dreams {sol 3.31.16}

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For the past month (well, most... or at least half of the past month) I've been writing here on my blog and with a community of writers over at Two Writing Teachers. Some might wonder why - why do I write on my teaching blog about random stuff in my personal life? Well, it's because if I have any hope of teaching writers or coaching teachers of writing, I have to walk the walk, so I write and I share with all of you.

Yesterday, a blogger in the TWT community posted a beautiful post about her dreams. Today, as I was running (half running, half walking) on the lakefront path here in Chicago, I began composing today's post, the last for the Slice of Life Story Challenge for 2016. A post about my dreams. The dreams of a 35 year old woman. The dreams of  Literacy Coach. The dreams of a writer, and a world traveler, a beach relaxer, and a wine drinker. Here goes nothin...

One day, I hope to write alongside teenagers. When I was a classroom teacher, I wasn't a writer. I would bark orders, assign papers, devise rubrics, but I never lived that Writerly Life. I stood in the front of my classroom and told them what to do, without ever doing the work myself. So, one day, I want to sit at the side of teenagers, and show them my writer's notebook, and my writing process, and the pieces of writing that suck (that I published anyways) and the ones I'm most proud of. I want to show them how I revise, and coach them towards the same, taking in all their wisdom, too. I want to write beside kids. It's amazing when they look at you and say, "That lesson (about Author's Craft) was so fun!" What would be even more amazing would be if those kids were my kids.

One day, I hope to coach in a middle school, a middle school where I get to instruct one section of a 7th-8th grade looping English Language Arts (you know, teach them in a little lab of sorts) and then coach the rest of the day. I've been so blessed to have been able to coach at an elementary school, and I really love all the work that I get to do, but my heart continues to be with those awnry teens, and so I know, it's only a matter of time before I reconnect with them again.

One day, I hope to sit on an oceanfront patio, with my laptop or notebook in my lap and coffee at my side, and just write. Listen to the sounds of the sea call to me, and the salt in the air absorb into my skin with the hopes it makes me more creative, more open, more vulnerable with my writing. I hope to sit on oceanfront patios all around the world and write, but for now, I'd like to start in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Jennie, Amanda, Erika - can we do this? Go there and write and walk on the beach and suntan and have great dinners and then write about it all? And drink wine, too?

Speaking of wine, one day, I hope to see Napa and wine country in Italy. It's just been in the past few years that I've really opened up to trying all kinds of wine, and I would love to travel to the best places where it's made. Hey, we can write there, too.

One day, I hope to find an awesome guy, one who is secure enough with himself to be open to an amazing relationship. I've dated the guys who avoid intimacy at all costs, and now that I know how to spot them a little better, pretty sure I won't be going down that road again. But, finding a guy who could trust enough to let his walls come down and be vulnerable, well, that would be awesome. I believe we're meant to go through this journey we call life with someone, and I can't wait for the day when I find a guy who is open to the possibility of a fantastic relationship.

And then, when that's all settled, one day, I want to get married in this amazing church I now call home, Old St. Patrick's, surrounded by my family and most favorite people.

Oh, and one day, I want a Golden Doodle. Dudley I'll call him, and we'll live happily ever after (with my awesome husband, too!)

So there you have it, my dreams. Thank you, Michelle, for inspiring me. Like it always goes with writing, you never have any idea of how far your influence reaches. I'm so thankful I found this amazing writing life!

What are your dreams?

blessed {sol 3.30.16}

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Since before 2009, I've had quite a few instances thinking that I'd like to find a church to call home. Then, last July, my friend Bernadette mentioned that her boyfriend was going to attend classes for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) at Old St. Patrick's Church in the West Loop. So I asked, "Hey, can I come too?" Berna was more than happy to have me tag along.

We started RCIA back in September, sessions every Tuesday, which led to our confirmation at the Easter Vigil this past Saturday night.

My parents came in for the service and a visit. I thought I would be nervous for the ceremony, but after getting to Old St. Pat's, I just felt such a sense of calm.

The service was beautiful. Our choir is amazing, and Father Hurley is the best priest I have ever had the experience of spending time with at a mass. He's funny, down to Earth, and takes the gospel and makes it meaningful for us in 2016.

My favorite part is always this, when Fr. Hurley asks the congregation to raise a hand and help him bless all of us. The first time this happened, at another sacrament earlier in the year, I didn't know it was coming and was overwhelmed with a feeling of such happiness that I totally started crying. This time, I was just happy and so, so thankful.

Feels good to call Old St. Pat's home, and I'm so thankful for the new friends I've made in the process.

And if that weren't enough, Ryan proposed to Bernadette the following Monday! So happy I was able to be there for this little Easter Sunday of theirs!

#hacklearning: the book nook

Problem: Kids aren't reading.
Hack: Flood your classroom and school with books via The Book Nook.

You've all heard the research - kids not reading or wanting to read is nothing new. We all know that studies show the lower the income level, the fewer books around - in student homes, and in many cases where school funding is based on property taxes, in schools too. How then, can we get kids reading if we don't have books?

The Hack: Create a Book Nook that gives free books to everyone.

Picture your favorite bookstore.... Comfy arm chairs, tables where you can work, and soft music playing in the background. And, the best part? You're surrounded by all the books you love - the picture books, the YA Lit, maybe some great books on ways to eat cleaner and some trashy gossip columns with our fave celebs on teh cover. There's a fireplace roaring in the corner, and they're serving up your favorite Peppermint Mocha.

This is a Book Nook, only in our school's version, the books are free to take... not to buy or to check out and return, but to take for as long as the students would like.

As a Literacy Coach who has experience in two different districts, and with two different philosophies, I can say that without a doubt, the schools that flood their campuses with books see students through to that Readerly Life that our Reading Worskhop idols describe to us. Perhaps your principals don't hand out $1500 in classroom books to every teacher on your campus (TY D100!), but that doesn't mean you can't get lots of books in the hands of all of the students in your class or school.

As they mentioned in the book, your first instinct might be to think that you don't have the space for A Book Nook. Don't go there just yet. Start in your classroom. Do you have bookshelves? Great! Let's work on getting more books on them.

All we have to do is curate a collection of books to put in use for students in your classroom or school. Have you tried these options?

• Reach out to your family and friends for donations to start.
• Utilize the power of facebook and search for groups in your city. For example, in my neighborhood of Chicago, there is a group called Bucktown Community News. Just two weeks ago I posted asking for donations for our Family Literacy Night, and got at least a dozen replies! For your Book Nook, post to your neighbors asking for donations of books. Barnes and Gonzales recommend that you don't get super specific - share grade level expectations, but then take everything. You can sort through and keep what you want, donate the rest! 
• Similar Idea: Post an ad on Craig's List.
• Check out yard sales, used book stores, and the public library.
• Write or call local businesses asking for donations - books that they have purchased for you or a check for teachers to purchase books they need. 
• Make it a homework assignment to your students: Find a book to donate to The Book Nook!

After you get a good collection of books to start, then begin to build your Book Nook. Barnes and Gonzales recommend creating a team, including students if you're in a middle or high school, to help manage this space and put in the work to keep things orderly and running smoothly. This team of students can reach out to the larger student body to help brand this Book Nook - maybe you want to call it your Little Lending Library or something else way more creative than that. Student input will build buy-in!

You'll need to find a space for this Book Nook, but think outside of the box! What school has an extra little nook around, unused? Not many, if I had to guess. So, think about large closets, or even a hallway that could be reimagined.

Barnes and Gonzales go on to describe full implementation in the chapter, and also how to overcome obstacles. Pick up a copy of their book if you love this idea as much as I do, and plus, you're going to learn about the other 9 hacks as well. Until then, get a preview of them by way of the #D100bloggerPD posts:

Introduction: Kristen

Hack 1: Meet Me in the Cloud - Marilyn

Hack 2: Pineapple Charts - Leah

Hack 3: Teacher Quiet Zones - Ginny

Hack 4: Track Records - Annie

Hack 5: Student Tech Gurus - Angela

Hack 6: Marigold Committees - Colleen

Hack 7: The In-Class Flip - Theresa

Hack 8: The Book Nook - Here and Now! :-)

Hack 9: The Glass Classroom - Kayla
Hack 10: The 360 Spreadsheet - Coming Soon!

Be sure to follow our blogging group on twitter, by searching our hashtag #D100BloggerPD. If you like what you've read here, follow my blog via facebook, Instagram, or Bloglovin!

And... check back next Monday for Kayla's post about Hack 9: The Glass Classroom.

Later, Hackers!

flow achieved {sol 3.20.16}

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On Friday at work, I didn't have time to eat lunch. Some of our staff was out, I had an extra lunch duty, and I was prepping (last minute, of course) for a demo I was doing in 5th grade.

I was to teach Author's Craft. In all my years in the classroom, this isn't something I had ever taught, so I had to read up on it to make sure I sold it well to the kiddos.

I read the session from Lucy Calkin's curriculum and checked out the resources on the Heinemann website. I was good to go. But hungry.

I went up to the room a little early, just to get all my stuff set up. My heart was racing a little. Teaching kids is my thing, but demoing for other teachers always adds and extra edge. I was set up in time to go to the bathroom, so did that, then came back and was just hanging out, smiling, happy.

"She gets so excited for this," one of the coteachers said, smiling in my direction.

It's true. I just love teaching.

The lesson began, and I was very cognizant of the time. As a coach, I wanted to keep this mini-lesson mini. I asked kids if they have ever listened to rap music... "Have you guys ever heard a Jay-Z song and thought how awesome he was playing with words to craft  the best lines ever?"

They smiled, nodding. "That is art. That is also known as Author's Craft."

The lesson was awesome. I forgot I was hungry. I was in a state of flow: feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.

Teaching is my jam. I seriously love it.

identities {sol 3.17.16}

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I go by many names: Michelle, Shel, Ms. Brezek, Friendy, Sponge. Until social media, people always knew me from meeting me in real life (IRL). But these days, sometimes people know me (or I know them) via their online presence, not from face-to-face interactions.

Today I was sitting in a common area of school working alone in the quiet, when one of the iCoaches in our district, Todd came by. He was looking for a place to work with some kids and was asking about the particular space I was in. A short time into the conversation, he asked, "What's your name again?"

Over the past few months we've run into each other a few times - in the hallways or in a planning meeting. I told him, "I'm Michelle Brezek, I'm the Literacy Coach here."

"Oh yeah, your name came up in one of our last meetings...."

I interrupted, "Oh, maybe for blogging? My blogging club and I and the third and fifth graders are working on the Slice of Life - I write at BigTime Literacy?"

"Oooohhhhhhhh!" (The lightbulbs were going off at this point!) "You're @bigtimeliteracy. Right!"

It's just funny how these days you might know someone via Twitter or Instagram only, and even though they work in your district, maybe you haven't met them face-to-face. A similar thing happened to me about a month ago with Angela, a fifth grade teacher. All the bloggers from my district were meeting up to plan and I asked for names of people I didn't recognize. As soon as she said Angela, I got all excited and interrupted, "@missgdoesfifth?" We all laughed and she nodded, yep.

I so treasure my PLN, and even more awesome is when I get to meet the same people IRL!

words are power {sol 3.14.16}

I went to the semi-finals of Louder Than a Bomb yesterday and all I want is to write like those kids, those kids who are half (more than half) my age and living with crazy experiences than my white privilege always kept me from. Check out Young Chicago Authors, the organization that puts on LTAB here:

The kids wrote poems about politics, how the government drains our schools of money, abortion, feminism, growing up gay with a dad who could never accept you, police brutality and killing of young African American Boys, racism, and a lot more topics that are slipping my mind right now.

As I sat in The Metro yesterday, listening to kids from all around our great city, as I was transcended to a different place, a neighborhood not like mine, a high school where a young woman begins to understand that being "the cool girl" with the boys isn't all it's cracked up to be, an abortion clinic, I was reminded how powerful words are. Our words matter. Our words inspire. Our words have the potential to create change.

So to all the new Slicers out there, know that you can never be too sure how far-reaching your posts are. More than likely, they are inspiring someone right at this moment. So keep writing, keep sharing, and if you're anything like me, continue to appreciate this amazing writing life.

Now, if I could just get as good at writing as those high school kids are. The last few days, I've actually been thinking about another degree, maybe in writing? It sounds so so awesome! Anyone out there with writing degrees? Thoughts?

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that's just science {sol 3.13.16}

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Yesterday was St. Patty's Day - a big day in Chicago! Every year, the river gets dyed green, and thousands of people come out for the event. This year, my friends and I got tickets for a double decker boat, to see the river being dyed from the river!

Not sure how, but I was super early and the first one there, so we got a great spot on the top of the boat. As we were standing there, someone said something about being further from the water (because we were on the second floor).

A view from the top of the boat

"Yeah," I said, "Downstairs you're closer to the water."

Boomer replies, "Well, duh. That's just science," and laughs at me for saying something that was obviously common knowledge.

Awhile later, he takes a trip downstairs. When he comes back, he tells me, "You're right, it *is so much closer to the water."

"You mean it's not just science?"

I guess seeing it with your own two eyes is much different!

The view from downstairs