First Six Weeks of Sabbatical

It's hard to believe, but I have official been on sabbatical for almost six weeks.  The objective of my sabbatical is to gain more insight into holistic education and living then sharing what I am learning.  I have been able to spend hours reading about topics like current research that says physical education and free play improve math scores in 9-10 year olds.  I have also read extensively about what was going on in education and society about one hundred years ago that lead to people like Maria Montessori and Rudolph Steiner creating such holistic applications of education that are still thriving around the world today.  I have researched mindful practices for myself and children in a classroom.  I have prepared healthy meals and moved my body more.  I have volunteered every Tuesday for painting time in my son's classroom.  I have invested hours in meetings with teachers, administrators, artists, insurance marketplace consultants, and business people.  I have felt constant fear and anxiousness juxtaposed with incredible peace and contentment.  I can feel a constant nudge forward in all areas of my life.

I have thought.  I have researched.  I have planned.  I have created.  Boy, have I created!

Here is a list of what I can remember that I have created during this sabbatical so far:

• Promotional emails for Brave Teachers Personalized Professional Development for elementary school administrators in 5 counties of Ohio and some out of state schools
• Created syllabi and calendars of Personalized Professional Development modules
• Created and emailed an 18 page PDF "Administrators Guide to Personalized Professional Development"
• Added over 6,000 words to the first draft of my book, The Transformational Classroom.
• Taught yoga every Tuesday and Saturday morning
• Created a Brave Yoga website
• Started yoga for a healthy women's group on Wednesday evening
• Did yoga on Sept. 1, with over 30 Norton Girl Scouts
• Developing a Yoga/Art curriculum for elementary age girls, Just4Girls, that will run 9/29-11/2
• Started writing Yoga Story Scripts and selling them on Teachers Pay Teachers
• Created Will U Learning--simple one page printables that turn into eight page booklets and a Lesson Plan/Extension Guide to teach a wide range of social/emotional skills to elementary age children {Will U even has his own FB page!}
• Created a workshop titled "Creativity in the Common Core Classroom" that will run live at ACoT the evening of October 6
• Created Book Art workshops for children and adults {Kids are on Oct. 10 and adult version is the evening of Oct. 22}
• Currently showing art at Nine Muses Gallery, ACoT First Floor Gallery, ACoT sidewalk windows, online, and in my studio
• Created, printed, and promoting a 54 card inspiration deck from the Summer of Inspiration Watercolor Posters
• Painted a rain barrel for a silent auction at Barberton Municipal Building, Oct. 1 - 30 for water conservation education
• Selling Summer of Inspiration originals in my studio and online
• Finished several pieces of art including:  Nature v Civilization, Joy is my superpower, Hope is my superpower, Fearless and a variety of small cubes
• Working on art for an upcoming show
• Created a Christmas Card from an original piece of art that will be formally unleashed next week
• Invited people to start hosting Art Parties
• Collaborated with artists to host a large Open House at ACoT and gallery sit on a regular basis
• Wrote 32 blog posts and innumerable Facebook posts

I'm looking forward to the next six weeks, and all that they will hold!