Day Twenty-Nine and Thirty: Blizzards. Pay It Foward. Defining moments. Gifts.

So there's this blizzard coming tomorrow. The newscaster just said the phrase "thundersnow." I didn't know that existed. It must not, because it's underlined in red. Haha. Maybe I won't have school. If I don't have school, I'm definitely cleaning my "art" room. And making guacamole. And painting. And planning lots of lessons. And buying a new book on my Nook.

Yesterday, on the first day of the semester, I introduced a semester-long "project" with my students. They have to find at least one nice thing to do for someone... a random act of kindness. I showed some videos, had them brainstorm their own ideas, and even gave them all a bracelet that says "Commit to Kindness" on it (similar to Livestrong ones). I ordered cards from this website, which students will pass along to the person that they do the nice thing for. That person is supposed to do something kind and continue to pass the card along. Each card will have a tracking number; students can track where their card goes throughout the semester.

I told them I would do it with them. I need to start thinking of some good ideas. Today, one of my students found this really awesome note in her SSR book she checked out that was signed "Pay It Forward." It talked about how we should be more accepting and encouraging to others at school...
how he/she hoped the person reading the note felt loved and inspired, etc. She let me read it. It was precious. We are going to make a bulletin board for our Pay It Forward stuff so we can hang up things like that. (:

We're making our favorite goat cheese dinner. We really need to branch out haha... but it's so delicious. And I forgot my lunch AND my nalgene of water today, so I'm hungry. I tried to microwave a package of ramen in my coffee mug for lunch. It didn't work out so well.


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Writing Challenge Day 29 + 30
I'm doing a 31 day writing challenge, found on the Reverb website, designed to reflect on the past year and look forward to what's to come in 2011.


[Day 29] Defining Moment. Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year. 

My summer. Anywhere after graduating college until starting teaching. Transitions like that are so huge that they are inevitably defining. I feel the same way about the summer between high school and college. There is so much time to contemplate and reflect. It's like you're stuck between two completely different worlds, and you're not ready to let go or leap forward yet. At a certain point, you just have to be prepared to move forward.

In times like these, I distract myself with being busy. Usually that means a job (working at Springhill, usually) or a vacation. This past summer, it was hiking. I overthink. And analyze. And sometimes overplan. Hiking allows me freedom from that.

I think I learn a lot about myself through these "defining moments." It's not necessarily what happens to me, but my response to it. How I handle things. What my next move is. How I use what I have learned in the past to push forward.




[Day 30] Gift. What’s the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year? 

Emotional = Affirmation. That I am smart, and that shouldn't scare me. That what I do can sometimes inspire someone. That I am unique. That I can follow my dreams and I have the support of my friends and family, even if I don't have all of their understanding.

Tangible = Cookbooks. Sprouts I can grow myself. Nook. Probably lots of other things.