When May Comes...

Every year it happens.  May comes.  And every year since 2002, it's been the same for me.  

That was the year No Child Left Behind really took a foothold and third grade testing became a benchmark for promotion or retention.  There have always been tests.  Even when I was in school.  In the past, the purpose of testing wasn't so bad.  

I mean who DOESN'T want to know that their child is being taught at the highest level possible? And who wouldn't want to hold schools accountable for doing "right" by their "customers"--the students?  In the late 90's though, our state started giving every school a grade.  A report card if you will.  I suppose that'd be OK as long as we realize that we don't all start out on level ground.  

Some schools are filled with students that have every benefit in their lives.  They have parents that love them and give them many experiences upon which to build their education.  These students often have a zest for learning.   Others are filled with kids who wonder where their next meal will come from.  Or if Dad and Mom will fight again tonight...or even if they'll be home. Some come from places that are so impoverished that their lessons take place on the streets and have little or nothing to do with textbooks or pedagogy.     Still other schools are filled with a mixture of these two ends of the student spectrum.  Yet, we grade them all based on similar criteria.  

A few years after grading began is when we really had to look at individual students.  The third grade year was selected as a benchmark year.  After all, if a child can't read by the time he or she is eight or nine years old, there is probably a problem.  Thus, mandatory retention began.  The rule was (and is) that a child who scores in the lowest range on our state test MUST be retained in the third grade.  

Our lawmakers are not totally heartless.  No.  They developed some loopholes.  Some "good cause" criteria that allows a student to possibly be passed on when they score at the lowest level on the single assessment.  Here are a few of the criteria: 

*  If a child has been in the country less than 2 years and speaks no English, he or she can move to fourth grade.  

*  If a student demonstrates an acceptable level of performance on an alternative test.  

*  If a student has had an IEP for more than 2 years AND has been retained already at least ONE time. 

*  If a student has had intensive remediation in reading for more than two years AND has been retained TWO times.

So, every year, the scores come in and we find out who "didn't make it".  We look carefully to see if we can articulate for any of them based on the criteria.  And then we start documenting it all.  And every parent of every child who does not meet criteria gets a phone call home letting them know that their child...their pride and joy...didn't "pass" the third grade.  

Some years, the phone call sounds like one I had to make last week:  "Your child did not pass the state test again.  I know (_____) was in third grade for the last two years, but (_____) have to do third grade a THIRD time.  It's the law."  And it hurts me like CRAZY!  Three YEARS in the third grade???  For what!?!?!  

So, while I've called the "first timers" and even some who will now be on their "second retention in 4 years"...it's the one above that simply makes my passion flame.  (_____) has had a lot of remediation.  (_____) has had other test scores that indicate being on level or just below, but not failing.  There's even a twin who will be ahead of (______) now by TWO years if this goes through.  And a younger sibling who has also now passed (_____) by. (_____) will turn eleven years old in October. IT BREAKS MY HEART!  

Today, we broke the mold of checking one of the criteria and documenting it.  Today, we wrote a narrative to introduce those people who make the decisions to this child.  We are pleading the case and doing all we can under this law to help (_____) make it to the fourth grade. 

While I hate it, this is also the time of year when I know I'm doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing.  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I belong in education and at the school where I am.  For that, I am thankful.  

Still, tonight I'm whispering a prayer.  I'm praying this child, and all the others in our state with similar stories have someone to articulate for them.  I'm praying that someone will see the whole picture and make the right decision here.  After all, this child's future depends on it.  

The Circus Came to Town...

Tomorrow culminates a very busy week for me at school.  Every year our school (which has an Arts instructional focus) puts on a HUGE production.  You might remember a few years ago when DS 4 was in the Jungle Book.  He "skipped" last year's production and then got involved again this year for the "Greatest Show on Earth".   He was in the clown troupe and loved learning from a "real" Ringling Bros. clown!  

Here are a couple of pics of him in costume and on stage in the "bucket brigade".

In addition to our arts focus, we have several families who have traveled (or still travel) with major circuses in our country.  One of the neat tributes in this show was a film highlighting photos and video footage of these families in their circus performances.  

Two of the families even had their children perform special acts.  The Suarez family juggled.  And the Wallenda's (of the famous "Flying Wallendas") did tightrope.  Isn't that neat?  

My room has been a dressing room/holding room while we've waited to go on stage this week. This has made for some very interesting photo ops.  

The kids had a ball.  The teachers are WORN OUT!  I have to say, though, I am so thankful that I work in a place that does this sort of thing.  It helps kids discover avenues to exercise their creativity and opportunities to showcase their talents.  

Just look how BIG the cast was!  It truly was a GREAT show!

When "Normal"...isn't!

The teacher called me yesterday and told me that she received an email from the school registrar. She’d been concerned about a student who has not missed a day this year and suddenly has been out for three days. The boy’s Dad is a bit different and makes them toe the line, and then some. In fact, it’s caused concern in the past. The boy, his brother and their Dad are considered “homeless”—although they do have a roof over their head.

The email read something like this: “The boys’ Dad took them to see their Mom in another city about three hours away this past Friday. He told the Mom he’d return for them on Sunday. He didn’t come. On Monday he still didn’t come. By Tuesday, he called and told her he wasn’t coming. She’d have to figure out what to do with them.” Abandoned, in a way. Just. Like. That.

******
He entered our school yesterday; a Kindergarten student who was quite reluctant to be here. There was concern among the staff because he’s living with his “cousin” who is also in one of our K classes. The cousin is rather unstable and a bit whiny. This new boy arrived and the struggle began.

He kicked. He flailed. He cried. He screamed. He broke things. He made it quite clear he did not want to be here. He made it less than an hour and was sent home because he simply disrupted the entire campus.

All I can think is, “He’s FIVE!” Later I learned that his Mom’s in jail. Dad is living with a Stepmother and he, too, has “issues”.

*****
She came to me a few days ago with huge crocodile tears in her eyes. She was visibly shaken and angry. When I asked what was wrong--words flew out of her mouth. It was a “he said/she said” school bus story-knot that I could barely follow.

It turned out there had been a referral for her behavior the day before. She was to take it home and have it signed. Instead, she tore it to shreds. One adult at the school put the shreds into an envelope and explained that she WOULD take it home and show her Mother.

She was scared. Except it wasn’t the normal kind of scared. It was true FEAR. Besides, it was her Mother who told her, “If someone hits you, you stand up and hit ‘em back!” It’s a survival skill she’ll need for her neighborhood and probably for the rest of her life.

I wonder just how you draw that line when they have to learn to survive in a world that I have only briefly glimpsed. It’s a fine line, for sure.
*****
Her Mother dropped her off yesterday in the wrong uniform. It’s not the first time. It won’t be the last. She is dirty and unkempt. Her long blonde hair appears to have been un-brushed for days.

Her teacher saw her in the hallway and asked where she was going. The girl replied, “I have to go get a uniform shirt.” The teacher said, “Where are your shirts? Don’t you have five?” The girl sheepishly responded, “Yeah, I have them, but some are at my Grandma’s and none are clean at my house.”

As the girl headed toward the uniform loan closet, the teacher shook her head and said, “One of our suitcase kids.” She never knows where she’ll be staying from night to night.
*****
He comes to school with his two brothers. They are 10, 7, and 6. There are four MORE brothers (4 and under) at home. Seven boys! They live in a two room hotel room where Dad does caretaking for the manager. The boys sleep on army cots that can be easily folded and stored during the day. They have been given many things by people at the school and in the community. Still, they struggle.

The oldest boy (remember he’s 10) sometimes misses school because it’s his day to “babysit. his siblings.” Babysit? Four young children? That’s right. Babysit.

The three school-aged children are part of a program where they take food home every Friday. A HUGE bag of food! Yet, they have told adults at the school that each family member has to rotate a night going without food so that there is enough to stretch out for the week. When it’s “your night’ not to eat…you are famished by the time you get to school the next day.
****

These vignettes are not "race specific". In fact, of the families discussed above, there are four different ethnicities represented. I could go on and on with these stories. They are part of my everyday life. And these are just a few of which I am aware. They break my heart. Here’s the thing that just rolls over and over in my head, though.

It’s “normal” for them. They don’t know any different type of life.

I can tell you that one thing I have learned in my time working with this population: just because I have a “different” normal, doesn’t make mine more right and theirs wrong. Initially, while working in the inner city of Tampa (which was MUCH rougher than where I am now), I learned that I wasn’t there to “save kids”. I wasn’t there to “rescue them” from their environment, their dysfunctional families, their upbringing. I was there to show them how to be the best young man or woman they could be. I was there to give them educational skills and strategies that would help them.

Some will leave it. No doubt. Some will not. Helping them means giving them tools for survival and hope for their future no matter where that happens to be.

For me, it is my calling. It is what I was designed to do. Every day I am thankful that I have the chance to hug a child that may not have been hugged that day. I have the opportunity to speak positive words into their lives. I have a chance to show them unconditional love. I get to smile with them, laugh with them, and talk with them. I am able to wipe away tears. I get to assure them when they're mad that I still care for them. I get to teach them. I am blessed to work in a place with so many adults who share that calling. It's quite special to me.

For me, there's nothing more normal than that!

Foreshadowing...

I spent time in my DS's classroom today while his teacher had to go run an errand. DS 4 was out of school sick, so he wasn't there. Still, I love this class of kids. They are really fun to talk with and just all-in-all SWEET.

Anyway, while I was in there, one little girl (who struggles with almost every concept) asked me about MATH! In my heart of hearts I was thinking, "NO! Do NOT ask me about MATH--anything but THAT! I have to reach out to my own DS 4's village when it comes to helping him with math on a regular basis." My second thought was, "Maybe I can find the teacher's guide for reference." Suffice it to say, she DID ask me a math term and I could find no teacher's guide.

It was a simple question for which I should have had an answer in seconds. But I didn't. We muddled through it together. I am not going to lie...it was the BLIND leading the BLIND. Just not right.

Now a little over a week ago, my friend Sandy (her teacher) made a comment about elementary teachers being "afraid to teach math". She noted that this really shouldn't be THAT hard. I mean we've all got college degrees, right?

A little elementary math shouldn't make any educated adult fret and break out in a cold sweat. For the most part, she's right (except it DOES get me jittery at times). Just because I don't know a term or a procedure the way it is presented "these days" does not mean that I am incompetent and could not figure it out. I tell myself it's because I haven't been using each of these skills or concepts on a regular basis. I'm sure there's a little truth in that, though some of it may just be that it's "not my thing".

Despite her reminder that all would all be well, today made me realize just how reliant I will be on all of my mathematical colleagues and as many resource books as possible for support when I am once again teaching this subject. I'm so glad I work in a place where people ARE supportive and helpful in times of weakness.

Cause I know I'm not incompetent, but when it comes to this subject, I am definitely inept!

Repellent or Magnet??

I walked into a classroom today and something on the teacher's desk caught my eye. It was a can of aerosol "something" that was covered in paper with a handmade label titled: Student Repellent. It even had the skull and crossbones on it.

There may be a story behind it that everyone in the classroom knows. And there may not be.

I don't like it. I think it is inappropriate. For the record, I feel the same way about the pottery jars you can buy that say "Ashes of Naughty Children".

Student repellent? Is that the message we really want to send to kids? Especially kids who are surrounded by adults that may or may not care about them.

As I reflected on the mental images this can stirred up within me, I thought: "I don't want ANY child to think that I want student repellent...instead I want to be a student magnet."

And I want my own children surrounded by people who are student magnets.

My mind drifted to an experience I observed last night. I attended the Mr. R. High School which is a "pageant atmosphere" for senior guys at DS 2's school. He was one of the 11 contestants. Mr. M., who is the senior class sponsor, and DS 2's reason for wanting to go into education, was there. Throughout the night, he was running around making sure everything was running smoothly for this "show". He also participated in the talent portion with two of the guys.

The first guy was displaying talent that was "up Mr. M's alley." He was doing Science magic tricks of sorts. Mr. M was the assistant for the demonstration. Since he's a Science teacher, I suspect it wasn't any sacrifice to stand up there and play with the chemicals and stuff. The second guy, though, he was doing a mock wrestling match. Mr. M was the opponent. It was funny and, I suspect, NOT up Mr. M's alley. But he obviously went all out for this student.

Later in the interview with the finalist, one student gave this teacher and his classroom kudos. Some kids simply wouldn't do that. And even the ones who would credit teachers and classes, have teachers they would NEVER mention.

Mr. M is a student magnet. I think he genuinely likes kids. I, for one, am glad.

Are there some students with whom it's hard to connect? Sure. Still, in every circumstance I think educators have a choice: Repellent or Magnet?

I choose magnet.


{For the record, DS 2 did NOT win the title...but he's still "Mr. R High School" to us and he made us proud!}

Then and Now

Yesterday I shared with you my new "project" at school. First I want to share a little history. Here's a picture of Ms. Ineeda Word (Me) in our "Jungle" several years ago. She's on the right side pictured with Professor Sayit Clearly (a 4th Grade Colleague) and Granny Write (My Assistant Principal). {An aside: I could have used this photo for "Pink" the other day. The kids never could remember my name so they just called me Pink Lady.} Here are Ms. Ineeda Word and the Professor with Captain Wanna Write (Our Math Coach--in camo) and Captain Hook (my Principal). We are looking at good "Hooks" in student writing.
We had a great time each week talking about what good writers do. But like every good show, that one ran it's course. We were on for two years here at my school and figured it was time for a new "gimmick".

Our Jungle morphed into our school's Jungle Book set for last year's school-wide play:

Sooooo...as I told you in my last post, today we introduced the "Fab Five Farm" based on the "Fab Five Elements" of good Reading instruction: Phonics, Phonemic Awareness, Vocabulary, Fluency and Comprehension.

And HEEEERE are the first two characters on the Farm:Reada Reada Pumpkin Reader (Me) and Ms. Sadie the Cowgirl from Tennessee (My Friend D). We talked about how to choose a book that is just right. The kids and teachers loved it. Now we hear that Pa Pumpkin and Ma Pumpkin and possibly Ms. Reada's little brother "Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater" might be on...

It's all for the cause...So, I'll leave you with Mrs. Reada's poem:
Reada Reada Pumpkin Reader Had a book that wouldn't teach her She learned to pick a book just right And now she reads both day and night!

You MIGHT be a TEACHER If....

This week I have to do our TV News at school. A few years ago, we created a "Jungle" set and had several wacky characters do a little "improv" about good reading and writing practices for elementary kids. The kids loved it, and I must confess, so did the adults. I will post a picture as soon as I can find one or scan one in. But I digress.

Back to THIS week....now we'll be on a FARM. I have a Pumpkin Wig and yesterday I bought a costume for this new character, "Reda, Reda, Pumpkin Reader". Some of the things I bought include: orange shirt, green "over shirt", black pants, orange and black striped socks, green mittens, orange earrings, and black "pumpkin shoes".

This week Reda Pumpkin will be teaching the whole school a lesson on how to select books. Sooooo I decided she needed books with pumpkins on them.


First I found this little board book to demonstrate a book that is TOO EASY.




Then I found these two to demonstrate a book that is JUST RIGHT. I got them both, knowing that I can use them in my classroom lessons. The Ugly Pumpkin is actually a Thanksgiving Story.

After these two finds, I found myself at the "help desk" asking the nice young man if he could do a subject search. When I told him I wanted him to search "Pumpkins", he looked at me like I have two heads. Trust me, I'm an Elementary School Teacher who has seen this look in stores before. Then I added to my "search" with these words, "I need you to find me the most difficult book you have in the store about pumpkins." Again, that familiar quizzical look.

He took me to the first prospect and it turned out to be a children's book that was shelved in the adult section. I thanked him and told him I'd wander in the "seasonal" section myself. Pretty soon he hurries back up to me with two books in his hands, both recipe books.

Let me just say that a recipe book is a perfect example of a book that is TOO HARD (especially for me)! So, in the absence of a better choice, and not wanting to walk every aisle at Barnes and Noble hoping to spot a pumpkin on the cover of a book, I took it.

After that, I headed to another of my favorite stores, Target. And, just on a whim I walked the book section. There, almost calling my name was Gregory Maguire's book, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister with a beautiful "Pumpkin Coach" on the front cover!

I think I saw the bright light and heard the Great Pumpkin singing because this is a MORE PERFECT example of a book that would be "too hard" for most kids. I mean there are no pictures to speak of and they'll see it as a "big book full of words".

Today I walked into school with my harvest of pumpkin books and my cute little pumpkin costume and I'm ready for this assignment. Hopefully I can get someone to take a picture of our costumes and set tomorrow.

And when I was talking to a friend (a non-educator) about it, she said, "WHY would you do all that for ONE lesson?" And again, I realized that some people just don't get it. But, if you are a teacher, or you know one personally, then you just might.

Thursday Thirteen #43

Thanks to Loretta for the Header Design!

Today I am going to our district's Teacher of the Year Luncheon. I was privileged to receive this honor from the district several years ago. Now, my DH and I sponsor an annual grant for the Teachers of the Year, so we get to attend the luncheon. It's always fun to see excellent teachers get honored for their hard work.

Soooooooo.....for my TT....I am choosing to tell you about MY FAVORITE TEACHERS ever. Here they are in chronological order:

1. Mrs. Hudson: She was my first grade teacher and the person who taught me to love reading. I remember we had a contest to see who could read the most books. Her classroom was filled with Dr. Seuss books. I read the most. I received a little resin mouse as an award that year. I still have it. She gave it to me on the last day of school. I was heartbroken because I was sure that I would NEVER have another teacher that I adored like this one. (But I was wrong.)

2. Mrs. Woodruff: She was not my homeroom teacher, but did third grade enrichment in the days of "Open Classrooms". We went to her for special reading groups. I remember making our own movies in there, learning to carve apple dolls, and dressing up in Kimonos for a Japanese meal. I also know that she is the first person to tell me that I was a creative writer. It meant so much to me. The story I wrote was from a calendar picture of a doll walking along the road with a teddy bear. I don't remember the story, only that she liked it and told my Mother. I was so proud.

3. Mrs. Brewer: My fourth grade teacher always started the day with a silly little rhyme---Itty bitty fwy upon the wall/Him got no fwiends at all/Him got no one to comb hims hair/Him don't care/Him got no hair! Why I remember that so many years later, I'll never know. She also was the first teacher I remember having an aquarium. I loved watching the salamander that she had in there.

4. Mrs. Dretzka: She loved ceramics! We made a ton of things in her sixth grade classroom. It was a hot non-air conditioned school in inner city Tampa with HUGE windows and loud fans. She loved to laugh. I remember her desk was a MESS! It is something I still think of when I look at my own messy teacher desk. She would say, "Show me a teacher's desk that is spic and span, and I'll show you a teacher who isn't working very hard!" I should say that I DO know many teachers who work VERY hard and can keep beautiful desks....I also know that there those like me, and Mrs. Dretzka, who keep teaching and keep piling the desk for things that we needed to "get to"...and both styles are OK!

5. Mr. Psyche: Yep, that was his name. He was my seventh grade Science teacher. I don't remember too much about him, except that I got in trouble in his class. The one thing that sticks out for me, though, is when he had to teach us the "birds and the bees" lesson. He used I Corinthians 13 to tell us about "real love". It was a risk for sure in the public school even in the mid 70's. I also remember he wore a purple shirt with a pearl tie fairly regularly. The whole tie was made out of pearls! We laughed at it, but he loved it.

6. Mrs. S_____: I can't remember this teacher's last name (only that it started with an "S"). Anyway, she was my Social Studies teacher in the eighth grade. You might ask, "If she's so special, why don't you remember her name?" I don't know. She was the person who told us that we still needed to be creative even though we were in middle school. She had us do projects with construction paper and scissors---something totally out of character for teachers at that level at that time.

7. Mr. Andrews: I took World History from him in the tenth grade and LOVED it! I learned so much. He loved kids and loved teaching. Every day was an adventure as he taught us the history of our world.

8. Mrs. Sutherland: I would be remiss if I didn't mention my Chorus teacher. She loved music. She was someone who was told all her life that she couldn't sing, then ended up teaching choir. Amazing! She, too, loved kids and taught us the joy of all kinds of music. I learned to love the poetry of Walt Whitman and Robert Frost in her class as we sang some of their works set to music. My favorite is still "The Road Not Taken" by Frost.

9. Mrs. Haynes: She was my English teacher in eleventh and twelfth grade. She loved soccer and was a Tampa Bay Rowdies fanatic. People called her "Hank". She also loved the classics. This is where I read Wuthering Heights and Julius Ceasar. She taught me to love and appreciate both.

10. Mr. Acosta: He was not my "teacher by day", but was the band director at my school. He taught us self-discipline...to seek excellence...to believe in ourselves among MANY other lessons. I learned more on the field and in performance than I did in some regular classrooms during my high school years. When I watch Mr. Holland's Opus...I think of him. This man has touched countless lives through his tireless work in music education. He spent hours beyond his duty day teaching us all the value of hard work and teamwork, both lessons I have carried into my adult life.

11. Dr. Little: She was my first Education professor in college. I took Intro. to Ed with her as I sought a major and found my life's passion as a result. This was a lady who believed that education could be different and that teachers were such an important part of it. She taught us that ALL children can learn...and that most of them just needed love and someone who believed in them passionately. Her inspirational classes left me believing that I "COULD" and "WOULD" make a difference in the lives of those I teach.

12. Dr. Wynn: She was my supervising teacher for my internship. Because she was fresh out of an elementary classroom, she brought much excitement to our classes. She constantly pushed us to "pretty up" what we were doing for kids by adding pictures, bright contact paper, and to think BIG. She also was working on her PhD and taught us the value of peer coaching (way before it was en vogue). It is because of her that I have never minded anyone watching me teach and that I've been able to take feedback.

13. Dr. Peaslee: She was the Early Childhood Professor in my college. This woman is, without a doubt, the sole reason I STAYED in education. I had an advisor who told me repeatedly that I'd never make it as a teacher. She told me to "get out". She suggested that I wasn't good enough, smart enough, and would never be "effective enough". Dr. Peaslee, though, watched me teach kids (something the advisor never did) and said, "I know what she's been saying about you. She's wrong! You are going to be a GREAT teacher! Don't give up." I learned from that experience that you can either be discouraging or encouraging...we all have the choice everyday. Everyday I try to follow Dr. Peaslee's wonderful example.

Each of these people made special "deposits" into my learning bank. I can honestly say, many of them are the reason I do what I do today. And some, I've been able to tell exactly what they mean to me as an adult. They ARE a reminder that we never know the difference we might make with the seeds we plant in someone else's life.

Do YOU have a teacher who made a difference for you? If so, maybe you'll get the chance to say "thank you" someday. If not, then I say "Pay it forward" and pass along the special lessons you learned to someone else...after all that's the best response anyone could give!

A New Week Begins...

Our weekend was a busy, but fun one. I went to a jewelry party on Friday, spent the day with the "girls" on Saturday, and went to church on Sunday. Yesterday, we had a cookout with our extended family. Today, it was back to work...but there were no kids there because it was professional day.

I did a workshop this morning for our primary teachers. I was again reminded that sometimes adults act like children. I hate that. We're implementing a new program at the school to give our kids targeted small group instruction in reading for thirty minutes daily. This requires all hands to be on deck and that we tap into all the resource personnel at our school.

Some of the "extra people" aren't happy. They don't "have time to plan". They have other things that should take priority over these kids at this time of the day. They don't know "what they'll use" to work with their groups. The excuses and complaints went on and on and on with about four people. And even though they are a minority in the grand scheme of things, their complaints are annoying!

I work in a school that has many students who struggle. They need additional help. I also work in a school system that "laid off" 84 paraprofessionals this summer. I really wanted to tell some of these people, "There are 84 people in this town who would LOVE to have the opportunity to plan your small group!" Of course, those are thoughts that must remain (as DS 2 says) "behind the filter".

As I worked with these 35+ teachers and paraprofessionals today, I realized something. It's true that there often must be dissonance and uncertainty before something great is created. I am confident that things will work out. It is simply going to take time to get everyone on board and for them to see that this will be worthwhile. We can make a difference. I know we can...I know we can!

Update Nuggets from the Homefront....

Here are some short updates on some of our happenings in the last couple of weeks:

• The broken computer WAS in fact able to be hooked up to a monitor and all data files are now safely on a DVD waiting for a new laptop to call home.
• DS4's pet frog is living happily in an aquarium on our porch. Last night, he and DH added a new "friend" to the cage. DS 4 announced proudly: "Mom, I hope this one's not a girl, cause then we're going to have babies!" As a reminder, I HATE FROGS! Heaven help me!!!
• DSs 1, 2, and 3 have spent the week at church for Youth Week. They continue to amaze me as they explore who it is that God wants them to be! Last night, they took a bunch of boys to see The Power Team in Clearwater. The boys all spent the night here. It was so funny because when they came home, after 11, you could feel the energy rise in the house---even though they were trying to be SO quiet. It's a GUY THING!?!?!
• I did a presentation yesterday...the third one this week. My FEET are KILLING me! I am not sure what the problem is, although a friend told me it's what happens as you age (she knows my birthday is right around the corner). That STINKS! Anyway, I came home yesterday and propped my burning, throbbing, feet up high on some pillows and pretty much did nothing until this morning.
• Now, I am getting ready to head off to church. DH leaves for a few days right after church. He is traveling more and more. I am happy for him...and know this is what he is called to do...but I am STILL not a good "single Mom". Although, as the guys get older, they are more helpful and that is good.
• School starts on Tuesday for teachers. I have to work tomorrow too to get files that I was supposed to have copied from that wonderful laptop!

That's all the nuggets I have to share now. Have a GREAT Sunday!!

And the saga continues...

I received my laptop back today and it looked fine. When you turn it on, however, it's obvious that the screen is cracked as you can see nothing. It's cracked on the inside.

Now, the good news is...it appears to be going on like normal. The bad news is...I can't see anything to save and back-up. I have emailed my friend who is a Mac expert and will see what she can do.

In the meantime, I found out (thank goodness) that the computer is covered under School Board insurance, so I don't have to pay for it.

I have to give presentations tomorrow, Thursday, and Saturday. They are on my computer. I DO have Overhead back-ups, so that is a good thing. Still, the presentations would be more impressive with the PowerPoint. Thank goodness, teachers are a very forgiving bunch.

Now, if you could, please whisper a prayer that I will be able to recover my files without too much trouble!

As my friend, Cindy says, "It's just an EVENT!" She's right. It could be MUCH worse!!

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things SUSAN has done since her last blog...




1. Drove to Lebanon Indiana

2. Set up for a presentation

3. Went to Office Depot (on someone else's money) and spent $838 in 30 minutes for the presentation!!

4. Delivered two inservice workshops for teachers.

5. Sat through two excellent inservice sessions....and ONE HORRIBLE one!!!!!!!!

6. Went bowling and reminded myself that I simply am NOT a bowler!!

7. Went to an urgent care clinic due to a rash on my leg...only to find out that they want me to use over the counter medicine.

8. Took four boys (ages 11 - 14) to the mall in Indianapolis alone!! (I shopped while they played at the arcade...pretty good deal.)

9. Visited with my dear friend Suzi.

10. Learned about small town politics in a visit with some educators...it's really not much different than anytime you get a group of people together. There's always someone who is in it for themselves and spreads ugliness in an organization.

11. Finished reading the book, "Tales of Desperaux" by Kate DiCamillo.

12. Learned what the word "perfidy" means...it's woven throughout her book...you'll have to look it up like I did.

13. Once again packed up my stuff and will drive (as soon as I finish this) back to Ohio to reclaim DS 4 and return Lynn's DS 1 to her....although he and DS 3 have been wonderful and really would like to forgo the switch!! ;-)





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Heading Home from Chicago

Today we head home.

I have learned some things this week.

Almost every time I go to a Reading Association conference, I get the priviledge of eating in some very fancy restaurants. Various publishers love to "wine and dine" their customers. This week was no different in some ways. During these trips, I usually learn about a food or delicacy about which I had no prior knowledge.

This week, in a French restaurant, I learned about foie gras. Everyone at our table (except the Floridians) were surprised to see this pate on the menu since it is being outlawed in Chicago. The menu even had a note that "May might be the last month you can get foie gras in Chicago." I usually don't want to appear dumb....so I listen and wait for an explanation. Finally someone asked, "Do you know what it is?" I admitted my lack of knowledge.

It seems that foie gras is a fatty goose liver. It is (supposedly) very sweet and light tasting. BUT...they have to force feed the goose almost four pounds of grains daily for 28 days. They are kept in small dark cages to prevent them from "losing weight" and movement. After this, they are slaughtered for their liver (and down).

Now, I am NO PETA activist...but this absolutely does NOT seem right! Apparently, this "delicacy" has been outlawed in California (but not until 2012) and here in Chicago this year. I know that there are many "interesting" foods around the world....I just couldn't bear the thought of trying this one. Thankfully no one at the table ordered it.

I have learned that if someone at a restaurant or apartment building needs a cab, there is often a yellow light (think police car light) that sits on the side of the building as a signal.

I have learned that every street in downtown Chicago is videotaped 24/7.

I have learned that 80% of the downtown Chicago police force is dressed in plain clothes.

Of course, I also learned about teaching and learning and reading instruction. THAT post could go on MUCH longer....and might in the near future.

For now, I am going to close and get ready to head to the Sunshine State and my delightful family!!

Letters, Books, and Words, OH MY!

If you have never been to an International Reading Association Conference, then you simply cannot imagine the extent of the event! The exhibit hall is a HUGE room with over 1000 exhibitors. There are letters, books, words, and TEACHERS everywhere---20,000 to be precise!

It was funny because last night we went to dinner with Suzi's friend, Beth, who is a Chiropractor and not in education. She lives in the area and drove us around. As we looked on each and every corner, she would say, "Are those teachers?" They are hard to miss. There is a "look" to most teachers. They carry totebags (I have collected four so far during this conference) full of STUFF and are definitely keeping Chiropractors and Orthopedic surgeons everywhere in business. In fact, maybe Beth was "sniffing business" as she eyed the crazy crowd.

It's a time that is full of learning about the subject we are passionate about. It's a time to learn from colleagues. It's a time to hear what the foremost experts in the field are currently finding in their research. It's a time to find out what is happening in the world of reading.

I feel like I am lapping up all the learning I can...especially since I missed the last two years. I don't always find staff development that challenges me in my area. This is my time to "get challenged". It's a time for me to dig into my own thinking and refuel and refine my practice. It's like a feeding frenzy in so many ways.

Today, my hope in reading education has been renewed. You see, I think we have covered education in the "research-based" blanket...and in many ways it has zapped the fun and creativity right out of our classrooms!! Yet, there's room for teachers to be who they are. There's room for them to recapture that zeal that brought them to the classroom in the first place. I am on a mission now....I want to help awaken the "true teacher" that has been hiding inside so many of my colleagues for so long. I want to help them trust themselves to be responsive and highly-effective teachers. I want to help them see that they DO make a difference each and every day. I want them to get EXCITED about letters, books, and words.....so they can pass that along to the students they teach.

Rigor, Relevance and Professionalism

My brother sent an email to let me know that I spelled "relevant" wrong in my blog about my dh on 8/15. He was right...and now it is fixed...along with the word "meaningful" which he didn't catch in his brief editing this afternoon.

As I fixed the word "relevant" I thought of how much I have been hearing it lately. Everytime I have a education conversation it seems that it comes up coupled with the word "rigor". This seems to be the new mantra in education. It requires that all teachers strive to make their instructional delivery both rigorous and relevant for all students.

This week in a conversation with a frustrated teacher, she noted that she didn't think she was being treated as a professional. She feels she is being asked to write down "every breath she is going to take" in her lesson plans. I reflected on this for a moment and tried to help her see that it is a new day in education.

I am now required to account for every hour in my day to the state department of education each week. I have not once thought that this meant I was not a professional. In fact, in many ways, it feels the opposite. They are valuing reading teachers right now and they want to make sure that our jobs help bring this rigor and relevance to the schools in which we work.

When we ask a teacher to document their instructional delivery and be accountable to it, I think kids win. In my own informal observations, it is often those that are mediocre at best who yell the loudest about this. Is accountability wrong? I don't think so. Will rigor and relevance happen without it? In most cases, no.

I guess it comes down to this----in my opinion:

accountability + rigor + relevance = professionalism

A Quote to Remember

I have just returned from delivering two workshops in Atlanta with my friend and colleague Mellissa. She shared this quote with the groups that we worked with:

Readers are plentiful; Thinkers are rare.

This is so very true. If I could just help teachers help kids think deeply about what they read, I would accomplish my goal. I want to help them see that we are living in a new society that requires us to think critically about the text we read.

It sure made me think.

Becoming a Teacher

Yesterday I stumbled on a new blog from a teacher. It really was quite interesting as it is being featured as the Weekly Blog at msn. She has two very important questions on her blog today and I decided that I am going to answer them as well.

1. Why did I decide to become a teacher?

On August 3rd, I wrote a little about someone trying to sabotage my decision to become a teacher. There is a quote out in the world that says, "Those who can't...teach". I hate that thing. Admittedly, though, that is EXACTLY how I "fell" into teaching as a profession. I started out to get a degree in Psychology. Didn't do so well in class #1 and the advisor said, "You better switch majors." He urged me to take "Intro. to Education".

This course, Intro. to Ed., was taught by one of the BEST teachers/professors I ever had. She really CARED about teaching and learning. And most importantly, she cared about kids. Everyday it seemed she would tell us stories about classrooms, kids, learning, and teachers who were making a significant impact on the lives of those they taught. I was hooked. I wanted to be that kind of person.

I really wasn't the best student at that time. I didn't know how to be the best student. The professor who told me to "get out" and "you'll never make it as a teacher" (see Aug. 3rd) just three-and-a-half years later watched me in my college classes and made this decision. I was quiet, didn't contribute much, and make just OK grades. The professor who told me with confidence, "She doesn't know what she is talking about." had seen me with kids. She had observed my teaching.

After wrestling with these two opinions of me and my future, I dove in. I am so glad that I did. I know it is exactly what I am supposed to be doing. Each and every day I get to live out my own passion for helping people learn and grow. It is so rewarding.

2. What do I teach?

Now, I get to teach adults AND kids. This is really exciting to me. I have been able to fine tune my teaching focus a bit more and have found that my true passion is teaching language arts. I am a Literacy Coach in a Title One elementary school (72% free and reduced lunch). I love what I do. I work with great people who share a vision for teaching well...and I get to help them achieve this goal. I also get to work with kids who find learning tough...it's so exciting to see the light go on when they finally "get it".

3. What do I do when it's tough?

I am adding this question to Ariana's list of questions. There are times when it is hard and tiring. I have grown weary at points along my 19 year journey. I have to stop and revisit my "calling". I have to get keenly focused on kids and realize that it's all about them. I have to step back, get introspective, look at my practice, and ask myself, "Am I doing the best I can?" and "Is there something else I should be doing?"

Yes, I really believe that this is the greatest profession. I am hoping that we are seeing shifts in opinions about those who decide to enter it. And I hope that anyone who is considering it will ask themselves the important "why do I want to do this" question before entering the classroom.

Hopefully the answer will be "I'm called to it." or "It's in my bones." I believe it's THIS type of passion and conviction that will continue to make a difference in public education.

Mediocrity Makes Me CRAZY!!

I just spent about two hours talking with one of my administrators about an issue at our school site. They (the principal and assistant principal) have expressed their intention to be in classrooms more this year. In an effort to give teachers feedback, they have created a form to fill out during their visits. They feel like those that give 200% don't always get the "atta boys" and "atta girls" that they deserve. And they're right.

Some teachers get very upset about these things. They call the union to see if such a thing is "legal" (which it is). They whine and complain about this type of "new evaluation". Of course, the principal (and assistant principal)has EVERY right (and in my opinion, the responsibility) to see that the teachers in his or her school are teaching the best they can.

The more I think about it, the more I believe that this is really about wanting to be mediocre and not having to "live up" to anyone else's expectations. It seems to often come from those who are biding their time until they are able to leave the classroom. It's sad and it really gets my goat.

I wish that the same people who are so vocal about union issues would put that same energy into teaching our kids the best they can. I am a member of the union---but I really have a problem with some of the things they spend time on. Why can't it be about what's best for kids?

I teach in a title one school (about 72% of our kids are on free or reduced lunch). While we have some parents who really stay on top of what is happening in the classrooms, there are many that don't. It's easy for adequate or mediocre (and even poor) teachers to "hide out" in these schools For the most part, my school is filled with outstanding professionals who are really advocates for kids and learning. And I would allow almost all of my colleagues to teach my own children. However, in most public schools (mine included), you will find a couple of teachers that shouldn't be there. They are tired, they don't want to be there, they don't appear to even like kids, and they are marking time until they can draw their retirement checks. This is just wrong!

In my opinion, if we really want to see that no child is left behind in this country, then it's time to bury mediocrity in our schools. It's time to make sure that EVERY child is receiving an excellent education and that they are being taught by a person who actually WANTS to be there and really LIKES kids. It's time to stop whining and DO something.

Maybe the feedback form of an administrator can begin to help move us in this direction. Maybe it will help those "WOW" teachers realize that they ARE important and valued (and encourage them to stay in the profession). And maybe it will help those who aren't quite "up to snuff" to start rethinking how they do things.

When I think about "highly qualified teachers", I know that every kid deserves one. In my opinion, public education will not be doing its job until every kid has one and mediocrity has been layed in the grave once and for all. I realize it's a "pie in the sky" dream...but often reality starts with a dreamer like me (and my administrators). Anything's possible.