Christmas Promise

We read a Christmas devotion today that talked about advent and the promises God has made, and kept, in our lives.  It went on to suggest, as a holiday activity, creating a "Promise Tree", where each family member could hang something to represent a promise they were making for the season.  Because our lives are already hectic, and particularly this time of year, I didn't get this tradition together, but I want to make a promise of my own this season.  Writing about it will make me more accountable to it.  If you are reading this, feel free to help me in staying accountable.

I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself during Christmas, well actually all the time, but particularly at this time of year.  There are so many ways to celebrate, people to make gifts for, parties to host... All things that I love to do, but when I get overwhelmed with it all I know that it is my family that suffers along with me.

This Christmas I promise to take the time each day to enjoy my family.  I know that sounds cliche, and not very revolutionary, but I mean to be intentional about this.  I will be intentional about sitting down and being fully present with each of them. To truly enjoy each of our traditions, not just check them off the list.  Or, to do something not on the list at all, simply because it will make one of my children, or my husband, smile.  Sometimes in the busyness of taking care of my family I'm afraid I lose sight of those beautiful smiles.  I don't want to do that this Christmas- I want joy to fill our home, and I want to participate in that joy.

Opportunity or Oppression?

I have been really discouraged the last few days to hear multiple parents lamenting the Common Core, and how awful it is for kids.  They are feeling that education is damaging their children.  How can this be?  We, as educators, have never set out to damage children.  We are on the same side as parents, aren't we?  We are all working towards the goal of preparing children to be successful and productive members of society.  We may have different focuses in that preparation, but somehow we need to work together.  It is the only way we can truly succeed.

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I understand that education has been totally overwhelmed in the last few years with all different requirements, from Common Core standards to 21st Century Skills to high stakes testing, to an increased focus on College and Career Readiness, not to mention APPR.  It sometimes feels as though we teachers are like a kitten with all sorts or multicolored strings, batting them around, and eventually getting all tangled up.  Because of this tangle of seemingly unrelated strands we are frustrated, exhausted, and often unable to clearly communicate our objectives to either parents or students.

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I would love to see us instead embrace each one of those strands as an opportunity, see where they can be tied together, and like a magician pulling a rainbow ribbon out of his hat, present a unified education plan for our students that is exciting and attractive to both students and parents.   Even though we might feel it's foolish, let's look for the opportunity in the Common Core standards, 21st Century Skills, and all the rest, to encourage critical thinking skills, real life application, and more capable and confident students.

And yes, I think this is possible.

Call me an eternal optimist, but I believe we became educators for just such a challenge as this.

Infographic Tools

Over the last couple years I have been really excited about the potential of Infographics in school.  Botha visual image such as a chart or diagram used to represent information or data".  

the creation and use of them.  You may not recognize the term, but you are sure to have seen Infographics, they are everywhere.  They are defined as, "
Two years ago we expanded a 10th grade English research project to include the creation of a Website, with an Infographic.  It didn't go smoothly, mostly because we were forcing tools to do more than they were intended for.  Unfortunately, after that I haven't gotten to do another Infographic project, but I am determined to get back to that.
I have gathered some resources, one of which is a LiveBinder full of ideas and tools, and explored a few of these.
I recently worked within easel.ly to create an Infographic.  It was a super easy tool to use, with templates to use for beginners and plenty of options.  The templates themselves will help students understand what Infographics are and give them some direction.  You also had the freedom to expand on what they had by uploading images, etc.  My only warning would be to make sure you create an account (free) before creating a visual, because if you try to create your account at the end you will lose what you did.  This is the Infographic that I created for our Classroom 21 teachers to explain the process of questioning to their students.
One of the things that I really appreciate about easel.ly is that you have plenty of options of how to save your visuals.  Sometimes I get frustrated with tools because they make it difficult to extract your creation from their site.  That was not the case here, you can download to your computer, embed, or create links.
Another tool that I have used, which also gives these options for using your images is piktochart.  This is another very usable Infographic tool, although I didn't find it to have as many options for beginners (templates, icons, etc.).  It also gives you a canvas larger than 8 1/2 x 11, which can make using the final product more difficult.
Having explored these tools I am confident that we can do some successful projects with students.  In fact, I already have two teachers on board to test it out this fall.  We are preparing a project for the 7th grade math classes, and another round with the 10th grade English class.  I look forward to sharing the results!

Worthy Words

A newly married friend recently asked me what advice I would give to have a happy marriage.  Because I am terrible at giving a quality response on the spot I gave a totally inadequate answer, and have been mulling it over ever since.

I told him something like this: "Expect rough times in marriage, that no one feels 100% in love all the time, but not to give up because of those feelings."  

What a dreary picture I painted of marriage!  I desperately need to amend that picture.  It does not represent how I feel about marriage at all.  I love my husband and treasure my marriage.

So, here is the advice I would give to those who are preparing for marriage or those newly married:

Don't let rough times shock you into doubting your love for one another.  You may not always feel that spark of 1st love, but that doesn't mean it has gone out.  Take the time and energy to rekindle that flame.  

Keep your focus on the good times you have had together, and remain confident that they will return.  Many will be even better because you have struggled together.  Your love will deepen and your bond grow stronger as you experience life together as one. 

Don't lose hope in the love God has given you for your spouse.  Don't focus on the differences you have or those things that annoy you about each other.  Look for the best in one another and you will find it.  Always fight for your marriage and for one another- it is so worth it!  

These are some of the things I have experienced and learned in the first 14 years of marriage, and I look forward to learning much more as Nathan and I continue to love each other and grow together for many years to come.

Staying Satisfied

Today was one of those days when I was reminded just how much I love this life that God has given me.  Too often I get caught up in the business of life, and forget to notice just how amazing it is.
I have a husband who I am in love with.  I respect his integrity, admire his character, and he is just plain fun to be with.  I have children who I adore (really, I do!).  They are interesting, creative, and affectionate- in different measures.  There is no way to become bored with them around.  I have a career I enjoy, which keeps me thinking and encourages constant growth.  I have a home, which I love to share, and lots of opportunities to do that.  And, I have a Ministry which keeps me focused on my true purpose and provides lots of spiritual growth and connections.
Life is good, so why does it feel like I have lost sight of that?
I have allowed our family (in my house, as keeper of the family schedule, this is a responsibility that I must bear) to cross the line from a full life into a busy life.  These are two very distinct things in my mind, and in our home they feel very different.  God has given us a wonderfully full life, with lots of people to share it with, purposeful activities, and opportunities to grow.  When we start focusing on "maximizing the schedule" and leave no room for reflection and relaxation we have left that place of fullness and are unable to enjoy the blessings God has given us.
I am ready to fight back.  It is hard for me to say no, but sometimes as the mom that is my job.  I believe our family is supposed to maintain a full life, but we are not meant to stay in constant motion.
We will leave room for feeling satisfied, and I believe that will allow our family to recognize all that we have to be thankful for instead of feeling driven to find the next thing to do all the time.  We will "be still, and know that [He] is God" (Psalm 46:10).

Reading: Pressure from Pleasure

I just finished reading the book Pillars of the Earth, which I have been wanting to read for a long time.  I had trouble enjoying it though, not because I didn't like, because I really did.  No, I struggled to enjoy it because it is more than twice the length of an average book, so the whole time I was reading it I was distracted by the other books that I wouldn't have time to read because I was devoting all this time to one book.  

Now, I am aware of how neurotic this seems, and that is what concerns me.  This reading that I was all stressed out about had no deadline attached, no one else waiting for me to be done, no book group hinging on it, this was purely pleasure reading... Or it should have been, so why was I feeling all this stress?  

Somehow I cannot even bring myself to relax about my relaxation anymore.  And I don't think I am alone in this.  Some of it has to do with our instant gratification society, and entertainment that comes at us fast and furious, so we don't need to put in a lot of time for anything.  But some of it is also about how we have attached value to busyness, and that is what makes me most concerned.  I don't want to have to feel stressed out to feel like my time has purpose.  

Reading is what relaxes me, and that is purpose enough for me!

Finding a Title

It took me a full week to decide on a title for this Blog, so that I could get started.  I was torn about how to capture all that I might write about with one cute and clever phrase.  I have been wanting to start blogging for awhile, but the problem is that I am not very good at keeping the lines drawn around my different roles when I am writing.  I am a high school librarian, and much of what I will be writing about will have to do with books and new tools/ ideas to use in the library.  However, I am also a wife, a mom, a co-youth pastor, a friend, a card maker....

 And I want this blog to be a place where I can feel free to write about the joys and challenges from all of life.  Of course that means I most likely won't have a very large readership, as few people will share all of those interests, but ultimately that isn't really what this Blog will be about.  Although part of my motivation for staring it is to participate more in my PLN (Professional Learning Network), rather than being a passive consumer of information.  

So, I have come to "An Open Book", which is what I will aspire to being in this Blog. It will be a place where I can share my ideas, challenges, and successes.  I will share posts where I feel they will encourage others, and leave others unread if need be, but I will not censor my rambling thoughts, or put up fences between my different roles.