My Inner Beatrix

I've said before I want to be Beatrix Potter when I grow up. For as long as I can remember, I've longed for pet ducks, bunnies, and acres of land to paint or portray with words. One of the few movies/shows we played on DVD for my son when he was four years old. 

Down the hall, the seventh-grade science teacher has been incubating duck eggs. I've checked on them, wondering and waiting if they will hatch. We've held the light up to them, checking fullness. Over the weekend, he sent these photos out to all staff. 

We had three babies!

By the end of the day today, there were six! I spent a long time at the end of the day holding the four that had been hatched for more than a couple days. Two of them were still fluffing and gaining strength. Their little bills were nibbling and peeping. I was instantly in love and trying to imagine a pond in my backyard and waddling on summer days. 

Reality tells me now is not the time, so I'll enjoy the ducklings and cuddle them in between classes.

Two Goals

As the school year winds down, I am considering how I can begin to focus on my own wellness. I do many things well, and some are just non-existent. 

I had a birthday two days ago, and one of my gifts was a bullet journal. Nothing too fancy. I did add two goals inside--reading and water. 

I'm starting with increments. Reading for enjoyment. When accomplished, I color in a little box.

Sixteen ounces of water counts as a box filled in too. I can only go up from here. 

These two things might seem small, but they are two areas I really struggle to pay attention to. I also know each is important. Therefore, if I get to color in a box each day I accomplish these two simple goals, it is a start. 

For all the other things, I'll get there. 

Field Trip!

Today, my seventh graders went on a field trip to an alligator sanctuary. We met gators named Big Daddy, TikTok, Godzilla, Tom, and Spot, among many others. The kids learned all kinds of interesting facts about what a sanctuary does and how the animals survive in a climate so different from their own. 

There were young gators and old. The sanctuary was divided into different "schools" based on their age groups. We visited the preschool and kindergarten classes of gators and the middle school and high schoolers. It was a great day overall. The weather was perfect. Not too hot and not too cold. The kids were awesome, and we all ended up at a local park for lunch afterward for food and fun. 

Good Plants

 I got home early today. Theatre is over for the year, which means I get home before six, and today was glorious because we made it home before 4:00. My momentum from the day was still going, and I made sure not to waste it. I swept floors and shook blankets. I tidied bathrooms and vacuumed rugs. Just some little things to make the house feel a bit more zen. 

I had big plans for dinner too. My favorite plants are all plated up. I can smell all the smells from my oven as the sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and broccoli roast. There is quinoa on the stove with a bit of salt and olive oil, along with white rice steaming away in the rice cooker. I even used my rinsing water, from the rice, to give my kitchen plants for a big soak. 

It feels good to be productive and not come home beyond the hope of attending to anything but a meal. I'm hoping I can get home early a few nights a week before school is out so I can enjoy some of my evening time with good food and a tidied house. 

Still At School

It's 5:15, and I'm still sitting in my classroom. The evening didn't go quite as planned, so I'm catching up on work at school. I decided to take a break to slice. 

I like to keep a pretty tidy workspace, but I've got a bit of clutter. Among the library book late slips, multiple pens, Sharpies, and coffee cup there is a set of cards called "Book Club Table Topics." They are these really cool prompts for book clubs, and they all come in a nice acrylic box. Each card has a different question to get a conversation going. 

I sort of feel like if I was to create a "favorite things of 2023" list, these cards would most certainly make the cut. They work really well for book clubs, but also side-by-side conversations with partners about independent books too. 

As I'm sitting here, with thirty more minutes to wait, I'm flipping through to find some good ones for tomorrow. 

What's your favorite current classroom supply or resource?