#SOL18 Day 21 Quote of the Day

"To hold a pen is to be at war."
-Voltaire 

Every morning, a quote appears in my inbox through the magic of IFTTT, which I still don't fully understand. I love quotes, and so I enjoy reading a new one each day. Yesterday morning Voltaire's quote came, on what was the first day of spring. Interesting choice.

And now I try to process it. Does the quote mean that you are at war with yourself when you hold a pen- fighting to decide what to say and how? Slaying the demons known as Writer's Block? 

Does he instead mean that the pen is your weapon against the battles you choose to fight- maybe injustice? The pen is your defense of those who don't understand you or aim to hurt you? 

In my third grade classroom, we have a Chief Inspiration Officer (CIO) as one of our jobs. This person selects a quote to share with the class. We used to write them on a picture frame glitterboard, but after a few crashes with glass strewn in the classroom, I've switched to digital means of sharing our quotes, along with a fact of the day. Here is what I use on Buncee: https://farmingdale.edu.buncee.com/buncee/1e73d322f1e6460a88cb21329bf2521e

I always ask students what they think the quote of the day means. So today I will ask you- what do you think Voltaire meant when he said, "To hold a pen is to be at war" ?


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

#SOL16 Lesson From Piper

Image
Have you seen the Disney Pixar Short film Piper ?  If not, go watch...I'll wait. :) I watched this movie today with a few of my students who stay after school for "Club Success" (formerly called "tutoring" but this feels way more positive for the kids who are asked to stay). After we watched Piper , we wrote about the movie and then shared our writing. Each of the three students who wrote touched upon the idea that Piper had to learn how to get the food for herself. Some students mentioned the pride she felt after she learned how to survive the big waves and find food.  We talked about the mistakes she made and how they helped her to learn.  I think this video is a MUST WATCH for a few reasons.  1- It really makes you think about the process of learning and how uncomfortable it can feel when you move to trying something new for the first time.  2-Piper learned by her failed attempts and eventually by finding a mentor and trying his strategy. 3-When
Read more

A Working Mom's "I am" Poem #sol15 Day 16

Image
Disclaimer: I have nothing but respect for moms who "stay at home." It is the hardest job.  In my brief stints being a stay at home mom while on maternity leave and on summer vacations, I know that the days are exhausting and challenging.  This poem attempts to capture how I feel about life at the moment, being a third grade teacher and a mom to 2 kids under the age of 5. I am a Working Mom I am exhausted and never done.  I wonder how to find the elusive "work-life" balance  I hear my alarm go off at 3am and trudge downstairs to do the work I couldn't do when the kids were awake I see my work bag,bulging, begging me to finally pay it attention. I want 5 minutes to myself. I am exhausted and never done. I pretend I can do it all I feel the need to eat lots of chocolate I touch my children's soft little cheeks and hug them. I worry I am missing important moments with them. I cry when I feel like I am drowning from it all. I am exhausted and n
Read more

#SOL19 You Can Go Your Own Way

Image
If you were looking at an Identity Web for me right now (Sara K. Ahmed's Being the Change has been on my mind with our recent #twtblog series and a book study/ workshop I facilitated with the Long Island Writing Project), you would see the added role of "Daisy Co-Leader" as another hat (or Girl Scout tunic?) I am wearing. My daughter, Megan, is a kindergarten student and I have signed on to be her Girl Scout troop co-leader. My fabulous friend and colleague (and down the street neighbor!) is the leader of the troop and she is everything you've ever dreamed of in a Daisy troop leader- enthusiastic, creative, organized, kind, thoughtful, and ambitious. Our troop has done A LOT in our short six months together.  Last night was another Daisy event. We met up with other Girl Scouts from our town and the town right next to us for a "Paint Night." Each girl got a canvas and paints and was instructed, step by step, on how to make a snowman in a winter sc
Read more