Unexpected

When I created "Follow Your Bliss" my purpose was to share my passion for teaching and chronicle my journey as an educator. I hoped that it would be a place for my students' parents to gain deeper insight into what happens in our classroom, a forum for feedback from other teachers and an online journal that my family could read to keep up with those smaller moments in my life that are not always touched upon in a phone conversation.

These things have happened.

The other day a parent interested in sending her daughter to my kindergarten class next year sent me an email about the blog. I have built a relationship with several passionate educators who share their ideas and comments and my mom (an avid reader) inspired some of my favorite posts entitled "Tips From My Mom".

These were my expectations.

But there are also things that were unexpected.

Like...

Meeting Kimy from Mouse Medicine and having her accompany my first grade class on a trip to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2008. She took many fantastic photographs that day and was generous enough to provide me with copies.

It just so happens that I recently became involved with redesigning and organizing the new look of our school web site and when I was selecting photographs for the main banner I immediately thought of Kimy's photograph 'hands'. With her kind permission it is now front and center representing our school. Thank you Kimy!

Other Blog kin have also visited with us. Gregg (aka Junk Thief) came to talk with my students about children in other parts of the world who must forfeit an education because their families rely on them to fetch water from miles away or are put to work in the fields. This powerful conversation was followed with the gift of a collection of stories written by children.

Lettuce and Melody have both introduced me to British children's authors and have given me many books to read to my students. Mel just sent me another package this past week. Amazingly big-hearted and totally unexpected. Thank you both.

That brilliantly childlike and slightly askew artist Sebastien of Chronically Sick sent me three original pieces of art (including the one pictured here) and a t-shirt. It would be an understatement to say that I love his work. He is pure genius.

I have met folks who I consider friends and learned so much from others.

I even got to write a blurb for the back of a children's book because of this little blog.

Unexpected.

And amazing.

You have all made me smile.