Friday, June 27, 2008
Summer school realization
I have come to the realization that I am probably a little too laid back to teach summer school. While I think my kids are getting a good education (condensed however it may be), I am probably a little too forgiving in the summer school setting. These students might be in for a bit of a shock when another teacher (one quite a bit more strict and a veteran at teaching summer school) finishes out the remaining week and a half. Oh well...I guess they've had their opportunity, it will be sink or swim time then.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Summer to Do's:
1. Make it through the remaining days I have left in summer school (the count down is on!).
2. Complete online book discussion over Write Beside Them (I've mentioned this before, but I am inspired and making connections with some really amazing teachers).
3. Paint my classroom. I plan on staying for awhile, so I want to make it a place that I want to spend time.
4. Search, and search, and search for model texts and writing prompts to use with my students this coming school year.
5. Attend one of my best friend's bridal shower and wedding.
6. Increase my running/jogging distances.
7. Attend Cardinal games (sadly, I have only been to one).
8. Restructure lesson plans to coincide with new block scheduling.
9. Read a few more novels (I've really slacked this summer).
10. Spend more quality time with friends and family.
11. Explore some areas of StL I have not been to, yet.
12. Clean and rearrange apartment.
13. Travel locally.
14. Exchange cell phones (it is time to update!).
15. Think of more exciting things to blog about than my list of things to do!
Those should keep me busy (for awhile anyway)!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
More random facts
1. Summer school students are watching The Great Gatsby and just started laughing when Tom paid 97 cents for gasoline (the total cost). I do remember paying about 99 cents a gallon during my senior year of high school...and of course that was full-service (no charge for the owner to pump the fuel).
2. My best friends turn 33 today(I'll follow in a couple weeks)...I remember when that sounded so old. I'm glad that I was raised with the mindset that age is only a number...I sure don't feel (or act) like I'm in my thirties!
3. To get through summer school everyday I am telling myself I am "one day closer to Australia." I have talked to a couple gals who are game to go with me when I can afford it. With some minor adjustments to my budget, summer school money, and no unforseeable incidents, I might be able to swing a trip to Sydney for New Year's Eve. :)
4. While I wonder why I am still single, and would like to be be in a different position in my life (sometimes), it is for reasons like number three that I am really glad that I'm not married with children....because if I want to go to Australia on a whim...I can! I guess that is the tradeoff.
5. I hate the cold...everyone makes the comment that you can always put more clothes on, but there are only so many you can take off. I am the opposite...It's never gotten too hot for me to feel that I couldn't cool down...but once I get a chill in my shoulders, I can't warm up! This comes to mind as I sit in a classroom (more like a meat locker) for summer school.
2. My best friends turn 33 today(I'll follow in a couple weeks)...I remember when that sounded so old. I'm glad that I was raised with the mindset that age is only a number...I sure don't feel (or act) like I'm in my thirties!
3. To get through summer school everyday I am telling myself I am "one day closer to Australia." I have talked to a couple gals who are game to go with me when I can afford it. With some minor adjustments to my budget, summer school money, and no unforseeable incidents, I might be able to swing a trip to Sydney for New Year's Eve. :)
4. While I wonder why I am still single, and would like to be be in a different position in my life (sometimes), it is for reasons like number three that I am really glad that I'm not married with children....because if I want to go to Australia on a whim...I can! I guess that is the tradeoff.
5. I hate the cold...everyone makes the comment that you can always put more clothes on, but there are only so many you can take off. I am the opposite...It's never gotten too hot for me to feel that I couldn't cool down...but once I get a chill in my shoulders, I can't warm up! This comes to mind as I sit in a classroom (more like a meat locker) for summer school.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Summer PDC
In addition to teaching summer school, I am also taking part in an online book discussion over the book Write Beside Them by Penny Kittle. I'll start off by saying that reading this book is by no means a chore...in fact, it is so good/enjoyable that I actually read the entire book, from cover to cover, the day it was delivered. Since then I have been rereading sections and discussing the chapters with about 14 other teachers across the United States.
While I haven't met any of these teachers face to face, I admire several of them. For much of the year I have been reading their classroom and personal blogs...and stealing (borrowing) wonderful ideas that I have used in my classroom. I have to admit that after having followed their daily teachings, I am a bit intimidated to participate in the discussion. Do I really have anything to contribute? Will any of these veteran teachers want to hear what I have to say?
I posted about using a couple of the activities Kittle had shared in the book with my summer school students. The next time I checked the wiki page, there were two responses directed to me. The first one was from a teacher in Arkansas discussing how these activities foster relationships between students and teachers and the second post was from Penny Kittle herself! The author of the book that I am reading (and loving) responded directly to me! She was encouraging and commented about how lucky the students were to have me. Wow...I am still in a bit of shock.
The book is wonderful...it is full of ideas, encouragement, and heartfelt examples. While I am not exactly sure how I am going to be able to incorporate everything into my English classroom, I know that this book has changed the way my classroom will be organized. I also know that I am learning from and collaborating with some amazing teachers. The fact that Kittle has joined our discussion to answer any questions that we have speaks volumes about her as a teacher, not to mention an author. This discussion group is just another example of what amazing people and professionals teachers really are. It is a rare group of professionals that is willing to share all their ideas, successes, and failures with anyone who asks; it makes me proud to be part of such a group!
You can check out and join this discussion group at http://learners4life.pbwiki.com/
While I haven't met any of these teachers face to face, I admire several of them. For much of the year I have been reading their classroom and personal blogs...and stealing (borrowing) wonderful ideas that I have used in my classroom. I have to admit that after having followed their daily teachings, I am a bit intimidated to participate in the discussion. Do I really have anything to contribute? Will any of these veteran teachers want to hear what I have to say?
I posted about using a couple of the activities Kittle had shared in the book with my summer school students. The next time I checked the wiki page, there were two responses directed to me. The first one was from a teacher in Arkansas discussing how these activities foster relationships between students and teachers and the second post was from Penny Kittle herself! The author of the book that I am reading (and loving) responded directly to me! She was encouraging and commented about how lucky the students were to have me. Wow...I am still in a bit of shock.
The book is wonderful...it is full of ideas, encouragement, and heartfelt examples. While I am not exactly sure how I am going to be able to incorporate everything into my English classroom, I know that this book has changed the way my classroom will be organized. I also know that I am learning from and collaborating with some amazing teachers. The fact that Kittle has joined our discussion to answer any questions that we have speaks volumes about her as a teacher, not to mention an author. This discussion group is just another example of what amazing people and professionals teachers really are. It is a rare group of professionals that is willing to share all their ideas, successes, and failures with anyone who asks; it makes me proud to be part of such a group!
You can check out and join this discussion group at http://learners4life.pbwiki.com/
Friday, June 13, 2008
Isn't that a bite in the Ass!
Edmonds is hitting homeruns for the Cubs. Rolen is hitting homeruns for the BlueJays. The Cardinals are currently losing 20-2 in the eighth inning to the Phillies.
The Loss of a Legend
I am still shocked about the death of Tim Russert. I have had an appointment with Russert on Meet the Press every Sunday morning for nearly ten years; I can't imagine the show without him. To have so many people, those who knew him and who had never met him, mourning his sudden and unexpected death is a tribute to the quality of his character. I always believed his questions were based on what was important to everyday Americans. He was fair, unpretentious, kind, and determined. Most importantly, he was a nice guy, a family man, a hard-worker. Though he had made it 'big' in the political world, it was obvious that he had never forgotten where he came from, nor did he hide it from the world. He was proud of his meager upbringing and the lessons garnered from his father. In mourning his death, I hope that we pay our respects by following his example.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Summer School
Holy crap...Two and a half hours is a really long time to sit in a class with students!! Three days down and eleven more to go!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Burns, tears, and heartbeats
My sister called me last Monday in a panic. She was on her way to the emergency room to meet my father and my aunt. Dad had been burning trash and something (we still have no idea what it was) exploded. Because dad was still in a kneeling position when the explosion occurred, a large portion of his face, ears, and neck received serious burns. As he beat the fire out on his head, several of his fingers and his right forearm also sustained severe burns. Somehow Dad managed to get back to the house (probably pure adrenalin) and called my aunt for help.
I can't even begin to express the amount of guilt I experienced in a twenty-four hour period; my dad seriously hurt and here I sat in St. Louis. School was ending the next day and I had to have my grades finished before I could leave. Needless to say, Monday night was a sleepless night and Tuesday was a blur. I threw some clothes in a bag and headed to the farm as soon as I was finished at school.
I don't remember a single minute of the drive. All I could think about was getting home, to my father. As I walked through the kitchen to the living room, my sister tried to prepare me for what I was about to see. Rounding the corner, all I could see were bandages. Reclined in his favorite chair, my father sat mummified. My father was a mouth, a nose and swollen eyes the size of baseballs. I gently touched his shoulder and let him know that I was home; he tried to look at me, whispered, "Baby, " and we both cried. My greatest fear rested not in what he may look like when the bandages came off, but whether his eyes would be damaged. Loss of vision would be detrimental to my father's way of life, not to mention his spirit.
With each day's passing, the swelling began to lessen and late Wednesday evening, we could actually see his eyes. With the reduction of swelling, Dad began to act more like himself (the man who had been my best friend for nearly all my life). Our conversation skills were a bit rusty as the past couple years have been a little strained, but we were soon returning to familiar dialogue. We laughed until we cried, reliving old stories and sharing new ones. Two years of disappointments and anger disappeared as I wiped those joyful tears off my cheek.
Friday, my sister and I took Dad to the burn clinic to have the bandages removed and find out what would need to be done. After a ridiculously long wait, the nurse finally came to get us. Despite our efforts to keep things lighthearted, you could literally feel the tension in the room. Dad was afraid of what he may look like...Suzi and I feared his reaction and how he would handle what he would see. He stared at us as the bandages were removed. As the final bandage was removed from his face, Suzi and I looked at each other in disbelief and then told our father that he looked GREAT. Despite minor discoloration (red/pink patches) and skin that would need sloughing off, I was staring into the face that I had loved my entire life. By God's sheer grace (and medical innovations), there should be no scarring on my father's face. And, most importantly, his eyes seem to be fine as well.
I spent the week with my dad at the family farm, the one place that has always been home to me. While I am so thankful that Dad wasn't physically scarred by this accident, I am more thankful for the opportunity that was presented to us in the form of this accident. I got my father, my best friend, back. When it came time for me to leave, I found myself on the verge of tears. To lighten the mood and avoid shedding those tears I made a comment about him being glad to get rid of us, to have his house back, and to have us off his back about lotion, sunscreen, and wearing wide-brimmed hats. With tears in his eyes he said, "No, I've loved it." I cried openly on my way home.
While my father and some of his decisions have frustrated or hurt me these past few years, I have always been and will always be there for him. I've often asked myself how many times do you allow someone you love to hurt you; I was reminded of the answer that I have always carried in my heart...in this case, for as many beats as my heart has left.
I can't even begin to express the amount of guilt I experienced in a twenty-four hour period; my dad seriously hurt and here I sat in St. Louis. School was ending the next day and I had to have my grades finished before I could leave. Needless to say, Monday night was a sleepless night and Tuesday was a blur. I threw some clothes in a bag and headed to the farm as soon as I was finished at school.
I don't remember a single minute of the drive. All I could think about was getting home, to my father. As I walked through the kitchen to the living room, my sister tried to prepare me for what I was about to see. Rounding the corner, all I could see were bandages. Reclined in his favorite chair, my father sat mummified. My father was a mouth, a nose and swollen eyes the size of baseballs. I gently touched his shoulder and let him know that I was home; he tried to look at me, whispered, "Baby, " and we both cried. My greatest fear rested not in what he may look like when the bandages came off, but whether his eyes would be damaged. Loss of vision would be detrimental to my father's way of life, not to mention his spirit.
With each day's passing, the swelling began to lessen and late Wednesday evening, we could actually see his eyes. With the reduction of swelling, Dad began to act more like himself (the man who had been my best friend for nearly all my life). Our conversation skills were a bit rusty as the past couple years have been a little strained, but we were soon returning to familiar dialogue. We laughed until we cried, reliving old stories and sharing new ones. Two years of disappointments and anger disappeared as I wiped those joyful tears off my cheek.
Friday, my sister and I took Dad to the burn clinic to have the bandages removed and find out what would need to be done. After a ridiculously long wait, the nurse finally came to get us. Despite our efforts to keep things lighthearted, you could literally feel the tension in the room. Dad was afraid of what he may look like...Suzi and I feared his reaction and how he would handle what he would see. He stared at us as the bandages were removed. As the final bandage was removed from his face, Suzi and I looked at each other in disbelief and then told our father that he looked GREAT. Despite minor discoloration (red/pink patches) and skin that would need sloughing off, I was staring into the face that I had loved my entire life. By God's sheer grace (and medical innovations), there should be no scarring on my father's face. And, most importantly, his eyes seem to be fine as well.
I spent the week with my dad at the family farm, the one place that has always been home to me. While I am so thankful that Dad wasn't physically scarred by this accident, I am more thankful for the opportunity that was presented to us in the form of this accident. I got my father, my best friend, back. When it came time for me to leave, I found myself on the verge of tears. To lighten the mood and avoid shedding those tears I made a comment about him being glad to get rid of us, to have his house back, and to have us off his back about lotion, sunscreen, and wearing wide-brimmed hats. With tears in his eyes he said, "No, I've loved it." I cried openly on my way home.
While my father and some of his decisions have frustrated or hurt me these past few years, I have always been and will always be there for him. I've often asked myself how many times do you allow someone you love to hurt you; I was reminded of the answer that I have always carried in my heart...in this case, for as many beats as my heart has left.
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