Hope

I just wrote a piece on my teacher blog and found that it was relevant to share here. So, here it is:

Trail Journeys - teaching blog.... here it is (if you don’t want to click the link):

Summer is melting before my eyes. Tomorrow will begin year 12 of teaching for me. Awaiting my arrival is a new flexible seating plan (stools, rolling chairs, camping chairs, and a rug), enough summer PD to make my brain fill full and almost overwhelmed, and six lists of new names to learn.

Today, I logged into our online grading system and began looking over the lists. I have been checking daily for weeks and this is the day that they became available. I read the names a few times over to myself and found myself wondering what new insights they will bring to my class. As I looked at the names, I was reminded of why I cycle back in each year…with each name, there is hope. There is hope for inspiration. There is the hope that students will become better thinkers and readers. There is the hope that this thinking and reading will spark positive change in their life that also makes a difference in our country and world. As I look at my list of names, I realize that teachers across the country are doing (or will be doing) the exact same thing.

That, my friends, is a magnitude of hope

The Curse of Things

Each day, summer ticks forward and I can feel the school year creeping upon me.  I had my first dream about school two whole weeks ago and found myself standing in my classroom facing an unfinished room and panicked about what I would teach.  The unfinished room part is currently a reality, but it won't be for long.  I moved classrooms this summer and in the process, I have purged (and will continue to purge) so many things that I have held in my room for years.  This purging has carried over to my house and I now find myself looking at cabinets that actually have space and shelves that are not completely full because I have begun a great purge.

Just moments before this picture, these shelves were completely full!  That was a lot of throwing away.

I find that as I look at these things, I am struck by how much clutter I have - it is all clutter that I originally thought was most definitely a necessity.  So, I have begun to question what it is that I need?  What do I need to fill my shelves and my house and even my heart?  My first answers come quickly and obviously:  my faith in God, my family, my friends.  Yet, I am part of the American "want society."  I shop Amazon Prime Days and was there when the dogs of Amazon prime popped up immediately because consumer American had shut down the site.  I considered Build A Bear build your age day (but fortunately we were already booked that day).  For me, it seems that that there is always a desire for more - of whatever is being marketed. 

I want to work on this within myself, so I am reaching out....what tricks do you have for managing the "stuff" and for minimizing when there is just too much?!  I would love to hear ideas, and perhaps even try (and chronicle) some of them too!