Friday Faves a few hours late

I had a great week! Here's a few of my favorites, meant to be published on Friday to make the alliteration work, but coming live on Saturday morning :-)

1. Book Club Book
I finally have a great book club book after like five months of just ehhh books. We're reading The Nightengale and even thought it's just beginning, totally holding my interest. Holocaust story that flashes back and fourth between 1940 and present. Every chapter ending will have you staying for just one more!

2. Building Relationships at work
Few weeks ago in common plan, one teacher jokingly called me a buzzkill when I insisted we work to the #lastbell and finish up a rubric for book clubs. It's these little things - jokes with teachers who once were strangers and now are friends - that make my work as a coach so wonderful!

3. Yoga on friday night
Best Friday night ever? 6pm hot yoga, cool shower, and then reading myself to sleep as the rain comes down. In case you didn't know, I'm kinda introverted and after being with people all day, every day, I need quiet time to myself to unwind and recharge. Perfect way to do it!

4. Love Letters
Got a note from a friend at work and it reaffirmed why I do what I do to the Nth degree. In case you didn't know, besides being kind of introverted, I'm also a Words of Affirmation person, so a hand written letter or note is 100% the way to  my heart!

5. Friends who got my back
My best friends would lay down over hot coals and let me cross on their back if I asked. And then other times, they do things for me just because they care for me and know me so well. Thank you for being in my life when I need you, besties!

6. Laying down boundaries
Did you read my post the other day about boundaries? I wish I knew what I know now in my 20's, I would have been a totally different person. If you really want to care for yourself, let the people in your life know what is okay and what isn't. It's hard to do, but so worth it.

7. Writing Marathon
Took the bloggers to the park this week and we did a mini writing marathon, which involves writing for a short amount of time (10 minutes to begin) then a share, then increasing to 20 minutes, then a share, and then powering through a 30 minute writing session. The kids are awesome and have a few new stories to publish on their blogs this summer. Just love writing along side students - and my writing friends who are adults, too!

and I'll end with an awesome commencement address via spoken word poetry...

8. Harvard's Graduate School of Education Speech
I love this time of the year when great speeches get online and go viral because they are amazing writing. I hope one day, in my composition notebook or here on my blog, I'm able to weave such beautifully metaphoric writing into something so good it brings tears to the eyes of the people who read or listen to it. Enjoy this beautiful poetry! and thanks to my principal for Tweeting it to me!

Best part of your week? Please share!