One Little Word

The message was received this winter, or maybe it was in the spring.

I think hope is a wonderful choice for your One Little Word**.  Hope floats.

Then my friend sent me the graphic.  Aha!

I have been clinging to the string of the balloon, keeping my chin up, continuing to push forward and follow my passions.

The balloon and my attitude kept rising up, up, up.

This summer has already been busy and I continue to be hopeful.

Hopeful for the present and the future.

Hopeful that I can do what I'm wired to do.

Hope is a wonderful choice for my one little word of 2015.
Even if it's nearly July.

Everyone needs hope.

**For more information on One Little Word, see this link:

OLW at TWT

Prioritizing #SOL15

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Two Writing Teachers

It's summer.  Time to relax, reflect and re-energize.

It's also time to
hop around the house,
starting one project
then another
adding to a list
leaving laundry on the couch to fold later.

It's time to
keep the refrigerator filled with food
and the spinning cabinet filled with snacks
and keep track of one daughter's work and school hours
while encouraging the other daughter
to stay focused on her job search and chores.

It's not hard to find things to do.
I feel like the house needs lots of attention.
But then so do my books
and social media (to get more book ideas).

It all comes down to prioritizing.
It's something I'm working to become better at.
Sure, everything gets done
but maybe not in the order it should.
Everything then becomes a priority.

How do other people figure out
what needs to be done
first?

One day left #SOL15

This was the picture my mom took in August after we worked in my classroom all day.  It's not really flattering, but it's an important picture.

I see hope, fear, exhaustion and excitement.  My first year in a classroom bigger than 8 x 8 feet.  A new adventure.

Tomorrow is the last day.

I still feel hope - will the kids remember the high points of this year?  Daily 5, field trips, making friends.

I still feel fear - did I do enough to prepare them for 2nd grade?  For college and careers?

I still feel exhaustion - teaching is a full-bodied, brain-draining profession.

I still feel excited.  Each morning is a new day, a fresh start.

Tomorrow is the last day.  It's been a year of roller coaster emotions.