T.D. Flenaugh: this is the summertime, and we're thinking about projects because one thing about falling for learning, we're gonna talk about how to help your kids fall in love with learning, how to make sure they stay on track. But we also walk that talk. We're also about doing projects to help enhance our lives, help us to learn.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah. My dog is scratching up my pants. I'm sorry. I'm a little distracted. I have like a hole in my
T.D. Flenaugh: Thank you. We're gonna keep it all in the podcast. Everybody should know. She has a dog that is scratching her up. And this is what this pod, and this is what this podcast is all about. Navigating the ups and downs. If it's your dog, if it's your kid, if it's your job, like we're navigating that. We're gonna show you what to do. Tell us what you're doing. Tell us, tell us how you're processing this.
Lauren Moseley: Sorry. Catch me, pick me up, pick me up. Yes. This is my favorite. This is my favorite. Because this is my favorite one and done outfit. Is my favorite one. And now I have a little hole in it where my dog's caused and caught in there. That's okay. It's okay. It's just gonna have she's gonna have consequences for sure. For sure. Yeah.
T.D. Flenaugh: Shoot. Is the doc gonna have consequences or you don't give this doc? Okay, can you tell us what those are or not on camera?
Lauren Moseley: I don't want anybody to call the Humane Society on me right now. I would put her out, but then she would just be scratching on the door and whining and loud, so
T.D. Flenaugh: So more damage on the door. Okay. All right.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah. Yeah. We'll be fine. I'll just it's just giving me an excuse to go shopping, it's fine.
T.D. Flenaugh: I love that. I love that bright side, right? Shopping time. Speaking of shopping,
Lauren Moseley: Yeah.
T.D. Flenaugh: this is the summertime, and we're thinking about projects because one thing about falling for learning, we're gonna talk about how to help your kids fall in love with learning, how to make sure they stay on track. But we also walk that talk. We're also about doing projects to help enhance our lives, help us to learn.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah.
T.D. Flenaugh: Right. And one of the things, you know, we're both educators. How do we renew ourselves? Right. Because a lot's happening. And it's easy. it's easy to to get overwhelmed and to get burned out and all the things. So projects today, you do not want to miss this episode because we're going to be talking about how to get your kid going with all the projects, fun learning, integrated into your regular everyday lives. Okay, so Lauren, we're gonna start with you. We know that your dog has just scratched up your clothing. And
Lauren Moseley: Yes. So I'm gonna learn how to sew. I'm gonna go get some fabric. I'm gonna go get some patterns off of Etsy and I'm gonna teach myself how to make an outfit. No, probably not, but but I do think about things that I've put off throughout the year because I'm teaching and I just come home and I'm like, you know, I wanna have some downtime, but I always have like these creative
T.D. Flenaugh: Ooh, really? Okay, okay. What are you actually gonna do? What do you Mm-hmm.
Lauren Moseley: Projects that I would like to get them, you know, do. I I would like to learn how to sew and make clothes and things like that. Or actually was talking to my mother about that when she was in school, they made all of their dresses before they went out on a Friday night. They would buy the material throughout the week and they would work on it so that by Friday after class, they would have a brand new dress to wear to the sock hop or wherever they were going.
T.D. Flenaugh: I love. my gosh, that is so nice. And be but it's so similar, right? Because people will shop all week for a pla you know, for something. But that's that's I love that. I love that. projects.
Lauren Moseley: So I I do have a project that I do want to share with you that I've been working on. So I have a relationship with one of my dad's old friends who kept his horse and on our property for many, many years. and as he's gotten older, it's just been increasingly harder for him to care for this horse. So we've been talking back and forth all year about her name is Ellie Mae, about Ellie May's care. And he just recently said, Hey, you know.
T.D. Flenaugh: Okay. Mm-hmm.
Lauren Moseley: I think, you know, you take care of dogs, you train dogs, you rescue dogs. I think you could work a miracle with this horse. I know nothing about horses. So part of my learning has been really going down this rabbit hole of, you know, how to care for a horse. And not only care for a horse, but what are the, you know, not just about the diet, but you know, how do you, how do you Know if a horse is healthy. looking at the the structure that the horse is living in, like, is this an adequate structure? If there's something that this horse needs in order to have its food and its water, and do I put out all the food at one time? Like all the different things about horses that I have to learn now. And it's actually been really fun. because it's forcing me to go outside. I'm outside more, I'm enjoying the sun. so this has become my summer project. And I've been working with contractors, looking at the barn, learning a lot about just kind of, you know, a little bit of engineering going on, because we have some places in the barn that get a little flooded when it rains, and about, you know. way that the yard is sloping and what we can do to kind of offset the the water, you know, kind of redirecting the water into other places by digging like little trenches, like all of these things that I'm learning. meeting a lot of people who actually have horses and who have stables and hearing their stories about how they came to be owners of horses because it's not something that you just should do casually. very expensive hobby. but I am also looking at perhaps creating a a horse stall rental situation where people who need a place to store their horse for the day. We have lots of rodeos and and things of that nature here in Texas. So a lot of people have horses and might might have a need for a place to store a horse during the day while they're Doing other things. So, you know, playing around with a lot of business, little business ideas, thinking about a summer program for kids, maybe teaching kids how to ride. I would not be doing that, but hosting it, maybe even working with some high schools, working with their FFA, their future farmers of America programs. yeah, just lots of things. And and and it's exciting, it's invigorating, it's something new, it's challenging. like I said, it's keeping me outside and yeah so that's my project that I'm working on.
T.D. Flenaugh: I am going out of town tomorrow. I am going to do a week-long poetry professional development with the a fellowship with the Poetry Foundation. So I'm excited. I heard about it in March when I was at a conference and I I applied right then. I was like
Lauren Moseley: Yeah.
T.D. Flenaugh: I wanna do this week long poetry thing. I mean, you know, I have to get my own accommodations and flight and everything, but I wanted to be there like yeah. Because it's gonna be in Chicago. Chicago. So I'll be
Lauren Moseley: Yeah. And tell us where it's gonna be. And specifically where in Chicago?
T.D. Flenaugh: Well, well I have well no no no I think you're getting my other event you don't have another event in Chicago the following week. So I have the Obama Presidential Center event coming up. We're still taking donations, so the link will be in the show notes for that.
Lauren Moseley: that's the other one. That's right. Okay. Never mind.
T.D. Flenaugh: So, yeah, excited. so there's so many projects that we have going on, but I am gonna be a learner in the Poetry Foundation fellowship for the next week I think by the time this airs, maybe I already have finished that week, but I will definitely come back and give you guys some updates and some learnings. Yes, I'm gonna put the link in the show notes if you can apply. I had to keep it on hush so no one else could apply with me this year. No display.
Lauren Moseley: Not wait. I'll make up next year. Gatekeeping.
T.D. Flenaugh: So yeah, I mean the one thing about projects is what I really stress for teachers and teachers and parents, right? It's hard for us to think, but be selfish sometimes, right? Like what do you want to do? I know a lot of times professional development becomes a dirty word because a lot of things are called professional development.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah. Yeah.
T.D. Flenaugh: Like we may have this hour after school or something, and it's like a mandate that you better get this done. You have until this date to get it done. And it it is not something that we're interested in. It's not something that we want to do. And a lot of times we have all these other things. I have grades do. I have this do. I have a parent I have to call back. I have all these things I have to do, but I have to do this thing. And so professional development becomes a really dirty word. And I always say, you know, do some self-selected professional development. Do some professional development that is just selfish. This is what I'm interested in doing. This is something I have a curiosity about. No one's making me do it. and I know that some people are like, well now that I have I'm out of school, I'm just gonna do, you know, just travel and just do things. And that's fine. I I'm all for that. Like just do things maybe not connect it with your schooling, your your work at all.
Lauren Moseley: Right.
T.D. Flenaugh: But as you're thinking about your development and you self-reflect, and if you feel like you need some more things, do something that is very selfish, that's gonna be just fun, that's gonna be some playful for you. and I'm gonna be developing myself as a poet, and I'm going to be also picking up lessons that I could teach my students. And my journey as a writer has definitely enhanced my writing teaching, my writing instruction, right? So just, you know, be selfish. Be selfish.
Lauren Moseley: And also along with that, like I'm doing a project that really has nothing to do with the classroom. And it wasn't even a project that I had planned, but I have developed this like interest and like I really want to know like how how how am I going to build this structure and you know about horses and animals and what they eat and like I'm just really going down a rabbit hole. But I think just the fact that it's bringing me so much joy and it's been so much fun. And I spend I spend
T.D. Flenaugh: Yeah. Yeah.
Lauren Moseley: quality time outside, like moving my body and in the fresh air and smelling the hay, things that I'm not used to doing. I'm like shoveling manure. I never shoveled manure before in my life, but I am enjoying it. And looking at all videos about what you can do with manure and how it's great fertilizer. You can make a compost. I'm just like, my gosh, I'm sitting on the little gold mine of fertilizer right here. But I just think the fact that I'm gonna
T.D. Flenaugh: Ha ha K
Lauren Moseley: Enjoy the summer and have learned something, my brain is going to grow. Like I'll tell my kids, when you learn something new, your brain grows. My brain is going to be humongous when I go back to the classroom, and that's going to be good for my kids because I'm going to be in a place of having enjoyed my summer, having learned something. I am excited about learning. So I just think the enthusiasm of going back into the classroom to do, you know, what we are.
T.D. Flenaugh: Yes.
Lauren Moseley: called to do and it's a passion, but it's also very hard work and it can be very draining. my my cup is filled up so I have actually something to pour from when school starts. And hey we do have an animal unit. So I might be bringing in my flaws and my horse. You never know. There you go. There you go. Right? I might do, I mean I had a
T.D. Flenaugh: Yes. Yes. Bringing your horse in the classroom. I hear what you're saying. Show and tell, you know, making room for the horse in the classroom.
Lauren Moseley: Cowboy theme last year, maybe I might expand it to the ranch or something like that.
T.D. Flenaugh: okay. Have you ever watched this Netflix documentary caught High on the Horse?
Lauren Moseley: No. Do I need to write that down?
T.D. Flenaugh: Check it out. Yes, it talks about the history of cowboys. Yeah, I mean, one thing about it, so this is what blew my mind because they were like cowboys were always black. Because they said nobody was called a boy. No man was called a boy except for black men. So they said, so cowboys were always black. but of course, Hollywood turned them into white people. but so take a look at that documentary. Again, I'll put that in the show notes.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah. Hmm. Hmm. Mm.
T.D. Flenaugh: High on the horse, Netflix, yes. yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a nice, it's so like so eye-opening, like so so much stuff that we didn't know about. And again, that selfish stuff because teaching is life, right? Teaching involves so much of life where even though it might be selfish, I will I often find the things that I need that I went out and searched for or had an adventure with is something that I could have something.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah, okay. I love it. Mm-hmm.
T.D. Flenaugh: Something remains that I could like take back to the classroom, offer to my students. And if nothing else, it gave me a break. And so that I am able to be more objective and I'm able to be more objective. I'm able to be more patient, right? Sometimes we find ourselves snapping at our kids, like not being as patient, getting more stressed out. And it's because we need a break. And it's not because our kids are being worse than they were before.
Lauren Moseley: Right. Yeah. Yeah. We're tired. But
T.D. Flenaugh: It's just that you do not have a break. There, the kid is doing the things that they always do. Right. So parents, yes.
Lauren Moseley: This is what they do. First graders do. They they yell and get out of their seat and they talk and they spill
T.D. Flenaugh: Yes. Yes.
Lauren Moseley: stuff. This is what first graders do. Yes. know, my
T.D. Flenaugh: can clear our heads, our minds. We could get a new, a new valve of patience, right? You know, when people are like, I'm up to here.
Lauren Moseley: I'm just gonna
T.D. Flenaugh: Clear that out with a with a break and be ready for patience. again. Have a new reservoir of patience for our kids.
Lauren Moseley: Mm.
T.D. Flenaugh: we need to make, clear the air with a break. and being selfish is so important. There's so many times we cannot be. wait, are you rewarding bad behavior? Is this the dog that scratched you up? Okay.
Lauren Moseley: You know what? Yes, I am. I I just did the thing I said I wasn't gonna do. I like, I'm not gonna pick you up but she's making a hole.
T.D. Flenaugh: Parents and educators do not reward bad behavior. This is what Lauren's doing.
Lauren Moseley: But she's so cute. It wasn't bad behavior. She just wanted her mommy. She was just like, Mommy, please pick me up. It was this needy behavior.
T.D. Flenaugh: Okay, not bad behavior. Okay. Needy behavior. No problem. I mean, I'm I'm not here to judge. I'm here to listen, but I'm not gonna judge. I'm here to listen.
Lauren Moseley: She was feeling neglected. My child was neglected.
T.D. Flenaugh: Ha ha All right. So you're doing the horses. you know what other a thing I'm working on? Okay, let me tell you guys. You know, I was in the writing project. I am still part of the writing project, but one of the things we talk about, like we used to do this writer's anonymous, but we would meet once a month and then we would we would start with it like writers anonymous, alcoholic anonymous, whatever, we'd be like, My name is Taisha and I'm a writer. And then we would share our work.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah.
T.D. Flenaugh: We never apologize for our work. We just read it because of course, you know, writing sometimes it's gonna be crap, it's gonna be a rough draft, it's just gonna be a stream of consciousness, like what's taking up my mind right now. With that, we're thinking about writing that writing is art, right? Writing is an expression of ourselves. And so as a artist, right, as a writer, as an artist, I have been using this the artist way.
Lauren Moseley: Mm-hmm.
T.D. Flenaugh: this is by Julia Cameron, and it really is about re renewing yourself as an artist. And it's a method for you know, untapping, unlocking all of these creative things that we have going on. As parents and educators, I do really want to say that it is very important, and I have a salary point class that I'm gonna be offering coming up that's based on.
Lauren Moseley: I don't know.
T.D. Flenaugh: Unlocking your creativity and using that as a new reservoir for healing yourself, right? We have a lot of things that we have to get through. I've I recently had some deaths in my family. I don't even want to talk about them. but you know, it's a way of us embracing the things that we need. Renewing ourselves, leaning into ourselves as artists and creative people, so that we can fulfill our teaching career, fulfill whatever it is that we are supposed to be doing in this world, which you know, as I have people that I love and care about and family members pass away, it reminds me I we don't have forever, right? and doing what a lot of times we have these creative works, like my book, follow the book I have my novel that I released earlier this year, Little Mobile Home on the Tundra. It was like a soul project, like a creative project that I had kept putting off for years and finally decided to get it finished after you know one of my family members passed away suddenly from an aneurysm. And I I just am now just more embracing this idea of myself being a creative person. And putting my creative projects first, not putting them aside. And in centering those creative projects, I am also renewing myself. I am also healing myself and making myself more of a full, complete, developed person so that I can pour into other people. Because we always, as parents, as educators, are always pouring into others. And so we need to be really sensitive about that for ourselves. and nurture that creative side of ourselves so that we can do the things that we want to do and pour into others and the people we love.
Lauren Moseley: Absolutely. Absolutely. And like you said earlier, how important that is for us to do that work so that when we're engaging with our students and parents, this goes for you know families as well. We can model for our kids that having projects and having interest and having things that inspire us and being creative is a part of the human experience. You know, that is what makes us different from
T.D. Flenaugh: Yes, my goodness, yes.
Lauren Moseley: any other species on the on the planet is that there's a part of us that that is, you know, we're built for creation. So all of the things that I'm doing this summer, that, you know, some of it has to do with, you know, little little, very little this summer has to do with actual classroom, my classroom endeavors. It's mostly, hey, I just needed to do something that felt good to me. And I am gaining so many other kinds of interest now, interest that I didn't even know that I had. You know, I had a little interest in gardening, but it's even, you know, more so now that I'm I'm looking at all of these different ways that I can utilize this horse manure. But you know, I I'm thinking about my goddaughter and
T.D. Flenaugh: Ha ha ha.
Lauren Moseley: you know, she's off for the summer and she's big into dance and she loves to dance and I'm just thinking about like, wow, that's a very physical thing. I wonder if she would get into horseback riding. I wonder if that's something that I could engage her in and like, ooh, Seiji, let's try something different this summer. 'cause I'm learning about, you know, that's what I'm learning about. So I want to share that with her and and see what interest that might spark in her.
T.D. Flenaugh: Yes. Mm. Yeah.
Lauren Moseley: And who knows? I I've been looking at so many women that own horses because I'm looking at you know women, horse owners, communities of horse owners, and I'm thinking like I need to find women like myself that have horses and they're out there. And I don't know if I have too many little kids in my class, any girls, especially who ever thought of themselves as growing up and you know, having a ranch or being a cowgirl or you know. having large animals, you know, to take care of. But it's it's inspiring to see that because of this little project that I took on that I I was blessed with, that so many different things are pouring out of me that I feel like they're gonna be useful to my, you know, to my students, to my, you know, my little family. I even had my cousin out here a couple of weeks ago, you know, trying to recruit him to helped me haul some stuff out of the out of our out of our shed. And yeah, he he didn't like it. But he didn't come back. So that's not his thing. But you know, just even to have my family, you know, come over and they're like, Lauren, what what you doing with the with the horse back there? And I'm like, well let me show you. so it's just been fun and it it is
T.D. Flenaugh: Ha
Lauren Moseley: Creating this space in my brain for like, what else is possible? I never thought I would be doing this, but what else is possible? And that's what that's what I want my kids, that's what I want from my students. I want them to be kids that think big. Like, what else can I be doing? You know? Reading books takes you to so many different places. What what could I be? What who where could I go if I could just pick up a book and
T.D. Flenaugh: Yeah. Yes.
Lauren Moseley: read it fluently. You know, things like that inspire me. Cause I'm that's what I gotta do. I'm reading all kind of things that I never thought I'd be reading right now. Just to get my my mind prepared. And also getting on a really good I mean I'm on I I'm on summer break, so I can get up when I want to and go out there and do horse duties or whatever. But when school starts Ma'am, that's gonna be a whole nother story. That's gonna be,
T.D. Flenaugh: Yeah, I'm so glad you brought this up because that's one of the things that we have to keep thinking about is what really brings forth the full development of our children. We're talking about getting them on track for success, presenting to them all the different ways in which
Lauren Moseley: I don't know what that's gonna look like. But hopefully I will have recruited some support by then.
T.D. Flenaugh: they can grow and develop, and opening them up for possibilities that they would not usually have. anyways, guys, the benefits of horses and how it might relate to your child out there.
Lauren Moseley: So I think I have been, you know, just a on my algorithm, lots of things were coming up with horses in terms of them being therapeutic for for you know students or kids who have autism or just as a way to help kids with rehab, whether it's through trauma, like there are a lot of therapy horses where horseback riding is a form of therapy. And I d I never knew that. So it's even giving me that perspective of like, wow, this horse could be more than just, you know, something that eats all day and that I have to clean up after that you know there might be some other educational practical uses for having a horse. I've never had a horse before, but it's it's opening up my my imagination and my algorithm is feeding me all of these ideas and all these things. The good part
T.D. Flenaugh: He
Lauren Moseley: The this is the good thing about what the internet is is gift us with is just being able to connect to so many other people that are doing things that might be similar to where I am right now in this journey, or people who are ahead of me that I'm learning from. And yeah, I just I'm excited more than anything. I just like, I'm like, I can't wait to to get back out there and see what my horses do. I am.
T.D. Flenaugh: Yeah. Yeah.
Lauren Moseley: I'm worried about what's gonna happen when school starts because you know when school starts, that's a whole different kind of tired. So I'm hoping by then I will have a little bit more support and help, and maybe I can make it a a salary point class for teachers. They come out, they learn something. Yes, we can integrate it.
T.D. Flenaugh: Yeah, it's very true. That would be so amazing. my gosh. And you know what? I have coaches that help me with my podcast, my books, and everything. And they tell me that, you know, like when we have these creative projects that we do not do, someone out there is it needs it. Someone out there. you know, is something that they would really benefit from. And it's also kind of selfish for us to not to do it, right? Because we are preventing someone else from having the breakthrough that they need or the support that they need. Because we've decided not to do this thing that we were given. We were given the idea. We were given this gift and we're not sharing it the way we should be. And really you know, it's a little bit of selfishness.
Lauren Moseley: Mm.
T.D. Flenaugh: So the selfish could come in different ways, right? Really lean into yourself as a creative. And again, it could be something that opens up a whole new world or career for your child, or you, right? And just think in terms of who might need it. Cause like I said, the things that I need that I'm out there exploring or being, you know, really expressing myself, growing through, healing through is something that.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah. Yeah.
T.D. Flenaugh: often I find my students need, right? But also there could be other people out in the world that need it too, besides your kids. maybe someone else's child needs it. Maybe another teacher needs it. Maybe another homeschool parent needs it. So again, it'll help you feel more fulfilled overall. Of course you're going to be fulfilling it because it's you're not ignoring yourself. We really talked about being true to yourself, trusting your instincts following those things in a creative journey, right? Obviously if there's caution, we're not throwing we're not ignoring those those inside dialogue about what might be unsafe, even though we may not figure out why it's feeling unsafe. but just really just listening to that. The same thing with our creative voices. Like I I've been given this this project that I need to you know, I need to finish this book. I need to You know, whatever it is in your mind and you're ignoring it, it's something that's gonna be for you and not just yourself, but the world as well.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah. Very well said. Very
T.D. Flenaugh: Well, I really enjoy that you talking with you today, Ms. Mosley. And thank you, those of you out there who've tuned in to the Falling for Learning podcast. We're in season four. We're living, we're growing, we're learning, and do something today that's going to give your child the competitive advantage. Thank you so much.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah. My dog is scratching up my pants. I'm sorry. I'm a little distracted. I have like a hole in my
T.D. Flenaugh: Thank you. We're gonna keep it all in the podcast. Everybody should know. She has a dog that is scratching her up. And this is what this pod, and this is what this podcast is all about. Navigating the ups and downs. If it's your dog, if it's your kid, if it's your job, like we're navigating that. We're gonna show you what to do. Tell us what you're doing. Tell us, tell us how you're processing this.
Lauren Moseley: Sorry. Catch me, pick me up, pick me up. Yes. This is my favorite. This is my favorite. Because this is my favorite one and done outfit. Is my favorite one. And now I have a little hole in it where my dog's caused and caught in there. That's okay. It's okay. It's just gonna have she's gonna have consequences for sure. For sure. Yeah.
T.D. Flenaugh: Shoot. Is the doc gonna have consequences or you don't give this doc? Okay, can you tell us what those are or not on camera?
Lauren Moseley: I don't want anybody to call the Humane Society on me right now. I would put her out, but then she would just be scratching on the door and whining and loud, so
T.D. Flenaugh: So more damage on the door. Okay. All right.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah. Yeah. We'll be fine. I'll just it's just giving me an excuse to go shopping, it's fine.
T.D. Flenaugh: I love that. I love that bright side, right? Shopping time. Speaking of shopping,
Lauren Moseley: Yeah.
T.D. Flenaugh: this is the summertime, and we're thinking about projects because one thing about falling for learning, we're gonna talk about how to help your kids fall in love with learning, how to make sure they stay on track. But we also walk that talk. We're also about doing projects to help enhance our lives, help us to learn.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah.
T.D. Flenaugh: Right. And one of the things, you know, we're both educators. How do we renew ourselves? Right. Because a lot's happening. And it's easy. it's easy to to get overwhelmed and to get burned out and all the things. So projects today, you do not want to miss this episode because we're going to be talking about how to get your kid going with all the projects, fun learning, integrated into your regular everyday lives. Okay, so Lauren, we're gonna start with you. We know that your dog has just scratched up your clothing. And
Lauren Moseley: Yes. So I'm gonna learn how to sew. I'm gonna go get some fabric. I'm gonna go get some patterns off of Etsy and I'm gonna teach myself how to make an outfit. No, probably not, but but I do think about things that I've put off throughout the year because I'm teaching and I just come home and I'm like, you know, I wanna have some downtime, but I always have like these creative
T.D. Flenaugh: Ooh, really? Okay, okay. What are you actually gonna do? What do you Mm-hmm.
Lauren Moseley: Projects that I would like to get them, you know, do. I I would like to learn how to sew and make clothes and things like that. Or actually was talking to my mother about that when she was in school, they made all of their dresses before they went out on a Friday night. They would buy the material throughout the week and they would work on it so that by Friday after class, they would have a brand new dress to wear to the sock hop or wherever they were going.
T.D. Flenaugh: I love. my gosh, that is so nice. And be but it's so similar, right? Because people will shop all week for a pla you know, for something. But that's that's I love that. I love that. projects.
Lauren Moseley: So I I do have a project that I do want to share with you that I've been working on. So I have a relationship with one of my dad's old friends who kept his horse and on our property for many, many years. and as he's gotten older, it's just been increasingly harder for him to care for this horse. So we've been talking back and forth all year about her name is Ellie Mae, about Ellie May's care. And he just recently said, Hey, you know.
T.D. Flenaugh: Okay. Mm-hmm.
Lauren Moseley: I think, you know, you take care of dogs, you train dogs, you rescue dogs. I think you could work a miracle with this horse. I know nothing about horses. So part of my learning has been really going down this rabbit hole of, you know, how to care for a horse. And not only care for a horse, but what are the, you know, not just about the diet, but you know, how do you, how do you Know if a horse is healthy. looking at the the structure that the horse is living in, like, is this an adequate structure? If there's something that this horse needs in order to have its food and its water, and do I put out all the food at one time? Like all the different things about horses that I have to learn now. And it's actually been really fun. because it's forcing me to go outside. I'm outside more, I'm enjoying the sun. so this has become my summer project. And I've been working with contractors, looking at the barn, learning a lot about just kind of, you know, a little bit of engineering going on, because we have some places in the barn that get a little flooded when it rains, and about, you know. way that the yard is sloping and what we can do to kind of offset the the water, you know, kind of redirecting the water into other places by digging like little trenches, like all of these things that I'm learning. meeting a lot of people who actually have horses and who have stables and hearing their stories about how they came to be owners of horses because it's not something that you just should do casually. very expensive hobby. but I am also looking at perhaps creating a a horse stall rental situation where people who need a place to store their horse for the day. We have lots of rodeos and and things of that nature here in Texas. So a lot of people have horses and might might have a need for a place to store a horse during the day while they're Doing other things. So, you know, playing around with a lot of business, little business ideas, thinking about a summer program for kids, maybe teaching kids how to ride. I would not be doing that, but hosting it, maybe even working with some high schools, working with their FFA, their future farmers of America programs. yeah, just lots of things. And and and it's exciting, it's invigorating, it's something new, it's challenging. like I said, it's keeping me outside and yeah so that's my project that I'm working on.
T.D. Flenaugh: I am going out of town tomorrow. I am going to do a week-long poetry professional development with the a fellowship with the Poetry Foundation. So I'm excited. I heard about it in March when I was at a conference and I I applied right then. I was like
Lauren Moseley: Yeah.
T.D. Flenaugh: I wanna do this week long poetry thing. I mean, you know, I have to get my own accommodations and flight and everything, but I wanted to be there like yeah. Because it's gonna be in Chicago. Chicago. So I'll be
Lauren Moseley: Yeah. And tell us where it's gonna be. And specifically where in Chicago?
T.D. Flenaugh: Well, well I have well no no no I think you're getting my other event you don't have another event in Chicago the following week. So I have the Obama Presidential Center event coming up. We're still taking donations, so the link will be in the show notes for that.
Lauren Moseley: that's the other one. That's right. Okay. Never mind.
T.D. Flenaugh: So, yeah, excited. so there's so many projects that we have going on, but I am gonna be a learner in the Poetry Foundation fellowship for the next week I think by the time this airs, maybe I already have finished that week, but I will definitely come back and give you guys some updates and some learnings. Yes, I'm gonna put the link in the show notes if you can apply. I had to keep it on hush so no one else could apply with me this year. No display.
Lauren Moseley: Not wait. I'll make up next year. Gatekeeping.
T.D. Flenaugh: So yeah, I mean the one thing about projects is what I really stress for teachers and teachers and parents, right? It's hard for us to think, but be selfish sometimes, right? Like what do you want to do? I know a lot of times professional development becomes a dirty word because a lot of things are called professional development.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah. Yeah.
T.D. Flenaugh: Like we may have this hour after school or something, and it's like a mandate that you better get this done. You have until this date to get it done. And it it is not something that we're interested in. It's not something that we want to do. And a lot of times we have all these other things. I have grades do. I have this do. I have a parent I have to call back. I have all these things I have to do, but I have to do this thing. And so professional development becomes a really dirty word. And I always say, you know, do some self-selected professional development. Do some professional development that is just selfish. This is what I'm interested in doing. This is something I have a curiosity about. No one's making me do it. and I know that some people are like, well now that I have I'm out of school, I'm just gonna do, you know, just travel and just do things. And that's fine. I I'm all for that. Like just do things maybe not connect it with your schooling, your your work at all.
Lauren Moseley: Right.
T.D. Flenaugh: But as you're thinking about your development and you self-reflect, and if you feel like you need some more things, do something that is very selfish, that's gonna be just fun, that's gonna be some playful for you. and I'm gonna be developing myself as a poet, and I'm going to be also picking up lessons that I could teach my students. And my journey as a writer has definitely enhanced my writing teaching, my writing instruction, right? So just, you know, be selfish. Be selfish.
Lauren Moseley: And also along with that, like I'm doing a project that really has nothing to do with the classroom. And it wasn't even a project that I had planned, but I have developed this like interest and like I really want to know like how how how am I going to build this structure and you know about horses and animals and what they eat and like I'm just really going down a rabbit hole. But I think just the fact that it's bringing me so much joy and it's been so much fun. And I spend I spend
T.D. Flenaugh: Yeah. Yeah.
Lauren Moseley: quality time outside, like moving my body and in the fresh air and smelling the hay, things that I'm not used to doing. I'm like shoveling manure. I never shoveled manure before in my life, but I am enjoying it. And looking at all videos about what you can do with manure and how it's great fertilizer. You can make a compost. I'm just like, my gosh, I'm sitting on the little gold mine of fertilizer right here. But I just think the fact that I'm gonna
T.D. Flenaugh: Ha ha K
Lauren Moseley: Enjoy the summer and have learned something, my brain is going to grow. Like I'll tell my kids, when you learn something new, your brain grows. My brain is going to be humongous when I go back to the classroom, and that's going to be good for my kids because I'm going to be in a place of having enjoyed my summer, having learned something. I am excited about learning. So I just think the enthusiasm of going back into the classroom to do, you know, what we are.
T.D. Flenaugh: Yes.
Lauren Moseley: called to do and it's a passion, but it's also very hard work and it can be very draining. my my cup is filled up so I have actually something to pour from when school starts. And hey we do have an animal unit. So I might be bringing in my flaws and my horse. You never know. There you go. There you go. Right? I might do, I mean I had a
T.D. Flenaugh: Yes. Yes. Bringing your horse in the classroom. I hear what you're saying. Show and tell, you know, making room for the horse in the classroom.
Lauren Moseley: Cowboy theme last year, maybe I might expand it to the ranch or something like that.
T.D. Flenaugh: okay. Have you ever watched this Netflix documentary caught High on the Horse?
Lauren Moseley: No. Do I need to write that down?
T.D. Flenaugh: Check it out. Yes, it talks about the history of cowboys. Yeah, I mean, one thing about it, so this is what blew my mind because they were like cowboys were always black. Because they said nobody was called a boy. No man was called a boy except for black men. So they said, so cowboys were always black. but of course, Hollywood turned them into white people. but so take a look at that documentary. Again, I'll put that in the show notes.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah. Hmm. Hmm. Mm.
T.D. Flenaugh: High on the horse, Netflix, yes. yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a nice, it's so like so eye-opening, like so so much stuff that we didn't know about. And again, that selfish stuff because teaching is life, right? Teaching involves so much of life where even though it might be selfish, I will I often find the things that I need that I went out and searched for or had an adventure with is something that I could have something.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah, okay. I love it. Mm-hmm.
T.D. Flenaugh: Something remains that I could like take back to the classroom, offer to my students. And if nothing else, it gave me a break. And so that I am able to be more objective and I'm able to be more objective. I'm able to be more patient, right? Sometimes we find ourselves snapping at our kids, like not being as patient, getting more stressed out. And it's because we need a break. And it's not because our kids are being worse than they were before.
Lauren Moseley: Right. Yeah. Yeah. We're tired. But
T.D. Flenaugh: It's just that you do not have a break. There, the kid is doing the things that they always do. Right. So parents, yes.
Lauren Moseley: This is what they do. First graders do. They they yell and get out of their seat and they talk and they spill
T.D. Flenaugh: Yes. Yes.
Lauren Moseley: stuff. This is what first graders do. Yes. know, my
T.D. Flenaugh: can clear our heads, our minds. We could get a new, a new valve of patience, right? You know, when people are like, I'm up to here.
Lauren Moseley: I'm just gonna
T.D. Flenaugh: Clear that out with a with a break and be ready for patience. again. Have a new reservoir of patience for our kids.
Lauren Moseley: Mm.
T.D. Flenaugh: we need to make, clear the air with a break. and being selfish is so important. There's so many times we cannot be. wait, are you rewarding bad behavior? Is this the dog that scratched you up? Okay.
Lauren Moseley: You know what? Yes, I am. I I just did the thing I said I wasn't gonna do. I like, I'm not gonna pick you up but she's making a hole.
T.D. Flenaugh: Parents and educators do not reward bad behavior. This is what Lauren's doing.
Lauren Moseley: But she's so cute. It wasn't bad behavior. She just wanted her mommy. She was just like, Mommy, please pick me up. It was this needy behavior.
T.D. Flenaugh: Okay, not bad behavior. Okay. Needy behavior. No problem. I mean, I'm I'm not here to judge. I'm here to listen, but I'm not gonna judge. I'm here to listen.
Lauren Moseley: She was feeling neglected. My child was neglected.
T.D. Flenaugh: Ha ha All right. So you're doing the horses. you know what other a thing I'm working on? Okay, let me tell you guys. You know, I was in the writing project. I am still part of the writing project, but one of the things we talk about, like we used to do this writer's anonymous, but we would meet once a month and then we would we would start with it like writers anonymous, alcoholic anonymous, whatever, we'd be like, My name is Taisha and I'm a writer. And then we would share our work.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah.
T.D. Flenaugh: We never apologize for our work. We just read it because of course, you know, writing sometimes it's gonna be crap, it's gonna be a rough draft, it's just gonna be a stream of consciousness, like what's taking up my mind right now. With that, we're thinking about writing that writing is art, right? Writing is an expression of ourselves. And so as a artist, right, as a writer, as an artist, I have been using this the artist way.
Lauren Moseley: Mm-hmm.
T.D. Flenaugh: this is by Julia Cameron, and it really is about re renewing yourself as an artist. And it's a method for you know, untapping, unlocking all of these creative things that we have going on. As parents and educators, I do really want to say that it is very important, and I have a salary point class that I'm gonna be offering coming up that's based on.
Lauren Moseley: I don't know.
T.D. Flenaugh: Unlocking your creativity and using that as a new reservoir for healing yourself, right? We have a lot of things that we have to get through. I've I recently had some deaths in my family. I don't even want to talk about them. but you know, it's a way of us embracing the things that we need. Renewing ourselves, leaning into ourselves as artists and creative people, so that we can fulfill our teaching career, fulfill whatever it is that we are supposed to be doing in this world, which you know, as I have people that I love and care about and family members pass away, it reminds me I we don't have forever, right? and doing what a lot of times we have these creative works, like my book, follow the book I have my novel that I released earlier this year, Little Mobile Home on the Tundra. It was like a soul project, like a creative project that I had kept putting off for years and finally decided to get it finished after you know one of my family members passed away suddenly from an aneurysm. And I I just am now just more embracing this idea of myself being a creative person. And putting my creative projects first, not putting them aside. And in centering those creative projects, I am also renewing myself. I am also healing myself and making myself more of a full, complete, developed person so that I can pour into other people. Because we always, as parents, as educators, are always pouring into others. And so we need to be really sensitive about that for ourselves. and nurture that creative side of ourselves so that we can do the things that we want to do and pour into others and the people we love.
Lauren Moseley: Absolutely. Absolutely. And like you said earlier, how important that is for us to do that work so that when we're engaging with our students and parents, this goes for you know families as well. We can model for our kids that having projects and having interest and having things that inspire us and being creative is a part of the human experience. You know, that is what makes us different from
T.D. Flenaugh: Yes, my goodness, yes.
Lauren Moseley: any other species on the on the planet is that there's a part of us that that is, you know, we're built for creation. So all of the things that I'm doing this summer, that, you know, some of it has to do with, you know, little little, very little this summer has to do with actual classroom, my classroom endeavors. It's mostly, hey, I just needed to do something that felt good to me. And I am gaining so many other kinds of interest now, interest that I didn't even know that I had. You know, I had a little interest in gardening, but it's even, you know, more so now that I'm I'm looking at all of these different ways that I can utilize this horse manure. But you know, I I'm thinking about my goddaughter and
T.D. Flenaugh: Ha ha ha.
Lauren Moseley: you know, she's off for the summer and she's big into dance and she loves to dance and I'm just thinking about like, wow, that's a very physical thing. I wonder if she would get into horseback riding. I wonder if that's something that I could engage her in and like, ooh, Seiji, let's try something different this summer. 'cause I'm learning about, you know, that's what I'm learning about. So I want to share that with her and and see what interest that might spark in her.
T.D. Flenaugh: Yes. Mm. Yeah.
Lauren Moseley: And who knows? I I've been looking at so many women that own horses because I'm looking at you know women, horse owners, communities of horse owners, and I'm thinking like I need to find women like myself that have horses and they're out there. And I don't know if I have too many little kids in my class, any girls, especially who ever thought of themselves as growing up and you know, having a ranch or being a cowgirl or you know. having large animals, you know, to take care of. But it's it's inspiring to see that because of this little project that I took on that I I was blessed with, that so many different things are pouring out of me that I feel like they're gonna be useful to my, you know, to my students, to my, you know, my little family. I even had my cousin out here a couple of weeks ago, you know, trying to recruit him to helped me haul some stuff out of the out of our out of our shed. And yeah, he he didn't like it. But he didn't come back. So that's not his thing. But you know, just even to have my family, you know, come over and they're like, Lauren, what what you doing with the with the horse back there? And I'm like, well let me show you. so it's just been fun and it it is
T.D. Flenaugh: Ha
Lauren Moseley: Creating this space in my brain for like, what else is possible? I never thought I would be doing this, but what else is possible? And that's what that's what I want my kids, that's what I want from my students. I want them to be kids that think big. Like, what else can I be doing? You know? Reading books takes you to so many different places. What what could I be? What who where could I go if I could just pick up a book and
T.D. Flenaugh: Yeah. Yes.
Lauren Moseley: read it fluently. You know, things like that inspire me. Cause I'm that's what I gotta do. I'm reading all kind of things that I never thought I'd be reading right now. Just to get my my mind prepared. And also getting on a really good I mean I'm on I I'm on summer break, so I can get up when I want to and go out there and do horse duties or whatever. But when school starts Ma'am, that's gonna be a whole nother story. That's gonna be,
T.D. Flenaugh: Yeah, I'm so glad you brought this up because that's one of the things that we have to keep thinking about is what really brings forth the full development of our children. We're talking about getting them on track for success, presenting to them all the different ways in which
Lauren Moseley: I don't know what that's gonna look like. But hopefully I will have recruited some support by then.
T.D. Flenaugh: they can grow and develop, and opening them up for possibilities that they would not usually have. anyways, guys, the benefits of horses and how it might relate to your child out there.
Lauren Moseley: So I think I have been, you know, just a on my algorithm, lots of things were coming up with horses in terms of them being therapeutic for for you know students or kids who have autism or just as a way to help kids with rehab, whether it's through trauma, like there are a lot of therapy horses where horseback riding is a form of therapy. And I d I never knew that. So it's even giving me that perspective of like, wow, this horse could be more than just, you know, something that eats all day and that I have to clean up after that you know there might be some other educational practical uses for having a horse. I've never had a horse before, but it's it's opening up my my imagination and my algorithm is feeding me all of these ideas and all these things. The good part
T.D. Flenaugh: He
Lauren Moseley: The this is the good thing about what the internet is is gift us with is just being able to connect to so many other people that are doing things that might be similar to where I am right now in this journey, or people who are ahead of me that I'm learning from. And yeah, I just I'm excited more than anything. I just like, I'm like, I can't wait to to get back out there and see what my horses do. I am.
T.D. Flenaugh: Yeah. Yeah.
Lauren Moseley: I'm worried about what's gonna happen when school starts because you know when school starts, that's a whole different kind of tired. So I'm hoping by then I will have a little bit more support and help, and maybe I can make it a a salary point class for teachers. They come out, they learn something. Yes, we can integrate it.
T.D. Flenaugh: Yeah, it's very true. That would be so amazing. my gosh. And you know what? I have coaches that help me with my podcast, my books, and everything. And they tell me that, you know, like when we have these creative projects that we do not do, someone out there is it needs it. Someone out there. you know, is something that they would really benefit from. And it's also kind of selfish for us to not to do it, right? Because we are preventing someone else from having the breakthrough that they need or the support that they need. Because we've decided not to do this thing that we were given. We were given the idea. We were given this gift and we're not sharing it the way we should be. And really you know, it's a little bit of selfishness.
Lauren Moseley: Mm.
T.D. Flenaugh: So the selfish could come in different ways, right? Really lean into yourself as a creative. And again, it could be something that opens up a whole new world or career for your child, or you, right? And just think in terms of who might need it. Cause like I said, the things that I need that I'm out there exploring or being, you know, really expressing myself, growing through, healing through is something that.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah. Yeah.
T.D. Flenaugh: often I find my students need, right? But also there could be other people out in the world that need it too, besides your kids. maybe someone else's child needs it. Maybe another teacher needs it. Maybe another homeschool parent needs it. So again, it'll help you feel more fulfilled overall. Of course you're going to be fulfilling it because it's you're not ignoring yourself. We really talked about being true to yourself, trusting your instincts following those things in a creative journey, right? Obviously if there's caution, we're not throwing we're not ignoring those those inside dialogue about what might be unsafe, even though we may not figure out why it's feeling unsafe. but just really just listening to that. The same thing with our creative voices. Like I I've been given this this project that I need to you know, I need to finish this book. I need to You know, whatever it is in your mind and you're ignoring it, it's something that's gonna be for you and not just yourself, but the world as well.
Lauren Moseley: Yeah. Very well said. Very
T.D. Flenaugh: Well, I really enjoy that you talking with you today, Ms. Mosley. And thank you, those of you out there who've tuned in to the Falling for Learning podcast. We're in season four. We're living, we're growing, we're learning, and do something today that's going to give your child the competitive advantage. Thank you so much.
