Writing--follow your passion!

Today YA author ViVi Barnes visited my school to speak with some of our 8th graders about following your dreams and about writing.  I have to say, she inspired me as much as she inspired the kids----to not give up when it gets tough, to work hard, to find your passion and follow it with all you've got.  

She is the author of Olivia Twisted, a YA modern retelling of Dickens' Oliver Twist.  She is also a Nacogdoches native, which made her visit really inspiring to our kids.  They can see themselves in her, and if she can live her dreams coming from little bitty ole Nacogdoches they can, too, right?  Right!

This week, as I embark on the last week of my Two Writing Teachers Slice-of-Life challenge and another week of my YA Buccaneers spring bootcamp I feel a renewed energy.  Between ViVi's visit, and my beloved alma mater's Cinderella story visit to the NCAA championships (Axe 'Em!) I am reminded that anything is possible if you are willing to work for it.

This is a life lesson that is so important for my students to hear andfor me to be reminded of personally.  

Today was a GREAT day.  Let's rock this writing thing.  

Mrs. S

YAB Spring Writing Bootcamp 2014 (SOL 2014 Day 16)

I'm late to the party, but have just joined in the YA Buccanneers Spring Writing Bookcamp (March-May) and couldn't be more excited!  So March will be filled with not ONE, but TWO amazing writing challenges.

I've been added to Team Denali (the Great Ones!) and although I've come in late, my team captain has been incredibly helpful and supportive.  I actually wrote nearly 1000 words on my YA novel-in-progress today during a word sprint she posted via Twitter!  My goal is to actually reach that magic 1000 number for a total word count today.

Yes, writing (finishing) a novel is important to me (publishing one--or several!--- someday is also on my bucket list) so moving forward in my goal is lovely, but what really makes this is extraordinarily valuable to me is that when I'm pumped about writing, I can pass that energy along to my students and colleagues who also write.  We grow stronger by boosting one another up.  THIS is the type of competition I enjoy--the kind that makes us ALL better. In fact, the power of these challenges is so apparent to me now that I intend to create some challenges in the same vein specifically for my students---for both reading AND writing.

Keep reading.  Keep writing.  Keep moving forward!

edited to add this great bootcamp BINGO that outlines some of my goals!  

a huge thank you to Heidi Sinnett for all the inspiration!

Home again, home again (my SOL Day 15)

photo from thecolorofsunshine.wordpress.com via Google images 

We are coming to the end of spring break.  It has been a chilly, rainy Saturday and we spent the bulk of it on the road coming home from a short visit with my mom.  Four hours on the road.  In the rain--at times torrential downpour in nature, at times gentle and sleepy.  

One of my brothers and his family live in Mom's area, and it is always so much fun to get all the little cousins together for some special family fun time.  We shopped, we cooked together, we ate, we played.  A house filled with 5 children, however, is never quiet.  At least, in my family.  :)  Did I mention 3 of the 5 are 4 year olds?  And 2 of those are twins?  Yeah, quiet is not the word here.

We had a great time, and I remembered something very important.  Even though my writing goals and challenges are very important to me, and even though I love writing every.single.day, sometimes that must be set to the side.  Rather than feeling frustrated or melancholy about that I will embrace these fleeting moments of childhood cousin fun (and chaos!) and be IN the moment enjoying it as well.  

I'm behind in my Slice of Life challenge, but we sure had fun!  

Dream a little dream....or a BIG one (Slice of Life Day 12)

I was hanging out on Twitter a bit earlier this evening when I came across a tweet by a fellow slicer, Deb Day with a link to her newest slice.  The scariest one to write, yet, she said.

I was intrigued.

I agree, Deb.  I agree that it must have been scary to put yourself out there, but also scary to dream this big---and I couldn't agree more with your ideas.

Other than teaching at Hogwarts, I can't think of a better description for a cool learning environment than you've described.  (okay, but Hogwarts would be flippin' AMAZING, right?)

I've done a lot of thinking and dreaming recently about what my dream library would look like, feel like, sound like, smell like, and be like.  Keeping ONE thing in mind (student learning) and creating a Learning Commons around that ONE thing is exciting to think about.

Picture this: areas of quiet and semi-solitude for those who need time for quiet reflection, contemplation, dreaming and thinking as they write, plan, research, read as well as working-noisy areas for brainstorming and collaborating with others in small (or large) groups with smart boards.  ebooks and various types of amazing technology as well as traditional books and print magazines.  A holodeck/skype/facetime center so that students can seek out experts in the field virtually at any given time as well as old-school real folk being available. A cozy fireplace with comfy chairs and the warm smell of coffee wafting through the air---perfect for book discussion groups.  Multiple areas for interactive display.  Moveable walls and bookshelves for ease of reconfiguration as needed.  Dimmer switches on lighting, by area.  Lamps.  (need I say plenty of floor electric plugs?) Charging stations for students.  iPad bars.  Makerspaces complete with 3-D printers and a mini-graphic design studio to help students really make their projects POP. Lunch and Learns that are student-centered, and student-driven.  book trailer stations (remember the old kiosk-type stands in music stores that you could preview the new albums on?  I'm thinking THIS, but updated).  A mini-conference room that looks like the TARDIS (because everyone needs a touch of whip-smart whimsy) and plenty of natural lighting.  If I'm going big then I'm also going to include a great coffee/tea/hot cocoa bar with warm scones (we have a culinary arts department AND....who can think creatively with a growling tummy?--just adding that in my lovely dream nothing is ever spilled and students always clean up after themselves.)

I could continue...but it is getting late and I have a drive to Austin tomorrow.
Before I go, though--just one more thank you to Deb and her amazing post.

Let's all dream big and move forward and see what magic we can make!

Read on, Gentle Readers; Read on.

Mrs. S

A trip to the library (SOL 2014 Day 11)

image from hliba.blogspot.com via Google images

Among the joys of spring break?  A trip to the public library with my 4 year old.  I always enjoy seeing her excitement as she browses the children's section for just the right books.

Of course being in a library is nothing new for her---this is, after all, her mama's profession.  But I work in a library for "big kids" and so my E for Everybody section is smaller than she would like. When she walks into the great-big-to-her public library's picture book section her eyes light up at the world of possibilities that are before her.

And my eyes light up at the possibilities THAT will open up for her as she grows.

Read on, Gentle readers; Read on.
Mrs. S