Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #7: Great Horned Owl

I am joining Elisabeth from The Dirigible Plum in writing a Haiku-A-Day during the month of December. Please let me know if you are posting a Haiku-A-Day too! I would love to read your work.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #7: Great Horned Owl

As I wrote about in yesterday's post, I have been paying a lot more attention to the every day birds I see in my city and neighborhood. To my delight, we have a Great Horned Owl in our neighborhood. Although I have not had the opportunity to actually see it yet, I hear the owl's calls on most early morning twilight walks with my dogs. I have heard the hoots in different locations through our neighborhood, causing me to wonder if the same owl made a new nest or if there are two different Great Horned Owls.

Here is today's Haiku:

Although I've never 

spied you, I hear your rhythmic

call before dawn. Hoo.

Are you the same Great 

Horned Owl who perched between the

nearby woods and church? 

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #6: Noticing Birds

I am joining Elisabeth from The Dirigible Plum in writing a Haiku-A-Day during the month of December. Please let me know if you are posting a Haiku-A-Day too! I would love to read your work.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #6: Noticing Birds 

Earlier this year I read a beautiful memoir called Birds Art Life: A Year of Observation by Kyo Maclear. Goodreads describes it as, "A writer’s search for inspiration, beauty, and solace leads her to birds in this intimate and exuberant meditation on creativity and life—a field guide to things small and significant." 

Although my dad is an avid bird watcher and photographer, I gained a deeper respect for bird watching as I savored Maclear's work. I adored reading Maclear's memoir, especially in how it reminded me that one does not need to travel or see something exotic in order to write something amazing. Great writing comes from first noticing what's around you. 

I thought of this as I wrote today's double haiku:

I've never recalled

a day without bird sighting- 

no matter weather.

Appreciation

for daily simplicity.

Birds enhance city.  

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #5: Audience Adjustment

I am joining Elisabeth from The Dirigible Plum in writing a Haiku-A-Day during the month of December. Please let me know if you are posting a Haiku-A-Day too! I would love to read your work.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #5: Audience Adjustment

For the last three years I have challenged myself to write a Haiku-A-Day during the month of December. This is the first year I have shared each Haiku publicly. In the past I only shared my daily Haiku with people I already knew and trusted. Their daily Haiku was shared back with me. 

This year I quickly realized how different my Haiku writing has been in comparison to past years. Before I knew exactly who was reading my Haiku. I knew my audience; my audience knew me. I was vulnerable with them; they were vulnerable with me. My Haiku poems were much more personal, intimate. I felt emotionally safe to share. 

My audience shifted this year. I think that most people who read my posts are friends and/or teachers or involved with education, but I cannot be certain. After all, I have no idea who reads my posts or who might stumble on them. This makes me hesitant to post anything that is too personal or revealing. Above all, I do not allow myself to be as vulnerable. 

I am reminded that audience matters. 

This reflection inspired today's Haiku:

Unknown audience.

Careful topics, words, phrases - 

guarded poetry.

Slice of Life Tuesday & Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #4 Mash Up: Quiet Walks

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

I am joining Elisabeth from The Dirigible Plum in writing a Haiku-A-Day during the month of December. Please let me know if you are posting a Haiku-A-Day too! I would love to read your work.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #4: Quiet Walks  

Podcasts and audio books are among some of my favorite forms of media. At one time I wouldn't leave my house for a walk or run without downloading an episode of Heavyweight or On Being. If I was in the middle of listening to an audio book, I made certain that each section was downloaded and ready for me to listen to. Then we got our second dog, Hondo - a temperamental border collie pup. It became challenging for me to focus on walking Hondo if I was paying attention to anything else. He didn't heal very well. He pulled on the leash, often knocking out my earbuds. And so, I was forced to leave my earbuds at home  - my iPhone safely stashed in my pocket. I didn't give up listening to podcasts or audio books, but I stopped listening to them when I walked our dogs. 

After a few weeks without technology, I got used to quiet walks. I don't regret this change like I thought I would. 

Now I notice more of what is happening around me - bird calls, sunrises, ice cracking on sidewalks, and even the rhythm of my steps. For some reason, I was thinking about this on today's early morning walk with Hondo. 

Here's my Haiku for today in the form of a double Haiku: 

Former walks filled with

podcast banter. Audible.

Mind distracted snips.

Now strolls sans earbuds.

Paws pattering on pavement.

Observing what calms. 

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #3: Light

I am joining Elisabeth from The Dirigible Plum in writing a Haiku-A-Day during the month of December. Please let me know if you are posting a Haiku-A-Day too! I would love to read your work.  

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #3: Light 

I teach in a mostly windowless high school building. Although I am thrilled to have my own classroom this year (many of my colleagues travel between two or more rooms), it bothers me that my classroom does not have any windows. Besides the daily walk back and forth from my mini van to the building, the only time I am exposed to natural light is when I supervise in our lunch room. 

Especially on chilly winter days like today, I long for streams of natural light. When I think about it, I am in a better mood and have more energy when I am bathed in natural light. 

Perhaps natural light would make a positive difference to my students as well.

I wrote today's Haiku under my humming florescent bulbs in my classroom:

Windowless classrooms -

sterile. Artificial light

zaps learning hunger.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #2: Holiday Changes

When I began working more closely with high school students labeled "at risk," I noticed around November that many undesirable behaviors escalated - students in trouble in school and or the community, students shutting down, and some students trying to either be invisible or inappropriately vying for attention. I heard more conversations about strained relationships with friends and family. More tears. Not surprisingly, these behaviors often continue throughout December. 

The traditional holiday season often brings excruciating pain for many people, and this is no exception for many of our students. For a teacher, this can be overwhelming. Daunting. It takes a lot of patience. Sometimes it takes more re-teaching in the classroom setting. 

I find myself having more hard conversations. 

Like many of my colleagues, I often think and worry about my students when I am not at school, especially when I know that they are hurting and going through some tough times. One student in particular has been on my mind this weekend. In my Haiku-A-Day challenge for December, I wrote a double haiku in reflection regarding a recent exchange with this student:  

Red-rimmed eyes. Flowing
tears. My first impulse: to fix.
To comfort. Protect.

Yet I can't do much
but listen, show up, see you.
Provide a safe space.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #1: "Thanks for Nothing" Inspiration

Have you heard of Jennifer Abrams yet? She's an educational and communications consultant, wise author, and inspiring human. I have had the pleasure and good fortune of learning from her through face-to-face and digital workshops and especially from her books and blog posts. My personal copy of Having Hard Conversations is defaced with all kinds of notes scribbled in the margins and sticky notes flagging sage gems.

On Jennifer's blog, Voice Lessons, I was inspired by her latest post "Thanks for Nothing." I was compelled to reflect on a few of my experiences of rejection and discomfort, later grateful what those lessons taught me.

This December, I challenged myself to write and post a Haiku-A-Day. With apologizes to Jennifer for not writing quite as eloquently as she did, here's a triple Haiku I recently penned:

Thank you rejection

of building coach position - 

pain sought deep knowledge. 

Thanks, mismatched beliefs 

challenged deep conversations -

diffused comfort zone.

Thank you rejection

of fellowship- sticky hurt

fueled writing fury.