It’s Thursday–or, as our wonderful building manager calls it, “Friday eve.” Today may feel extra long since insomnia had me awake extra early. When I don’t get enough sleep, it can take more effort to embody the gentle patience my students need. I hope that a morning gratitude practice will help me reframe the day. Here are three things I’m thankful for this morning:
- My instructional coach. She always has a high five to celebrate a win. She’s generous with her time and resources. She jumps in to model a strategy (and gives me a much-needed moment to SIT DOWN). Her high standards remind me that I can continue to grow even during a really tough and tiring year. She asks for and takes feedback. She follows up, and she follows through. Her questions keep me thinking and wondering and striving. And the way she widens her eyes and tilts her head when she hears stories about some of the wilder things that happen at school speaks volumes without saying a word.
- Lynda Barry’s book, Making Comics. I love all of Barry’s books about teaching, writing, and drawing, and Making Comics is another winner. We’ve been working our way through it as part of our first unit in a new Creative Writing elective. I have seen more genuine joy on my students’ faces doing the exercises in this book than I have seen all year. And their work brings me tremendous joy as well.
- My devoted morning lap cats. They don’t care what time I wake up. In fact, the earlier the better. They are always ready, especially Oliver, the most devoted of all. He is really heavy and really smelly and sometimes goopy or crusty, but he has the sweetest purrs.
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My theme for Slice of Life 2022 is finding inspiration in the writing of others. Each day I plan to find my slice in someone else’s words or forms. Today’s slice idea was borrowed from Hannah’s Happenings.
the dirigible plum 
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