Monthly Archives: March 2024

Why I Write: SOL24 Day 31

I did a bit of an archeological dig today. I found out that I started this blog a little less than eleven years ago (in July of 2013). When i started, I gave myself a 30-day challenge to try to establish a writing and posting habit. But I ended up writing and posting everyday for over a year (I missed one day that year when I was sick). I was afraid to stop, thinking I might never start again.

I’ve been writing and posting for 60 consecutive days each March and April since 2018 as I participate in both the Slice of Life Challenge (thanks Two Writing Teachers) and then National Poetry Month where I have written and posted a poem everyday, most recently with the help of #verselove over at Ethical ELA.

And I write and post periodically at other times throughout the year, frequently about teaching and learning activities in my classroom.

But does any of this provide insight into why I write?

I consider myself to be a teacher-writer. Someone who writes what I ask my students to write, who composes in front of them to demonstrate both the challenges and the successes. And for similar reasons I blog and post to make my teaching processes visible, again sharing both challenges and successes. I could just write in a journal, writing for myself. But for me, it is the process of going “public”–even if no one reads my posts–that nudges me to clarify, for myself and others, why I do what I do. It also keeps me from complaining (which I am want to do in private writing) and forces me to find some kind of conclusion or resolution to each writing piece I do.

I love that writing gives me opportunity for reflection. When I am writing I find myself considering how I might do something in its next iteration. What should be done differently, what should remain essentially the same? I think about how I feel as a teacher–what is working, what makes my work hard, what makes my students’ learning easier and more fun. And I consider what brings joy…to me, to my students, to my family, maybe even my readers. (I actually wrote my teaching goal this year about joy–which my principal agreed was a great goal!)

I also write because I have community in these online spaces. I learn from the writing choices my online colleagues make, mentors in ways they likely don’t know. I appreciate each tap of the like button and every comment of encouragement that keeps me accountable and on track, even on those days that coming up with a topic feels impossible. The Two Writing Teachers/Slice of Life community is incredible–offering inspiration and support, encouragement and comfort, always seeming to know what I need and when I need it.

I write to understand myself and to understand the inner workings experienced as a writer. I’ve learned that writing is never easy and always worth it.

Hope to see you all in these online spaces even without a monthly challenge and maybe on some Tuesdays for the weekly SOL challenges. Until next year…

Haiku Tonight: SOL24 Day 29

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Breathe in exhale out

Unfurl the spiral of stress

Week of unwork waits

Prickly: SOL24 Day 28

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Do you ever get that prickly feeling? You know, when the littlest things get under your skin, rub you the wrong way, creating an irritation that you can’t seem to shake?

Prickly pear cactus-Joshua Tree National Park

Maybe it was the fire alarm with its robotic voice demanding that I leave the building. Of course that was once a colleague knocked persistently on my office door to alert me since the announcement was only audible in the hallways and not in the offices.

I didn’t even hesitate. I packed my things, locked my office, walked down five flights of stairs (“Do not use the elevator,” the voice reminded!), got in my car and headed home. (I know, what a luxury to be able to work from home when chased out of my office–and it’s Spring Break at the university so my colleagues were mostly absent.). Of course, in that fit of annoyance, I forgot about the Zoom call I had scheduled! Luckily, that colleague was flexible and forgiving and we were able to fit it in once I got home.

The pins and needles of the to-do list loomed. Emails needed sending, reports needed reading, an agenda needed planning…and then there’s the article I haven’t gotten back to. And I almost forgot–that “abusive behavior in the workplace” training module that I have pushed to the bottom of the list right up to the deadline (which was today).

But, the house was quiet and my meeting load was lighter than usual (thank you UC Spring Break). As I crossed item after item off the list, those pokes and prods lessened and I began to appreciate the beauty and functionality of those pesky prickly spines.

Of course, there are still items that need doing. And…my own Spring Break begins once school ends tomorrow! Now to switch hats, finish my lesson plans, get that newsletter written, schedule the parent email… Wait…I think that prickly feeling is getting under my skin again!

In Search of Math: SOL24 Day 27

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Math is everywhere. That’s what I’m always telling my students. But at 6 and 7 years old, my students mostly think math is either counting things one by one or solving equations someone else puts on a page for them.

So I’m trying to get in the habit of finding math in my own daily life. And somedays I’m pretty good at it. On a walk in a local downtown I saw these boxes of books at the local used book store. What perfect math for students (or just ordinary people) to think about. What question(s) might you ask to evoke a mathematical response?

When I see these local trashcans I want to challenge my first graders to figure out how many tiles there are without counting each individually. How might you figure it out? Is there more than one strategy to help figure it out?

There’s the holes in this drain. Is there an easy way to count them? How might you keep track?

Today we headed out on our playground in search of math. But I’m not so sure that I managed to convey how to look for math. Some students noticed the squares of the climbing ladder on the play structure and were figuring out how many were outlined by the ropes. The inaccuracy of their sketches were definitely not helping them find the solution.

When I prompted, “Do you see any fractions?” a few students were able to see the eight “slices” outlined on the floor of the spinning merry go round thing–and could even articulate that each was an eighth.

But I see that more practice and maybe a bit more direction are still in order. I think I may practice by showing my students one of these photos and then asking some questions to provoke a mathematical response.

So, let me practice on you. What mathematical situations might come from the close up of these balls on the cart in the playground?

Where do you find math in your daily life?

Poetry Comics: SOL24 Day 26

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Another book review? Is it even allowable to write three slices that double as book reviews?

But I simply couldn’t resist. I’ve been following Grant Snider for a while on Instagram/X and I am constantly inspired by his comic writing (for lack of a better term). Somehow he has a knack for simplifying complex ideas into 4 panels or 9 panels where the combination of images and words slices through and hits me right in the heart.

I preordered Poetry Comics, knowing that I needed to have this book not on my Kindle, not from the library, but right in my hands. Ironically, my school librarian got a copy last week and put it in my box a week before my preorder arrived today. I’ve been savoring each page, connecting both as an adult and as a teacher.

I know I will be having my students study a few of these poems and try their own hand at crafting their own poetry comic. There are so many great choices it’s making it hard for me to choose. Here’s one I am considering.

I can’t wait to see what my students will create as they explore poetry comics! How about you? Will you try to craft a poetry comic as we head into National Poetry Month?

Even if you don’t, I highly recommend Grant Snider’s Poetry Comics. There’s plenty to love in this deceptively simple volume.

When in Joshua Tree… SOL24 Day 25

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I didn’t grow up going to National Parks–and to be honest, I didn’t take my sons to National Parks either. But somehow, weirdly enough, I became a hiker after my kids left home.

I think it’s photography that turned me on to hiking. When I decided to take a photo every day, I needed to actively seek out interesting things to photograph. That led me to spend lots of time at our local beaches…and to somehow become interested in exploring other natural spaces…including National Parks.

At this point I have been to a number of National Parks–in my state and far beyond. I’ve been to some once and to others multiple times. So when I had the opportunity to visit Joshua Tree on Saturday, I was all in!

It’s a good 3+ hour drive from home, so making the trip from Palm Springs shortened the commute by more than 2 hours–making a day trip reasonable.

I was somewhat optimistically hoping for a super bloom (I did visit during a super bloom a few years back), but it’s a bit early and a bit chilly for the blooms yet. Instead we found some short hikes and headed off to enjoy the local flora and fauna.

Joshua Tree is a place where rock climbers gather, testing their skills on nature’s beautiful rock formations. I was mesmerized as I watched climbers with ropes navigate up the sides of giant boulders. They worked in teams, searching for toe holds and crevices as they pulled their bodies up inch by inch. And of course, I had to take photos along the way.

Thank goodness for the little girl who noticed the snake I almost stepped on! Look at the snake she called, and a I turned around to see a snake just a short distance from me. Luckily it was a desert rosy boa on a slow (it was still chilly out) meander across the trail. We all enjoyed the sight and the photo op before continuing on our way.

But when in Joshua Tree, the highlight is always the Joshua trees. The rain this year and last has been good for them. They are looking green and happy–especially compared to the visit during the extreme drought when they were not looking so good. These trees are interesting, somehow a cross between cactus and tree. The park looked almost like a forest, with Joshua’s spotting the high desert environment.

Do you have a favorite National Park? Maybe some other beautiful natural space I really shouldn’t miss? I appreciate any recommendations.

If you get a chance, take a trip to Joshua Tree. It’s totally worth it!

The Women: SOL24 Day 24

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I’m a reader. Well…maybe not a refined reader. Like many readers, I read to escape, to learn, to experience time and history from others’ points to view. I read lots of junk–often intense mysteries and crime novels–maybe as a counter balance to all of the professional reading I do.

I’ve also read my share of war novels, many set in World War II, and to be honest, lately I’ve been avoiding that particular genre. But when I saw that Kristin Hannah had written a new novel set in the Vietnam war with a focus on women who had served, I was interested. I’m trying not to buy every new book that piques my interest, more out of space consideration than monetary expenditure. So I went onto Libby (the online library reserve system for checking out e-books) and put a hold on The Women. In the meantime I continued reading a variety of novels, finishing one last weekend.

And then earlier this week, my hold came up. I downloaded The Women onto my kindle and started reading it midweek. It felt a little stilted at the beginning–stiff, maybe even cliche, but it was set in San Diego (Coronado to be specific) and who doesn’t love a book that refers to places you know well?

It was when the book took a deep dive into the Vietnam experience of nurses “in country” (meaning in Vietnam) that the book turned for me. The characters became multi-dimensional and I became invested. I enjoyed the focus on a women’s experience and the struggles returning home to a time and place that was rejecting the war and those who served…and also finding, even within veterans’ groups and services, that women’s service was barely acknowledged if it was acknowledged at all.

If you have read Hannah’s other novels, you’ll recognize her style and likely enjoy this one too. I appreciated the research and attention to detail in this book and was clearly invested enough that I spent too much of my day reading today, finishing the book this afternoon.

If you’re looking for a sometime’s emotional read in a historical fiction novel about the Vietnam war, pick up The Women. I was engrossed–makes me think about my dad and all the other Vietnam war vets who returned from service, whether or not they were in actual combat on the ground in Vietnam, to mixed feelings about their worth as soldiers in a war that seemed never-ending. I feel like I’ve still got some thinking to do on this one.