brittanydstonestreet

Hope :: Why Bother?

Have you ever reached the point where you take a look at everything that’s happening (or not happening) in your life and wondered, “Why am I even trying? Why bother? It’s not like anything is going my way!”? I don’t know about you, but I’ve definitely been there. I’ve been right at the brink ofContinue reading “Hope :: Why Bother?”

Education :: Choosing a Setting

The first time a student writes a story in our classrooms, the setting is probably one of the last things they consider. Think back to many of the stories they read in Kindergarten through Second Grade as a class. Many of those stories – though great at teaching sharing and friendship and dealing with emotionsContinue reading “Education :: Choosing a Setting”

Hope :: Why Do Things Have to Change

Change is hard. Oftentimes, even if it’s a good thing, it’s hard and it most definitely hurts. It doesn’t necessarily physically hurt; that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about internal, mental, and emotional pain. Some of the best things in life bring certain pains: marriage (you now have someone else’s habits you haveContinue reading “Hope :: Why Do Things Have to Change”

Education :: Tips for Back in the Classroom

As we come in to November, if you haven’t gone back into the classroom yet, you will probably be heading back soon. And if you are, I’m sure you have a LOT of anxiety coming back into the classroom; especially with all of the guidelines you have to meet. Not only do you somehow haveContinue reading “Education :: Tips for Back in the Classroom”

Hope :: What IS Hope?

It’s a long post, but I hope you’ll stick it out to the end! 💙 So I’ve been naming these blog posts ‘Hope’ for many weeks now, but it only just occurred to me that I’ve never taken the time to actually explain what I believe hope is and how it works. So, my apologies!Continue reading “Hope :: What IS Hope?”

Education :: What is the Purpose of the Story?

When you’re playing many games, such as chess, you are playing with a specific purpose in mind. In chess, the purpose of the game is to take out the opposing player’s king. A game of Monopoly is over once someone has bankrupted everyone else. A game of tic-tac-toe is won when a player gets threeContinue reading “Education :: What is the Purpose of the Story?”

Hope :: The Silent Self

If you struggle with anxiety or depression, you know with full confidence that they are anything but silent. You know that often you are internally screaming and shouting for someone to notice… to say something… but they never do. That’s because anxiety and depression are your silent self. It’s the ‘you’ that hides beneath theContinue reading “Hope :: The Silent Self”

Education :: Why the “When” is so Important

Some images don’t make any sense, or have very little meaning, unless you know when they were taken. Imagine a woman dressed in rags, her face unsmiling, her hands empty. The caption reads, “The Great Depression: 1931” or “WWII Refugee: 1943” or “One woman’s salvation through the work of the ‘End It’ Movement: 2017”. NowContinue reading “Education :: Why the “When” is so Important”

Hope :: It Starts With One

One thought. One choice. One step. That’s all it takes to send your life soaring into the future or crashing down to the ground. Just one thought… choice… step… We blame the negative things in our lives on everyone else. And believe me, others DO have some parts of ruining our happiness and disrupting ourContinue reading “Hope :: It Starts With One”

Education :: Do My Students Like Me?

This is a question first time teachers worry about constantly. And as we more veteran teachers move on from year to year, this worry tends to fall off of what’s important to us. As we teachers get further into our career, we teach what we teach and it’s up to the students to actually doContinue reading “Education :: Do My Students Like Me?”