Untitled

Today is an untitled day

a down day

full of clouds

streams of rain

down my face. 

Trying to manifest

an up day

full of open sky

warm summer air

on my cheeks.

Today was so very blah. I made lists in my head of positive things. And on their own, they are positive; I'm so grateful, but today still held a space for dullness. I took some medicine for the headache. I took a nap to escape. I took a walk to get my head up. Tonight, I'll sleep it all away and look forward to a brand new day. 

Library Giggles

You wouldn't have caught me teaching summer school a year or more ago. After a challenging year, I was surprised I signed up. To my surprise, summer school has been wonderful. Today, we took a walking field trip to the college library in town. The library was empty, and although we had a small group, we quickly lost control during our exploration. A reminder that a library is the best place to play hide-and-seek, whether you plan to or not. Shrieks and giggles echoed. We couldn't help but laugh. After three floors of peek-a-boos, loud directive whispers, and blocked elevators, we all made it down to play math games and roll some story dice. 

The difference between regular school and summer school, at least in my situation, is the freedom. We are focusing on skills, we have a small group, and it's a half day. There's no set curriculum, no timelines, unlimited popsicles, and the kids can take a break whenever it's needed. Needs can be met, we can laugh, and work at our own pace. Kind of a teacher's dream. 

Thoughts at the Table

It's the first Monday after school is out and I find myself at a table of colleagues for a leadership conference. Truthfully, I was not mentally prepared for the silliness that consumed the first hour or two and found myself checking out a bit. It wasn't the presenters fault, their energy was celebratory, kind of cheesy, and there were many attempts at metaphors--like literally wearing a life jacket to make a point. It was likely very similar to my seventh graders feelings when I am enthusiastic about something and they are completely over it. 

To calm my pretty unreasonable frustration I went back a to a poem I found a few days ago. The poem I shared for the call to slices today at TWT. I copied it down and then continued to write as I listened to one speaker, change to another. It helped me feel productive and also calmed my mind a bit. 

thoughts at the table

Sitting and imagining the sun, the water, the rain.

It brings me to a place that feels

comforting

known

understood. 

Where I've been

and 

where I'm going. 

Writing my message to the world

I'm finally hearing words that 

resonate

feel warm

relevant.

The abrasive switched to smooth.

Knowledge for knowledge's sake

and not for 

performance.

One More Day

I'm not sure what type of tired I am right now, but its symptoms are mixed. I've been the kind of tired that is only realized when I finally sit and feel a sense of relief I didn't know I needed—the kind of tired where thirst and hunger are unrecognized. I have one half day left with students and maybe a full day's worth of hours to finish this school year. It's been a year deserving of extra rest and care. It's been a year of learning and revelations. It's been a year. I'm ready to rest. 

Last Day: Day 31

It's the last day to slice for March and my last day of spring break. One of my slices early on in my break was a list of things I hoped to accomplish. I looked back at the list today and was disappointed that I had only done about half the things I expected. However, I did many things that should have been added to the list. That's the upside. 

As usual, a break never feels like a long enough time to do everything I want to do. I hope to keep chipping away at the list and enjoy the photos I hung on the wall, the organized closet, and the meal-prepping. Tomorrow, I will get caught up on lesson planning and clean a cabinet. What I really hope to do this week and every week in April is walk more. Whether it's outside or on my walking pad, I need to make it a priority during this stressful part of the school year. 

Thanks to all the slicers who participated this month. You make the month truly special for so many people with your commitment and encouragement. 

Posture Poses: Day 30

As I get older, I find my posture suffers more and more. While I was getting physical therapy for my shoulder recently, I was also given a few posture exercises to try. Being more aware has helped a lot, but over break, I haven't been as good about keeping up with exercise. Today, I tried finding additional exercises for my posture that would help me feel renewed. It was seriously helpful. 

I started with some basic warmups for my neck. I realized many of my muscles were tighter than I thought. Loosening and warming them up felt really good. Next up was a really odd-looking chin tuck that did a lot more stretching than the one I had been doing. It felt amazing. Using a towel, I did an extension strengthening exercise. This one was good, too, but the last stretch was by far the most challenging. 

If you need a solid 5-10 minute posture routine, I really like this one. 

Chicago: Day 28

We had one of those long days that means everyone will sleep well tonight. We left at six this morning for Chicago. Arie turned 17 today, and we planned to celebrate by spending a day at the aquarium, downtown, and on the train. Though it was chilly, the sun was shining, and it was gorgeous. We did just enough of everything we wanted and made it home by nine tonight.

One stop we made was at a fantastic bakery. We all picked out some tasty treats that will make the morning a continuation of a great day.