A Slice of Life: Heart Maps

Link up at www.twowritingteachers.wordpress.com.  We are so grateful for this community. 

Friends.  It will be so good to catch up with you.  It's my 12 year old that is currently inspiring me to write.  (We are at the table again!)

So, a few weeks ago, I participated in an amazing chat on Twitter.  I'm sure you've heard of #g2great.  The moderators are so gracious and encouraging.  I'm really enjoying this one.

Georgia Heard was the guest, and my "lucky" self won a copy of Heart Maps:  Helping Students Create and Craft Authentic Writing.




Well, I dug right in and made a few!  And I learned a bit about myself:

• We are going to rearrange a few things in our house so I have a dedicated writing space.  :)
• Writing for me is like running, I have to do it.  Things feel in balance when I do.  
• There are more topics I want to explore and stretch myself with.  
• I also need to keep making time for reading.  

A few shots of how I'm doing my Heart Maps:

Heart Maps really kept me writing this fall in my notebooks when I felt like I couldn't make time to process with the blog.  

What about teaching with Heart Maps?

I cannot wait!  

This year, I'm making plans to incorporate Heart Mapping with our Poetry writing.  I also couldn't help but notice the art component that goes along with Heart Mapping.  There is joy in considering the time to be creative and linger with a Heart Map.  

But I see the power in creating Heart Maps when:

• we are writing small moments.
• we are reflecting on books being read.
• we are reflecting on service and ministry projects that we are working on.
• we are free writing.
• we are learning about what projects/nonfiction topics we want to explore further.  

Are you using Heart Maps?  What reflections do you have for me?

Joy!
Kendra

Celebrate! Food and Family and Finally Blogging.

Friends, You can celebrate too!  Link up at www.ruthayres.com.  I thank Ruth for sharing her space with us. 


It was August 6th the last time I typed a Celebrate post!  Wowza!  I'm learning how to write in notebooks, and lately, I've been exploring Heart Maps.  Stay tuned for a post on that one.  But I have been writing.  I swear.  I'm excited to catch up with you.

It was my 12 year old who asked me if I wanted to sit and write with him tonight.  He sits across from me and works on a #nanowrimo project that his tremendous teacher assigned him.  We just talked about doing a writing challenge in December to keep the writing going.  I'm growing a writer!!!  Be still my heart, I'm not sure how that is happening...but he always has a notebook, and now a laptop.  (Update:  He just asked for Adele on my YouTube Channel.  I might explode over here...I love this kid.)

Let's celebrate food for a minute.  So, now that we are full on the holiday season, the Hubs and I are committing to Sunday Dinner.  Tonight we had:  Chicken Parmesan, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Baked Bread, and Apple Slices.  (I did not take pictures!  Next week...)  If you are a serious foodie, maybe skip over these next steps:

• Get some chicken that is already breaded.  You can do it yourself, but I did not feel like I had time for that.  Spray a cooking pan.  Put the chicken in the pan and cover it with red sauce and mozzerella cheese.  Bake at 425 for 20 minutes.  
• With the bag of brussels sprouts, chop these friends up.  Cover them with oil and garlic.  I like to use the Roasted Garlic Dipping Oil from Wildtree.  I used 1/3 of a cup of oil for about a pound of sprouts.  Roast these at 425 for 40 minutes.  Sprinkle with garlic powder when done.  
• Use the bread dough from the freezer section of your grocery store.  Let that rise all afternoon.  Bake it at 325 for 20 minutes.  

It was an intentional time that we really enjoyed after a long weekend.  It was purposeful cooking, but it didn't take the whole day.  

Let's talk about school a minute shall we?  I am really thinking and reading tons about Maker Spaces.  It's a goal of mine to build one and incorporate it with the philosophy of Purposeful Play (Mraz, Tyler, Porcelli) leading the way.  This is a project that I celebrate every time I get a chance to reflect on it, read about it, talk to people about it, etc.  What are you celebrating about your work these days?  

I can't wait to catch up with you!  

Joy!
Kendra