Kings Mountain State Park

Kings Mountain State Park is located in Blacksburg, SC, and was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The park is 6141 acres that were donated by the US government in 1934. The park surrounds Lake York and has connecting trails to Kings Mountain National Military Park and Crowders Mountain State Park.

There are more than 20 miles of trails, equestrian facilities, and more than 30 miles of equestrian trails, campgrounds, fishing lakes, and five picnic shelters. The campground has 115 RV and tent sites and 15 equestrian campsites.

In the park, there is a fascinating Living History Farm. The farm is a replica of a typical farm found in the Piedmont area during the 1899s. Included in the farm are a house, barn, cotton gin, blacksmith shop, carpenter shop, gardens, and animals.

This park is a fascinating park to visit and if you have time visit the other two parks that are nearby.

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 1/28//22

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Alphabet Organizer - Students create an alphabet book or alphabet chart with words for each letter of the alphabet. Or choose just one word per letter and upload an image to help early readers make a visual connection between the word and the beginning letter. (L:G;SA:A)

Smithsonian Learning Lab - “...the Smithsonian Learning Lab puts the treasures of the world's largest museum, education, and research complex within reach. The Lab is a free, interactive platform for discovering millions of authentic digital resources, creating content with online tools, and sharing in the Smithsonian's expansive community of knowledge and learning.”(L:G;SA:A)

Applications of Math - by industry or topic (L:G;SA:M)

Spinner Wheel - “Spinner Wheel is a free online random wheel app to help decide upon making a choice.” (L:G;SA:A)

Tunnel to the Other Side of the Earth - “Have you ever wondered which part of the other side of the earth is directly below you? Find out using this map tunnelling tool.” (L:G;SA:S,SS)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Taking Responsibility

In Your responsibility preference from Seth Godin's Blog, Seth Godin,

“Like our control preference, responsibility is a learned skill.”

Years ago, when I was the new head of our department, I learned that a teacher sent a letter home with her students that had erroneous information about our special education students staying home during exams. A parent had called to complain and I was called into the principal’s office and asked to investigate the situation. When I reported that the letter was sent home, I expected my principal to try to sweep it under the rug like some administrators of previous schools where I had worked. Since I had little experience with being an administrator, I didn’t know how to handle this situation. Instead, this principal told me to compose a letter of apology for him to send home with those students. He just wanted us to admit it was an error and it would be corrected. He didn’t give excuses or rationals for what happened. Instead, he said what we would do to correct this problem.

He was truly a role model of what I always thought an administrator should be.

Whenever I faced a problem after that, I would ask myself what my principal would do and it was usually the right thing to do. I learned that it was important to accept responsibility and face up to my errors.

As a child, I was taught to face up to my mistakes and do what is right but it is different when you are in the workplace and supervisors above you have a different opinion. New teachers face this dilemma often. How do new teachers reconcile the two different values? My answer is that if your administration doesn’t have the same values as you, it is time to move on.

Every school that I left usually involved a difference of values. My first Principal wanted me to lie so that we could avoid a conflict. My second Principal want me to lie to a group because he was put into a difficult situation and didn’t want to look like the bad guy. The third Principal I had wanted me to lie in court so I could support his disciplinary actions towards a student. I left all of those positions because my values are important to me. My last position was with an administration that had the same values as me and I was extremely happy teaching there.

There is no shame in leaving a position to find a better position. Don’t stay in a place where you are not happy. Life is too short to do this.

Have you left a position that didn’t have the same values as you? Please share.

Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash

Nurturer or Naysayer

In Nurturing Voices, Sioux share,

“Several of my students discovered their person had been told they shouldn't have the dream they dreamed.”

My husband is a nurturer. Whenever I have a crazy idea that I want to try, he always encourages me to give it a try. He never thinks of reasons why I shouldn’t try it. Of course, he is more logical than I am and when I bounce ideas off of him, he will come up with great questions to help me get the details right. When I try something and it doesn’t work out, he doesn’t say I told you so and instead tries to help me see what went wrong and how to do it better next time.

I confess that I’m not always a nurturer and tend to be more of a naysayer. I think of all the obstacles and reasons why something might not work. All my life I have been afraid of risk.

I do not want to instill my fear onto my students. I want them willing to take risks (that don’t harm anyone or anything). I want them to dream big and work towards their dreams.

My parents always said that if there was a want, there was a way. They were nurturers. They never thought that there was any reason we couldn’t achieve what we set out to do.

My parents couldn’t afford to send me to the college that I wanted to go and they let me know this when I first started talking about college. I wanted to go to a private out of state college since I was in elementary school. I knew that if I wanted to achieve my dream I had to keep my grades up and get scholarships. They encouraged me to do what I needed to do instead of squashing my dream and telling me that I couldn’t go there.

When my students share their dreams with me, I ask them questions. I try to be like my husband and encourage them to explain in more detail. I help them discover ways that they can work towards their dreams. Instead of throwing obstacles in their way, I think of ways to help them overcome their obstacles. I help prepare them to face obstacles that may occur so they can be ready to find their ways around them.

How do you nurture your students so they can work towards their dream? Please share.

Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash

A Triple Win

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In A Triple Win, Rushton features a unique school where students pay school fees with plastic waste and they recycle the plastic into things like eco-bricks.

He gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“What are some challenges in your community that seem quite different, but perhaps could be brought together in some creative way?”

What a unique way to get students invested in their education! I love the ways that older students are teaching and mentoring younger students. All of the students seemed to enjoy preparing the plastic bottles for future uses. After watching this video I wanted to know more. How were they paying the older students? Were there any behavior problems and how were they handled? How many students were in this school? What do the parents think about this?

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Learning to Work Together

Working as a team is not something that comes naturally to most people. This is a skill that has to be taught. As we move into a world where many students are learning remotely from home, this skill becomes harder to learn. Specific lessons need to be planned where teamwork is expected and encouraged. Group projects should be planned where each person has a specific role to complete the project.

The teacher can group students according to unique strengths, common interests, or ability levels. Each group should be carefully formed and can be changed for different projects. Groups should be 3 - 4 people.

Projects should be carefully planned where there are specific tasks to be completed by different members of the group. The final goal should be clearly stated so students will know what is expected of them. In addition to the specific tasks for each member, there needs to be a Leader of the group to bring everyone together at the beginning and the end. There should also be a Timekeeper to make sure everyone is keeping on track according to the time allotted. In addition to those roles, there needs to be a Presenter who will present the final product to the class. If a fourth person is in the group, this person could be the Organizer who puts all of the parts together in order.

Students need to be taught how to come together and check on the progress of the project. They need to learn how to brainstorm and support each other when obstacles are encountered. They also need to learn how to give constructive criticism to each team member without offending the person. Then they need to learn how to bring all of their parts together to make the final product.

Rubrics work well for evaluating group projects and individual members of the group. I like to have each student self-evaluate using the rubric in addition to my own evaluation. This teaches students to look carefully at their own work and the group’s work as a whole.

How do you teach teamwork? Please share.

Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 1/21//22

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

National Jukebox - “The Library of Congress presents the National Jukebox, which makes historical sound recordings available to the public free of charge. The Jukebox includes recordings from the extraordinary collections of the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center and other contributing libraries and archives. Recordings in the Jukebox were issued on record labels now owned by Sony Music Entertainment, which has granted the Library of Congress a gratis license to stream acoustical recordings.” (L:G;SA:A)

Timelines of Mathematics - “Travel through time and explore the greatest mathematicians and biggest mathematical discoveries in history.” (L:H;SA:M, SS)

Volley - “Volley is asynchronous. This means we take turns, but they don’t need to happen at the same time. Each turn is added to the timeline as the conversation continues.” (L:T;SA:A)

Forest - a chrome extension mentioned on Free Technology for Teachers; “​​Forest lets you specify the websites that you want to block yourself from visiting while your timer is running. For example, with Forest installed I can set a timer for fifteen minutes and the timer goes off I can't visit Twitter, Facebook, or any other site that I choose to block. The "reward" for working until the timer goes off is a digital tree that is planted in my digital forest (there's also the satisfaction of completing a task without getting distracted).” (L:G;SA:A)

Science of the Winter Olympics - Bobsledding - “The winter games in Vancouver provide a chance for the United States' four-man bobsled team to win its first gold medal in more than 60 years. And with the help of Paul Doherty, senior scientist at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, Deborah King, associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Sports Sciences at Ithaca College, physicist George Tuthill of Plymouth State University, and bobsled designer Bob Cuneo, the team explains how they hope to accomplish this feat.” (L:G;SA:S)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge

Last week we visited the Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge which is the northern section of the Everglades. The visitor center has reopened Thursday - Sunday 9-4 so we went in to see what was new. We found out that there was a ranger-led walk that started in 10 minutes at the Marsh Trail so we hurried to the meeting spot. This is offered every Friday at 10am and it was the first day of the tour. There are several other events that take place each week.

We met Lowell Markey at the meeting place and ended up being the only participants. Lowell went on to explain the history of the Everglades and how the Water Conservation Areas came in existence. While we were sitting there, we could hear the Sandhill Cranes calling each other. He mentioned a book, The Everglades: River of Grassby Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

Then we started our walk around one of the drainage areas. Here are the many things we observed:

• Sandhill crane
• Everglades
• Cabbage palm - state tree
• Strangler Fig
• West Indies Mahogany tree
• Wax Myrtle - edge tree; the leaves were very fragrant
• Catbird
• String/swamp lily
• Giant Leather fern
• Pickerel weed
• Arrowhead plant
• Duck potato - white flower with yellow button
• White water Lily - not invasive
• Cocoa plum - plum is almost black when ripe
• Sea grape
• Sawgrass - marsh plant; blade is v shaped with sharp edges
• Red tassel flower
• Turkey vulture
• Spanish needle
• Wild poinsettia
  

Lowell showed us the four different habitats of the Everglades. We saw the fruit/seed pods of the Mahogany tree and the Cocoa Plum. As we were leaving the parking lot, a family of raccoons came running down the grassy path. They looked so cute!

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Observing Other Teachers

This semester I’m teaching a course on the Nature of Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities. One of the requirements is to complete a field experience component. I feel this is a very important component because it gives insight into how other teachers are dealing with certain situations. I know my students will benefit from this opportunity but then I started thinking about how all teachers should be taking this opportunity at least once a year to observe and reflect on this. I thought I would share my questions that may help with this reflection.

Setting:
Look at how the room is set up, including seating, bulletin boards, etc. Describe the setting to give me a clear picture of your setting. What other things do you notice in the room that would tell you certain reasons why something is set the way it is? Does the set up of things like classroom supplies, or other things in the room, lend itself to efficiency? If it were your classroom, what would you change and why?

Behavior:
How to respond to student behavior is one of the greatest concerns of beginning teachers. This activity will help you to gain practical knowledge about how to respond to various types of behavior. Whenever you observe an instance of student behavior (positive or negative), describe the incident, describe the type of behavior, and the teacher’s response. Some examples of teacher responses are: moved closer to problem student, made and held eye contact with problem student, rested hand on student, integrated off-task remark into teaching activities, told the student to stop, restated the rule or procedure for the student, had the student identify the rule or procedure, imposed a consequence or reward, change activity, or other. Think about the teacher’s most common responses to instances of behavior. Were these successful? Why or why not? Describe your thoughts concerning these observations. Discuss the classroom or school-wide system of behavior management.

Teaching Strategies:
Describe and discuss at least three different strategies you’ve seen used by the host teacher. In these observations, also describe what you saw in terms of student response.

Accommodations and Modifications:
Accommodations and modifications are often used with students who have learning needs. Describe and discuss at least three different accommodations or modifications you’ve seen employed. Also, describe what you saw in terms of student use and success.

What other topics would you include in this reflection? Please share.

Photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash

Day of AI

I had never heard of this so when I read about it, I found it intriguing. I thought you might be interested in this free event also. Please read the info below and consider registering for this.

“Day of AI is May 13, 2022 when K-12 students across the country will engage in a series of freely available hands-on activities designed to introduce them to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it plays a part in their lives today. (Why did that YouTube video appear on my screen? What is a deepfake? How did my phone recognize me?)

All Day of AI activities are designed to be taught by educators with little or no technology background and to be accessible to students of all backgrounds and abilities, including those with little or no technology experience. The only requirements are an internet connection and a Chromebook or laptop.

Day of AI activities are organized by age group and can be run in 30 minute to 1 hour time blocks. Up to 4 hours of lesson plans are provided for each grade band and teachers can choose to run any number of the lessons provided. Projects will be shared through the entire Day of AI network with a series of popup events across the country.

Any teacher looking to bring Day of AI to their classroom can sign up on the registration page to download the curriculum and lesson plans and schedule one of the free two hour online professional development workshops offered at different times from December 2021 – April 2022. Professional development workshops are optional with teachers attending the training receiving a certificate of completion for possible PD credits.”

Huntington Beach State Park

It is time to continue our look at SC state parks. Today I will tell you about Huntington Beach State Park. My husband and I have camped there a few times and visited several other times.

The park used to belong to Archer and Anna Huntington and consists of 2500 acres. It was leased to the state as a state park in 1960.

There is a Nature Center that has natural history displays and live animals. There is also a saltwater touch tank. The park also features 3 miles of beach, a jetty, hiking trails, picnic shelters boardwalks, a gift shop, and a campground.

The campground has 170 campsites (104 sites with water and electric, 66 sites with water, electric, and sewer, and 6 tent sites)

There are more than 300 species of birds that can be seen in the park so many birders enjoy visiting here.

The Huntington’s built their winter home, Atalaya Castle during the Great Depression and is able to withstand hurricanes. Anna Huntington was a famous sculptor and her sculptures are located in Brookgreen Gardens which is near the park. In 1984 Atalaya was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also designated a National Historic Landmark. Friends of Huntington Beach State Park offer tours of the castle but you can also do a self-guided tour.

Every September there is an arts festival held at Atalaya.

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 1/14//22

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Slidesmania - “Free creative PowerPoint templates and Google Slides themes -Much more than presentations”(L:G;SA:A)

QuizFlight - “Playing and creating quizzes has never been more easy! No matter if you are an experienced quiz maker or not.” (L:G;SA:A)

Social Emotional Learning Center - “The Social-Emotional Learning Center is a no-cost library of digital resources created to support the integration of SEL and wellness into classroom core instruction. Content in the Center is aligned to SEL competencies and includes multimodal student-facing resources for all grade bands.” (L:T;SA:A)

MapMaker - “​​Empower your learners to explore Earth's interconnected systems through a collection of curated basemaps, data layers, and annotation tools.” (L:T;SA:SS)

Why Is Snow White - “Sunlight or white light is a combination of all visible colors of light. When light falls on an object, it may absorb some colors of light and reflect the remaining colors. The colors which are reflected by an object make up its color. For example, when light falls on an apple, it absorbs all other colors except red. Apple reflects red color making it appear red. When light strikes coal, it absorbs all colors and does not reflect any color. Hence, coal appears black to us. Now, snow does not absorb any colors of light and reflects all of them equally. As the combination of all colors of light is white light, snow appears white to us.” (L:E;SA:S)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Teacher Shortage

Recently I was asked about the reasons for teacher shortage and lack of interest in the teaching career. Did I think it was salary, class size, or lack of admin support?

I don’t think salary is the reason for either problem. I think teachers go into the profession in order to help others and the need to make a difference, They go into the field knowing what the salaries are going to be. Of course, everyone would love for their salaries to be higher but if you want to be rich, you don’t become a teacher.

I also don’t think class size is the reason people aren’t interested in a teaching career. When I went through teacher training, we learned how to manage a class whether we had 2 students or 40. Classroom management is a big deal in teacher training.

I think the main problem with teacher shortage is the negative media attention that educators get. We hear about all the terrible teachers who are doing bad things and are caught. We hear about the administrators who are doing an awful job and administrators are former teachers. Like any profession, there are good people and bad people that are in it and need to be weeded out.

But we don’t hear about the wonderful things that educators are accomplishing. We aren’t showing how teachers are making a difference. We aren’t advertising what a fulfilling career that a teacher is. I don’t regret a single day that spent teaching because I know I helped many students be successful in their lives. I know this because former students have come back and let me know this.

Another problem is that we are losing teachers faster than we are gaining them. We are losing teachers because of burnout. We need to be mentoring new teachers and helping them avoid burnout. Instead, new teachers are given the worst students and given extra duties because they are the newbies. We pile on paperwork and regulations without helping them learn how to manage their time. No new teacher is ever taught how to manage their time efficiently. We teach them how to do many things and expect them to do 48 hours worth of work in a 24 hour day! So, new teachers skip meals, work through the evenings and weekends and stop having a real life. How are we surprised that they burn out quickly and leave the teaching profession?

What do you feel is causing the teacher shortage and lack of interest in the teaching profession? Please share.

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Risk and Reward

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In Risk and Reward, Rushton features a short film of skier Sam Favret

He gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“Favret is someone who knows what he is doing. The first question for you, though, is what risks there might be doing what Favret does. Are the risks what they seem? Why or why not?

Clearly, flying down a very steep mountain at stunning speed is risky in some fashion, but there is reward, as well. What is the reward, and is it worth it? How would one explain both what is and isn’t worth a risk? What’s the difference?

What risks to you are worth taking? Is it taking part in a rough sport, or speaking in front of a crowd, or trying out for a part in a play? Whatever it is for you, being able to accurately understand the risks will tell you something important about who you can be.”

I was fascinated with this film for a number of reasons. I don’t know how to ski so this is probably the closest I will get to skiing down a giant ski slope of any kind. It also felt mesmerizing and peaceful to watch the skier glide down the mountain. I also thought about how hard and long it must have taken to hike up to the top of the mountain and then to ski down it so fast. I’m not sure I would feel it is worth the trouble. Sometimes I think about that when I want to try something new. Is it worth the trouble? I think my students feel the same way when I introduce a new skill and it is up to me to help students see that it is worth the effort.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Smithsonian Learning Lab Webinars

I found out about three free webinars that people may be interested in and since they are coming up, I decided to devote a single post to the events. You can read more about them in Richard Byrne’s post here. They are going to be live-streamed on YouTube and you don’t have to preregister for them.

Here are the days and times they are scheduled:

Getting Started: Digital Museum Resources and the Smithsonian Learning Lab - January 13th at 4pm ET

Cultivating Learning: Deconstructing Text with Critical Reading - January 20th at 5pm ET

Creating Collections: Digital Museum Resources and the Smithsonian Learning Lab - January 24th at 5pm ET

I look forward to attending these webinars!

Podcasts for Stamp Collectors

Want to hear more about stamps and stamp collecting? I did so I started searching for interesting podcasts about stamps and I was surprised how little there is to find. I wanted to share with you the ones that I found and hope you might find some that interest you. New and veteran stamp collectors would enjoy these podcasts. New collectors could be inspired by other stamp collectors! The best part about listening to podcasts is that you can listen to them whenever it is convenient to you. These are great to listen to while exercising or doing chores you hate to do.

I was able to find the first 5 on the podcasts app on my iPhone. Once I found them, I could subscribe to them and download any or all episodes that I was interested in. If you use an android phone, you can search for them in whatever podcast app that you use. I could only listen to or watch the last one (Our Dad Stamps) through the websites listed.

Stamp Show Here Today - This show talks about stamps, stamp collecting, and postal history.
http://stampshowheretoday.com/

Stamp Stories - The host talks about Canadian stamps and the history behind them.
https://anchor.fm/stamp-stories/episodes/Christmas-Stamps-1970-e1c11bt

Conversations with Philatelists - The hosts interview philatelists around the world.
https://www.philatelypodcast.com/

Bob Collects Stamps - talks about collecting stamps (mostly US)
https://bob-collects-stamps.pinecast.co/

All About Stamps - talks about stamp collecting
https://www.allaboutstamps.co.uk/news/all-about-stamps-podcast

Our Dad Stamps - Interesting stories about stamps and stamp collecting (mostly UK)
https://anchor.fm/peter-west9 (audio)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHPRdLoqmYeUDv5XjM3UWOQ/videos (videos)

If you know of any others, please share!

Photo by eze cmf on Unsplash

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 1/7//22

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Blood, concrete, and dynamite: Building the Hoover Dam - “In the early 20th century, the US had expanded from coast to coast, but many cities in the southwest still lacked reliable water sources. The Colorado River's erratic flow and frequent floods made it unreliable for agriculture, and the region’s growing cities needed more energy. So the government decided to build a massive hydroelectric dam. Alex Gendler details the creation of the Hoover Dam.” (L:H;SA:S,SS)

Alice in Fractalland - interactive lesson on fractals (L:H;SA:M)

American Panorama - “American Panorama is an historical atlas of the United States for the twenty-first century. It combines cutting-edge research with innovative interactive mapping techniques, designed to appeal to anyone with an interest in American history or a love of maps.” (L:G;SA:S,SS)

The USPS Pen Pal Project - “The U.S. Postal Service and WeAreTeachers are proud to announce The USPS Pen Pal Project, a new, free educational program for grade 2-6 students. Twenty-five thousand U.S. elementary classes will each be matched with a partner class across the country with the goal of building friendships and understanding diverse perspectives. By participating in the program, students will improve their writing, communication, and collaboration skills.” (L:E;SA:LA)

Germ Science Investigation - “Complete all 4 levels by collecting life-saving germ facts and learning how to stop the spread.”(L:G;SA:S)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Everyone Has Value

Recently a student from thirty years ago connected with me and shared that she still remembered our class motto: I am a Born Winner. I replied and told her that she always was and always will be.

This reminded me how important it is to show people that I value them. It may be close family and friends but also people that somehow touch my life, even if it is only for a moment. Everyone has value. I think there is so much depression and negativity in the world because people have forgotten this very important value.

Our neighbors are constantly helping us with little things and I hope that we show them how much we appreciate all that they do for us.

Sometimes it is easy to take my family for granted. I want to make sure that I let them know how much they mean to me and how much I know and appreciate their love.

I’m making more of an effort to try to show people that they matter to me. When we ate out the other day, I made sure that I thanked the man who cleaned off our table. We also brought bottles of water out to the men who pick up our trash, It may not be much but hopefully, it is these little things that may make a difference in someone’s life.

It doesn’t have to cost much or take much time but showing appreciation can go a long way.

It is important to show everyone that touches our lives even in tiny ways, that they have value.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Word of the Year - Delight

My word of the year for 2022 is 

DELIGHT.

The definition of delight is great pleasure.

I want to focus on finding things that are delightful and bring me joy.

I think society is so full of negative vibes from politics to pandemics that I want to focus on the things that make me happy.

I looked up synonyms for the word delight and this is what caught my attention:

• Happiness
• Gladness
• Enchantment
• Zest
• Wow
• Glee
• Jubilation
• Exhilaration
• Enjoyment
• Merriment
• Satisfaction
• Ecstasy
• Cheerfulness
• Fascination
• Dazzle
• Amusement
• Contentment

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

2022 Goals

Last year I achieved 80% of my goals. Again, the weight loss goal is the one that stumped me.

This year I have a new strategy for weight loss. I’m going to try to eat less and not have second helpings on anything. I had been focusing a lot on exercising but I need to remember that I can’t outrun my mouth! I will continue to exercise to stay in shape but not count on my exercise for losing weight.

My word of the year is DELIGHT. I want to focus on finding things that are delightful and bring me joy.

Here are my goals this year. I will be reviewing them each month.

1. Lose 5 lbs.
2. Finish my national park blanket.
3. Year of the Gnome - knit at least one gnome a month.
4. Knit a sweater.
5. Yarn - more out than in (use more yardage than I buy)
6. Design 3 new patterns.
7. Learn something new.
8. Read 12 nonfiction books.

What are your goals for this year? Please share.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

2021 Goals Review for December

We have been getting a lot of exercise while we are enjoying the warmth of Florida by walking more and swimming. I have been focusing more on my eating habits which has helped. I’m very happy with completing my crafting goals. 

1. Lose 5 lbs. – I am the same weight that I started at this year so I did not meet this goal. But I’m glad that I haven’t gained weight overall for the year like I have other years. 

2. Knit 12 squares on my national park blanket. (There are 60 squares in the pattern and this is year 4 of the project.) – 57 squares complete. I’ve knit a total of 18 squares this year. This goal is complete.

3. Knit a sweater. – I finished  6 sweaters this year: the Nesting Cardigan, The Rocket Tee, Bright Axis, 2 Recalibrates, and the Staple Linen Top. – This goal is complete.

4. Design 3 new patterns – I completed three designs: The Chinese New Year Cowl and the Double Happiness Sock, and Graveyard Field Socks. This goal is complete.

5. Read 12 nonfiction books. – This goal is complete.

1. Counting by Deborah Stone

2. My Paddle to the Sea by John Lane

3. Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss by Margaret Renkl

4. Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak

5. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

6. The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan

7. The Body by Bill Bryson

8. Kiss Me Like a Stranger by Gene Wilder

9. The Polygamist’s Daughter by Anna LeBaron

10. Sprinting Through No Man's Land: Endurance, Tragedy, and Rebirth in the 1919 Tour de France by Adin Dobkin

11. There’s a Hole in my Bucket: A Journey of Two Brothers by Royd Tolkien

12. Know My Name by Chanel Miller

How is your progress towards your goals? Please share.

Photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash