One of the goals I decided upon after this conference is to write 10 lines a day. This came about when I ran into my former colleague from Jakarta - Betsy Hall - and she encouraged me to do what she has been doing, thanks to the advice from a writer friend of hers. It must have worked because she now has the manuscript of a Young Adult novel that she has been working on for 8 years. I'm not sure yet what I will write. It could be my memoir or the film and literacy book I am itching to complete. It could also be a stab at fiction. One thing's for sure, I need to apply what I have instructed my own writing students to do - write every day. After all, that's the only way anyone can improve their craft - PRACTICE!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Pulling it Together
I am coming home from five days away at NCTE Convention in Chicago. As with all conventions like this, I come away wishing I had gone to more sessions and feeling like I shortchanged my experience. I know that I can only take in so many new ideas and, with presenting and other new duties, five sessions is more than enough for me to mull over and to glean wisdom from. Maybe it's the teacher in me - always wanting to do more and to do better.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Finding serenity
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."
Serenity. What a calm and stable word. It conjures up strength during turbulent times. When life is crazy, it is the eye of the hurricane. "Be still and know that I am God." Peace. Calm.
When I think about it, I am perplexed by a myriad of pressures and conflicts, dramas and oddities. There are times when it is difficult to see the order or purpose in the swirl of it all but somehow I find peace in extraordinary places.
A slice of my life:
* A student contemplates suicide and turns to me as her only hope.
* My three young children clamor for my attention and all are in tears over some "issue" at hand.
* My colleagues are at odds with each other and ask me for advice in conflict resolution.
* My wife is ill and we don't know what is wrong.
* My preservice teachers are stressed and I need wisdom to give them what they need.
* In the span of 3 years, I lost both parents and two brothers
WHEW!
Am I glad that ultimately I don't need to have all the answers?
What I do need to do is remain hopeful and at peace and live this reality in tangible ways...
Serenity. What a calm and stable word. It conjures up strength during turbulent times. When life is crazy, it is the eye of the hurricane. "Be still and know that I am God." Peace. Calm.
When I think about it, I am perplexed by a myriad of pressures and conflicts, dramas and oddities. There are times when it is difficult to see the order or purpose in the swirl of it all but somehow I find peace in extraordinary places.
A slice of my life:
* A student contemplates suicide and turns to me as her only hope.
* My three young children clamor for my attention and all are in tears over some "issue" at hand.
* My colleagues are at odds with each other and ask me for advice in conflict resolution.
* My wife is ill and we don't know what is wrong.
* My preservice teachers are stressed and I need wisdom to give them what they need.
* In the span of 3 years, I lost both parents and two brothers
WHEW!
Am I glad that ultimately I don't need to have all the answers?
What I do need to do is remain hopeful and at peace and live this reality in tangible ways...
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