Why am I writing this personal entry? Well, it is not an attempt to gain any sympathy. It attempts to show what is possible if a clear intention and goal serve the learner's needs. In May of 2022 just near the end of another fantastic school year, I do not remember what happened. But, I was unable to finish the school year and was unable to teach the following year. Why? On May 21st, 2022, I fell down a flight of 16 stairs (luckily carpeted) from the 2nd to 1st story of our home. I was found at the bottom of the stairs. I was found foaming at the mouth. This would lead to a 2-month hospital stay which included an induced coma because my seizures would not stop, several rounds of lumbar punctures, and relearning basic physical movements like something as simple as being able to roll in the hospital bed. Simply put, when I was admitted to the hospital, I was diagnosed as being “critically ill.” Please take a moment and read those words: critically ill. They are not terms...
My classroom does not have windows. So on weekends, I like to get outside. About three years ago, we began planting tulip bulbs in our yard. Usually it occurs over a couple of days in October after the initial upheaval of a new school year has passed. They bloom right around the time we are entering the final stretch of the school year. So as we approach the final weeks of school, what are you doing in your classroom? Are you frantically trying to plant more seeds of content? Or are you enriching what you've planted and letting it grow and blossom. This metaphor may feel like a bit of a stretch, but I couldn't resist. (Maybe I'm just trying to save flower pics because I'm not on Facebook.) I've got some activities planned the next couple of weeks that I'm trying for the first time. I am quite scared to try these new things. But, I trust my students will enjoy the opportunity to bloom. I would love to hear what you are up to as this year comes to a close.