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...
handwritten on April 22, 2019
Today was a beautiful Monday as far as Mondays go. Actually, ever since I wrote about my perspective of Monday versus Friday, I have really changed my Monday perspective to be a rather uplifting one. This morning there was much chatter and buzz in the air. My students are usually quiet in the mornings, but today it was like walking into a live theater. I couldn't help but overhearing a lot of their conversations as they made their way from one end of the room to the other discussing their Easter baskets or their adventures or their cousins.
As we made our way to morning meeting we discussed our Easter about ten to fifteen minutes into our math period. And truly, sometimes that conversation...
handwritten on April 21, 2019
My future "family-in-laws" although not technically, though I refer to them as such because I always decided whomever my brother should marry in the future, his second family would also be my second family and visa versa. Regardless, my brother's fiance's family had a wonderful Easter Celebration over at their house. And as always when the three families get together, I am always in awe but also so proud of the diversity and how it all comes together in a time of happy hospitality and graceful as well as not so graceful encounters.
There was one particular moment that really exemplified this diversity and I think when I say diversity it is always important to remind others that diversity...
handwritten on April 19, 2019
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter is a powerful one. My mother was talking about it today which reminded me of the countless times we watched this version of Peter Rabbit growing up in addition to reading the book. As I spent my day off from school back at my childhood home with my parents, I could not help but smile at the parallels between Peter Rabbit and myself. Not that I am mischevious, because I am not, but Peter and I have something in common. For both of us, I would consider the comfort of home to be high up on my list of comforts.
For whatever reason, people always think of the word "homebody" as something negative. In fact, the definition of homebody is probably one of...
