All Write 2013:Beyond Expectations on Slice of Life Tuesday

 Before I take a ride back to Indiana, let me first take a  moment to RAVE about the  work of Alan Cummings, known for his Cabaret, his work on the Good Wife as Eli Gold and now MACBETH. Last night I dragged Tuvia with me on a sweltering Monday night to live through a night of Macbeth, just one more time.  Yes it was hot outside and inside as well.  What happened to the AC?  Maybe, it just added to the power of play.

WOW!  A one man Macbeth!  I had to see it and like the All Write 2013, I was taken beyond my expectations.  I never took on the “Scottish Play” myself when I was directing high school theater, but it was on the list- a Star Wars version :).  Alan Cummings made this monster his own and took us to a new place with a play that we know well. His setting fit perfectly, in a psychiatric ward complete with TV screens and guards.  I hope there’s a  way that it can be recorded for everyone who can’t get to New York City in the next few weeks.  A true Tour De Force.  I could see it again and again.  I think once was enough for Tuvia.  Shakespeare’s words are lost for him but he did love watching Alan. It’s the morning after and I’m still with Lady Macbeth descending into her bath, naked. Later her descent into madness, his descent into evil will remain with me.

Okay… I could say a lot more about this production and maybe I will somewhere else, but I need to marshal my energy and do some reflecting on my thrilling adventures in Warsaw, Indiana, okay?

So I was ready for this adventure.  My Hudson Valley Writing Project was picking up the tab (YES!) and I was set for hours of travel without the convenience of a direct flight.  Yep, I am very spoiled living so close to Newark Liberty Airport, a hub of United and direct flights everywhere.  Okay enough complaining.

I arrived at the Fort Wayne airport met by a very sweet driver who was waiting for me and a trio of education superstars: Carl Anderson, Jeff Anderson(no relation) and Terry Thompson.  Can you imagine the conversations in that van?  I was right in the middle of Carl and Jeff and it was non-stop talk.  Sadly, I learned more of the details of the recent settlement agreed to by the powers-that-be for teacher assessments designed for the NYC teachers.  UGH!  If you haven’t heard, I don’t want to bring you down now right now.

So we arrived and Mindy was on hand to give us a minute to get our rooms, wash our faces and join her for a ride to the opening dinner arranged by Ruth.  A room filled with SLICERS and interested teachers.  No we didn’t break into a Slicing prompt,  but we did take the time to introduce ourselves and I was overwhelmed, trying to recognize people that I’ve been writing with for years now, just from their blog pics.  Yes, I was overwhelmed as I shoveled down my salmon as everyone else was already on their last courses.

I sat across from Linda and close to Elsie, two Slicer buds who I counted on throughout the past year of mourning my close friend Eileen and my mom.  Every day I posted an entry they were right there with a comment.  And I would be remiss if I didn’t include Tara into that trio.  Three friends who always had something wonderful to leave me with.  Tara and I live close by and we do meet for coffee, dinner and movies.  It felt complete to spend quality time with Linda and Elsie throughout this intense three days, even though by 9PM I was ready to get back to my room, unpack a bit and change into PJs.

The next morning we were up early and picked up by Ruth with a small group of Slicers, Ramona and Nanc,for a quickie breakfast and then off to the opening of the conference.  Let the photo ops begin:

I was starting to feel comfortable and we were off with a shot of Starbucks and a bit of  muffin.  Our conference  space was a gorgeous school, with students still engaged in the last days of the year as we moved from space to space.  The auditorium was filled with 650 teachers as Carl Anderson, my bus bud, kicked off the conference.  Just was he was feeling his mojo and rolling along: FIRE ALARM and we headed outside and the conversations continued 🙂 with Deb, Christy and Tammy and when we returned Carl finished up and we were off to explore ideas with a wonderful variety of teacher leaders.

I learned throughout the next 48 hours from Jeff A.,Jennifer Serravallo, Ruth Ayers and her partner DEB, Chris Lehman, even though I realized that there’s another Chris Lehmann that I had thought would be there.  Oh well, there’s two great Chris Lehmans.

I wasn’t expecting to buy any new books but then, not everyone is on Amazon’s Kindle section so, yes, I added to my library, like everyone else 🙂 And as we finished our dinner with Kate Messner and Mary Helen, my ace in the hole, encouraged me to pick up one of Kate’s books from my favorite 6-year-old Mia.  On Saturday, at our family barbecue she and her brother walked in reading books and I had one for her, autographed by Kate with a picture of us and the book.  She was blown away!

And last but not least let me send a Shout Out to my Slicer bud, Mary Helen who offered me peace of mind when I was figuring out how I would get back to the airport on time. She had her charming son and his cousin drop me off at the airport and I could then enjoy her company and our Slicer group for one last evening of fun and one last day of conference learning.

I did love being with all these Slicers, face-to-face.  We seemed to pick up from where we left off from our online writing community . Yes, there is power in sharing writing in cyberspace.. KUDOS again to Two Writing Teachers.  Stacey, we missed you!

Next year?  Who’s coming???

Last Slice of the Challenge: Slice #31

Hi Slicers,

I stalled today.  I was obsessing over one last draft of my wedding video for next Sunday and yes, I think I have it now.  I would love to put it up on You Tube after the rehearsal dinner’s premiere but there will be an issue using copywrited music. You tube will catch me  even if I give credit where it’s due. Oh well.

I wanted to compose this last slice thoughtfully, with more pizzaz but it came again, right on schedule: another head cold. 3 weekends 3 head colds… Ugh…

Yes, I did try to dress properly for the last few weeks of this lingering winter, but there were days that the winds attacked me where I was most vulnerable.

So sorry, the energy is just not with me as I cozy up to my man who feels my pain.  I just don’t want him to take in what I have.  It hits him harder.

So  once again I begin the week at a deficit without enough time to concentrate on my guitar practice.  But like my very patient sweetheart, I also have a very flexible teacher…

There is one good thing- if I feel tomorrow, like I do tonight, my periodontal appointment will have to be changed, right?  Can’t have someone poking around in my mouth with my head exploding 🙂

So thanks again Slicers for a wonderful month and see you back at  Two Writing Teachers for SOLT!

Bonnie

A Story to Share: Slice #30

There’s just one last slice to compose for tomorrow.  No pressure of course, but boy this has been a wonderful challenge.

Funny, this is the story that I was planning to write and share today but  Manda’s wedding video took center stage.

Now I’m free to recreate this morning as I was coming to the end of my gym workout with my trainer, Anthony.  My arms were killing me and both of us moved to a favorite leg machine to end a very productive hour.

Just next to us, another trainer was working with his client.  It was clear that Anthony was friendly with the smiling PT and after a bit of small talk he turned to me.

“Ms. Kaplan, you were my 8th grade English teacher.” Still smiling, and you don’t recognize me, Carl? Carl Helstead?

“Carl? You don’t look like that sweet, small 8th grade boy.”

Carl, I couldn’t stop beaming at him.  Lucky for me I have been in touch with lots of my former students on Face Book and just because I still live in the county and visit my hometown where I started my career.  And I am always happy to meet up with my past.

But Carl, was a bonus.  A really wonderful student, usually happy to be in class, actively engaged, bright, creative and kind to everyone. But if I hadn’t pushed him, he would have never signed up  for my Drama elective in the fall of the next year.  He was not a theater kid and even though he loved the class, that was as much theater study as he probably ever had.

He remembered the details I confessed were not with me anymore, but it was so wonderful to see the boy I loved being with now a man who Anthony agrees, is great.

I couldn’t wait to ride back home and share this with Tuvia.  On my cell phone, I bubbled over with excitement and he took it all in, happy to be on the other end of my teacher joy to see one so small, explode into manhood.

I hope to see him again and share a picture with you.

Short & Sweet: Slice #29

Evening Everyone,

I am late for today. Hey, it’s almost tomorrow, but the day just got away from me and not because I was far away from this computer. Nope, I was right here, but elsewhere.  I was off the internet, working on my video for next week, exactly a week from tomorrow, for a group of wedding guests at the rehearsal dinner,  who will watch my new piece no matter how long it turns out to be.  (Only 3 songs, I promise)

I am in the very last stage now.  All the video interviews have been edited and placed, the song are set in place, the photos, well I’m still playing with them but with just something cool to end it, I’m done and trust me, my sore eyes will be grateful.  You just can’t work so close to this screen without straining something.

But when I get to this place every time, just as I prepare to share one with an audience, I feel that  exciting, nerve-racking..opening night like I did as a high school director putting up a fresh play for audience eyes.

Of course the most important eyes are the eyes of the bride (my sweet niece) and her smiling groom, Steve…and their parents… But it’s that authentic publishing to a real audience that makes this work so powerful.

And of course, as I finish this piece with love, I have another piece to work on…

I think that will be a source of my continued growth as a creator, as a learner, keeping the line of digital pieces waiting to create.

I don’t know that I was planning to write about  tonight.  I just went with it…

All good,

Bonnie

 

 

A Slicer’s Reflection: Slice # 28

It’s late and I could wait until the morning, but hey, I’m up now and I’m on a writer’s roll.

We are coming to the end of this March Writing Marathon and I’m feeling that it’s time to ask: what made this one different from the other 5?( I’m still in the Seder frame-of-mind.)

This year I had a strong start.  I was just back from a great beach vacation and racing back into my life with lots to write about.  I didn’t have too much energy at first to comment on many other slices,  I wanted to, but I lost my focus quickly.  It was hard to get back on a normal sleep schedule.  And yes, it was tough to figure out want Slicers I should respond to.  I tried to add newbies into my usual circle of Slicers I read regularly: Tara, Stacey, Linda, Elsie, Stacie, Kevin…

I had no trouble composing my own slices.  I write best in my own moments.  I don’t know if that’s interesting to others, but it works  for me.

I don’t have my own classroom so sometimes I feel like I’m missing something that most Slicers share. But I do have a very rich work life with the HVWP and during this past month, I have had lots of  PD and documentary challenges to share.

As the month progressed I did get my energy back and I loved reading lots of slicers, getting to know them, reading a bunch regularly.

I had one Slice that I knew was coming to mark  the 1 year anniversary of the loss of my close friend, Eileen, but it was that Slice that brought me the greatest number of comments.  Interesting… and  supportive 🙂

Bravo to Ruth and Stacey for their great success here that they’ve built their online space  over the years, continually pushing themselves to make this space fresh and innovative, never resting on their laurels.

I am not feeling the usual sadness as I have in the past.  I will write blog entries often, maybe not every day, and Tuesday Slices will take me right back to a version of this wonderful writing experience with a real community of fantastic teacher writers.

I’m feeling very rich…

Bonnie

Big Day Today: Slice #27

Morning Slicers,

I’m loving this sunrise.  Still cold in the northeast but no new snowfall over the Hudson. Maybe there will be spring!

Today, around noon, I’ll be flying up the Thruway to join my Hudson Valley Writing Project buddies to interview candidates for our Summer Institute 2014.  I’ve been away from the heart of our site for the last two years and I’m back in the mix to return to the facilitation team with my newbie friend, Christine.

It was good to take a break, it was good to have my July back, it was good to give my car a break from the 120 mile roundtrip journey each day. Of course I left it in a good hands.  Tom Meyer, Director of our project took the reins up with Katelin who had been facilitating with me, so he had continuity and freedom to move it in new directions.

Our NWP network offers a wonderful model for work with teachers and today, we get to interview a new crop of wonderful teachers using our model of collaborative, group interviewing. Our new candidates will get to know one another with us, our interviewing team. They will come to our table and share themselves and their work and as the day ends, our leadership team will meet together for one last session to begin to create the new SI…

I can’t say that I’m not a bit nervous after being away but that’s a good thing.  After facilitating 10 SIs it was time for me to take a break and do other things, but it’s still the center of everything we do and I did miss getting to know and work with our newest teachers.

You can’t have it all, right?

Once the team is set, then the work begins to get ready for the new SI… good thing we have returning fellows who have worked with me previously and have been with Tom for the past summer.

I write a lot about my 2nd career as an HVWP Co-Director/Teacher Consultant. It’s been such a gift.

I’ll let you know how things good.  Wish me luck…

Bonnie

Passover with Style :) Slice #25

Morning Slicers,

First, let me say thanks for last night’s outpouring of warm support and love for my year-long journey of remembering Eileen. Just moments after I posted the Slice at Two Writing Teachers and on Face/Twitter the comments started flying in. I’m so glad to be in this community of caring writers.  Conversations with Eileen will continue.

Tonight we begin Passover.  Tonight we take the ride to Hoboken to join Tuvia’s family.  They all speak Hebrew and even though I tried hard to master that language I just couldn’t crack it.  I’m not good at cracking the codes of any other language. English is my ongoing challenge.  It’s okay, I’m not beating myself up.    Tuvia will be at my side and try to steer  conversations to English.  They almost all speak English.  But really it will be okay.  Over the years, I’ve come to enjoy the experience,like so many ESL humans.

Even though I have this language thing, I will LOVE the evening with a table of family, a table of homemade traditional foods, kids itching to get back to their fun, family together for Passover.  Rich in family.

Tomorrow we’ll be at my family’s table.  Strangely it will be more traditional,  complete with the Haggadah for the Passover service. Tuvia will wiggle a bit, impatient.  But it’s my sister-inlaw’s night to shine with her food creations and service crafting for the non-Hebrew speaking Americans.

I used to dread these holidays. Too many people, what to wear… I think that changed when Tuvia and I met and my Jewish world opened to include his family.  I came to love and appreciate the diversity.

So tonight Adi and her mom, who has just arrived from Tel Aviv for a long visit, will cook like crazy.  Mia and Mihael will play with cousins from South Carolina, Tuvia’s sister-in-law will be picked up at the train station.  Ron will arrive on his own and we will come with Harold’s gefilte fish.

I can’t wait…

Pictures to follow…

Hag Sameach,

Bonnie

Remembering You: Slice #24 Conversations with Eileen

Morning my Friend,

I’ve been putting off this Slice, Eileen, because actually, today marks the end of a tough year, one in which I adjusted to your permanent absence in my life.  While you were fighting the good fight against your stage 4 lung cancer, Tuvia didn’t let me romanticize the dire prognosis for stage 4 cancer patients.  He was wonderful with you and Andy but as you moved into decline he kept my eyes open to the reality that soon we would talk for a last time.

I remember that conversation.  I can still hear the song in your voice even though you were breaking the news of cancer’s spread throughout your body on one of your routine visits to  Sloan Kettering.  I wanted to see you one more time, but Andy kindly discouraged me.  The family was coming, joining him as you moved into hospice mode.  I’m grateful that my last memory is that last phone call.

As Tuvia and I rode up to join the rest of your mourners that Sunday, I began the trip with a ticket.  I just couldn’t be bothered checking to see if a cop was lying in wait for me as I made the illegal left turn into a gas station that would get me to the Thruway faster.  I was anxious, worried about getting to the funeral home on time.  Maybe I could have cried my way out of the ticket but I was not willing to cry my misery to him.  Instead, I behaved in that pissed off way that seals your fate for the full extent of the law.  Since then I have been softer when cops come to remind me about something.

That was the beginning of a very tough number of months, all new for me.  By July I was adding the loss of my mom to my bag along with a loss in appetite, a troubling blood count,  a lack of energy and the disappearance of my usual sense of well being.  I tried not to share my dark clouds with the rest of my world,  but it was impossible  for close friends and family not to worry about  me.  I did lose weight but I didn’t look better, just off.  I was.

It helped writing to you.  It helped writing about my mom.  Writing was really therapeutic. And now, a year later, my appetite is back, too much actually, but soon I’ll be off Prednizone, the steroids that helped me build back up my blood count and attack the pains to my large joints in my arms and legs.  I can left weights again and enjoy moving.  Soon I’ll be able to take on a real diet with more exercise, if I’m smart.  Anyway, as you know, that’s my craziness.

This Slice will not be our last conversation I will  write to you but with last Conversation to Eileen I will have satisfied my way of actively mourning my promise of a year of conversations on this blog. It was my way of honoring you, my version of the way we Jews mourn the dead.  I’m retiring my daily tag: Conversations with Eileen.  Is that okay with you?  I can see you smiling and shaking your head and nodding yes, of course.  I hear you gently suggesting that I move on.

I will, but I will continue to miss you.   I know I will never be able to replace our friendship and that’s what will  happen as I age.  I will continue to lose friends that I won’t be able to replace. But I promise that I will try hard to be grateful for the wonderful friends and family I have.  I won’t take them for granted.

And…

I know, I don’t have to, but  I want to continue to remember you when I  wake up early, when the day is fresh and crisp and look out to my Hudson and think about you and how lucky I’ve been to have you watching my back.  I will pass that on…

 

 

 

Sleeping Away from Home: Slice #23 Conversations with Eileen

It’s 3:32 am and I really shouldn’t be up.  Yes, I say that to kick off many slices but today, it will be tougher to enjoy the work of documenting the deep conversations to come with Patti and Joseph as we unpack Patti’s new workshop sharing teacher work she has recently experienced and wrote about.

Joseph set up this project a few months ago without really knowing what it would look like until it happened.  But he knew that it would be wonderful and, yes, he was right.

Patti Stock is a wonder.  She’s been a force in deep thinking and writing about literacy for many years.  She has been passionate about the study of English and a gifted college professor.  She has been president of the National Council of English Teachers and a Director and documenter of the work of the National Writing Project.  She is constantly writing and publishing articles and books.  And she is a mother and grandmother, traveling the triangle of Michigan, Bethesda and Poughkeepsie to support her families.  And. so lucky for me, she’s a friend and tonight at the Gramercy, we are roomies, sharing a suite.  And I’m hoping that she’s sleeping on her side of this wall.

On Wednesday she shared a brand new workshop with a group of very passionate and bright writing project teachers and doctoral students at the U of Maryland.  Joseph, had this well coordinated making sure that Patti had the supplies and tech equipment she needed,  and we all had  food for fuel. 

Both Joseph and I documented the event with our cameras at different vantage points,  capturing as much of the experience as we could, knowing that we had more time to debrief the workshop here at the Gramercy together and with some of the teachers who had participated. 

Yesterday at noon, we said good-bye to the NWP work and met up with Patti at Union Station for a drive out to this retreat space for this reflection time.  I used the trip to take the back sleep and nap.  Maybe that’s why I’m up now 🙂

We arrived, took a walk, grabbed some coffee and homemade brownies set up the camera in my lovely bedroom and started talking.  That was all and that was enough.  Of course I had to keep checking to make sure the camera  was focused but we just talked about Patti’s workshop and the new educational reforms that held teachers back from being creative and innovative. Imagine, reformers creating reforms in education that create obstacles to innovation in the classroom.

We were later joined by Michele to help us reflect on her experience.  She stayed with us for a feast at the local Thai restaurant and even as we said good night to Joseph and his wife Joyce, we knew there was on last conversation before we turned off our lights.  There would be more when we met up again but this was so much to talk about… endless conversations…

Yes, I should be sleeping but it’s so much harder on the road.  Yes, I have so much to think about.  Even with an episode of House Hunters on the TV for distraction,  the conversations are keeping me awake.  And Tuvia, back home is keeping me awake.

We have more teachers coming tomorrow, today to share their workshop experiences…. My cameras are charging and I will have the pleasure of taking home my filled  memory cards to download onto my external hard drive to turn into a documentary about Patti’s new work. First I have to finish my niece’s wedding video but I can’t wait to make meaning of this experience and share it with Joseph as he also makes sense of the experience that he made sure we could capture.

I welcome the Google Hangouts we will have in the month to come…

Hey, I haven’t said much about the workshop itself.  That will have to wait until the video work begins.

Okay, the Slice is done and I’m wondering, can I sleep now? If not, I see there’s new slices already posted for today.

I can read and comment …

 

Slicing #22 at the Gramercy B & B: Slice: Conversations with Eileen

Evening Slicers,

So sorry that I couldn’t read any slices today or even write along with you but between yesterday and today I’m not grounded.  Yes, I’ve been enjoying life but I’ve been moving around…

Yesterday our writing project raced around the Capital meeting with Congressional  aides, sharing our site work, advocating for continued federal support and grabbing a photo where we could.  Hey, I even got a handshake from Chuck Schumer as he raced ahead of me into his office, while he continued talking on his cell phone.  We did get  to meet a new congressman, who defeated that crazy Tea Party rep, Nan Hayworth.  We met her when she first arrived two years ago.  She was insane and Sean Maloney is a breath of fresh air:

We are not where we were the year after Obama first won the White House, but we are still here and those reps we met with are supporting us even though we all have the 50 tea party nuts to deal with in the House.

We were glad to be together, meeting with the larger network even if our numbers were tiny this year.  We still continue to advocate for great teachers.

In fact, far away, in very cold Finland, Christine has been reworking her letter, transforming it into a digital piece.

Check it out if you have 4 1/2 minutes

 

Our work on the Hill ended this morning and now I’m back with Joseph and Patti and the U of Maryland Writing Project at a wonderful B and B outside Baltimore. Here we are documenting Patti’s great work, chatting with writing project teachers here and enjoying great Thai food.

So it’s all good my friends.  I’m exhausted.  Hope I don’t have too many errors in this draft.

More tomorrow.  Things are slowing down… almost back to normal just before we kick off Passover on Monday night.

Bonnie