Breast cancer.

She taught music at my school and lived two houses down the street from me. We shared walks, meals, and moments.

A teacher always, she started each class with “ponder this.” Why do we climb mountains? Can there be justice? What is joy? She’d ask her students to think and respond. And if their discussions took longer than she’d planned, fine.

Jan began the first choir at our school, sharing her beautiful voice with all of us and inspiring her students to share theirs. But she was so much more than her voice. Today I ponder how far our influence can travel and the impact it can have.

I hope she knew how much she was loved.

 

I was thinking about both of these topics during a visit to Highland School in Warrenton, VA yesterday, a preliminary visit for a possible position. Questions posed by faculty caused me to reflect upon my own version of the question of change. How have I changed since I began learning and sharing online? How has this changed my teaching? And how does that affect my relationship with students as learners?

Like Paul, I’ve been listening to and connecting with folks for quite a while. These voices and experiences have helped shape me as I listen, read, and watch their work.

I wasn’t as lucky as Crotty who describes his college experience as a chance to “enjoy the life of the mind, to read and discuss the great books of world civilization, to ask deep questions, to fearlessly tackle any subject, to ruthlessly ponder who one is and from where one originated.”  For whatever reason, my parents and teachers weren’t able to instill in me a love or passion for much of anything. That came later, when as an adult I realized I do love to learn, and I can tackle subjects seemingly out of my reach.

More than anything, then, I want that for my students. And I am convinced it happens by forging strong  relationships, giving students much opportunity for choice and leadership, and creating authentic learning experiences.

Though I am thinking about working again as someone who supports technology use in the classroom, the joy in the work comes from the relationships with both teachers and students. We have powerful tools at our disposal to connect and learn from one another, but alone they mean nothing.

 

Opening the studio has allowed me to dream big dreams. Write poetry? Sure. Start a novel? Why not? Work with other writers? Of course.

What I hope to do now is choose some of the poetry that has potential and toss the rest. Wendy Bishop says this: “Revision takes you from self to society, from the writer’s concerns to the readers’ concerns.”

The real work begins.

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prompt: your pet

 

#npm writing prompt: a tree

 

from this source

Innovation, peace
Learning to decrease suffering, these nine-year-olds
Charismatic teacher teaches compassion
A Pentagon invitation
Inspired by Gandhian principles, the game aims to get players to build harmony while accepting the reality of violence
If somebody steals your lunchbox, you don’t go up and punch him in the face to get it back — you want to reason with them
Odd partnership, but may save us all.

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