Ineffable

Let's think the unthinkable, let's do the undoable, let's prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself and see if we might not eff it after all. 

Life is ____. Pick a word. Pick a sentiment. Ultimately all words are equally inadequate. Life is truly just inexplicable. Given our situation, we classify life in different ways: great, crazy, blessed, overwhelming, wonderful... The list goes on. I think, though, that those words don't really describe life. They describe us. We describe life in the context of ourselves and how we're feeling. Our feelings do not define life; we would be wise to remember that. 

The word I'd pick to describe life right now... ineffable. But in the spirit of Douglas Adam's quick-witted wisdom, I want to wrestle the ineffable itself and see if I might be able eff it after all. I have been feeling quite overwhelmed by many happenings in my life recently. School has been busy, I haven't carved out enough time for rest, friendships have been tested, as previously mentioned I got an unfortunate blast from my past, and I just miss my family tons. In spite of all that, some amazing things have been happening, as well! Since I've been pathetically inconsistent about posting blessings, I'm ready to try to make up for lost time. 

Blessing #31: Tiglet

I am so blessed... My roommate and I dressed up as Tigger and Piglet for Halloween. Following the celebrity couple name mash-up trend, I christened us "Tiglet." We had a blast! School was wonderful; my students loved my costume. I performed the Tigger dance many times that day. Unlike last year, I was prepared for the Halloween party madness, and things ran very smoothly. The rest of the weekend was equally fun; we had a great time out with friends.

Blessing #32: Visitors

I am so blessed... Tuesday night a friend from college was in town for business and we got to catch up over dinner. What a wonderful reminder of how glorious my college years were. I was blessed then to be surrounded by amazing people who worked hard, were involved, but still had tons of fun! I am thankful so many of us still keep in touch even after graduation.

Blessing #33: Candy

I am so blessed... Halloween means candy! I love candy in all its forms. Powdered sugary kinds (pixie stix and fun dips), the hard kind (jolly ranchers and lollipops), the chewy kind (starbursts and laffy taffy), and of course, the chocolate kind! I even love candy after the sugar coma kicks in and I begin to feel queasy from lack of unprocessed, natural nutrition. Oh, candy. 

Blessing #34: Today Goals

I am so blessed... one of the best ways I have found to motivate my students is with our Today Goals. Each day, I write the lesson goals for the day (there are usually 4-6 goals). At the opening of each lesson, I reference the goal(s) for that lesson and we talk about any new words we need to know in order to achieve that goal (a great way to intro vocab). When closing the lesson, I refer back to the goal and either have the students perform a task to prove that they have met the goal, or, at times, I ask them to self-assess and share whether or not they have reached the goal. If we have, then we get to celebrate (I keep a list of all the cheers, chants and fun dances/gestures we do together) and one student picks a way to celebrate. It really keeps them invested in each lesson because, let's face it, they are so young that I can't always expect them to be intrinsically motivated. Certainly that is part of my goal for them, but I also understand that I have to start training them to prioritize learning, and sometimes that means motivating them extrinsically. 

Blessing #35: Picture Text Messages

I am so blessed... my mom sends me the cutest pictures of things that happen at home. The dog in his Halloween sweater, my dad being goofy while handing out the Halloween candy... Just life. Those text messages make my day! 

Blessing #36: Lunch and Cookies

I am so blessed... one of my most challenging students from last year seems to have made a place for me in his 8-year old heart. Last night I made some cookies to share with him, and today we had lunch together. He talked to me about life (which isn't that great) and while listening to him, I realized how much I admire his ability to withstand it all. Maybe he doesn't know any better; regardless, I don't think I could survive a walk in his shoes with my sanity in tact. I hope he knows how much I care about him. I think he does. He wistfully said multiple times during our lunch, "I miss being in this room. It was a good place to be." I truly miss having him in my room. 

Blessing #37: Spirit Week 

I am so blessed... This week was Spirit Week at my school! That meant Mis-Match Day, Hat Day, and today: Jersey Day! I love an excuse to wear my Red Sox jersey to school. 

Don't forget to count your blessings. 

Much love ♥