Spiritual Posture: Letting Go of Control

Some of the most powerful life lessons are the simplest, and they come to us in the most humble ways. I was on a walk with my daughter the other day, and she happened to notice that I was looking down in front of my feet as I walked. Being a young woman who speaks her mind, she pointed out that my shoulders were hunched-I was not walking with good posture.  I explained to her that ever since my ACL and meniscus repair surgery a year ago, I found myself watching the ground in front of my feet for unevenness, cracks, water-anything that might cause me to trip or stumble. That was my second ACL repair on that knee, third one in all, so I'm a little gun shy of certain movements. "So it's self-preservation."  And then she added, "Well, your posture is terrible."  She was right. I had become aware not long ago of my tendency to do this, and was working on it, but her insights caused me to think deeper about the implications of this habit. There's simply no way to explain to someone who's never had a similar surgery how unnerving it can be to lose your footing, or trip on a stupid crack in the sidewalk.

On my walk today, I caught myself doing it again, but this time, I was alone, and I was working through some personal issues in my head, specifically, several uncertainties that have arisen in my life.  My Christian music Matt Redman Pandora station was pumping through my ear buds, and I was in deep thought with things, most of which are out of my control. Not a place I like to find myself. So when I realized I was looking down again, I stopped, and that's when truth hit me, and the still, small voice of the Lord broke through my clouded vision. For the rest of that hour, He and I did business together. Here's what we came up with. It was a simple lesson in the physical realm that had deep emotional and spiritual implications and applications.

• Look up. When I look down, I'm focusing on the wrong thing. I'm missing out. We attract what we focus on. Just like my physical posture is affected when I focus on the ground, so too is my spiritual posture when I focus on my problems instead of the problem solver. Not only am I missing out on what's going on around me, I become too self-focused. And hunched--and that's downright unattractive. Keep my eyes on the Lord, not on myself or my problems.  

Trust the surgeon.  He really did know what he was doing. Walk with care, but trust that the surgery was successful. I have no reason to believe otherwise. Trust the physical therapist. Trust all those dang exercises he made you do! Relax, rest, and trust God. The Lord has never let me down. All my uncertainties, fear, and anxieties can be laid at His feet. 

When I trained in martial arts, which was how I tore my ACLs in the first place, I learned a trick that originated with dancers. When doing a spin kick, we were taught to find a spot on the wall and fix our eyes on that.  This serves two purposes: one, it keeps you in line and centered; secondly, it keeps you from getting dizzy when you spin around. When I learned how to break boards, I was taught to focus not on the board, but what is on the other side. If you fix your eyes on the board, all your body's energy goes into that board, and it stops at the board. Boards will not break that way, but when your focus is beyond the board, your energy doesn't stop at the board, it keeps going through the board, and it will break. Spend some time pondering the life application with that one! How many times have you focused on that one thing and failed to look beyond it? Goals, challenges, obstacles--whatever it may be; when we focus on IT instead of what's beyond it, we lose momentum, energy, passion. We limit ourselves.

After the weight of all this life stuff hit me and I soaked it in, I decided to take myself to the next level. I don't believe in testing God, but I was testing my own dedication and belief. I needed to break through the thoughts that were limiting me physically, but the ramifications went way beyond. My eyes focused on the trail ahead, shoulders back, with a deep breath, I began to run. Well, I should clarify. I don't run. I don't really like to run, and what I did could hardly be classified as running, more like a slow trot. I was never a "runner" by today's standards, but years ago I would occasionally go out and jog a couple miles. I have friends who are runners, and I certainly don't belong in their category. After three knee surgeries, I have not had the confidence, but I needed to know that if I wanted to run, I could. What happened exceeded my expectations. Not only did I run, excuse me, trot, for almost half a mile, I did so without pain or discomfort, and with confidence. You won't see me out running any 5K's anytime soon, but who knows.

Such big life truths from something like my dumb ACL injuries, but that's often how God breaks through our stubborn, heard-headed selves, using our own crap, limitations, challenges, and wounds. My uncertainties are still there, hanging out in space somewhere, waiting for answers. I can't change or control the outcome, but I can choose not to focus on them but on something far more reliable. So here's my challenge to you: what are your eyes fixed on? Are you staring at the board and not beyond it? In what area of your life do you need to look up, fix your eyes, trust, and break through? Peace and big grace to you.

Teachers at the Prom

I teach teenagers, and because they cause me gray hair, it's only fair that I get to mess with their minds whenever I can. Our school's prom is tonight. My assistant principal, who is a dear man and a good friend, asked if I was coming to the prom and when I made a face that said "probably not", said, "Oh, I was hoping to dance with you." Of course this was all said to make the students gathered around my desk feel awkward, because let's face it, teenagers do not like to see their teachers dance, least of all with each other. On top of that, they know I'm single. If there's one thing teenagers dislike more than seeing their teachers dance is thinking of them as people who actually date. I am not dating my assistant principal, just to be clear. I turned to one boy and said, "If I came to the prom tonight, "J," would you dance with me?"
"Uh, Miss, I have a girlfriend." The 'laughter-in-check' meter within me started to rise.
  "Not that kind of dancing, "J."
Laughter broke out around the desk and in the room.
    "You wouldn't dance one dance with your teacher?"
       "She might not let me."
          "Does she let you dance with your mother?"
             "Well, yeah,"
                "So what's the difference, "J?" Are you embarrassed to dance with your teacher?"  Poor boy. I decided to release him from the suspended animation. I turned to another boy on the other side of the desk. "R", would you dance with me if I came to the prom?"
   "Yes, Ms. B., I'd dance with you."

Never a dull day. Today, that same student somehow managed to lock the computer cart's padlock around his backpack strap. Did I mention I teach senior English? These are 18 year-olds. He looks at me with hopeful eyes. "You know the combination, right, Miss?" Because the lock needed some resistance in order to open- it works fine on a heavy cart but not on a backpack-I had no clue how to get it off his backpack. We tried for three or four minutes. In one swift motion, he grabbed the scissors off my desk and cut his backpack strap, setting the lock free to clank on my desk.  "Cool, hahaha," "J" said, grabbed my stapler and proceeded to connect his straps with a couple dozen staples.

I crazy mad love teenagers. I surely do.

A Writer's Treasure

I have always been a collector of quotes. I find myself in them, lose myself, get reaffirmed, encouraged, comforted, and sometimes, assured that I'm not crazy, like this one from F. Scott Fitzgerald: "Writers aren’t people exactly. Or, if they’re any good, they’re a whole lot of people trying so hard to be one person." If the fabulous Mr. F. felt that way, then maybe I'm not so weird. If you've ever lived with a writer, then you know what I'm talking about. We're a unique breed. I find comfort in the knowledge that I'm not the only one who struggles with focusing on one project, sticking to a deadline, finishing that manuscript before seeing another shiny project just waiting to pull me off task and write it, instead, and of course--the piles of paper. Back in the day, I kept file folders and spiral notebooks and would fill them with my story ideas, observations, catchy dialogues, and character notes. Now I use a cool app on my phone when I remember I have it. Going back and looking at them months or years later is hilarious-and puzzling. What in the world did I mean by, "Antique tractor. Whiskey. Labrador"? Is there some blockbuster lurking in those cryptic notes? Did F. Scott look back on his "idea journals" later in life and wonder what he meant by some chicken scratch note he made? I'd like to think so. 

The other day, my students became so intrigued with the idea that I have a black belt in taekwondo. That always sparks conversation. Suddenly I'm a ninja to them, and they afford me a new level of respect I didn't have before. This crew took it to a new creative level and came up with a story line for a movie about me, the English teacher by day who moonlights as a contract hit man; it stars them in various roles. It was actually quite good--good enough that I've tucked it away in my cool phone app for later. I may even get to it this summer if I don't finish the project I'm on and get distracted, that is. At my request, they even gave me a love interest, the father of one of the boys, our student body president, who is intent on playing himself in the movie as soon as he gets buff. Hey, I might as well have at least a fictional love life, right? One brilliant student suggested Gerard Butler's name for the role. How did he know? That student is getting an "A" this semester. Priorities. 

When I die, my children inherit at least six large boxes of spiral and composition notebooks, torn napkins, loose papers, and a cool phone app full of my weird story ideas, poems, diaries, character sketches, dialogues, and observations on life. I've thought of compiling them more neatly into something cohesive, but I fear losing the context in which they were created. That scrawled poem from the forlorn fourteen-year-old whose crush went unrequited takes me back every time; all I have to do is see those words and I am transported to junior high, and I wonder what the hell I was thinking. Laughing at or having compassion on my younger self is good therapy. To throw them away or digitize them might reduce their value, somehow, either sentimentally or perhaps realistically in some Christie's auction after one of my novels becomes the next Hunger Games or Twilight. I wouldn't want to deprive my children of that inheritance, now would I?

Teaching in the Trenches

   

Another good but emotionally-challenging day in the trenches of teaching at-risk youth. I overheard a student tell another teacher that his mother was an addict and used to put cocaine in his baby bottle.
On my planning period, I read through some pages of their autobiographies and took in an account of a drive-by shooting. The sweet, quiet girl in the back of the room has witnessed more bloodshed and bodies scattered on the floor than some cops I know. 
I did a writing blitz day where I kept my class writing, in various activities, for 90 minutes, and in one of the activities, I had these stations with writing prompts on them. The kids rotated and wrote for three minutes on each poster. The one about fighting was twice as full as the one about kissing. I commented on that, and a student said, "Guess there's a lot more violence than love." 

   One of the comments on the "Learning to Kiss" poster said, "Ask a whore." I said, "Did any of you learn to kiss by watching movies?" And one responded, "You mean like porn?" Uh.. no that's not what I meant. One student asked, "Which fight should I write about, the one yesterday or the one last week?" 

     Before class, I stopped "R," who I adore but who is extremely sarcastic and delights in trying to get me off task or rattle me. Yesterday, it was, "Miss! What'd you do to your hair? Have you lost weight? You look skinny. What's different about you? You look really pretty today--do you have a date after school?"  I looked him in the eyes and I said, "R", maybe you and I should start today's class with a hug. Whaddya think?" And he leaned in and said, "I think we should start EVERY class with a hug." I melted, threw my arm around that boy and hugged him. Class went smooth as glass. Now I know. Hug "R" every-single-day. 

For many high risk students, spring is a semester full of anxiety. They leave the security of a structured school day with mentors who pour into their lives and hold them accountable, two hot meals, friends, and support, and they have to live through an entire summer without some of those things. No structure, no schedule; for many of them, it's the law of the street. It's especially frightening for seniors. Graduation should be a time of liberation and independence, but for some kids, it's a sentence.  

If only a hug took care of all of them. I think of that starfish the boy in the story threw back. "It matters to that one," and I know that a hug, while it may not be much, mattered to that one, and for today, that's what I can do. Tomorrow is another day. 

Liven up Language Arts: Games for the Classroom

It’s every language arts teacher’s struggle: how to make grammar and punctuation sexy.

Last year, I poured my heart out to my dear friend, Michele, our school’s 7^th grade science teacher. I was jealous, pure and simple, of how easy it was for her to get students interested in science. After all, they got to blow things up. Pet wolves. Test things for radioactivity. Drops eggs from the roof. Dissect stuff.  What did I have, prepositions? Verb conjugations? Not much sexiness there. Oh, I had my bag of tricks of some clever writing activities or games, but they just never seemed to match up to homemade green goo you can use to gross out your mom.

To help my fellow language arts teachers who likely feel that sting of the eye-roll when they are about to pass out yet another worksheet, I have collected here some of my favorite games that I have developed and adapted over the years. Some have come to me in the middle of the night or on the way to school; some came to me by way of brilliant colleagues and have been adapted slightly to fit my classroom. And because I am a teacher, I did not have time to write them down all at once; check back frequently for more additions!

Feel free to use these to make your language arts classroom even slightly more intriguing.

To Get Them Writing

Fly That Story

Using a picture story prompt on the projector, instruct students to start a story. Give them 60 seconds or so to write, then tell them to fold their paper into an airplane, stand up, and fly that story across the room to the other side. All students must scramble to find a story, open it up, and continue the story. Give them about 60 seconds for each “round.” You’ll find that they need more time as the stories get longer. Guide them to include the elements of plot (setting, rising action, conflict, climax, falling action, resolution) as you go through the rounds. After six or so rounds, stories should be wrapped up. The last person adds a resolution and a title. Fly them one more time to a reader.

Adaptations/Extensions:

• Students can crumple their story into a ball and throw it at each other.
• Students can simply pass the story to the left, right, front or back
• Have a few or many read their story aloud, checking for understanding for plot elements.
• Allow students to take a story home and produce a clean copy for extra credit or a grade.
• Stories can be revised and edited until they are polished; this can be a great opportunity to work on sentence fluency.

To, Two, and Too Much

This is a fun activity that can be used for a variety of concepts. My students love writing stories together in groups; this affords them the opportunity to review and be creative at the same time.

Review the important words, “to, too, two”, “they’re, their, there”, “your, you’re” and “may, can” using the handout. Next, project a story prompt picture on the screen. Allow students to pick partners or use your own grouping system. Instruct students to write a story with their partners based on the writing prompt using the important words each twice in their story. Allow 10-20 minutes, depending on your schedule restraints. When finished, call on some students to read their story, checking for understanding on the proper usage of the words.

Adaptations/Extensions:  

• Tell students to give the story to the most responsible person in the group (this is always fun to watch). That student will take the story home, type it in a final draft-including the group’s names and a title-and bring it back to school the next day. Award the typist a few extra credit points for taking on that task.
• Follow up the next day with a quick assessment of the skills practiced after reading a few stories.

To Get Them Remembering

Grammar Basketball

There’s nothing quite like that feeling when a student says, “I think this game really helped me review for that test!” Before your next test, or if you need a break from the worksheets, try this easy, sure-to-please game.

Divide the class into four teams. I like to hand them index cards on their way in with team names on them, like metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, hyperbole. Instruct them to sit with their team.

Set a trash can in the center of the room; clear enough desks to allow some shooting room. Before class, put tape down on the floor for two, three, and five point shots in various places and distances from the trash can. I put my trash can on a stool; elevating it increases their odds of making the shot.

Call out review questions over concepts in your unit; these can be grammar, literature, vocabulary, or any combination. Students must raise their team cards to be recognized. I allow teams to confer on their answer; this promotes class culture and helps the lower-skilled kids sharpen their knowledge. If they answer correctly, they send someone to the line to shoot the basket with a wadded up piece of paper. To keep things fair, I enforce the rule that every team member must have a turn shooting. They get to choose the two, three, or five pointer shots. They only get points if they make the basket.  Winning team can earn bragging rights, a treat, or special privilege.

     

Adaptations/Extensions:  

• Have each team come up with a cheer that has something to do with their literary technique. Hearing your onomatopoeia team moo or quack or your hyperboles exaggerate about their greatness is sure to bring a smile to your face. Pause periodically to allow the teams to demonstrate their cheer.
• As their ticket out the door, students must present their team card to you and an example of what was on the card (metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, etc.).

Noodle Wars

After every season, I scour the stores for clearance items I can use in my classroom. One year I lucked out and found a dozen of those foam water toys that look like giant noodles for a dollar each.  My students have had great fun coming up with ways to use these in the classroom. One game we created together is Noodle Wars.

Divide your class into two teams. Have each team send forth a champion to the center of the room, where they are faced off with an opponent, each holding a noodle. Call out review questions. The champion of the team that answers correctly gets to whack the opponent once with the noodle, and they earn a point for their team.  Certain body parts are illegal hits (chest area, below waist in the front, and the head). Legs and back are great targets. With this game, I allow students to opt out of the whacking going on. Participation in the center is voluntary; group engagement is not.

Adaptations/Extensions:

• If you don’t have foam noodles, Nerf balls work well, too.
• For the warm-up (bell work) the next day, have students write about which concepts they remember from the Noodle Wars game. 

What Does Great Writing Look Like? How to Take Your Writing from Good to Great!

      Everyone wants to be great; none of us aspire to be "average." When it comes to writing, students know they want their writing to get attention, be entertaining, get some laughs-but they often don't know how to take their writing from GOOD (meets expectations) to GREAT (above expectations). There is that special "something" that sets great writing apart.

      Students in my language arts classes came up with a fantastic list when posed with this question: What is the difference between GOOD writing and GREAT writing? How can you take your writing from good to great? The best thing about this list is that it is student-generated. These are their words, not mine- and not the words from some dusty textbook. I think they did a phenomenal job at capturing what it is that great writers do. And yes, I gave them all "A's" for this project.

What does GREAT WRITING LOOK LIKE?

How do you take your writing from GOOD to GREAT?

Written by Ms. Anne Blackburn’s  7^th grade language arts classes

Great writing…

•          Is an ATTITUDE!
•          Is a CHOICE
•          Goes above the mediocre; it is not content with being just “average.”
•          Is individualistic, expressive, and imaginative
•          Uses synonyms to avoid repetition
•          Is entertaining and FUN to read
•          Sets a mood
•          Contains sensory detail (sound, taste, touch, smell, feel)
•          Is organized (depending on the purpose, will be organized appropriately)
•          Goes ABOVE and BEYOND the expectations.
•          Has a catchy title that makes the reader want to read it!
•          Uses great imagery; it creates word pictures in your mind.
•          Uses literary techniques like metaphor, simile, personification, onomatopoeia
•          Contains sentence fluency (various lengths, types, and openings to the sentences)
•          Makes the writer’s voice clear.
•          Has strong word choice (replace boring words with more dramatic ones)
•          Contains a great hook that gets the reader’s attention
•          Presentation looks neat and attractive
•          Contains imagination and creativity
•          Has been edited for conventions
•          Means MORE EFFORT.
•          Has a strong ending. It doesn’t just “stop.”
•          Stays on topic.
•          Is WORTH IT.

Great writers…

•           Take the time to go over their writing many times before they’re done. They revise and    edit.
•          Understand their audience.
•          Know WHY they are writing
•          Move their audience.
•          Take their time
•          Know who they are writing for. (Ms. Blackburn's edit: for whom they are writing)
•          Go above the expectations. Good writers MEET expectations.
•          Are proud of their writing. They look at it and feel good about the finished product.
•          Are MOTIVATED.
•          Make what they write THEIR OWN.
•          Let the ideas flow!
•          Express themselves. They CARE.
•          Practice!
•          Can take criticism because they want to make their writing better.
•          Have GREAT IDEAS.
•          Work at becoming better; they want to improve.
•          Don’t hold back! They get into it!
•          Know and understand that great writing is WORTH IT.

56 Reasons to Exercise Today

As a middle school teacher, I'm committed to creating an environment for my students that is warm and friendly, but most importantly, encouraging and motivating. I want them to leave my room energized to not just embrace learning, but to feel good about themselves. If you know a teenager, you can relate. So when it came time for me to begin my own diet and exercise regimen, aka my 2012 New Year's resolution, I became a student of my own philosophies. Teacher, teach thyself.

I have set my goals and committed them to writing. I plastered them in places around my house. I set up an action plan for following through. Okay, great. But the missing piece was what we educators call the "daily objective," the "teaching target," or "learning goal." It is the why. Why do I want you to learn this? What will it do for you in the grand scheme of your life? What is the take-away from this lesson? I needed to establish the "why" for myself. I knew that in a few weeks or months, I might face discouragement or lack of motivation, and I would need reminders. I needed to surround myself with that same positive, encouraging environment that I give my students.

So here it is, my list of 56 Reasons to Exercise Today, originally titled, "40 Reasons to Get off My Butt and Exercise." I have since expanded my list, thanks in part to contributions from some Facebook friends (you know who you are, thank you!) The health-related reasons are drawn from actual articles I've read about the benefits of exercise, including but not limited to the Mayo Clinic's "Seven Benefits of Regular Exercise Activity." http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676     Any one of those health-related reasons on here can be researched if you want further or more specific data.

I have posted this list on the wall by my bed as well as on my front door; these are the places in which I feel the most tempted to slack off and put off. I scan the list until one or more of these reasons resonates with me that day and I make that trek to the gym or the pavement. Add to them any of your own personal reasons. We all have them. May these give you the kick in the butt, the target objective, the Why, to accomplish your own fitness goals.

56 Reasons to Exercise Today

Anne Thingelstad Blackburn, copyright 2012

1.       Because I am writing the next chapter of my life.
2.       Because I don’t want to avoid-or hide-in photographs anymore.
3.       Because the pain of regret is worse than the pain of discipline.
4.       Because I want to take long hikes and not get winded.
5.       Because I don’t want a giant butt like Aunt ________ .
6.       Because I like the way it makes me feel afterwards.
7.       Because when I accomplish this goal, it will increase my confidence for other challenges in my life.
8.       Because once I do start, I’m always glad I did.  
9.       Because I want there to be plenty of space in my airline seat.
10.   Because I never want to undo the top button ever again.
11.   Because of pretty lingerie.  
12.   Because the joy of health is much greater than the joy of laziness.
13.   Because it increases my energy level.  
14.   Because I like turning a few heads.
15.   Because summer is coming.
16.   Because it improved mental focus.
17.   Because muscles are sexy.
18.   Because it improves symptoms of depression.
19.   Because on a rack somewhere in a boutique is a LBD waiting for me.
20.   Because I want my curves back.
21.   Because baggy clothes are an excuse.
22.   Because it increases metabolism and helps me burn calories faster.
23.   Because it makes me look younger.
24.   Because I want to live longer.
25.   Because of that moment in the dressing room when I realize I needed a bigger size.
26.   Because next week there might be a party or an all-you-can-eat special.
27.   Because it increases neuron activity and may actually make me smarter.
28.   Because knee and foot pain is for old people.
29.   Because it improves posture.
30.   Because it increases my self esteem.
31.   Because I can keep up with my kids.
32.   Because it improves my sleep.
33.   Because of all the clothes in the closet that will fit again.
34.   Because water sports require wet suits.
35.   Because it increases my ability to handle stress.
36.   Because there are medical issues in my family I’d rather not have, thank you.  
37.   Because right now my thighs say to each other, “excuse me, pardon me.”
38.   Because I like me. I choose health!
39.   Because it increases bone density, and when I’m older, I’ll appreciate that.
40.   Because I think I finally figured out what Victoria’s secret really is.
41.   Because today is the first day of the rest of my life.
42.   Because if I don’t, I may not get up and do it ever again.
43.   Because it reduces the risk of heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes.
44.   Because I want to go forwards, not backwards.
45.   Because I might actually want to buy a thong someday.
46.   Because I made a decision to improve my health, and I want to stick with my resolution.
47.   Because the dog needs it, too.
48.   Because the secret to getting ahead is getting started (Mark Twain)
49.   Because research has proved it will improve my sex life.
50.   Because somewhere there is a beach I’d like to visit.
51.   Because I’d like to remove “muffin top” from my vocabulary.
52.   Because it’s a great way to meet new people.
53.   Because it will boost my immune system.
54.   Because my health is important to my future grandchildren. I want to know them.
55.   Because I’m done spiraling up and down in my health and fitness.
56.   Because I can’t think of an acceptable reason not to. 


copyright 2012, Anne Thingelstad Blackburn, Write the Next Chapter
www.writethenextchapter.blogspot.com

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