The nerdlution thing has got me cornered here. So many ideas lurking in my head and the week hasn’t even started.
More often than not, my Sunday nights are bursting with ideas, worries, and theories. My challenge right now in this post is to focus my thinking into something hat will make sense for me and my students.
I’m processing a conversation I had with my husband about a student’s writing. This student’s manuscript is extremely difficult to read. He looked at it, read it aloud slowly. He kept looking at it, processing it. He said, “You know this is actually quite beautiful, visually. Impossible to read, but beautiful.” After bit more examination he said, “his thoughts are really good, interesting.” I had never thought student’s manuscript as beautiful. My husband went on to say, “He’s very creative, an artist, sort of an impressionist.” Coming from my husband, a bottom line kind of guy, I was a little surprised. He saw an artist in this boy. Surprised but grateful for that new perspective on this student. So I’m seeing this child through new impressionistic eyes. He is doing the writing work in a joyful manner. The conventions of form are not his concern.
I’m processing the #caedchat on great teachers. Great teachers empower, inspire, are passionate about learning, have high expectations, experiment, ask why, listen. These are just a few of the comments I favorited.
Ask why and then listen stand out for me. Too much of the time i’m so concerned about getting our message across, I forget or don’t give the time to stop and listen.
- Lessons need to be made with a questioning heart.
- Leave a big space for why in every lesson.
- Enter every conversation knowing students have a reason for their actions or inactions. It is my job to figure out why by asking and listening.
Tomorrow starts a week of festivities. Practices, performances and celebrations will be the focus from Wednesday through Friday. So what do I want my students to hold on to as they leave for a three week break?
- to enjoy their families as I plan to enjoy mine
- to rest and grow
- to want to read
- to want to write
- to miss their friends and routine by week two
- to want to get back to school before they come back
Still sorting out these ideas along with the nuts and bolts of tomorrow.
Looking forward to it.
To Read To Write To Be 