It Was Quite a Week #SOL26

It was one of those weeks. Some tears were shed. Frustration boiled up.  The usual sadness of missing my children ebbed and flowed, and then, stress increased as I started teaching new lessons in the new curriculum.  

I was excited for the long weekend, but knew that the students would be, as well.  Historically, this would have been a day filled with engaging and fun ELA activities, but with the pacing of the new curriculum, I can't do that anymore.  I buckled up for an unproductive day.

We are are the point in the module where students are partner writing a research essay before they write one independently.  Hesitantly, I allowed them pick their partners; I thought that would lead to some goofing off.  Boy was I wrong about that.

As they worked, I picked up classroom supplies from the activity leading into the writing.  As I did that, I observed and listened.  I was so surprised by what I heard.

"This is really good," said a boy from the back of the room.

I figured they were talking about something else, but they had nothing but their paper in front of them.  I had to ask, "Are you talking about your introduction?"

"Yes," he replied.  "We worked hard, and it is really good."

A few minutes later, I heard a student from a trio of boys say, "Guys, we are so locked in."  

Again, I thought that they are talking about something else, but they were hovered over their paper and resources working. 

I moved to a different area of the room and saw a girl put her hands to her head and say, "That is the last sentence of the paragraph because it is the focus statement.  It wraps up the entire paragraph!"  

Clearly, her partner was unclear about the structure of an introduction and needed a bit of a review.  It was gratifying to see the student "teaching" her.

In another corner of the room, I witnessed a girl sit back and announce, "We cooked up on this!"

As the bell rang, they all came running up with their papers stating, "Mrs. Morris, read our introduction!"  

I read as many as I could, and they were amazing!

My students never cease to amaze me.  They show up every day! The can, indeed, pick their partners and "lock in" on their work, and even with the hum-drum lessons, they are learning!

  

In the Middle of the Night #SOL26

 What is it?

I stir at 

the typical 3:30 a.m.,

and just as I am 

dozing off,

a high-pitched

chirping emanates 

from downstairs.

I stumble 

to the source 

with a red light,

but nothing else

out of the ordinary.

The only way

to stop it

is to 

climb up 

to replace 

its life source.

I Can Reach a Goal with a Little Help from My Friends #SOL26

Songs lyrics ("I get by with a little help from my friends" by the Beatles) and a book title (All It Takes Is a Goal by Jon Acuff) are swimming around in my head because today I reached a goal I set a few months ago: I ran my first 5k race!  

When I had the idea, my first thought was I am too old to start this now, but when I put it out into the world to my friend, Meg, she jumped and said, "Let's do it!"  We put it out to our friends at work, and two more joined us.

For the past few months, we have been posting our training, eating healthy, buying some fun running gear, and cheering each other on. 

On Friday, though, I really thought I messed it all up.  I went out for a run and tweaked my hamstring.  After, I was having a difficult time walking.  I was beating myself up because I knew I was not supposed to push myself so close to the race.  But, I did.  I rested yesterday and was a bit down, doubting I would be able to do more than walk.  The worst thing was that everyone at school knew we were running.

I woke up this morning with a pit in my stomach.  My leg was better, but I was not sure if it was enough to get me through.  My running friends were so excited, and I was receiving messages from others wishing me luck.  I left the house feeling as though the report on the other side of the race would be one that might cause me a bit of embarrassment.

As we arrived, there was a lot of excitement around us.  My heart was racing, and I was doing my best to put a smile on my face.  It was cold and wet out, so it was difficult to do a proper stretch.  The conditions were not helping me out.

I decided I would start the race with a short warm-up walk and then see how I felt when I started running.  I am not sure what happened, but once I started running, I was okay, slow, but okay.  I took it once step at a time, and before I knew it, I was half way.  My body felt good, so I kept running until I crossed the finish line.

I have never been a runner.  It is the first time I relied on my body to help me reach a goal, usually I rely on my mind and work ethic.  I never really understood why people are drawn to running until this experience.  When I run, everything else empties from my mind.  When I run, I feel the strength of my body.  When I run, I feel free.  And so, I will run on to the next one with the help and support of my friends.  

Comments from the Fishbowl #SOL26

Today, my sixth graders engaged in their first Fishbowl discussion, and they had a lot to say both within the bowl and out.  At the end, I opened the floor for feedback, both negative and positive, and their comments were nothing but encouraging and insightful.  

I was a bit surprised because students can be a bit intimidated knowing there is a classmate observing them and preparing feedback.  I wish I had videotaped their work today to share as a model for future classes, but I am going to take a few moments to memorialize some of the notes I made.  

"I liked the feedback I received because now I know what I need to improve for next time," said one of the quietest students in class.  However, he was one of the most active participants.

"I think we need to ask more questions in our next discussion," said the leader in the class.  Many students agreed, and this showed me that they are embracing the Socratic method.

"I learned from observing group A, and I made sure to apply that when I entered the fishbowl," said a leader in our class. He brought his observation checklist into his discussion so he would not forget what he needed to do.

"I think we did a good job building off of each other's comments," said one of our most compassionate students.  She works hard to include others and give positive feedback.

The talked, they listened, they encouraged others to participate, and they praised each other.  In the end, every single student had a voice in class today, and I think they all walked out feeling proud of themselves.  

Thinking about Loss #SOL26

I sat for about 15 minutes this morning trying to figure out what to write; finally, I put pen to paper and wrote about that.  I ended up playing with the idea of loss.

I am at a loss
as to what to write-

I'm sure I could write

about the loss

of a dear friend,

but I'm afraid 

that those words 

would cause me to lose

my compousre

when I need to 

hold it together, 

so I don't lose 

it in front of my students,

but I'm somewhat lost

without her-

my compass, my "sister,"

the light for those,

like me, who have lost

their way, their purpose.  

Letting Go #SOL26

I am trying to let go today.  I need to because I can feel the weight in my chest.  I hold on to many things: worry, decisions, overwhelm, the past. You name it; I tend to carry it.

However, the holding has me stuck in some quick sand today, and I am finding it difficult to move. I think it might be easier to just stay, but I open my blog, and with each key stroke I am determined to release some of the weight.

First, I am letting go of the decision of participating in the SOL challenge. I am writing.

Second, I need to let go of the worry I feel about my daughter who lives far away.  I text her, and when she does not respond for a while, I think something is wrong.  It is like second nature.  My mind thinks of every possible thing that could be wrong, so I am writing.

Third, I need to let go of how overwhelmed I am with work and the feeling that I should be working all the time.  Instead, I am writing.

Lastly, and probably the hardest, I need to let go of a dear friend who passed away due to ALS a few days ago.  I have not come to terms with the fact that she is gone. And so, as I write this, I know this is my first step to acceptance and what she would want me to do - move forward one step at a time.  

And with each word comes a deep breath, and with each exhale another thought. I don't need to hold it all in; I let it go on a page.

Redefining Summer #SOL

Last week was the first full week of summer, and I was struggling.  I wrote a slice titled "Haunted Summer."  I mention that because that will be my inspiration for my slices this summer.  I have decided that I really need to change my mindset about summer, and so I am redefining what summer means to me.

Here is the post from last week.

Summer used to mean...

time with the kids,

a pool full of children,

family night swims,

family game night-

anything with at least 3 people.

Now, summer means....

quiet and slow

time alone

echos and 

visions of 

hula hooping,

a chalk-filled driveway,

aerials across the front yard,

constant splashing in the pool, 

fire pits and s'mores, 

flying soccer balls,

ghosts of the past.

I am haunted 

everywhere I turn, 

and summer's

meaning has changed.

Below is this week's post, a slice of my current summer.  

Water Aerobics

We convene in the pool to move our 9

bodies, sing at the top of our 8

lungs, and talk about our lives. 7

Some days there are only 6

two of us, others 5

up to six gals. 4

Therapy

for our

souls.

I wonder how I will define summer in August.

Haunted Summer 2025 #SOL

Summer used to mean...

time with the kids,

a pool full of children,

family night swims,

family game night-

anything with at least 3 people.

Now, summer means....

quiet and slow

time alone

echos and 

visions of 

hula hooping,

a chalk-filled driveway,

aerials across the front yard,

constant splashing in the pool, 

fire pits and s'mores, 

flying soccer balls,

ghosts of the past.

I am haunted 

everywhere I turn, 

and summer's

meaning has changed.

Gratitude on This Last Day #SOLSC25

Giving and 

Receiving comments on the slices of our lives

Are at the crux of 

This community of writers.

Ever supportive and inspirational, I 

Feel myself growing in confidence as we

Unite in our 

Love for sharing our lives through the written word.

Slices of Me #SOLSC25

 Every year, I try to do something with the word slice.  I have reviewed my first slices of each challenge, written an acrostic poem, and written poetry about the community.  As I was driving earlier today, I was thinking about the slices of me.  

I first started writing it as a poem because poetry is my jam.  Then I had an idea because I am that visual learner - a pie chart.  

I entered all of my ideas into a Google sheet thinking I could make a pie chart there, but that did not work out.

I then decided to take my text from the spreadsheet and put it into Chat GPT.  That created table and even attributed percentages to it.  I am not sure how it determined the percentage, but I left it as is.  

Finally, with my approval, it created a pie chart.  

I wanted to reflect the slices of who I am on a daily basis - the roles I play on any given day.  

Going to the Slice of Life Music Festival #SOLSC25

 Earlier in the month, Leigh Anne invited us all to a Slice of Life Music Festival.  It has taken me some time to figure out what songs I want to bring, and I am even making some last minute switches as I type.

"Fields of Gold" by Sting

This song always reminds me of the early days of my relationship with my husband.  The summer and fall after we met, we would prepare a picnic and find a waterfall to spend the day.  We would hike and then find a spot in a field near the parking lot to have our lunch.  We loved being near the falling water and sitting in the sunshine.  We would spend Friday evening scouring cookbooks for some unusual salads to make for our outing.

"Make You Feel My Love" by Adele

This song always reminds me of my daughter's dance competitions and never fails to bring tears to my eyes.  This was one of her solo songs, and she wore a very simple yet stunning two piece red costume.   This was the competition where she won the title and was called up on the stage for a "sit down" session with the judge during which he gave her fabulous feedback.

"For Good" by Indina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth

This song reminds me of my friends. They have helped and supported me through some of my fears and lowest points.  In particular, it reminds me of our Cape weekend when we ordered our dinner from the wrong Basil Thai restaurant in Virginia, watched a weird assortment of movies from Bad Moms to The Revenant, walking the beach, and talking for hours.