Tuesday, August 12, 2014

A Slice of Life: Recalling Words to Inspire Teaching

While feeling the sting of Robin Williams' passing, I found a quote by him that struck me as both sad and inspirational.


No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.

The world is saddened by the death of Robin William, such a talented humorist and actor, especially in light of the fact that his multiple onscreen personalities provided endless moments of enjoyment for all. His words charged with humor brought laughter to the forefront. Little did we know that behind the movie persona, behind the words and ideas, was a complex character with deep issues. 

Teachers, stop and reflect: Perhaps, we need to step back this year and become better "kidwatchers" to understand the nature of each student. Will this reflective act help us find the words and ideas that can fuel individual learning? Will our simple words, our thoughtful actions change the world of the classroom for each learner?

While rummaging through old journals, I found a poem I wrote for the millennium that still holds true for me today. These words although tucked away for years, provided the fuel for my teaching as 2000 brought new changes to the educational scene. I would like to share this poem, thinking that my words and ideas from then may change the landscape of today's literacy classroom as I continue to focus on reflective practices in my life as an ELA consultant. 


This writing is part of A Slice of Life challenge from the Two Writing Teachers Community. You can read what other slicers are thinking about now if you take a stroll over to that site. 

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