Stories....the ones you have experienced, heard, or adopted....

Saturday morning I had the privilege of hanging out with Jen Vincent and her Story Exploratory Crew.  It's become one of my favorite things about these Safer At Home days.  During our time together we got to talk and brainstorm and write.  It was wonderful!

We began our time with Writer's Agreements and then it was right into STORIES.  As I was brainstorming about cultural stories, I realized how very lucky I was to grow up in a family that truly treasured their Welsh Heritage.  My dad was so proud of his family's origins.

As I was reminiscing about cultural stories, I realized how the stories from my family's history were part of cultural stories, family stories, and personal stories.  I loved the experiences I had with the Welsh Heritage.   I always remember the looks that kids would give me when I said that my grandparents were from Wales.  It gave me a wonderful opportunity to talk about the British Isles and I always threw in just a bit about Prince Charles (and during my elementary days - Princess Diana).

My dad loved being a part of the Cambrian Benevolent Society.  I think some of my favorite childhood party memories are from the St. David's Day Banquets.  March 1 was a BIG holiday in our house because of it.  At church when we would be singing hymns, I also remember my dad often pointing out details at the bottom of hymnal pages where it would say "Welsh hymn."  Attending an annual Gymanva Ganu (not said at all how it is spelled...) was also a great part of growing up Welsh.  

I have so many other pieces to cultural stories---things like Bible stories and fairytales but today I wanted to reflect and reminisce on what it means to grow up in a Welsh home.

Let's talk about language.  On Christmas, my dad LOVED calling everyone he knew early in the morning and saying, "Nadolig Llawen!"  My dad loved getting to see people on Christmas Day and say this too.  He always hoped we would say back to him, "Ac i chithau." (back at you)     Even more of a favorite for my dad seemed to be, "Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!"  New beginnings or second chances were definitely something my dad was big on.  

In 1986, we got a call from the Chicago Tribune that they were running a special in their Sunday Magazine about different heritages that could be found in the Chicagoland area.  One super early morning, my dad woke me up and drove me downtown to the Chicago Tribune building to meet with 50+ other kids about my age who were dressed in different "costumes" to represent their nationality.  We stood on the roof of that building as the sun came up.  Then once we had all been photographed individually, we took 2 group photos:  1 in our costume and one where we all wore matching yellow Chicagoans All shirts.  

The only time I ever actually "lived" in Chicago was during my Golden Apple Summers at DePaul University (June/July 1994 and 1995) but Chicago was the home my dad loved!  He knew the city so well that even when I was at DePaul University, he was the one I would ask for directions anywhere.  

I loved running the Chicago races that I've run because it was fun to think of it as another way I could connect with my dad.

This post was not this way in my head.  I actually had intended to write more about those fun St. David's Day banquets where the Shirley Temples were consumed by the dozens and the dancing was as uncoordinated as popcorn popping over a hot fire; but this is what came out in print.  I thought I'd be writing about the embarrassment of my dad wearing his skirt (he called it a kilt but we all saw it for what it was)....   So many stories going through my mind.  I'll be back to share more of my stories again soon.  

There are SO MANY STORIES that I have been thinking over in my mind since Saturday morning!  My biggest struggle when I am writing is that I still don't know "my" story.  I think I need to be more open to accepting my story, too.  There are so many times that I protect myself from my own story. 

“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.”
― Shannon Alder

Planning Ahead

I am a 5th Grade ELA teacher.  I am completing my 21st year of teaching. One might think that those years of experience would have me comfortable or possibly even complacent. That is not the case for me EVER. I am always a learner.

  As the world is in a national crisis, I need to find ways to engage my students differently.  We have just completed 7 weeks of distance learning that we never anticipated nor were prepared for.  My days are LONG and full.  I need to find the key to activating the brains of 5th graders when they aren’t physically in front of me.  I want to help them see the sense and relevancy of what we are continuing to do.  I want to spark THEIR curiosity. I love that this distance learning setting gives my students (and me) the opportunity to embrace trial and error.  It also gives all of us time to practice reflection.

When May hits, our school will be doing the majority of our teaching from Google Classroom. The last time I actually had a class in Google Classroom was 2015....Yep. I used to do it and then I quit doing it. I have been working hard this week to learn all that I can about the best ways to videotape my lessons and create activities for Google Classroom. I have some super fun ideas in mind....Now I just need to use the time this weekend to put it all into place while at the same time completely packing up my classroom and moving it's entire contents to the library. These are the times when I am super thankful to be in the town where I live and to have the help of my family.

Here is my challenge to you this weekend:

-Do something to make your heart happy.

-Learn something new.

-Spend time reflecting.

And just for fun you are welcome to enjoy this wordless story that I shared with my students this week as we learned about inferences:

#headupheartout

What doesn't kill you....

You know the rest, right?  We are all going to come out the other side of COVID 19 STRONGER than EVER!   I believe that.

I'd like to back up just a few short weeks with this reflection post.  When school let out for Spring Break on March 6 at 3:15, I had no idea that I wouldn't get to see the 66 amazing 5th graders burst back into the classroom.  When we walked out the door that Friday, we fully intended to begin classes (as usual) on Monday, March 16. 

Spring Break was going to be a time for our family of four to do a mini trip to Champaign, Illinois, to watch some Fighting Illini Basketball and just enjoy some down time.  Thankfully we did get to do that!  The Sunday night game against the Iowa Hawkeyes was an amazing game and the Illini came out on top.  With the buzze that game, we began to look forward to Thursday's games that would possibly be a rematch of these 2 teams but in Indianapolis as part of the 2020 Big Ten Men's Tournament.....  By March 12, COVID -19 concerns had caused cancellations throughout the entire sports world.

We returned home on Tuesday.  Things were already starting to show signs of what was to come.  I watched as Illinois' Governor J. B. Pritzker closed all Illinois Schools on Friday, March 13, and figured it was just a matter of time until Governor Evers would do the same in Wisconsin.  This definitely had me feeling afraid.  I was afraid for my mom who lives in Illinois all alone.  I was afraid for my own family because we had come in contact with lots of people while in Champaign at a huge sporting event.  I was afraid because I didn't understand so much about what was happening.  That was the real reason I felt afraid - I didn't understand.  Fear of what I didn't even know. 

That Saturday we went to Dubuque for what should have been a HUGE magic show.  It was something that the Tri-State Magic Club has been planning for months.  Before the show I had even contemplated not going at all.  In fact I had told the students that were supposed to go with that I couldn't in good conscience put them in a situation like that.  There was snow falling as we arrived at the art museum and walked inside.  I quickly set up my props on the table and sat visiting with my family and some of my magician friends.  As it got close to show time, there were only 3 guests...  Was everyone else afraid of COVID-19, too?  By the time the show started there were about 40 guests but it was nothing like what we had been planning for.  After the show our family did grocery shopping assuming that we'd be back in Dubuque for groceries the following week.  As we were in Wal-mart there were many signs that people there were preparing for something different.  I could tell by the items that people were buying and from what was already missing from the shelves (think toilet paper and chocolate milk).  We bought the things we thought we'd need for the week and headed home.

Sunday morning we went to church and I gave the children's sermon to just my two kids.  During the service the announcement was made that that would be the final service during March and that all remaining Lenten services would be cancelled.  That shook me.  I am a preacher's kid and I am confident that even in the rural churches I attended from 1998 until 2000 there weren't 2 consecutive Sundays where church was cancelled.   It was a rare event due to weather when it did happen.  Something about church being cancelled just really made me even more afraid. 

After church I headed to school for a Guided Coalition Meeting to discuss a plan for how we would connect and teach kids during what I thought was going to be a short school shutdown.  The original plan was for teachers to attend school Monday and Tuesday and then have things ready to go out to families midweek.  Things changed before Monday morning and a new plan was made.  Tuesday we got together with our grade level teams and made instructional folders for our students and bagged up all of the contents of their lockers.  Wednesday families came to school (but not into the school) to pick things up. 

Wednesday morning was rainy, but we headed up to the middle school and high school to gather all of Kate and Will's things.  We were home and eating breakfast at the kitchen table as a family by 8:30.  I headed to my school for my shift and I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to be able to see some of my kiddos and give them quick hugs (I asked parents first every time).  Even at that point I was thinking that by Monday, April 6, we would be back at school....That isn't going to happen.  As of right now we are still on a safer at home order through April 24.

In those two weeks I have experienced every possible emotion but here's what I am going to focus on.

I am loving the game nights with my family!  I am loving Zoom calls with my students.  I am loving watching the Today show in the mornings ---sometimes while I run on the treadmill and sometimes while I lounge on the couch.  I am loving eating my s'mores cereal late in the morning.  I am loving this time at home for movies and books and all things that there often isn't time for.

 don't think I will ever be a very good Pizza Delivery Girl but I have gotten two nights of work at Happy Joe's during all of this.

How are things going for you?  Are you working from home?  What are you enjoying about the way things are today?

I'd like to leave you with these words from Glennon Doyle (She has a great newer book out - Untamed.   Check it out while you have some time.)

"Life is not safe, and so our task is not to promise there will be no turbulence.  It's to assure each other that when the turbulence comes, we will all hold hands and get through this together."

#bettertogether 

3 Weeks In

Hey there,

Are you ready for a little bit of random thoughts from me?  Winter is always a hard time of the year for me...  I love sunshine and the short days of winter really take a toll on me.  Thankfully this winter has been a little better than some years.  Want to know what has made it a little better?

--  Running (and many days outside).  I've been pretty consistent with getting in a 5k or more each day.  Last week my after school running buddy and I resorted to treadmills at the gym but up until that point we had been getting outside as much as possible.

-- Quiet Moments.  I have made sure that I always have 15 to 20 minutes during my work day when I am able to just be in my classroom with complete quiet.  Usually this is when students are at recess.  This time is really important to me.  It allows me to clear my mind from the morning groups and mentally prepare myself to be my best for the afternoon class.

--  Reading.  I've been reading many different kinds of books, magazines, and the daily Telegraph Herald.  Self-help books, running books, adult fiction, picture books, etc.  I really look forward to reading for pleasure each day.

We started the 2nd semester of the school year on Monday.  That seems like a perfect time to reflect and plan for the next half of the school year.  I feel like I have a really great plan for the reading curriculum as we move forward. I'm excited for the next few Classroom Book A Days.   I am so proud of the halfway progress that my students have made.  Tomorrow is a Kahoot day and I always look forward to those, too!

Now it's time to reflect again on how the first 3 weeks of 2020.  I'm really proud of my mileage and my reduction in pop consumption.  I only took soda to school once (on Friday because it was a half day with students and a half day of work on report cards).     I'd say that I am making progress.

I am not ready to give up on any of my big goals for the year.  I love that I can stop 3 weeks in and do a little check up.  I love that this little check in will re-motivate me, too! 

How are things going for you so far this year?

I'm going to settle in with some bigger goals soon as Fellow Flowers kicks of the year of #braveenough !   I'll be back to share those details soon.

2019 Reflection

As I was thinking about the year that will end in less than 7 hours, I googled the word "reflection" just to see what I would find.  The results DID truly surprise me.  One result that stood out to me was, "The pulse is a reflection of the heart's condition."  I loved this example because of how I truly believe that I lead with my heart.  Tying reflection in with heart seemed perfect to me!  Another example that I reread was, "abrupt change in the direction of propagation of a wave that strikes the boundary between different mediums."  That one made me think of my physics class (memories of traveling to Savanna High School with Mr. Krahn each day).  Might have been a little too science-y for me....Then I read another one that was science related but I liked:  the return of light or sound from a surface.  That sounded good to me.  Connected with karma to me:   what you give off, you get back.  

THEN I found what I was really looking for.  Reflection when you write about experiences and explore how you have developed, changed, or grown from those experiences.   Ding, ding, ding.  We have a winner.  So here goes my reflection on 2019.

I began the year with some big goals and big ideas.  I was planning to Run the Year (2019 miles) and I wanted to PR with my half marathon finish time.  That meant breaking 1:51.  I hadn't broken 2 hours in a half since 2017.  I had 9 chances to reach the half marathon PR goal although my first half of 2019 was going  a "fun" half in Washington, DC, with my sister in honor of my dad.  Even so there were 8 other opportunities to work hard and show myself what I could do.  SPOILER ALERT:  I didn't reach the half marathon PR goal.  I did however run (or intentionally walk) the miles to make 2019.   I completed 2152 miles of intentional movement which breaks down to be just under 5.9 miles per day.  I'm proud of that.

My races went so much differently from how I had envisioned them.  I STRUGGLED with my running this year.  I still enjoyed going to the races and I am beyond thankful for the friends that I was able to spend time with at races/race weekends/ and while running.  I hope that I am ending 2019 stronger than I was when the year began.  

My first race of 2019 was the DC half.  I finished with a really great for me time: 2:04.  My final race was the Galena Fall River Half marathon and I was not even sure I would be able to run it.  Leading up to that race I had days where I could barely walk.  I saw a chiropractor for the first time.  I went to Acute Care in an effort to be able to run. I drank beet juice daily that week in hopes that it would have amazing healing powers....it was a miserable run but a fun weekend with amazing friends.  

It was a good year to see Washington DC in March with my mom, sister, and family.  

It was fun to travel to Indiana twice for races (March and September).  Once to celebrate my cousin's 40th birthday (although I dropped to the 5k due to weather) and once to run with Rosa and many Flower Friends.

I laughed often and did not quit.  

I chased some dreams and while I didn't meet the goal of a half PR, I kept showing up.

I am blessed with amazing friends who are willing to meet up to run and who motivate me to be a better me.

I experienced some lows along the way.  Life is not easy and I need to put in work with my marriage and my family in the same way that I put in work with my classroom/teaching and with my running.  During the last month of 2019, we attended 7 visitations and funerals.  It definitely helped me put into perspective the need for CELEBRATING!

I also experienced some things that are reason to celebrate.  I FINALLY have a lifetime WI teaching license after a long and frustrating process.

It's easy to say that I didn't meet my goals for 2019, but I have to celebrate by letting go and looking forward. 

Here's to ending 2019 on a good note.  I am so thankful for ALL of the experiences of 2019.  If you were a part of those experiences with me - THANK YOU!   I hope you will be an even bigger part of my 2020!

Here are the goals I have for 2020:
Enjoy more--- Enjoy more time and runs with friends.  Enjoy more time with my husband and kids.  Enjoy moving at my own pace whatever that will be in 2020.  Enjoy more of being on this life journey.  Enjoy more reflecting and writing about my walk through life. 

I will try new things (serving on the MVRA board, completing my 316 reading endorsement, and being in a new and exciting challenge group - DLB's Accountability Group).  I will move beyond my comfort zone.  I will get past my fears so that I cane get closer to my dreams.  

I will connect with those who have touched my life and follow up with plans to meet in person with those who I value.  

I will continue to live my motto:  #headupheartout

Here's to the possibilities that a new year brings and all the opportunities is has for living in the moment!

3 Hs - Hero, Hardship, and Highlight

Today during our inservice time we were asked to participate in an activity called 3Hs.

Share your hero, hardship, and highlight in 2 minutes with a card partner.

I have many people that I respect and admire but my easy answer for a hero is my dad.

It was my biggest hardship to watch my dad die.  I watched it happen quickly beginning May 17, 2017  and with his final breath on June 12, 2017.  That was HARD.  I watched and could do nothing.  Some of our weekends during his final month were spent in the hospital in Iowa City.  It became ice cream for dinner and swimming parties at the hotel when visiting hours were over.  My sister and I spent Memorial Day evening with him and we listened to him tell stories that we'd never heard before.   When he came home on June 9, we knew it was near the end and I am so glad that we all spent that morning eating donuts with him in the living room.

Another hardship for me is whenever my kids struggle.  I want to rescue them.  I want them to live an ideal life.  I cannot solve all of their problems for them.

It is my biggest highlight to celebrate successes with my kids.  It is a highlight of my hard days to get to come home and spend time with them.

I have many more thoughts on these 3Hs but I hope you will take a few minutes to think about your own answers to the 3Hs.

Open House is Thursday Night from 4:30 to 6.  Hope to see you there! 

PLC Summit Reflection

Forgive me for my crazy absence here on the blog!  It has been almost 3 months since I last wrote....

Today as I sit here to write I am so excited to share and process all that I heard and learned over the 3 day PLC Summit in Minneapolis, MN.  The conference began bright and early Monday morning so two suburbans filled with Lancaster Community Schools Employees left Lancaster at 3:00 on Sunday.  The drive to Minneapolis was filled with moments of fun conversation as well as quiet reading time.   Once we checked into the hotel, we headed out by foot to a restaurant that had been recommended to us because of the rooftop seating.  It was pretty late (about 8) when we arrived and the weather seemed a little unsettled.  After a long drive and it being so late, I was hoping that the burger I ordered would be amazing.....   After a pretty long wait and getting rained on, the dinner was okay but not great.  We arrived back at the hotel after 10.  My roommate, Missy, and I decided we would wait to exercise until after the sessions on Monday since it was already so late.  Missy had scoped out a crossfit place that had a class the next day at 4:30 and so we were going to run there and workout and then run back to the hotel.  It sounded perfect and it should have meant a good night's sleep.....except that we stayed up way too late watching Friends and talking. 

Monday's alarm got the day started and it was a wonderful beginning!

All 12 of us met in the lobby and headed over to the convention center to pick up our packet and enjoy breakfast. 

Session 1
Tim Brown was the morning keynote speaker.  His session was titled "Setting the Stage: Understanding the Big Ideas and Foundational Blocks of the PLC at Work Process." It was a perfect way to set the stage for two and a half days of building the base for the great work we have ahead.  His energy and expertise was a perfect way to connect things I thought about PLCs and a way to make them much better and more effective.  The world we live in is changing (he gave some fun examples from the past including a mimeograph machine and floppy disks) and education is no exception BUT the one thing that doesn't change is how important the teacher is in the educational process.  What can make that teacher even more powerful is when teachers encourage students and build the students' belief in themselves.  Want to make the education even more powerful?  Create TEAMS of teachers.  Encourage collaboration about the learning that is happening.

Then Tim Brown introduced the questions that PLCs must answer:
-Are the students learning?
-How do we know?
- What will we do if they aren't?
- What will we do if they already know it?

Here's where the transformational and powerful things can happen!  A learning community is created and it's so much more than just a team.  This learning community is focused on the students!  Each person will serve a specific role on that team.  I would say that I fit as a 3-romantic or 4-observer.

This work as a PLC is worth it because students will graduate with MASTERY of essential skills and knowledge.  Tim Brown shared the data to support but for me it really boiled down to being hungry for results.  If there are changes that need to be made to improve our professional practices, then we want to make those changes.

Tim Brown's next focus was on the assessment.  FORMATIVE Assessment!!!  Don't wait until the end of something to realize that students need something different so that they learn.  When looking at Summative assessment do we have a plan once we know how students have done?

The final piece of what Tim Brown shared was about how important it is that leadership is dispersed.  Teams are working together and take collective responsibility for what is happening.  And then he ended with a call to action: 

Session 2

The second session that I chose to go to was Data Notebooks.   It was so great.   I'd love to tell you more about it but I will share the details in another post.....  

Come back soon to find out what I loved about session 2.