Why I Write #SOL17

So, as I sit down this morning to pin my last March post, I am wrestling with the question.... Why I do this challenge?  The first time, it was because a beloved friend, who also happens to be a colleague, encouraged us to do join the challenge.  Tenille is someone I look up to because I love her zeal for literature, writing, and sharing.  So, I jumped in....and struggled through.

The next year, I joined because I realized how reluctant I was to just sit down and start writing.   I am one of those kids who wants to wrestle with words and sentences, but I truly want them perfect from the beginning.  So, when it is time to blog, I want it to be something useful, reflective, thought provoking..something relevant.

Last year, I used this blog to process through cleaning out our family's homestead and closing out a pair of lives that built an amazing legacy in the 90+ years of doing life.  It is refreshing to look back at those posts, relive the days that I spent with my sister,  and see my raw emotions from sharing this season with our families.  

This year, I just HAD to do the challenge.  I felt like my career and my heart needed to stop, sit still, wrestle with thoughts, and write.  I decided to email the staff at our school to see if anyone would join me.  My dear friend, Carol, has walked through this journey with me.   It has been fun to have someone to share the struggles and joys of putting our thoughts down.  

Over the years, March has turned into a refreshing month of growth.  Pushing myself to write every day has changed the way I see daily writing time for my students.  The writing process has been a cleansing reminder that my words are important, and I should share them.

Moments of Joy #SOL17

Sometimes, there are no words.

Life seems to be heavy, and there are simply no words.

So, as I came home, I was perplexed, frustrated, and sad that I really had no words to put down on my blog.  Our school week has been long, and we are all tired.  However, my husband had words for me as I walked in the door this evening.

Currently, he is working at the same company as his Dad.  It has been a joy to listen to the conversations that have built bridges between them.  Jason has gotten to hear stories of family members who have passed.  He has gotten to know another side of his mom, dad and their relationship.  They have shared their words.  Precious words that should be shared between family members, but all too often, we are too busy or self absorbed to ask and listen.

Today, he found out that his grandfather played baseball for the city as a young man.  Jason was delighted with this information.  He grinned from ear to ear telling me about how he must have gotten the love of the game from his Grandpa.    Precious.  

Words were shared.  History was remembered and is now being celebrated.  Stories.  

We all have beautiful stories to share, relive, and celebrate.  I think March and Slice of Life Writing Month is my absolute favorite month of the year!

The Morning After #SOL17

The morning after.  

Today is the morning after a STAAR writing test and a spring storm that woke my family up at 2:45.  It is the morning after.

The morning after is an unusual time of stillness, quiet and reflection.  As I get my morning started, I wonder what today will hold.  Will all of my kids come to school today?  Was there damage done to anyone?  What do we need to rise from the storm?

As the sun rises, we will begin to check and see if homes and/or cars got any damage during the storm.  As the sun rises, students will realize that they were able to make it through the hard test, stronger and experienced.  

We will survey to see if there was damage to the neighborhood and our friends' and families' lives.  We will reflect on how the challenges have shaped us.  We will realize that we were stronger than the storm.  We will begin to rebuild and regroup. 

All will be clear the morning after.  

Storms #SOL17

According to the meteorologists, we are in the path of spring storms tonight.  They are putting out warnings and telling everyone to stay tuned for the latest update.  The color coded map makes it very easy to know what time the atmosphere should change and to be prepared to take cover.

How would our lives be different if we knew storms were coming?

I wonder if it would be better or more daunting to know that a strong wind of change and possibility of complete destruction was about to hit you and/or your family.

I think back over my friends and family who have endured raging storms, many of them survived on their knees.  Would they have wanted to know what was coming?  Would knowing have changed their last moments before the first drop fell?

Storms are something we all endure.  Sometimes we get the refreshing rain that rebuilds our strengths and focuses us on the right path.  Other times, the storm is so devastating that we can't get up, and the world as we knew it will never be the same.

How would our lives be different if we knew the storms were coming?

So Much More #SOL17

Tomorrow is our STAAR writing test.  I hope my 4th graders do well and show what they know.  However, it is just a day.  This test does not change their smile or what I think about them.  It does not define their future or what they are capable of achieving.  It is merely four hours of their life.

One day.

One chance to show the state what they know and what they have learned.

I pray they know how precious they are to me.  I do not see them as the score that they get.  They are so much more.  

So, tonight as a I reflect on what to write on here, I can't get my writers off of my mind.  

I wonder if they know.  

Have I told them?

Do they know?

All of them are SO much more!

The Struggle to be Related #SOL17

I am in my fourth semester of graduate school through Texas A&M, WHOOP!  I have loved the experience of being a student at A&M, again.  I have gotten to know some amazing educators, and learned some fun things.  After this semester, I have 6 hours to finish my masters in Curriculum and Instruction.  

Online grad school has been very different (sometimes difficult) because I am not sitting in a class, and I have to push myself to log in, connect and find commonalities with other students.  However, I have enjoyed the experience.  

However, today, I am struggling through an assignment that reminds me so much of what my students teachers face in their classes for lesson planning.  My content is angles...no problem.  I just finished teaching these TEKS to my own fourth graders.  However, the requirements for this lesson activity is crazy!  It feels so out of touch with what we really do in the classroom.  I never sit down, create a power point of examples and non-examples and write up 4-6 pages for each activity.

One of my greatest fears is to get set in my ways and become close minded.  I pray I am always open to the new and innovative ways of teaching and presenting content.  I pray I am always a learner who is looking for a way to connect, stay important and significant.

I want my lessons and class to be relevant.

I want to be pertinent.

My Stack #SOL17

I have read some amazing blogs this month, and usually, I remember to link to the ones that I plan to reference.  Unfortunately, I totally forgot to do that this time.  So, if anyone reading this knows who to give credit to, please comment below.

We have learned a ton from each other, but this great post was about the stack of books on her bedside table.  After I read her post, I looked around my classroom, and I realized I could tell a ton about my students if I took time to look at their stack.  

Therefore, I decided that I absolutely must do this post, too.  

So, here is my current reading stack...minus the graduate books that I am using to write an assignment.

The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade is a sequel, and my kids are loving it. So, I brought it home.  The first one was wonderful!

Some Kind of Courage  is a Bluebonnet nominee, and I have heard amazing things about it.  So, I brought it home, too.

Three years ago, I had two boys who begged me to read Riordan's books.  I put them off all year, and then the summer after they left me, I picked them up.  NOW I can't tell you enough how much I love Rick Riordan's work.  So, his two latest ones have made their way to my stack.  The Hidden Oracle and  Hammer of Thor.

I am a lover of 80s rock, and if I had been born five years earlier, I would have been a total groupie on Sunset Strip...or I would have tried REALLY hard to be.  I read an article about Carol Miller, and went to the library to grab her biography.  I have slowly been working through it and her perspective of 80s rock.

Soar is another Bluebonnet nominee that was recommended to me, so it was added to the stack.

Present Over Perfect is the bible study that my dear friends, and I are working through right now.  I highly recommend it if you are in a season of life where you need to refocus.

These are the friends that sit next to my bed each night.  I think it is time to close my computer and open a book!

Birds Are Singing #SOL17

My motion sensor in my room just shut the lights off.  All at once, the birds began singing in the garden outside my window.  I love their tunes.  All of the unique calls that grab my attention and thoughts.  I wonder if we sound as unique to them.

Growing up, my grandparents had an amazing back yard.  They would work the grass and flowers until each one was perfectly healthy and showing their best colors. The birds loved their yard, and my grandparents loved the birds.  They were a welcome guest to the garden of splendor each day.  The bird bath was always full of water, and their feeders were bursting with fresh seed.  It was a beautiful place to grow up.

Confession time, my yard does not measure up!  Honestly, it makes me so sad.  It is full of weeds and my beds are currently bare.

I love buying the plants and getting them in the ground, but after that, I fall short!  Maybe this is my year to create and enjoy a beautiful space to welcome our birds.  I need a plan!  Guess I should get my journal out and come up with a plan!  I am energized at the thought, and I am so thankful that today is Friday.  I have two days to work on my magical garden.

Maybe this year, the birds will be singing in my yard!

Goals!

Collaboration and Friendship #SOL17

As a teacher, one of the most valuable tools that I have is collaboration.  Last night, I sat around a table with beautiful women who are well versed in literature, teaching, and life, and I realized how thankful I am for their presence in my life.  We discussed authors and where they get their ideas.  We talked about education bills that are on the Texas House and Senate floors, our careers and where they are headed, and our families and how they are doing.  

Sitting in my classroom this morning,  I began reflecting on the beauty around that table last night and about many of my coworkers that I can gratefully call friends.  Together, we are making our way through this school year.  Their skills and talents are always shared, and I am thankful for the deep trust and collaboration that has built lasting friendships.

As educators, we don't stop very often, and we are overrun with tools and ideas.  However, I have found that collaboration is the most beneficial tool in my grasp.  I am challenged, encouraged, supported, and entertained by the group that I have around me.

We are navigating this thing called life together.  They are my anchors in the storms and my lights when I feel stranded at sea. 

I hope I am half as helpful as they are to me.

Next Steps #SOL17

It seems that teachers in Texas are really pondering where tomorrow will lead and what it will look like.  Our House and Senate are putting bills out on the floor that greatly change our retirement trajectory.  So many unanswered questions, and truly, it is a nerve wracking time.  I sat with fellow teachers tonight, and the frustration and true fear of tomorrow filled each face.

On top of that, I am in the ending stages of getting my masters.  I have six hours left after this semester.  I started this degree  because it is a bucket list thing, but as I get closer to finishing it, I wonder what my next steps should be.   The last few years, I have worked very closely with our content leaders, and I am wondering if that is where I eventually want to be in my career.  I just don't know what my next step should be.

So many twists and turns.  

So many unknowns!

What will be my next steps?

Rewrite #SOL17

I have the joy of being a part of my district's curriculum writing team.  Rich conversations, hours of brainstorming, learning new layouts, and writing for our coworkers have filled years and hours of our lives.  

I love it, but the hardest part of the writing process is the rewrite, rewrite, rewrite, and rewrite.  In my own writing, I can sit with a sentence and let it run around the page until I capture the exact thought or idea.  However, this is different because we are writing for the district.  Therefore, if the coordinators have met, changed, or added something, we have to rewrite it. This has happened about seven thousand times.  So, we sit as a team and tweak to make it meet their latest learning.

In this process, I have experienced how powerful it is to collaborate and communicate.  To make our work seamless, we have to check with other content to see how they are doing their work.  Then, we have to rewrite.  We have become a well oiled machine, and this is where our patience has been developed.  

the rewrite.

It can be frustrating.

the rewrite.

It can be rewarding.

the rewrite.

It can be humbling.

the rewrite.

Oh!

the rewrite.

Currently #SOL17

Honestly, I don't usually take time to read the suggested blogs and blog topics each day.  Today, however, I clicked the link and LOVED the post idea.  Bev's post is a delight and a great way to blog about where I am on this 20th day of March.

Currently

Looking around my classroom...

• I see lamps warming the corners
• My computer screen is lighting my desk 
• The sensor has turned the over head lights off because I have been super still

As I Ponder...

• what I need to say to my 4th graders before next week's test
• if my student teacher is nervous to join our class today
• if my sleepy students know just how much I missed them last week.

What I Am Learning...

• To be content
• to be thankful

What I Am Creating...

• my weekly calendar in my bullet journal
• anchor chart for combining sentences

What I Am Reading...

• trying to finish the Harry Potter series that I started when it came out.  I love the series, but I get lost in it sometimes.
• Soar - by Joan Bauer - it is one of the Bluebonnet nominee books!

What I Am Listening To...

• The clock ticking away the quiet moments
• The birds waking up outside my window
• My fingers tapping on the keyboard

What's happening in your life right now?

My Favorite People #SOL17

Blessed is a word I use to describe myself.  God has given me many blessings to enjoy throughout my life.  However, my greatest blessings are the people He has placed in my path to love and care for.  

I am humbled that I get to be this guy's wife and these precious angels' Aunt Mandyn.  I love the humans in this picture more and more every day!  I am so thankful that He gave me each one of them to love, enjoy, and take care of!  

What a joy it is to be part of their world!

Pizza Lovers #SOL17

My family loves pizza!  

It is true!  The whole group loves it.  My brother, sister, and I grew up eating it.  My mom and dad both loved it, and we could all agree to the dinner plans if it involved a pie full of toppings.  Sister and brother both have children who will pick pizza for the meal just about every time.  It is part of our genetics.  

Over the years, our love for this meal hasn't changed.  We like to try different pizzas, and all of us still enjoy the cheap, frozen variety from time to time.  We aren't picky, and every time we are together, we usually end up eating several slices before saying good-bye.

So, after spending the day together playing, shopping, and laughing, we needed to pick a place for dinner.

You guessed it!  

We chose pizza!  

I love my family!

Favorite Guests #SOL17

I have been frantically working around the house.  Bathrooms are clean and sanitized.  The floors have been mopped.  Linens are being washed, and my dogs think I have lost my mind because I am running around trying to get things ready!

The thing is that some of my favorite people in the world are headed to our house and should be here in about 30 minutes.  

My sister, niece, and nephews are coming!  Spending time with family is the perfect way to end my Spring Break.

Gotta run...I need to finish the dishes!  We are about to have guests!

A Perfect Dallas Day! #SOL17

Today, my friend, her sons and I took a trip back in time.  We climbed into my Ford Explorer, and the flex capacitor began flexing.  We sped off at 88 miles per hour to the Dallas Museum of Art.  (Yeah, no flex capacitor, yet,....but, maybe one day?)

We spent the morning in Africa, Europe, and Asia enjoying the work of many masters.  We noticed, wondered, giggled, admired, and had a really great day traveling through works of art.  

After a full morning of looking and interacting with the amazing displays at the DMA, we walked over to the food trucks and enjoyed an amazing lunch from several different food trucks!   It was a wonderful way to spend one of our Spring Break days!!

#blessed

Who's Going To Write Your Story? #SOL17

I had a road trip today to my hometown, and I decided to download the Hamilton (original cast) soundtrack.  Amazing is simply not a strong enough word for it!  I was escorted back to a time of unrest and struggle.  I got to know some people who I was only acquainted with by name.

One of the parts that really reached out to me was Hamilton's struggle and urgency to tell his story.  There were several times through the score where Lin Manuel pinned the question "Why do you write like you are running out of time?"  In the past, I have studied Alexander Hamilton, but I never really let the fact that he was so powerful with his written words really settle into my understanding of him.

This score and the casts' wonderful performance rushed over me as I drove.  Some specific words were haunting and left me completely aware that these thoughts deserve my time.  

Who lives?

Who dies?

Who tells your story?

When you are gone, who remembers your name?

Who keeps your flame?

So, as I continue to wrestle with this, I feel the pull to write like I am running out of time.  Who else would share my story?

Continued #SOL17

As I am about to drift off to sleep, I get a text from my second nephew.  

The middle.  

Part of my heart.

All it said was, "I can't get it running."  As his Aunt Mandy, I knew exactly what he was talking about.  I have a connection with these 5 (soon to be 6) babies.  I know what they mean with very little words or back ground information.  It is an Aunt thing!

We proceeded to send pictures back and forth and solve his connection problem.  Lights were on, and he was set. Soon, he was getting his drone off the ground. 

Then, a final message...."That was fun!"

As I realized our conversation was done, I started thinking. I am so thankful that my conversation with all of them never really start, and they never really stop.  

We just continue.  We pick right up from where we left off.

Yes, we are about 300 miles apart, but it feels like we are right next to each other.  His last message even sounded like he felt like I was there watching him fly his new toy.  

I love my connection with each of them.  

I pray our conversations will always be continued.

Guilty, yet not guilty pleasures #SOL17

This morning a gentle rain tapped the window as my boxer and I rested.  Though I would not normally look forward to a little rain, today it is just what I needed.  

This spring break is not starting the way I would have planned or thought, but it is perfectly planned.  I do not take time to slow down very often, and days like today are a blessing to my go-go soul.  I am thankful for the slow, quiet and relaxing morning! 

As the sun begins to peak out from behind the clouds, I realize what a special blessing it was to start the week this way!  Here's to a week to rejuvenate and refresh!  

Teaching Tool...who knew? #SOL17

Taking a minute to look around her room, I noticed the delicate design on each chart holding precious new learning.  The soft muted colors called out to me, and anchored the content to the third graders she serves.  At first I noticed the fonts and illustrations, but then the ink of the designs was a true treasure.  

Molly was shocked when I finally got my nerve to ask what type of marker she had used.  Knowing that I love markers of all kinds, she was in complete denial that I might not have a collection of these marvelous tools.  

However, I have never even written with one of them.

How can this be?

Today, my husband made all things right!  Now my students will have beautiful charts to grasp their attention and decorate our room.

Thank you, honey!  I can't wait to make my first anchor chart with these!

Spring Forward #SOL17

Spring Forward

I need to spring so many things forward!  So, for this girl, today is like New Year's Day!  I am going to make my list (in my bullet journal, of course) of all the parts of my life that need attention and redirection!  May this Spring be my best one, yet!

I am actually excited about setting the clock!

The Dawn of the Last Day #SOL2017

Right now is the dawn of the last day before a much needed Spring Break.  As I sit here is my cozy classroom, I am excited to get the day started.  

We have much to wrap up today before we can go into a week long vacation.

Will my kiddos be ready?

Will we have any sort of focus before we break?

Vacation is sniffing at the door.

Students look forward to days away.

The teacher needs it even more,

But there's much to do today.

Before the day can even begin,

Prayers are sent for a satisfying end.

The hope of tomorrow wears a grin

A treasured break is our best friend.

Life #SOL2017

Tonight as I reflect on what to write I think about my life.  I have a great life, but it is really uneventful.  I mean the 19 kiddos sitting in my classroom keep me hopping, but I do not have children of my own.  Therefore, our house is pretty quiet.  

It is kinda awkward when someone asks, "what's new?".  nothing is new.  We get up, get ready, go to work, come home, eat dinner, maybe watch something, and then it is bed time.  Day after day.

So, my slice of life tonight is that I got to go through the mundane, again.  God gave me another day of breath with the man that I love to walk through the normal.  

Life

My life

I am thankful.

Vintage #SOL17

Growing up in a small town where everyone knew everyone had its advantages.  One of the perks was that I started babysitting when I was in sixth grade.  I spent the next six years working on most weekend for various families around town.  I loved earning my own money.  

I wish I could say that I was a saver, but I really wasn't.  Well, I guess I was to a point.  I would save until I could buy the latest purse.   I love purses.  

Currently, I am carrying a vintage Dooney and Burke that I bought brand new in middle school.  Cracks me up that I have to call it vintage!  I still have all of my Dooneys.  Some of them need to be repaired a little bit, but they have held up and really look great.

Although the vintage ones are still good, I am in the market for a new one.  There are many choices, sizes, price points  I have a hard time finding just the right one.  That is probably why I still carry the vintage. 

So, I guess, until I find the perfect new companion, I will continue to appreciate my well loved, maroon, vintage friend.  

Truth #SOL17

One of my former students shared this quote with her mom, and it hit me between the eyes:  

I read it.  Sat back.  Read it again.  God whispered..."I am! Not the crap you are told in your head.  Not the worries that you have.  Not the suspicions that cause you anxiety.  I AM!"

Wow!  

Throughout my life, I have had lies thrown at me.  They have been whispered so frequently that I have come to believe them. They have made me question so much about myself and all the blessings that God has given.  Lies have stopped me from living, trying, and experiencing.  

Today, I choose to focus on truth!

Laughter on a Monday? #SOL17

Today, after we finished a crazy Monday at school, a co-worker and her two boys climbed into my car and off we went to spend a little time trolling for Pokemon!  Yes, I love, love, love hunting for the Pokemon characters that are lurking in our neighborhoods.  However, even more than catching the characters, I love having this common language with my students.

We started our search going through the streets of Denton.  We made a stop at Kohl's to pick up some Dr. Seuss characters for our classroom displays and to fill Easter baskets...then we were off again!  

We caught a Qwilfish, Krabby, Growlithe, Teddiursa, Hoppip Poliwag, Crobat, Machop, Whooper, Staryu, and Sudowoodo.  However, more than that, we laughed.

on a Monday.....

and it's not even Spring Break, yet!

Success! #SOL17

One of the ways that my husband and I are different is the way we approach a task.  I am a jump in, analyze, and get it done.  He is a researcher, analyze all sides, wait, think out the good and bad, and when everything is in place, finish the job.  We are both successful but very different in our methods. 

Neither one right.     Neither one wrong.

Today, he announced that he was ready to go get the safe that we have been looking to purchase for years.  He has looked at various stores, tried different ones, analyzed locking mechanisms, and finally decided he was ready.

We agreed to get it, bring it home, and put it into place ourselves instead of hiring someone to do it for us, so we could save some money.

Today wasn't the perfect day.  It was misting or raining all day.
He had to wait longer than he wanted to get the trailer from his friend.  BUT he got it and we were on our way!  Success!

Things weren't perfect, but truly, that's were the trouble ended.  We were able to get it loaded at the store.  He was able to unload it at home.  His dolly held up to the 300 plus pounds of steel.  Success!

We got it into place, and we have mastered the lock!  Success!

He even listened to some of my ideas with the tie straps and maneuvering it into place! Success!

Success feels good no matter which way it is accomplished!

Take Notice #SOL17

Today I got the chance to spend some time at the Dallas Arboretum.  I spent the first hour hanging out with a precious family and taking their pictures.  Once we finished, we parted ways and I spent some time walking, looking, admiring, remembering, and hunting.

Tulips are one of my favorite flowers. (Yes, I have many, but tulips are near the top of my list.)  They are so beautiful and delicate.  I love to get close to them to see the variations in their petals.  I take time to admire each variety and shade.  

One of the things that amazes me about the beds at the Arboretum (besides the fact that I never see a weed...seriously, never) is that they plant in layers.  There is always color on top of color.  Today, I was mesmerized by the pansies that blanketed the ground under the tulips.  They weren't as grand as their majestic bed mates, but they were just a vibrant and complemented the delicate variations of color.

The pansies played a supporting role to the main character, but they are just as important.  As I walked and admired, I thought about my mom.  She's never far from my thoughts.  Mom loved pansies.  I realized how much her life was spent as a side character.  She made sure that Amy, Jason, and I were supported and loved.  Her colors gently complemented the three of us.  She was content to be with us and let us shine.  

How I long to be a pansy!

Friday #SOL2017

Canon D floating through the air.  Pages turning adding another layer to the sound of our Friday morning.  Sighs, tears, and an occasional giggle float along with Pandora as the clock ticks away.  

Fridays are my favorite at school.  Of course, reading, writing and problem solving are woven into the content areas just like every other day of the week, but Friday mornings start off with our timed reading. We use a workshop model in Language Arts.  My classroom has changed dramatically since I was introduced to the Two Sisters many years ago.

At the beginning of the year, we started our Read to Self time with 45 seconds of everyone keeping their eyes on the page.  I would set the timer, roam around the room, and watch like a hawk...stopping them as soon as someone lifted their eyes off the written word.  In the beginning, read to self time seems impossible.  

Will I ever help them transform into readers?  

Will the world ever slip away so these fourth graders can see how great reading can feel?

Will it ever be Friday?

Slowly,  days pass and magically we build our stamina until the class has reached their goal of having days like today where we read for the entire Language Arts Block!  It is glorious when we hit this time of year.  

We all get wrapped up in the written word, time stands still, the air is magical and worlds collide as we devour more books.   

I love Fridays!

Happy Birthday, Keep The Faith #SOL17

Today is an extremely important day!  Yes, I know it is Texas' Independence Day, but that isn't why I celebrate.

Yes, I know it is also know it is Read Across America to celebrate Seuss' birthday, and though I love to read, that isn't why today holds a special place in my heart.

About thirty one years, yes 31 years, ago, a young 13 year old Mandy fell in love with a gorgeous man who would long rock my heart.  Even though he told others "She Don't Know Me," I thought he was amazing.  My heart was burning at 7800 Fahrenheit.  

He was In and Out of Love.  However, his Bad Medicine drew me to him instantly. The Price of Love was sharing him with other girls from Texas to Tokyo Road.  My parents had taught me not to be a Runaway, so I admired from afar, Burning For Love.

I have been Livin' On A Prayer that one day he would realize that This House Is Not For Sale and that we should Let It Rock.  So, today, I celebrate that my boyfriend, Jon Bon Jovi, was Born to Be My Baby!  

Happy Birthday, Jon!  You know that I'd Die For You and I'll Never Say Goodbye!

Keep The Faith!