I have 45 minutes to finish up my day: write this post, jot down a few thoughts about tomorrow’s meetings, wash up, and go to sleep. I’ve been aiming to get up a bit earlier to read and journal, but I end up snoozing and accidentally screenshotting my alarm because I’m too tired to get up. Seven hours of sleep is all I need to be energized enough at 5 a.m.
That’s why tonight’s post has to be very brief, so I’ll just write about an intention and let it stand on its own.
Today, I launched the Boxes & Bullets unit in 4th grade. I taught that unit for two school years, and I was embraced by many fond memories of the great yet complex work I had to do as a teacher to get my students where they needed to be. I learned a lot alongside them, so when I got to peek into those old documents, I felt this urge to write with students again. If I’m lucky, their teachers will want to join me.
Here’s the plan: I will save 10-15 minutes each morning to write based on that day’s lesson. I will avoid freestyling and aim to follow what the teaching point asks of young writers. I always write with students when in various units, but I have never attempted to write every single day for those 5-6 weeks. In part, I had the “no time to do that… one must confer!” excuse.
No excuses this year, just a bunch of motivation.
Wish me luck (with this short-term challenge and with going to bed early!)
Start with a Story 