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.  

Slice of Life Tuesday: December Haiku-A-Day Challenge

Writing Haiku is among my favorite forms of writing. I like the manageability of creating a piece with only three lines. I like the focus of a small topic or moment. I like tapping the rhythm of syllables against my leg as I pen lines. I like playing with the order of words. Five. Seven. Five.  Haiku shows up all over my writer's notebook, often after I have written about that day's gratitude. 

The past two Decembers I committed to writing a Haiku-a-day and exchanged it with a friend. I wrote about this experience in this post. 

Last night, as I was thinking about my experience of writing Haiku in past Decembers, I wrote this in my writer's notebook:

December chaos

ahead - Haiku slows me. Seek

reflective moments.

In continuation of my Haiku-a-day December challenge, this year I plan to post a Haiku-a-day on my blog. I would love for other bloggers to join me. I would love to be inspired by your daily Haiku! 

The challenge: write one Haiku-a-day in the month of December. Post it on your blog. 

Will you join me in this writing endeavor? 

Join me in sharing a slice of my life with Two Writing Teachers! 

All writers are welcome! 

Slice of Life Tuesday: Conferring Win

"Reading is oxygen for a student's future success." 

Penny Kittle from Book Love (Heinemann, 2012) 

I was conferring with one of my high school seniors yesterday. Typically I begin with a question like, how's it going or what's worth talking about? or a comment such as, tell me a bit about what you are reading. 

When I sat down to confer with *Alma, I wanted to emphasize that I noticed that she had read several books this year and not because she was abandoning book after book. She consistently seemed engaged in what she was reading! 

"Did I see that you just began your fourth book?" I quietly asked Alma as we sat down.

Alma gave me a huge grin as she shared the titles that she has read since school began, including: Living Dead Girl, The Secret Life of Sonia Rodriguez, and Someone Like You.

"Have you always been an avid reader?" I asked.

"What do you mean? Avid?" Alma asked.

"Avid means you read a lot." I responded.

Alma smiled and added, "Haha. Nope. This is the most that I have ever read! Like in my life. I can't remember the last time I read a book. I used to hate reading. Now I read at home. Instead of binge watching on Netflix or scrolling on my phone. My mom even wanted to know what I was reading."

It was my turn to grin. 

"What do you think made the difference?" I inquired.

"I think that I actually care about what I am reading. I think about what I want to read."

"Are you surprised at this difference?"

"Yeah. I didn't know that I liked to read." 

Until we had this conversation, I had no idea how much she used to hate reading. She marked on an interest survey at the beginning of the year that she believed she was a nonreader, but I didn't know to what extent. I couldn't help thinking that until this year, she had probably given up on herself as a reader. Did she feel that her former teachers gave up on her as a reader? 

Now, in the first semester of her senior year, Alma reads at school and at home for the first time in years. Maybe ever. She even cares about the books she reads.

Win!

Win!

Win! 

This conversation boosted my mood all day. It made me feel like providing the time for independent reading, sharing book talks, spending way too much money on my classroom library, and taking the time to confer has made a difference for students like Alma. 

But, if I am really honest, these amazing conferring conversations don't happen every day. Sometimes conferring is really hard. Sometimes I find that conferring conversations are awkward, and I need to remind myself to listen better to my students. It's November and I still have a handful of students in each class who still have not found the right book yet. These are the students who abandon book after book. These are the students who are still fake reading. These are the students that really stretch me as a teacher. 

Part of my professional learning this year is focused on conferring. I am still learning about how to have better, more productive conversations with my students - especially my students who have not seen the value in reading yet. I am revisiting and studying professional books such as Book Love and Conferring: The Cornerstone of Reader's Workshop. 

I still have a lot to learn. 

*Alma is a pseudonym 

Join the Two Writing Teachers Community and share your Slice of Life today! Everyone is welcome! 

Slice of Life Tuesday: Why do THEY write?

Last week Saturday was National Day on Writing. Since National Day on Writing didn't fall on a school day, I proudly wore my NCTE shirt the day before and shared with my students about #WhyIWrite. I often write with my students using a document camera, but this time I prepared a triple Haiku to share with them:

Reflect. Question. Learn.

I write to know myself. Brings

calm, wonder, healing. 

Writing reveals my

surprise, gratitude. I play.

I notice. Record.

Daily writing fills 

me - helps make sense of my world

as better human.  

Later I asked students to write about why they write. Below are a few of their responses: 

"I write because it's a form of communicating.
I write so that I can clear out my mind.
I write to become creative.
I write to create music."  

"I write because my teachers make me.
I write sometimes when im really really made and I cant do anything about [it].
I write to communicate."

"I am forced to.
When I send something to my best friend in Florida.
When I m grounded and have nothing to do.
My cousin who lives in Cali."

"I write so that I can get all my feelings out because if I don't I would just feel crazy. Writing helps with pain." 

"I write so I can remember things that are important."

A few of these responses surprised me. I was delighted that I have a handful of students who use writing to create (such as write music). This gives me some new entry points with my students. In addition, although I am not happy that my students are going through tough situations, I am relieved to see that a few are using writing as a healthy way to manage their emotions.  

Head over to Two Writing Teachers today. Join me in sharing a slice of your life.

Slice of Life Tuesday: Gordon Korman Visit

Last Friday night, as a part of the Fox Valley Book Festival, my two children and I had the privilege to hear children's author Gordon Korman speak. As an avid reader and writer, I always appreciate hearing an author talk about his or her writing process and craft. I was in awe after learning that Gordon has published over eighty books and that he began writing his first book when he was in seventh grade as part of a school project for English class. In fact, Scholastic published his first book when Gordon was only in ninth grade.  

During the Question/Answer Session towards the end of the presentation, a young child asked Gordon, "How do you feel when you are writing your books?" I adored Gordon's response, "Everything. Happy. Frustrating. Satisfaction when you're done."

Perhaps my favorite takeaway from Friday night was when Gordon shared the power of asking the question what if. This is his guiding question that is often at the heart of his writing. For example, Restart, one of his more recent books, is all about the question what if. What makes us the people we are? Is it ever possible to restart? He explained that constantly asking himself this question what if is what helps him play with ideas in his writing. His advice to writers was to consider, "what are the what ifs in your story?" 

As a reminder, during the presentation I wrote the words what if on my hand. 

Those two words have been lingering in my mind all week. 

How can what if guide me as a writer? 

How can what if guide my teaching? 

How can what if guide my learning? 

What if opens up all sorts of exciting possibilities. 

Write your own Slice of Life and head on over to Two Writing Teachers. Everyone is welcome!