Listens:
Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel (podcast): Episode “Yes, It IS You” with Jerry Colonna: In this episode, the discussion sits around being our whole selves at work; embracing our humanity and that of our colleagues within our work. I am passionate about ensuring that the teachers with whom I work feel comfortable to be themselves and seek/receive buckets of grace as well as the recognition that our work is a piece of our life, not our entire life.
Mahler’s 8th Symphony recorded by the London Philharmonic under the baton of Klaus Tennstedt: I have recently been accepted into the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus and our first concert of the season is the Mahler 8. I have not sung it before and it is a doozy. Singing first soprano for the first time in a while adds to the fun challenge. What a gift to get to sing again.
Reads:
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood: I was not one of those people who read The Handmaid’s Tale in school. In fact, I’d never read it before I realized I wanted to get hulu and watch the show. Like many, I was both horrified and mesmerized by Gilead and Offred’s fight for freedom. In devouring the series, I remain the same. So, of course, I was looking forward to the sequel, set 15 years after the end of the first novel. Suspending what was written for the show was a bit of a challenge, but I did appreciate the deeper stories found within The Testaments. While there are reviewers on Goodreads who lament the shift in depth from the original, I still found this book an interesting and enjoyable read.
It’s a Process from Well-Schooled: I very much enjoy all of the essays found on this blog for educators stories. In this particular essay by Lauren Huddleston, we are encouraged to honor our writers and readers along their PROCESS of learning, not only for their product. Since we know that the process is where the bulk of learning takes place, it seems like a no-brainer that we would honor this space for growth.
Great Barrier (poem) by Barbara Kingsolver: This poem was found in TIME Magazine on Sept. 23, 2019 as part of their Climate issue. I find myself going back to the language over and over again as a consideration of the Earth as divine. Her words are such a gift. Simultaneously a balm and a challenge.
Watch:
Hello, Privilege, it’s me, Chelsea on Netflix: I appreciate this example, set out by an admittedly privileged, famous, wealthy, white woman, to explore what it means to be in a demographic that the world receives as the normal or the status quo. By setting this example of vulnerability, Chelsea Handler normalizes the start of the conversation of white privilege and systemic racism. (NSFKids)
The Politician on Netflix: For fans of Election and anything by Wes Anderson, this new series of ambition, politics, and privileged kid drama is hysterical and heartbreaking. An all-star cast led by Ben Platt will cause delight. (NSFKids)
Currently Reading:
Leading Well by Lucy Calkins
The 5 Practices in Practice by Smith and Sherin
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Teach2Connect 