GIFTS

Who ever thought that a teacher’s work starts and ends in the school building? Of course, this weekend was packed with work, I had a tall list to tackle. On Saturday, my PD on Zoom was exceptional, I am loaded with tools and strategies to attack my planning and teaching of writing. I came up… Continue reading

Reading with my local group of students, on Zoom yesterday, my colleague decided to begin with a riddle. One of the children read it aloud, this sparked them all up. I was glad to see a screen full of lively, passionate children, each of whom wanted to share their solution. Of course they had similar… Continue reading

I found this structure from my TeachWrite Notebooking group earlier this year: It is a very good way to reflect on your week and yourself, looking ahead with purpose. 5 things that made me smile My students’ words Being with students face to face and starting to enjoy teaching ‘physically’ again. On screen messages from… Continue reading

A deleted WhatsApp message refreshed our friendship! My friend Jo did not know which Julie it was. She told me later she was sending a message to another friend called Julie and realised she had sent it to me by mistake and deleted it, quickly. Well, that was how our one hour conversation started when… Continue reading

“Hello Ms. Juliette,” beamed from the lady whose eyes shone above the mask. It was the end of a school day here, in the scorching heat after the long flight down the stairs, from our third floor tower. Our route down the narrow stairwell at the side of the building, cleverly earmarked for second and… Continue reading

I met them and since that day, I visit most days. My love for plants has grown immensely. Now I find so much joy in being around plants. Almost a year ago I wrote about my Mothers’s love for plants and that passion which my sister R inherited. R’s garden is heavenly, a public space… Continue reading

Today I decided to write couplets about being back at school in person with the students. We’re back here again, making it seem as real as possible When the old ways are invisible. Standing on the stage They open a page. Weary of the time They all decide to mime. Today is the day we… Continue reading

A whiff on our early morning drive to the mountains one weekend, reminded us of our childhood days, when we spent our holiday with Auntie Rose. The morning aroma of breakfast being cooked on a coal pot, the smell of the charred wood mixed with the caramelized smell of our local rice porridge, wafted through… Continue reading

I’m remembering many tiny memories as I write the #MinuteMemoirs with TeachWrite members in my notebook. A very long hall with approximately two hundred students sitting in long rows, in their stiff, purple and white uniforms. All four of us, contestants, stood in line facing our house members. In front of me I could see… Continue reading

I had many ideas this morning. Thoughts of writing about gems (my children), whispers (my thoughts) or peace (to elaborate on what I wrote with Rupi Kaur in January). Then I read this blog that shared a poetry form that caught my attention. It was made up by a Poetry Friday participant. This suddenly moved… Continue reading