My Day

I read several articles at The Chronicle of Higher Education this morning. So many of their remote teaching & learning hurdles are similar to ours. Some of their words of wisdom:

- Focus on what you can control; like how to teach online, not the fact that it must be done.
- This is an opportunity to teach about being a compassionate. participating citizen; offering compassionate, not challenging courses.
- Now more than ever, abandon the performative and embrace the authentic. Our essential mental shifts require humility and patience. It takes time. This is a marathon, if you sprint at the start you will vomit all over your shoes in a month! (This from an instructor who has lived through famine, disease and war.)

After sending my ebook-access email to students earlier, I responded to those who wrote back; sharing what they were reading (Nancy Drew, Book 32!), and what they were making (learning to knit, planting a garden). It was inspiring to read. Also, hooked up a staff member looking for PD audio books to our SORA site.

Rounded up a dozen poetry videos I have made of various poets (me, included) and nested them on one page of the school site (so students will not have to go yo TouTube). My plan is to email students in grades 7-12 a direct link to one poetry video each weekday of April for National Poetry Month. I hope to include a link to the text of the poem as well as encouragement to perhaps memorize one, write one, or make a similar video of their favorite work. I will share it with staff also, asking them to encourage students to check their mail.

Created this video to use during the April poetry campaign.



And, in between raindrops, I hiked to the river to gather a bunch of red osier stems. They are amazingly pliant at this time of the year. I fashioned them into a half-dozen circles that I will use to frame shoulders and elbows for my Crimson Knight maker-project!