The Sunrise Story

I'm not sure that I'll post this. I'm frustrated. That's not a good frame of mind to blog, but here I am. We struggle to communicate. It's more important than ever to communicate effectively. We are quick to blame and call names. It's tiring. I include myself in this struggle, but I'm working on it. I am passionate about my ideas. I work hard to listen and I don't name call. When I mess up, I apologize and take responsibility. I reflect on my choices and always think before responding. There are days when it feels like no one else is willing to do this. Everyone has a story. I try to live by this idea and remind myself of this when I interact with others. I work on showing grace to others, but there are moments when it all becomes too much. ENOUGH! This is where I am right now...ENOUGH...I'm disheartened by the cruelty and anger and selfishness I witness. I'm failing at showing grace and I want to understand why. Why choose sn...

I'm celebrating kindness today. This week a friend called me a "kindness warrior". I love that and I am claiming that title by recognizing and celebrating moments of kindness. I have so many moments spent with students this week that are filled with kindness! * Students collaborating and creating class mission statements * One class spontaneous bursts out singing when they hear anything close to a song lyric. * Students helping each other out and offering encouraging words * Laughing with students * Sharing new book titles with each other and listening to their work as writers. * One of my favorite moments: I was pointing out that the work we were doing with our class mission statements was revision. And revision is messy and hard, sometimes loud and fun, but always worth it. A student raised her hand and asked, "So, is teaching like revising?!?!" YES! Yes it is! Other moments of kindness from this week... * A co-worker listening to me through m...