I’m just beginning the Sunday task of reading through my Boil Down Your Day in a Sentence. It’s always daunting at first to create a platform to share the gold that’s been growing in my blog comments. As the Olympics come to a close, I am taking the plunge while there’s still water in the pool.
Some of our boilers have just begun a new school year so let’s start there:
We have Lynn (our hostess for next week), who is not new to teaching but middle school is her challenge this year.
A gaggle of seventh graders made me laugh all week.
Sounds like she is captured! I’m not surprised.
Illya is also returning to her teaching life and in need of acclimating to her school rhythm from leisure. I’m sure Illya, you are up to the challenge.
The hubbub of school life begins again as I try to find my rhythm between the comings and goings.
Sara touches on school life outside her classroom and that’s always tricky.
I vacillate between the euphoria of an all-new school administration who *gets it* about education, and isolation from my grade-level team, who don’t *get me*.
Rick shares a dilemma I remember well as a high school drama director.
The hardest part about coaching elementary school soccer is telling nineteen kids that they did not make the team.
And then we have the group who are using their last few days to enjoy and prepare for their classroom return.
Grace has had a busy summer in the world of technology, working with teachers at the New York City Writing Project in July and then as a learner herself. She is a passionate learner. BRAVO, Grace.
I absorbed a lot of helpful strategies related to scaffolding at the QTEL Institute which can be summed up in the words of Aida Walqui, “Amplify don’t simplify.”
If you haven’t clicked over to Stacey’s blog, now might be a perfect opportunity. She has created a mixed media piece using Smilebox.
Stacey shares a Shabbat dinner with us.
And even though dogtrax is still on blog vacation, he is resurfacing. Welcome back Kevin, we’ve missed you!
The proofreading process for a book about technology in the classroom (of which I am co-editor) is becoming agonizingly nitty-gritty with details but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I’m not sure where Elona is, but it sounds like her life is rich as she learns from her granddaughter Lauryn about early matters of the heart.
My week has been a delightful one because my granddaughter Lauryn, who just turned nine yesterday, has been teaching me about the world from her nine year old perspective. Did you know that the world would be a better place if all the boys lived in one half and all the girls lived in the other half. Boys are so annoying when you’ve just turned nine, don’t you know! 
And even though Anne is not on summer break, it sounds like she’s had an amazing educational experience beyond the four walls of a classroom. Check our her blog for more details.
Spending time as a host to an Indonesian Islamic teacher was a rewarding one, and witnessing the look of sheer excitement on his face after riding around our wet paddocks on our four wheel motor bike, watching my husband shear a sheep and working with the young students at school made the effort all worthwhile.
And Ken seems to be focused on the reality of chocolate. What do you make of his weekly share?
DEANZ’s chocolate reality, digital fantasy, ideas of note to enact - but native or immigrant, heed the statistics, it’s death to the digital fact.
Kate seems to be taking a leap of faith, moving out of the classroom and back to her passion for theater. I can’t wait to hear more about her new challenges.
A new week, a return to the old days and a revival of an almost-lost love.
Oops, I need something.
I spent a fantastic two days working with my Hudson Valley Writing Project and remembering why I remain an HVWP born-again.
Here’s where we began our Visioning Retreat, working on a site mission/vision statement.
Thanks for making my hosting role so much fun. See you again and next week we are off to Lynn’s site. Check your email for further news and reminders.
Bonnie
Late Breaking News:
Tracey is holding on tightly to her last week of vacation and used her early Monday morning time to compose a sentence for us and here it is:
A few more days until school calls, in the sun, listening to music, words and phrases jumping out at me when they can, behind the keening of the cicada on the tree, confirming why I do what I do and how I feel at this time of year: excited, anxious, rising.
