Celebrate Sharper Points

This was a week of questioning, writing, and reflecting on finding my greatness after a rousing shot of inspiration at Monday night's #NYEDChat convo. My esteemed colleagues, Laura Robb, Dr. Mary Howard, and Evan Robb, guest moderated the Twitter chat while Dennis Schug and I manned the moderator desk. There was an amazing flow of spirited conversation throughout the convo and an immediate rush of excitement. Positivity was in the air. 

Yes, it was a night to remember. I was riding the high waves of life but sometimes, after a thrilling experience a flatness occurs. Exhaustion takes over and questions start popping up. "Where am I going? I must slow down. Remember that small moments matter." I spent the rest of the week subconsciously searching for the greatness of inner strength to flow like a fountain. Some of the days, the flow was scarcely enough and my writing got many false starts. Other days, thoughts were in the form of rewrites for the 6th Annual February Poem Project, the brainchild of Laura Shovan. 

Buncee Animated original is here.

I may have needed  a sharper point but I persevered and embraced hope.

It is time to Celebrate This Week with Ruth Ayres. Ruth has a wonderful story to share about her son moving onward with a resilient spirit.

Post Chat: Find Your Greatness

The countdown began early in the day. By midday, the momentum built up. Questions were loaded on TweetDeck and a fast flurry of pre-chat thoughts shared.  Our stellar team of educational friends, Laura Robb, Evan Robb, and Dr. Mary Howard, were ready to rock Twittersphere with burning questions and a topic for all, "Find Your Greatness". As the hour drew near, colleagues began sending tweets and tagging friends to join the convo. Then, the magic happened. I opened the doors to #NYEDChat and a tribe of tweeps, full of energy, gathered together in a virtual hall of conversation.  

For veteran tweeters and newbie chatters eager to grow as learners, nothing can match a virtual professional conversation for its depth, passion, collegial spirit, and instant shot of positivity. Let's take a look into the inner workings of an hour-long chat on Twitter. When visiting #NYEDChat be prepared for a fast-paced experience filled with greetings, quick responses, sidebar conversations, and beneficial, asynchronous professional development delivered to you in the warmth of your home. Topics are key and vary, professional learning a given, and growing a professional learning network a plus. Teamwork by a supportive and inviting group of connected colleagues who value and honor voice is evident. Everyone leaves the chat with a feeling of euphoria, a layer of new knowledge, new friends to chat with in the future, and an action step for the following week. 

Now let's dig deeper and see what transpired at last night's chat. Within five minutes of the opening remarks, Dennis Schug and I, along with our panel of all-stars, watched as comments, like fireworks split in the air causing a rush of excitement.  The news of #NYEDChat's trending on Twitter propelled a continuous flow of voices being raised across social media. Find Your Greatness tidbits of wisdom were shared along with one words to guide professional and personal journeys. The hashtag, #FindYourGreatness, was the spark for a stream of questions and amazing responses. It was heartwarming to see so many colleagues from different roles come together to exchange comments on the hows and whys of their journeys to find their greatness. 

For two hours after the airing of the convo, #NYEDChat was one of the top trending chats on Twitter. The conversation was filled with many memorable statements. Mary Howard was so excited by the awesomeness of the conversation that she storified the chat immediately. You can read that here. 

What a pleasure to spend an hour exploring GREATNESS

with it surrounding me at every turn."  - Mary Howard

Participate partners with NYEDChat and also created a transcript of the chat. You can access that here.

Wisdom Tidbits and Digital Inspirations from the #NYEDChat Community

Greatness -
a never-ending journey,

a pathway to betterment.

©CVarsalona, 2018

Greatness is something to strive for. 

The challenge to pursue greatness is so motivating.

©Brent Gilson, 2018

You can see Brent's Pe-Chat blog post here. 

The guest moderators and moderators were all excited that Brent had the enthusiasm to post before the chat. 

From Valerie Tilton

From Valinda Kimmel

From Stephanie Affinito

Evan Robb: 
Greatness evokes a desire to serve students, teachers and parents. 
"Not everybody can be famous but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service." 
-Martin Luther King Jr. 
Great to be here tonight. Lift others up and find the greatness that is in you and those you go through life with.

Dr. Mary Howard: 
Greatness means that we have left our thumbprint on those around us in some way that will live beyond ourselves and enrich the lives of others.
Question 2 reminds me that each of us are on our journey. I love and respect that our personal own journey can converge with the journey of others.
Greatness was never meant to be a lonely proposition. I love that we can do it in the company of others.

Laura Robb:
An honor to be here tonight with this dedicated and inspiring group of educators. Keep striving for greatness through your work and learning with others. Thanks to Dr. Mary Howard, Evan Robb, Carol Varsalona and Dennis Schug. Memorable chat!
Every time you reach out to another person, a student, and support them, treat them with kindness. You've taken a step toward greatness.

Thanks to the unwavering support and preparation of my all-star team of Laura Robb, Evan Robb, Dr. Mary Howard, and Dennis Schug, we planned, delivered, and lit up Twitter with powerful and inspirational statements from a "tribe of tweeps". Finding greatness is an ongoing pathway and what better way to walk the path than with like-minded professionals committed to impacting teaching, learning, and life. 

Request:
Since I could not capture all of the amazing quotes and digitals, please  leave your blog links, digitals, posters, and inspiration in the comment section for all to see how #NYEDChat's tribe of tweeps are finding their greatness.

In closing I leave you with a few digital inspirations to ponder.

©Brent Gilson, 2018

                      

©Carol Varsalona, 2018

Percolating Idea-Why I Write

Have you heard the phrase learning is messy?

How about changing that to writing is messy?

In three days, NCTE will celebrate the National Day On Writing. Based on a conversation with Laura Robb, I have been writing daily as part of my practice. What is writing? Is it a paper full of scribbled thoughts waiting to find a home? Is it my cluttered mind urging me to release my thoughts?

Despite the clutter that surrounds me, writing is my escape. It is where I dig deep, think on a different level, find a sweet spot to mine, and then excavate to uncover a golden idea. Are there bumps along the way, missteps? Of course! BUT for me, as a lifelong learner, writing is where I discover myself.

When did writing become a passion?
I started writing in a simple, marble notebook as a child. A chapter book emerged based on a favorite novel, The Bobbsey Twins. Little did I know in those childhood days that I was using mentor text as a model for my own writing. As I grew older, scattered thoughts were written in my diaries and scrapbooks. Continued writing led to high school literacy magazine submissions and the Mademoiselle Magazine contest winner. College life brought me closer to a dream: a Master's degree in creative writing. But as journeys go, life had another path. Even without that degree, writing has always been a part of my journey.

When I moved from an unconnected state to the connected world of social media, writing became my platform for change. Now, in my "unretirement years", writing surfaces in the form of blogging, poetry, and the creation of global galleries of artistic expressions.

Where do I write?
I have a sanctuary for writing, a guest room with a Victorian table desk but I seem to gravitate to my office where I am writing now. There are cluttered papers strewn across this desk, scraps of thoughts, start up ideas, and crumpled notes waiting for me to organize. A few piles have turned into little mounds begging for hands to thin them out. Despite the clutter, ideas surface and percolate. Sometimes, these ideas turn into the start of poem or a blog post. Sometimes, they start as wonderings but never brew. Other times, ideas just lay in piles. Creative messiness works for me now but I still want to find the bottom of my desk.

Why do I write?
Ideas need space to breathe, to circulate, and find a landing pad. I write to release them. Understanding that voice matters, I hope to spread the joy of positivity, professional and personal wonder, and the power of written word in a connected world. I write to meet this goal but sometimes, I spend hours trying to make a thought pop, or flow in the right direction. When that doesn't happen, tension builds and a pause button is needed to free my mind so I can go back to a writing state of mind.

My simple hack to release tension when writing does not gel:
I step away from writing when word weaving and flow are not happening. I recall one day deciding that it was time to step away from my writing world so I went to a restorative yoga class. Sitting in the stillness with all lights out allowed me time to pause, declutter my mind in a minimalist space, and be drawn into the moment. Being one with self was an awakening, a self-care step that reduced anxiety and decluttered my mind. With that fresh perspective, the trip back to the writing desk was filled with hope.

Step Back
Reflect When Writing Appears to be a Desert
Engage in Another Creative Activity
Feel Refreshed
Step Forward Into a Writerly Life

✐✎✐✎✐✎✐✎

Final Thoughts:
Last night, the house was quiet. I sat at my desk writing a draft of this post. My thoughts of childhood brought back memories when journal writing was the start of something, a pathway. I tucked those memories and scraps of ideas into a virtual pile to be sorted in the morning. With a feeling of hope, I fell asleep thinking that writing is a great antidote for the ills of life.

While each time I write I don't anticipate an "aha" moment, I do expect being in the zone, the place where passion meets creation. I recognize that writing is a messy process and the journey long. Knowing there is a sliver of an idea that might be the start of something promising, keeps the flame of writing burning strong for me.

Tonight, I return to my writing because word weaving is my passion and revision a step closer to making the following quote from the Greek philosopher, Epictetus a reality.

If you wish to be a writer, write.
✐✎✐✎✐✎✐✎

I am offering this post to three writing communities:

Two Writing Teachers for Slice of Life Tuesday
#TeachWrite for their monthly theme, Why I Write
National Day On Writing at the NCTE site

March Musings' Recollection

When my writing colleague, Ramona Behnke, quoted the above in a recent blog, I knew that it would inspire me to write a reflection for the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. While the journey was long and some days not conducive to writing, I continued with diligence, networking with others and growing as a writer. There were thirty-one days of penning my thoughts under the title series, March Musings, and then, the aha moment - a release of joy, like a soft rain gently falling to earth. 

I bundled my thoughts.

Tied them with a ribbon

And tucked them under a 

Soft mattress of recollection

Waiting for springtime rain

To wash over me with warmth. 

April awakened the writer inside!

NOTE:
The series of digital compositions were artistically created using a photo taken with my iPhone and then, digitized with the PicMonkey app. 

I once again would like to thank the TWT Writing Team, Betsy, Beth, Deb, Kathleen, Lanny, Lisa, and Melanie, led by Stacey Shubitz for honoring writing at Two Writing Teachers' Slice of Life each Tuesday.

I also thank Laura Robb for her sound advice when I decided to rekindle my love for creative writing: Write Every Day!

The digitals and poems in this slice are part of my #poetrylisciouspoetry collection for National Poetry Month.

Tapestry of Thought

Within the course of one month, I wrote what Two Writing Teachers call the daily slice.This March, when winter shook the Northeast, I wove slices of life into a tapestry of thought that has lasted thirty-one days. Today on Day 31, the Slice of Life Story Challenge has come to a close, but not my word weaving. 

Once upon a time in my early teaching life, my professor told me to look at ordinary life events to write about. Laura Robb's tip for me was to write daily. While I have been doing so, this month of writing daily has allowed me to view life with a different lens. I listen (my one little word for 2015), I observe, I learn, and then, I write. With this post, one tapestry will be complete. The stitching may have been patchy in spots, but finely crafted in others. Along the way, I have been guided, supported, and even praised by fellow word weavers. Honing my craft has been a whirlwind of activity in light of daily life encounters. Balancing different lives, such as home, professional, and writing, has been quite the juggling act. I have learned from missteps and am ready to move forward to continue to slice, write poetry, enter literary challenges, tweet, and blog. In the end, I will have beautiful tapestries of thought to call my own. 

Since slicing involves the teaching profession, I created a slice yesterday, Getting to the Heart of Teaching, that I have expanded upon for other challenges. Perhaps, this will become a special tapestry that will transition us into spring.

#PositivePostItDay 

My Animoto video, Getting to the Heart of Great Teaching

Please visit Two Writing Teachers to read other slices from around the country. 

Books Change Lives

Reading is one of my passions but it is not a universal one shared by all. Sometimes, I think how sad it is to not have developed a love for reading; not to have grown up feeling the weight of a book in your hand or the thrill of reading late into the night. 

Books are a uniquely portable magic. 
Stephen King

Indeed, books have magic. They helped me create my own private space and took me to places that I would never have been able to visit. They were the sights and sounds that I might never have heard other than in between the pages. As a child, books provided me with a feeling that I stored in the recesses of my mind for years and then, transferred to my own children. 

Growing up in a house of readers is a different picture than the one painted for many children in America. I remember the cries of children coming to elementary school with no gloves and little warm clothing during very cold snowstorms in upstate New York. There were the junior high students who did not own books and were not passionate about reading; the adolescent boys in the juvenile detention center that longed to know how to read despite their challenging situations. Thinking back on a career filled with struggling readers makes me reflect on the influences teachers have on children's lives. Passion for reading and learning is infectious. 

On Thursday night, in a lovely living room space at Scholastic headquarters in New York City, Laura Robb, nationally known teacher/author, and her son, Evan Robb, principal and author, greeted guests at an evening get together devoted to the power of books and how literacy changes lives. They passionately showcased their philanthropic foundation, Educator2Educator (E2E), whose mission it is to:

• Provide print and e-books to high poverty school and class libraries from preschool to high school.
• Develop a professional library for teachers with suggestions for collaborating to learn and improve instruction so teachers can prepare students to meet 21st century needs by developing problem solvers, expert readers and writers, expert users of technology, collaborators, and creative thinkers.

The Robbs spoke of the opportunities reading provides for struggling learners and why they feel so strongly about the place of books in children's hands.  Evan recounted a recent story of a middle school child who desperately wanted a book he saw at the Scholastic Book Fair in his middle school but did not have $7.99 to pay for it. Laura read student letters speaking of the power of reading and learning. Supported by UBS Financial Services and an Advisory Board of notable figures, the night offered pleasant conversations and reflecting time in an environment that highlighted a print-rich environment and the power that reading brings. 

There are so many students living in poverty who have not had the privilege of a book rich home environment.  There are those who have not even been exposed to the public library or if they have do not have opportunities to frequent it. Books change lives. That is a clear message that we heard. "I hated reading in middle school and most of high school. I couldn't read the books. I couldn't write essays or stories. Reading gave me a headache. I was going to drop out, but my tenth grade teacher for my special help class told me I was smart. He helped with reading every day. He got other teachers to help me. I graduated high school. I'm starting college next year." This real voice from the classroom is one heard by many teachers across America. Laura Robb made the voice public. As a dedicated teacher for over 40 years, she has passionately prepared students for their roles in society and continues to provide teachers with guidance, research in the field of literacy, and modeled examples of strategic reading. Her love for reading and what it offers was felt by all in the room on Thursday night. 

With the Common Core rigorous expectations, voluminous reading is a priority. Developing children's passion for reading is a combined call to action for both parents and educators. Did you know???

• 10% of American public schools don't have a central library where students can check out books.
• Each year 1.3 million high school students drop out due to poor reading and writing skills; more than half are students of color (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2010).

If inclined, you may wish to visit the Educator2Educator website to find out more about the noble cause of bringing books and ebooks to high poverty schools. Also, part of the initiative is to develop professional libraries for teachers to meet the challenges of creating learners who read like detectives and write like conscientious, investigative reports. Teachers may wish to apply for grants from the foundation.  Information is noted on the website.

United voices are heard across the globe today as we celebrate World Teacher's Day. Educator2Educator is but one voice speaking to the cause of the power of books to change lives.