A new chapter

Forrest Gump once said, "Life is like a box of chocolates."

I'm beginning to think that life is a more of  book than a box of chocolates. It's one great story waiting to be read, but a work in progress. As the story opens, you learn about a main character, and as that character grows and changes, chapters are written in the book.

And so it is for me, it's time to turn the page and start a new chapter. For the last seven years, I've been growing and learning. I've tried things and failed. And for the failures, I am thankful. They caused  growth in me.  Here are a few:

Once upon a long time ago I was a hard-nosed media person with a "you have an overdue- no books for you" mentality. Now,  I look at the reader and their excitement for the book. If I want them to grow, they need books.  I have a new appreciation:  a book not on a shelf  has a greater chance of being read. They aren't my books. Their our books. And each time one is read- it becomes someone else's.

Once upon a long time ago I was afraid of presenting to my peers. Now, I have found that when you prepare to present to your peers you grow the most. The revisiting and reflecting on your topic shapes you like a potter does the clay on the wheel.

Once upon a not-so-long time ago,  the need to change how kids viewed reading became a burning passion in me. The Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller have changed not only me, but many teachers in our school~ and helped us to create readers. So thankful for the mentors I have found via my global community~ blogs, articles, tweets lead me to think and rock me to the core.

Most recently, I've understood the power of a read aloud in ways that I never dreamed. Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. Still speechless. Had a parent at end-of-year celebration share that her son begged her for the book. The sense of community that came from that shared reading has left an indelible mark on me.

So what's the next chapter? The next chapter will find me moving to a new school. A brand-new school~ full of opportunities to grow~ full of potential readers to shape~ full of teachers eager to leave their mark on the world.

The story will continue to unfold, and shared here, as I continue to learn to flex.

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