life skills

This school year, I am teaching Life Skills for junior high students along with my Digital Journalism course for high school students. I didn't realize the wide range of classroom management I would need to tap into with this teaching load, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Junior high students are my favorite. That age is so awkward and fun and surprising and difficult. You never know who will love or hate you and to what degree those feelings will affect you as a teacher, and I seem to thrive on the challenge to reach the students who hate me the most.

The 80/20 rule is pretty accurate in my classes: 80 percent tolerate/listen to me, 10 percent love me, and 10 percent detest me. And it's been interesting to see how that 10 percent slowly get won over (or at least pretend to be won over). For instance, most of the haters gave me Christmas gifts, which was a real shocker! Maybe they are just putting up a front, or maybe their parents know what I'm up against and wanted to show some appreciation. Either way, the gesture warmed my teacher heart.

Another aspect of Life Skills that I enjoy is having the ability to reward the students for working hard and getting their work done early. These kids love doing arts and crafts, so on days when the majority are all finished with their required work, they make classroom decorations. During December and January, they created a blizzard of amazing snowflakes. Then in February, hearts (and heart sharks) covered one side of the classroom. This reward system is highly motivating and easy to implement because I have such a great group of students.

We are closing in on the last quarter of the year, and I already know, no matter what happens fourth quarter (because we all know things can go straight up awry fourth quarter), I will miss this school year so much.

writing a poem

I was going to write a poem—I had all the words—
As soon as I could put it all on paper
Yet the poem never found a home in which to stay
For those short moments as I lost my way

Impressions marked my heart
But I have let those details fade
Accidentally and purposefully
As the world continues to spin too quickly 'round

What I remember is how I am my better self
When I can love someone with more of my heart
There is something transformative, enlivening and exciting me
When I am hopeful of being beloved

Words come more easily and I feel
More confident
More lovely
More of who I am at my core

I was going to write a poem
About how falling in love is scary and beautiful
It is partially written, but I think I'll keep on falling
And get back to writing once the walls are finally down

feeling lucky

Do you ever look around you and see how lucky you are? Do you ever sit back in awe of how you got where you are?

I do.

There's not really much luck involved in the good things happening for me or anyone really, but I like how "feeling lucky" feels as I write or say it. It makes things not seem so difficult, like the road to get to where you can see the blessings wasn't all that bad.

It's like when you have a baby. You suffer. Dude, I suffered. Preterm labor, weight gain transforming everything, pain, hunger, sacrifice. And then when that baby is born healthy and strong, you feel lucky. So lucky.

It's like when you find love again after a terrible break up or divorce. You suffer. Man alive, did I suffer. Solitude, poverty, worry for the future, sacrifice. So much sacrifice. And then when that kaleidoscope of butterflies works its way into your chest, you feel lucky. So very lucky.

Luck is more like blessings when you've worked hard to keep trying and not give up. Luck looks like the sacrifice of making room for what you need. Luck is in between the lines of all the silenced fears I hope to turn away from. No matter how things turn out, in the end, I know it will be alright.

I am feeling lucky.

six things

Six Lists for on this Sixth Day of Slice of Life

6 Favorite Movies (off the top of my head)

1. Music Man (with Shirley Jones)
2. Dan in Real Life
3. Leap Year 
4. Castaway
5. It's a Wonderful Life
6. The Young Victoria

6 Destinations I Want to See Someday

1. United Kingdom (all of it)
2. New York City
3. Amsterdam 
4. Washington, DC
5. Nauvoo
6. Prince Edward Island

6 Things I Want to Try at Least Once

1. Oil painting on large canvas
2. Cross country train trip
3. Book binding
4. Do a public speaking event
5. Provide a scholarship to a destitute single parent 
6. Rent a beach house in the Pacific Northwest for a month 

6 Top Favorite Desserts

1. Ice cream
2. German chocolate cake
3. Fudge
4. Red velvet cookies
5. Pudding parfaits
6. Almost any cream pie

6 Things that Make My Day

1. Hugs on a bad day
2. Movie marathons
3. Going to the temple 
4. Apology notes from my daughter 
5. Little surprises
6. Fresh flowers

6 Commonly Used Words

1. Pathetic
2. Totally
3. Dude
4. Darling
5. Garbage
6. Perfection 

spending time

Nothing really out of the ordinary happening except my son has been moved away from our old epicenter for two months, and he is home to get some support and spend some time.

This time we spend will most likely be nothing too spectacular, but that we are together makes it inherently wonderful. I am so happy to have him with us for a couple of days. I know he will have enough to eat and will be safe for at least two days. Also, he always makes us all smile with his light hearted humor and kind thoughtfulness. That's always a bonus.

We got a little lunch together the first day, and as you can see, lunch was spectacular, so maybe I wasn't accurate earlier.

Something I wonder is if anyone has some wisdom on how to not worry about your young adult children who are too adult to want to be home but too still your child you want to keep safe from the world. I'd love to hear any advice!