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Day: November 17, 2024

Showing Up

November 17, 2024 ~ wordancerblog ~ 6 Comments

I have shown up for kids for forty-six years.  It is my greatest achievement – this showing up – this putting intentional time into something as important as children. I love watching children grow and develop.  I like being the one who cheers them on through the struggles. 

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  1. Trish's avatar
    Trish on Working in the Wonder Studio: Setting the StageJanuary 29, 2026

    I loved reading this observation: "I was just setting the stage for children to create.  They did not need help;…

  2. wordancerblog's avatar
    wordancerblog on Working in the Wonder Studio: Setting the StageJanuary 28, 2026

    Come to New Jersey anytime, Kim. You have an open invitation!

  3. kimhaynesjohnson's avatar
    kimhaynesjohnson on Working in the Wonder Studio: Setting the StageJanuary 28, 2026

    What's so fascinating is that children are accepting and agreeable when it comes to working together (mostly)- - far more…

  4. Anita Ferreri's avatar
    Anita Ferreri on Working in the Wonder Studio: Setting the StageJanuary 27, 2026

    I think you should give yourself a round of applause for inspiring their creativity!

  5. wordancerblog's avatar
    wordancerblog on Working in the Wonder Studio: Setting the StageJanuary 27, 2026

    Yes, this is the best part of my job. I'm a learning specialist, but I made room (literally) for crafting,…

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6 responses to “Showing Up”

  1. kimhaynesjohnson Avatar
    kimhaynesjohnson
    November 17, 2024

    What a lovely testament to presence and its impact on not just others, but also our own hearts as we show up for others. Forty six years of showing up deserves a hero’s cape – it may not seem all that heroic to you, but for those you show up for, it means the world. I’m taken by your depth of feeling and know that your student will thrive because you were a magical part of her journey.

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  2. Tina Avatar
    Tina
    November 17, 2024

    I love how you broadened the concept of “showing up” to include opening our minds and being present. It seems so much harder for us to show up to one another these days. Bombarded by so many digital distractions and anxieties, it is hard for people to commit fully. In the classroom space, children look to us. They want to be seen, to share, to connect. It’s a gift to others and ourselves to “show up.”

    I love the perspective poems and I hope that you shared Linea’s with her family.! This can be a great character study when reading a novel or celebrating someone’s life. It also made me pause to consider how I show up (or don’t) and why.

    I’m touched by your devotion to students and your unwavering love of teaching. Thanks, Joanne, for showing up by maintaining your blog and sharing your insights and creativity. Write On!

    LikeLiked by 1 person

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  3. satyam rastogi Avatar
    satyam rastogi
    November 17, 2024

    Nice post 🌺🌺

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  4. Anita Ferreri Avatar
    Anita Ferreri
    November 19, 2024

    Your post on showing up speaks to my heart as we show up in SO many different ways. My granddaughter recently shared how I “show up” at her swim meets and it is so easy to find me with my silvery hair sparkling! For my current students, teachers and wanna be teachers, I am trying to show up late at night (when exhausted) to talk about their case studies but the conversation always seems to turn to their classroom struggles and needs,.,…and YOUR post today reminds me that it is ALL part of the complex world of showing up! Thank you, lovely post. Linea will be in my thoughts and prayers in her new adventures,

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  5. Trish Avatar
    Trish
    November 19, 2024

    “Ready to learn/happy to return.” Oh, I wish this were true for every student at the end of the day. I acknowledge that “showing up” is the necessary first step, that everything follows from that, but it is an attitude as well as an act. If all else flows from the act, then Linea’s attitude came barreling after. You helped keep that momentum going, growing. Now that is the alchemy we’re after.

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  6. margaretsmn Avatar
    margaretsmn
    November 21, 2024

    As I near retirement I need to give myself this kind of credit, showing up. It means something. You have shown what it means to just one student, making a difference, and setting her up for success as she moves on.

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