Community is the Foundation

Thank you to Ruth Ayres for providing this space to share our celebrations.  It's important to take time to celebrate the big and small things in life.  You can read more celebrations at Discover. Play. Build.


I've been thinking a lot about community.  This week, I've had the opportunity to spend time with different groups of people.

I was invited to a gathering with other Ph.D. students who are in the same program.  Drs. Bloome and Katz invited us to their home to share in a potluck meal.  There was no agenda other than getting to know each other a little better.  I'm someone who is more comfortable being around a small group of people that I know well, so this gathering was a little out of my comfort zone.  I'm so glad I went.  I got to catch up with others in my class, and meet some new people.  Dr. Bloome asked us to go around the circle and share what our research interests were.  While I felt a little out of my element, it was so interesting to hear what others are studying and as I told a friend, only one person used a word that I didn't know the meaning of.

Once a month, we meet with a group of teachers in our district who want to grow as writers.  I love this group.  Each person has a different agenda as to what he or she wants to write.  We have people who are writing for themselves, someone who is working on a picture book and some who are wanting to begin blogs.  One of our group members, my principal, posted her first blog.  Remembering my own feelings when I first pushed the publish button, I was so excited for her!  I invite you to read her blog and leave a comment.  http://learningthrucommunity.blogspot.com/2017/01/what-do-we-want-to-be.html 

Thursday afternoon was spent with a friend over coffee after school.  We don't get to spend together very often, but when we do, we are always amazed at how our lives seem to follow parallel paths.  We talked about our kids, our work, our next steps.  I left with a happy feeling in my heart.

This morning, our group from the Columbus Area Writing Project summer institute met.  We haven't seen each other since the beginning of July.  We caught up with each other's projects, our work and in the process I left with a list of new books to buy and new ideas to try.

Each of these communities feeds my soul.  They stretch me and help me grow.  I leave each group feeling energized and excited about the work I am doing in different places.  Belonging to each of these communities is so important to who I am as a woman, mother, writer and teacher.

What communities feed your soul?

Comments

  1. Belonging to a community of committed educators is important to our learning life, Julie. I am glad that you are sharing your passions with them. Now off to read your principal's first post.

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    1. Learning some new thing and appreciate such small things &moments play a very important role in our life for making our life peaceful and happy. It is also a great opportunity for students to learning something from such kind of educative community. So I love to dedicate this post to students of our consultancy Personal Statement Folks who are taking economics personal statement for UCAS from personal statement experts so they can get a seat in best desired college. I missed this educational program celebration but next time I am definitely attend it with my group. Being as a personal statement writer, I want to see such kind of more post & I am surly come bake here. Keep Sharing….!!

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    2. I love to attend such kind of educational program but unfortunately I missed chance to attend this celebration in which all kind of people come who are writing for themselves, someone who is working on a picture book and some who are wanting to begin blogs and some are like me who love to provide academic writing help and international finance assignment help as an assignment writer to students who are struggling to complete their assignment because of not having good knowledge and enough time. Happy to read this post! Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Communities are so important for our souls, I'm glad you nourished your soul this week.

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  3. Such a blessing to have so many supportive communities. Love that they left you feeling energized and excited!

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  4. I am so thankful for my extended school community. I hope you have a great week ahead.

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  6. Thanks for sharing your principal's blog post! I love your words, "Each of these communities feeds my soul" and your challenge: "What communities feed your soul?" I'll be pondering that this week. Have a beautiful week, Julie.

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  7. I love hearing about your groups, Julie. I guess I missed that you are working toward a P.Hd. That's wonderful. I miss my teacher groups, and of course am not in them anymore, but now forming a new group with those who are involved with the bookstore. It's been fun so far!

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