Continuing with Reverb

I am continuing with my Reverb 2011. I am not trying to "catch up" because I am learning the pleasure of enjoying the process and not obsessing with a finish line. I may not complete another Reverb 2011 post, and that's okay.Then again, I may finish it by the end of the day tomorrow. No goals, no objective, just settling into what happens.

So, on to it.

Prompt #6: What was most difficult about 2011?

Definitely the family illness. My heart is broken. I am sad. That's all I really have to say about it right now.

Prompt #7: What lessons did you learn?

I like this question because I usually write about experiences as they happen; however, the real lesson often waits to reveal itself until the experience is over.

In 2011, I learned I do have a voice about education, not just as a teacher of the year, but as a teacher within my own community and my own school.

I learned that it is okay to experience moments of joy even when others are suffering.

I learned that educators at the national level who are making policy, developing standards, and establishing the tenor of the broader discussions regarding education are often condescending toward educators and completely niave to what actually happens in schools. I also learned that they really don't want to hear what educators, even a roomful of state teachers of the year, have to say about how to improve education. This realiziation was one of the more frustrating parts of this year.

I learned that life is unpredictable and at times fragile and that any one of us could die tomorrow. Intellectually, I always understood this to be true, but understanding it at a deeper level is a different story.

On a more superficial level, I learned how to better operate my SMARTboard, how to create mini books with damaged hardbound novels and jump rings, how to use Poll Anywhere as a teaching device, how to use use a blog reader on my phone, and how to more effectively train a dog.

Prompt #8: When were you proud?

When my son started to read.

When I read my daughter's stories. For an eight-year-old, she is incredibly creative and sophisticated.

When I left space camp.

When my vice principal stood up in front of the staff and lauded our efforts,

When the staff came together to study data and reseach ways to improve our school.

When my husband won the chili cookoff at school.

Prompt #9: Who or what inspired you?

My friends in Dharma Zephyr always inspire me to live more wisely and ethically and to study the Dharma.

My TOY classmates inspired me, as did my husband and Milton Chen, to be a better teacher, to think about creative ways to balance rigor, appropriate curriculum, and engagement strategies.

Every single day, my children and my students inspire me to find ways to be a better person, to be more compassionate.

Prompt #10: How do you fill the void?

What void?

Returning from No-Man's Land

I had to take a break from blogging. Sometimes life hits with you things that color everything you do and every thought you have. This happened to me recently, but because the issue was about the health of a family member whom I am not sure wants readers in blogland to know what's going on, I decided it would be best to stay quiet. I am feeling the desire to return blogging, so here I am.

What better way to return to blogging than with a review of 2011? The last couple years, I have participated in Gwen Bell's Reverb project, but since she has passed along the project to those willing to carry on the legacy, I am now going to jump in on The Mod Chik's Reverb 2011.

The first few weeks of December are always crazy for us: finals, end of the semester, Christmas shopping, Christmas festivities, baking, etc.  So projects like Reverb have to wait until the holiday break starts. I am starting with Day 1 on Day 21, but whatev, as the kids say.

Prompt #1: Describe 2011 in one word.

Contradictory. I have blogged about this before, but while some of the most exciting things happened for me professionally and personally, I witnessed too many people around me suffering. Then in November, bad news hit closer to home. And then again with another family member. While this has been one of the best years of my life, it has also be one of the saddest.

#2: What would you do if you had more time?

Easy - spend more time with my kids, more time meditating, and more time crafting.


#3: What projects did you start?

• Returned to my master's
• A week-in-the-life scrapbook for my family - LOVED it, by the way. I will post on my crafting blog one of these days
• A process toward simplifying
• A December Daily album, inspired by Ali Edwards

At work, I helped the goddess of all things accreditation - our accreditation chair person - roll out the accreditation process. It's nice to support a leader and not necessary lead. It's also challenging for me, someone who is used to always being in the lead position. I have to remember that there is more than one way to accomplish a task.

Mostly, I tried to keep projects to a minimum, which is difficult for me, a project lover.


#4: What projects did you finish? 

• My master's won't be done until August
• I finished the week-in-the-life-album
• Simplifying - since I am not Thoreau, I will probably never reach the ultimate of simplicity, but I am happy with the progress I made.
• The December Daily is still a work in progress

#5: What was the highlight of 2011?

Hands-down - meeting the president.

Well, that's enough blogging for today. It feels good to write something not related to curriculum development and the school improvement process.

Hope December is treating you grandly. I know all of my readers will remember that this is a time to share with those we love and those in need.

Happy holidays.

Thankful Veteran's Day

I am grateful for many things today :

1. Time with my family

2. A day to wear sweats and rest and fight off a cold

3. The general safety of my country

4. The sacrifices of our military service personnel

5. And the sacrifices of their families

6. Living in a free country

7. Cough drops

8. Signs that my son is getting better, not worse

9. 10 hours of sleep last night

10. Home fried potatoes for breakfast

Thankful

Coming down with you cold, so I'm going to dive right in. I am thankful for:

1. My students' enthusiasm for card making today (and their general good-naturedness)

2. The many men and women of the armed services who do jobs I would never want to do

3. My MIL for picking up my sick boy from day care

4. My son's good spirits despite a seemingly constant cough

5. The promise of sleep

6. Mac-n-cheese

7. Starbucks gift cards

8. My husband for putting dinner on the table almost every single night

9. Three-day weekends

10. Sweat pants

Thankful Crafting

Today, my students are creating cards to say thank you to our veterans and our service men and women. As I gathered supplies for this project, I got to thinking about all the craftiness that makes me happy and for which I am grateful:

• Glitter
• Patterened paper
• Acrylic paint
• Glitter
• Cute stamps - especially of bicycles or owls or trees
• Glue - because nothing is more fun that cutting and gluing (or so thinks my son)
• Glitter
• Adhesive-backed rhinestones
• Ribbon
• Glitter
• Embossing powder
• My new Cuttlebug
• Glitter
• My Cricut
• Paper flowers - I used to use them on every project

Did I mention glitter? All these things bring energy and fun into my life. Yes, they are just things, but they are FUN things, are they not?

What makes your day glitter?

A Thankful Reminder to Self: You Got It Good

Lately I have been thinking about responsible shopping, which got me thinking about from where my things originate, which got me thinking about disparities inside  the world, which got me thinking about all that I have that mothers in many countries don't. Most of it pertains to the relative certainty of my life. Nothing in life is completely certain, but it is true that my life breeds fewer questions than it might had I been born elsewhere.

For these reasons, I am dedicating today's thank-full post to the questions I don't have to ask:

~ Will we have clean water tomorrow?

~ Will we have food on the table?

~ Will my daughter get to attend school?

~ Will my children have the freedom to choose their faith?

~ Will my daughter never have to engage in prostitution for survival?

~ Will my children work as slaves?

~ Will my husband have to go to war?

~ Will we have access to medical care?

~ Will my children be allowed to participate in their political system?

~ Will they have the freedom to speak their minds?

What questions do you not have to ask?

Grateful Monday

Today I am grateful for the following:

*  My big news: I am going to China!

*  Hot mint tea

*  Antibiotics for my doggy's ear infection

*  A daughter who is feeling better

*  My new tote bag for work

*  My parents for watching my sick kid

*  The promise of sleep tonight without a dog who is up with a sore ear every hour

*  Dharma Zephyr

*  Central heating

*  Roasted pine nuts from my mom

*  My school's new vice principal for his tact and diplomacy

Are you thankful?