I have found a lot of comfort in the beauty of the novelists and cinematographers of 2017. I treasure the creative spirit that allow me to suspend myself in an alternate universe every now and again.
Here are some of the highlights:

Screen Shout Outs:

This year's Jewish Film Festival:

The Women's Balcony

Menashe

The Wedding Plan

In the Big House:

The Big Sick

Ladybird

Super Quirky Movies That Made Us Laugh:

The Little Hours

Los Malcriados

And of course: Stranger Things Season 2

The Beauty and Power of the Words I Have Read This Year:

Into the Beautiful North* (I recommend EVERY teacher read this book)

My Year of Meats

The Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

The Glass Castle

A Man Named Ove

We went to see Rachel Price and Chance the Rapper and listened to Jim Doherty's (@mrdardy) play lists and listened to a lot of Choro music. I took a lot of Ukelele lessons and played a lot of the easier Beatle's tunes. I drowned out my fear by listening to Pod Save America and Pod Save the People whom had a lot of smart guests who give me hope. I marched, I wrote a zillion postcards, we started giving regularly to the ACLU and the Southern Poverty Law Center, along with NPR and a long list of environmental groups. (the planet has a hard time protecting itself).

I ran, I rode, I hiked, I walked, and due to a foot injury in October, I have gotten back in the water and have been swimming and swimming. Now to get back on my feet, to do what I love most, run and hike, and add in yoga. (More than my morning sun salutations)

I re-read my end of the school year post from 2016-2017, and I still struggle with finding ways to capture the imagination and interest of ALL my students, I am still a terrible police woman getting better with monitoring the headphone plugging in and texting in my classroom. The BEST thing I did all year, so far, was to ask my students, "what do you need from me?" I have had 3 boys that I know of hospitalized for depression, and at least a few others students adjusting to anti-anxietal medicines. (This really scares me.)

My favorite new poster is a quote from Grace Chen (@graceachen), "We are influenced, but not wholly determined by our environment."

Maybe starting a new semester is a good time to ask that question again, "What do you need from me so that you can focus on learning?"  And, What can Ms. Z keep doing that supports you as a math learner, and what is something different Ms. Z can do support you as a math learner?

Happy New Year you all. May your year be healthy and delightfully adventurous!
#MTBoS12DaysEdutopia