Mrs. Moore's Musings

I am not going to lie, it's weird for me to blog on a Monday night, but today has been somewhat unexpectedly challenging. As a lover of learning all things, I have certain teachers who are definitely my favorites. Tonight, two of the teachers who mean the most to me are hurting from their own personal struggles, and I really want to let them know, as privately as I can, what they mean to me and to let them know they are in my heart. Four years ago, I was struggling to find my true direction as a teacher. I mean, I was doing okay, but as a lover of all learning, my classes tended to be a little disconnected.  I joined the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project because I figured giving up four weeks in the summer to learn about teaching writing-that could be nothing but a party. It was! That is not sarcasm! (Neither is that-I am being totally serious.)  I remember the first few days, surrounded by these amazing teachers thinking, "What am I even doing here?"  To top it of...

Monday is one of my favorite days of the year-the first day of school.  I am strange in the fact that I actually love change.  It's probably why my favorite days are New Year's Day, Graduation, and the First Day of School (and my birthday-October 28 if you want to go ahead and start planning now). While at one point in my life, I feared change, it is now something I tend to embrace, given the fact that almost overwhelmingly in my life, change has led me to something absolutely wonderful. I have, like a kid who cannot wait for Christmas morning, peaked at my new class list.  Holy macaroni, once again, someone decided I deserve to work with young people who are so remarkable I can only shake my head and continue to live the way I am-reaping the blessings I don't deserve but will continue to be thankful for every single day.  Each year I cajole some of my 11th graders into taking the leap into my Advanced Placement course, and this year I have more students I will get...

Summer officially ends tomorrow morning at 7:45 am in the cafeteria of the high school where I teach.  It is in that place that I will be reunited with some of the most amazing friends/family/co-workers I am privileged to call mine. We will begin a week of getting ready for the hundreds of young people we get to serve next year.  I'm truly excited.  However, this summer has been exceptional.  My daughter and I went on a magical journey to Europe together (neither of us had ever been), I traveled to Washington DC on my own for a once in a lifetime chance to learn at the US Holocaust Museum, and I just returned from a family vacation to Florida. I kept a travel journal, and I loved every single thing about traveling, but as I was on the tour bus from Switzerland to the Cinque Terra in Italy, I kept a top ten list of important things I didn't want to forget.  Here are the most important things I  think a person should remember when traveling: It i...