Celebrating Far From Home {SOL 12-29-15}

Being far from home during the holidays can't be easy, especially if you are 16.

Some of you may know that we have an exchange student staying with us this school year -- Hannah from Germany.  Ever since Hannah arrived here in August, I have been amazed at her ability to adapt and thrive in our American culture.  She is an active teenager and has made some good friends here in America.  She has become a part of our family so much that we 'joke' about adopting her.

Leaving your home when you are 16 takes a lot of guts.  Being away from family and friends for 10 months to travel to an unknown place to live with unknown people requires one to be very brave. I don't think I could have done it.

I was worried that the holidays would deliver a bout of homesickness for Hannah.  But packages arrived in the mail from home, delivering cookies from grandma and gifts from her parents.  Hannah opened these on Christmas morning, cherishing each one.  On Christmas Eve, Hannah Skyped with her family as they opened their gifts.  She spent the afternoon visiting with family and friends.  There would be no homesickness because Hannah was able to be in both places -- America and Germany -- through the magic of the Internet.

Many Tiny Things {Celebrate This Week 12-19-15}

I have many tiny things to celebrate this week:

My husband, Jeremy, is learning to fly.  He has taken many lessons and is ready for his first solo flight.  While the thought of this scares the pants off of me, it is also is awesome to see his childlike excitement over this new adventure.

Holiday season is musical concert season!  Two holiday concerts and one Pep Band game kept me out at night, but I loved seeing the kids enthusiasm for their music.

Speaking up about something that you feel is wrong is not easy, but this week, I put on my brave big girl pants and did just that.

We are reading A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park for our read aloud and my students can't get enough of it.  Not the likely choice among 4th graders, they are recognizing that there are many amazing books outside of their regular reading repertoire. (And I am loving that it is nonfiction!)

Today, we are heading down to Chicago to see the lights and windows.  It has been MANY years since we've done this and I am very excited.

Wishing you many celebrations this week!

Celebrating Taking a Chance {Celebrate This Week 12-12-15}

Thank you to Ruth Ayres for gathering all of these celebrations each week.

Lately, I have tried to be more of a risk taker in my teaching.  When I first started teaching eight years ago, I taught the way I was taught...sage on the stage, keeper of knowledge, lots of worksheets.  But times have changed and I have learned that this style of teaching is not what's best for my students.  I needed to let go and let THEM lead.

This week I did just that.

This past week was Hour of Code, a week dedicated to setting aside only one hour to let students learn the art of computer programming and coding.  My principal asked me if I was going to participate.  Fear and panic overtook me....I don't know anything about coding, I thought.

But I decided to take a chance.

I muddled my way through setting up student accounts on code.org, found a tutorial, and let my students 'have at it.'

The results....were simply amazing.

We coded every day!  Students helped each other figure out what to do if they got stuck.  The room was absolutely silent during coding time because there was 100% engagement only to be followed by moans as I announced the ending of coding time.

I couldn't have asked for a better learning opportunity for my 4th graders.

I'm so glad I decided to let go, take a chance on something new, and let my students lead each other.

What are you celebrating this week?

Un-Doing {Celebrate This Week 12-05-15}

Thank you to Ruth for hosting this weekly celebration of life!

In this crazy time of year, it is easy to get caught up in the swirl and whirl of life.  You rush from one experience to the next without ever fully living any of them.  There are so many things that we feel that we have to do that we just "do" them without thinking.

Doing....

This is kind of a funny word.  What, exactly, does it mean? I know there are dictionary definitions, but when I think about this word, I feel all sorts of blurry, rushed feelings about it.

This week, I have tried to focus on the opposite of of the word "doing"....un-doing....a conscious slowing down to enjoy the moments of life.

On Sunday, I began the day by going to a nearby Starbucks to work on my writing.  This was a first for me, but it won't be a last.  I loved sitting there, enjoying my tea, staring out the window, watching people come and go, and (occasionally) writing.  Lots of un-doing.

Sunday afternoon, I moved my writing to my favorite chair in my living room next to my Christmas tree.  I built a fire in the fireplace and spent the afternoon writing, napping, and enjoying the fire.  I worked on the prayer shawl I am crocheting for church and wrote a little more.  I was un-doing.

Yesterday, I took a personal day from work to finish my Christmas shopping. There were lots of un-doing moments here too.  I lingered over lunch, browsed among the books at Barnes & Noble,  walked the aisles of Trader Joe's looking for nothing in particular.  It was an unrushed and a completely enjoyable day because I did what I wanted to do and took time to slow down and notice.  Un-doing.

Please don't let the busy holiday season take you away without a few moments of slowing down and undoing.

The Reading Zone {SOL 11-17-15}

I am lucky in that I can dedicate about 45 minutes at the end of our day, every day, to silent reading time.

This is a time that my students treasure, and heaven help me if something interferes and I have to shorten (or cancel!) this time.

Yesterday was an especially good reading day.  My 4th graders were spread out among the room.  Some were reading at their desks, some at the front table, some on pillows in the library, and some were just laying out in the middle of the room on the floor.

The room was totally silent, except for the sound of words swirling around my students as they enjoyed their books.

Then there was a giggle.

At first, I ignored it.

Then it happened again.

I looked up from my book that I was reading to find where the giggle was coming from.  Everyone seemed to be reading.

Then I spotted the giggler -- totally engrossed in his (obviously very funny) book, oblivious to the fact that he was giggling at the funny parts while the rest of the room was totally silent.

A few students looked up from their books, looked at him, then looked at me to see if I was going to do something.

Nope....not a thing to be done other than appreciate that this student was in "The Reading Zone", a place where nothing else exists aside from the story in your mind as you read your book.

As he continued his on and off giggles, I smiled every time without looking up from my book.

90 Years {SOL 10-13-15}

Life has been a whirlwind lately.

Busy, busy, busy and always on the go it seems.

This past Sunday, the craziness culminated with a very important event:  the celebration of my stepfather's 90th birthday.

90 years of life...

90 years of family...

90 years of jobs, of friends, of holidays.

90 years of love, of cars, of service to your country.

90 years of vacations, of building houses, of Sunday dinners.

90 years of Sunday crossword puzzles, of Tom Clancy novels, of cheering on the Chicago Bears.

90 years....

So while my past few weeks may have been a whirlwind, I can only imagine how his past 90 years seem to him.

Happy birthday, Papa!

Celebrate This Week {9-26-15}

Sometimes, celebrations come to you in a whisper...

* Spying a hot air balloon in the sky on my way to school.

* Seeing a rare albino Whooping Crane eating breakfast in the field.

* Blackberries still fruiting in the garden.

* An amazing sunset.

And sometimes they come to you in a roar...

* My daughter sticking true to her choice to go to homecoming with someone, even though some of her "friends" have been giving her a hard time about her decision to go with this boy.  I am proud of her for going with her heart on this one.

* The book, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert arrived in my mailbox on Tuesday and I have hated to put it down.  I'm not sure....but I think this book was written specifically with me in mind.  There are so, so many words that speak directly to my heart and mind contained within the pages of this book.  A must read for everyone!

Thank you, Ruth Ayres, for opening up this space for celebrations both quiet and loud.

Have a great week!