Epiphany Stars and Haiku

It is lovely to have a morning where I'm not racing around doing storm prep.  Yesterday I decided that I should leave even earlier than my usual MWF time of 7:15-7:30, so I was out the door just after 6.  I was able to get more gas for the car and stop by the grocery store one last time.  It turned out to be a wise decision.  I was able to get some ice melt granules, the ingredients for the seafood stew (recipe here) I want to cook today, and treats.

I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of student attendance yesterday.  Thursday night, the e-mail announcing distance learning on Monday went out.  I decided that I would hold class as normal, to respect the students who did come to class.  My 9 a.m. class was only missing 2 students, the normal absence rate.  By my afternoon class, the e-mail from the school president had gone out, telling students that we're looking at a significant ice storm and that they should go home if possible.  Still, I decided to have class.

Let me record the poetry writing experiment that I did with my English 102 students.  

On Wednesday, we looked at versions of the arrival of the Magi, which I described in this blog post.  Yesterday, I brought in poems inspired by the text, along with epiphany stars with words on the back.  

I began by having them choose three stars and writing the words on a piece of colored paper that I gave them.  I then talked about the ways I've used the stars as a pastor, the ways I describe in this post.  I had them think about the words while I passed out the first poem, Jan Richardson's "Wise Women Also Came."  As I read the poem, I had the students underline words and phrases that struck them for any reason, at least three.  We did the same thing with T.S. Eliot's "The Journey of the Magi."  We also had a bit of conversation.

I gave each student three more stars, and then we returned to the yellow sheets of paper.  I had them write one of the lines that they had underlined on the yellow paper.  Then they wrote one of the new star words.  Then they wrote words that rhymed with the star word or words that started with the same letter.  They wrote another line from the poem that they had underlined and another star word.  Then they wrote a New Year's resolution, theirs or someone else's.  Then another line from the poems and another star word.  I put this sentence on the board (You will ___________) and asked them to imagine that they met a wise sage that could foretell the future from the stars; what would they want the sage to fill in the blank or to say to them?  Then I had them write another line from the poem.

Now they had a lot of stuff on the yellow paper, and we moved to the condensing part of the creation process.  I showed them my collage with the haiku-like creation I created a few weeks ago with my neighborhood friend and creativity partner:

Here's the haiku-like creation that I wrote:

Wise ones return home
but by a different way
empire's long shadow.

We took the last 10 minutes of class for students to try their hand.  They came up with some interesting short/haiku-like creations.  If I had more time, it would be interesting to add collaging to this process, to see if images prompt anything different.

This experience has been so fruitful that I'm adding it to my list of possibilities for my creative writing class.  

And now, since the day is not going to improve in terms of weather, let me go out on a walk.  I am not likely to have a chance to walk outside again for the next few days, in the storm and its aftermath.

More on Storm Prep, More on Classroom Collaging

My brain snapped awake at 1:30, and for awhile, I tried to fall back asleep.  Finally around 2 or so, I thought, I recognize what my brain is doing--I recognize this pattern from Hurricane Watch days.  I want to see if the track has shifted, even though I don't need to do much if it has.  I want to see what various forecasters and commenters are saying, even if they're all saying the same thing.

I thought about the food in the freezer, which happily, is less food than we had in the freezer 6 weeks ago; we've made a concentrated effort to eat what we have.  I thought about what we might make tomorrow to use even more of it, so that if we lose power, we don't lose as much food.  My brain started making a grocery list.

Of course, if we lose power in an ice storm (unlike in a hurricane) we could put the food outside, where the temps are expected to be low through next week.

Finally, I decided to just get up.  Let me capture a success story from my Advanced Creative Writing class.  The collaging that I described in this blog post went so well that I decided to expand on it.

I got to class early and moved tables so that we had 9 tables against the walls.  I put a collage on each table, along with a stack of feedback worksheets, and an envelope.  The worksheets asked students to tell what colors are predominant, what words they noticed, what images were prominent and what larger symbolic meaning they might have,  what story ideas the collage inspired, and other insight that the collage viewer has for the collage maker.

I had students sit at the table with their collage first.  I had them write a bit about what they saw now, with the benefit of 48 hours of being away from the collage, of coming to it with fresh eyes.  Then I had them get up and move to the next table.

We did the same process across 8 collages.  First I had students stare at the collage for 30-60 seconds without writing anything; I was surprised by how many students had trouble with this aspect.  Then I had them fill in the worksheet for 4-5 minutes.  Some students zipped through this part, while others had trouble getting all the feedback on paper.  I had them put the feedback sheet in the envelope that was on the table, so that they wouldn't be distracting to the next person who came to the table.

When they got back to their collage, I had them fill out the worksheet for their own collage.  And then I had them write for daily writing credit:  4 strengths, 2 weaknesses, and 1 suggestion, along with an overview of the process kind of paragraph writing.

I realize that there are some who might ask what this process has to do with creative writing.  But my students seemed to understand that it's an interesting way to access parts of their brain that might not emerge if they stared at a blank sheet of paper waiting for words to appear.

I am so grateful to be at a school where this kind of classroom experience is valued, not denigrated.  I am so grateful to be at a school where I get to teach these kinds of classes.

Tomorrow I'll say more about a poetry writing experience in English 102 classes.  But this morning, I'm leaving early so that I can stop by the grocery store.  No, not to buy milk or bread--if we're going to have a weather event, I want luxury treats like honey roasted cashews and Cadbury fruit and nut candy bars. 

A Storm's Coming Which Triggers a Quest

I got up yesterday morning thinking that I would make progress on my Faculty Annual Report which was due yesterday.  But I watched various weather forecasts and started feeling a bit anxious about the threat of ice this week-end.  If we lose power . . .  and then my brain was racing.

We have alternate fuel sources, like the woodburning fireplace.  But it's not a great source of heat, and with the damper open, it lets in a lot of cold air.  A few years ago, we bought a small heater that is O.K. to use inside.  It runs on propane, and it needs the smaller propane canisters, not the big kind that fuels the grill.   And yes, we've tried the hose/valve set up that's supposed to be an adapter, and it doesn't work.

I did a quick count of the small propane tanks:  3.  Are there more in the shed?  I don't know.  We've ordered them from Amazon before, but when I went to order, I realized that the delivery date was next week, which won't help us if the power goes out on Saturday.

I thought about all the people who would be waking up to the possibility of a winter storm.  I thought of the blissfully ignorant people who would get to work and decide to get supplies in the afternoon.  I did a bit of searching on websites.  It looked like the Lowe's in Spartanburg had a good supply, while the Lowe's a mile from me did not.  The Lowe's in Spartanburg is easy to swing by on my way to work, so I decided to leave early.

But how early did I need to leave?  Would there be crowds?  I gave myself plenty of time.

Happily, I didn't need a lot of extra time.  The propane tanks were near the front, instead of the row where the website said I would find them.  Happily, an employee pointed me the right way.  I bought 10 tanks and wrote a text to my spouse which ended this way:   "If you think we need more, let me know.  Right now they have plenty but I imagine soon they will not."  My spouse wrote back and said that he estimated we'd have enough propane for 40 hours which would be enough.

Once I got back home in the afternoon, we went to get gas; we wanted to be sure we used our Ingles fuel points, plus I noticed that gas prices had risen since morning at one place, but not at the Ingles.  Both the Ingles gas station and the grocery store were jammed, but we did get both cars filled up.  Given my daily commute, I'll need to fill up again tomorrow, but hopefully that won't be a problem.

We used our fuel points and got our gas for 44 cents a gallon--WOW!!!

Then it was back home, and after a Zoom call, I spent the rest of the evening finishing my Faculty Annual Report.  It's a pleasant enough activity, thinking back to what went well in my teaching life in 2025.

Faith Lutheran in Bristol, Tennessee decided to cancel worship Sunday, which makes sense to me.  It looks like we will not avoid a significant winter weather event on either side of the mountain.  I suspect that Spartanburg Methodist College will cancel classes on Monday, but we likely won't know that much in advance.

My hope is that we have the gentler possibility:  some snow, but not crippling.  My real hope is that the power stays on, along with the water.  I hope to make good use of the time, but most important is to stay off the road.

Tuesday Teaching Successes: Collaging and Biblical Storytelling

Here I am, blogging before heading off to school, heading off early to go to the Spartanburg Lowe's and Home Depot in hopes of getting some of the little propane tanks for our inside heater.  Here I am, blogging even though I want to keep looking at weather maps.  Here I am, blogging, even though I have an annual report to finish.

Let me focus on what went well in yesterday's classes. 

In my Advanced Creative Writing class, we did some collaging.  I brought in a variety of magazines and had students cut/tear out words and images that appealed to them without analyzing why they chose them.  I was happy to see how focused they were on this part of the process.  Often when I do a collaging process, there's one student who finishes in 3 minutes, where everyone is just getting started.  That didn't happen yesterday--hurrah!  

I had a piece of poster board for each student, and we finished the class by gluing the materials to it.  I gave out the 4 page document that we did on Thursday and had them think about the collage and see if there were connections.  It might be about either the long term project or the shorter projects.

On Thursday, I'll put the collages out around the room and have a bit of studio time.  Between now and Thursday, I'll develop more of a class plan (in addition to checking the weather maps).  

In my English 102 class, we continued our discussion of what makes a good story and the ways we can tell a story.  This week, I'm using Bible texts, Matthew 1:18 - 2:23.  I gave them two translations of the text, the NRSVUE and The Message.  I used handouts, because it's easier.  Then I showed the same text presented by Biblical storyteller (and my seminary professor) Tracy Radosevic (you can view it here).

I had created a worksheet where for each version, they wrote the strengths and weaknesses of each version.  Then I divided them into groups to discuss.  We had a brief time discussion as a class, and then they answered question #4 on the worksheet, choosing the one version they liked best.  I urged them to think about this work as a text, not as a sacred story, which I acknowledged might be easier said than done.  They seemed able to operate at this level.

Although the energy level was low at the start, the class went well, and I ended up feeling good about it all, a good thing, since I'm teaching the same material twice today.  After class, one of my students from last term who has continued with me this term talked about how strange it was to encounter the material in English, instead of the Spanish of her home church--a wrinkle I hadn't considered, but will mention today!

But first, a stop at the Spartanburg stores on my quest for small propane tanks for the indoor heater--which means I need to get ready to leave a bit earlier than usual.

Travel Plans and Weather

I didn't plan to take a break from blogging.  In retrospect, I should have slotted in an MLK post to run yesterday, but on Sunday, I wasn't completely sure of our Sunday to Monday plans.

If you were reading this blog last week, you know that I was keeping an eye on the weather.  If you read this blog on a regular basis, you know that the weather is never far from my consciousness.  Last week, there was some possibility of a winter storm during the upcoming holiday week-end, which would have impacted my ability to travel to Bristol, Tennessee to preach and preside at Faith Lutheran.

In fact, the winter storm came, but it tracked east.  As we drove to Bristol, I kept an eye on the radar (by way of my phone app), and snow was just a few miles away.  It had already snowed at the higher elevations, but the roads seemed fine.

I also kept my eye on the radar because we planned to go to a different part of east Tennessee, for an overnight visit to my spouse's father and stepmother.  We weren't able to see them during the holidays because of my sudden need for melanoma removal surgery.  We knew that it hadn't snowed at their house.  But what about the mountains in between us?

On the way down, we didn't see much.  On our way home yesterday, we saw snow and ice in the landscape and secondary roads around Bryson City, but the highway was clear.

I'm glad we went.  We had a great visit, full of conversation and food and many hands of the card game Euchre (I'm never sure how to spell the name of that game).  I'm glad that we made the effort and that the weather/roads were better than some of the forecasting predicted.

And now, here we are, at the beginning of another week, and the weather questions are the same.  We know that a storm system will be in the southeastern states over this coming week-end.  Where will it track?  Will we get ice or snow or rain or a mix of all of them or nothing?

Once again, I won't write my sermon early.  This week, even more than last week, it looks like we've got a very good chance of cancelling church.

Fragments--So Fragmented that I'm Posting Late

I am still watching the weather, still wondering if we'll have church tomorrow.  The radar showed snow falling in Bristol this morning, with possible accumulations of 3 inches.  If the snow stops in the early afternoon and the sun comes out, warming the temps to above freezing, will it all melt off the parking lot in time?  I will stay tuned--and keep working on my sermon.

With my fragmented attention, let me capture a few bits from the week that I don't want to lose:

--I've had really good classes this week, with students paying attention and participating.  Hurrah!

--In my English 102 classes, I've been using Carolyn Forche's "The Colonel."  I often use it as a way of talking about whether a piece is a poem, a journal entry, a very short story, or something else.  I did that this week.  But I also talked about Forche's time as a human rights adviser for the U.N., and the situation in El Salvador when she was there in the late '70's.  I have concluded by making connections to Venezuela.

--It is strange how events have changed since I taught this poem in the fall.  Now we have invaded Venezuela.  In some ways, it's not a surprise.  After all, the U.S. has inserted itself in many a country, especially in Latin America.  But this time, the surprise is that the U.S. has been very covert in the past.  Not this time.

--Will Marco Rubio be the next Kissinger?  Hmm.  I'm listening to interviews (here and here) with Dexter Filkins, a writer for The New Yorker, who has just written a piece on Rubio.  Fascinating--and I'm so glad that I don't have political ambitions in this day and age.

Bingo Cards and Whiteboards: A Good First Week

I am always on the lookout for ways to get students up and out of their seats for brief periods of time, especially if it can be for something that's not dividing into small groups and discussing something, just for the sake of having small group work.  I'm not opposed to small group work, even though I hate it for myself.  But I have noticed that small group work involves a lot of prepping on my part and a lot of coaching when they are in small groups (i.e., now talk about this, now switch to talking about this).

Yesterday in my Advanced Creative Writing class, I was leading us through exercises to develop a long-term project.  I created 4 worksheets.  The first one had them list/discuss creative works/artists that had been important to them when they were children and a separate space to list creative works/artists that are important to them now.  As they were writing, I thought, I'm surrounded by whiteboards in this classroom; I could have them write their lists on the board.  And I did it.  There were only 7 students in class, so it wasn't too chaotic.  And it was interesting to see their lists.

On worksheet 2, I had them write about what types of creative works they had created in the past, both in a school setting and on their own.  One wall had two whiteboards beside each other, so I wrote a variety of types (short story, poem, novel, song, animated work, graphic novel/story, hybrid work) on the board as they were filling in the worksheet.  Then I had them put check marks in the columns if they had created that type of work.

On worksheet 3, I had them discuss the conditions that make creative work possible, like space and food.  Then we chatted a bit.  On worksheet 4, I had them list 3 potential long term projects--no commitment implied.  It was a great class, much better than what I had originally planned, which was me verbally giving them prompts.

Then I went to my English 102 class.  I had a bingo/getting to know each other sheet ready to go (see this blog post for details), and I put a blank grid on the back.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but now, I've come up with a plan for both English 101 and 102.  First, the students will move around the room, trying to fill in the getting to know each other Bingo squares.  Then they'll sit back down and use the grid on the back.  For the English 101 class that meets this morning, I'll have them fill in the grid with some details about themselves that can lead to a standard "who I am" kind of essay.  

In English 102, I used the grid for students to create a fictional character.  Some of the squares were minor, like does the character have a pet.  Some were major:  what does the character yearn for and what is keeping the character from getting that (2 squares).  Then, as we talked about what makes a story, we had character details filled in, conflict details that might lead to an interesting plot, and setting details.  It was an interesting way of talking about these aspects of fiction/story telling.  I look forward to seeing how this afternoon's English 102 classes respond.

It's been a good first week of classes, and I'm grateful.