handwritten on February 21, 2020
During the week...I'm running around so often that, in general, when asked to socialize I say "ehhh..maybe another time." I think it's the combination of spending hours at school plus talking hours upon hours to kids that makes you just want to dwell at home underneath a blanket and think in silence.
So I surprised myself when I decided to attend a little social gathering with our staff at school. Mostly this was surprising because it was indeed a Friday. I'm generally out of steam by the time Friday approaches. And well- I usually like to leave school behind for a bit.
But the time was nice and
we happened to go to a place that has Christmas up all year
and I certainly talked to others I...
handwritten on February 20, 2020
3.5 miles today: We have been learning about different sources and types of energy this week in Science. And in general, to keep myself occupied, as well as the students occupied, I always make sure we add some kind of experiment to what it is we are learning. Particularly with scientific concepts, students learn by moving.
So while talking about thermal energy, we decided to make homemade playdough and then add a little thermochromic pigement inside of it so that the playdough would be green when placed in the fridge but when warmed up by the hands of the kiddos, it would turn bright yellow. Let me tell you, that last 10 minutes of class on Thursday were probably ten minutes my students...
handwritten on February 18, 2020
3.2 miles today
I had this beyond brilliant English Professor at the University of Pittsburgh. She was life-changing. Life-changing because she actually taught my mind to enter into three thousand new spaces that I would never have been able to reach on my own. It's hard to explain just what my mind does when analyzing literature, but I go into a deep hole of words and wonders and nuances, and you twist and turn and tilt and literally find the life inside every word and how it relates to every other words and you morph and you melt and the words drip until you come out on the other side-with new life and a completely new meaning.
I remember when I first look at Langston Hughes poem: The...
handwritten on February 15, 2020
My uncle proposed tonight to his (soon-to-be) future wife. And it was quite evident in his excitement that the following is true about love...
1. Love can always be found in the most unlikely places
2. There is no expiration date on love
3. Even after life challenges, it is absolutely possible to love again and to find a renewed sense of life in another
4. Sometimes the love you find is better than the love you ever thought imaginable
5. Every individual deserves to love and to be loved
6. Having a drive to lift yourself up in the midst of hardship is half the battle
7. You must begin to love yourself before you begin to love another
8. Adventure is out there and everyone deserves such an...
handwritten on February 14, 2020
3.5 miles: If there is any single phrase I can tell someone who may be considering moving into the education profession I would say this: all beautiful moments begin with the smallest connections. If you aren't willing to connect to the soul of a child, then you should not find yourself in this field. If you aren't willing to work towards a connection, you are teaching with emptiness. You would inspire but you will create a culture where the students feel disconnected. Because a lot of what life is-is through the connections we make with people, and I think one does not need to conduct a study to know and see and feel a connected child, a connect adult, a connected human when they see one....
