Looking for the good stuff!

March 15th, #15 in the Slice of Life Challenge, And the Ides of March

I really love that commercial, I think it's for State Farm Insurance, where different 'good deeds' are done because things occur, & someone steps up to do what is needed. If possible, I know I would like to watch even more examples if State Farm decided to lengthen the ad. However, it has inspired me to do something to & from work: to look for 'good deeds' along the way. It's my belief that looking for the positive in life is helpful to the way I feel, & I try to pass on some of my observations whenever it seems appropriate, along with doing a few random acts of kindness when I see a need, too.

This also touches me in that if we were helping in Japan right now, I'm sure we would observe so many kindnesses. Some do see the media differently, but I have seem some news people actually brought to tears by the tragedy there, & the things they have observed in the debris: photo albums, toys, a teapot, etc. I hope that we can all help with some kindness to those in need, but also in our every day encounters with others.

This morning I saw:

--two cars stopped on a road near a highway, both adults clearly dressed for work, but trying very hard to catch a stray dog, to save it from what might have been a tragedy.

--one young man standing back at a bus stop, gesturing & allowing another fellow passenger to climb on the bus first.

--several cars at different intersections pausing to allow another car the right of way, when they really didn't have to.

--three different students greeted me in the hallway, making time to ask how I was, what might be happening to me on spring break; i.e., having a good conversation even in their hurry to classes.

--and finally, when I arrived at my office, a book I had asked to borrow from a student was on my desk--a note saying: "here you are, Linda. Enjoy."

After these observations, I conclude that I am going to have quite a wonderful day!

First Writing after vacation

March 1, 2011 My school just returned from a week's break. Just as I was moving into a good rhythm of work and play at home-no out-of-town trip this time- I have jumped back into work, beginning new goals of teaching, & learning, with our students. I have been welcomed into many classrooms this year, & this time, one colleague & I are beginning a 3 week intensive to write personal essays with her class. As I begin with the group, students are so attentive, laughing when I think they might laugh, thinking about the topics under discussion, & answering some of my questions rather tentatively, but they do try to respond. These upper elementary students are just on the edge of adulthood, & now I am working hard to motivate them to consider choices, to decide some things they believe are important, & then to write to tell others what they think about them. It's easy to write down one's opinion, but crafting personal essays that then broaden one's outlook by doing some further research is the more difficult part. This is the goal, that students begin to gather the beliefs, but then strengthen them by finding out what others' think. The group again asks questions. One of the first of course is 'how long?', & another is 'how about this?'. These first hours together we are all a little nervous, but when I respond to the topics of important things, I am reminded of Margaret Wise Brown's The Important Book, when she starts with "The important thing about ____________ is _______________, & I remind students of these lines, empower them to tell what they believe is important, & why. I share a bit of my own writing; students seem ready to write, & the rest of the time until lunch, we do.