Tuesday Slice of Life: Remember This for Next Year

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Tuesday Slice of Life: 
Remember This for Next Year

"Remember this for next year," My colleague, Krista, wisely reminded me. I had just shared - for at least the twentieth time - how I have struggled with a group of high school students this year. 

Although this is not my first year teaching in an alternative education setting at my high school, two of my courses have been especially challenging to instruct this year, both through a behavioral and academic lens. 

This year I have used as many trust-building activities as possible, including circles and get-to-know-you activities. I have explicitly modeled my thinking through think-alouds and the document camera. I have worked hard to establish predictable routines. I have reached out to available instructional coaches in the district. I have read and reread professional books and articles about engagement and classroom management and literacy. 

Yet, as a seasoned teacher of nearly twenty years, I am still struggling in so many ways:

• I have struggled to build positive teacher - student relationships. 
• I have struggled to help my students build positive student - student relationships. 
• I have struggled in keeping up with and adjusting instructional planning.
• I have struggled to demonstrate student growth in literacy. 
• I have struggled with matching books with students and encouraging them to read. 
• I have struggled to know where to begin when my students have so many different significant needs.

At home, I consistently write and reflect on my teaching. I ask myself questions, notice patterns, record what I am wondering about. Through my writing, I only recently realized that my students seem to trust me a little bit more then they did at the beginning of the year. In fact, they seem to trust each other more. It makes me feel good that I am beginning to see them take risks as learners more often. 

It's November. Although I have seen growth in students taking risks as learners and displaying more positive behaviors as readers and learners and classmates, I continue to do a lot of kid-watching and listening. I continue to adjust my instruction and trying new things. I continue to work on building positive relationships. I continue to try new things. 

Krista is right. I need to remember this for next year for my planning and my overall expectations - it takes a while to build trust, especially with students who have not yet found success at school.  

Thank you, Krista. 

April Check-In #letswrite2019

April Check In: #letswrite2019

Back in January, I committed to some writing goals when I wrote and published this post. I am grateful to Leigh Anne Eck for her thoughtful work in  organizing #letswrite2019.  

Below are the goals I outlined back in January: 

• Continue to blog regularly. For me, this means writing and publishing at least three posts a month.
• Continue daily writing in my writer's notebook - at least three pages each day.
• Participate in March Slice of Life 
• Participate in December Haiku-A-Day
• Write and submit at least one professional piece of writing
• Submit at least one poem locally or nationally
• Apply for at least two professional opportunities - one in the form of a grant for classroom needs and the other in terms of professional growth 

So far, here is my writing progress for #letswrite2019:

• I have continued to blog regularly. Although I haven't written at least three pages for the month of April yet, this is my second post this month. 
• With the exception of one day when I was sick, I have written at least three pages a day in my writer's notebook.
• I successfully participated in Slice of Life this March.
• In February I applied for a professional growth opportunity and was recently selected to participate in fellowship this coming June. 

I am confident that I can continue to blog regularly each month, write daily in my notebook, and participate in the December Haiku-A-Day. However, I do need some direction and advice concerning two of my goals. Can anyone help me out? 

1. Where is a good place to submit some professional educational writing? (How do I even get started with this?) 
2. Where is a good place to submit a poem? (This does not need to be about education.)

March Slice of Life Challenge Day 1: Eleven Things About Me As a Blogger

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 1: 
Eleven Things About Me As a Blogger

In celebration of the first day of the 2019 Slice of Life Challenge, I decided to write eleven things about me as a blogger: 

1. My husband helped me come up with the name Trinarrative for my blog. This is a mash-up of my first name (Trina) and the word narrative. I wanted a name that had to do with writing with a bit of pizzazz. 
2. I began blogging in the summer of 2017; I am still learning what it means to be a good blogger. Click this link to read my first post. 
3. It is only my second year participating in the Slice of Life Challenge. After I heard Ralph Fletcher promote the Slice of Life Challenge at the Annual Wisconsin Reading Association Convention and read about it in his professional book Joy Write, I knew that I wanted to try it. 
4. My big brother, Brian, helped me set up this blog. My friend and colleague, Jeremy, has also helped me figure out blogging. 
5. I nearly always write my posts out by hand first in my writer's notebook before I type the post in Blogger. 
6. Last December I challenged myself to write a Haiku-A-Day and publish it on my blog. Among many other bloggers (including my friend Elisabeth), I accomplished this.  
7. Initially, I began this blog to reflect mainly about teaching and how I was learning as a teacher. To my surprise, I ended up writing a lot about myself as a writer, about my children, and even posting my own poetry.
8. I am often long-winded as a writer/blogger. I know that most people do not take the time to read anything long (like this post), especially in a digital platform. It is challenging for me to be a concise writer.
9. Blogging has helped me to be a more reflective person. It has made me notice more and when I look back on my published blog posts, I am almost always grateful that I took the time to write. 
10. I used to be incredibly self-conscious of every slice I posted on Blogger. I worried that someone would read my writing. I worried that no one would read my writing. Confession: I am still often uncomfortable with this. However, receiving and rereading comments has helped me keep going when I feel self-conscious about my writing (check out the gems writing pals left me in this post).  
11. Blogging has helped me have an authentic purpose and audience as a writer. I never knew how much I needed this.

I used Amy Krouse Rosenthal's brilliant The Book of Eleven: An Itemized Collection of Brain Lint as my mentor text.

Open this link to read my post from last year about my list of eleven things about me as a reader. 

Tuesday Slice of Life: Uke Can Do It!

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Tuesday Slice of Life: Uke Can Do It!

Are you Ready to Learn How to Play the Ukulele? It was mid-December and this email subject line caught my attention. 

I opened the message and read the first part of the message:

Why Uke? Fun, inexpensive and unique, the ukulele's lightweight frame and easy-to-press strings make them compatible for everyone. Uke can do it! 

As a busy mom, wife, and teacher, I had been searching for some sort of class or activity just for me - something that I could just enjoy.

My daughter had a nice ukulele sitting in her closet - one she begged for after a ukulele mini unit at school. Unlike toys or gifts that one of my children loses interest in or outgrows, this one wouldn't go to our local Goodwill or passed along to friends - I could make use of it.

So I signed up. 

Classes began in mid-January. Due to all of our snow days and extreme cold weather, I have only had two lessons so far. I only know a few chords and a handful of songs. It's challenging for me to strum and my fingers don't always move as fast as I would like. Yet I've felt playful and brave - full of joy when I play. 

My daughter's ukulele with music I am learning 

Sam, one of our teachers, urged us to play to relax and wind down instead of viewing it as a chore. So far I have taken his advice. 

I feel good about learning something new. 

Tuesday Slice of Life: Snow Day Spine Poetry

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Tuesday Slice of Life: Snow Day Spine Poetry 

As I compose this post, we are home again from school today, due to Winter Storm Destiny. This is the fifth unexpected day off of school in three weeks. I continue to love extra time at home with my favorite humans and pets, yet I am tired of significantly altering my lesson plans and rescheduling meetings and after school events. And the snow. Did I mention the forecast reports that we are to receive a total 8-12 inches of snow by the conclusion of this storm? 

Sigh.  

Don't worry. I have enough books and school work and tasks around the house to keep me busy for days. As I was trying to organize some books last night I got distracted and created a few spine poems:

Onward
Fiercehearted.
Thrive
Figuring
How the Light Gets In. 

Reader, Come Home.
Spark
Joyful
 Almost Everything: Notes on Hope. 

Stay safe and warm, friends. 

(*I updated this post because I forgot to add Almost Everything to last line in my second Spine Poem!) 

Tuesday Slice of Life: Inclement Weather

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Tuesday Slice of Life: Inclement Weather

Last week's weather "polar vortex" was intense, even for Wisconsin standards. We had three days off of school, due to inclement weather. I've been teaching for nineteen years in Wisconsin, and I do not recall ever having this many days cancelled in one week. 

This meant two days of instruction last week instead of five, which meant lesson adjustments. Meetings were cancelled and rescheduled (and rescheduled again). In addition, this meant that I had a lot of extra time at home with my own children. I always welcome this gift to slow down and be home with my family.

As the parent of a tween and teenager, my kids don't need constant supervision anymore. However, much to the dismay of my children, I am not the kind of parent who allows for unlimited gaming or Netflix viewing. Besides reading, writing, catching up on laundry, and constantly cooking and cleaning up after my kids, we put together many jigsaw puzzles, baked banana bread together, played marathon sessions of inside catch with our dogs, and conducted various home science experiments (such as creating more snow out of boiling water outside). 

Our second puzzle complicated puzzle in a day!  

What happens when you throw boiling water when it's -37 degrees below zero with the wind chill? 

Boiling water instantly turns into snow! 

I also wrote daily Haiku. Here are a few stanzas I penned throughout the week (not necessarily meant to be read as one piece): 

School cancelled prior

snowfall. Robo text alert.

Celebration screams.

Ice crystals dance in

fresh coat driveway snow. Puppy's
tail wag excitement.

Continuous Snow. 

Shovel. Repeat. Break. Shovel.
Nearly nine inches.

Winter skin cracks hands,

lips dry-parched for thirst. Bitter,

stale air circulates.

Paw raising cold. Chill
pricks nose hairs. Bars, churches closed. 
Paused mail service twice. 

Last weekend's temperatures were unseasonably warm. Huge chunks of snow melted, leaving the sidewalks drowning in deep puddles. Freezing temperatures returned, and the last mornings have made for icy sidewalks and side streets. Tonight we are scheduled to receive more snow. 

Although I loved spending more time with my family last week, I hope that Punxsutawney Phil's predicition of early spring proves correct. I am already yearning for Spring!  

#letswrite2019

#letswrite2019

On the first day of 2019, teacher and writer Leigh Anne Eck of A Day in the Life invited writers to publicly set writing goals and share them. I adore this invitation, yet it also caused me to pause. For the past several years I have set personal (and public) reading goals, usually on Goodreads. Each year I set professional goals centered on teacher growth and student learning outcomes. I've made goals about my education, health, my finances, my spiritual life, and even about house projects. 

I realized that I have never set a personal writing goal. 

How can this be? Writing is incredibly important to me. Nevertheless, I have been deeply thinking about an attainable, meaningful writing goal for the past twelve days. Below is what I came up with:

Trina's 2019 Writing Goals:

• Continue to blog regularly. For me, this means writing and publishing at least three posts a month.
• Continue daily writing in my writer's notebook - at least three pages each day.
• Participate in March Slice of Life 
• Participate in December Haiku-A-Day
• Write and submit at least one professional piece of writing
• Submit at least one poem locally or nationally
• Apply for at least two professional opportunities - one in the form of a grant for classroom needs and the other in terms of professional growth 

Thank you, Leigh Anne, for organizing this challenge, the accountability check-ins, but mostly for engaging me in some deep thinking of what I want to accomplish as a writer this year. 

Thinking about setting a writing goal? Join A Day in the Life and use #letswrite2019: 

Pieces of My Writing Journey

When I was about eleven or twelve, my dad noticed that I was always buried in my spiral notebook: mapping out stories, creating poems, sketching cartoons, generating lists of characters, writing as much down as I could. Pencil to paper. Always. Being the kind of dad who never missed the opportunity to find a treasure at a yard sale, one day he bounded into our house donning a huge grin about his newest gem - a manual Smith Corona Typewriter. 

My second-hand Smith Corona Typewriter proudly held a spot on my student desk, complete with notepads and pencils surrounding it. Following my daily walk home from school and a substantial snack, I often retreated to my typewriter. I loved the loud clack clack of the keys, the smell of correction fluid, and even pride in owning a typewriter. Most of all, I cherished my time alone nested in my room writing. A few years later I received a new electric typewriter and alternated between using the electric and manual. Throughout middle school and high school, I always found time to write - especially poems, short stories, a few very bad novels, and of course, several research reports. 

In college, I continued to write most days, but little of my writing was personal. Instead my academics took priority, and I wrote research papers, literary analysis, lesson plans, and persuasive essays. Upon graduating from college - also around the time my parents moved - I sold both of my typewriters at our yard sale. I figured that I wouldn't need them anymore since I now had a desktop computer. 

Unfortunately, when I sold the typewriters, I also set aside my personal writing. Of course I had plenty of pens, paper, notebooks, and a desktop computer, but I did not make any time for writing. After all, I was busy - first as a newly minted English teacher, then a wife, next attending graduate school, and finally parenting. 

For at least a decade I forgot how much I loved to write.   

It wasn't until I was in my mid to late thirties that I began writing again. As a part of learning how to be a more effective teacher of writers, I realized that I needed to be a writer myself. Bit by bit, I came back to writing - first creating a writer's notebook for a part of a local training from staff developers of The Reading and Writing Project. Around the same time I discovered the work of Kelly Gallagher, and I starting writing with my students. Several years later, when I became a literacy coach, I began doing a lot more reflecting in my beliefs as a writer and teaching colleagues about writing. 

In the last five years I gradually added back daily writing. Not for any assignments or term papers or because I wanted to write with my students. I carved out time to write just for me. 

It took me a while for me to get into a strong daily writing routine, but now I write at least three full pages a day. My daily writing isn't always uninterrupted or even a place by myself, but I have fiercely held on to my writing routine. 

In retrospect, I wish that I had hung onto my typewriter, especially the manual one. Maybe I would have continued writing. Maybe I would not have stopped writing. This cannot be changed. 

What I am most grateful for is that I came back to writing. 

Tuesday Slice of Life: A Slice of Courage

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Tuesday Slice of Life: A Slice of Courage

"Finding courage may be the hardest thing about writing." 

Sue Monk Kidd from Why We Write About Ourselves (Plume, 2016) 

On December 21st one of my poems was showcased as a part of a local art exhibit in my city. 

A few days before the opening I sheepishly invited my husband:

"So I submitted one of my poems to a show at The Draw. It was selected as a part of an art show. The opening night is Friday. Wanna come with me?"

"Really? That's great! Of course. Did you invite anyone else?"

"No, not really. It feels too weird." 

My husband was one of the few people I invited to the show. 

The day of the show my anxiety bubbled. What if no one reads it? What if someone reads it? What will they think of me? Does she really think she is a poet? 

Honestly, it was a bit uncomfortable to watch people read my poem from afar. I lurked a bit as strangers discussed it. I studied their body language. I creeped on conversations. To my surprise, I didn't hear anything negative. Instead I heard gentle comments of people who could relate to my poem. It was powerful. Validating. Kind of exciting.

My poem displayed

Check out my poem: 

"Six"

When I was six years old,
my grandma placed a thick slice of Byerly's Bakery birthday cake-

adorned with rich golden frosted peaked roses-

on a small dessert plate in front of me.

She leaned in and sharply whispered, 

"you are not the kind of girl who can always eat cake."

Among the eleven of us, I was the only child who received her cautionary words.

I shifted in the cold metal folding chair at the kid table in Grandma's kitchen.

My round, fair face blazed.

My corduroy, hand-stitched jumper squeezed my chest. 

My shame-filled belly roared.

Yet I cautiously ate my piece of buttercream guilt,

licked the frosting off the top of my chubby fingertips, 

only to immediately regret my deed.

I am not the kind of girl who can always eat cake. 

For me, it takes a lot of courage to share my writing, especially when it is something so personal. Yet I know that this is necessary for who I am - to grow as a writer and teacher of writers...so I'm working on this, and I hope to submit more poetry (and maybe some professional writing) in 2019. 

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #31: Found Haiku

I am joining Elisabeth from The Dirigible Plum in writing a Haiku-A-Day during the month of December.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #31: Found Haiku

Confession: I adore words. Yup, I am one of those people who notices how words are arranged and used in books or poetry, in advertisements, in songs, quotes, even in social media posts. How amazing is it when just one word changes the meaning or tone of a whole piece?

Just call me a word nerd. 

When I have some extra time, I like to create found poetry - sometimes by myself as notebook work, sometimes with my daughter. 

Last night, as I was combing through some magazines, I realized that I have never merged Haiku and found poetry before. I cut out some words that stood out to me last night and arranged them this morning as I drank my coffee. It ended up being a fun challenge for me: 

Found Haiku 12-31-18

Escape the perfect/

wellness with beautiful care/

more thought to healthy. 

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #30: Things That Worked For Me in 2018

I am joining Elisabeth from The Dirigible Plum in writing a Haiku-A-Day during the month of December.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #30: 

Things That Worked For Me in 2018

I am often guilty of focusing on all of the things that don't go right in my life. I can listen to negative self-talk and suddenly find myself stuck in a low place. After reading Elisabeth's recent post about what worked for her in 2018, I thought that it would be interesting (and healthy) to focus on a few things that worked for me this year. I wrote bit of a list poem in the form of a double Haiku: 

Pausing to breathe in,

out. Writing for myself. Lists

of gratitude. Walks.

Reading. Listening.

Noticing. Showing up when

discouragement came.  

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #29: Christmas Virus

I am joining Elisabeth from The Dirigible Plum in writing a Haiku-A-Day during the month of December.

         Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #29: Christmas Virus

It never seems to fail that every Christmas someone in our immediate family gets sick. This year was no exception. My daughter began with a sore throat on Christmas Eve morning - no fever, but just enough to make her feel crummy and adjust our plans a bit. As viruses often spread, I found myself with the same sore throat a few days later, at the tail end of a family gathering. 

Today's double Haiku is about having a virus over Christmas Break:

Today you'd find me

burrowed in Sherpa blankets,

Kleenix balled in hand

head elevated.

stuffy nose, vaporizer - 

yearning for healing.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #28: Winter Travel Home

I am joining Elisabeth from The Dirigible Plum in writing a Haiku-A-Day during the month of December.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #28: Winter Travel Home 

Today's double Haiku was inspired by our recent long car ride back home from visiting family: 

Western side to East

we pass partially frozen,

smooth cranberry bogs.

Dreary, sun-concealed

endless highway drive. Winter's

snow mashes windshield.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #27: Whimsical Windmill

I am joining Elisabeth from The Dirigible Plum in writing a Haiku-A-Day during the month of December.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #27: Whimsical Windmill 

I often enjoy reading posts from Margaret Simon, blogger of Reflections On the Teche. Today she posted about a 15 Word or Less Poem challenge from blogger Laura Salas. I was intrigued and decided to give it a try.

Based on the picture (see below), the idea is to write a poem using fifteen words or less.  

Photo Credit: Laura Salas

Below is my response to the 15 Word or Less poetry challenge, written as a Haiku:

Whimsical windmill

-a Seussical awning to

instill sense of joy. 

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #26: Learning Mindfulness

I am joining Elisabeth from The Dirigible Plum in writing a Haiku-A-Day during the month of December.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #26: Learning Mindfulness

In preparation for my 2019 One Little Word of mindful, I recently listened to a conversation between Oprah and Jon Kabat-Zinn on SuperSoul Conversations. Shortly after, I wrote this Haiku:

On autopilot

you may miss the beautiful,

important aspects

of life. Attention

is necessary for your

mind. Thoughts are noisy.

I yearn for moments

of peace, well-being. Become

aware more often.

Tuesday Slice of Life & Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #25 Mash Up: "Silent Night"

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. 

Tuesday Slice of Life and Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #25: 
"Silent Night"

Since I was a small child, one of my favorite traditions is attending Christmas Eve worship with my family. In my opinion, one of the best parts of Christmas Eve service is when our congregation sings the nineteenth century carol "Silent Night." At our church, each person - regardless of age - participates in lighting a candle (or using a glow stick, as most of the youngest children do) as we sing this two hundred-year-old carol:

Christmas Eve stillness:

"Silent Night" candlelight song.

Hope illuminates.  

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #24: Creating Gifts

I am joining Elisabeth from The Dirigible Plum in writing a Haiku-A-Day during the month of December.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #24: Creating Gifts

My ten-year-old daughter is always making something. In joy, she made most of her Christmas gifts this year: 

Delight: she creates

handmade gifts - thoughtful sketches,

jewelry, ornaments.

Precious time making

instead of Internet clicks,

mindless shopping trips. 

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #23: About Mary

I am joining Elisabeth from The Dirigible Plum in writing a Haiku-A-Day during the month of December.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #23: About Mary

This month our pastor has been leading a worship series about stories behind Christmas carols. Most of the carols we learned about were written in the nineteenth century, but today Reverend Allie spoke about one of my favorite and modern Christmas songs, "Mary Did you Know?". According to the book of Luke 1:39-55, Mary was not at all gentle, silent, and minimized as she is described in many traditional Christmas carols. Instead, she was a fierce, bold prophet - not always properly recognized for her bravery. 

I wrote today's double Haiku following our church service this morning: 

Nineteenth century

carols recount Mary: meek,

mild, docile maiden.

Yet Mary knew the 

prophecy...still kissed little

baby, face of God.  

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #22: Art is Not A Privilege

I am joining Elisabeth from The Dirigible Plum in writing a Haiku-A-Day during the month of December.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #22: 

Art is Not A Privilege 

Last night I attended an exquisite art show curated by my smart and talented friend Chloé Allyn. As I was casually chatting with a few people, I spied a button that local artist Cristian Andersson had fastened to his jacket: Art is not a privilege. 

This is worth retyping: Art is not a privilege.

Several hours after the show, I could not stop thinking about Cristian's button and its powerful message. For me, art encompasses so much - writing, photography, poetry, making music, sculpture, painting, sewing, building... creating. Unfortunately, art is not always valued in our schools and in our society. In my experience, creating art occurs after work is done, and often instruction is only available to those with the financial means and time. Yet it is an outlet for healing. It inspires worthy conversations, revealing new perspectives. It enables deeper meaning. 

I went to bed last night still thinking about it and it persists on mind today, inspiring a series of Haiku:

Pause. Button message 

spools in mind: Art is not a 

privilege...ponder

why must some kids earn

time to create after math?

Art instruction wanes.

Opportunity 

differs among groups. Why must

we value rote skills?

Meaning resides in 

art. Beauty holds purpose too.

Magnify response.  

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #21: 'Twas the Day Before Winter Break

I am joining Elisabeth from The Dirigible Plum in writing a Haiku-A-Day during the month of December.

Haiku-A-Day December Challenge #31: 

'Twas the Day Before Winter Break

Although I wasn't at school any longer than normal today, I left school this afternoon drained. It's not even five in the evening, and I am ready to retire for the night. 

I could barely muster enough energy and motivation for writing and posting today's Haiku:

Full day before break.

Sugar-coated drama, zest

creates exhaustion.