Drowning in Drafts - a Poem I Made Up in My Car

Drowning in Drafts

I narrated this poem onto VoiceMemo on my phone, in my car, on February 18th, 2016. Because I am so badly drowning in drafts, I'm only getting to typing it up now, almost three weeks later.

Also, I have not shared a poem publicly since high school. Be gentle.

Thank you stock photography for this perfect picture.

For many months
I worked on a single narrative
A single project
I could forgive myself
And excuse myself
For not blogging
Regularly

But I came up with ideas
Lots of ideas
Which I added to lists
Upon lists
Which I have organized
And prioritized
And alphabetized
And check listed
And expanded
And researched
And narrated
And sketched
And texted

Now, they wash over me
Started as drafts
Unfinished posts
Unshared ideas
They sit in my Any.do list
On the notes on my phone
Rambling ideas
Rolling on top of each other
Started as drafts
In the draft folder on my blog
On neon sheets of paper on my coffee table
And Post-Its in my pockets

Every time I don't write a post
Another idea forms
And I sink
Further
Beneath the drafts
And I'm drowning
Under waves
Of ideas

Every time I swim through the drafts
Trying to pull my head above
A new idea forms
I cannot get to the top
Because I cannot get to the top
I give up
And I stop swimming
I stop writing
I hide beneath the waves
Of my ideas
Half formed
In drafts

Even this poem
Coming from my brain
To my mouth
To the VoiceMemo
Will become
Another wave
Cresting
Another wave in the digital ocean
Of drafts
Of ideas

(Ha! Past Shauna was wrong - I took a stroke, I kicked and I shared this one draft today!)

Welcome a Student Teacher Into Your Classroom

Welcome a student teacher into your classroom.

The Why:

As educators, we have the opportunity and the privilege to elevate our profession. Create a prototype classroom where you and your students can help teachers experiment and improve their skills. Mentor teachers that are new to the profession. Be the person YOU needed (and hopefully had) when you were starting your career.

Teaching can feel very isolating. You are often the only adult in a room with 20 or 30 people for 6.5-7 hours each day. Getting to be part of a team will not only empower a pre-service teacher, but will also enhance your own teaching.




The How:

Make a commitment. Promise your student teacher you will do the following things. Follow through and do them:

1. I will provide you with ongoing, meaningful feedback in the writing and in person.
2. I will make sure you know #youmatter and how important you are to me and the students.
3. I will step back and let you make mistakes.
4. I will push you outside your comfort zone.
5. I will celebrate your successes with you.
6. I will respect you as an individual and give you space to be yourself.
7. I will share resources and ideas with you.
8. I will make sure that you create a positive digital footprint.

To get started, feel free to use/modify this letter as you wish (it is a welcome letter inspired by my weird and wonderful friend, Doug Robertson in his book, "He's the Weird Teacher").

Why and how do you work with student teachers? What do you wish you had learned from or with your mentor teacher(s) when you were a student teacher?

This is one of my 330 (not exaggerating, in fact, that's where I lost count. There are probably 400 of them by now) posts in a series I'm calling "Purge the Draft," wherein I attempt to purge my draft posts by completing and actually posting them. Don't expect these at any regular interval. That's too much pressure.