Monday, September 30, 2019

You Are Your Strong by Danielle Dufayet (Mental Wellness)

You Are Your Strong by Danielle Dufayet discusses a wide range of emotions.  Emotions that can be hard to manage; worry, scared, sad, and mad.  Each emotion has a different pair of characters.  The child feeling the emotion and then the adult who helps the child see the opposite emotion and overcome those initial feelings.  My favorite line from the book is, "Inside you, your Strong is a light that shines like the sun."  The same set of characters return and this time they are able to share ways they independently find something different to change their feelings to an opposite emotion.  For example a little girl is afraid of monsters and the dark and tells funny stories to get her thinking to being brave.  There's a fabulous two page spread at the end with a note to parents and caregivers with advice and suggestions for helping children and the many emotions they can feel.  These tips also apply to our classrooms where children spend a great deal of their day during the school year.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Thinking as a Parent and Teacher Intertwine {Slice of Life}

The parking lot is full and I find a spot in the grass to park.  My schedule for the night is on my phone and I'm ready to walk the high school hallways as my junior does.  As I walk through the parking lot, I remind myself I'm here as a parent.  I make a plan to listen as a parent; resting my teaching brain. Not too long into the first session I start taking notes.  Notes as a parent, notes as a teacher - the lines are intertwined.  Each role influences the other.  I hope these lines tug at your heart as they did mine as a teacher and educator.  I'm excited for a more relaxed high school year this year.

"I"ll love your kid and get maximum effort."

"I've never had a boring day, if I do it's my fault."

"Keep school at school."

"One goal is to increase tolerance  - wisdom about people."

"Your child will read 10 minutes every day without fail in class."

"Reading for joy helps heart health and personal health."

"Grading system is flawed."

"I have a lot of room to grow."

"Not much outside work."

"Every kid needs somebody - I'm willing to help."


Thank you Two Writing Teachers for fostering this writing community.