Serendipity

First off, I must say, Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal, is a remarkable piece of literature. This week I have realized not all books are full of words, but meaningful sentences carefully woven together. In Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Rosenthal quoted Einstein saying “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle” (Rosenthal, 2016, p. 33). I love this quote because it really had me thinking. If I am being honest, I would have fallen into the first category of living my life a few months ago. Everything was tough. I had so many things that were disappointing in my life that I was unable to see the good in things. Two grandmothers passed away, I was overwhelmed with my first semester of graduate school, and I had just started a new grade level change. I felt like my anxiety was through the roof. After reflecting on the quote presented above, I know I want my life to revolve around the miracles. There are so many miracles around us, especially in teaching. A few come to mind. It is a miracle that students come to school craving knowledge, considering their home lives in which they are not sure where their next meal will come from or when their mom will be home from her third job, trying to make ends meet. It is a miracle that the student who gets scolded by their teacher is the one constantly wanting to make sure their teacher is having a good day with a friendly hug. What would happen if we saw the good in everything, instead of the negative?

My Serendipity Moment

Going to Sam’s Club every so often is normal for me. I drive my buggy around getting the odds and ends we need for the week, careful to stop at each and every sample station. It is almost therapeutic. This time was different. We drove around the parking lot, questioning why everyone in Gastonia was at Sam’s Club that day. Little did I know, my favorite author was in town…at Sam’s Club. Nicholas Sparks has always been a literary genius to me. His works make me feel like I am a part of the story, watching as the events are unfolding. My normal routine of buying groceries turned into a memory that will last a lifetime. I was able to get his latest book signed, snap a picture, and tell him how much I love his work. It was a coincidence, as most serendipity moments are, but it was one that will be engrained in my memory forever.

Reliving Magical Memories

One thing I do not push enough in my classroom is writing. I am almost ashamed to say it. Sure, I was taught in undergraduate courses how to encourage writing in the classroom, but now I feel as though I do not have the “time” to include valuable writing activities. I’ll take it a step further and say, I do not include fun writing activities because I do not feel like much of a writer myself. I have students write responses to questions in complete sentences, but that is about the extent to our writing experiences. However, after this week’s readings, I feel like I am seeing a new light. One aspect we focused on was mentor texts. According to Dorfman and Cappelli (2017), mentor texts should be chosen based on a connection to the book, how it serves students’ needs, and a balance of genres. How easy would it be to add a writing component to a book that my students and I both loved and connected to so well? As a teacher that sees the importance of books in the classroom, I must also see the importance of writing. Mentor texts would be a great place to start. Next, it is also important to make students feel excited about writing. Allowing students to feel ownership in their writing is crucial. Incorporating writing notebooks, in which students can design and make their own is an important step in the writing process. According to Fletcher (2001), writing notebooks are a place to react, experiment, and a place to live the writing life. Students are in control of what they write. It allows for self-expression and is a place where they can relive some of their own magical memories. Writing notebooks can be an escape for students, who are going through turmoil in their lives. Maybe one day, students will even share their “serendipity moment.”

References

Dorfman, L. R., & Cappelli, R. (2017). Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing
  Through Children’s Literature(2nd ed.). Portland, Maine: Stenhouse.

Fletcher, R. (2001). The Writer’s Notebook, School Talk, NCTE, 6 (4), 1-6. 

Rosenthal, A. K. (2016). Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal: Not exactly a memoir. NY,
NY: Dutton.