It’s time to Celebrate this Week with Ruth Ayres. I’m thankful for all of those who join in this practice. Read more celebrations here.
This week was a roller coaster, up and down. Each day required reconstruction. I’ve got a road I want to travel; sometimes our learning path requires significant detours and roadside stops. Sensing where students are relative to where I want to take them is most important.
This week I celebrate the regenerative practice of writing.
Writing allows my thoughts to be tangible. It lets me hold on to and maybe connect pieces. Writing can feed me. It allows my brain and body to connect with something solid. Be it ink and notebook or the keyboard and screen.
This week I celebrate the regenerative process of listening.
On Friday, I caught this conversation on my local NPR station between Noah McQueen and President Obama. Noah, an 18-year high school senior from Maryland, spoke wise words. Words I wanted my students to hear. They listened hard to Noah and the President. Afterwards, I listened to my students.
I didn’t ask for them to share or to write. I just waited.
Mostly it was quiet.
Then, V said, “He seems a lot older than 18.”
R said, “That was beautiful.”
I agree.
Happy Saturday.
To Read To Write To Be 
I heard that conversation on NPR but didn’t think about sharing it with students. Good idea. I also embrace the regenerative feeling of writing. Will you be slicing? Will your students?
Yes and hopefully yes! Excited to see what slicing will bring.
Thanks for the NPR piece, Julianne. I’m excited about slicing again, but my students are so ready-wrote a lot ahead this week so they wouldn’t feel behind. We have a busy few weeks ahead & they’re anxious to keep it going. See you there!
I hope you don’t have too many detours this week as you begin the challenge with you students. Interesting how sound bits fall into our life. That was an awesome bit with President Obama.