A Love Letter

We always ask kids, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

When my high school students talk to me about the pressures of answering that question, I often tell them that I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I'm pseudo-joking but more serious than they know. However, I actually know, not necessarily what I want to be, but *who* I want to be like: my girl, Grace.

Okay, to be honest, that picture isn't entirely fair...it's the first photo I took of my daughter. This is Grace now:

See, this tiny little girl is growing into everything I could ever hope to be. She's full of life, up for anything, and the bravest person I know. We took her to the beach for the first time this summer, and I was so afraid she would be afraid of the great wide open (because, you know, I am). This was her first experience with the ocean:

She went running, full-speed, across the burning sand into the crashing waves that knocked her over, spun her around...and made her laugh while yelling, "More!"

In addition to her balls-to-the-wall way of living, Grace has the kindest heart. This is one of her (badly-kept) secrets. 

When her cousin Oliver was born in May, she continually claimed she did NOT like him. She didn't realize, though, I captured her reaction the first time we offered to let her hold him.

And she's always had a deep love for animals, great and small.

She's not perfect; one might call her...lively. (The blur is indicative of her occasional Tasmanian-devil disposition.)

For years, I questioned if I ever even wanted to be a mother. And yet, at the end of the day -- every day -- Grace shows that sometimes the greatest gifts in life are the ones we don't even know we want. She is funny, and brave, and SO STRONG-WILLED, and a greater joy than I might have ever imagined. 

In my life, I've wanted to be a political analyst, a doctor, a photojournalist, a teacher (got it), and an author (working on it). I've finally realized, though, that what I most want is to be happy, and the thing that makes me happiest...is being Grace's mom.

I hope that, for my students and especially my beautiful baby girl, I can help them see the wisdom of John (not the apostle this time; the Beatle).

Live well, and be happy. ❤️

I Got an Owl!

Stories? Check! Simple pleasures?Check! Easy, convenient, and affordable? Check, check, and check!

One of my recent indulgences has been OwlCrate, a monthly YA book subscription service (starting at $29.99/month) that delivers a new young adult novel and additional "bookish" goodies in each box. (Interested in trying it for yourself? https://www.owlcrate.com) My response each time it arrives on my doorstep?

And that's especially fitting for today since October's theme is Spooky Crate!

Part of the fun is, of course, the anticipation of discovering "what's in the box". OwlCrate does their part to build your excitement.

The contents are hidden, but there's a "Spoiler" card explaining each item within if you want to read about it before you see it for yourself. I *generally* hold off on reading the card until I've dug through the box.

The smaller items this month were decorative room freshener-beads: Vampire's Lair-scented; skull erasers; and spooky-themed magnetic bookmarks.

There was a middle-grade item, an Edgar Allan Poe-patterned bag from Out of Print (bonus that my phone attempted to do facial recognition on ol' EAP when I took the photo!).

And for the finale, the book-of-the-month:

The book came with a "personalized" message from the author and a book note illustrated to match the cover. All-in-all, an excellent spooky haul!

Now, would I buy each of these item's on their own? Nah. But...for the surprise, the ease, and the all-around #treatyoself factor, I'll keep awaiting my OwlPost each month! 

Have you tried OwlCrate? Might you? Any other subscription boxes you're loving right now? Drop me a line in the comments, and I'll be back soon with one more thread that binds us together. 

 

#WhyIWrite

My lesson plan for today was to take a detour from regular lessons to celebrate NCTE's National Day on Writing. I got the ball rolling (or the pen flowing, as it were) with Shane Koyczan's tremendous "Troll" spoken-word video. Heading outside with an overflowing bucket of chalk, the kids had the time to create a sidewalk square with a proclamation of #WhyIWrite. The first student finished - far earlier than I expected - but I walked over to check his masterpiece. Loud and proud, it stated, "Because my teacher makes me." Whoosh. THUD. My heart fell. THIS was the takeaway of one of my greatest passions, one I try to share with teenagers daily in my classroom?! 

Despite some nominally better offerings from others, my enthusiasm waned. I attempted to invigorate my voice and ideas and thoughts for each class afterwards. And as I wandered around the sidewalks in front of the school as my kids worked, I continued to be shocked by what I saw. 

Like this...

And this...

And this one, too:

They were wonderfully honest...

And up-to-date...

And they didn't just use words. There were colors and pictures and, in the case of a few boys with a passion for the sciences, equations and algorithms:

After seeing the creativity and humor and thoughtfulness of my students, I thought back on the day's first submission: "Because my teacher makes me." And, as writing has the tendency to do, I was able to reflect on the day differently. If these creations are what I "MAKE" my students do, I'll make them do it every single day.

Jose Rizal, a revolutionary infamously renowned for the strength of his writings, said, "The youth is the hope of our future." 

He is right...and I'm so grateful for that hope.