Joy Journal: What would you do if you found/given $10?

I recently attended a special education teacher's conference. It felt amazing to be considered a teacher (even though I'm a week away from graduation) and be taken seriously as a real professional. There were many great ideas and it was awesome to share the experience with some fellow peers and colleagues.

In one of the breakout sessions, we discussed how to encourage students to write. The speaker talked about how important it is for you to write if you want and expect your students to write. I would not consider myself a writer, but sometimes I like to think that I'm super creative and could write a book. Occasionally, I will journal and write a few blog posts but generally, I'm not the person mapping out stories and character developments while at a coffee shop!

I really loved one idea the speaker shared. She discussed how important it is for students, especially young ones, to practice writing without feeling any pressure by getting to write about whatever they want and not getting graded or checking for grammar and spelling. She said as little as five minutes a day can improve students' ability to write and become writers. They are encouraged to write about whatever as long as they get it down. She called it their Joy Journal and we were able to practice our own writing and got a few minutes to write in our own journal. Below is what I thought while we were there!

Joy Journal 

Have you ever found $10 in your coat pocket or an old card that you totally forgot about? There have definitely been times where I came across an extra $10 or get gifted $10 in a holiday card from an unsuspecting person. My first reaction is joy and then maybe some embarrassment from the childish reaction. I immediately want to go shop and spend it all! I think of where I could go and what I could want. There are normally two options for me. I could either go to the dollar section at Target to get several items and get the biggest bang for my buck of going or go buy a new outfit that's a little more expensive. Then there's always a silent third option like going and getting gas for m car or saving it in hopes of getting another $1 unsuspectingly but we don't need to talk about that option. 

I love the feeling of getting a random $10. It's like being a kid again and mom saying I get to pick out one thing from the store. I budget (or at least try to) and this is $10 I don't have to account for. I don't need to feel guilty for spending $10 I didn't already have. I can go get something and treat myself. Maybe I can get something I already had my eye on or maybe get a treat from Starbucks. Maybe it'll be the one time I really needed to fill up my tank of gas and wasn't sure where the money would come from. Most likely I would go buy a book that I would never spend full-price on or go to Goodwill and get a handful of books! The opportunities are endless!

My question for you is: What would you do if you found or were given $10? 

I hope to continue the practice of joy journaling through my blog. It is fun to switch gears for a moment and write something a little less serious and also give you more of a glimpse into what I am like. I don't always need to document my life and sometimes it is fun thinking and writing about something without fear of judgment. Join me in the practice of joy journaling or by giving me ideas on what to write next!