#IF NOT FOR FRANKI

Happy Birthday, Franki!

It's a landmark birthday for you today

and we celebrate you

by reflecting on all the ways

you have made our world a better place.

(Thank you, Ruth, for the cute button!)

IF NOT FOR FRANKI

I wouldn't have written a book.

("You should write a book.")

IF NOT FOR FRANKI

I wouldn't be the blogger I am today.

("What's a blog? If you start it, I'll do it.")

IF NOT FOR FRANKI

I wouldn't have written for Choice Literacy.

("There's an article in that.")

IF NOT FOR FRANKI

I wouldn't be the professional I am today.

("Why do you think that?")

IF NOT FOR FRANKI

I wouldn't attend nearly so many conferences!

("Want to go to ______?")

IF NOT FOR FRANKI 

I wouldn't be on Twitter.

("Bill (Bass) will teach us.")

IF NOT FOR FRANKI

I wouldn't have gambled at all in Las Vegas.

("It's fun!")

IF NOT FOR FRANKI

There would be less laughter,

less book buying, and

less Starbucks Venti Awake Tea.

BECAUSE OF FRANKI

the world is a better place!

What Feeds My Soul

The birthday cake I made myself last year.
Three layers of chocolately goodness,
with two coffee buttercream layers,
covered in ganache.

Well, yes, there's that.

But that's not what I was thinking of this time. (except I sort of am, now...)

What feeds my soul is Environmental Club.

Here's why:

CHOICE.

I do this club in my own free time, for no pay. It's my choice.
And the activities we do are my choice,
not tied to standards or state tests.
The students who are are in the club are there by choice.
It's a multi-age group, my favorite age group:
4th and 5th graders (some returning members).

We like each other in a way that assessing and grading
will never taint.

Last week and this, we wrote poetry
inspired by the photos I've taken of the club and our activities
so far this year.

For the next month or so, we will focus on birds
as we work up to
The Great Backyard Bird Count.

Then it will be almost March, and time to plan for our garden.

You might think that I'd come home exhausted
after a full day of teaching
and then yet another hour with children
(more children than I have in my homeroom).

Nope.

I come home jazzed up and happy.

My soul runneth over.

Thank goodness for Environmental Club.

Poetry Friday: Leaf Hurricane

Flickr Creative Commons photo by Paul Stevenson

LEAF HURRICANE

Clouds darken
Wind gusts
leaves swirl
I twirl

          My wild spinning dance
          Is magic to me
          I dance with the wind
          I dance with the leaves

Rain spits
wind gusts
leaves swirl
I twirl
   
          I dance with the wind
          I dance with the leaves
          With every spin
          My spirit flies free

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2013


This poem was inspired by the children who danced yesterday (all recess long) in the leaf hurricane that forms on the playground in the corner by the cafeteria and art room windows.

Linda has the Poetry Friday roundup at TeacherDance this week. Have another handful of candy corn, and head on over for the after-Halloween party.

Exciting News!

Mary Lee Hahn Wins National Grant 

Mary Lee Hahn has received a $500 mini-grant from the National Center for Family Literacy and Better World Books.

She is one of only 20 winners nationwide to receive the award, which will promote creative ideas for using Wonderopolis® with families. Wonderopolis.org was created by NCFL in 2010 to provide free, family-friendly content that is practical, easy to use and designed to engage children’s natural curiosity and transform it into a lifelong love of learning. It was one of only five family websites that TIME Magazine named the 50 best websites in 2011.

The funding will be used to purchase an iPad, which will support Mary Lee's use of Wonderopolis to teach nonfiction reading skills in her fourth grade classroom.

Wonderopolis is a free resource for families and schools, so hundreds of educators across the country already are using it to generate excitement for learning in schools, libraries and homes across the country. But this mini-grant will help Mary Lee magnify the reach and impact of this 21st century online learning tool. Other programs and communities also will learn from Mary Lee on how they can maximize the use of Wonderopolis.

THANK YOU, NCFL, BETTER WORLD BOOKS, AND WONDEROPOLIS!!