Thank you, Blog Readers!

Some time in the past few days, we passed the one MILLION visitor mark (according to SiteMeter).

Mind boggling.

A small city's worth of people have visited our blog.

Thank you for stopping by!

Groundhog Weather School by Joan Holub

A few years ago, when I was a K-5 librarian in our district, I remember clearly a first grader visiting the library on a cold day in winter.  She looked at me with a determined face and said, "I NEED a book. About Flowers. And Sun."  And she waited. I chucked as I knew how she felt. Winter was miserable and we needed there to be an end in sight!  We found a few Lois Ehlert books and she was on her way.

I felt the same way at the bookstore last weekend when I saw the book Groundhog Weather School: Fun Facts About Weather and Groundhogs on display. I am not a fan of holiday books or of Groundhog Day. But the book reminded me that there might be an end in sight to this miserable winter.  It reminded me that Groundhog Day is right around the corner and then spring follows at some point.  It ended up that I loved the book so I bought it to share with my kids on February 2.

The book is a fun one in that it is filled with information but it is in the context of a fun story.  The story is one of groundhogs who go to Groundhog Weather School and learn to predict spring on February 2. The story is fun as there are fun visuals throughout (an add for the groundhogs made me laugh). There is a graphic feel to the book and the talking bubbles will engage kids immediately.  But the thing I like most are the nonfiction features and the way that this author embedded information in the book.

A page of "GeHOGraphy gives information on Groundhogs in North America.  The page of "Famous Furry Hognosticators" gives us basic info on 8 famous groundhogs in the US and beyond.  Readers learn about weathermen and how groundhogs build burrows. And the final page gives us more history of the day.

I love this book because of the visuals. I never buy a book that we'll only enjoy for one week out of the year. But this will be one we can read all year.  It will be a fun book to share on Groundhog Day but we can also revisit the visuals any time of the year to see how this author shared important information in a visual way.

Thanks to the #nerdlution Community!

So, #nerdlution began in November.  A group of us started chatting about goals and I decided I'd try to do something (or 3 things) daily for 50 days. The 50 days was random but it sounded rational.  I was amazing for 20 days. I ate an apple every day, I ran or walked for 20 minutes each day, and I wrote for 30 minutes each day.  This was all in crazy December so I tried to fit lots in before work.  I figured the 2 week break at the holidays would make #nerdlution easy! But that's not what happened.  First I got a huge canker sore from the apples, then my husband got sick with the flu, the the puppy stopped sleeping through the night and so I took a few days' break from my #nerdlution goals.  And I never got back to them......20 days and then I pretty much quit. It's kind of how 2013 went for me overall and it is what it is.

But I consider #nerdlution a success and the 50 day challenge has made me think about communities we create in our classrooms in new ways.  I've realized that I've learned and grown a ton by sitting on the sidelines these last few weeks.  That even though I wasn't meeting my personal goal, I still felt part of the #nerdlution community. No one kicked me out of the community, even when I wasn't doing my part. There is something important about that.  It reminds me of workshop, where everyone in the room learns from others' goals and the progress others are making.  And that you are part of that community whether you are participating or sitting on the sidelines watching.  

I am amazed by how much I learned by sitting on the sidelines:

-I didn't choose a goal for commenting on blogs but when I watched Kevin comment for 50 days on 50 different blogs, I decided I needed to visit new blogs and to be a better commenter. I almost NEVER comment on blogs and I typically visit the same blogs each week.  I didn't set a goal and didn't do anything consistently but being part of Kevin's #nerdution helped me change a few of my blog reading habits...just a little.  I am finding new blogs and also commenting a tiny bit more because of watching Kevin meet his #nerdlution goal.

-I didn't choose Random Acts of Kindness but Patrick did and when I'd read his daily posts, I realized how much I'd been caught up in getting stuff done instead of doing kind things for others. Even though I didn't choose this as a goal, listening in on Patrick's #nerdlution progress helped me to take a breath and be a little kinder during the hectic holiday season. And just by being kinder, I slowed down and enjoyed the days better than the days that I spend rushing around and I still got as much done.

-I didn't choose to read for pleasure, but Clare did and I realized that one of these days, I wanted to give myself a round of #nerdlution that was just for me. An excuse to do the one thing I love to do but don't always make time for.  I was jealous of Clare's nerdlution each time I was eating an apple. Not in a bad way, but in a way that let me know it is something I want to do in the future. Although I read a lot, giving myself to read for pleasure for an hour every day seems like a goal I'll have someday soon.

-I saw the power of cheerleaders like Kevin and Bonnie.  These two, along with others, seemed to somehow cheer everyone on. It would make a difference and I realized again how much you need some cheering when things get tough.

-I loved that Betsy chose a #nerdlution she was already passionate about and made it a daily thing.  It seemed like a real treat for her to try a #chalkabration each day.  Seeing her daily chalkabration helped me bring more of this into my classroom when it felt right--rather than waiting for an official #chalkabration day.

-I loved how Mary Lee tweaked her #nerdlution to be 5 days a week and wondered why I hadn't thought of that! Even though I was part of the group that invented #nerdlution, I never thought to give myself permission to revise it to make it work for me. 

-I appreciated tweets from others who had missed some days or those who couldn't find time to fit in their #nerdlution over the holidays. The honesty of how things were going helped me think about the goals I was setting and whether they were really realistic.

-Because of #nerdlution, I jumped into things that I never would have.  I picked a OLW for 2014 because I saw the power of a long-term focus and saw the connection to what I was trying to do with #nerdlution.

So, I learned a lot from the #nerdlution sidelines.  Even though I didn't meet my #nerdlution challenge, the #nerdlution community taught me what was possible. And even though my goals were focused on fitness and writing, I grew in other areas too, because I felt part of everyone's goals.  

I also learned about goal setting and what makes sense for me. Even though I didn't meet my #nerdlution goal, my habits have changed a little and I've learned how to set a better goal for Round 2 of #nerdlution.  I've learned that I can't commit to anything for 7 days a week (and that's okay).  I've learned that goals that are overambitious don't actually work for me (took me 50 years to figure that out...) I've learned that 5:00 am isn't such a bad time to be awake and there is something wonderful about spending the first hour of the day reading, writing or walking.  I've learned that cheering others on, actually changes me too.  I've learned what is possible in terms of goal setting. I loved the variety of goals people had and I loved the way the goals impacted others.

#Nerdlution didn't turn out the way I had hoped it would. I did not even come close to meeting my goals.  But sitting on the sidelines for the last 30 days and watching others in this community have had a huge impact on the way I live my life.  

And, I can't help but think of the reading and writing communities in our classrooms. Those kids who seem to be sitting on the sidelines, are learning from being part of the community --learning what's possible. Sometimes it might be enough for them

So, as I go into #nerdlution Round 2, I've discovered that goal setting is a process and I meet some goals and I don't meet others. But I learn things we didn't expect along the way, thanks to community. These were things I have always known but things that became so clear to me during these last 50 days.  

Congratulations to everyone on this first round of #nerdlution and thanks for letting me learn from all of you!

Celebrate!

Check out all the celebrations at www.ruthayreswrites.com

Today I'm celebrating my school mailbox. 

Not because it gets filled with fliers to be passed out, 

paper work to be filled out, 

and junk mail to be tossed out 

(into the recycling bin, of course).

I'm celebrating my school mailbox 

because of the surprises I found there this week:

The first was from Franki. My OLW. It calms me down just to look at it. I wear it on my watch wrist, so when I check the time, it's always "time to breathe." 

The second is a long-standing joke with a friend who shares my love of Russell Stover Coconut Cream and Maple Cream Easter eggs. As soon as the Christmas candy is reduced to 50% and the Valentine's Day candy appears, we're on the lookout for the first sighting of the Russell Stover eggs. Whoever finds them first sends the other a pair. Julia wins this year. Bonus points for sending them interoffice mail in the exact same (perfect-sized) box I used last year. 

Poetry Friday -- In Praise of Challenges

It started with #nerdlution, back on December 2. Fifty days to try something new, get something back, make a habit. My #nerdlution was to walk a mile and write for 30 minutes every day. The walking has dialed back to 5/7 days a week, but the writing has stayed strong.

At the end of break, I layered in a weekly TED Talk/illustrated notes challenge.

On January 1, I started writing a poem a day for Month of Poetry.

For the last couple of weeks, I've been giving Tricia's Monday Poetry Stretch challenges a try.

So what's up with all of these external challenges? Can't I keep busy enough on my own?

I look at them as nudges. Each has moved me to a new level of creativity and into new ways of thinking. The funny thing is, they don't really function as layers. It doesn't feel like I'm doing more and more. Because things like this happen:

I watched this TED talk on doing something new for 30 days. My notes weren't rich

and his talk wasn't so much of a WOW as a *nods head in agreement.* But that idea of Rut vs. New got in my head and became a part of my first ever pantoum that I wrote for #MoP and Monday Poetry Challenge in my #nerdlution 30-minutes-a-day writing.

Layers.



YIN AND YANG

I crave both
the comfort of routine
and the thrill
of unknowns.

The comfort of routine:
the well-worn path through a day full
of unknowns,
surprises at every turn.

The well-worn path through a day, full.
And the thrill --
surprises at every turn.
I crave both.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014


(Here's last year's version on this theme.)


Keri has the Poetry Friday roundup this week at Keri Recommends.

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.

Wordless Wednesday

by Hugh MacLeod at gapingvoid.com

Last Week's TED Talk

You might remember that I recently challenged myself to watch a TED talk every week and take illustrated notes. Here are my notes from last week's video: Susan Cain: The Power of Introverts. Susan Cain wrote Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking  

Before I watched the video, I thought about that word power. When I considered my own introversion, power was not a word I would use to describe it. I thought of pain, loneliness, uncertainty and hesitation.

By the end of the video, I was at peace with my introversion. 

I saw the truth in what Cain said about introverted leaders -- that they achieve better outcomes because they let employees run with their own ideas rather than always trying to micromanage and put their stamp on everything.

I thought hard about what she says is a prevalent attitude in education that the best students are extroverts. Do I believe this? Does my classroom look like I believe this? In her call to action, Cain made three points that I will take to heart:

1. Stop the madness for constant group work. Students need privacy, need to experience freedom, and learn to deal with autonomy.
2. Go to the wilderness. Have revelations. Unplug.
3. Know yourself. Accept yourself. Play to your own strengths rather than those you perceive society values.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking -- Kindle edition is only $2.99!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a meme hosted by Jen of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee of Unleashing Readers. Visit their blogs to see the round up and discover great new books!


Here are some highlights from my latest reading.

Two Recent Picture Books I've Loved:

Sophie's Squash

Henny (Paula Wiseman Books)

A New Early Reader Series I Discovered 

Thanks to CYBILS Finalist Lists:

Urgency Emergency! Big Bad Wolf

New Nonfiction Picture Books I Love:

The Long, Long Journey: The Godwit's Amazing Migration

Eat Like a Bear

Handle With Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey (Nonfiction - Grades Prek-4)

(I reviewed this one last week on the blog.)

My Latest Adult Read that I Highly Recommend:

Flight Behavior: A Novel

Books We are Enjoying in the Classroom:

Outfoxed

The Thing About Georgie

Poetry Friday -- Recipe

Recipe

The yellowed newspaper clipping
is attached to an index card
with brittle cellophane tape.
"Nov. 1949
Women's Day Kitchen"
is written in faded ink
at the top of the card.

Her canned tomatoes
were from the garden,
mine are from the store.
Her biscuits were made from scratch,
mine are a boxed mix.

She washed up the prep bowls
by hand,
tired after a long day's work.

Some things don't change.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2014



I am participating in Month of Poetry (#MoP) again this year. It is coordinated and led by Australian poet and children's author Kat Apel, a "friend in my head" (never met her in person) from the March Madness 2012 poetry tournament. The discipline of writing a poem a day for at least a semi-public audience is good practice for April. It's a healthy reminder that I have to take what I get in the 20-30 minutes of #nerdlution writing I've promised myself on a daily basis. I wrote this poem while dinner was cooking last night.

The actual recipe is in Mom's recipe box. It's a childhood favorite that I cooked for her while I was home at Christmas. I copied the recipe down (not word for word) to bring a little HOME back home.

Hamburger Cobbler
Nov. 1949 Women's Day Kitchen

1 sm onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 lb hamburger
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 lb sliced cheese
1 (cup) can drained diced tomatoes
2 T worcestershire sauce
3 T ketchup

(ingredients for homemade biscuits)
2 1/4 c Bisquick + 2/3 c milk

Sauté onion and garlic, then add hamburger and seasonings and brown. Spread in a 9x9 baking dish. Put sliced cheese on top, then the tomatoes mixed with worcestershire and ketchup. Put blops of Bisquick on top of the tomato mixture. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes.



Donna, at Mainely Write, is cooking up the Poetry Friday roundup this week.