sol17 #26: three sizes

If you're a teacher like me, you've had more than your fair share of bad days. But that's not what this post is about.

This post is about those moments when, like the Grinch, your heart grows three sizes.

Case in point #1:
I was sitting and conferring with a writer when I looked up and across the room. I saw two of the girls in my class working together. This was a few weeks ago, and so I don't remember what we were working on exactly, but what I saw was one of them coaching another one on the thing. It may have been introductions or conclusions for our Argument paper. Even from a distance, I could tell that one was most certainly teaching the other how to do it better.

And my heart grew.

Case in point #2:
There I was, again, sitting at my conferring table, and I looked up and saw this:

The one was just this week. We're in our Holocaust unit, and the kids were reading picture books together to review plot and theme, and also identify the bystanders, upstanders, perpetrators, and victims in the mess.

On one hand, it's not that special, since I told them to do it, but on the other it so is. They are reading a book, read aloud style, as if I were to the whole class. Totally engaged, helping each other, participating. And enjoying their work.

And my heart grew.

Case in point #3:

Yesterday, I handed back a third draft of reports to my 8th graders. I do not write on final copies, but I totally do on their drafts, it's a written way to do feedback with kids, plus, I never want to wait until the final draft to be the first time I look through their work.

And so, when I looked up, I saw a few kids talking about the revisions and edits they were going to make, showing their drafts to one another, marking them up with tracks of their learning.

And my heart grew.

When did your heart grow this last week?

Check out the padlet for ideas or leave a comment for another blogger!

Want another idea? How about a color poem? Check out this link for an example!

sol17 #19: silver lining

I found out last fall that I was nominated for a pretty special award, the Golden Apple, which is from a foundation local to Chicago. Even though I wasn't sure who nominated me, I applied, and found out in February that I had been named a finalist. Such an honor, I felt so thankful for that nomination, especially when I found out it was a former coteacher who I just adore. Those days teaching with her were some of my fondest memories of teaching. Thank you, Julia, for thinking of me this year!

On March 1st, two colleagues of Golden Apple visited my school. They met with my principal and assistant principal, and also panels of teachers, students, and parents. They spent over an hour in my classroom observing. As nervous as I was the night before (didn't sleep much) I was set right at ease when I met them. I had a great day, and so did all the people who participated on my behalf!

Following that, there was a brunch to honor the 33 finalists, a group selected from 600 nominations.

I heard from the founder that day, and really liked what he had to say about education. My big takeaway was that it's relationships that drives all the work we do, and I couldn't agree more. That's the best thing I love most about the work I am privileged to do each day.

For the past six months, I have been only sending positive energy at this possibility. I remember telling a friend a few months ago, "I don't want to get too excited, there's a bunch of amazing teachers in the running for this award," to which she responded, "No, Michelle. Envision it happening. Only think positive thoughts about it. Manifest this award that you are very deserving of!" Since that conversation, I have only been thinking that I would win, that Golden Apple would visit my classroom, a visit without my knowing, to tell me that I had become one of the ten fellows of their foundation.

So, when I got the call last week that I had not been named a Golden Apple Fellow, you can imagine the disappointment I felt. I thought back over the past few months, and really, until that moment, I hadn't thought that I wouldn't receive this prestigious opportunity.

That being said, I can't forget what an honor all of it is anyways. I was nominated - one of my peers thought I was good enough to be named golden. Then, my application essays created the opportunity for me to be part of a small group of finalists. People from the foundation spent a whole day with me and the people at Heritage. How amazing!

And so, even though I did not become a Golden Apple Fellow, I am still proud of the work I've done, not only this year, but in the 13 years prior. Work that led me to amazing relationships with awesome teachers, students, and parents, people who have taught me about myself and how to be a great teacher, peers who taught me to how live the most positive life, friends who shared an office with me or had a classroom down the hall who taught me ways to teach a child to read and love to write, colleagues who taught me the importance of consistency and compassion. Students who made me slow down, laugh, and have fun. Administrators who pushed me to be better today than I was yesterday.

All of that has brought me to be named me a Teacher of Distinction by Golden Apple, and will offer me an opportunity to collaborate with them in the future. I can't wait to find out more about this, and hope they don't mind if I continue to tweet to them, since they had me at their #teachgolden hashtag.

And just one last note to all those who cheered me on the past few months... the teachers who embraced me in the teacher's lounge, who high-fived me in the hallway or just shared a bright-eyed congrats... and to those teachers, students, and parents who showed up for me on March 1st, I continue to grow with all of you by my side. Thank you. xo.

Hey there kiddos! Here's an idea for Sunday:

A time I was really disappointed was.... but then I realized that something good came from my disappointment...

And if you don't like that idea, check out the padlet. And don't forget to leave some comments for others!

owlways watching

WRITE your story.

SHARE your link.

GIVE some love via comments.

There I was, sitting in my office one morning last month, to have two third grade teachers come in. One of them, seeming kinda huffy; the other was more-or-less skipping into the office behind her more serious friend. As they entered, Ms. Huffy turns around and orders, "Stop smiling! This is serious!"

Happy friend changes her attitude and appears more somber. They march up and sit down at my table.

"We have a very serious question for you," Huffy declares. "Why are there little sunshine stickers next to some people's names on the mailboxes? Are you guys in some kind of secret club or something?"

Huffy's friend chimes in, trying to maintain a straight face. "Yeah, Christina has one, you have one, Tim has one...what's going on?"

I smile, giggling inside. "Friends, it's for Sunshine. We paid our Sunshine dues, so the sticker is just a representation of that."

Then both of them start cracking up. All along, their little show was just that, some early-morning entertainment.

At our school, our social committee is called Sunshine - we spread positivity around for all involved with little treats, appreciations, social events, and just make school a happier place to be. In order to make all the things happen we want to, it takes some money, so we ask for a donation from each teacher. This year, we wanted to recognize all of the staff who joined in the positivity and fun, so we put up a bulletin board in our lounge, with a sunshine for all the teachers who joined:

And, next to everyone's name on their mailbox, we placed a sticker:

At the end of the conversation with my two funny friends, they made sure I went back to check their mailboxes, because they had stickers of their own:

I guess they're owlways watching....

Make sure you share your Slice of Life with Two Writing Teachers today!

what I'm loving Wednesday

WRITE a list of things you're currently loving.

LINK your post with mine.

SHARE the love via comments!

❤ The Coaches Launch Presentation
My girl Felicia (she's a new blogger in my district, give her a follow!) but she shared how every year she begins with a Coaching Launch Presentation, so I did one for the first time this year and it has been really great. What I love about it is that it makes it clear to all staff members about what your role as a Literacy Coach is and in what ways I'm available to collaborate with teachers.

❤ our staff shout-out board
This year Jennie sent me a pin of a Staff Shout-Out board, so I put one up in the lounge:

As Union Rep for our school, I make a call for positives once a month, but I wanted a way to do more with that, so I'm glad Jennie sent me that pin! All the little papers in green are from our Union Meeting and then the others in blue and green and white are written by our staff to our staff at other points within the month. The forms are in a little plastic box on the table in our lounge with pens and tape, so it's all there for teachers when they are in the lounge. Additionally, mid-month, I am putting the forms in teachers' mailboxes in case they forget. I did that for the first time this week and after there were a bunch of new ones up! This makes me so so happy and I hope it makes the other staff members happy too. I got one this week that made me especially happy:

Thank you, Anonymous...you made my day! :-)

❤ seeing all the kiddos back in class!
It's been so good to be back at work with the kids! Below you can see a few of the kids from a very special fifth grade group that I started working with when they were in third grade. That class is such a special one in so many ways!

Also love that backpack!

❤ my team
I work with two amazing girls this year. We share a classroom and collaborate so well together! Classroom reveal is almost ready... stay tuned!

❤ friends who reach out and check on me, and send me presents :-)
Thanks Holls for sending me relaxation in a cute little bag! Sometimes when things are rough, it's important to remember to take care of yourself, and I am so appreciative of having friends like you!

❤ reaching goals
August 12th, I set a goal to run 35 miles by September 12th. Was so disciplined the last month and it felt so good to hit that goal. This next month I'm hoping to hit 40+!

What are you loving?

Write up a list and share it with me!

An InLinkz Link-up