The View from Here

Refreshed

I woke up refreshed this morning. I can't think of a better word to describe it. The air is cool, I slept soundly last night, and today is Mother's birthday.

I know some people find it strange to remember the birthday of someone who is dead. But it is still the day she was born, and a good day to remember her. It is also the birthday of a friend and I am very happy to know that she will be celebrating today. She has a mixed blessing because someone very dear to her died this weekend. I told her I know how she feels because my grandfather died a few days before my 25th birthday and his funeral was on my birthday. I don't think anyone realized it until later that evening. Made me sad, but also gave me some perspective about life.

This Saturday is Heritage Day. It was one of mom's favorite days. She loved the history of our town and she loved to see old friends. She loved the museum and Craighead's and spent time working at both over the years. She also adored children and Heritage Day gave her the opportunity to see them.

We'll be cleaning up and working on the flowerbeds each night this week. Lots to do in preparation! There is a city council meeting tonight to attend to some business. The sidewalk project has been slowly evolving and I think we are about ready to make some more progress. People don't realize how much time, money, and effort goes into getting the slightest thing done, especially with grant money. I was amazed to hear that with this week's council approval Durant's next phase of their street work will begin in 2010. I guess I thought that with their crews and money they could just start next week. LOL

I've been a bit anxious for my little class until this morning. Now I even feel refreshed about that! Some of them are so young, and lacking in experience and skills. I never like to think about them "failing" anything, especially this early in the year, but I had been feeling a little anxious about our lack of progress. I feel very positive now that we are going to move forward at our own pace and my little ones WILL succeed. I awoke with a couple of new ideas I'm going to try and I can't wait to get to school.

The only thing I'm not feeling good about is the economy. We're all stressed about what the future holds and I can only suggest that we wait and pray. America is a greedy country and we may all have to learn some difficult lessons. My own disappointment this year is that I have so little discretionary money. I used to be able to buy something for my class or a book for myself or a gift for a friend, without planning ahead or debating with myself about whether I could truly afford it. Now I don't even buy a cola without thinking about it. I'm trying to think about Christmas and other future needs and I find myself reaching for the Tums! In my younger days I would have considered a part-time job, but I'm not sure I have the energy anymore. So I too, need to pray, and wait for an opportunity to either make more money or save more money. There aren't too many choices in between.

But I won't let that get me down today! I feel refreshed and I'm eager to get to school. Have a great day!

Police Log

Once again there were several entries on the list that made me laugh out loud! I just couldn't resist sharing them with you. My favorite is in bold. In between actual emergencies like fights and accidents and burglaries and such, the poor police department has to handle a variety of complaints that should go to others. So if they are slow to respond to your problem remember, people actually call the police department about these...

Tuesday

7:40- dogs barking causing her house dogs to bark

Wednesday

4:28- man on bicycle, caller thinks may be looking for something to steal

10:43- apricots stolen off tree

3:45- Angus cow eating grass in ditch at Grace Indian Church

10:03- racoon chased her upstairs and has her pinned in apartment and she can't leave for work

Thursday

4:26- has several chickens in yard that are not hers

4:31- dead squirrel in alley

The Best Laid Plans

I was working on one of the downtown flower beds Saturday morning when it occurred to me that my plans for it haven't worked out. We had liorope in it, but that didn't work because it had nut grass and bermuda grass mixed in it, and it also lacked color. So I stripped out most of it and put in some daffodils, tulips, and dianthus. Still have tremendous problems with bermuda grass and nut grass. The dianthus needs lots of water. So...as soon as Heritage Day is over the bed is getting a makeover. I have a new, and I hope smarter, plan for it. I will plant it in native grasses and wildflowers to match the wildflower bed across the street from it. And I'll include some flame grass on the end nearest the stop sign planters that already contain flame grass. No more weeding, and less watering!

I worked on our town website this morning and it didn't quite go as planned. I wanted to include photos of the new memorial in an album. But when I sized the photos as required, it distorted the words on the memorial stones. So I ended up putting a couple of photos on a page instead. I may go back and try the album feature again later, but for now I'll just be satisfied with the page. 

I've had to change a few plans at school lately too. Had to make some adjustments in my reading groups and move a piece of furniture and add a new student. Change has become so routine for most of us in education that we barely give it thought. New requirements, new curriculum, new schedules, new students are just part of our day.

I did have to make a change at home recently that made me very sad. However, I'm positive it will be a blessing in the long run. I've been researching the history of Caddo for two years now and many people have suggested that I write a book, which I have been doing. I had hoped to have at least a portion of it ready for the Alumni Banquet in November. That just isn't going to happen. Between physical problems, computer problems, and scheduling problems, I haven't done as much as I'd like, and if I rushed to finish it, it wouldn't be something I would be proud to sell. So, I'm going to keep working on it and it will be finished when it is finished. I just can't work any other way. I want it to be a great history of Caddo. I know it can't contain everything that ever happened, but in order for it to be my book, it has to contain a few things that I just haven't researched to my satisfaction yet. There are some unanswered questions that have to be answered before I send my pages to the printer. For those of you who were looking forward to reading it, my apologies and a plea for your continued patience.

Perhaps the best plan for me would be to make some changes in myself. I could be better organized, faster, stronger, smarter, and more efficient. I'll get right on that...after more coffee.

Survival

I was at the Alumni Association meeting last night so I missed the first twenty minutes of Survivor. I don't know if I missed anything exciting, but there sure wasn't much to be exited by in the rest of the show. One team is clearly dominant, there aren't any great personalities, and both sides already have fire and food. I hope they shake it up a bit next week.

I want Jeff to put his team to a real challenge- kindergarten! LOL Drop some poor unsuspecting fool in my classroom for a day and see if he/she can still walk and talk by the end of the day. Yesterday we managed to get through breakfast with only one major spill, one upset tummy, and two minor arguments. We walked into the classroom and twelve children gave me their picture money to record on my list. A mom with a late child needed to speak to me. A child tore her cuticle and started crying. One child wanted to change clothes because the shirt she wore for her pictures had long sleeves. Another reported that she was about to lose a tooth. Three children had notes for me- two transportation changes, and one from a mom upset about a homework assignment. And two of my boys started fussing about who was going to sit by their other friend. This was all before flag salute!

I have a great class, really. And not one major "discipline problem". I have active, supportive parents. This is the easiest year- so far- that I've had since I started teaching. Praise the Lord for his blessings. However, each day I am teacher, mother, nurse, and counselor for twenty children. Think about that sometimes when your office cubicle seems small or your patients are annoying or your customers are less than appreciative. The noise alone can drive many people insane. My classroom is pretty quiet during work times and lessons. However, during centers, lunch, and project times I let the children talk and the sound of twenty little voices chattering has to be experienced to appreciate the full effect. :) I've had parents spend a few minutes in my room during those times and say "How do you do this???" Selective hearing!

It also takes a few years to get used to the movements of kindergarten children. They wiggle, squirm, rock, shake, skip, hop, run, jump, wave their arms, and constantly drop things. One of my boys dropped his pencil five times during yesterday's phonics lesson. I watched- it wasn't intentional. Another boy fell out of his chair. One girl dropped her crayon box and crayons rolled everywhere. Another knocked over the cup of pencils shared by her table.

During any given project or lesson at least one child will lose a piece of his work, or it will be taken, and used, by another child. At least one child will do something so wrong that I will have to give him another copy of what we are doing and tell him the instructions again. At least one child will finish early and have to be directed on to something else. One child will not even write her name until half the class has competed their work. Another will get half-way through and forget what to do next. If we are working with plastic letters someone will poke their neighbor with theirs and someone else will put his in his mouth. Teaching kindergartners is kind of like juggling, singing, and riding a bicycle at the same time- lose your concentration and it all falls apart.

By the way, we took some great pictures, but three of my boys got into trouble while waiting for their classmates to finish. My lunch yesterday was crackers and juice at my desk during center time. I'm behind on testing. Six of my students struggled with yesterday's reading lesson, so we will have to do some serious review today. Project time was great, but we made a huge mess, and clean up was a riot.

Today IS FRIDAY...right?         

Twenty Pink Pigs from Parts

This is “P” week in kindergarten. We have a new letter each week and we practice recognizing it, saying its sound, writing words with it, etc. So…for art I cut out the parts for a pink pig. Each child got a big (paper plate size) circle, a slightly smaller circle, an oval with nostrils, two ears, four legs, and a curly tail. Instructions: assemble a pink pig from the parts, draw eyes and a mouth, write your name on the back, and then color it any way you want.

And before you ask- no, I don’t always pre-cut art projects. Sometimes my students have to color-cut-glue (our mantra) something printed. Sometimes they have to draw something or paint something of their own. Sometimes they tear paper and make collages. I’m an art minor so don’t try to send any grief my way about pre-cut children’s art. Variety is the spice of life. Besides, in this case I also want to know if they know what a pig looks like and where all of its parts should be.

Okay, back to the project. If you think for one minute that ANY TWO of the pigs look remotely alike you have been away from elementary children way too long. LOL We have pigs that look like they are facing directly at you, some with heads turned to the left and some to the right. Some heads are behind the edge of the body and some are on top. Some have big eyes, some little ones. Some ears stick up and some flap down. Some have four legs jammed in the middle of their body, while others clearly have two in the front and two in the back. Some have purple polka-dots and others have brown splotches. Thankfully all have the head on one end and the tail on the other.

I love children’s art! It communicates the personality and skill of each child better than almost any other medium. Shown below are apple trees made by some of my students during another year. They made them from torn pieces of paper. I could write two pages on what these simple trees tell me, but I think you can probably conclude that each child has a very different understanding of the concept of “apple tree”.

We spend a lot of time on phonics, reading, math, science, social studies, and writing. However, each week we also squeeze in some art and music. The state requires that we teach a well-rounded curriculum and Mrs. Maurer requires that we have some fun!  In addition to making our pink pigs this week we also read about a pig on a picnic, and a pig in a pen who loses a hen. We made paper pizzas and counted pennies. That’s my world-it’s a wonder I can carry on a conversation with anyone taller than four feet.

Are we there yet?

Yesterday I read a new book to my students. It was about traveling to Grandpa's apple orchard to pick apples. Pretty standard story that gave rise to a lot of discussion about favorite apples. However, one page really brought back memories and made me smile: The dad bundles the kids into the car early in the morning so they can arrive on time.

My dad thought any trip worth taking should start at two in the morning! He was always avoiding traffic, or the heat, or something that would arrive with the morning sunrise. I suspect that sometimes he was just avoiding having energetic, talkative kids in the backseat. If he started off in the middle of the night we just drifted back to sleep and let him drive. However, as I got a little older I started staying awake. Often, Mom would actually sleep in the backseat and I sat in the front to "keep Dad awake". I'm not sure he needed my presence, but it was fun. I didn't talk much, but I loved to look at the stars and wait to see the first glimpse of the sun. Dad talked about where we were going and the dark country we were passing through.

Sometimes we actually did need to avoid the heat. Our cross-country trips involved many hours travel through the desert- without air conditioning. I can remember rolling ice cubes in a cloth and rubbing them on my face and arms. I can remember keeping my head as close to the open window as possible so my hair would catch the wind. Of course we didn't wear seat belts.

We stopped in Arizona once and attempted to eat lunch at a roadside "park". It was actually a group of covered tables set among the cacti and rocks. I thought we would melt into the ground and never be seen again! I don't think anyone really ate much. Mom was actually sick from getting too hot. And I think Gran was traveling with us that time. We may have been going to Roswell to see her sister. Anyway, we just milled around a bit and resumed our travels.

Once when we were traveling in the dark I suddenly realized we were in the mountains. I guess I must have dozed off because I remember seeing these huge looming shapes and not recognizing at first what they were. Then I kept thinking there must be an edge somewhere and we'd fall off of it. Funny what the mind remembers. I know as a very young child I was in an accident in the mountains with my parents. Another time we had a "close call"- also in the mountains- that involved a lot of screaming. Perhaps my young mind imprinted those images forever!

I still like to leave early if we are going on a trip. It feels right to leave before the sun comes up. However, 5am suits me just fine. I don't have to leave in the middle of the night!

John Adams

I have to admit to a gross lack of knowledge when it comes to our early presidents. I'm sure at some time when I was in school I could recite them in order and perhaps even tell you the names of their wives. However, very few of them have ever seemed like real people. Beyond Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln I didn't know much, nor care to know much, about them as men. But that was before HBO created the mini-series John Adams, which I just finished watching this weekend. Great timing since the show broke all sorts of records at the Emmy Awards last night. Paul Giamatti won best actor honors for his portrayal of John Adams, as did actress Laura Linney, who played his wife, and Tom Wilkinson, for his supporting role as Ben Franklin. Kirk Ellis was honored for his wonderful screenplay. The program won 13 awards, including Best Mini-Series- all well-deserved. It was outstanding! Even the music was great.

One of the things that was captivating about the story was the relationship between John Adams and his wife. Abigail was his friend and confidante, his love and his companion, but she was also his critic and adviser on many important issues. Apparently she didn't let him wallow in self-pity and doubt, nor bask in the limelight if it wasn't deserved. When he was being a pompous politician she let him know it! And John Adams wasn't much of a father. Because of a variety of circumstances he was gone most of the time and Abigail raised the children alone. They were also plagued by some very serious problems and crises.

Also interesting were the relationships between Adams, Washington, Hamilton, Jefferson, and Franklin. Lots of intrigue there! And none of them were saints!

Oh, I know it's a movie. It's based on the book by David McCullough and I'm sure there are errors. I'm sure there are things in the movie that weren't in the book. I'm sure there are things in the book that were exaggerated or embellished or whatever. We can never know for sure what someone was doing or thinking if they are no longer with us. But even if only half of the movie is a true depiction of the man and his times, it is thought provoking and well worth watching. I encourage you to rent it soon. There are seven episodes and it takes a few days or a marathon weekend to watch it. Get lots of popcorn and a few tissues.   

Happy Birthday!

The love of my life is sixty-five today! It seems incredible to think of all the things we have shared and endured together. Also amazing how much our lives have changed from where we started. We were both California farm kids and look at us now.

When you were a kid, didn't you think 65 was really old? Now I think of it, and my husband, as mature. We won't be old until we are at least 80! I suppose one reason for the change in perspective is the fact that so many of our friends who are in their sixties are still working. We all expect to work until we are seventy. My dad is 78 and still driving, fishing, shopping, taking care of his yard. This week he painted his neigbor's house! My husband and I are both healthy and happy. We stay pretty active and we have lots of hobbies and interests. In ten years I hope to be telling you we are still healthy and happy and active!

So Happy Birthday honey!!

We'll celebrate with lunch at my husband's favorite restaurant. Have a great day with someone you love!

Update

Just got my photos back and thought you might like to see the tree that fell. Also a little fungi (?) that we found in the garden.

Kindergarten 101

You know I don't post about my class very much. Privacy issues and my own reluctance prevent me from revealing anything that would be harmful or embarrassing for my students or their parents. With today's custody issues and other things going on, it's sometimes difficult to even discuss a child's progress with his own parents. But there are some basic things about kindergarten that are universal and from time to time I like to post about those.

This week we are finally beginning to work as a team and follow most of our classroom procedures. Teaching procedures takes up 75% of the first month. Honestly. Most people think that we teach the children a set of rules and then they follow them. Adults are so funny! What actually happens is that we tell children the rules of behavior and then we work on getting them to obey the rules, and maybe by the last day of school most of the children are obeying most of the rules most of the time. We have five rules in our classroom. 1. Listen to teacher. 2. Use your quiet voice. 3. Be kind to others. 4. Do your best work. 5. Walk in the building. Those little rules cover just about any behavior that comes up.   

Procedures are really much more important, must be learned the first month, and must be followed. Procedures dictate how we do things, and when we do things. When you have twenty students you have to have a procedure for everything- taking attendance, passing out papers, getting a drink, lining up, turning in homework, completing a project, getting ready for dismissal, going to the bus. All of these procedures have to be planned in advance and then tested during the first few days. Once in a while a procedure that worked with the previous class just doesn't work with the present one and has to be fine-tuned or changed entirely. A schedule change can result in the need for a new procedure. Everything has to be decided quickly and pretty much "set in stone" by the second week so your children can do the same thing over and over and over. By the third or fourth week they will feel independent and confident because they can complete most procedures without assistance. I even find many of my mature students guiding the other students. They become my "little teachers" and inevitably there is one at each table. "You're supposed to write your name first!" someone will whisper. LOL

So...we are looking at the end of September already and most of my students are following procedures and working hard. They are learning when to talk and when to be quiet. They know how to complete their work and what to do when they finish. They are getting a feel for how long each lesson period lasts. I no longer have students who ask "when is it lunch time?" or "are we going to recess today?" because they know the answers. There is a rhythm to our day and they are beginning to feel it.

Our best days are ahead. I have some great students this year- in many ways one of the best groups I've ever had. I don't think I've ever had a group that got along as well as this one. Tempers flare from time to time, but twenty personalities are at work. I don't think twenty adults could work as well together as my students do!

I only wish all of you could have as much fun at work as I do!