handwritten on April 28, 2019
There comes a time, when you see yourself at some sort of crossroads. A crossroads in which you know you are supposed to be doing one thing, or maybe you think you are supposed to be doing one thing but instead are spending time doing another. And you're in a place but you don't necessarily know if you are in the 100% correct place. But then again, if we consider life a holistic journey..I'm not quite sure we are ever supposed to be in 100% correct place for a reason. Regardless, there are people placed on this earth who naturally encourage others to find their crossroads and to conquer them. They ignite passion. They ask questions. They deepen your thinking just by speaking and often we...
handwritten on April 26, 2019
Balloon colored party hats and kazoos filled the desks this Friday morning as the rain pattered against the nonexistent windows within my classroom. Today was a class Pittsburgh day. A day that always reminds us that while the world may look like it is crying on the outside, it is simply making sure we are smiling on the inside.
For me, there was a quiet "at ease" feeling today as I dodged from my apartment to my car and my car to my classroom without an umbrella. The rain offered clarity instead of a muddiness that you get when you walk right into a puddle you miss completely. It was this sense of washing away something bad and replacing it with something good. A new spirit. New desk...
handwritten on April 25, 2019
Today was Bring Your Child to Work Day. And I always find this to be a rather unique experience. Because for those of us who forget about the fact that class size matters. This is always a strong reminder that there are teachers with 35 or more elementary students in a class. I had eleven students today out of my usually twenty one students, and there was still a huge difference. Not only a difference in atmosphere but a difference in personal expression amongst students. Students who were generally quiet came up to me to tell me a story or two. Students who never ask questions, asked questions. Students who are usually not ones to raise their hands, were so eager to raise their hands that...
handwritten on April 24, 2019
Today was the last day of standardized testing
Today the students walked in with smiles
Superhero stickers were placed on their desk with this reminder:
You are a superhero in this world
You can do anything you put your mind to
You have the heart of a superhero
Superhuman powers of withstanding a system filled with injustices
Superhuman powers of smiling when it may take three hours to take a single test
Superhuman powers when you are asked to sit at a desk without moving
Someone having to take you to the restroom only with permission
Superhuman because when it was all over
you congratulated each other on a job well done
and breathed a sigh of relief
Because you realized that you have...
handwritten on April 23, 2019
Today was a difficult day. Not entirely awful, just one of those emtionally draining days. And these days happen sadly. But life would not be the same without the dark days to allow to recognize the ones that really shine. Even the dark days shine from within. Shine with a new perspective after climbing or contemplating a new mountain.
As I was taking my students to take a bathroom and drink break, one of my dear friends was walking down the hallways, and I could see it in his eyes that something wasn't quite right. He immedietely talked to me about how he sat next to his dad at a musical gig for the first since his stroke. He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said, "Brianna. I cannot...
