9:44 PM
Brain energy is as low as the battery on this laptop.
Teachers are pushing my thinking with their lessons and my writing is evidence of it. Today, I didn’t even notice the class was transitioning to another period because I was forcing myself to finish the writing I was doing. Pretty neat.
One of the entries I wrote yesterday even came with a little sketch because of who I was sitting next to. He said, “I’m just sketching to relax my head.” I thought of how hard writing is for some students, and I thought of this idea of comparing writing to pushing a boulder up a hill.
Some reflections have been brewing since I started this challenge because of the “student perspective.” I will make sure I write about that earlier in the day so I’m fair to my thoughts. For now, here’s one of the entries I wrote thanks to my 4th-grade teachers:
The smell of roasted veggies invaded the entire apartment. Like always, I moved from one side of the kitchen to the other–stirring, washing, whisking, chopping.
A song came on (because I love listening to music when I cook), and the words “the cold on my face” made me stop. An image pushed itself into my head like one of those YouTube ads. I dropped the spoon, wiped my hands, and rushed to the bedroom, quickly searching for my notebook.
“Shot, I left it at work, ” I remembered.
I felt that invasive image letting go, sort of teasing about leaving in a hurry. “You’ll miss it if you don’t catch it soon,” I whispered to myself.
BOOM! The gifted notebooks!
I have a collection of notebooks people have gifted me and are patiently waiting for me. I shuffled through the pile of forgotten notebooks and grabbed to one Eva gave me as a Christmas gift. Soft, brown cover, dates to circle, and all the empty lines.
“Now, a pen…Ah! Back to the kitchen.”
Tools in hand, I began capturing the fleeing idea, barely hanging on.
Sometimes, I feel like wrapping myself in layers just to step outside and feel the cold on my face as it forces my mind to stop racing. I need to pause.
Start with a Story 