Search for the Hidden Treasure

It's been 81 days since I asked our faculty to begin journaling their joy moments.  I know it takes commitment, time, effort to focus on the positive in your day to day activities, and sometimes we feel that we don't have any of that left to do one more thing. 

That's why I decided to start my mornings with my joy journal -- it's the first thing in my day, not the last. This allows me to reflect on yesterday and to prepare for today.

I've felt better since I've been doing this, but I didn't consider that it was evident on the outside.  Until this week when someone I haven't seen in a while commented. And then I knew for sure that this "joy thing" is working.  

Don't get me wrong, my days haven't been perfect.  Aggravation sets in sometimes. I get cranky. My to-do list is growing, not shrinking - nothing is getting crossed off.  But even in difficult situations, I've had a sense of peace that I hadn't previously had.  

I'm telling you this to say, if you haven't made joy journaling a daily habit, now's the time.  Start today!  

I thought this passage from Sarah Young was a perfect prompt to remind us to seek Joy everyday:  

"On some days Joy is generously strewn along your life-path, glistening in the sunlight.  On days like that, being content is as simple as breathing the next breath or taking the next step.  Other days are overcast and gloomy; you feel the strain of the journey, which seems endless.  Dull gray rocks greet your gaze and cause your feet to ache.  Yet Joy is still attainable.  Search for it as for hidden treasure."

In a Nutshell

When you conscientiously seek joy in the small moments of every day, you will develop a positive mindset and an inner peace that will shine through on the outside.  Search for the hidden treasure of joy in your life.  Journal it!

Advice from My Third Grade Review Partners

One thing's for sure: our students' are learning a lot about writing this year!  Not only are they becoming better writers themselves, but also they are pretty good peer review partners.

I dropped by a second grade class finishing their writer's workshop for the day and I was overcome with pride when they let out a collective "Awww" after their teacher told them time was up; they were in the flow!

Then I had an awesome experience with a group of third graders who told me not only what they liked about my story, but also exactly what I need to do to make it better.

This started weeks ago when I happened upon their class just as they were transitioning from drawing a picture of a place they wanted to write about to actually writing their stories.  I joined them, drew my picture, then wrote my story. I mentioned this experience in an earlier post.

I returned to their class a day or so later while they were learning about adding dialogue to their stories to make them more "in the moment."  I rewrote my story; it needed serious revision.

It's been several weeks, and I hadn't had an opportunity to share my story with them or to hear theirs. Today was the day.

Here's the revised version I read them:

The door slammed open and away he ran!
"Chance! Where are you going?" I shouted as I ran after him.
No answer. Down the hall, down the steps.  First, he; then, me.
"Chance! Stop! Come back."
Across the driveway.  Onto School Street.
He was running as fast as he could.  I was chasing him as fast as I could.
"Stop, now!" I yelled, but he didn't comply with my demand.
I kept running as fast as I could, and . . . I was catching up to him.  He must have been slowing down, running out of steam.
Finally: he stopped.  And I stopped when I caught him.
"What are you doing?" I demanded.
"Running away. I hate school. I don't want to be here any more," he sassed.
"Well, you can't run away from school.  You have to stay until your mom picks you up this afternoon," I replied.
Exhausted, we walked back to school, holding hands, or rather, I was holding his hand to prevent another escape.

Sweet children - they were quick to tell me what they liked.  Bravely, though, they also let me know that my story needs "some onomatopoeia in the part where he's running."

I think that's pretty good writer's advice.  Thank you, third grade! You bring me joy!

I'm off to the revision cycle.

In a Nutshell
Students are learning!  Our new writing program is building skillful writers. And, I'm learning, too.

Birds of a Feather

I was spellbound by the sight of hundreds of birds emerging from a chimney.  I captured the Morning Flight on video.  Just thought this was kinda cool!

Update

My colleague talked with Georgia DNR about these birds.  Apparently they are Chimney Swifts, en route to South America for winter.  We took more video this week.  I am amazed by the sheer number of birds and the way they gather in the evening.

We watched them circle up, then disperse several times before they went into their final tornadic spin and began filtering into the chimney.  

At last, all the bird circled up and began their final spin of the evening, with several at a time diving into the chimney until finally, all had called it a day.  Here is the final video.

This is video of them gathering and then dispersing.  It was almost as if they were counting their numbers, realizing every bird wasn't there yet, and then waiting for them arrive.

In a Nutshell

God's handiwork is amazing.  The instinctual traits of these creatures is incredible.  Yes, watching this bird activity brought me joy.

Hurricane Force Grumbling: Impeding Joy

When things don't go your way, when things are not done to your liking, it's easy to turn to complaining.  And one complaint leads to the next.

This negative mindset functions much like a tropical depression that gathers energy from warm water, circulating counter-clockwise, gaining speed and tightening into hurricane force.

A complaint here or there may not seem problematic, but gather all those complaints together in a "warm water environment" where other folks are drawn in with their complaints, and pretty soon, the tropical depression of complaints circulates counter to good intention, gaining momentum, building to destructive hurricane force.

Regrettably, this negative cycle happens all too often in our work environments.

I was reminded this morning of the destructiveness of this thought pattern in this excerpt from Sarah Young's Jesus Calling:

"There is one thing, however, that displeases Me: your tendency to complain.  You may talk to Me as much as you like about the difficulty of the path we are following.  I understand better than anyone else the stresses and strains that have afflicted you.  You can ventilate safely to Me, because talking with Me tempers your thoughts and helps you see things from My perspective.

 Complaining to others is another matter altogether.  It opens the door to deadly sins such as self-pity and rage.  Whenever you are tempted to grumble, come to Me and talk it out."

Too often our complaining hinders our ability to experience joy, to be grateful. It's a mindset issue; is your glass half full or half empty? Are you choosing pessimism or optimism?

Complaining focuses our energy on the negative: what's wrong, what we don't like, what aggravates us, what someone else needs to do.

Instead, let's focus our energy on the positive: what's right, what we appreciate, what makes us happy, what we can do to improve a situation.

Complaints are lodged for someone else to make the repairs, to fix the problem, to right the wrong. Legitimate concerns, on the other hand, are followed by or accompanied with potential solutions; this places us in a positive position.

The next time you find your cranky self in complaint mode, try flipping your mindset.

For example, instead of complaining about having to prepare meals, I can choose to find joy in serving my husband and children.  (Yes, I wrote that in my joy journal yesterday! I found joy in the mundane, in something I really don't like doing - cooking & cleaning.  Joy is in the mindset.)

• Instead of complaining about having too many academically deficient students in your class, be grateful that you have the opportunity and the skills to make a life-changing difference for these kids.  
• Instead of complaining about lack of administrative support, be grateful that you've been empowered to handle your discipline and have open communication with parents. 
•  Instead of complaining that you have to cover a colleague's class, be grateful you are available to do so.

In a Nutshell
Complaining impedes joy.  The negative mindset that accompanies complaining leads to hurricane force destruction.  Choose optimism instead.  Look for the good in every situation, and you will find joy as you experience gratitude.

photo source: http://www.livescience.com/56397-photos-hurricane-matthew-how-storm-evolved.html

Roots

The widespread arms of a stately oak offer shade to the whitewashed clapboard church where our ancestors once worshiped. Like the oak whose roots grow deep, our family roots are here, at least five generations deep.

On the first Sunday in October we gather at Mt. Enon Cemetery for Homecoming. At half past noon the dinner bell clangs,  the crowd circles, and the food is blessed. We catch up with relatives and friends over a covered dish luncheon and a glass of sweet iced tea ladled from a #2 washtub. The annual business meeting of the Association follows.

Mt. Enon Homecoming has been a tradition for as far back as I can remember.  In college, I drove 300 miles home for this event all four years. As a newlywed living in north Georgia, I came home for Mt. Enon.  One year we drove into the wee hours of the morning from North Carolina where we had attended a Saturday evening wedding. 

It's just that important to us.

For us, it is a sacred place, a place of peace, of final rest. Our mother is buried in our family plot at Mt. Enon.  Our grandparents, great aunts & uncles, cousins ... our ancestors - ones we knew and ones we never knew - are interred at Mt. Enon.  In time, we, too, will be laid to rest here.

I am grateful for my roots. Not everyone is as fortunate as we are to have deep roots, to have a place that will always be home. 

I am grateful, too, that I have roots in Him and that my roots continue to grow deeper in Him.

Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:7

Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.  Ephesians 3:17b 

In a Nutshell
I am thankful for my roots. 
What special traditions does your family have?

Shadows Dancing on the Eaves

Lounging dockside in this glorious first fall weekend weather, I am humbled by God's goodness.

I have so much to be thankful for, yet I take so much for granted, rarely realizing how drastically our situation, like that of others, could change in a single moment.

So many around us are sick and in pain; the bad news has poured in lately - students, colleagues, friends, and friends-of-friends.  My prayer list has grown longer nearly every day over the past couple of weeks.

As I flipped page after page through my Bible this weekend, I became more aware of my shortcomings.  God wants us to thank Him, to praise Him.  Do I do this enough?

My prayers seem to begin with "God, please do this and please do that . .  ."  After all, I firmly believe in His healing power and I pray for healing for these people.

But have I been expressing my gratitude to Him?  His Word reminds me that we no longer have to make sacrificial offerings of slaughter; instead, our sacrifice is in the form of thankfulness.

Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High.  Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.  Psalm 50: 14-15

But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.  If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.  Psalm 50:23

Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.  Philippians 4:6  

Praise the Lord; praise God our Savior! For each day he carries us in his arms.  Psalm 68:19

 You thrill me Lord, with all you have done for me!  I sing for joy because of what you have done.  Psalm 92:4

 Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.  He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.  Psalm 103: 2-3

It's really nice when someone says "Thank you" for something I've done; it warms my heart, makes me smile inside.  It feels good to be appreciated. On the flip side, it's disappointing to work hard, to do for others time and again and never hear a word of thanks.  Makes you wonder if anyone even noticed you did something for them.

I suppose God can feel the same way.  He does for us over & over, yet our thanks and praise is haphazard.

As I continue on this joy journey, practicing my attitude of gratitude, I am grateful

• for a husband who's easy going, takes me camping to get away from home on the weekends, enjoys the quiet of our company
• for a daughter who's finding her calling in the work of patient care, whose medical knowledge far surpasses anything I could ever hope to know, whose kindness and compassion for others is evidenced in her work every day
• for a son whose sense of adventure, confidence in himself and willingness to work have taken him far from home
• for a family who shares so we could enjoy the beauty of the lake, the shade of a cozy dock and the quiet calm of the water this weekend
• for a job I look forward to every morning, that challenges me to continually grow
• for health, for annual doctor visits, for follow-ups with "no findings," for His healing
• for Spider Lilies that pop up once a year en masse
• for shadows that dance on the eaves
• for a gentle God-nudge reminding me to express my gratitude, to be thankful, to praise Him

In a Nutshell

Recognize God's goodness in every part of your life.  Thank Him and praise Him continually, for even shadows dancing on the eaves are a gift from Him.

For what are you thankful today?

Working through Revisions in Student Writing

Story lead 1: I tip-toed into the kitchen.  It was early Saturday morning. I had a secret plan.

Story lead 2: I wanted to do something special for my mama.  I cooked breakfast for her on Saturday morning.

Which story had you rather read?

.

Writing instruction is daunting.  How do we teach students to craft stories that are interesting for others to read?

Students need many examples and lots of opportunities to create if they are to become writers who produce captivating stories.  Today I'm sharing a process that you might find helpful to use with your students. 

Idea generation begins generally; these are often too large for a story.  However, there may be many stories embedded in those big ideas, just as the chart above shows.  For example, I want to write about my trip to the beach.  Listing several events that occurred during the beach trip leads to small moment ideas: catching a fish, building a sand castle, playing mini-golf.

The big idea story is a typical retelling of a weekend trip: we did this, then that, then something else. We want our students to go far beyond this type of storytelling, but it is a starting point.  When students write a story such as this, help them pull out the one sentence that should be the idea for the small moment story. In this case, the writer pulled out the idea of fishing and wrote a story.

There's a lot of set-up to this fishing story.  Does the reader need to plow through this to get to the heart of the tale?  There's also a lot of telling, not much showing; the description is definitely lacking. It is doubtful a reader will be captivated by this story.

What's different in this revision?  For one, the story begins in the middle of the action: "My line tightened."  Conflict is present.  Setting is implied.  An element of suspense lures the reader.  The dialogue between dad and son recreates the moment with the excitement and tension that were present.  The story ends with a surprising, perhaps humorous, point: "Somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico is a shark with my hook in its mouth."

Writers need to work through a process, a series of revisions, to move from idea to story to story-worth-sharing.  Studying examples of this process will help writers develop their storytelling and revision skills.  

Here is another example:

Draft 1 has some good storytelling elements:  dialogue, an element of suspense, conflict, setting, and a point.  Notice the differences in Draft 2.

Between Drafts 2 and 3, the writer fine-tunes several sentences, sharpening description.

In the third draft, the revisions are in place.  How does this story compare with the story idea (the real first draft) and Draft 1?  Is this a more captivating story?  What elements of good storytelling are present?

In a Nutshell

We want student writers to revise their work from "I did this, then that" stories to captivating audiences with in-the-moment experiences.  Provide examples. Model with examples. Create shared examples.

What models are you sharing with your students?