Day 23 - finally taking the risk

Feeling like my mind is racing and there are so many things to write about, but it is late and I am working on being concise.  First thing- my step count was really low today!  Usually I average 10-11,000 steps a day as a teacher but today I barely made 3,000.  I sat at my desk today during a good portion of my classes, while students were taking a mastery assessment.  I walked a round a little, but mostly on my a**, grading papers and assessments.  I can't even imagine what it would be like to have a sitting job. Before teaching I was a bartender and a waitress, so I have spent most of my life on my feet and then laying down to sleep at night.  Not a big sitter. I do love the feeling of laying down though.  When your whole body takes a deep breath and you feel all the bones and muscles kind of fall into each other. And then, I fall immediately asleep.  Without a doubt, I am truly grateful for my ability to get a solid nights sleep.  Without sleep, i don't think I would enjoy my students as much.
So after their assessment today, I introduced to my senior Government class, their Community Action Project(w.i.p.).  Maybe not the best timing, right after a test, but I sure was excited! The project is very similar to genius hour projects and my incarnation is much inspired by Kevin Brookhouser's the 20Time Project and a presenter I saw at the Cue Conference last spring, Andrew Moriates.  I have seen Kevin Brookhouser present a few times and am using his book to guide many of my decisions about this project.  It comes from a colleagues existing senior project but I am trying to free it up as much as possible-getting away from the project being a final and just like so many community service projects seniors do all over country.  Of course those projects are great, but Kevin's book really keeps me fresh in possibility and creativity, making sure my students are not doing this for a grade; but rather for the learning and hopefully fueled by their own passion and heart.  Making it a final, kills all of that.  So it will not be their final although, they will work on it all year and be graded at checkpoints and through their blogs.  Many people are doing these types of projects and I am glad I am finally taking the risk.

A-ha:
I am physically built for teaching.

Reminder:
Students are excited when I'm excited.