Celebrating Fresh Starts

Thank you to Ruth Ayres for the opportunity to focus on celebrations every week! Please join us!

First quarter ended yesterday. I love that we get opportunities to start fresh a few times each year. We end our nine weeks of hard work with a reading celebration called the Zone Day. 

We bring lots of books to read. We stretch out on desks and pillows. We settle in and read. It's heavenly! We spent some time reading our read aloud book too. 

Yesterday I read Karen Harrington's new book, Mayday. It's not released until May, but I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy. 

I gobbled it up in one day! It's full of drama...about a boy named Wayne who is struggling to figure out who he is supposed to be. This is happening as he survives a plane crash and learns to deal with his family and friends. Wayne is such a likable character! Karen Harrington, the author, writes tragedy so well. She communicates the layers of life...everything isn't all good or all bad, and she steers her characters through the messiness of life. I LOVE her books! I celebrate good authors and the chance to read their writing! Look for Mayday this spring!

I celebrate trust. By the end of the first quarter, I see the trust that's been developed between me and my students. It's something I work hard at and continue to develop throughout the school year. My students continue inspire me with their willingness to take risks in their writing and to push themselves to become better readers.

I celebrate life. It's messy and sad. It's beautiful and miraculous. I learn everyday that life isn't all bad or all good. I learn everyday that people aren't all bad or all good. I remind myself that everyone has a story and is doing the best they can.