Today is the first day of spring? How did you spend it?

One thing I did today to celebrate is to take my dog for a walk. He loves to go for walks and knows that as soon as I put on my sneakers that…it’s go time! I can barely calm him down enough to put on his harness. We walk the same route when we walk. Today I noticed the crocuses beginning to pop. I love to see this progression over time. I know that now it is only a matter of time until the buds begin to bloom.

Another thing we did to celebrate was take our son to dinner and then to see the comedian John Mulaney. It was his birthday present. He so loves a good steak and some oysters and John Mulaney was so funny. It felt so good to laugh but more than that it felt goo hear my son laugh, to see him smile. I don’t get to see that much anymore. While he is 17 and that has a lot to do with it, these last two years have taken a toll on him. So I am going to take what I can get and appreciate every little moment, every little smile.

Spring brings back green growth and flower blooms. We hear the songs of the birds in the morning. The weather gets warmer and the nights are longer. And people are actually happier. So, appreciate every moment, every smile, every laugh…while you can.

I love learning. I love learning new things I can bring into my classroom. Today was the best day for that. It was the 101st Teachers’ College Saturday Reunion. It a day open to all teachers that is filled with so many learning opportunities – all for free. It happens twice a year and for the last two has been virtual. While I enjoy being in my pajamas and drinking my coffee in bed as I learn, I do enjoy my treks to the city.

What am I going to try and do on Monday?

• Re-evaluate my community of learners – what does learning look like in my classroom? Is there intellectual curiousity? How can I make sure all students are active learner?
• Re-introduce my students to writing and reading partnerships. Students will work as coaches for each other as they are working through the new units.
• Increase the independence of the writers in my class by setting goals and developing work plans.
• Increase the amount of talk in order to bolster academic skills. I need to grow the talk in my classroom.
• Use short films to introduce literary essays. This should be a fun way to think about characterization and big ideas and themes.

Stay tuned next week as I write about the different things I try out.

Tonight is a full moon. It is the Full Worm Moon. It is the third and final moon of the winter. The full moon is all about completion – cleansing, releasing, and removing what no longer serves you. The full moon is the best time to think about your deepest thoughts and to release all the spent energy.

This is one of my self-care rituals. I use the magic of the moon to make a list of the things I want to manifest in my life. Then I make a list of the things that no longer serve me. I go outside and under the bright light of the moon, I burn the lists.

Another thing I do when there is a full moon is clean my physical space. This helps me to clear our the negative energy and makes room for what I am asking to come in. Tomorrow I will clear the my home of the clutter and the things that no longer bring me joy. I will open the windows and let fresh air in. I will change the sheets, wipe down surfaces, and do some smudging.

The next full moon is April 16th. It will be the Pink Moon. It will be the first full moon of the spring. Think about what you want to manifest in your life. Write your list and burn it.

Pandemic

Much like a hard winter

Builds resilience

We can break through

Like the flowers of spring

Pops of color 

Encircling the browns and greys

Crocuses

Pink, white, purple

Yellow daffodils

Tulips in vibrant reds and oranges

Bring renewed beauty

And a sense of hope

As spring emerges

I heard on the news today that there is a push for keeping Daylight Savings Time. This thought of this makes me so happy. I love that it is still light out until after 6. There are so many reasons why this is be a good thing. Sunshine makes everyone smile. Sunshine helps boost a chemical in your brain called serotonin, and that can give you more energy and helps keep you calm, positive, and focused. I don’t care so much about the temperature as the light. This would also help people who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, which I think everyone does to some degree.

With more daylight, I can take walks with my dog when I get home. Being outside and being linked to nature has many benefits. It improves my attention, lowers stress, and betters my mood. Being outside also helps me to tune back in to myself. It lets me slow down and just enjoy the quiet and fresh air. As I walk, I am able to digest the emotions I am feeling and lets me work through problems. Not to mention the time I get to spend with my dog, Brody.

Going on walks also ground me. I reconnect with the earth and nature. I just feel better after being outside, even in the cold weather.

Here is to more daylight!

Today was not a good day and I am not feeling like a very good teacher.

I am not sure what was happening but today felt so off! I am not sure what it was…the full moon coming, the shift in the weather, or mercury in retrograde.

It started with a conversation with a student who produces very little work. I was trying to collaboratively problem solve to find strategies that could help him be more successful. He just did not want to participate. As I sat with him and asked him what might help him he said, “My brain just doesn’t work. I can’t do anything.” When I suggested that he write with a partner on a story together, he added,” I’ve had writers block since third grade. I was writing a story with X and X when it happened and now I can’t write anymore.” My heart is breaking for him as I struggle to find ways to make him feel successful. I know by the look in his eyes that is not how he feels about himself.

Later in the day, when I reminding another student of hallway expectations, I was told to “shut up.” Now that is not the first this has happened but it especially bothered me today. Even though I know this is his impulsive response, it was very upsetting nonetheless. I am so tired of being spoken to like that regardless of why. I decided to have a conversation about this with him after lunch. I told him how he hurt my feelings and that I don’t deserve to be spoken to that way as I do not speak like that to him. He did apologize and I know it was sincere but I am still bothered. Even as I write this I still have that pit in my stomach.

Today was not a good day but tomorrow will be better. The sun will be shining. I will start over. Tomorrow will be a good day.

Today was a good day despite the time change. I am not saying that the time change hasn’t kicked my butt…because it certainly has! Today was a good day because I got to go to work with my little girl. My daughter will be substituting my school all week while she is home on college break. She is going to school to be a teacher…following in her mom’s footprints. She was able to rotate around to different classroom and work with small groups of kids. She loved it and I loved seeing her smile throughout the day.

Today was a good day because the temperature reached the fifties and the sun was shining. It made recess so glorious.

Today was a good day because when I finally got home today it was still light out. I was able to walk the dog at 5:45PM!

I am grateful that we are heading towards springtime and we have more daylight. It is important to celebrate the small things.

I am slowly realizing that I am not the same person I used to be. I am changing and shifting. When you shift, you begin to realize that you are not the same person you used to be.

Today is a perfect example of the centering I am feeling, a sense of calm, the shift. My husband spent 4 days and 3 nights in NYC at the Big East Tournament. A trip he took with his college friends. Of course, he came back exhausted and possibly a bit hungover from all the over-indulgences. Pretty much useless. In the past, that would have infuriated me. Today it did not bother me.

Peace is defined as freedom from disturbance; quiet; tranquility. I am learning to be peaceful and know that there are some things I can not control. If I can not control it, I should not waste my energy thus my inner peace on it. It has been and still is a fight I fight. But I am learning to pause, take a breath and shift.

Now I need to conclude my writing …I have been told to shut the light. Time for bed!

How was your day? Mine was great.

I love Saturdays

I love the ease of the mornings with nowhere to go.

I love the slow slips of coffee while catching up on my recorded shows.

I love having the time to straighten the house from the chaotic week.

I love my weekly infrared saunas, especially when it is cold and snowy out.

I love my hour in the Ballancer Pro. It is a compression therapy system that is designed for lymphatic drainage. It flushes out swelling and eliminates toxins. It makes me feel so good.

I love the nap that I was able to take after running all the errands.

I love having quiet, relaxing Saturday nights.

I love Saturdays.

How was your day? Mine was great.

Just about everything we do in our daily lives can pull our lives out of balance. But in order to be our best selves, we need to have balance. One way we can find our balance is through the use of crystals.

I had been seeing a commercial for a crystal shop down the road from me for a couple of week, then my daughter came home and told me she wanted to get some crystals. Hmmmm…I wondered if that was the universe telling me I need some too.

The use of crystals for healing properties has been used throughout history. Different crystals have different vibrational energies and those energy field affect energy fields all around them, including human energy fields. Crystal vibrate at a higher rate raising our vibrations which allows us to move in more positive directions physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Certain crystals are used for certain issues and conditions. The ones I bought had the following abilities:

*balancing all chakras and amplifies all crystals around them.

*improving mental and physical energy

*improving clarity and mental enhancement.

*assisting in clearing of negative energy

*calming qualities

*restoring motivation and creativity

*aiding in self-acceptance

There are so many different types of crystals and going into a shop can be overwhelming. My advice is to go to one that attract you for whatever reason. It will be what you need.