Fun Glacier Demo

So when I found out that part of the current science unit included glaciers, I was enthused! I've actually been to Portage Glacier, and hiked on Byron Glacier and discovered ice worms. (Who would have thought ice worms? Now I tell children that ice worms are my favorite animals!)

So I looked for different demonstrations, and finally came to my own.

1. In a plastic take out container I froze water, soil, and birdseed. (I couldn't get to any frozen rocks and dirt in my backyard, and the various size seeds worked well.)

2. Remove the frozen "glacier" from the container. Place it on a table covered with paper. Important: Lift one side of the table to get run-off. (We just put a classroom dictionary under each leg on one side of the table.)

3. Observe! It's best if you have all school day to keep checking back. Student were so excited to record their hypothesis and observations in their science notebooks. We ended up with a lake over the edge of the table. (This was especially cool since we are close to the Great Lakes that were formed by glacier, and still hold evidence of their past.)

I love a lesson or demonstration in which I don't spend much time or money, but the learning is big and fun! Kids really enjoyed this. We had 2 different glaciers on different days for 2 classes. Each was very different! The one pictured was in my neighbors classroom.

What has gotten you excited about work this week?

Brave Enough To Just Go

In the spirit of bravery and enoughness, I had a funny thing happen today. Since the holidays my yoga class has been on hiatus. Today was my chance to go--except I forgot money and my yoga mat.

I quickly thought I could just take a blanket from my classroom and just go. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to talk myself out of it. I would look foolish. It wasn't meant to be. I could just get work done in my classroom, and so on.

In the end I was brave enough to just go. To just show up. To just be honest. To just relax. To just breath.

Where are you brave enough to just go today?

Asking For Help

When I was a young woman I thought that being a grown up meant I would never need to ask anyone for help. So I muddled through many ups and downs, struggling alone. This became my habit, my MO.

This eventually developed into an almost paralyzing fear of being found out to be a fraud. Maybe I wasn't as together as other people. Maybe I wasn't as confident as I projected. Maybe I will disappoint you. Maybe I am human.

Today I look back and smile knowingly at that young woman. But even with that knowledge it's really hard to ask for help. I will most often wait till I'm at the end of my rope, holding on by my fingernails, and then I'll whisper a little, "Help!"

I'm pleased to say I am actively taking steps to seek out help. I'm also realizing and opening to the idea that it often is not coming from where I might expect. I'm also opening to the thought that help might not come when or where I expect it.

Here are some places I'm finding help these days:

• Brave Girls Club


• Brave Women's Breakfast


• Local Library


• Cyperspace--other blogs, especially


• The innocent laughter of children


• Smiles from strangers


• Affirmation cards

Where are you asking for and finding help?

Inspired By Affirmations

If you're feeling down (I have been) writing out affirmations to read is a GREAT pick me up. I started this at Brave Women's Breakfast. My focus is on affirmations that will encourage and empower me as a teacher and in my classroom.

It's super simple. . .

• I took some different shaped chipboard cards--some I painted and some I left plain.
• I collected some affirmations and wrote them on the cards
• I connected the card with a ring and added a little ribbon

Now I can add more or move them around!

Here are a few of my faves:

• I feel the joy of teaching today!
• I am enough. I do enough.
• I am a confident, encouraging, and motivating teacher.
• I motivate and encourage my students in every possible way!

What are the things you say to yourself when you're not feeling inspired?

Brave Women Meet Again

This weekend was the second meeting of Brave Women's Breakfast. It was such a good pick me up. We ate and talked about relationships between mothers and daughters. We then started some affirmation cards for ourselves.

It was so different from the first meeting, but I felt like it was so good. When I put some of my dream out there, they quickly suggest locations and willingness to help. We are already beginning to make some future plans.

It helps me to see the miracles of the ordinary and anticipate future miracles. That's pretty powerful stuff.

Favorite New Book

So this book is the current new favorite (at least for today) of the two year old who lives in our house. It was a birthday present from Uncle Jon. It seems way too long for even a book loving toddler to sit to hear, but he's listened to it at least once a day since he got it.

The book is Neckless, The Audrey Amaka Story written and illustrated by Brent Vernon.

The author is a super creative friend of Uncle Jon. He is also a ventriloquist, singer, songwriter--all around creative guy.

It's a story about the intrinsic value and wonderful gifts each of us brings to the world. No one can hear too much of that! Maybe we should all be reading books like this at least once a day.

What are you reading these days?

Brave Words for Teachers

I h ad 2 snow days this week, and in addition to catching up on grading papers (yippee!) I became a little obsessed with collecting and writing affirmations for teachers.

I firmly believe that teachers get way more negative than positive talk. In fact if teachers gave as much negative talk as they receive, we would be unemployed. So how do we combat this negativity that feels like it is so often actively and passively directed toward us? (Sometimes--often, it's even within us.)

I know that affirmations have worked for me in transformational ways in the past. I've experienced the internal shift from believing a lie, then receiving the truth, and finally embracing the truth all the way into the deep and hidden parts of my heart. So now I'm experimenting with using them in my professional life.

Today's affirmation says to me that I am always learning and that I've already experienced success in order to be able to teach. What does it say to you?

How have affirmations worked for you?