Last week, I heard these words by Phil Callaway: “We live in the middle of the story.”

For whatever reason, these words struck a cord with me. We are where we are right now. The past has influenced us, yes. Yet we don’t know what lies ahead. We can plan and we can prepare, but life has a tendency to throw unexpected curve balls.

As the sun shines through the window, the sky a bright winter blue, I am reminded of my dad who appreciated each moment and truly lived in the present. Somehow, when I was a kid, he made our weekly shopping trips enjoyable and something to look forward to. Somehow, when he was losing his physical abilities, he found ways to appreciate what he was still able to do. Somehow, as a quadriplegic, he found joy and pleasure in what we, his family, were doing.

So today, I choose to live in the middle of the story. I choose to enjoy each moment as best I can… to enjoy the work I do and the people I meet… to enjoy the company of loved ones. I choose to enjoy the day. Tomorrow will come but today is already here.

“We live in the middle of the story.”

This seemingly simple eight-word sentence led me to this writing and these thoughts. What words might you share to prompt your students’ writing?

The other night I was speaking to a gym full of parents about the differences between Read Alouds and Home Reading (and the importance of both). I explained that Read Alouds enable parents and teachers to expose children to books that they may not yet be able to read on their own. What’s more, they provide an opportunity for children to find joy in the experience of reading. Beverly Cleary once said, “Children should learn that reading is a pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school.”

Reading aloud–at home and at school–can certainly help children find joy in reading. Daniel Pennac says, “A teacher who reads out loud lifts you to the level of books. He gives you the gift of reading!”

Pennac describes two potential student fears connected to reading: the fear of not understanding and the fear of length. These fears often lead to reluctance and avoidance. Thankfully, by reading out loud, we can nurture a love of reading, taming and tackling student fears.

Have you ever had a chill run through your body and felt goosebumps form during a musical performance, perhaps when the singer or musician hits that note?

Recently, on my way home from the theatre, I wondered, Is there a word for that? There sure is!

frisson

I was thrilled to discover a word for this phenomenon!

In the classroom, I encourage students to collect favourite words. They might like a word because of how it sounds (smithereens), because of its meaning (serenity), or because of associations or memories with a word (malarkey – When playing cards, my dad used to say “Who dealt this malarkey?”).

Reading The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds is a wonderful way to begin this practice in your classroom. From there, be creative! Where will students collect their words? A literacy notebook? A shared bulletin board space? As part of an art project?

Word collecting can help students pay more attention to words when reading and writing, increase vocabulary, and lead to discussions about structure, meaning, origin, and context.

Remember, “A word after a word after a word is power.” Margaret Atwood