I’m writing this post with a stark-raving mad, enthusiastically positive review of the Rhodia Rhodiarama notebooks I just received. These books have me so excited to start planning the next school year. (Yes, I know this year isn’t over. Yes, I know I still have to write my reports. Don’t worry, it’ll happen.)
But my excitement about these books has led me down a surprisingly philosophical thought process that echoes the ongoing digital vs. analog debate. So, which of my personalities wins out? The blogger/social media enthusiast or the Waldorf teacher/handwriting perfectionist? Read on to find out.
Disclaimer: Upon review, this post seems like a shameless plug for notebooks I am being paid to endorse. Please know, I am HONESTLY this excited about these books (judge, if you will) and I am NOT being paid for this post in any way. The links are affiliate links that pay me a few pennies if you decide to purchase, but, honestly, these awesome notebooks provide me with way more satisfaction than those few pennies ever will.
Rhodia Rhodiarama Notebooks
I have recently made the somewhat expensive decision to make my teacher-prep materials count. It’s eating into my budget a bit, but I’m not having a difficult time rationalizing it. Here’s my thinking.
- Good supplies mean I will enjoy my work more. Imagine the following scenario — Sunday brunch has ended and it is time to make my lesson plan for the week. Rather than dreading the task, I relish the sensory experience of picking up my leather-bound notebook and smooth-writing fountain pen. I sit down with my musty-smelling library books, turn on some lovely classical piano and brew myself a cup of tea. This is not a scene from Jane Austen. This is my real 2016 experience.
- I am not one to question the value of technology. I would be absolutely lost without my Google Calendar. But, when it comes to preparing my daily lesson, nothing will ever replace pen and paper. For awhile I tried typing my daily lesson plan, just to save time. What did I find? My fingers clearly move faster than my brain and though I had a full lesson typed on paper, none of it was in my head, ready to deliver. For me, pen and paper is the way to go.
- These books of lesson plans I’m creating? Their pretty little colorful spines are going to sit on the shelves for years to come. These are going to be the books that my children pass down to their children. For generations to come my descendants will leaf through their yellow pages and wonder about the life their great-grandma Meredith, the old-fashioned school-teacher, had. (It’s actually an interesting question to ponder. Will my descendants be reading those notebooks or this blog?)
Whatever your take on the digital vs. analog debate, I encourage you to give these notebooks a try. I’ve been a diehard Moleskine enthusiast for years, but I daresay that the Rhodiarama has tempted me away from Moleskine. (I ordered six of them to get me through eighth grade!) It’s a better notebook in almost every way. (I haven’t found a dotted version, which is the only Moleskine advantage.)
Even without the dots, though, Rhodia has a sold customer in this blogger/Waldorf teacher.
The main benefits? Here they are, in handy list form.
- Incredible supple leatherette textured cover with embossed Rhodia emblem
- Moleskine-like back cover pocket
- Smooth 90 lb. acid-free paper
- Available in an amazing array of colors (purple for grade 8? green for grade 4?)
- Ribbon marker and elastic closure, just like you’d expect. In a nice, compact A4 size (I’ve been trying to carry a smaller bag to school every day. Have you?)
Go ahead and order one (or six). You won’t be sorry.
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