230/365

it’s slow and difficult at first
lots of mistakes and
compounding disappointments.
the actual product seldom like the
perceived perfected product.
get your hands dirty
it’s easier than you think.
name the things you want
and pour your time into them,
show them love by willing them to life.

i spoke to my class today
what it means to see the world
through an artisanal lens:
unique.
homemade.
in an artistic manner.
with care and attention.
no uniform or mass production
not convenient or easy.
never disposable or ignored.

we discussed this concept
as a theme for the year.
we will work
to make our notebooks
and the thoughts in them,
and our relationships,
and our ideas,
and our classroom interactions
and our work to be:
unique.
homemade.
in an artistic manner.
with care and attention.

i spoke of
my pickles
and bagels
and dumplings.
we watched ms. ribeiro by sarah kay.
i teared up and rubbed the gooseflesh
as i do every time i hear the lines-
she taught us to share.
she taught us to listen
when someone else is speaking.
and then she let us go.
we were dandelion seeds
released to the wind.

how can we make this year unforgettable?
i’m tired of running through instant
mass produced curriculum and content.
let’s make some magic this year-
you and me.

205/365

sometimes they take
a few days to steep.
soaking in your heart
when you wake,
marinating all day
and still soused when
head hits pillow.

you might have chosen
key words- artisanal.
big ideas- craftsmanship.
they might float around
your head for some time.

waiting for the
right image.
the memorable line.
a viable metaphor.

you need to be in the right mood
when you sit to carve it out.
have the fortitude to wrestle
with it for as long as it needs
to be wrestled with.

don’ rush it.
never rush it.

when you can feel
its heart beating
in the chrysalis,
let it work
its own
way
out.