Voicing through Verse

In this moment, this speaks to me . . .

There’s one sad truth in life I’ve found
while journeying east and west -
The only folks we really wound
are those we love the best.

 

“We flatter those we scarcely know,
we please the fleeting guest,
and deal full many a thoughtless blow
to those who love us best.”

~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Why is it that when our egos are involved, we are afraid to try or, if we do, we don’t try hard enough or hold on long enough?   We aren’t willing to take as much of a risk, we aren’t willing to push our immediate feelings aside long enough to adhere to our core values and ultimate goals.

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Babies Make the Best Teachers

A needed piece of sunshine and moonbeams on this evening . . . .

 

Spend some time with a baby and you’ll understand what life is all about.  Babies love unconditionally.  They are not selective or judgmental or prejudice. Babies are joyful and happy just because. Babies find wonder in the most trivial pursuits and revel in how wondrous this world truly is.  Babies can smile even in the midst of a crying spell.  In The Power of Intention, Dr. Wayne D. Dyer declares it well:

• “Just watch little babies.  They’ve done nothing to be so happy about.  They don’t work; they poop in their pants; and they have no goals other than to expand, grow, and explore this amazing world.  They love everyone, they’re completely entertained by a plastic bottle or goofy faces, and they’re in a constant state of joy.”

“Constant state of joy” . . . I really like that.  Even if you don’t have a special baby in your life, you certainly were once this blissful as a babe yourself.  I’m a firm believer that we can reach that state again if we just be.   Take Dr. Dyer’s advice and “vow to emulate” a baby’s joy.

 

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The Importance of Collaboration

I made a poster out of this and have it hanging in each classroom that I teach.

The Importance of Collaboration

We remember . . .

• 10 percent of what we read
• 20 percent of what we hear
• 30 percent of what we see
• 50 percent of what we both see and hear
• 70 percent of what we talk about with others

Thus, the act of collaboration itself raises the reading comprehension of every student in this class.  Let’s collaborate!!

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Do You Have a Goodness Allergy?

I err on the optimistic side – arguably, to a fault – consistently attempting to see the good in everyone and the positive outcomes in every situation.  Moreover, I tend to express more than the average intensity of spirit or enthusiasm. And I’ve been known to shout out in glee for seemingly no reason at all.  At times, my positiveness is tested during everyday affairs such as promoting new initiatives to disgruntled colleagues or during much more significant transitions such as my father’s unexpected death and my divorce.   As I blogged a few days ago on my One Cannot Earn an F in Life post, life is full of lessons large and small in which we may stumble but always learn from and become a better, stronger person for it.  That’s why it can be difficult for me to understand consistently pessimistic people.  Why choose to be sad or mad or resentful?  Yes, it is a choice.

As Iyanla Vanzant describes in her book Until Today!  Daily Devotionals for Spiritual Growth and Peace of Mind, someone with a “goodness allergy” finds something wrong when things are going well.  Undoubtedly, as you read this, someone you know is coming to mind.  Every one of us knows someone like this.  A person such as this tends to focus upon what happened yesterday rather than on the good he is experiencing today.  Just as a person allergic to cats tries to stay away from the little critters, a person allergic to good shuns happiness by believing nothing good will occur.  Believing begets reality.

A diagnosis for a goodness allergy includes relying on the past.  It’s safer because the past is familiar and doesn’t require doing something scary or taking a risk – in fact, it doesn’t require doing anything at all except pining.  A goodness allergic stays mad about what happened in the past, keeping the argument going.  When the allergy really flares up, this person finds something wrong with how good came or who brought the good.  This person questions why he is receiving the good and how much it is going to cost.

A goodness allergy is caused by fear.  Fear of getting hurt.  Fear of losing what one has.  Fear that one doesn’t deserve good because of something done in the past.  Fear that if one opens up his heart and mind to receive good, he will have nothing to complain about.  At the very, very heart of a goodness allergy is the fear that if nothing is wrong, then one must be all right – and that would be just too good to be true.

True to my optimism, I believe there is a cure.  It may not occur right away, the “medicine” may take some time to take effect, but anyone can curtail the symptoms if not erase the allergy altogether.  First, acknowledge the allergy.  All too often those with the strongest allergies deny it.  Second, write it down.  I’m a firm believer in the power of writing, and writing it down can be one way to diminish the allergic symptoms.  If one spends time writing down all the good things that have happened in a given day (for oneself and because of oneself), it may be easier to concretely see all the good that is truly happening.  Ponder over the list and reflect on how you really feel about all the good that you’ve received and have done.  The “itch” of the allergy will dissipate soon and be replaced with the contagious feeling of peace and joy.  And when all else fails, never underestimate the power of a smile. 

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One Cannot Earn an F in Life

It’s that time of year at many schools, the end of the semester, the point in the school year during which teachers hear all too often too late, the infamous question, “What can I do to raise my grade?”  I get that same sensation of despair when a student earns an F as I did back as a first year teacher.  Even after all the extra encouragements, the extra times before or after class, the reminders, the talking and emailing parents, the tutoring . . . . we teachers can’t help but wonder what more could be done . . . it’s the nature of the beast of the biz.

The fact is that we ultimately teach the students NOT the subject.  Before she hired me, the principal of my school (now our superintendent!) asked me which I teach – no brainer – I instantly declared the students.   Yes, we have a curriculum to follow but it is the life lessons that students walk away with that help shape them into the bright, capable young adults they soon become.

Case in point . . . one of my sophomore reading students, upset over his grades and the realization he completed too little too late, wrote himself off as a failure.  I stopped him right in his tracks today and asked him, “Did you know there’s no such thing as failing in life?  You absolutely cannot fail.”  He shot back a quizzical stare as I continued to explain that, yes, he may have to attend summer school or take a class he doesn’t want to take, but under no circumstances that matter in life can he ever truly fail.  He may stumble as he is stumbling now with his grades but he can use that despair to push himself forward.

A young man may break an arm but perhaps gain some more mobility in the other arm and appreciate dexterity all the more when the break heals.  A driver may get lost but discover an uncharted road with special sights she may never have seen had she not taken the wrong turn.  A woman may lose something, have something taken away at a time she believes she cannot do without it.  Something else eventually replaces the loss, something special she may not have gained otherwise.

In other words . . . regardless of what happens, when it happens, or how it happens, the one thing one absolutely cannot do is fail.  Live and learn is a cliché but it’s the truth.  Our hardest stumbles can lead to our greatest triumphs.  Yes, some of us even gain scars from those stumbles but all scars fade as time goes on.  We can live peacefully with those scars and move on.

We may not always get an A in school or an A on a GG review,  but we cannot fail in life.  Move through every experience and situation with grace, knowing your success is assured.

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A Unique Show of Spirit

Students appreciate when teachers demonstrate commitment and take that extra step (in this case, literally!) for them.  My fingers are flying on the keyboard because I’m still on a high from the success of an initiative I coordinated at my school – an initiative to showcase our staff’s unity and commitment to the spirit of our school.

This video showcases just how inspiringly excited the students were over the fabulous staff participation!  The one front and center, you can’t tell, but she’s got goosebumps!

It all started thanks to my former high school French teacher.  She shared a video this past May, depicting what her colleagues conjured up at an assembly to surprise the students.  I was so inspired by this “flash mob” performance that I instantly wanted to do it!!  We’ve never done anything of the sort at my school, and I knew that the students would absolutely love it.  I imagined teachers, administrators, secretaries, custodians – everyone – to be out there on the gym floor.  During the last week of school in June, I proposed the idea to my principal for the following year.  He didn’t hesitate to say, “Go for it,” nor did he blink (too many times) when I told him the catch – he had to dance smack dab in the center!

Over the summer, I brainstormed songs to use and dabbled with WavePad to mix the music.  I choreographed the majority of the dance and divided it into four sections with the idea that more staff members would enter at each point until the gym floor was completely full.  My principal and I decided the Winter Sports assembly in December would allow enough time for coordination.  That seemed ions away but as all teachers know, every year seems to trickle away faster than the last.  The middle of October crept in quickly and I finessed the dance with the help of two wonderful cheerleading coaches at my school.  Finally, it was time to announce the big event.  At an all-staff meeting, I explained the flash mob and emphasized that we must keep this a secret from students – hence the whole idea behind a flash mob, a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place and perform a surprise act.  I shared a mob video – there was so much laughter in the auditorium, I knew I had them all hooked . . . or so I thought. . .

When dealing with 200+ people, you can’t please them all.  About a week later, when I sent out the email detailing rehearsals I started to get a little slack:  “This really isn’t a good time with everything else we have going on” or “I can’t dance.”  I didn’t get discouraged, knowing all worthy causes require a little effort.  I sent out a second email making it clear that participation in the mob was completely voluntary, that rehearsals were not mandatory, and that I’d be placing instructional videos online so that people could practice at home at their own convenience.

I became a little nervous about participation with only 25 – 45 people coming to rehearsals at a time.  As time drew closer, more started to trickle in but I still was nervous because we never practiced as a whole group. With a late start date scheduled the Tuesday before our Friday performance,  I asked administration for just one half-hour before PLC work to congregate in the gym for an all-staff run-through.  That was when I knew it was a guaranteed success – I was floored by the turnout!  With the microphone in one hand, I excitedly walked everyone through Section 4 (the last section in which those that never came to a rehearsal would enter upon).  They mastered it within two takes.  We ran through the whole thing a few times, I got goosebumps, and called it a rap.

The rest of the week was nothing but thrilling . . . Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I couldn’t walk in the hallway without a teacher or staff member exclaiming excitement:  “Thank you for making my retirement year so memorable” or “I was sick all last month, and now I have something to look forward to” or “We needed something like this to boost morale around here.”  WOW, let me just say it is a dream to have such a supportive administrative, faculty and staff!!!

For those thinking about coordinating this at your own school, the instructional videos turned out to be invaluable.  With my Flip camera, we taped 6 instructional videos:  1 front view of entire dance with music, 1 back view of entire dance with music (back view to ease coordination), and 1 of each ‘section’ in which I “walk through” and explain each step without the music (all back view).  I placed the videos on YouTube, keeping them on ‘private’ to avoid prying eyes.  There were many people who practiced entirely at home and surprisingly showed up at a last-minute rehearsal completely familiar the routine.

The bottom line is just as many of the staff members left their comfort zone to try something new, we’re asking students to not be afraid to ‘put themselves out there’ and join new clubs, take on more challenges in the classroom and commit to the spirit of our school.  The flash mob proved an exciting, memorable way to get that message across.

A+ to the teachers, teacher assistants, administrators, guidance counselors, and support staff who kept this a complete secret, made the commitment to learn this dance and shoved aside any hesitations to act silly in front of the students.  A+ to the students for being the best audience ever!!  They kept us motivated to move just as they keep us motivated to inspire in the classroom.

Here’s a closer recording.  You don’t get the impact of the overwhelming number of participants but it’s a clearer view of the dance itself:

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The Life in His Years

I was in the store sifting through birthday cards for my brother and realized two things:  none of the cards came close to express my love and admiration; furthermore, he is extremely environmentally conscious and would deem it a waste of resources to send a card.   So here is my environmentally friendly birthday celebration to my friend, my confidant – my brother.

Abraham Lincoln once said “It’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.”  The manner in which my brother lives his life echoes this philosophy . . .

 

 

Before he was born, I thought he was a turkey (and on numerous later occasions, I held the same view!).  He was the inspiration for my very first writing composition in which I tell the story of my mother’s surprise delivery – a turkey.  You see, his birthday falls very close to Thanksgiving, I scribbled this out days before he was born, and I was apparently overly eager about both upcoming celebrations.  I remember vividly driving home from my stay at Grandma and Grandpa’s, terribly anxious to see my baby brother as my parents delivered him from the hospital.  I stared in awe over the adorable bundle that was going to stay forever in our house.  I could not hold him enough.

He quickly became my ‘bestest’ bud.   By age two and a half (no exaggeration), I had him playing board games meant for much older children.  Which Witch is Which?, PayDay, Aggravation, What Shall I Wear? (hence, his current fashion sense), and Clue were some of the many favorites.  By age five, he was my student as we played school.  Complete with a blackboard and a desk, I would prepare worksheets, passages to read, or one of my favorites: a “Guess What Sound This Is” oral quiz where he’d identify sounds I recorded around the house.  Ask him and he’ll tell you he attributes a significant portion of his intelligence today to these childhood games.

One will never hear the word pretentious in the same sentence as my ‘little’ bro’s name.  He strikes up conversations with every person he meets (a film star he runs into at the gym, the stranger sitting behind him at a Cubs game, or a CEO of a major corporation) in the same friendly, approachable manner.  He’s the type of person people like to be around because he’s not afraid to be himself.  People almost immediately sense the excitement in his voice when he’s engrossed in conversation.  He’s used that excitement to his advantage, never afraid to chase his dreams.  Upon graduating from Georgetown with his Masters, for instance, he practiced law for a while – something he talked about for quite some time growing up.  Upon realizing he held other goals that suited him better, he created a complete career turn-around and climbed his way up in the online gaming industry until he became VP for a major international corporation.  Today, he still consults for this corporation while entrepreneuring his own company from the ground up.  But that’s not all . . . During this time frame, he somehow managed along the way to earn his real estate license, begin to write a novel, take classes to learn Japanese, and is now teaching himself Russian.  When my brother decides he wants to do something, he doesn’t simply contemplate it; he takes action.  He truly lives life to the fullest.

As I watch my daughter blossom into a beautiful young woman, I see that same joie de vivre mirrored in her quest for knowledge.  Words can’t express how delighted I am that the friendship my brother and I shared growing up has carried through to the special bond shared between my daughter and her uncle.  He’s always been the one she goes to when she’s looking for a, perhaps, more objective point of view ( ).    My daughter is doubly lucky to have her uncle and her aunt (his beautiful, smart, talented wife) as role models.  I don’t know of two people more compatible and deserving of each other than my bro and sis-in-law.

Despite our five year difference, my brother and I have easily remained close.  We live miles away yet never a week goes by when we don’t talk, text, email or Skype.  We recently talked about this blessing and agreeably attribute our ability to get along so well to our mother.  She raised us with a fierce, protective love that we carried through to each other and now to our own children.

My buttons burst as I watch my brother fervently take on his new role as father.  I am just as proud watching him lovingly care for his daughter as I am watching my beautiful baby niece grow.  He is THE Mr. Mom, making his wife spicy breakfast burritos while she feeds the baby, painting a Dr. Seuss character on the nursery wall, or walking the trails with his family as they workout together.

I could go on and on about my brother . . . in fact, I did but I shortened this post so not to bore my faithful readers.  So many stories (joyful, funny, quite unbelievable, and bittersweet), so many proud accolades, so many milestones . . . I’ll sum it up by saying I would not be the person I am if my brother wasn’t born.  Dear readers, cherish your siblings as they are the one constant relationship that is most likely to remain with you throughout your life.  Friends may come and go, parents rarely outlive us . . . but your brother or your sister should be there until the end.

Happy Birthday, “B.R.”  I love you very much.  Thank you for being the best brother a sister could have.  Love, Your Very Favorite Sis

 

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Raw Write #1

The theme for this quarter’s readings in my sophomore reading strategies class is self-awareness.  Students choose their own independent books while the pieces we study in class to supplement our comprehension mini-lessons (poems, short stories, journal articles and a class novel) all relate to this universal theme.

With PLAN testing, we had a shortened day yesterday and took the opportunity to journal, or raw write.  The invite for the day was to write a self-expressive, free verse poem.  I wrote mine below rather quickly; although, it’s indicative of what I told the students to express – whatever was in their minds at the moment.  It’s darker than what I usually pen, and I don’t like it.  I’ll write a happier piece tomorrow, I’m sure.  But for now, this was the quiet scream in my head.

Unmarked Title

 

Visible invisibility

Loud silence

Clear ambiguity

Full emptiness

Expressive blank stare

Questionable answers

Infinite finiteness

Recurring finale

~ gg

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My Students’ Interesting Lives!

My Senior Expository Writing students recently finished the “Find the Fib” assignment.  Click here for the assignment.  At first, they claimed profusely they had nothing interesting about themselves to reveal.  I insisted that each and every one of them did; they only had to think about it for a moment.  Here are some of the interesting things they soon realized and revealed about themselves.  These are the truths, not the fibs!  I asked for detailed elaboration in their writing to prove it.   →

~ I was a Gerber baby model.

~ I’m missing a bone from my neck.

~ I play the guitar with my teeth.

~ Starting at age 5, I skated with Olympic gold medalist Evan Lysacek for a few years.

~ I played hacky-sack on the top of a 12,400 foot mountain.                                          

~ Olympic gymnast Nastia Luskin taught at my summer camp.

~ I have 34 first cousins.

~ My family frequently has dinner with celebrities including Robert Downey, Jr. (this summer), Nicole Kidman, Julie Andrews and Felicity Huffman.

~ I’ve lived in 6 different states.

~ I placed 3rd in a Super Smash Bros. tournament.

~ I found a noose in my backyard.

~ I came face-to-face with a barracuda.

~ I’ve dislocated my knee 5 times.

~ I’ve seen bears up close in the wild.                                                                                                         

~ I became a black belt in Tae Kwon Do in 6th grade. (a female student!)

~ My middle name is 10 letters long.

~ My grandparents are candy makers, as were many generations of my ancestors before them.

~ I met Barack Obama when he was an Illinois senator.

~ I swam with sharks.

~ I’ve never been on an airplane.

~ I met Jessica Simpson backstage at her concert benefiting Hurricane Katrina victims.

~ I had seats right next to the stage at a recent Taylor Swift concert.                  

My students are such interesting individuals!!

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Little Life Lessons

I’m so proud of the person my daughter has become and all she’s accomplished.  Now that she is a college student, I thought I’d take a few moments to post some of life’s little lessons I’ve instilled in her throughout these beautifully blessed 18 years.  The young woman she has become and continues to grow into attests that she’s been listening. 

 

• The world is your oyster.  You CAN build your own future and the possibilities are limited only by you.
• It’s okay to change your mind.
• Experiment.  Dabble.  Reinvent.
• Reading is fun.  It’s an everyday part of life!
• Write it down. It’s magic – things happen more swiftly and productively when you get it on paper.
• Finish your work first and you’ll be able to relax and have more play time.
• Sometimes you have to drop everything and dance it out!
• Expose yourself to all types of activities.  Music, dance, theatre, art, sports . . . try it ALL and then decide what you truly want to stick with.
• Make friends in all types of circles.  You can never have too many and having friends of all ages, interests, and backgrounds makes life all the richer.
• All problems have a solution.
• All things lost are eventually found.
•  Issues are more clear in the morning.
• Forget the bad; remember the good.
• There is a reason for everything.
• Life has a way of turning out for the best.

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