Reflections on the Teche

Celebrating the Gift of Time

May 21, 2016 by margaretsmn

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

This was our last week of school. On Tuesday, Vannisa spent the whole day with me finishing the Unsung Hero project. She finished the script, annotated bibliography, documentary video, and process paper. Whew! This was a group project for our 6th grade gifted students all year long, but our last group meeting was in April. The finishing touches were tedious, yet had to be done to submit the project to the Lowell Milken Unsung Hero Discovery Award.

I celebrate Vannisa’s persistence and commitment to this project. I hope at some future time to be able to share the video and story.

On Thursday after report card hand-out, I traveled to New Orleans to see two of my daughters. We had a lovely dinner together. I celebrate being the mom of happy, successful adults.

On Friday, I drove home to be with my parents. Dad’s art was in a show of winners of previous juried shows at The Cedars in Jackson. This drawing was my favorite. When Dad spoke of it, he said he figured out that it was OK to leave white space. We talked about how the white space is integral to the composition.

Heron, pen and ink pointillism by John Gibson.

My parents, Dot and John Gibson with Dad’s art.

Now I am sitting on the back porch at the lake enjoying a cup of coffee with Dad and listening to the calls of the birds. I celebrate time to slow down, time to be here, time…

Lake sunset

Posted in Celebration Saturday | Tagged lake life, The Cedars Art Show, Unsung Hero project | 7 Comments »

Poetry Friday Round-up

May 19, 2016 by margaretsmn

Poetry Friday round-up is here today!

photo by Margaret Gibson Simon enhanced on Picmonkey

Revisiting Presence, my 2016 One Little Word, makes me think of poetry. Poetry is about presence. We capture a moment, a thought, an image in a single verse and sit with it in the presence of the poem.

This month’s Ditty challenge on Michelle’s blog, Today’s Little Ditty, is a persona poem, suggested by Laura Shovan.

A persona poem makes the poet (then the reader) see the world through the eyes of another person. Today, I am a featured poet on Penny Parker Klostermann’s blog. She has a series “A Great Nephew and a Great Aunt” in which she shares a poem after her nephew’s art. She also invites other poets to participate. I volunteered to write a poem from my nephew’s drum riff.

My nephew Jack, 11 years old, has been playing drums all his life. He owns his own drum set and is taking private lessons. He selected percussion as his instrument for band next year in middle school.

Jack and I, along with my sister Beth, had a Google hangout. I asked Jack to create his own drum riff, and I would write a poem to go with it. When Beth sent me the video, I was inspired to write a poem in Jack’s persona. I am sharing the poem here, but please click over to Penny’s blog to see the video of Jack on the drums.

The beat
starts in my toes,
startles my legs,
up-down
up-down!
My fingers feel the groove
until the tingling,
spine-riveting jolt,
budda-bump-bum
budda-bump-bump-bum,
is more than I can stand.
I must
I must
beat the drum!
by Margaret Simon, all rights reserved

Jack’s first drum set

I am hosting the Poetry Friday round-up today. Please leave your link by clicking the button below.

Posted in Poetry Friday | Tagged drum, Jack, Laura Shovan, Michelle Heidenrich Barnes, Penny Parker Klostermann, persona poem | 30 Comments »

Winding Down

May 17, 2016 by margaretsmn

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

When I read the words winding down, I think of the energizer bunny. We just keep going and going all year long and now the battery is running low.

I had to power down my phone to use less battery power. I think I’ve done that to myself. I’m running on low battery power.

Good thing there are only a few days of school left. We are in the midst of final reports, awards, field day, and packing up the classroom for summer cleaning.

There’s the part of me that will miss the routine. Routines become comfort zones. I know what’s expected of me. Duty day, class schedule, lunch break, carpool line, all dependable time zones.

There’s this other part of me that craves the no-schedule of what my husband calls “the big weekend.”

I usually create a schedule: exercise, reading, writing, cleaning, etc. I always think I’ll have time to do the such-and-such that I didn’t do during the school year. I will read professional books. I will make an art journal. I’ll write a book of poetry.

This week I’ll say goodbye. I’ll pack my bag for the last time. Then I’ll plug in to the charger and re-juice my battery with summer.

Posted in Slice of Life | 17 Comments »

DigiLit Sunday: Refresh

May 15, 2016 by margaretsmn

Please use this button on your site for DigiLit Sunday posts

I have three days left of school. That statement gets stuck in my throat. I’m not ready. In my position as a gifted teacher, I have the privilege of teaching my students year after year. But the sixth graders move on to middle school. This will be a week of goodbyes.

My students wrote their final blog posts for the year. Our space on Kidblog has become a meaningful, safe place for writing. I asked a 5th grader last week to do a graph of our blog posts this year. The most blog posts went to 6th grader, Kielan, with 139! We’ve written a total of 1121 posts this year!

Here is a sample of a few goodbye posts. I am proud to read that they feel like writers.

Sorry everyone, but this is the last week of GT. Soak it in while you can. Good-bye blankets, read aloud, parties, and GT and Mrs. Simon in general.

We have all learned so much from past writings to now. We have learned grammar (by force, AKA Grammarly), we have learned phrases and metaphors and similes, we have learned everything a poet and writer must know in life. Tobie

Today is the last day of Gt and I will miss Mrs. Simon and GT. I have learned many new forms of poems, like Abecedarian and Diamante. What I will hate about summer is summer reading. I will miss all the art projects and the forts and the pillows and read aloud, but I will not miss the Sol’s. Andrew

This site has let me talk to Mrs.Simon about problems that I had when I couldn’t talk to her face to face. This site has given me ideas from my classmates and connections. This site has let me share my life story with the world. This site has made me who I am today. This site has let me give ideas to my classmates and connections. This site has made my day or made me want to scream. But this site has so many memories that I hold so close to my heart. Erin

It is time to hit the refresh button, time for winding down, relaxing, reading, and reflecting. I have books ready for my summer reading. Here are a few of the books I’ve got waiting for me.

How will you hit the refresh button? Please join our conversation by leaving your blog link below.

Posted in Blogging, Digital Learning, Gifted Education | Tagged digital literacy, Kidblog, student blogging | 9 Comments »

Celebration Saturday

May 14, 2016 by margaretsmn

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

This weekly habit of celebrating is so good for me. By Saturday, I’m tired and inclined to think the worst about my week. And yet, to prepare a celebration post, I look back at my photos. There I see so much to celebrate. Take a photo journey through my week.

Mother’s Day with daughters #1 and #3.

Gardenia, my favorite scent, a gift from my daughter from her boyfriend’s yard. I wish it were scratch and sniff.

A field trip to the beautiful and magical Avery Island. Click the image to read more.

This note means more to me than the Starbucks card attached. (I do love vanilla lattes.)

Students play strategic games at Gifted by Nature Day.

I celebrate a week of love, flowers, kindness, beauty, and games. As my school year comes to a close, I need to focus more on these things.

A praise report!! My friend Amy got a scan this week that shows her cancer is “resolved.” No new spots. No light-ups! All clear! Wow, in just 5 months. Thank God!

quotesgram.com

Posted in Celebration Saturday | Tagged Mother's Day, teacher appreciation | 12 Comments »

Poetry Friday: Making Masks, Making Poems

May 13, 2016 by margaretsmn

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

Posted in Creativity, Gifted Education, Poetry Friday, Writing | Tagged Gifted by Nature Day, mask poems | 11 Comments »

Avery Island, Jungle Gardens, and Tabasco

May 10, 2016 by margaretsmn

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.

Posted in Slice of Life, Teaching, Writing | Tagged Avery Island, field trip | 7 Comments »

DigiLit Sunday: Curves

May 8, 2016 by margaretsmn

Please use this button on your site for DigiLit Sunday posts

I follow Kim Douillard’s blog, Thinking Through my Lens, and she posts a weekly photo challenge. Yesterday the challenge word was Curves. She wrote, “When your week throws you curves…take photos of them!” And I thought, if your week throws you curves, write about it. So I am going to combine the two, DigiLit and Photo Challenge.

May is a stressful time for me as I’m sure it is for most teachers. As I thought about this month and the many stresses, I realized I needed a new perspective.

There is a large old oak in my front yard. I look at it every day. Yet this image shows a new perspective, looking between the branches.

If I turn my perspective to the curve between the branches, I can see a new design. The branch that was trimmed has new growth. Some curves may be tough to take, but later allow for new growth.

On a walk with my dog, we came upon this snail in the grass. Small and slow, the snail curved his slick body, stretching out as far as he could go, lugging along his shell. When we stopped to look, Charlie didn’t see it, so he stepped on it. The snail retreated back into his shell.

When I complain about May, my wise husband says, “May is followed by June.” So I can make it. I can stretch out and lug along because I am heading toward a safe harbor, a time of renewal, “the big weekend!”

The curves of a single rose fascinate me. These are my Mother’s Day flowers. They remind me that I am in this with others. I am not alone. I can turn to colleagues and friends. They will listen to my rants and my complaints and tell me that all will be well. And it will be.

Please consider joining the Digital Literacy conversation. Place your link by clicking the button.

Posted in Digital Learning, Teaching, Writing | Tagged #nwpianthology, curves, Kim Douillard, photo essay | 6 Comments »

Celebrating Messes

May 7, 2016 by margaretsmn

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

After more than a week of testing, my students and I needed to relax and make art. Rather than plopping in a movie like many of my colleagues, I decided we should make a complete mess with gel printing. They loved it! I celebrate messiness today.

My hands were printed along with the paper.

May is a stressful time, but one of the lights of the month is Teacher Appreciation Week. I think I gained 5 pounds eating all the goodies in the lounge. Wonderful meals and amazing desserts! I celebrate the weeklong lighthearted laughter in the lounge.

To celebrate our year of writing, my students and I are making repurposed books. I’ve written about them on this blog a few times: here and here.

My students are enjoying collecting their favorite pieces of writing in a “real” book.

A page of Emily’s book: A poem about A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord.

Posted in Celebration Saturday | 9 Comments »

Poetry Friday: Beannacht

May 6, 2016 by margaretsmn

Poetry Friday round-up with Sylvia at Poetry for Children. Click here.

Whatever it was that led me back to the poem Beannacht by John O’Donohue, I must thank the Universe. The world has only to listen to his dear Gaelic voice to feel at peace and to know all will be well.

I strive to look for the blessings of a day.

Black-eyed Susans line the drive-thru at CC’s….

The cardinal will not stop tweeting!

My fingers are full of paint.
The classroom floor has paint splatters.
Even my blow dryer is splattered with paint.
I’m painting end-of-the year projects with messy kids.

My daughter is outside reading a magazine
soaking up sun, Vitamin D and Vitamin R (relaxing).

Along with John O’Donohue, I bless you.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.

Happy Friday!
Happy Spring!
Happy May!

Posted in Gratitude, Poetry Friday | Tagged John O'Donohue | 12 Comments »

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