Long Time Gone

I spent my summer as part of the Great Kansas City Writer's Project in the Summer Institute of 2012.  I put this experience off for many years because I didn't want to take from my family's coveted summer adventures.  My babies are now 11 and 13.  My oldest daughter is now 23.  I decided they might like me to be gone some this summer.  Sam and Em spent most of those days with  Ashley at the "All Things Small"" Daycare (you can follow them on Twitter).  Indeed, they were okay with my working through the summer institute while they hung with the cutest kids in the Metro.  We still did hang out quite a bit, but it was time for me to take this opportunity to explore this professional development and make writing instruction better from my freshmen.

When you have an intensive six hours a day, five days a week, for four weeks experience, it seems essential that any new beliefs you have about writing and writing instruction be embedded in your action right away.  One of the things I have always believed, and believe even more strongly now, is that the more you read the better you read and the more you write the better you write.  I already read a whole heck of a lot.  I decided I needed to get back to the practice of writing a whole heck of a lot more.  I started out strong.  I got a flash drive where I intended to record my writing as I committed to writing about 30 minutes a day.  One of the things I wanted to do is to get on to paper all those crazy stories I tell my students.  So for one, okay maybe two days,  I wrote down some of those stories.    That was about 2 months ago.   

I got back to my classroom and all the responsibilities I tend to accept, and the writing returned to it's location in the basement of my priority structure.   I do write with my students, and I love doing that.  I may even start to post those shaky efforts here, but I've rejected the practice of sitting in the quiet of my personal space and writing my stories in honest and authentic ways.  

I have four blogs.  Yes, FOUR blogs.  It occurred to me that each as a purpose I can use as a way to motivate my writing.  The intention behind this blog has always been to work out the thoughts and feeling, successes and failures of mixing urban education with passionate parenting.  So I asked Emily to join me here.  She will be the new manager of this site.  She will post pictures and the occasional post.  Mostly, I am hoping this collaboration will help remind me to write and be reflective about those two things I love most...teaching and parenting.   

Emily, Ashley, Sam and Mom - Memorial Day 2011.  We all still miss Grandpa.