"Gone to the Fields to Be Lovely"

Our Summer Courage to Teach Retreat was held at the Moreau River Sanctuary in Isabel, South Dakota. Many of you have heard me share my thoughts on the picturesque prairie setting and have asked to see photos. Although the pictures don’t do justice to the setting’s beauty, here they are as promised.

A slideshow design by Smilebox

The title of today’s post comes from a poem by Lynn Ungar which was shared at the retreat. It is titled Camas Lilies. Here is a snippet:

And you- what of your rushed and
useful life? Imagine setting it all down-
papers, plans, appointments, everything
leaving only a note: “Gone to the fields
to be lovely. Be back when I’m through
with blooming.”

I often struggle with slowing down and just being. I feel like I need to be doing, doing, doing (often multiple things at once). As part of my Courage Work, I am learning to embrace solitude and celebrate living in the moment. I am reminded of the flight attendant’s mandatory pre-flight message “Please secure your own oxygen mask before helping those around you”. When I’m not taking care of myself, I can’t be much help to others. It’s important for me to be rested and refreshed so that I can fully give myself to others and the experiences of life.

In order to live to my fullest potential, I am committing to go into the fields often. Here are my fields:
• Nature: It is crucial for me to be in nature. It is both relaxing and invigorating for me. Nature has restorative properties. I love to relate to the magnificence of the earth and marvel at her dynamic beauty.
• Garden of “flowers”: Cultivating a garden of striking flowers- a community of positive, uplifting people who respect me, accept me, and embrace me for who I am. There are far too many toxic weeds out there. While I don’t need to pull them out, I also don’t need to put them in a vase on my table.
• Youthful perspective: Seeing the world through the eyes of my children (and my students) helps me appreciate the exciting in the seemingly mundane.
• Music: I appreciate all types. Music speaks to me and moves my soul. I am becoming introduced to many new pieces and genres thanks to my garden of flowers.
• Poetry: Mostly reading other people’s poetry (I am amazed at people’s way with words), and also experimenting expressing myself and writing some of my own.
• Dancing: Movement is another remarkable form of expression, both watching others and participating myself.
• Reading: A passion- yes. Therapeutic- yes. Getting lost in faraway stories, being involved in thought provoking questions, and reviewing old letters and notes (true gifts written by those that care).
• Journaling: A great tool of self-exploration. One in which I am honest with myself, my thoughts, and my feelings, not simply a log of the day’s events.
• Photography: A growing passion of mine. Seeing things from a different perspective. Humbly trying to capture the world’s wonder.
• Scrapbooking: Combining journaling and photography. I often joke about being a “scrapbook collector” and now I am finally making the time to create some pages. It’s great therapy and I’m beginning to do some pages just for me.

What “fields” do you go to “to be lovely”? And if you don’t often go into the fields, why not start making regular trips today?

Summer Reading

The 2010-2011 school year has officially come to an end. Friday, May 27 was my last day with kids. As I gave my students one last goodbye hug, I encouraged them to keep reading over the summer. I shared with them my desire to dive into some great books, get lost in a new novel, learn something new, and visit faraway places by way of the library.

 I know many of you out there use summer to catch up on reading. What titles do you have sitting in the stack of books beside your bed? What books are on your summer reading list? I can’t wait to hear your recommendations (both education and non education related)…

Here are a few of mine:

·         The Hero Inside of You: 260 Thrilling and Inspiring True Stories of Ordinary Heroes by Allan Zullo and Mara Bovsun. This little delight was a gift from two of the student interns at my school. It’s a great little book not only because of the inspirational stories, but also because it’s easy to read a story in a couple of minutes while you’re waiting for the train or sitting at the dentist’s office and it fits nicely in my purse.

·         Black Ants and Buddhists: Thinking Critically and Teaching Differentially in the Primary Grades by Mary Cowley. I’ve seen this book in the Stenhouse Publishers catalog and it’s been on my list for some time. While I was at the International Reading Association Conference three weeks ago, my colleague, Mrs. Tautkus, purchased it herself, not knowing it was on my wish list and excited shared it with me. I perused her book and went right over to the Stenhouse booth during my next break and picked up my own copy. I started reading it on the plane ride home and I am not disappointed. If you are interested in creating nurturing environments that foster socially responsible and critical children, this is the book for you.   

·         Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson.  I saw a video on You Tube and immediately added it to my list. Check out the video at http://youtu.be/NugRZGDbPFU if you want to know why I’m intrigued.

·         Anything We Love Can be Saved: A Writer’s Activism by Alice Walker. I was at the Rapid City Public Library looking for Frederick Manfred: A Daughter Remembers  by Freya Manfred. I couldn’t find the book; however, this one caught my attention. Although Alice Walker won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Color Purple; it was the title that convinced me to add yet another book to my pile.

·         The Wind Blows Free by Frederick Manfred. This is the selection for my The Novel Ladies and Friends book club in June.  It’s a personal memoir of the Dust Bowl.

·         Lot’s Return to Sodom by Sandra Brannan. See why here.  

·         What Really Matters in Response to Education by Richard Allington. I’m reading this one for a summer book study with several colleagues at school. I’m looking forward to some good conversations about designing RtI programs that support struggling readers.

·        Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. The authors show how to blend intellectual intelligence and social intelligence to create dialogue. The forward is written by Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, so I am confident it will be a productive read.

As you can see, I am sorely lacking fiction titles here. Once I finish these eight, I have several others waiting in the wing, but I’m always on the lookout for more. I can’t wait to see what everyone else is reading.

Taking a Risk and in Denver by 6:00

Friday during Easter weekend my husband texted me the following “Let’s fly to Denver tonight.” A little background is in order here… my husband works for an airline and as part of his benefits, we can fly stand by for free. Picture this: we have been married for 10 years and I have only used his benefits 3 times (for our honeymoon, to attend my sister’s wedding reception in Omaha, and once when I took my oldest son to Salt Lake City to visit friends). The timing is never right.  I always have something that needs to be done or the flights are full and I worry about getting back. I thought he was crazy for even suggesting it. I had been gone two weekends in a row- one for the Milken Forum and one for Courage to Teach. All I wanted to do (or thought I wanted to do) was stay home.

For some reason, I decided to just go for it this time around. For anyone who knows me, this is not me at all- not planned, very spur of the moment. I rushed home at 2:00, took a shower, packed for myself and my two boys, packed for my daughter who would be staying with her grandma, dropped off my daughter in town, and was at the airport by 4:00.



"Once you have tasted flight,

 you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,

for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. "

~ Leonard da Vinci



We were in Denver by 6:00. Eli seemed to relax about his fear of flying and actually enjoyed the return flight. It helped to have dad there explaining all the noises and process of flight in technical terms, which calmed Eli’s fears better than my strategies. Ethan experienced his first ever flight and loved it.

The next day, we took public transportation to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. We saw a 3D show at the IMAX. It was called Born to be Wild 3D. I don’t know who enjoyed themselves more- me or my boys. I have never seen a 3D movie before. Experiencing one at the IMAX was unbelievable. Born to be Wild is an incredible story about orphaned orangutans and elephants, and the amazing individuals who rescue, raise, rehabilitate, and return them to the wild. Visit the following link to learn more about the story and view a trailer of the film. http://www.dmns.org/imax/current-films/born-to-be-wild-3d

If I would have thought about things too much, I probably would have said no and I would have missed all the incredible experiences that occurred in one, short, 24 hour period. The lesson here…sometimes you just have to take a risk.  This year has really been one of stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new things, both personally and professionally. See my previous post "I'm new. I'm trying." Button about trying new things.

What risks have you taken this year? How has it paid off? What have you learned from your new experiences?

Courage to Teach: Renew, sustain, and inspire.

Renew, sustain, and inspire. What do you think of when you read those words? I think of the work I am doing with Courage to Teach. I am part of a cadre of the fourth CTT program in South Dakota.  We gather for a series of six retreats over eighteen months. The retreats are led by skilled facilitators. Our amazing leaders are Educational Technology Specialists with TIE (Technology and Innovation in Education).  Check out http://www.tie.net to learn more about TIE and their numerous professional development projects and opportunities. 

Our retreats have taken place at the Outlaw Ranch in Custer, SD

The mission of Courage to Teach is to help foster personal and professional renewal through retreats that offer time and space to reflect on our life and work. We use poetry, stories, solitude, reflection, and deep listening.  Visit http://www.couragerenewal.org for podcasts, a blog, and information about retreats and programs. While you are there, don’t forget to check out the books by Parker Palmer located under the Resources section.

The hope that Spring brings

If you ever have the opportunity to attend Courage to Teach retreats, DO IT! It promises to be one of the most valuable experiences you will ever be involved in, personally and professionally.

I’m curious… have you read any of Parker Palmer’s work? Has anyone been a part of Courage to Teach?

2011 Milken Educator Forum: It's All About the People

I feel like I finally landed back home after being whisked away to a magical land for the weekend. I was honored to attend the 2011 Milken Educator Forum in California as a veteran Milken educator.

We stayed in the luxurious Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The view was breathtaking. I could handle waking up every morning to that! It was invigorating. And the food-  MUY DELICIOSO!  

Despite all of this, nothing compares to the best part of the entire conference- the people. I was surrounded by remarkable individuals: genuine people who truly care about kids, people who take risks and go above and beyond every day, committed people who make a difference, people who want to learn and grow, people who live the meaning of collaboration, people who inspire and encourage, people who prove that there is a great deal that is right about education…

It was wonderful seeing the 2010 Milken educators receive their awards. And yes, there were many touching moments that brought tears to my eyes. The presenters were incredible “ambassadors for excellence”.  The energy and enthusiasm was electric. Two outstanding speakers included football legend and former presidential bodyguard Rosey Grier and Principal Baruti Kafele. To think of the impact that these educators are making around the world leaves me speechless.  

To learn more about the Milken Family Foundation and their numerous initiatives including the Milken Educator Awards, visit http://www.mff.org/.  

Unsung Heroes: How It All Began

Several people have asked how I first became interested in projects of unsung heroes. It dates back to 2008. I was attending the National Milken Educator Awards. My husband and I sat by a wonderful man, Norm Conard. He was friendly, wise, and thoroughly enjoyable.



The next day, I attended a session about project based learning. The thing that first caught my attention was the mention of a woman, Irena Sendler, who rescued Jewish children from the Polish ghettos during WWII. I have always been interested in WWII and inspirational stories of heroic people from that era. I had never heard of Irena before, so I decided to check it out. The gentleman giving the presentation was Norm, my table mate, from the night before. I heard the remarkable story of Irena Sendler. I heard about Norm’s experience as a teacher using project based learning and the young students from Kansas who brought this amazing story to light. Irena’s story is a touching one and there is absolutely no way I can not to justice to it in a single blog entry so please visit http://www.lowellmilkencenter.org/ and click on the link “Life in a Jar”, under highlighted projects. You will also want to visit www.irenasendler.org to learn more about the project and this once unsung hero (no longer unsung, but definitely a hero). 



On display at the Lowell Milken Center



Back to the story of how I came to be involved in my heroes’ project…Those who know me well know that my enthusiasm and passion often get the best of me. I have a tendency to jump right in before thinking things through. Immediately after the session, I marched up to Norm and explained how I would love to do work with project based learning and unsung heroes in my own first grade classroom. The next school year, my students and I did some work on a minor scale. Norm and I stayed in contact.



Megan, Don, myself, Drew, and Norm

Lowell Milken Center in Fort Scott, Kansas



During the summer of 2010, I had the awesome opportunity to visit the Lowell Milken Center in Kansas as a fellow. Visit www.lowellmilkencenter.org and click on the Fellows and Interns link for more information on this invaluable program. I spent a week at the Center learning about project based learning, primary research, and unsung heroes. I was hooked. I returned home with greater passion and enthusiasm than before I left. My colleague, Mrs. Tautkus, had her fire lit and we are continuing this remarkable journey together. Check out her Snowball post at www.mrstautkus.blogspot.com for some insights into our adventure.

And the rest is history in the making…

"I'm new. I'm trying." Button

People who comment that teachers only work 8-3 five days a week with summers off obviously don’t know any teachers! (That’s a whole other post.) Anyhow, Friday nights have become one of my major planning times, often staying until 9:00 at night. Quite often I get together with one of my colleagues, Mrs. Tautkus. Yesterday we stopped by Taco John’s for a quick bite to eat. The young man at the counter greeted me with a smile and I couldn’t help but notice the button he was wearing. It read: “I’m New. I’m Trying.”

I chuckled and imagined myself wearing that same button at school. Although this is my tenth year in education, I continuously find myself saying “I’m new at this. I’m trying.”  Education is all about trying new things, changing what isn’t working, improving what is, meeting the diverse needs of students. This year, as every year, is filled with a long list: going deeper with formative assessment, improving my questioning skills, mentoring a student intern, bringing two nationally known artists to our school for the Artist in Residence program, experimenting with how project based learning looks and sounds in first grade, discovering possible hero stories, taking on recycling projects, trying my hand at blogging, and much more. Things don’t always go as planned. It isn’t always neat and tidy. Things don’t always work out. It isn’t always comfortable. However, I’m learning and my students are learning.

I have a feeling even after 25 years of teaching, I’ll still be saying “I’m new at this. I’m trying.” What things are you trying this year? How is it going? I would love to hear from all you brave people trying new things.

Now, if anyone knows where I get one of those buttons...

“It is alright to try and fail, but don’t fail to try!” –unknown