I have a LOT of feelings about this tree.

 Okay, so before you roll your eyes and call me bonkers, hear me out.  This tree... this tree right here has given me SO MUCH perspective during this difficult season.

During quarantine this spring and summer I began taking walks in my neighborhood, and I would walk past this tree every day.  I never noticed it was there, until one day after a huge storm blew threw and took down some of its branches.  I had so many feelings overtake me as I stared at this massive tree, still standing strong after enduring a terrible storm.  I imagine you can see where I'm going with this?

But! I want to point out a few things to you that may not have noticed.  Do you see the parts of the tree that had purposefully been trimmed years ago, allowing it to thrive and grow taller? Do you see the parts that had been torn apart by the storm? Do you see the branches and green leaves that are strong and beautiful and untouched? Do you see the parts of the tree that are probably seeing sunlight for the very first time in many years only because the branches came down in the storm?

My point is this... I want to be more like this tree.  There have been parts of me or habits that I've had that I have purposefully trimmed in order to keep growing tall and strong and maintain my health.  There are parts of me that have been ripped apart my challenges and struggles that I've faced in my life.  There are also parts of me that remain unchanged and continue to thrive. 

Instead of focusing on the pieces that were torn away or are missing, let's focus on the parts that can now grow and been seen in the light that we may have never noticed.  Let's focus on the great stories we will tell about the storms that we've managed to survive, and let's continue to stand strong and grow through the challenges we will undoubtedly face. 

This tree has already faced a few more storms since I took this picture in May.  I'm sure it will face many more, but that doesn't mean that it can't continue to thrive or even become stronger and better for surviving it.  Just look at how beautiful it is and how the light can shine even greater through it now.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

4 Days of Lesson Plans FREE! (Individually Created Characters)

Image
If you are a fan of class-created characters (OWIs) then you will LOVE this project! I've created a 4 day lesson plan with handouts for students to create their own characters. I will admit that this is not completely input focused, BUT I would argue that giving students chances to show their learning, do some art, and let their imaginations run wild are worthwhile, too! (Especially if you are crawling trying to make it to a school break like me.) This could be done in person or virtually as long as your students have the ability to insert pictures of their characters in the slideshow! Here's the general idea of the lesson plans. Make sure you check out the full lesson plans with handout links here ! *These plans are flexible enough that you could continue things like free choice reading or calendar talk each day. I have found that working with students (especially when they are writing in L2) takes longer than I always expect and I want us to get it done in class, so there may
Read more

Benefits of Using the Daily Lesson Framework

Image
3 years ago, I began using a daily lesson framework in all of my classes to provide comprehensible input. It changed my life.  As many of you know, I had polyps surgically removed from my vocal cords 2 years ago. I will have to use a microphone to teach with for the rest of my career. As someone who never participated in theater or choir, I had never learned to use my voice correctly. So when I began teaching with CI and almost felt as though I was putting on a show every class for my students, it killed my voice. This daily lesson framework helped solve that issue for me as well.   Here are 4 benefits to using this daily lesson framework: 1. Creates Routine We know that brains crave novelty, but they also thrive with routine. This framework allows teachers and students to have the same routine every day while still allowing for freedom and flexibility within that routine. 2. Gradual Release of Responsibility The daily framework has a focus of "I do, we do, you do" with the t
Read more

Scaffolding Student Writing with Word Card Sentences

Image
>>This activity is not input focused.<< The purpose of this activity is to help kids process the language they've been acquiring in class and create their own sentences and thoughts without having to come up with the words themselves. It helps build confidence before the first writing assessment.  I am always looking for new ways to scaffold student writing. This word card sentence activity was inspired by my talented and smart friend, Nissa Quill. Check out some pictures of the students working at the end of this post! I also recorded this podcast episode to really explain the purpose of this activity and share more about how we discussed it in class. Main Idea:  Students are given cards with familiar words in the target language and work in groups to create as many sentences as possible with those words. They are given some blank cards to write their own words on as well.  We did this activity after spending about 4-5 days on calendar talk in class.  Here are the wor
Read more