Every Friday in Language Arts is Free Write Friday or rather was…. I write in Free Write Friday, at least try to write most Friday’s, to model the practice. Yesterday, I used the computer and typed instead of using my notebook. Below is what I wrote for Free Write Friday…. 

I walked in this morning, late. I really need to work on this. I have not been sleeping well and it is affecting me in so many ways. I am tired and not as effective as I could be in any of the areas of my life – father, husband, son, or teacher. I did get a bonus this morning though. In my frenzy to get ready, I missed that I had been tagged by a former student or rather former students. Dan and Kim had stopped in, probably here to see their sister who is in eighth grade play volleyball. I had left for to attend a meeting across town on another campus and I missed them, but they left a message on my board. It read:

Hey Mr. Watkins!! and signed Kim and Dan (kids: Watkins is the man! APPRECIATE).

What a great way to start the day. I was immediately uplifted and it was a great boost to my day. I had had Dan and Kim in seventh grade and their two older sisters before them. All of the kids have been great students and it is nice to hear from them and see them grow.

Geography class had already begun and I read ZOOM and asked my students to respond to the book – what does the book make you think and what geographic concept(s) does it illustrate? The day went incredibly quickly, as they all do and it was afternoon before I knew it. The book has been turned into a You Tube video, you can watch below.
 

The point if the book was that our perspective changes we can look at our world closely or we can step back and look at the larger parts. It is all about perspetive and how we look at the world. 

It is Free Write Friday, on Thursday, when I introduced Amazing and Brilliant two weeks ago. We can write anything we want and I am continuing to write this blog entry. Yesterday, I ran into Jan Newport again and we talked about writing and learning. I saw her at a meeting at one of the high schools in our district. As I was walking in I passed several former students and we visited for a few moments and I went about my way and inside to my meeting. As I spoke with Jan I was full of energy to write and think. Later that night I went back and re-read a couple of early entries to MtDC and thought about what I wrote. It was more in reflection to the political cartoon I had tagged to the entry, but it was relevant to our conversation and my thinking process.   

 
I wrote the first and last paragraph, this morning before I posted. I did go back to edit and spell check, but in essence I was able to write in the time. In the coming week I will begin looking through my student’s writer’s notebooks and reading what they have written. I am looking forward to it. Today is busy at home: our new refrigerator arrives between 9:15 and 11:15, Olivia has a soccer game, it is Saturday and the lawn needs attention, and Ivy destroyed another pillow this one only a week old and is getting a bath. It looks to be a busy day. The past week has been a blessing that has counted in more ways than I can enumerate to close. I hope to post again this weekend, I have so many ideas. Making the Days Count, one day at a time.