Sunday, March 1, 2015

30 More Days (Slice #1 - Phobias)

Phobias.  Fears so real, so intense, that when confronted with one a person may feel dizzy, nauseous, or even pray for death.  I am confident I have a legitimate phobia.  Mine is not just the average heart-racing, palm-sweating, lunch-losing kind of phobia.  No, my phobia is the real deal – the get-on-your-knees-and-pray-for-salvation kind of fear.  So, as any normal person would do, I have searched the Internet for validation.  

Psychology.about.com lists the top ten phobias as follows:

   Phobia 1:  Arachnophobia  – the fear of spiders
   Phobia 2:  Ophidiophobia – the fear of snakes
   Phobia 3:  Acrophobia – the fear of heights
   Phobia 4:  Agoraphobia – the fear of situations in which escape is difficult
   Phobia 5:  Cynophobia – the fear of dogs
   Phobia 6:  Astraphobia – the fear of thunder and lightening
   Phobia 7:  Trypanophobia – the fear of injections
   Phobia 8:  Social Phobias – the fear of social situations
   Phobia 9:  Pteromerhanophobia – the fear of flying
   Phobia 10:  Mysophobia – the fear of germs and dirt

While I can appreciate the many fears listed, it is difficult for me to rationalize why my phobia did not make the cut.  Surely others must share this fear!  This horrendous monster may not be a spider, snake, or nasty germ.  It is worse…writing! 

Oh yes, laugh if you will, but this is no joking matter!  Please understand, I am of a math mind.  I thrive in a universe of rules, formulas, procedures, and discipline.  In my world, the paths are smooth and straight, the directions clear, and the end results predefined.  However, when asked to write creatively, the walls of the universe tumble down around me.  The paths become twisted and rocky, the directions are suddenly in a language I do not comprehend, and worst of all, it is possible that nothing exists at the end.  This is more uncertainty than I can endure! 


I have devised numerous plans of escape, but all have failed.  Here I am, writing.  Although my brow is still furrowed and damp, the praying-for-death moments have subsided.  I made promises to my students that I would try, and only for that reason do my fingers still grace this keyboard.  Maybe by the end of the journey I will arrive at a place of ease with this phobia of mine, but for now all I see is thirty more days of sheer terror as I traverse an unfamiliar road in a foreign land. 

65 comments:

  1. Mrs. Smith, I love the honesty of your post, and I really loved the list! That was a super-creative idea! I appreciate what you're doing even more now that I understand how much you truly fear blogging. I can relate in this way: if you challenged me to do an online math problem every day for a month, I would be sick. Just sick. Your students and I are so glad you're taking this journey with us! It's going to be more fun than you think. And, by the way, you're a wonderful writer!!! :)

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    1. Miss Collins, I appreciate your positive feedback. Also, I absolutely LOVE the idea of you doing math every day for one month! Here is your first problem (we'll start easy):
      Find the area of a parallelogram with a base of 5 units and height of 7 units. Remember to show your work and include a label on your answer!

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  2. Okay, here goes, Mrs. Smith. I'm going to give it my best shot every day, and if the kids can help me fix my mistakes, that'd be great! I promise not to google.

    A=B*H
    A=5 units*7 units
    A=35 units

    The area of the parallelogram is 35 units....I think. ;)

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    1. Almost perfect, Miss Collins! Students...can you (politely) identify the 2 mistakes I see?

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    2. You did not put units square on your answer.

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    3. You did not put units square on your answer.

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  3. I don't think you have given yourself enough credit as a writer, Mrs. Smith! Your writing was creative and funny. I can't wait to read more! And, for the record, I think having Miss Collins do a math problem each day for the next month is a fantastic idea!

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    1. Thank you so much. This is certainly going to be a challenge for me!

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  4. I don't think you have given yourself enough credit as a writer, Mrs. Smith! Your writing was creative and funny. I can't wait to read more! And, for the record, I think having Miss Collins do a math problem each day for the next month is a fantastic idea!

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  5. Mrs. Smith, You are an amazing writer! You are very descriptive and you have a lot of detail. You can get through these 30 days! Your spectacular!

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  6. I really liked you writing. I know you can do this. I cant wait to read your next blog.

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  7. I love your first slice. I really liked that you list some of the phobias.

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  8. I really liked you writing. I know you can do this. I cant wait to read your next blog.

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  9. I liked the expression that u gave to your story.

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  10. hang in there miss smith only twenty nine blogs left. just remember this pizza at the end of this.

    p.s. I really liked how you listed all those fears and the way you expressed your "fear" of writing.

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  11. hang in there miss smith only twenty nine blogs left. just remember this pizza at the end of this.

    p.s. I really liked how you listed all those fears and the way you expressed your "fear" of writing.

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  12. well if she is trying to find the area you can not capitalize the b or the h

    also 35 units square Mrs.collins ;)

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  13. well if she is trying to find the area you can not capitalize the b or the h

    also 35 units square Mrs.collins ;)

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  14. good post Mrs. Smith. Those words are really hard to say. I managed though. But most of all your a great writer.

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  15. You could be a Comm Arts teacher if you wanted to! That was really enjoyable. I liked how you gave all of the definitions for the seperate Phobias.

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    1. Haha! I think the only thing worse for me than writing would be trying to teach someone how to do it! Thanks for the encouragement, though! ;)

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  16. You are great at writing! I really liked how you told about your phobia of writing in great detail.

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  17. You are great at writing! I really liked how you told about your phobia of writing in great detail.

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  18. I really like it a lot I like how you added description writing.I think you did good on your first slice of life.

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  19. Your great at writing! Don't say you are not because you are awesome at describing things!

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  20. Remember, if you can talk, you can write. And we all know you can talk mighty fine! Looking forward to reading your writing...no pressure. Hugs!!!

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  21. You are always really good at math test and math study guides and math homework.

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  22. You are always really good at math test and math study guides and math homework.

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  23. Thank you for blogging about your phobia, it is great that you can come out and say that it's your fear even if it is quite an odd fear.

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  24. Good job Mrs.Smith you have some hard words. But I got through it. Keep writing your good at it.

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  25. Good job Mrs.Smith you have some hard words. But I got through it. Keep writing your good at it.

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  26. I silently laughed when you told me your phobia. My phobia would be Cynophobia. It always has been. I liked your 1st blog. I cannot wait to read your next one. Maybe you can read mine. Because I am doing it!

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  27. I like the way you spoke in this article, and how you showed us in a creative way that you don't enjoy writing. I just don't understand why someone so good at writing doesn't enjoy it.

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    1. I cannot think of a higher complement from such an excellent writer. Thank you, Cody. That means the world to me!

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  28. I like the way you spoke in this article, and how you showed us in a creative way that you don't enjoy writing. I just don't understand why someone so good at writing doesn't enjoy it.

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  29. I was not good at English almost as your skill write in 4th to 5th but I was very good at math for about 5th to today. Ha! I'm deaf I only knows ASL well not much English hmm. Science is my favitore as you know. RULE MATH!!!

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  30. I was not good at English almost as your skill write in 4th to 5th but I was very good at math for about 5th to today. Ha! I'm deaf I only knows ASL well not much English hmm. Science is my favitore as you know. RULE MATH!!!

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  31. I like how you told us all the fears there can be! My fear would be snakes! I can not stand snakes, they can strangle you!!! I can't wait to read your next blog. I really liked this one!

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  32. I like how you told us all the fears there can be! My fear would be snakes! I can not stand snakes, they can strangle you!!! I can't wait to read your next blog. I really liked this one!

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  33. I liked it a lot. I thought it was really cool how you added the phobia list and I am writing a book about fear so this helps.

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  34. I liked your writing and how you listed different phobia's. My fear would be ghosts. Because you don't know were they are unless you can see them. I am very excited to read your next one, because this one was just awesome.

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  35. Mrs. Smith I love this writing it is so informative I have many fears to but the weirdest one is I have a fear of small dogs I don't know but I love all big dogs so that's pretty weird so I hope you read my comment and laugh because my fear is really funny and thank you for sharing this information with me have a great day and don't meet any spiders on your path. ;)

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    1. Someone online posted that the fear of small dogs should be called "microcynophobia." Ha! Thought I would share! No phobia is strange in my book!

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  36. I loved how much detail and my fear is all bugs and yes even ladybugs. I mean come on they have spots and they fly and its just creepy. Have a great day.

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  37. I like how you were very descriptive. I hope you overcome your phobia of writing during this challenge. GOOD LUCK Mrs. Smith.

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  38. I like how you were very descriptive. I hope you overcome your phobia of writing during this challenge. GOOD LUCK Mrs. Smith.

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  39. Mrs.smith I can get scared of writing sometimes to but not as bad as you

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  40. Mrs.Smith, this made me laugh SO much. I agree, I really have a writing phobia too. I love this so much. I'm so glad your doing this!

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  41. Dear Mrs.Smith I sometimes share this fear but don't worry just set your fingers on the key board and let them go we all support you in this give it your best shot in a way writing is a formula.

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  42. Mrs.smith I can get scared of writing sometimes to but not as bad as you

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  43. Dear Mrs.Smith I sometimes share this fear but don't worry just set your fingers on the key board and let them go we all support you in this give it your best shot in a way writing is a formula.

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  44. Honestly, you don't need to be afraid of writing because this slice was awesome, and because in the slice you said I could, I laughed. I mean, I really laughed. Like, hold the gut and keep smirking through out the whole thing. Mainly because of how you worded everything and twisted humor into it at just about every sentence. I really can't wait to read you next slice.

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  45. Honestly, you don't need to be afraid of writing because this slice was awesome, and because in the slice you said I could, I laughed. I mean, I really laughed. Like, hold the gut and keep smirking through out the whole thing. Mainly because of how you worded everything and twisted humor into it at just about every sentence. I really can't wait to read you next slice.

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  46. Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement today! I 100%, hands-down have the BEST students and teacher-friends in the whole world! Keep writing, kiddos! You are amazing!

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  47. Thanks for your compliment! Yours if good for your first slice of life!

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  48. Thanks for your compliment! Yours if good for your first slice of life!

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  49. I love your writing you could be a journalist.

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  50. Those phobias were awesome!!!

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  51. Those phobias were awesome!!!

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