may our hearts grow as the flowers bloom
soy la misma newsletter
A few days ago, my shoulders lowered for the first time. All the stress I’d been carrying had been lifted off my entire body! The biggest event I’ve been holding my breath for happened, and that is teaching sixth graders in my field placement classroom. I’m so glad it’s over because it was the first time, I had to teach students who are not 1. high schoolers and 2. be observed by my mentor teacher in her classroom. To be honest, it went great, and I learned that I need better classroom management (but it’s not the end of the world)! If you ever enter the Learning Center, you’ll find my students to be completely disinterested, and I’m always cracking my brain to come up with interesting lessons that have them moving. Unlike the sixth-grade classroom, those kids seem like they’re on multiple Monster energy drinks. I had them to a group activity that followed them on a remote island through stations. Each station covered a chapter and its primary vocabulary words. I’ve learned that I love to put curriculum together, and I love to create my assignments from scratch. The students are doing a novel read so that is also an experience that I hope I can figure out how to do with my students.
I’m also so near the end of the semester of my first year of grad school and the only thing getting in the way from the end are the multiple papers I have to write!! Thinking of all my friends still doing school <3
Besides the overload of teaching in my primary classroom and taking on a full load of classes, I’m also gearing up for the summer. I’ve been working on getting a grant to start up my storytelling summer workshop for young people again! If all goes well, “Stories from Unheard Voices” Summer Workshops round 2 will be happening this summer! Eeeek! Fingers crossed, it’ll come together in late May.
I’m also keeping myself accountable for my creative writing! Thanks to the Kenyon Workshop this winter, I wrote new poems. There are some themes that I want to further explore, as well as artistic styles. There’s always something to learn! I crave knowledge. This spring I applied to around three different programs that are for writing. I’ve heard from 2/3, and I’m excited to say that I’ll be spending time in Iowa City at the Iowa’s Summer Writer’s Workshop — I’ll be having the opportunity to learn from Hai-Dang Phan! I’m so excited and nervous. I had the privilege to be taught by Professor Grunst at St. Kate’s, whom is an alumni of the popular Iowa Writer’s Workshop. He taught similarly to what they do at Iowa. So, it helps to know I’m not going to be completely new to the learning style of discussion. I also applied to VONA summer workshop for the second time and for the second time, I’ve been waitlisted! It is a bummer, but it’s not the end of the world. Last year, I never got off the waitlist, and truthfully, I have an inkling it will not happen this year as well—it’s so competitive and those who are the finalists want to be there, obvi! I’ll just try again next year! And for the last writing workshop, I’ll hopefully hear by the end of May. It’s a Kenyon Writer’s Workshop, specifically for teachers so it is completely different from the poetry workshops.
In Twitter news, I’ve been watching university students protest for a free Palestine! Badass. I feel so removed from the world that sometimes writing is what makes me feel more connected, as well as reading from those that are on the front lines. Recently, the conversations my mother and I have been having is on what’s happening in her hometown in Guerrero, Mexico. When we call my grandma, I’ll we hear in the background are gun machines blasting from the hands of the sicarios (translated to hitmen in English). Naively, I ask my mom, “Why aren’t people speaking up? Why isn’t the community coming together to get those guys out of there? Why must students not go to school because these money-hungry and land-hungry people want to kill each other?” To which my mother responds, “It’s Mexico, mija. Government doesn’t work like it does here. Government leaders work with the sicarios. Innocent people are getting screwed over and if they speak up, who will save them?” If you’re interested in knowing what’s happening in Guerrero, here is more information.
This week, I’ll be headed four hours north from home to hang out with the 2023-2025 Rural Regenerators at East Silent Lake Resort! I look forward to taking a much needed break from work life.
What I’m Reading
“Cane” Jean Toomer
What I’m Listening To
I’d Rather Go Blind by Etta James
Colapso by Kevin Kaar
What I’m Watching
New Season of Abbott Elementary (spoiler: I’m so glad Teacher Janine is back!!)
Under the Bridge (starring Lily Gladstone)
As an aspiring poet, I’d like to start ending a few newsletters with poet recommendations. Today, I’ll leave you with Fady Joudah, Palestinian American poet and physician, as well as the 2024 Jackson Poetry Prize Winner.