joining a book study group. Let me know in the comments if you want to join us. I am planning a Twitter chat with Katherine Bomer for later in the summer, so stay tuned.

If you have written a DigiLit blog post this week, please click the link below.

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Poetry Friday: Making Masks, Making Poems

Posted in Creativity, Gifted Education, Poetry Friday, Writing, tagged Gifted by Nature Day, mask poems on May 13, 2016| 11 Comments »

Poetry Friday round-up with Violet. Click here to read more posts.

The end of the school year is coming to a close. One fun day that our gifted students look forward to every year is Gifted by Nature Day. We hold it in City Park and all the elementary gifted students in our parish attend. The day is full of games, art, and writing.

This year middle school gifted students (who fondly remember their own Gifted by Nature Days) led this year’s art activity. They presented a skit about endangered animals. Then our kids were encouraged to freely create their own favorite animal, real or imaginary.

I led a poetry writing activity as a response to the mask activity. And what better poetic form to use than a mask poem? The directions were simple: Write a poem from the point of view of your mask. Use your creature’s name as the title. Use I statements. We read a few mentor poems from Irene Latham”s Dear Wandering Wildebeest and Patricia MacLachlan’s Cat Talk.

The students were primed for creative thinking after making their masks. I am sharing some of the masks and poems here.

This is Erin as a narwhal, of course.

Call me watercat.
I am guard.
I am smart and curious.
I run very quickly through
prickly vines.
I am big.
I am blue.
I am sneaky.
I am fluffy.
I am strong.
I am a watercat.
by Madison, 2nd grade

How adorable is this puppy mask with a bow on its chin!

Dis-Grace
I am a disgrace.
I am a mess of an animal.
I am rainbow.
I have three sets of ears.
My mouth stays open.
My nose is green.
People come around me and say “whoo.”
They must hate me.
Then I hear people say, “That’s cool.”
Maybe I’m not a Dis-Grace after all.
by Emily, 5th grade

Shadow, by Jacob, 2nd grade

I was born in a magic cloud.
Then I flew all day.
I made a lot of friends
and we played in the Milky Way.
Then we found a top hat,
black and a very light gray.
I put it on and then I had the power
to always save the day. Jaci, 5th grade

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Avery Island, Jungle Gardens, and Tabasco

Posted in Slice of Life, Teaching, Writing, tagged Avery Island, field trip on May 10, 2016| 7 Comments »

At one of my schools, I coordinate a leadership organization called “Paw Pride.” Students are nominated by their teachers to be in this group. Throughout the year, we participate in service-oriented projects.

Yesterday we took an end-of-the-year field trip to Avery Island, home of Tabasco sauce. I love field trips. Yes, they exhaust me, but the kids are so excited and can’t wait to learn and play. This group worked hard and raised enough money for this treat. Avery Island is in our own backyard. We should know and learn about the products of our own area.

3D map

“Are we here?”

“Look! There’s the warehouse!”

Seeing the overall, big picture on a 3D map intrigues the students.

salt barrels

The mash from the peppers are aged for three years. Salt covers the tops of the barrels, slowly spicing the aging peppers. At the factory store, students sampled different Tabasco flavors and even Tabasco ice cream.

bird city 3

In 1895, the snowy egret was nearly wiped out by plume hunters. E. A. McIlhenny created Bird City, a nesting ground for these majestic birds. I took this picture from the high look-out deck. It was a nice climb but worth it for this view.

Paw Pride with Buddha

E. A. McIlhenny acquired a gift of an ancient Buddha statue in 1936. The statue is surrounded by authentic Asian flora. Visiting the Buddha is a highlight of any Avery Island field trip.

Jungle gardens

Jungle Gardens is often used for wedding photos, and you can see why. This is a beautiful setting just beyond the Buddha statue in Jungle Gardens. At this point, the students had disappeared into a wooded area. I sent a parent chaperone after them. The magic of this place drew them in. A wonderful way to celebrate May, these students were able to spend a day outside of the classroom learning about a locally made product as well as enjoying the beauty of nature.

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