Poetry Month: Week 4 THE FINAL WEEK

A message from your teacher: 

I want to thank all of you for the wonderful ways in which you have allowed me to guide you to learn, think, and write. I have been delighted to be your teacher. I have learned much from you. I have thought new things because of all you have offered in our classroom community. 

This experience has brought joy to my heart, and I couldn't imagine it being any better than it has been. My appreciation fills my soul. I wish every good thing for you as you continue on your life journey. 

*DES who are just beginning, we are in Week Four, so make sure you stop by Week One for instructions and to make your first poetry post if you haven't already. 

Remember the instructions! If you've forgotten, go back to Week One and read them again.


Sister Jackson's Poem: 

No me olvides
Mis brillantes estudiantes 
Recuérdame
Voy a recordar siempre
Siempre y siempre

Poetry Month: Week 3

Welcome and thank you for being part of Warrior English for National Poetry Month. 

We are in Week Three, so make sure you stop by Week One for instructions and to make your first poetry post if you haven't already. 

Remember the instructions! If you've forgotten, go back to Week One and read them again.



Sister Jackson's Poem: 


The world spins at the same rate
For everyone out of the gate.
The same hours and minutes,
For each day--something we can trust.

Why can't the warmth continue
Why can't the smiles light anew

How the days do linger as they fly.

Poetry Month: Week 2

Welcome and thank you for being part of Warrior English for National Poetry Month. 

We are in Week Two, so make sure you stop by Week One for instructions and to make your first poetry post if you haven't already. 

Remember the instructions! If you've forgotten, go back to Week One and read them again.




Sister Jackson's Poem: 

Haiku

Poetry Month: Week 1

Welcome and thank you for being part of Warrior English for National Poetry Month. 

Instructions: 

Post one poem of your original work each week. Anything we have worked on in class for the week is eligible, but remember that it must be polished. Check for spelling, punctuation, as well as refining from the draft work done in class, and be sure that your work is in poetry form with lines and stanzas--not paragraphs. 

After you post your poem, reply on at least THREE different poems. 

Identify any literary devices that are used within the poems that  you reply to along with appreciative and connective commentary. 

Each week, please search out poems from people you haven't already replied to and at the very least vary your replies from only your current close friends.

Any DES who are doing this at a later date, do the poetry posts as if you were on the LIVE track and make comments as assigned.  

What will be the same as the Slice of Life Story Challenge: 

Building on our classroom community that we have developed, comments are encouraged. Remember to be encouraging, sharing, and positive. Any negativity will be deleted and participation points will be taken away.


Sister Jackson's Poem: 

From our Found Words exercise using Journey to the Fringe page 91:

Slice of Life: DAY 31 aka THE LAST DAY

For the last day, I would like for each of you to write a reflection on your Slice of Life Story Challenge experience. Begin with your initial thoughts on the project (this year), explain any changes in your perspective throughout, and then end it with how you felt by the end of the project. Anyone doing the blog project, make sure to polish your writing to the best possible grammar before posting it on the blog. 

Comments are welcome, but I ask, for this last day, that you comment a minimum of three replies to different people. 

It has been wonderful to read all of your slices this year with their ups and downs and everything in between, and I hope that more of you than not have reaped the benefits of daily writing. 

Happy Slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 30

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

What I'll Leave Behind

I don't have floorboards, so I'll find baskets or storage bins.

I'll find something to hold memories within. 

Between the layers of schoolwork and drawings I’ll leave:

Notes for my children, sporadic and heartfelt. 

All the worries and doubts I never voiced. 

A list of chances I took that didn't pan out. 

Piles of photographs printed yet never framed. 

Ideas that saw the light of day—and some that were buried with time.

The wish I could have gotten the better of laundry instead of it getting me. 

Journals peppered with words I never intended to be read but wrote down anyway. 

Love. Remembrance. Faith. Thanksgiving for this life I've been given. 

Tucked in boxes, bins, and baskets, I'll place these things for someone to find.

What will you leave behind? 

Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 29

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Lying down in front of the computer, I stare at the blank canvas called a post box, and I just don't know what to write. I am tired from our first Monday back. I ate so much sugar that I'm sure my doctor will want to put me on a diabetes watch list (no joke). Also, I wrote so much over the past four weeks that I don't really know what anyone would care to know about. I mean, I'm the teacher! I doubt even half of you even read this. 

But I digress. I figured out what to write about! I will write about how much I hope at least some of you will go back through the slice days and respond to anyone with no replies or who has just me as a commentator. That would make me happier than getting tons of replies for my own slices. It feels nice to get feedback on our personal narrative writing. 



Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 28

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

I can't be sure if having spring break is a good or a bad thing. 

On one hand, it seems like everyone really needs a little reset once the weather begins to turn. Spring break offers a chance to catch our collective breath. 

However, on the other hand, now that spring break is over, how many of you feel trunky for summer? 

I can't even go there. Just know that we can do this if we are a team. Lots of learning to do still, so keep up the good work! 
Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 27 Happy Easter, Everyone!

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Easter. A time of year when all of Christianity rejoices in the glory of the atonement and the miracle of the resurrection. I rejoice in these things. 

Without the atonement of Christ I would be a condemned soul, and the condemnation would come from myself because I would feel so hopeless in ever being able to overcome my many faults and shortcomings. Aren't we all our own worst critic? Yes. Who do we forgive first--ourselves? Never. I have learned to forgive myself better, but it is a general struggle with us humans. We want to see the best in others, but we are our own worst critics. With Jesus having suffered for all our mistakes and even our afflictions, I recognize the miracle and try to let go of guilt as I repent and work to improve myself. 

Not everyone in the world celebrates Easter. Not everyone believes in Christ. But I believe and I celebrate because with Christ, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Brother, and my Friend, I can overcome all sorrow, suffering, and sin. By his loving grace, I can live forever in glory instead of guilt. I can live forever with those I love. I can be who I am intended to become. 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/akb0kD7EHIk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here's the link to the video in case the embedded box doesn't show up for you: World’s Largest Virtual #Hallelujah Chorus


Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 26

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Spring is here. I see it in my yard now that the snow has all melted and green things are poking their sleepy heads from out of the earth. I need to go take care of them, invite them into the world, for before long spring will have sprung and summer will be here instead. 



Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 25

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Every side has something:
Multifaceted,
Texturized,
Dynamic.
Time would not fly. 
Something would be missing.
Life would not be right. 
Friendship makes us complete.

Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 24

Sister Jackson's Slice: 
Spring Break Agenda
Las Vegas (Temple) wedding for my friend's daughter
Rest
Sleep
Watch movies
Go to the movie theater to watch a movie
Get a pedicure
Grade papers
Connect with my home by cleaning it
Write
Research publishing options for a poetry book
Write
Grade papers
Rest
Sleep
Avoid eating too much Easter candy
Exercise
Sleep
Do NOT forget to edit that dissertation. 

Wish students would give me at least a little bit of positive feedback about my slices too.  


Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 23

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Last night, I went to my very first caucus, and last night, I was elected to be a county delegate. The whole process was awe inspiring, and I must say that I feel proud to have such a strong sense of volunteerism as well as patriotism. Now, I just need to learn what to do with all this amazingness! 


Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 22

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Social media is a tricky thing because it cracks the world right open when you use it like we do. And there are so many nooks and crannies in which to hide or misconstrue. There are so many ways to misunderstand and ways to feel things that aren’t real. But sometimes our intuition is correct, but there is no way to know if it is unless we ask for clarification. I think about how much social media has affected my life for good, and I feel thankful for all the friends and family I've grown closer to because of this tool.  


For the last ten days of slicing, I challenge each of you to seek out someone you've never commented on their slice before, and give them a comment instead! Come back later on if you're an early bird slicer in order to accomplish this request. 

Also, over these ten days, if you've got a little extra time, there are later gator slicers who could use comments, so go back through the past days, and find people with no comments. This is simply for classroom community purposes and for your enjoyment, so if you can't fit it in, don't stress out about it. 

Happy slicing!

Slice of Life: DAY 21

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

The mom hat, teacher hat, even the sister hat—any hat can overload us if we don't take a little break from time to time. Sometimes I think about these things as I run around like crazy. I think about this thing as I wrap up a weekend of helping my BFF get her daughter married off and settled into her happily ever after and all the life that lies in between. I think about how I wish I had more me. 

I wanted so very much to spend time with my cousins. I wanted to go to lunch. I wanted to go to dinner. I wanted to tie ribbons around every napkin at every place setting. I wanted to go for a walk and a hike and go to the movies. I wanted to take time to see other friends. I wanted to help clean up. I wanted to say so much. 

We can get so overloaded if we don't watch ourselves. I will be glad in the knowledge that I seized the day for fourth meal (even though it was actually only my third)/second breakfast (even though we didn't even eat breakfast)/elevensies (even though it was like 1:00 a.m. my time). Instead of wishing I could do more, I will be glad I focused all my effort to polish and help to make perfect my BFF-once-removed's special day. I am glad I couldn't spread myself so thin that I might have ended up regretting not giving my all to one special moment in time. I am glad I served and loved and communicated. I am glad I set aside all the hats I wear and was just me. 

Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 20

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

The other day, I was asked when I earned my Young Women's medallion, so they could make a special plaque with everyone's names on it to hang next to where the Eagle Scout plaque hangs. It was December 2014 in case you were wondering.

I don't need further recognition though. Accomplishing something so significant after such a long time helped me recognize within myself how much I have grown and changed. I better recognize how much God loves me and how he has a plan for me because he recognizes my needs. He saw and continues to see my effort. 

I couldn't ask for more recognition than that. 


Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 19

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

Writing is my friend. With a pen in my hand and something to write on, we connect. My mind has ideas, but when I spend time putting the words together in strings of meaning, I understand more of what I want, more of what I know, and I like myself further than I ever thought possible. Writing shows me how kind and thoughtful I am. Writing gives me purpose when I am so full of ideas that I can hardly contain myself. Writing never lies; it just tells me what I know or even reveals what I wasn't sure about. Writing makes me happy. 


Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing! 

Slice of Life: DAY 18

Sister Jackson's Slice: 

At this point in time, I begin to fail at knowing what to slice about. This story challenge pushes me to dig into my heart of hearts and sharpen my writing abilities. I tend to question said abilities right about now. If I am such a prolific writer, why then do I run out of ideas? Or is it simply part of it becoming routine and the novelty wearing off that puts a different lens on the challenge? Why write every day for a month? Does it actually do anything except push me into this corner? 

Questions and questions and questions. All are an excuse (possibly a vehicle) for copping out on writing anything worth writing about. Or maybe I just did. What do you think?  


Leave your slice in the comments below and make a reply to others! 
Happy slicing!