Month: March 2022

3 More School Days in March

Slice of Life: 3 More School Days in March

March 8:

I had a rewarding day having the privilege to take our whole school skiing today.

After the students were all outfitted and our newest skiers and snowboarders sent off to their lessons, I waited for a group of skiers who were taking a run and joined up with them.

We arrived at the top of the chair. The students made a plan of what they would like to ski and where we were going to meet. They decided the terrain park near the bottom of the hill. The students carefully and as a group turned down the hill safely.

We continued this pattern of students working together and agreeing on runs, waiting for each other, and singing together on the chairlift. It was a day filled with firsts and community.

I enjoyed the time to talk with students on the chairlifts and to wait for them or follow them down the mountain. It was a success even with all the other personalities on the mountain who almost took me out, did take out a student, or made me feel protective of my students. I want to keep them safe and happy. This is what I was able to do.

March 9:

After a less textbook version of an academic day, we turned to a topic of non-fiction reading and social studies.

This afternoon we sat in the Commons — students next to their mentor/mentee matches, and we talked about war. How do wars start? We listed ideas in our field notebook: economic gain, territorial gain, religion, revenge, nationalism, revolution, civil war, defense.

We talked about how wars have multiple causes. The students took notes to help prepare them for our next conversation as it will shift to Ukraine and Russia’s invasion. From there, we plan to read novels such as The Stars are Scattered and A Long Walk to Water, which have different wars it focuses on. This basis and background knowledge led to curiosity and engagement. I look forward to the rich discussions it will bring.

March 10:

Students set up their decorated boxes with a special object to them inside. The box was to be decorated to represent the sealed boxes contents. Next to the box stood a plastic picture frame with a piece of writing describing the object.

Students told the story of how they obtained their object, what their object feels like and looks like, and why it is significant to them. In their boxes, they had items such as pennies, tiny handmade comic books, miniature pots, little figurines, rocks, shells, and gems, Lego bricks.

Once their museum displays were set up, their peers walked around silently and read the stories of the special objects. I took pictures to archive this piece of history.

I can always read the minutes

March 7:

I have been on our school district’s District Accountability Committee (DAC) for many years. I am not even sure how I started but I have seen many people come and go from the committee.

We routinely meet the first Monday of the month and recently we have been meeting on Zoom though we tried a few in-person meetings at the beginning of the school year.

I was planning to attend today’s meeting until I received a call from my brother. “Can I come visit today instead of tomorrow?” How can I say, “no” to my brother whom I only see once or twice a year since he lives in Israel. So, I told him, of course. He left my parents’ house at 3:00, so I was expecting him around 4:30, so I rushed home to get a few things ready that I thought I would do tonight for his visit tomorrow like make a bed for him and get a few things prepped for dinner. It was nearing 5:00, and he still hadn’t arrived. I figured, why not jump on the DAC meeting, so I did for about thirty minutes, but I couldn’t really justify staying on when he got here. It’s when I can really see myself prioritizing values which I tend to struggle with. I don’t always feel like I put my family first. I take them for granted. I need to remember that I can always read the minutes.

Spring Conditions

*March 4:

Spring Conditions exist. And, yes, Spring is also in the air. It’s not necessarily the kind of spring right now where everything is sunshiny; Trees and flowers don’t seem to be blooming. It’s more like a Colorado Spring where everything is melting and refreezing and icing over. It’s more of a “caution, obstacles may exist”.

I was reminded of this today as I went both downhill and cross country skiing. I hadn’t skied at a large ski area in several years since I have enjoyed skiing at our local area, Monarch. Today, I was nervous that I would not have the stamina for this type of skiing. I quickly found out that stamina was the least of my problems. My bigger obstacle was the icy conditions. I suddenly felt unconfident in my ability to ski after about 40 years of skiing.

I stood at the top of the run. My body tensed up, and I let my skis slide down the hill afraid to unweight my skis to make a turn. I thought this must be how my students feel during this spring time when their changing and the things they have always known how to do suddenly because new as they grow: their bodies and their brains. I wanted to give up skiing but knew that I could safely do it as I have had much practice and needed to remember this.

When I returned from the mountain, I decided I would go for a short cross country ski and listen to an episode of Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us. As I stepped out the back of my parents’ house, I was immediately met with a crust of ice over sandy snow. I found myself navigating the small hill with caution just like earlier in the day, but this ended in a face plant at the bottom. I made it to the Sallie Barber trail, which I am quite familiar with and carefully skied across the icy trail. Brene spoke of trust in the podcast episode I was listening to and it reminded me of self trust and knowing my boundaries and being courageous.

I ask my students to trust themselves and me as they are navigating a hard time in their lives, middle school. These small moments of skiing today gave me a chance to put myself in their boots and remember that things can be scary even if we have done them a hundred times.

As I skied through the forest, a light snow fell with the sun peeking behind the clouds. It felt hopeful that the conditions will get better. A layer of powder will cover the icy trails.

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March 5:

I retrace my ski trail from yesterday. With the little cushion of new snow, I find myself a lot more successful. I am ready to listen to Brene Brown again as I navigate through the forest, but I have forgotten my air buds, so I turn it all the way up and put it in my pocket closest to my ears. She interviews, author and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Jason Reynolds. I glide one ski in front of the other moving my arms opposite my legs. I am in a rhythm as Jason shares his story. Brene always asks people to start with their stories.

I think about how I don’t know a lot of my students stories and that many of them probably don’t think they have a story to tell, but everything that has happened up to this point has made them who they are. I would like to know this part of them. I would like to tell them my story. I try to think about what I was like when I was their age and I struggle to remember much. I hope that it is more memorable for my students.

I continue my ski winding up through the trees before I return to my parents’ house, which is full of memories from the photos they have hanging on their walls as this is not the house I grew up in.

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March 6:

Today, I did go for another cross country ski, but I was with friends, so Brene did not join me. This is not a story about that though.

I love words.

Eight years ago, my husband, who was not my husband at the time, handcrafted me a giant Scrabble board three feet by three feet. We used it semi-regularly after he made it, but it hangs on the wall as a piece of art.

Today, we took it down to play. I haven’t played in some time, so I needed a refresher of the rules. Whether you can get a double letter score twice if you have a word going both vertically and horizontally.

We picked 2″ squared wooden tiles out of a giant cloth bag, placed tiles to receive the most points, and learned new two letter words to end the game.

I love thinking about words and rearranging letters. I find it calming.

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*Here are my three slice of life posts as I worked to stay off the computer this weekend.

The Library

For our Lit Fest Week, I have been trying to do one activity every day during ELA that helps students connect even more to books. Maybe I will change the name to book week. Our schedule has been packed with activities: making wish lists and to read next lists, visiting the library, silent reading, virtual author visit and watching prerecorded author interviews, and creating poetry from book titles (an inspiration from Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher).

Today, we visited the library. This is a special visit because we do not have a school library and it was our first time going this year. I never know what to expect about how students will engage in our visit. Often, I assume that the kids go all the time, and therefore, it will be repetitive and boring for them.

Quickly, I am proven wrong as the students, file on the bus. A few students have brought with them their filled out forms to get their first library card. I wonder, Why did I wait so long into the school year to make this happen? 

We pass the main circulation desk and head to the children’s section in the back of the library to meet Joel, who I know well from all the time I spend at the library. The students flock to her with questions about books they want to read: Where can I find . . . ?; Do you have any books on . . .?

I walk through the book stacks with students recommending books and finding a few for myself. Students look through books together and set aside piles of books. Some are navigating the computer catalogue to locate their gems.

When we are ready for check out, students carry stacks of books five to seven high, held up by their chins.  I ask each class to stand by the sign to take a class photo to imprint this memory.

I want to I am reminded that going to the library is special to many of my students and not routine. I would love to make it a routine for all of them.

Visiting the High School and Memories

It finally feels like spring for a minute although I know we might still get some more snow. We take advantage of the weather and walk the students a handful of blocks up Illinois to the high school. When we arrive, we have a few minutes to wait outside until they are ready for us to head in and watch the high school drama team performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Former students walk by to say, “hi”, including some Seniors who were 5th graders when I first came to Crest. It is a reminder of the community and connects we make with our students. When I see them, memories flood of all the experiences we had together from floating down Ruby Horse Thief when I was pregnant to building catapults to sharing our writing.

Once seated in the auditorium, Scarlett steps out on stage in her red skirt suit and strappy high heels.  What a perfect role for her to be singing and acting about words and language! Another alumni from a different time in Crest’s history when memories were made of a Lost Wonder Hut trip and watching a performance in Denver.

Now I sit between a current 5th grader and a 6th grader making new memories of the time we went to the high school to see the drama performance.

It’s March

Each month it seems like there is a new challenge. For March, it is a Slice of Life challenge to blog daily about the small moments in my life.

March 1: Today was a victory for the Castaways! The winner was announced during morning meeting as we all sat in a toe-to-toe circle. Students slapped their thighs as they made it sound like a drum roll. It continued for close to 20 seconds and then on the screen in big letters was “Deb’s Castaways”! Kian jumped up from the carpet in join and I looked around to congratulated my advisory students for their teamwork and  camaraderie doing the Funruary school wide competition.

I am not sure why it said “Deb’s” in front of the team name as I am just one part of the team. The students are the ones who won the Dodgeball competition and the Floor is Lava, dressed up, and cheered each other on. I merely reminded them of what the next day’s activities and competitions would be. I am a proud teacher, today for them lifting each other up and being crew mates to each other.

“Castaways, we are castaways
Ahoy there, ahoy, we are castaways.” (Thanks, Backyardigans for our theme song.)