Several years ago, I blogged.  Twice.  The first one included mention of my dear friend Joan’s wise words and the second was a link to finding out which Jane Austen character one might be most like.  That was it.  

And today, I realized that I posted on June 24th and it is October 10th.  No posting in over 3 months.  I am not off to a good start.  

During a professional development meeting several years ago, I was listening to someone talk about SMART goals.  The meeting was after school, I was struggling to pay attention which is never surprising; I was hearing the word SPARKLE in place of SMART goal.  When asked to practice creating SPARKLES, I was at a loss.  Since then I have written countless SMART goals and believe in the value of adhering to those guidelines (specific, measurable, attainable and realistic). I am not sure if I have ever applied  them to myself and I almost always feel like they should be written in glitter!  I  buzz through my days...making lists and checking things off...in a mostly happy way.  I’m lucky to love the things I get to do:  I am a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mom, a friend, a cousin, an aunt, a former interventionist  and an elementary school principal.  I love children and  I love learning.  I love words:  reading and writing.  

I want to blog.  I need a smart goal.  I am committing to posting a blog once a month for the rest of this year.  The goal is that I will write and post at least 3 times before 2015. When I meet that goal (totally optimistic), I will create a sparkling new one for the new year.

I did write one haiku in August.  It is my commitment for this school year:

Do, grow, be.  Learn well.

Choose joy.  Act with love.

Children first each day.

I have been able to honor my commitment:  I can choose joy even after a long week that included 2 conference nights that included delicious dinner provided by an awesome PTA!  

If I don’t start now, I won’t.  I will wonder….perhaps I should change the layout, the font, the color or perhaps I should wait until I have more time, fewer piles, clearer ideas or maybe this is just a bad idea?  

.  

It has always been exceedingly  easy for me to get stuck in my own brain. Thinking becomes over thinking.  I am easily distracted.  Very.easily.distracted.  There is so much to learn, to see, to know. I do not need another person or even something shiny to distract me.  I am very good at distracting myself. Very.very.very.good...because  there is so much to learn, to see, to know….to read, to think about, to believe….to love, to enjoy. to notice.

Regardless...I will heed the words of May Sarton who said, “Start here.”  I will listen to the voice of Joan Strope who told me to start wherever I was, to look down and start with what was around my feet.  

In this moment, at 5:30, in an empty school I am holding on to the the inspiration I found during a recently attended conference - All Write! 2014.

 

• I believe Ruth Ayers when she said “Celebration Saves” and I learned about gritty celebrations.
• I believe  Mary Helen Gensch when she talked about using the books we love to create mini lessons and I envied that she had a writing group.
• I trust Franki Sibberson about digital literacy because she shared a picture of how it looks in her own classroom.
• I appreciate that Cris Tovani reminded me of why I know that the workshop model provides teachers with their best shot at moving all learners forward.  
• I agree with Pastor Amber that we all need encouragement and we all long to live wholeheartedly, if we are being honest with ourselves.  
• I believe Kristin Ziemke when she said, "Its not the technology, its the thinking" and "The learning never stops."
• I agree with Kelly Gallagher that writing is not a school skill: it is so much more.

AND. I got to meet Donalyn Miller, THE Book Whisperer.  Like a groupie, I got my picture taken with her! It gets better.  I got to listen to THE Book Whisperer talk for nearly two hours.  For nearly an hour she shared beautiful, brilliant books that I can not wait to read. THE Book Whisperer talked to me (and hundreds of others in the audience) about conferring with readers and writers in the way that made me love her after reading Chapter 1 of The Book Whisperer.  

AND, I made a new friend because I traveled and savored with Erin Killeen.  Lucky me.

AND because of my believing, trusting, appreciating and agreeing, I am going to write. I am going to trust that I will find my way:  this is daring greatly.  I am sure that I will learn, see, know, read, think about, believe, love, enjoy and notice many things...and I will write.