I
remember becoming a parent. After the exhaustion of the first year or so, the
questions began to flow:
Why is the sky blue?
What is that?
Why do you have to pull those plants out of the ground, but not those?
Who made the first chair?
Rather
than be irritated by the endless stream of questions, they fascinated me.
Ordinary events were new. The marvel that is our world surrounded me. These
questions changed me. I began to appreciate more, slow down, and realized how
much I love a beautiful sunset.
You don’t have to be a toddler to open the eyes of others. When we moved to our tiny hamlet years ago, my husband delighted in seeing Cardinals. He’d point them out, especially during winter when the male’s red feathers stood in stark contrast with the white snow. I asked him why he was so fascinated – apparently even though they are our state bird, Cardinals are not plentiful in the busy city of Chicago.
These
thoughts were swirling around in my mind during today’s run. As I plodded down
the sidewalk, bunnies raced off, afraid of the woman puffing along beside them.
I had seen a few bunnies hop out of the way of my car when driving a friend to
my house the other night. “Bunnies!” she said glancing out the window. I’m
guessing that they aren’t as prevalent in Texas as they are in Illinois. My
dog, Bally, could give her an entire lesson on where you find the nest of the
bunnies in the spring.
Running
past the rabbits, I reflected back on All Write. I love conferences. Friends
think I am crazy to spend so much of my own money to attend these, but I know
it is critical to my well being to go. Not only do I get the chance to see
friends who live so far from my town, but I leave with fresh eyes. I am rejuvenated
and ready to teach – or will be in a few weeks. All Write did not disappoint. I
have many notes scribbled away on snatches of paper and wanted to share a few.
Here are just a few snippets of
the wonderful insights I walked away from All Write with. Some are quotes; some
are just what I realized while sitting and listening. Thanks to all of the
amazing presenters. My eyes are open once again.
Creative,
innovative, successful people spend ten thousand hours developing a skill.
(Gladwell) Have writing territories (Murray) that we return to again and again
helps us become experts in that area. We need to encourage more creativity and
initiative amongst our students. Writing Workshop can do that. – Carl Anderson
The idea
that I work my tail off helping students to develop their reading lives, I need
to do the same for their writing lives. Starting my notebook up again
today. – Penny Kittle
The
difference between relevant and related instruction. I think I mess this
up often. Also, the realization that I need to do more with word study. – Terry
Thompson
A
reminder that in writing – as is true in life – the importance lies in the
journey, not the destination. – Ruth Ayers
The
importance of listening to my students, really listening, when I confer. Also,
the idea of video taping myself for reflection. – Penny Kittle
The crazy
notion that research can be fun. (!!) Ideas as to how to help my students
summarize and not plagiarize. – Chris Lehman.
The
importance of the work done by those who came before – listening to Penny talk
about the amazing Don Graves and being in awe of all that he accomplished. –
Penny Kittle
Thinking
through the current state of education and reminding myself that I need to be
aware of what is going on in relation to CCSS, Pearson, and more – even when
(or maybe especially when) I don’t agree with it. – Chris Lehman
Being
inspired and in awe of Lester’s way with words and storytelling capabilities.
Realizing ideas take time – seeds for stories are everywhere. “Chasing ideas is
not about getting published, it’s about finding what resonates in your soul.” –
Lester Laminack.
