Using a "Heart Map" in a Writer's Notebook

Lately I've been researching new methods for teaching writing. The main method that keeps coming back to me is the use of mentor texts with writing workshops and writing notebooks. I've been really challenged to start my own writing notebook so my students can see that I, too right even though no one is making me. Students love to imitate their teachers. I'm hoping by my students seeing me write, they will want to write as well.

Tonight I spent a good hour and a half in Panera alone reading the book A Writer's Notebook: Unlocking the Writer Within You by Ralph Fletcher. It's written for kids with the hope that their teachers will read it first and apply the principles to their own lives before forcing their students to apply it to theirs.

Tonight I started my very first entry. I created a Heart Map as suggested by a couple different educators. Here she is (I must say, I did a pretty decent job.):

It's of course rather childish, but I love everything about my childhood and wish I could return all the time. My favorite part of the this map is the center. I drew Ben as a stick figure in cowboy boots holding his fishing pole and harmonica. Not much else has been on his mind this summer other than those three things.

The purpose of this heart map is to remind writers of what is near and dear to their hearts. Writers do best when they write about either what they know or what interests them. I hope to come back to this map when I need inspiration for my own writing.

Parenting Thoughts from a Non-Parent

Here's an interesting quote I came across in my back-to-school research: "What good are straight teeth and trumpet lessons to the child who isn't awake to the wonder that this world is charged with?"

I'm thankful for my parents who "got" this. We went on all sorts of family vacations all over the country. We didn't watch much TV when I was younger. We read a lot. Both of my parents told us all kinds of stories. My mom led Story Hours at our local library every summer while I was in elementary school. My parents took us to church and taught us all about God's amazing creation. This isn't to say that you shouldn't get braces or music lessons for your kids. One of my brothers had braces, and all of us learned how to play at least one musical instrument.

Certainly you can find wonder in the world from music lessons, and some kids just have awful teeth. But too many parents think they've "arrived" when their kids have beautiful pearly whites or killer musical talent or even impressive sports abilities. The result: boring, unimaginative kids.

I was semi-interested in music growing up. I was never really good and loathed practicing. I preferred to run around my backyard playing "Wonder Woman and Cat Woman" with my neighbor Meghan. It was just like it sounds. I was Wonder Woman, and Meghan was Cat Woman. Anyways, every once in a while I'd go to a music camp. There were a lot of highly talented musicians there. They forgot more about music than I ever understood. Many of them didn't have many interests outside of music.

Now I'm not trying to stereotype or poke fun. I believe strongly in the value of good musicianship. My mother-in-law is a former music teacher, my sister-in-law minored in music, my other sister-in-law is currently majoring in Music Education, my husband's cousin majored in music, my husband is a highly-talented trumpet player, we both played and traveled with the concert symphonic band in college, my best friend from childhood is a crazy good pianist and violinist, my dad has a couple vocal recordings on cassette from his college days of traveling with an ensemble, my cousin was accompanying her high school band and choir when she was in junior high, the list goes on and on and on. Every last one of these people understands the wonder of the world. Why? Because their parents let them.

So parents, let your kids explore. Let your kids discover things on their own. Let them outside by themselves. Take them on trips to national parks and museums. Talk about the things of this world that fascinate you. Model discovery in your own life. Invent imaginative games for them. When you do watch TV, watch things like the Travel Channel and Discovery and the History Channel. Applaud their attempts at creativity. Don't spend every vacation in Ocean City, NJ. Don't let video games or TV rule your children's lives. Don't buy copious amounts of toys to keep your kids occupied. Don't force your kids to practice hours upon hours upon hours a day (unless they really, really want to) of either music or sports.

You may be thinking that I don't have a whole lot of credibility in this area since I don't have kids. You're probably right. However, as a teacher, I've seen some kids with little to no imaginations because their parents don't help them develop their imaginations (probably because their grandparents didn't develop their parents' imaginations!). Some of these kids come from well-to-do, loving homes with parents who genuinely want what's best for their kids. They just don't know how to help their children see the wonder in the world.

My brother, Kent, and me at our aunt's wedding in 1992. This has nothing to do with imagination, but everything to do with how cute we were!

Before life and schedules get crazy with the starting of school, make sure you help your children see the wonder in the world. They'll thank you for it one day...and so will their teachers!

Mr. Rogers...The Re-mix

One of my friends posted this video on Facebook today. It's a re-mix of Mr. Rogers. PBS contacted a guy named John D. Boswell to create this montage. It's absolutely amazing. You probably won't appreciate it if you didn't enjoy watching Mr. Rogers as a child. I watched it all the time and wished desperately that I could live in his house and live a simple life just like him. I remember being bothered when I found out for the first time that he actually didn't live in the house on the show. That disappointment was right up there with finding out the Mitchell Corn Palace isn't made entirely out of corn. Anyways, enjoy this lovely video. I know I did.

Maintaining Community

"Community" is currently a buzzword in Christianity. We are constantly encouraged to fellowship with other believers and to build relationships and to share our struggles and to bear one another's burdens and to open our homes and to go out to eat with friends and to send cards and to make phones calls and the list goes on and on.

Just thinking about it makes me squeamish. I'm really not a people person. This quote is so me:

Source: funri.com via Melissa on Pinterest

It's not so much that I'm lazy, I just don't like others dictating my schedule. (That sounds way more selfish typed out than it did in my head.) When I was a little girl, I would beg my mom to send away the neighbors who were asking to play with me. I didn't want to have to play the way someone else wanted to play. (Again, that sounds so much more selfish typed out than in my head.)

Just yesterday I was reading an interview with Jean Craighead George, author of My Side of the Mountain, as I was preparing a lesson for my students. The interviewer of course asked George what tips she had for aspiring writers. My heart soared when I read: "You have to like to be alone. Writing can be lonely, although you do populate your head with all these characters." I want to be a writer one day. I love being alone. Maybe it's okay that I prefer being alone in my apartment than spending time with non-relatives. Maybe my hermit-like tendencies will further my writing career. Maybe I can justify not building relationships.

Right now I can count most of my authentic, living, breathing relationships (outside family) on one hand. It's not that I live in the tundra of Siberia. It's not that I get mad at people easily. It's not that I'm extremely unlikable.

I think what it boils down to is fear. I'm afraid of getting close. I'm afraid of baring my soul to another individual. I'm afraid of getting close to someone only to move far away from them. I'm afraid I will annoy any potential friends. I'm afraid my friends are ashamed of how I dress. I'm afraid others will think I'm presumptuous. I'm afraid to barge into pre-formed friendships. I'm afraid to impose. I'm afraid to say the wrong thing. I'm afraid I'll interrupt them while they're busy. I'm afraid of being rejected.

But God doesn't want me to be all alone. He calls us to build relationships with others. We are to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. There are all sorts of verses about friendship in the Bible. Jesus is the perfect example of the perfect friend.

Here's what I'm going to do about it: I'm going to call up my friends (and even family) within the next two weeks who I've been neglecting while hiding myself away. I have at least two friends that need phone calls. I have one friend who just had a baby and might need an outing with a friend. I have two grandmas who need phone calls. I have countless family members who need Thank-You cards. I have a Starbucks gift card that needs to be used. I have a niece who needs some presents. I have a future sister-in-law who barely knows me. I have a cousin who needs a card in the mail. I have siblings in college who need care packages. I have dear friends who need to eat a meal at my house because they've had me over for hundreds.

I'm going to stop padding myself with my messy house and Netflix obsession and blog reading and ungraded papers and get out there and open myself to community. It's what Jesus would do.

Photo by Jeff Johansen Photography

My First Car Story

This is a really cool website that allows you to make an animated cartoon of your first car experience. I had so much fun making this and even more fun watching the cartoon afterwards. Check it out!

My First Car Story