Colors from the Earth

A lapidary is an artist who works with stone, minerals and gemstones. For many years, my husband has been working with stones he has collected from places all over the world. He cuts, grinds and polishes them to make unique pieces of jewelry.

Today, we displayed his lapidary work at a craft show in a neighboring town. We got up early, loaded the car, drove to the location, unloaded the car, and set up his display. We spent the day visiting with people who stopped by to explore the beautiful colors from the earth.


We spend many conversations teaching others about the different kinds of stones and where they come from. My husband often explains the process of cutting and polishing to folks who are interested. Every once and a while, a real "rock hound" will come by and a conversation begins about rock collecting.
 
Some of us are naturally drawn to the wonders of the earth. I collected rocks as a child. My own children (who are now adults) still have their old lunch boxes filled with stones and fossils they collected when they were little. And now, our grandchildren are fascinated by their own collections of earthy finds. And it goes on....

The Twine and the Stakes - Supporting Our Learners

We planted a verbinum tree in our garden a few years ago. If you have one or know someone who does, you have experienced the wonderful scent that emanates from the blooms when they emerge each spring. The blooms are round balls of tiny white and pink flowers. As you step toward the tree, you pick up the scent from yards away and you know you have come near to something special.

After several years, our tree began to lean a bit in the direction of the sun's path. We knew we needed to do something to correct the tilting tree. So last fall we tied some twine around the tree trunk and secured it to three stakes in the ground a few feet away in an attempt to straighten it. We tied the twine firmly to give the tree a nudge in the right direction. We hoped that as we moved into spring, the tree would take a more upright stance.

The tree is a wonder of nature. It's been reaching toward the sun that it needs to grow and survive. But, a bit too eager, it has angled it's trunk. If left alone, the tree may eventually topple over.

Like teaching we don't need to change the way our students lean toward learning. We should celebrate that, but sometimes we need to step in. Give them support and help them continue to grow.  So we connect with learners in ways that support and encourage them to grow and become the amazing creatures they are.  We clarify their direction so their learning journeys are full of what they need to learn.

We have to know our learners. Know what they need. Know where they need to go. Provide just enough support to keep them going. To encourage further growth.

So our relationships with learners are important and the things we do in the classroom are the twine and the stakes that encourage, support and love.

What if...

What if the fear of writing and the crippling blank page 
cloud my thoughts and freeze my pen.


What if my writing time gets pulled away, 
stolen by the distractions of life.

What if my writing is choppy and messy and meaningless.
It will hurt to think I have done less than I could.

What if my own doubts strangle my thinking.
Words and thoughts jumbled and trapped in my head.

But still...

I am stepping forward on the SOL journey.
Small steps and big breaths.
I begin today.

Because maybe

... I will find my voice.
... my words will fall easily across the page.
... my message will mean truth to someone.
... it will get easier day by day.
... my confidence will grow.

Come along on this journey with me.
Splash your words onto the page.
Inspire each other.
Encourage the writing. 
Place those swirling letters and thoughtful words on the page.

Because, connected by the love of words, we will write, share and celebrate.

I Love Hockey - Day 5 #sol17

Each sport has a personality and an unmistakable sound. In high school, I used to help collect tickets at the door of the gym for basketball games. The sound of basketball shoes squeaking on a hardwood floor takes me right back to those days.

My favorite sport is hockey. My team is the Columbus Blue Jackets. I usually tune into the games when they are broadcast on TV. There is nothing better than being at the game but watching on TV is a close second. Throughout the course of the season, I rarely miss a game.

Did I say I LOVE HOCKEY!

The clack of sticks on the ice.
The cold crisp air.
The bang of bodies against the boards.                              
The spray of ice as skates skid to a stop.
The band of a puck on the goal post.
The whistle from the linesman.
A hard-to-come-by hat trick.
The crowd chanting and cheering.
The cannon blasting in celebration.
Yes, I love hockey!

February Warmth - Day 4 #sol17

It's cold today with a trace of snow on the ground, and I am thinking back a couple weeks when we were blessed with weather in the 60s and 70s. It was quite unusual to have that kind of weather in the middle of an Ohio winter. 

We spent days outside, cleaning up the yard and flower beds. We picked up broken branches that had fallen to the ground and gathered pine cones that dropped from our pine tree. We raked leaves and twigs and cleaned up some brown withered plant growth from the garden making way for the little green newness that was just beginning to poke through the soil. The grass began to change to a brither shade of green. We warmed in the sunshine our arms bare and our faces to the sun. We rested in our lawn chairs with our dog, Barney, by our side. 

It was all just a brief and bright peek at spring but we loved it. I am thankful for those days of sun and warmth. We are back to colder weather and a bit of snow. But it's like we were able to peek around the corner of winter and gaze quickly at the spring that is sure to come soon. I'm waiting! Are you?

 

A Rainbow of School Supplies - Day 3 #sol17

My birthday is in August ... just in time for a shopping trip for school supplies!
I considered it one of my gifts to go shopping with my mother for my yearly supplies. 
It stretched my birthday out a bit and added to my excitement of new things I received for my birthday. I was like a kid in a candy store when it came to the aisle of school supplies. (And I admit, I still get excited when I see any office/school supplies all lined up in an array of colors.) 

So today my post is brief and colorful.


A Rainbow of School Supplies

New yellow pencils 
   waiting to be sharpened.
Fresh white drawing paper
   waiting for an image to appear. 
Crayons in a box of 64
   with a sharpener right in the box.
Bright lined white paper
   with a vertical red margin line.
A rainbow of watercolor paints
   and a brush for painting.
A yellow-lined legal pad 
   for notes and math computations.
Pens (maybe even a fountain pen    
   with blue ink cartridges).
A pink eraser
   to remove stray marks.
Binders and folders 
   in every color.
Blue-handled pointy scissors
   for sharp cutting.
Fresh white paste
   with a special smell.
A metal compass with a little yellow pencil 
   for making circles and arcs.
A clear plastic protractor
   for measuring angles.
A box of colored pencils
   sharpened and ready. 
Gifts of color
   organized and ready.
A rainbow of possibilities
   waiting to be discovered.

The Rhythms That Define Our Lives - Day 2 #SOL17

 

 

I retired three years ago and immediately missed being with kids and teachers. As a principal, I spend my days with them and lived out the rhythm of school life. The start of a new school year, greeting the kids and watching their learning unfold, parent conferences, holiday programs, staff meetings, talent shows, and field days. 

Once I retired, I missed the rhythm of the school year. It took me awhile to get used to the absence of the milestones that marked the passing of the school year.

About the same time that I retired, the school district in which I live opened a new middle school and the entrance to the school is directly across from my house. And so a new rhythm started. Fourteen buses make the turn into the school drive each morning. I hear the rumble of the engines as the buses slow down to make the turn and then head up to the school.

As I wake from sleep, I hear the buses rumble toward the school. I can tell when it's a school day or an occasional day when school is closed. I can tell when its the weekend. And I can tell when it's summertime in the absence of that early morning greeting as bus after bus comes by.

The rhythm of the school year is still with me. It's a little more passive because I can choose to rise or stay cuddled under the covers a few more minutes. But it is one of the rhythms of my life that mark my days. It is part of me. 

What are the rhythms that mark your days?