Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Tuesday SOL: A poem about in-service days


This is a Tuesday
Slice of Life.
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day. 
Check out the Two Writing Teachers website for many more reflections on teaching.


Overwhelmed


Cold water, yes, cold water
after so many gentle days
walking,
visiting,
snacking,
napping,
loving
Cold water, yes, cold water
welcome and know
new staff,
new spaces,
new technology,
new frameworks,
new approaches
Cold water, yes, cold water
read and absorb
agenda of the day
student lists
curriculum packets
math and literacy data
accreditation process
Cold water, yes, cold water
imagine and create
new norms
restorative practices
beginning routines 
Cold water, yes, cold water
so many moving parts
interrupted thoughts
long lists of to do's,
racing time
Cold water, yes, cold water
remind yourself
you saw it coming
When you expect cold water
it is refreshing,
exhilarating,
releasing
the dust, 
the aches,
the sleep
Soak up
these in-service days
Soak up 
the new year
Soak up 
the sense of possibility.


5 comments:

  1. Your repeated phrases kept pulling me in and your format of listing gave a sense of how much there is to do in those first days. I think you really captured it! Having been there, although not in a few years, it brought back many of those feelings for me. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Your repeated phrases kept pulling me in and your format of listing gave a sense of how much there is to do in those first days. I think you really captured it! Having been there, although not in a few years, it brought back many of those feelings for me. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. I liked the format of your poem. The repeated lines, captured thoughts and experiences.

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  4. So true, so true! I love that connection to cold water.

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  5. Oh, how I laughed at your opening line. Yesterday was my first day of a 4 day training. I got up OK, but then realized I needed to rush to get out the door in a timely manner. And boy, was I hungry at the end of the day! It's good to go back early for inservice; it gets me ready to be a professional again.

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