March Musings 6: #CelebrateMonday

Monday has been traditionally set aside to review the week's packed calendar of events. Oftentimes, we do not pause to slow down after the weekend to breath in life's sweet air. We just jump into Monday and start the week off. 

Today, I decided to take the time to discover the richness of what this Monday will offer (after all, Monday is the start to a full week). In doing so, I will celebrate rather than list an exhausting amount of to do events. This way, I can savor each one.

Each Monday, I like to #CelebrateMonday with my Twitter edus across the globe (thanks, Sean Gaillard, for creating the hashtag to trend the positives.) 

Here is my celebration log for today:

• Congratulate the kindergarten snow poets at Normandy Elementary School in Ohio under the direction of Char Shyrock, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Bay Village Schools in Ohio and teacher, Lindsey Bragg. The children created snow poetry for my upcoming global gallery of artistic expressions, Winter Wonder 17.  I celebrate their voices! 

• Exercise. I celebrate my well-being!
• Gear up for #NYEDChat's conversation tonight at 8pmEST on Leaders Who Prevail with guest moderators Rick Jetter and Rebecca Coda. I celebrate connected colleagues and their voices! Join in. 

As an ending thought, Steven Tyler's remark is fitting, 

"Throw your hands in the air and celebrate life."

Let's do it! Celebrate Monday!

This post is the 6th in a series titled March Musings  for the March Slice of Life Story Challenge created by Two Writing Teachers.

Slicing my life during March is an opportunity to savor 

the small moments that have allowed me 

to notice and wonder more deeply.

Our EduNarrative is Important

This morning, I opened the windows to the beautiful start of a day and listened to the chirping sounds filtering through. The sun shone brightly and spring seemed to be popping out all over. Flowers and trees were in bloom and people were milling about. 

Twitter was also chirping early this morning. Sean Gaillard opened the day with reminders that we would be celebrating the positives at #CelebrateMonday. A tweet from another edufriend, Alex Stubenbort, came through my Twitter feed, posing a question of the week: How can teachers as a group dispel the "just a teacher" narrative that is so prevalent in our society? Why is this important to do so?

Since I was about to write a tribute post to teachers I replied to Alex's request, asking educators to join #weteach365 and change the narrative of education. 

Teaching has been an honored tradition throughout the years. Articles have been written showing that the teacher is the one who has the ability to shape the course of a child's future. Teachers, as the awakeners, guide students on their journeys. They are the influencers. James H. Stronge's work on effective teaching notes this in the following #eduinspiration:

On #CelebrateMonday and every day of the school year, teachers are asked to tell their stories. They post photos of their interactive classrooms, their makerspaces, and passion projects to showcase the successes of their craft as it impacts student learning. Edunarratives need to shine in praise of what effective teachers do best: ignite passions, provide choices leading to amplified student voice, and promote student ownership of learning. 

As a collective body of practitioners, teachers can change the narrative of education through concerted efforts as awakeners, leaders, and change agents for they are the champions of the child and difference makers who impact learning. 

Why is it important to tell your edunarrative? 

Write to #weteach365 on Twitter with your response.

Please visit Two Writing Teachers here to read other Slice of Life Tuesday slices.

Refresh!

The time is right, I thought this morning. My garden needs refreshing. After all, it is spring or so I thought as I donned my winter jacket. A chill was in the air  but I was determined to put the plants I purchased in the ground and so the design process began. As I worked, I reflected on the topic, refresh, that Margaret Simon asked the Digilit Sunday blogging community to consider.

Since the day was spent in the endeavor of creating my meditation garden, today I am in replay mode, thinking of ways to reconnect with nature and life, even though it is still very cool outside.

On #CelebrateMonday, a Twitter site started by a colleague Sean Gaillard to accentuate the positives, I ask my readers to think about what spring offers. It is a pathway to renewing, refreshing our thoughts and actions. In springtime, we can gather, sit, and wait for inspiration and then act with positivity to finish the days strong until the summer months come upon us. 

"Spring is in the air" in our minds and hearts even though the weather here on Long Island says differently. If you travel over to one of my previous blogs, you will hear the short ditty song, Spring is in the Air, I created. The link up is here. 

So on this #CelebrateMonday, replay last week's moments to start this week off strong. 

Don't forget to link-up with Digilit Sunday here to read other blogger's thoughts on the topic, refresh. 

Perhaps you would like to see what is blooming in my virtual garden. Travel to the Twitter hashtag, #SpringsSeeds, to view the new blossoms that keep popping up for my spring online gallery, Spring's Seeds.

Tweet a Dream

New hashtags surface all the time on Twitter, so when I received a tweet from a colleague, Sean Gaillard, recognizing Monday as not only #CelebrateMonday but #TweetaDream Day, my interest was picqued.

What is the #TweetADream campaign?

As the non=profit organization, Our Future World, notes their global #TweetADream campaign is a happening in more than 35 countries. Today, June 1, 2015, International Children's Day, students and teachers across the world are asked to tweet their dreams "in a massive Twitter action, giving a voice to young people's dreams around the world."

This inspirational quote spurred me on to create my own image to celebrate dreams for the future.

LET'S #TweetaDream to INSPIRE our youth

to pursue their passions,

follow their dreams,

and

realize the myriad of possibilities

awaiting them in their futures.

BUILD TOMORROW FOR TODAY'S YOUTH!