Essential Writing Tools: Heart Maps, Gratitude, and Haiku

Although I haven't kept up with blogging as regularly as I wanted to, I have maintained my daily personal writing habit, handwriting my thoughts in a thick, weathered notebook. Unfortunately, I often find myself tangled in the day-to-day bustle of life, so writing helps me remember and leaves me with meaningful breadcrumbs. Every few weeks, I take the time to reread my loopy, messy words, and I almost always find myself in awe of what I took the time to notice and record.

Yesterday marked the last day of finals week at my high school. Although I consider myself a "seasoned" teacher, I haven't formally taught in a high school position since my student teaching days. After four years of literacy coaching and my return to the classroom this year, I continue to be humbled at the subtle and blatant lessons my high school students have taught me about what it means to be an effective teacher. Each time I think that I am better at meeting my students' needs, I realize that I need to learn more about my who my students are and how I can adjust my teaching so that I can be more of who I need to be as a teacher for them. I frequently write about my teaching and what I learn from my students. Daily writing helps me achieve this.

I believe that daily reflection through writing is an underutilized tool for many teachers.

If you peeked into my notebook, you would notice that I regularly use three main writing tools: 1) Georgia Heard's Heart Maps, 2) daily gratitude lists, and 3) Haiku. These are my favorite ways to notice what's going on in my life. I have found each tool to be a simple, yet worthy way to write. 

Georgia Heard's Heart Maps are sprinkled throughout my notebook. Heart Mapping is my go-to when I am having a challenging day, not sure how to move forward, or when I am unsure of what to write about. Below is my Heart Map from early this morning, reflecting on this past week of finals at my high school: 

My Heart Map this morning 

At the conclusion of each day, I create a list of bullet points of what I was most grateful for. After regularly writing lists for the past two years, I have found that this simple task often adjusts my mindset and helps me release tension or toxicity. I need this release to show up as a better human. This was last night's list (yes reader, again, it's about finals!):

Last night's gratitude list

I often gush about my love of Haiku. I try to write at least one Haiku a day. Most of my Haiku are not worthy of publishing or even sharing, but I have found that it is an effective way to think more deeply about one thing. I think Haiku is attainable as a daily writing practice because it is only three lines. In addition, I am drawn to the rhythm and predictability of Haiku. Here are a few of my Haiku that I have written this week:

(from 1/15/18)

Tension builds. Endless

Grading. Overwhelmed. Behind.

Semester finals. 

(Triple Haiku from 1/12/18)

Painful moments can

Teach powerful lessons, if

One reflects on it.

How can I apply

Lessons instead of holding 

Onto resentment?

I want to show up...

As one who applies insights

Instead of grudges. 

Heart Maps, lists of gratitude, and Haiku are three simple ways that I navigate my life through writing. Each tool has helped me to notice more, reflect, and to show up more as the person I need to be. Yes, it takes some discipline to carve out time to write every day, but for me, writing has brought me unexpected gifts of insight and reflection. As a bonus, each of these writing tools are some of the cheapest ways I know to release stress and find peace when it seems unattainable.