They Say It's MY Birthday

your party girl, Suzanne

Feel free to judge my trashy TV selections in the background.

Having a birthday at the beginning of the school year is weird.  You're too tired to party and don't have students to bring you cupcakes.  Ultimately, it just makes you extra nostalgic.  Thinking about a start to a new year and school year led to my Love List (A.K.A. Mushfest '14).  

I love...

• Colleagues (past and present) that were willing to take risks, try new things, and look silly doing it because they new they were doing what was best for young readers and writers.  This job is too big for one person, and I'm glad we've got each other.
• Kids- For better or for worse, our students bring genuineness to our classrooms each day.  Because of their experience and inexperience, they bring a unique perspective to the table.  I love when they surprise me (positively)- seeing that student you always worried about with a college acceptance letter...  I love watching them turn into men and women, college students, professionals, and good citizens.
• Teaching writing- Believe me, I never thought I would say this!  For years, I thought of myself as a reading teacher who wrote with her students because she had to.  However, with great resources and mentors, I can't imagine not spending a large part of my day drafting, revising, and sharing with my students.  I'm thankful for strategies that encourage buy-in from students, making writing friendly and approachable.  
• Children's book- Such big truths are contained in such little packages.  No matter if your audience is made up of little children, teenage children, or adult children, they are all waiting with bated breath for the next page turn. 
• The Curly Classroom- This blog has turned into more of a blessing than I ever thought possible.  I am so thankful for the friends we have made along the way- across Texas, the United States and even world!  It challenges me to find time to put ideas down on paper.  I'm thankful for opportunities we've had to share ideas in the past and new ones on the horizon.  I also glad I get to share this experience with Lori.  If I might say so, we make a crazy good pair.  (You could put a comma between crazy and good and that would be true too.)  I love the times when we work hard, and I love it when we play hard!  

AND because I'm drunk on this birthday power, I'm extending our Perfect 10 sale through midnight tonight!  Party on; shop on!