I Am Garry Gilliam: Teaching The POWER of Possibility in the Classroom.

For the record, I have never met Seattle Seahawks Lineman, Garry Gilliam. I was not his teacher when he walked the halls of the Milton Hershey School, because for most of his school career, I was still in school myself. In 2009 when he graduated though, I was sitting in the audience as a staff member, having landed my dream teaching job in the elementary school a few years earlier. I would love to tell you that I remember the Garry Gilliam moment, or that when his name was called I got chills of some kind, but that would be misleading. The truth is that I have sat through every high school graduation since 2005 with bated breath, watching kids who I don't know personally, walk across a stage into a life of possibility. I'm required by my contract to attend this event, but I'd go even if I wasn't, because a Milton Hershey School graduation is a powerful experience even when you don't know the students personally. I am sure that in 2009, I watched the way I always do with hope and optimism and a bit of a daydream that one day, each student that has walked through MY classroom door would be walking that stage too, bursting with hope, jumbling fear and excitement, some with tears, some with swagger, most with trepidation and all glowing with POSSIBILITY to do what they will with their one wild and precious life.
I believe in the mission of my school. I believe in what we are doing here. We offer hope and opportunity to kids who need and deserve it. Then we teach them to pursue their dreams with tenacity, grit, and HOPE. We empower them with knowledge and work habits, and a healthy respect for hard work and some swagger in the face of adversity. We tell them that many, many others have paved the way before them. We believe in them, we love them. We open all the doors that we can and then step back and hope and pray and encourage as they decide how they'll walk on through. It is both fulfilling and draining, it is exciting and nerve-wracking, and it matters, everyday it matters.
Garry Gilliam is not the first successful MHS Alumni. He won't be the last. When you're part of our community you get to see our success stories every day. They are the beacon that keep us working hard and pouring out love when we feel spent or depleted by the failures that are also inevitable. Our current president, Pete Gurt is one such beacon. He was a Milt and for as long as I've been a part of the MHS community (10 years, woot woot), he has been an agent of change and empowerment on multiple levels and serves as a constant reminder to our students that they can be just like him if they work like he did, if they care like he does. He dreamed as an elementary schooler of being the president, and he is.

In our Elementary School building we have several Alumni heroes who came back to give back. They once walked these halls as hopeful youngsters and now serve as living inspiration to generations of kids. We have house parents who grew up in student homes and came back to pour their lives into the lives of our students. We have alumni who are successful business men and women, doctors, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, politicians, performing artists, and on and on. Whenever I can connect with alumni who are living their dream, I bring this to the attention of my students. I want them to have as many examples as possible of kids who stood in their shoes and grew up to make a footprint of influence. I want them to see that the hard work, the sacrifice of being away from family, the dreaming big, pays off.
A famous football player, on his way to the SuperBowl stirs up ALOT of excitement with the elementary school crowd. He's famous, he's a hero, he's just SO cool! What's more, he's a Milt who comes back! He visits his family here and remembers us even now that he's made it big. When I realized that our reading story this week about jellyfish wasn't drumming up near as much excitement as the Seattle SeaHawks, I knew that I should just go with the football flow. It was easy, we talked about Garry, about the hardships he had to overcome and the grit he had to apply to make his dreams a reality. The enthusiasm was contagious. Here we had another living example of one of our own, overcoming obstacles and achieving his dreams. I decided to put my camera on (as I often do) one day to capture some of the conversations about him, and it turned into a tribute video to send him so he would know that we are rooting for him, and for us to look back on and remember that we too, can be whatever we want to be as long as we never quit! I had no idea it would become so widespread, and the 2nd graders are giddy over it!

Today I'll be actually paying attention to the Super Bowl for the first time in...well...ever. I'll be cheering for Garry Gilliam and the SeaHawks because he's family. I'll be rooting for them to win, but even if they don't they already have, by inspiring a group of the most capable and lovable 7 year olds that anything is possible and that dreams can come true. Next Saturday I'll be having brunch with my first 4th grade class who will graduate next year teeming with the same hope and opportunity as Garry, Denise, Chris, Pete, Anna, Sterling, Doug, Terry, Jason and so many others who have taken the "much" they have been given, and exceeded our expectations!

My #OneLittleWord for 2015 - WONDERSTRUCK

I spent some time this holiday break looking at how far we’ve already come and it hit me, like lighting, that this is where my focus for 2015 should be.

The first time I heard of the idea to choose one word to define your year, in place of (or in summary of) a list of resolutions, was from my friend Maria who has been doing this for years. I loved it immediately (and not just because it came from my inspiring friend although that certainly didn’t hurt) and adopted the practice myself. I have had a defining word for a few years now. My words have ranged from “Boundaries” to “Intentionality” and many lovely, inspiring, motivating words in between.

This year, was a year of great change for me, and also a year of awakenings. I have learned a lot about myself personally and professionally over the past few years, and in 2014, so much of what I’ve learned about myself has been tested and proven..to me! There is a deep contentment that comes from walking through fires and finding yourself as sure as ever on the other side of the flames.

Personally and Professionally: I know who I am. I know who I’m not, and I know who I’m striving to be.

Although I am a wonderer by nature, a questioner, an examiner, an imaginer and reflector, I have come to learn that some things CAN be figured out to a point of contentment. Once this occurs, you can start searching for answers to other questions of life instead. I’ve also learned that life is very cyclical at the core-- Lessons you’ve learned once can be forgotten or neglected and will assuredly come back around to be learned again, or at least, in my experience this is how it goes with the REALLY important life lessons. Such is the dichotomy of the flux of this life against the deep-down constancy of us. Reflection of this nature is how I eventually came to my word for this year: Wonderstruck!

I’ll confess, the runner up was “balance” which might make my friends and family giggle because living a “balanced” life has been my mantra since my early twenties. I’m sure I’m not alone in this, because anyone with strong ties to family, friends, and community, multiple passions and pursuits, high expectations of themselves and endless interests increasing with just about every interaction (with people or the world), is apt to struggle with striking the perfect balance and not getting too engrossed in any one aspect at cost of neglecting the others. Nevertheless, as I rolled it around in my mouth, BALANCE didn’t seem like my #onelittleword . I haven’t lost my sense of balance. I know that with a little intentionality I’m able to restore balance to my universe pretty quickly when things get off kilter. I kept digging deeper and that’s when it hit me - like lighting! What I was missing in the last year, what I need to be intentional about in this new year, is something I thought was ingrained enough into the fiber of who I am to never be lost. It’s something I’ve become known for and proud of but distracted from along the way- living Wonderstruck!

What does it mean to live Wonderstruck?

When I’m living Wonderstruck, I’m taking in the world around me with my eyes wide open. I’m slowing down enough to really SEE and appreciate the moments taking place. I’m letting myself get swept away in all that is precious and unique and inspiring and sacred about my world. When I’m living Wonderstruck, the snowfall looks like glitter and the metaphors dance across my brain as I take in the sight. Soon I’m wondering more about snow, and snowflakes, and precipitation in general and thinking of quotes I’ve heard or read about these things. Driving in my car through the glittery white squall, I’m pretending that my car is the starship enterprise and shouting “Take us to warp, Mr. Sulu!” (yes out loud, and even if my kiddos aren’t in the back seat to play along!) I’m falling down the rabbit hole and allowing it to happen with a smile.
When I’m living Wonderstruck I stop at least ten times a day to exclaim (out loud or just in my head) This is awesome! I’m so happy to be right here, right now! How did I ever grow to be so lucky, so blessed? When I’m living Wonderstruck, I’m endlessly fascinated by people who are different from me, I marvel at the differences, I contemplate them, and then they lead me to connective fibers that make us the same, and tumble me into empathy and understanding, and growth and inspiration. When I’m living wonderstruck, the world is my classroom and each person, each experience is my teacher. It overwhelms me and fills me with gratitude, and my heart is content.

What does Wonderstruck look like in my classroom?

In getting back to and freeing myself up again to be Wonderstruck-Me 2015, I hope to encourage and model a sense of wonder and gratitude and a love of learning for learning’s sake for the students I am so fortunate to serve. When I’m letting Wonderstruck-Me loose in my classroom, I am acutely attentive to the details of my students as individuals. They fascinate me, puzzle me, and enchant me. I am overwhelmed by the realization of the idiosynchrosis that set each of my individual students apart. I am so in tune to these idiosynchrosis that differentiating becomes second nature to me, not just differentiating for their academic ability levels but also for their specific interests, learning styles, behaviors, personalities and the needs of the whole-child.
Wonderstruck me is not afraid of student-directed classroom time. She empowers her students with choice and ownership in various aspects of their learning. She is content-guided and standards-driven but comfortable following student inquiry towards new and exciting learning that wasn’t necessarily in the textbook that day. Wonderstruck me is patient, with my students, but also with myself. I reflect more honestly on what went well and where there is room for improvement or refinement, and I’m not threatened by criticism but motivated and encouraged by the potential for professional growth. Wonderstruck-Me feels that she is always exactly where she’s supposed to be and feels compelled to make the most, get the most, and appreciate the MOST of every situation.

So I hope, that people who are reading this that know me, are thinking…”Christine, What are you talking about? This is totally YOU! Shouldn’t you choose “Frugality or “Simplify” as your mantra word for 2015 instead of something you’ve already got a grip on?” (wink wink, hint hint) In fact, when I hashed this out for a few of my closest, that was indeed the reaction! Others might be thinking “What you’ve just described is not sustainable, its fine in small doses but nobody can operate like that ALL the time.” Both of these reactions are correct. I hope that most people in my life haven’t noticed my deviation from Wonderstruck-Me, I hardly noticed it myself, but I can honestly say that I haven’t been as much that version of myself as I’d like to be. With a very difficult classroom community last year and a move from an intermediate grade to a primary grade this year, I put “WONDERSTRUCK” on hold for “Determined” and “Improve” and “Adjust” and “Keep Up”. I let Wonderstruck-Me slip away while trying so hard to be good at this job, to know my new material as well as I knew the old, to measure up against my own standards and the world-class teachers who’ve inspired me and work beside me along the way. All of these, are also noble teacher-pursuits, but in directing my attention to them so intensely, I lost a bit of the BALANCE, stopped taking as much time for being WONDERSTRUCK, focussed so hard on being GOOD enough that I neglected the thing that has the most potential to make me GREAT.
Perhaps, in the season of extreme change, the shift I described was a necessary adjustment, but now that I’m settled in and all read-up, I’m ready to start FEELING my way through the world again. I’m ready to trust my instincts a little more, to trust my students a little more, to intentionally slow down and take in the possibilty and magic of my corner of the world. I want to stop trying so hard to make magic happen and instead take the time to notice that it’s already happening, with or without my consent, ready or not! There's beauty in that, there's freedom in that, there's success in that, there's learning in that, for all of us!

My New Year's Toast For YOU!

May every beautiful moment last longer than the rest and etch itself to your memory.

May you learn something new at every turn.

May every hard lesson to be learned, be cushioned by a soft place to fall.

May each encounter leave you more whole and more grateful.

May every struggle tumble you head first into the strength to overcome it.

May you embrace those who need to be encircled and know how to let go of those who aren’t meant for you to hold.

May you be loved beyond your comprehension, may you have the courage to feel and accept it, and to love in return.

May your quietest prayers be answered in the loudest ways.

May you see God in every good and perfect thing.

May you find the will to say all the words that need to take life outside of your mouth. May you find the wisdom to bite your tongue and swallow back the words that taste bitter.

May you be surrounded by people who are worthy of your trust and admiration. May you be a person to be trusted and admired.

May you dream big things YET be content in the small things.

May you see opportunities to be kind, and take them to the next level.

May you be told often and emphatically that you matter…and may you believe it all the way.

May you compare yourself and your life only against your own hopes, ideals, and reality and no one else’s.

May you accept yourself as you are but not be complacent about becoming your best version.

May you revel in moments of solitude but never find yourself lonely.

May you laugh and dance and sing with reckless abandon whenever you find cause. May you find cause frequently.

May you feel, see, smell, taste, hear and really KNOW happiness in all of its simple and complicated forms.

May you delight in your own weirdness, and be unapologetic in your uncommonality.

May you feel simultaneously big and small when you stand at the ocean’s shore, or under a star-filled sky, or walking down a tree-lined street, or watching your children sleep, or sitting on the floor of your closet surrounded by shoes and memories…May you be okay with the significance and insignificance of you.

-C.C.H

HOPE Garden

We really HOPE we can count on you to participate and to pass on our request!

"Don't stop believin'! " - Journey

We Need Your Help!

In an effort to make the wrap-up of our Peter Reynolds Author study (for this years Global Read Aloud) more impact full, we are planning a project that involves considering the hopes of others and planting "seeds" of hope for ourselves and others! Please consider being a part of our project by sending in a paper flower (a flower made of paper or on paper or really any kind of man-made flower) for our garden and including a post it note with something you have hoped for or are hoping for now!
You'll be glad you did!

The goal is to have envelopes coming in from all over w hopes and paper flowers! #GRA14 #graPeter #hope #lifelessons pic.twitter.com/8DAwmFFMmA

— Mrs.HallidaysClass (@MrsHallidays4th) October 20, 2014

As part of Global Read Aloud 2014, our 2nd grade is collecting Hopes & Paper Flowers for our own version of Peter Reynold’s Rose’s Garden! Please consider contributing! All you need to do is to send a paper flower (as simple or complicated as you’d like) and a post it note or small note card stating something you currently hope for or once hoped for. If you’d like to include a story about your “hope” we would love to read it, but what we NEED is the flower and the hope! We really HOPE to have envelopes coming in from across our campus, our state, our country, maybe even the world!

Please send your contribution to our “garden” by November 5th, 2014.

Mrs Halliday’s Class – Fanny B. Memorial Hall
901 Homestead Lane
Hershey PA 17033

@MrsHallidays4th Love this—Thx for inspiring students around the world to share their hopes & be creative. Can't wait to hear back from you!

— FableVision Learning (@FableLearn) October 21, 2014

September Recap Video: One Month of 2nd Grade Learning

I used to do a monthly newsletter, but in this digital age, I decided instead to compile the photos and clips I've taken all month and create this recap video instead! It is my hope to create one each month to give the families of my students a glimpse into the exciting and wondrous things happening in our corner of the world!
Imagine the growth and change that will be recorded as months progress?! We're VERY busy in 2nd grade, with all that there is to juggle and fit in, it's nice for me to have this way to look back as well at all that we've done and accomplished together in our first month of school!

Good Fit Book Lesson

A synopsis of an early-in-the-year lesson for my 2nd graders comparing book choices and shoe choices! What makes a book a "good fit" book? How can we choose books that are "just right" for our independent level!
Metaphors, Connections, Props, oh my!