So, anyway, the prompts this week are tied togehter–the Kuzie/cozy/coolie, the bubbles and the coloring all are ways to destress.  When working with new ideas, especially those involving technology, we often get tense and stressed.  It is important to recognize that and take steps to relieve that stress.  The writing prompts this week served a secondary purpose–they are reminders to us all, the too busy people, to make time for relaxing and fun.  We need to consciously plan the down time, the play time and the writing time. 

Writing for me is a de-stressor as well.  I often find that once I have put down on paper what is truly niggling at the back of my mind I can focus on moving forward or completing whatever task is at hand.  I find that organizing my thoughts on paper also helps me worry less about what ever it is that I am planning.  I even find that writing a list, a to do list, helps me to relax a little.  This is a stressful time in our world.  It is imperative that we find ways to keep ourselves healthy and happy.  Besides it’s fun.

We all just read the recent artcile Writing between the Lines and Everywhere Else published by NCTE.  It is good to see research that supports what I have come to strongly believe.  The article’s release coincides with the announcement of a National Day on Writing sponsored by NCTE, also.  The research encouraged the leaders of NCTE to enhance their promotion of writing for real life.  It is hoped that we all, the teachers of English and other contents, will help our students merge their “real life” writing with their academic writing and that all of that will improve.  I was interested to hear that writing will be the “qunitetessential 21st century skill.”  We have a monumental task before us.  I hope we are up to the challenge.  I know I will give it my best shot!

We blew bubbles as Kristen’s wedding.  Tom took a picture of the bride and groom leaving the church with bubbles floating all around them.  It was a happy occassion and a fairy tale type picture.  I don’t know when the tradition of blowing bubbles instead of throwing rice began.  Some people throw bird seeds instead of rice, but lots are using bubbles.  I like bubbles!

Oprah wrote about blowing bubbles in one of her articles about what she knows for sure.  She is right when she says they help you relax.  I don’t think you can be mad while blowing bubbles.  I don’t know if it’s the mindless concentration that it takes to blow that bubble–your mind doesn’t have time to worry or stew.

I wonder who invented bubbles.  Do you think that he or she thought about it or just started playing?  Maybe a big sigh while doing laundry created a bubble and that was the end of the work for a while while the washer woman took a well deserved bubble break.  Maybe it was a stable man washing the lord’s horses that sighed and created that first bubble.  When the lord came to check on his stable he found the man standing next to a soapy horse mindlessly blowing bubbles.  It was so intriguing he probably joined in and completely forgot his first intentions of having the man flogged.  Then again maybe it was the mistress’s maid that sighed while drawing the bath for the lady of the house.  Perhaps the water got cold while she blew bubbles all around the room.  Maybe the lady joined in when she arrived.

I guess I could research the true origins of bubble blowing, but that might be too stressful.

Since I began this blog I have been living in Bear Lake.  In 2000 I began teaching at Bear Lake and during the summer of 2001 I moved there from Manistee, where I had lived for the first school year.  Then in 2004 I purchased my house.  Not only did I find my teaching home I began to make Bear Lake my home.

It was a weird thing reallly, this coming home to Bear Lake.  Before I moved here, I had moved over 20 times and most of those moves were not short acrooss town to a new house moves.  Before living in the house I purchased five years ago, I had never lived anywhere for more than two and a half years.  Before working at Bear Lake my longest time of employ was 5 years and that was a record just made at Three Rivers School when I moved to Bear Lake.  So, this coming home to a Bear Lake was quite an experience for me.

It started with a practice interview.  That was what I thought when I traveled from southwest Michigan up to northwest Michigan.  I thought having a little practice would be good since I had been employed for five years and might be rusty.  I topped the little knoll on Bear Lake Road about half a mile east of the main street, US 31, and saw the lake.  I thought, what nice scenery and about how close it was to my aging mother. After I found the school and met the interview team, I realized I felt completely at ease in the building and with the team.  When I drove away from the school I thought…hmmmm, I could work with these people.  When the principal called me the next day, I asked for twenty-four hourse to think it over.  It was not my plan; I hadn’t even applied there.  

The next day I called and accepted the job.  Shortly after that the suburban school near Detroit that I had applied to called to schedule an interview.  Feeling slightly guilty I scheduled the interview and traveled to Livonia.  That interview also went well and within a few days I was offered a position there.  Once again I asked for twenty-four hours.  Then, I truly had to make a choice. 

For the next day I made lists, called friends and family and agonized over what was the right choice.  When the deadline came  and the principal called to get my response, I said…thank you, but I am going to Bear Lake.  The next day the Livonia principal called again and offered me a little sweeter teaching schedule.  Again, I said no.  A couple days after that he called once more and asked if I would be interested if he could get me in at the Math magnet school, Churchill.    Once again…I said no.  I think I knew then I had found my teaching home. 

Well, it’s been over 6 months since I posted in this blog.  My excuse is that I managed to over commit myself in several areas.  So, now my goal is to “un” commit in as many as I can so that I can focus on some priorities–like my health (ha ha).  That’s my story and I am sticking to it.

To that end, blogs are time consuming and require a commitment if you wish to do them successfully.  Despite my lack of consistence and to a certain extent lack of success, I am convinced that blogs can be a vital part of most classrooms.  They offer conversation and idea sharing to build.  They exist inside and outside the realm of the classroom.  It seems like a valuable resource that I will continue to explore and hopefully one day master.

 The Powerpoint from January 26th PD day. weblogging09_manistee

The Handout, too. manistee_bloghandout

Thank you all for particpating in Technology Day.  Let us know what you need, how we can help and what you thought of our presentations.  As part of the Crossroads Writing Project our “mission is to promote exemplary instruction of writing by impowering teachers as writers, reseachers and leaders.”  We hope we have been helpful.

At this event I began to realize that it wasn’t that we were behind (because as I just said we were definitely not), but that I couldn’t do it all myself.  I realized the problem was that one person can not be expected to  lead, support and troubleshoot for an entire Writing Project Site.  It takes a team of people to do all of those things. So…I started to brainstorm with Sonja about how we could make this team come to life.  We decided that an advanced institute would be a good way to start.  

 Hope you all are finding things that are new and useful.

 That is what has happened (or at least that is my excuse).  I thought I had learned the word NO, but it is apparent that once again I probably said “Yes, I can do that!” a few too many times.  I am doing what I said I would (all of it as far as I know), but I am not sure how well some of it is getting done.

 The seniors in my high school classes are complaining about all they have to do before they graduate and I think to myself, “if you only knew.”  They are also part of the reason that I don’t have enough time.  With 30+ essays a week to read, planning lessons in hopes of engaging 18 year olds who already know everything of value and then keeping tabs on them when they are in the building is sapping most of my energy.  We are on the last few yards of the mad dash to the finish.

Soon, I will dedicate myself to keeping this blog current and maybe even interesting or enlightenting.