Literacy Learning Zone

Run happy I'm not a runner. Well, that's what I tell myself anyway. My girls were signed up to participate in Girls on the Run (GOTR) through their school. It is a wonderful program that promotes girl empowerment by teaching life skills through lessons and running. The goal is to run a 5K and celebrate their accomplishments. Both the girls' dad and I agreed to be their running buddies. So we all had some work to do to be ready. Then the world stopped. We decided to train at home during this stay-at-home order. We had the time. We had places to run. The fresh air was good. No excuses. Maybe a few grumbles. As a family, we ran. Sometimes a mile. Sometimes a mile and a half. Sometimes two. It wasn't ever easy. Or fun. What mattered was that we did it together and the running made a difference (more for us than them). We ran in the morning, sometimes lunchtime, or after all our school work was done. We ran in the cold, the rain, and the sun all through the e...

Slice of Life Stories hosted by the  Two Writing Teachers Running makes me tired and sweaty!  Running makes me sore! Running makes me hate running!   It was the usual summer day in Chicago on Saturday.  Sunny and hot.  We were ready, waiting at the starting line. This was my second year participating in Girls on the Run .  I was a running buddy for a fifth grade student.  It's an amazing program that empowers girls to believe in themselves, develop self-respect and be healthy.  The girls met for 12 weeks learning about physical as well as emotional, mental and character development and trained for a 5K. Me?  I did nothing.  Zero, zip, zilch. (Bad idea.) Six thousand (yes, 6000!) girls ...

I did it.  We did it.  It was as much about me as it was about them.  I mean, I only started running six weeks ago.  And I'm not a runner. It may have been Elizabeth sharing her Run Like a Mother attitude .  It may have been my husband encouraging me to push a little farther every time we ran together.   More than likely, it was signing up to be a running buddy for a fifth grader for a 5K in Chicago.  I had to think I could be a runner. I talked with my running buddy a few weeks ago.  So, are you a runner?   Yes.   Are you a fast runner?   Yes.   Promise you'll help me out?   Yes.  (Giggle.)  Our school participates in a powerful program with our fifth grade girls.   Girls on the Run  encourages girls to take control of their health and body and builds self-confidence and self-respect through running.  Girls on the Run culminates at the end of the school year with the girls run...