Day 6, #WriteOut '25. I Took My Undergraduates Outdoors to Write and am Thankful for the University's Zen Garden

I will forever be amazed and how much time it takes to drive 14 miles in the morning of Southern Connecticut. I left early and made it just in time for class...just in time (and I planned 30-minutes of preparation before I had to begin). Nope. They were waiting for me and I said, "Let's go."

It was actually a great class where I incorporated metacognition, reflection on our experiences in schools, and a hint on the weeks to come. Because it is #WriteOut, I also took them outside to write as a model for what Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher explain in 180 Days. I tricked them into the reading without them even realizing it.

From there, I traveled to an elementary school in Norwalk to set up Derrick Barnes visit as part of StoryFest. He had to take a later flight, so I'm hoping it comes in without incident and his chauffeur gets him to the hotel. We have an early start.

The best thing about the school I visited was that it was .3 miles away from Wegmans. You know I had a sub, and I also stocked up on goods for better cooking in the days ahead. And now, looking at the clock, I realize I'd better take off. It's another 11 miles from the University, and I don't trust traffic, even on a Friday. Here's to the festivities ahead.

When Wishes are Soaked 

Day 6, #WriteOut ’25

b.r.crandall

We went Zen today,

20 kids starting out with

scholastic dreams, devoted

to the possibility of teaching. 

I let them sit on rocks of their own, 

and wandered to a pond where

I wondered about pine needles.

As a kid, my sisters and I would 

make wishes, splitting them in half

to see who would got the nugget  

at the top so a wish would come true.

I looked it up. 

Folklore.

I have to find peace with that.

But it brought about all the wishes

I’ve lost and the ones now oaking 

in a pond before the first frost hits.

How many prayers are

drenched in hopelessness

without a chance to be heard?

I listened to my own fluidity, 

but wondered about equanimity,

My own immersion in sun & shade.

I want the best for these fledglings, 

& hope they are in search

of harmony, too.