Category Archives: Slice of Life

Things I Love: SOLC 2019 Day 7

Thursdays are my SDAWP day. That means that I spend the day at UCSD doing my work as the director of the San Diego Area Writing Project (SDAWP). Inspired by Margaret Simon‘s list of things she loves in her slice the other day, I’ve been thinking about things I love about my SDAWP work.

I love being on campus at UCSD. I’ve taken so many photos of the library–it’s unusual architecture means it always makes an interesting picture. This one was from this morning–I wanted to capture the billowing clouds to the east. As I neared the library, I could hear music. If you look closely you’ll see the people singing. The acoustics of the cement building made their voices soar, those few people sounded like a concert…before 8am this morning.

I love the many opportunities I have to talk with educators across disciplines, across educational roles, across levels. Rich conversations about access and equity, what constitutes success and how to bridge the instructional gaps that happen along the K-college pipeline for some students.

I have a love/hate relationship with writing grants. I love imagining the possibilities and creating structures to support teachers and students. I hate deadlines and the institutional hoops you have to leap through just to submit–and that doesn’t even ensure the grant will be awarded. I’m deeply in the writing process of a grant right now…and probably should be writing that right now instead of blogging. Wish me luck!

I love working with and supporting teachers. I especially love talking educational pedagogy, best practices, and all things writing. I love reading the latest research and thinking about both tried and true approaches and new ideas that I haven’t yet tested for myself.

I love that my doctorate didn’t pull me out of the classroom. With my dual (or more) roles, I get to retain my expertise and credibility as a classroom teacher and stretch beyond my classroom to work county-wide, state-wide and nationally. There is never a dull moment with my multiple hats balanced on my head.

And I love that on my way home I can stop off at Torrey Pines Reserve for a walk on the beach. The cliffs at Torrey Pines are spectacular! Today I chatted with a photographer whose camera lens was the size of a small child. He was watching a mating pair of peregrine falcons, waiting for a chance at a perfect photo. He patiently waited and watched, chatting with beach walkers as they passed. I’m grateful to have gotten a chance to see the falcon–although my camera lens wasn’t able to capture it. The view below is of a raven. A pair of them were swooping and diving…and I’m sure I saw them carrying twigs or other nest building materials in their beaks.

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The tide was low today so I was able to walk to the southern end and catch a glimpse of tons of hang gliders in the distance at the Torrey Pines Glider Port.

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Don’t think for a second that this is a comprehensive list of things I love about directing the SDAWP…I’m sure I could go on and on and on! I do love my work. What would you include in a list of things you love today?

A Rainy Day Walk: SOLC 2019 Day 6

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After the school day ended

and my flock of third graders scurried out the door

taking flight

to this activity and that

I alight on my usual perch

and descend

to the beach

for my rainy day walk

Raindrops and salty sea mist

run rivers down my face

as I breathe in and out

matching inhales with strides

dodging (sometimes unsuccessfully)

pools of sea water

Further down the beach

I find another flock

and they squawk welcome

then like my third graders

scurry and stretch their wings

flying into a rainy afternoon

©Kim Douillard

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A Doing Day: SOLC 2019 Day 5

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You know it’s been a good day in the classroom when nobody has to go to the bathroom. That’s not to say that students didn’t need to go–or even that they didn’t go, just that the asking and the going doesn’t interfere with the learning and learning activities that are going on.

I notice that those are days filled with lots of doing. Today started with students going online to vote for anti-hate messaging from a contest we entered. The google form made it easy for each to independently watch the short videos and make decisions about the images and poems and posters and more. After Cardio Club and an abbreviated morning routine, we dove headfirst into another weaving project. (You can find a mini post about last week’s weaving here.) A novel tool is always a plus…who knew there were 18 inch rulers? Using a ruler to measure effectively and to draw straight lines is challenging for third graders, but with a little help from their friends all were able to manage the task. (I wish I had remembered to take photos!) Finishing our 4-triangle inquiry set the stage for a study of two-voice poems through the poem Squares by Theoni Pappas. (And that was all before recess!)

Add some bubble blowing and birthday cookies along with a couple of chapters of Save Me a Seat before we dove into writing claims about the “right” age for kids to be able to stay home alone. We were sharing our claims when the principal and superintendent stopped by. (While the claims were more similar than I would have liked, students did a great job composing defensible claims based on some articles we read…a great early effort!)

We returned to the weaving project, tracing geometric shapes that would be woven into the monochromatic art piece that features design, math, and writing.

tracing shapes

After some last detailed directions before lunch, students returned to the classroom after lunch to weave their geometric shapes into striking pieces of art. We were so engaged, we almost forgot to get our things packed up to go home! (And the photo included above is the only photo I took today! I’ll have to take some of the finished products once we get our two-voice poetry completed.)

This was definitely a doing day!

I Love Mondays: SOLC 2019 Day 4

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I love Mondays. Really. There is something about the start of the week, a clean slate to write my life. The fresh faces of my students, energized and eager after a weekend at home. And this morning, a rainbow guiding me on my drive to work! A rainbow on a Monday morning commute has to be a good omen.

In my classroom, Mondays are productive. It’s the day I have the most uninterrupted time with my third graders. We flowed from learning activity to learning activity, moving from engaged conversations about the right age for children to be left home alone to small group investigations creating geometric shapes from 4 triangles. Recess times snuck up on us and the day was over in a blink. My favorite kind of day in the classroom.

I ended my day with a mind clearing walk on the beach, matching the rhythm of my breaths with the inhale and exhale of the waves. And as I reached my turnaround point, I found a message in the sand.

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I love Mondays!

In Search of Light: SOLC Day 3

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I heard the warning on the morning news show, yesterday’s rains caused urban runoff and increased bacteria count in our ocean waters. Stay out of the water. We still headed off to the beach for a low tide walk…in our tennies.

The clouds were heavier than I expected with no rain in today’s forecast–and much darker too. We actually felt misty drizzle as we first got into the car. But the beach was beautiful: low tides, gentle breezes, and yes, some people in the water! Beach people are interesting and they come in all forms. There are walkers and beach combers like Geoff, scanning the shore for bits of glass and interesting marine tidbits and picking up the many plastics that litter the beach. There are surfers who seem to never heed warnings about the water. And there are swimmers and waders, teenaged football throwers, the guy with the metal detector, the fishers knee deep in the waves as they cast. But for me, my eyes search the beach for that perfect picture.

Gray skies make photo taking more challenging. Colors fade away, making things look flat. I’m no expert with camera settings, so I depend on my own framing and the serendipity of light and shadow to create interesting images. I try to pay attention to changes in light…and always find myself drawn to shore birds.

As I wandered down the beach, I spied a whimbrel (I think) out for a snack. I crept close, snapping photos as I went. But I also took a few long shots, noticing a break in the clouds and the white of the foamy wave tops creating a bright spot as a backdrop for the bird. Experts might call my photo overexposed, but there is something I like about this burst of light and the tiny bird visible in the expanse of the wide open beach.

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Gray skies and high bacteria count didn’t keep me home and it certainly didn’t keep this little guy out of the water! I got to stretch my legs and my camera skills to snap at least a few photos that were interesting. And I got to enjoy the beach along with all the other beach people today.

What to do on a Rainy Day?: SOLC 2019 Day 2

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What to do on a rainy day? If I’d had my druthers, as I woke I would have snuggled back down into my covers and listened to the melodic drip drop pattering of raindrops on the roof until I was lulled back into a decadent lazy rainy day sleep.

Instead, when my alarm went off at 5:30 am, I got out of bed, heard the rain–with a bit of dread–and got myself ready to head out. This is the day of the San Diego Area Writing Project annual Spring Conference! We don’t do rain well in San Diego, so when my husband said my phone was buzzing as I emerged from the shower, I worried that people were contacted me to let me know that they wouldn’t be attending. (That wasn’t the case.) I made my way through the raindrops and occasional imprudent rainy day drivers to the university.

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And as is always the case…there is amazing energy in teachers coming together to learn on a Saturday morning! Close to 150 educators dodged the raindrops for continental breakfast, coffee, and comradery…along with opportunities to learn together. And we were in for a treat! The hardest part of the morning was choosing which sessions to sit in, there were so many good choices!

Storytelling strategies, using mentor text to improve student writing, inserting craft in non fiction writing, amplifying student voice (with students sharing their process and outcomes), harnessing the power of technology to support young writers, and employing thinking routines for social justice in the classroom were all options this morning. And thirty years into my teaching career and with almost as many years with the writing project I continue to learn and be inspired in this community of educators.

As always, Christine inspired the audience in her opening, reminding us that it is wholehearted connections that make the biggest difference in learning. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend a rainy Saturday morning in the company of dedicated professionals.

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I didn’t get to sleep in this morning, but I am refreshed and inspired by a morning spent learning with colleagues.

Walking Toward the Storm: SOLC 2019 Day 1 and Skinny Poem

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Influenced by some blogging colleagues and my desire to get back to my writing life, I’ve decided to participate in Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Challenge.

I’m choosing to ease into the writing challenge and try on a poetry type I saw described by Margaret Simon on her blog not too long ago. She describes the process here. I don’t happen to have any metaphor dice (although they are now on my wish list!), so I came up with my own first line based on today’s beach walk. We’ve been having a very rainy winter and while today is not rainy, it’s clear that rain is coming. (The forecast is for rain all day tomorrow.) The clouds are hunched up low along the horizon, giving the beach a moody feel as I walked at low tide. I love the way walking into the sea breeze seems to blow the clouds out of my mind, clearing the way for fresh ideas and improving my mood. My feet find their own rhythm, accompanied by the constant backbeat of the waves ebbing and flowing. This is my definition of exercise, adding squatting low to pick up bits of sea glass or examine an interesting rock or piece of driftwood and balancing atop rocks to frame a photo to round out my workout. Mostly, though, the beach is an endless source of inspiration for my photography and for my writing.

Here’s my first attempt at a skinny poem (something I will be trying with my students one day soon!).

Clearing the Clouds

Walking toward the storm

alone

briny

billowing

breezes

alone

thoughts

twisting

turning

alone

clearing the clouds in my head

© Kim Douillard

into the storm

On the Ground and in the Air

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For most the year I walk on the beach in bare feet. Calloused skin against the warm sand and cool water, alerting my senses from the bottom up. My feet feel the changing contours of the reef, sometimes sinking deep into soft sand, conjuring quicksand, shifting my balance, reminding me to pay attention. Other times I carefully pick my way across piles of stones, some smooth and rounded while others pick and poke at the soft skin of my arches, pulling my attention downward where I notice shells, seaweed, and bits of colored glass glinting in the sun. Walking barefoot on the beach grounds me, literally pulling me to the ground, my feet a conduit between the earth and the sky.

And the sky calls me to look upward. Shadows catch my eye as birds fly overhead, wheeling and gliding, soaring and floating. I’ve learned to recognize the calls of seagulls and terns…and more recently the voice of ospreys. Today, with my feet firmly on the wet sand, ospreys played above me. These magnificent birds are fast, large and graceful…and today a pair seemed to be engaged in an intricate dance. Watching this performance in the sky, I noticed two more osprey on the periphery.

osprey in flight

In the last week I have seen six ospreys and a hawk (you can read about my earlier sightings here). So why have these powerful birds of prey become so prominent in my life? The more I read about osprey–both as a bird and as a spirit animal, I am starting to see some messages coming my way. Here is a small sampling:

In this case the osprey symbolism is asking you if you are feeling a little out of your comfort zone. In other words, the changes in you and around you have been a bit overwhelming of late. Thus osprey meaning is here to let you know that you can put your head under the emotional water and still survive. Stop worrying about what other people think. Like the lizard, it’s only your ego that thinks they will notice anything in the first place.

Alternatively, osprey symbolism may be reminding you to appreciate other peoples boundaries. Also, in doing so, make sure your boundaries are clear enough so that others can respect you. This bird also connects you to all aspects of Solar Worship. Therefore it’s appearance in your life emphasizes the value and healing power of the sun.

The hawk is also a close relative of this bird of prey, and in this association, these two birds share the job of being a messenger. Thus, this raptor also warns you to stay alert because crucial information is pending.

So, as I stay grounded with my bare feet on the wet sand, I will also push forward, taking some risks and staying open and alert to new information. And in the meantime, I am reveling in these new-found friends, enjoying their beauty and fierceness, their fidelity (they mate for life) and clear vision. What messages have been coming your way lately? And who is the messenger?

osprey in the clouds

Establishing Scale

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It was a rare rainy morning, the kids had been in the auditorium before school since it was too wet to play on the playground. As they crushed through the outdoor hallways to the classroom, I heard one of my students call out, “Look at the millipede!” Sure enough, on the wall outside the classroom hung a pretty good-sized millipede. As we looked, our principal approached, always interested in creatures and eager to help move the millipede from the wall to a protected natural place. But before she moved it, I had to take a photo. On her suggestion, another of my students laid her finger alongside it to establish scale.

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This idea of scale is one I have been thinking about all day. Relative size, importance, and impact can all be aspects of scale. And scales are variable. I often joke about the way our local weather newscasters talk so seriously about “storm watch” when referring to a chance of rain. A colleague seemed to be amused by all the concern as she referred to the storm warnings as “SD-style storms” in an email…perhaps because of her upbringing far from the mild weather associated with San Diego. (To be fair, the storm was a big one for us, bringing more than an inch and a half of rain at the airport and more in other places around the county. And since storms are rare, they definitely cause havoc!)

Scale comes into play when reporting student progress too. A conversation on Monday in a district meeting had us debating the relative merits of rubrics and role of the report card in teaching and learning. Do students need to be “above average” or at the top of the reporting scale to be successful learners? Is the scale relative to other children in the same grade or to the student herself? What is the difference between consistently meeting standards and steadily progressing toward those same standards? How does the reporting help or hinder the learning process?

I don’t have the answers to these meaty questions, yet understand the worries of parents, of the public, and of educators striving to do their best for students.

Back to the millipede, I’m glad to have a record of it being as long as my student’s finger. I’ve seen bigger millipedes, but not in the wild crawling up my classroom wall. But I also wish I had a photo without the finger to allow the focus to be on the creature itself, to appreciate its unique beauty, and consider what it has to offer in this world where we live.

15 Seconds of Fame

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While the midwest and east have been blasted with arctic storms and crazy wind chills, here in San Diego weather has been mild and warm with Christmas temperatures in the 70s on the beach. We had that moment in the spring where it seemed like the years-long drought was over only to have months without rain capped by devastating wildfires throughout California in late November and December.

After two weeks off for winter break, we returned to school today. Fresh faced kids greeted me with tales of their holiday exploits, eager to be back with friends and ready to get back to the business of school. I am grateful to teach a room full of kids who love to learn. And all day we could feel the weather change in the air. Clouds gathered and loosed a few droplets here and there throughout the day, but the real rain held off.

stormy ocean

An after school meeting encroached on my afternoon walk, but I felt the urge to head to the beach, even for a few minutes, to see if I could snap a few photos of the approaching storm. It was gray but not yet dark as I pulled up to park at my favorite beach. I grabbed my camera and stepped out of the car only to have the wind slap me with a face full of sand. I made my way to the edge of the cliff to see what images would appear in my viewfinder and snapped a couple of shots when I was approached by a young woman with a microphone.

windy sea It turns out the woman was a reporter from a local news station in need of someone to interview about the weather. She told me I’d be doing them a favor if I would come over and answer a few question (on camera!). So, as the wind whipped and the raindrops started to fall, I talked about the weather on camera. When I got home, I turned on the news…and with perfect timing, my husband walked in the door from work in time to see my 15 second interview! And I managed to videotape it on my phone from our TV…thus my 15 seconds of fame! (Here’s a screenshot, you can see the video footage on my Instagram post if you are interested.) on TV