Slice of Life Challenge #23: Day 25/31 The Spring Snowstorm

 For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

Slice of Life Challenge #23: Day 25/31

The Spring Snowstorm

so much depends

upon

a strong spring

snowstorm

our city street 

blanket

concealed any new

growth

My mentor text was William Carlos William's, "The Red Wheelbarrow"

Slice of Life #23: Day 22/31: Alone

For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

Slice of Life #23: Day 22/31: 

Alone

Yesterday's post really got me thinking about lists. In my writer's notebook, I frequently write lists. I realized that I process so many things in list format. 

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's, Poems Are Teachers, provides an abundance of mentor texts and suggestions for how to craft different poems. It's a wonderful resource. When writing a list poem, VanDerwater reminds readers that lists do not need to be ordered by time. She suggested to first list a group of related words, topics, people, questions. She also reminds writers that often list poems end with some sort of change. 

A mentor poem by Kwame Alexander

Kwame Alexander's poem is a list poem mentor text in Poems Are Teachers. The repetition of the word alone stuck with me all day. It made me think about when I was a young mother with two small children. Although I cherished spending time with my children, I was often exhausted and barely got a break. Periodically, I fantasized of time on my own. When I first separated from my then husband and had to get used to seeing my kids only 50% of the time, I had to quickly adjust to spending time on my own - something that I had once yearned for. Those first few months were so challenging. After three and a half years, I still have many moments of feeling sad when I am without my kids, but I manage it much better now. 

Here's a list poem to describe my time when I am alone:  

When I'm Alone

I read,

crochet,

linger on walks,

dance while doing dishes,

make dinners with black olives and mushrooms,

watch edgy shows and dramas,

spend time with my boyfriend,

blast my music,

go thrifting,

and miss my 

children

deeply.

  

Tuesday Slice of Life: Ice

Looking to connect with a positive, supportive online community? Consider sharing a slice of your life with Two Writing Teachers. All writers are welcome! 

Slice of Life: Ice

Recently, I was combing through some old notebooks from last year, searching for seed ideas for a blog post. I came upon a piece of a slice I began last winter about ice but never finished or published. Last year's winter was harsh, and at the time I was consciously trying to write about anything positive to get me through that long season. 

So below is a slice I began last winter and finished early this morning. 

Today's slice involves emulating a fun mentor text from Neil Pasricha's popular Book of Awesome and blog 1000 Awesome Things. I used the same format to write about wordless dog greetings in a past Slice of Life Challenge in this post. 

Ice

Sure, icy sidewalks are a constant for us in Wisconsin. Ice can be challenging to take care of and especially dangerous to the elderly. 

But there's just something so satisfying about the sound of ice cracking beneath your feet on the sidewalk. 

Pop! 

Crash! 

Crackle! 

Crunch! 

Awesome! 

(photo from: here)

In case you're wondering, we don't have much ice on the ground...yet. But the forecast calls for an upcoming winter storm, just in time for Thanksgiving travel! 

March Slice of Life Challenge Day 14: Ukulele Lessons

For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

March Slice of Life Challenge Day 14: Ukulele Lessons

After reading Beth Moore's thought-provoking slice about the difference between Storytelling and Band-aids, I've been thinking of how I can create better stories in this Slice of Life Challenge. For me, zooming into a small moment is really challenging. Lately, I have been struggling to find seed ideas - ones I feel are worthy of developing and sharing. 

When I get stuck at anything, I frequently turn to books. This was no exception. I spied Amy Ludvig VanDerwater's Poems Are Teachers resting on my professional book shelf; I paged through it, searching for some guidance.

Turning to the section called Tell A Story, and using the poem called "My Heart" as a mentor text, I created a free verse poem about beginning ukulele lessons:

Ukulele Lessons

"Do something for yourself"

Her words spooled in my mind.

I needed to find 

something meaningful,
yet manageable. 

Spending two evenings each week

waiting while my children took 

their music lessons, 

I cherished listening to lovely tones  
as I sat outside practice rooms.
Once I overheard a music instructor say,
"Feel the rhythm in your bones." 

And I recalled how I adored 
making music when I was young.

I longed for inspiration again.

An unexpected gift of Christmas money,

a neglected ukulele,

and group lessons became available

on my only open night of the week.

It's meant to be, I thought 
and signed up. 
At last, something for me.

In mid-January, 

warmly greeted by two passionate ukulele teachers,

I learned about frets, finger placement

tuning strings, and basic chords.
"Return home, practice what you learned tonight 
for at least five minutes," Ms. Katie recommended,
"and then reserve fifteen minutes to practice daily."

That evening, when I returned home, 

with clumsy fingers like a newborn foal,

I began practicing the ukulele,
knowing that I could only get better.

Daily practicing became a retreat - 
fifteen minutes of uninterrupted time:
just me and the ukulele.

March Slice of Life Challenge Day 11: Earbuds

For the month of March, each day I am writing and posting a slice of my life, hosted by Two Writing Teachers. 

March Slice of Life Challenge Day 12: 
Earbuds 

Have you seen Lois Beckwith's The Dictionary of High School B.S (Zest Books, 2008)? It's a fun little book of snarky high school definitions, written to provide a bit of humor to the high school adolescent. 

Using an entry from The Dictionary of High School B.S. as my mentor text, I came up with my own entry (about something that drives me bonkers as a teacher), written from the perspective of a high school teacher:

Example entry from The Dictionary of High School B.S. 

earbuds (n.) 1. a small, useful and lightweight device that acts like speakers to wear inside your ear so you can listen to music, audio books, or gaming anywhere. 2. a great way to easily block out any freshman drama or ignore office announcements in the hallways. 3. in some cases, a fantastic way to ignore what teachers are saying during a mini lesson - plus easy-to-hide underneath long hair or a hoodie. 4. a more subtle way to play Fortnite in class.  

This is a great mentor text for students to have fun with - the opportunity to play with topics and words and humor! 

What would your entry be about? 

Book Cover Challenge

Book Cover Challenge

Recently I was invited by my friend Cris via Twitter to post seven covers of books that I love - no review, but just the cover. The challenge requested that each time I posted the cover I was supposed to invite someone new to accept the challenge. I was excited, yet a bit apprehensive. I knew not everyone I tagged would participate (they didn't) and that many of my pals on Twitter had already participated in the same/similar challenge. However, I have loved seeing book covers posted during this challenge, adding many to my to-be-read pile (like these titles: Several short sentences about writing, The Worlds of Harriet Henderson, Heart Talk). 

For me, the hardest part of this challenge was not writing anything about books I love. If you couldn't guess, I adore books - reading them, talking about them, writing about them, and simply being surrounded by them.

Below is a bit about each cover I posted in the challenge and what I love about each title:  

Voices in the Air by Naomi Shihab Nye

Naomi Shihab Nye is one of my favorite writers. This is a book that I turn to when I want to find writing inspiration or even for a bit of personal comfort. Her writing is stunning, often bringing out tender emotions when I read her work. Once I heard the author share on a podcast that she often shares with students that we live in poems. Since then, I often think about how we live in poems. 

A Book of Uncommon Prayer by Brian Doyle 

I learned about writer Brian Doyle at one of teacher/author Katherine Bomer's brilliant presentations. I own many of Brian Doyle's books, but one of my favorites is A Book of Uncommon Prayer. What I love most about this book is it reads like a collection of list poems in celebration of the most ordinary things. Ultimately, it is about taking time to notice what's around you and writing about it. This is a book that has served as a mentor text to me before. It's also helped me show up with more gratitude, especially with I am going through something heavy. The late Brian Doyle was an exquisite writer. 

The Journey is Everything by Katherine Bomer

Katherine Bomer's work deeply changed me as a teacher, especially as a teacher of writers. Although I hate to admit this, I used to approach teaching writing through more of a deficit lens. I focused on what students could not do in their writing. I used to teach the dreaded five paragraph essay. I wasn't celebrating what my students could do as writers. The Journey is Everything challenged many of my traditional secondary teacher views; It helped me approach teaching writers in more authentic and purposeful ways, and I learned how to use mentor texts more effectively. The Journey is Everything was one of the books that sparked my journey as serving my students better as writers. 

The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse
by Louise Erdrich

A few years ago a wise woman I know introduced me to an impressive array of new-to-me titles and authors. Her suggestions expanded my reading diet, changing me as a reader and person. One of the titles on this list was Louise Erdrich's The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse. By far, this is one of my favorite pieces of fiction. I lingered in Erdrich's beautiful prose and story telling and cared deeply about the characters in this book. Over two years later I still think about this book- how Erdrich's characters dealt with grief and spirituality and about the power of community and humor and forgiveness and redemption. The book also made me think about all of different ways to show and receive love. Just thinking about this book makes me want to reread it. 

That Workshop Book
by Sam Bennett

I was initially drawn to That Workshop Book because of the cover. Yet, the inside is just as great (if not better) than the cover. Although I had read books about the workshop model before, this is the first book that really made sense to me as a teacher and literacy coach. Sam Bennett's writing voice is lovely, inviting, and compelling. She introduces you to remarkable classrooms you want to be a part of. Sam Bennett's work helped me be a smarter instructional coach and teacher. She inspires me to want to keep learning in order to serve my students better and to show up as a better human. When I'm struggling as a teacher, especially in planning and creating meaningful work for my students, I reread this book. It always leaves my soul a little fuller.

A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader
edited by Maria Popova and Claudia Bedrick

I've been an avid follower of Maria Popova's Brain Pickings for a while now. When A Velocity of Being was published I immediately purchased it. This book is filled with gorgeous illustrations, paired with lovely letters to young readers. This is a title that I have been slowly reading just so I can savor it a little longer. My ten-year-old daughter and I have been marveling at this volume, frequently looking up artists. Later this year I hope to use this book as a mentor text with students, integrating art and writing.
  

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 3
by Joseph Gordon-Levitt

I first heard about The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories on a teacher blog post (I think from Three Teachers Talk). It is a small volume of tiny stories, accompanied by artwork. I am always searching for possible mentor texts to use with my high school students. This title reminds me that story doesn't have to be long or complicated to be meaningful or poetic. Some stories are quirky and unexpected, while some I found thoughtful and touching. The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories is a quick and fun read; It's often checked out from my classroom library. 

 ********** 

There were many covers that I could have (and wanted to) include in this challenge. Most importantly, this was a great way for me to think about some beloved books and share them. 

Thank you, Cris. 

As Rainer Maria Rielke once remarked, "Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading." 

Touché, Rainer Maria Rielke. 

Uncommon Prayers

Katherine Bomer's The Journey is Everything introduced me to writer Brian Doyle. Tragically, Brian Doyle died of a brain tumor in 2017, yet I continue to savor his words. 

One of my favorite Brian Doyle books is An Uncommon Prayer: 100 Celebrations of the Miracle and Muddle of the Ordinary. This book, full of celebration of the "ordinary," is a collection of prayers. To me, it reads like a treasury of rich list poems. 

An example of part of one of Brian Doyle's prayers

Although my journey of faith has not always been smooth, I have always returned to prayer. Even before I was in a daily writing routine, I often wrote prayers in my writer's notebook. 

Somehow, penning a prayer makes the thoughts behind it feel more meaningful. Sacred. 

I found emulating Brian Doyle's prayers to be easier than I thought and satisfying. Last month I wrote an ode to my writer's notebook, but I thought that it would also be fitting to write prayer of thanksgiving in honor of my writer's notebook and writing below: 

Prayer in Thanksgiving of my Writer's Notebook and Writing
________________________________________________________________
Listen, I know I could not have have made it through the last year and a half without writing. Every. Single. Day. Because it was the simplicity of my Paper Mate Flair pen, a hard cover blank book from CVS, and a quiet spot. Writing instrument. Paper. Time. Repeat. This routine enveloped me. It did not strain my budget, and so each day I was compelled to visit my notebook. I celebrate the release writing provides me. I pray that I am not the only one who finds healing through writing, giving me clarity when my mind is swollen with enormous questions and my heart cries out in pain. I pray that I can continue to have this precious time when I can pour out tangled emotions - so often these are the words I find that I cannot speak out loud yet. I ask You to help me sustain my daily writing practice. And so: amen.   

*****************

This past week at school included state standardized testing for our freshmen and sophomores. As I reflected on proctoring to a freshmen group this week, I wrote another prayer:

Prayer for Freshmen Taking State Mandated Standardized Tests
________________________________________________________________
Even though I suspect my students are as annoyed as I am. Even though I assume many of these students do not feel this assessment is worthy of their time. Even though I am aware that this test heightened the anxiety for many students, while some did not worry about the end result. Even though I know these scores do not define who each student is or what each individual is capable of producing. Even though I know their results are just a snapshot. How my group of freshmen showed up each day without complaint, even when I took away cell phones and could not allow them to do anything but sit when they finished each section. How these adolescents did not give me grief as their proctor, knowing that I did not have a choice. Even as I noticed a few of their faces, devoid of emotion. Some in deep concentration. Some in frustration. Some in apathy. And yet, a few freshmen thanked me and bid me a good day as the final session of testing concluded. For these group of students and the conclusion of this task, I am grateful. And so: amen. 

This week's testing schedule

So Much Depends Upon an April Snowstorm

Today I celebrate familiar poems that whisper in my mind as I write. 

In a nod to "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams, National Poetry Month, and the current snowstorm that has kept our family burrowed deep inside our home this weekend, I penned this poem: 

April Snowstorm

so much depends

upon

an April snowstorm

ushered in with hail,

billowing winds, 

slick snow-covered streets. 

Slice of Life 2018 Day 29: Life Equations

As I wrote in this post and this post, I adore Amy Krouse Rosenthal's work. She has a whole chapter in her book Textbook called Math (Unit 8), and it's filled with sweet equations. She also published an adorable children's book on equations called This Plus That: Life's Little Equations. 

Confession: I have a very poor growth mindset for math (especially with story problems), but these kinds of equations are perfect for me. My daughter, who turns ten next week, wrote some life equations with me. Below are a few we penned together: 

(sofa snuggling + sleeping in) x book reading + no homework = Spring Break

(itchy leotards + wild costumes + flowers) x stage fright = dance recital

Daffodils her brother gave her at her dance recital

(backyard digging + stealing stuffed animals) x sneaking on furniture = naughty border collie puppy

Don't be fooled by this sweet face. This is a puppy who is always in trouble!  

(cookies + honesty + exploration + confidence) x friendship = Girl Scouts

My Girl Scout in action selling cookies.  

Our equations were fun to create together. Try one! 

Slice of Life 2018 Day 28: Black Out Poetry

I am fascinated by Black Out Poetry, a form of found poetry. Last week writer and artist Austin Kleon posted this on his Instagram feed.

Austin Kleon's Newspaper Blackout Poem

He often posts Newspaper Blackout Poems (and he even has a book!) I adore them. He even includes a great tutorial and gallery on his website, and he writes about his process here. I am so intrigued and impressed with his daily practice of writing.

Although I don't subscribe to a printed newspaper anymore, I receive magazines, so I used the same concept with an older article from Educational Leadership. To create a black out poem, you simply need an old text (like a magazine article or newspaper or advertisement) and a black marker.

My Black Out Poem 

I am always amazed at the challenge of creating a found poem. Ultimately, it is about noticing words and creating something new from those words. (Writing all begins with noticing, right?) I think that the process is engaging, but it takes some time, playing with words, and brain power.

Below is the third Black Out Poem I created yesterday. After my first two attempts, I finally came up with something I liked:

Acknowledge
teaching.
Devote
resources
to spur teacher growth.

Slice of Life 2018 Day 24: What My Childhood Tasted Like

In search of some inspiration for today's Slice of Life post, I turned to Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. I thought about writing an encyclopedia entry, but as I was paging through this familiar book, I noticed that she includes many tables in her writing - sources that I had never considered emulating before.

Below is a table called “What My Childhood Tasted Like” (on page 59 of my paperback of Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life). It is a simple T-Chart. On the left hand side is the item from her childhood and the right hand side is ARK's notes about it.

AKR's Taste of Childhood Table 

I immediately found myself thinking about my childhood tastes and got to work making my own childhood taste table.

Trina's Taste of Childhood table 

(Note: I couldn't figure out how to properly include a chart on Blogger without distorting the words, so here is a link to my full chart of childhood tastes.)

I think about food probably a lot more than I should, but I hadn't thought about writing about food in this way before. Creating this chart conjured so many fond memories, and I could easily elaborate on just one of these ideas in a poem or short story. I found it to be a playful way to come up with new seed ideas to write about.

Slice of Life 2018 Day 17: Baptismal Gown

Many children’s books are filled with stunning words and phrases, worthy of using as a mentor text with students of all ages (including high school students). Cynthia Rylant’s work is no exception. Cynthia Rylant’s Something Permanent is a gorgeous book that tells stories of ordinary Americans living in the Great Depression through Walker Evans’ photos and Cynthia Rylant’s poetry. Each black and white photo is accompanied with a corresponding poem.

Something Permanent reminds me that photos are a fantastic source to conjure memories. Photographs help preserve moments, of both ordinary and important events. Words, often through poetry, can enhance an image. 

My grandma Geanne, now in her mid-nineties, moved into an assisted living situation last summer. As my mom and aunts were helping her downsize from her house to her much smaller room, they gathered important letters, photos, and other mementos that she would not have room for. Around Christmas my mother handed me a bag full of old photos and letters from Grandma Geanne. It was bittersweet to read letters I had written to my grandma from when I was in elementary and middle school and to see photos of me and my own children in her collection, some of them unfamiliar. One of the photos was of my daughter on the day of her baptism.

My daughter in the family baptismal gown

Instantly, I thought of the gown my daughter was wearing. She's donned in the same gown my mother wore, I wore, her older brother wore, my siblings wore, my cousins and nieces and their children wore. A favorite part of my daughter's baptism was dressing her in a gown that is nearly one hundred years old that was made for my grandmother. I cherish the love that my grandma put into caring for this family heirloom.

In honor of Grandma Geanne, I wrote a poem about this baptismal gown. Something Permanent provided the perfect format to emulate.

Baptismal Gown

She wanted to be certain her hand-sewn baptismal gown could be

preserved for each child, grandchild, and great-grandchild,

so she kept this fragile gown folded in white tissue paper

in a flimsy department store cardboard box, secured with string,

high on the top shelf of her closet,

and when the time came

she hand-washed,

pressed, and

delivered

this  

gown

for each

baby.

Slice of Life 2018 Day 15: Wordless Greetings - Awesome!

I cannot remember when I first heard about The Book of Awesome, written by Neil Pasricha, but I am grateful that I discovered it. As referenced in one of Neil’s Ted Talks and on his blog, 2008-2009 were exceptionally difficult years for Neil Pasricha, including a difficult time in his marriage and then when one of his friends took his own life. He turned to his computer, and created a website, http://1000awesomethings.com/, to help him deal with his pain. He began posting a daily blog post about universal things to celebrate, as he calls, one awesome thing a day, and it became incredibly popular.

Today, for my slice, I emulated a One Awesome Thing entry, based on how one of my dogs, Hondo, greets me each day.

Wordless Greetings

Sure, maybe he barks at all moving objects when you take him for a walk, he’s constantly stealing everyone’s shoes, he’s often caked in mud from backyard adventures, but how good does it feel when you walk into the house and see his white tail furiously wagging and long pink tongue hanging out like you are the most important person in the universe?

AWESOME!

This is the best photo I could get of him being still.
Just imagine his tail wagging and his tongue waiting to give wet, slobbery dog kisses .