More or Less

Sometimes, I know I can be a little too…  

much.

A little too passionate about my kids.  I probably talk too much. My husband tells me he is trying to be a good listener, but I can tell when he’d rather be reading his book or watching the soccer game.  

A little too eager to try try something new.  Yay for the Maker Station! Overwhelming and so exciting!  Glitter and glue, clay, paintbrushes, paisley, clay, wood scraps, hair from a wig… all in one creation.  Oops!  Fun exploring, but now we need to back up and do this thing right.

A little too happy to share.  My friend came to show me her smiley folders, colored with sunshine to present at parent-teacher conferences.  Naturally, I had to show her the ebooks where my kids are collecting photos and stories of learning and growth.  Oh… I’m so sorry I didn’t really mean for it to feel like a contest.  I might have made her feel a little less.  I wanted her to know that without her reminder, her conference check-list, I never would have thought of making a digital portfolio.  But that wasn’t the message I sent.

The thing is, I really do love to learn!  For me, there is no better way to spend a lazy Saturday than talking with authors and pirates like @burgessdave at #tlap and @burgess_shelley at #satchatwc or @donalynbooks on a #titletalk.  Watching videos about pre-Ks who state claims, cite evidence and justify their opinion.  Writing up lesson plans to share with the 2nd grade teachers at our grade level meeting.  I am so full of love of learning, that sometimes I forget others would rather be shopping or hiking or baking cupcakes in their time away from school.  Really.  I know there are others out there, in the twitter verse, the blogosphere, who just can't stop talking about school, and kids, and science, and writing...  So, let us grow each other so that at school I can be a little less and therefore, maybe a little more.  Meet me at a Tuesday #edchat or follow me @LovesSummerSun and let me add you to my PLN. I want to be a teacher leader (that was the topic of a twitter #edchat the other week).  But, this time, in this place, I need to do it quietly. gently. slowly.  After all, that is what we do with kids, right?  Meet them where they are and walk together to the next place.

So…

Here they are, my ideas, my fun, my Saturday mornings.

They are ready and waiting, I’m happy to share.  My blog.  
A link here and there (writing below).

But, I will be a little bit less.  So someone else can be a little bit more.

I will wait until you are ready.  When you ask the pdf can quickly pop into an email, and we will grow together.  If I can be a little less, then maybe together we will be a little more.

And when she is a little bit more, she will come tell me about her math lesson, and I will share it with my kids and I will be a little bit more than before.

Teaching Writing Process