The View from Here

Sigh of relief...

All is right with the world again. Daffodils are blooming! Heater is off. I was fearful for a while that winter would never end. I know that friends and family are now dreading the heat of summer, but I will try to be more appreciative this year of the sunshine and heat.

Another sigh of relief…Robert arrived, safe and sound, from his travels to the north and east. So much bad weather for so long- he certainly gained some snow experience! Had a great visit and loved hearing about his trip to D.C.

Just a few more days until spring break and my mind is swimming with plans and projects. Just hope my body is cooperative! Time to get in shape with my favorite exercise…gardening.

Satisfied

I finished report card testing yesterday. While I can’t say that I’m pleased with the progress of each and every student, I can say that I’m satisfied with the overall class results. The reading level of the group is high. The knowledge and skills of most students meets CC requirements. There are some very capable students in my class who could go to first grade tomorrow!

I’ve given some serious thought to the results of this year. What we are teaching and how we are teaching is entirely different from what I was taught in college. The expectations for our students have radically changed. I wonder sometimes how my professors, two in particular, would react to a day spent in my classroom. I think they would be pleased with some of the results, but very unhappy about some of the methods and expectations. One of them would be adamantly opposed to the testing we do.

We got off to a rocky start this year because of some behavior problems and lack of motivation. For the most part we have overcome those. We have also faced some academic challenges. I’ve used a few new methods this year and found them successful. I’ve also relied on some “tried and true” things that I’ve done for twenty years!

Overall…a satisfying year. Now we have nine more weeks to hone our skills! Lots of reading, writing, and vocabulary work ahead so this will be the best little group of first graders ever! 

What's in a name?

Mary Martha "Molly" Maddox Carlton

 

Apparently today is “middle name day”, so let’s all celebrate!

 My own middle name, Elizabeth, is somewhat of a mystery. My mother once told me that it was chosen from the Bible. My father told me recently that they knew a “really smart” woman named Elizabeth. I’ll take either explanation.

First names are often set by fate, passed down from one generation to the next. Or they are the product of current trends. Middle names are more often chosen to honor a friend or minor relative. For older generations your middle name might also be your mother’s maiden name or the name of the doctor who delivered you. I’ve seen plenty of both!

My mother, Margie Colleen Springer Simmons, actually used her middle name rather than her first name. My father-in-law, Irwin Edward Maurer, opted out of both of his names and was called “Dutch”.

In honor of Middle Name Day, here are some of the more unusual names, first and middle, from our family:

Rhoda

Chapman

Hindi

Ophelia

Pryor

Hagar

Ambrose

Magdelena

Greene

Arval

Delbert

Lumiza

Delina

Dicy

Fields

Serious Reading

I have to admit that I don’t often read a “serious” book, unless it’s about education or children. I most often read medical mysteries or historical novels or science fiction.  “Escape” reading is my usual choice. However, I was an avid reader in college and I do have a serious academic side that still surfaces once in a while. I have a penchant for American history and biographies. So, on the recommendation of a friend I just finished reading “Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul- Church, State, and the Birth of Liberty” by John M. Barry.

All I can say is WOW. I thought Kenneth C. Davis and David McCullough made me feel ignorant! I always suspected that the “G” version of American history we were fed by school textbooks was rather lacking in credibility, but really…I now feel like 90% of what I learned in school was specifically taught in order to develop my American pride. Ironic that the more I learn about the REAL history of our country and the very real personalities of the key players, the more reason I find to BE proud…proud that anyone survived to create a country!!

I think what struck me as I read this book in particular is how complacent most of us are about our freedoms. We take for granted our freedom of thought and speech and religion as though such liberty has always been the norm.

I was also very interested in this time period and the Puritans because my own ancestors settled in New Amsterdam shortly thereafter. Knowing the political climate of the time gives me a new perspective on their reasons for escaping to America.(One of them was arrested and fined for letting a Catholic priest into his home to baptize his child.)

I won’t bore you with an in-depth review. My opinions aren’t nearly as relevant as the author’s. But if you have similar interests I would recommend this as a “good read”. 

Mixed Feelings

Can one be hopeful and slightly depressed at the same time? I came home yesterday to snow still piled up in the corners of my dreary looking flower beds. I know that we will eventually be complaining about heat and drought, but I am SO ready to photograph flowers. This photo was taken last year on March 3! Perhaps God is teaching us more about patience and gratitude. Certainly a lesson we all need.

I started report card testing with my students yesterday. I am so very proud of their progress, but also disheartened by the fact that some simply are NOT ready to advance to first grade. I always feel like there is some process or procedure we should have begun earlier with these children. Perhaps we should test them for “readiness” before they enter kindergarten. Then that just means more testing, testing….catch 22.

I overheard a woman yesterday say that she has eleven children. A dozen was once my goal (when I was a crazy teen) and I have personally known several people from families of 10+. One former co-worker was number eleven of fourteen. So while I know it is possible, and big families make some folks happy, I just can’t figure out how anyone supports eleven children these days.

Well, it’s Friday. Mixed feelings about that too. Haven’t accomplished all that I’d hoped this week, but excited about a weekend of reading and relaxing. 

Spring...

The whispers have already begun. The anticipation in my class is palpable.

Yes folks, it’s that time of year again!

Time for Mrs. Maurer to stop assigning homework and give up any illusions that education will be a priority for my students.

Time to acknowledge the fact that many students will need a morning nap at their desk.

Time to listen to exciting tales of tragedy and triumph.

Yes….it’s T-BALL time!!!

Relax. I’m ready for it. Been there, done that. I understand. And yes, after spring break there won’t be any more homework for my class. I don’t expect parents who are chauffeuring two or three children to practices and games to also supervise homework and reading. It’s just a fact of life that once the games begin hearts and minds and bodies are out there on the field. 

Oh the places you'll go...or not

In honor of Dr. Seuss- a list of some of the places I have been and not. There may be some surprises to entertain you.

• Forestiere Underground Gardens- This was once a major tourist attraction. My grandparents lived on the grounds and worked for the family. I spent many childhood hours exploring. Still a wonderful place to visit.
• Disneyland- Never been, don’t remember ever wanting to go. I don’t like huge crowds, lines, or rides. I had a couple of bad experiences at Six Flags. I do however, like fairs and have been to the state fairs of both Texas and Oklahoma, plus some other county fairs.
• Mt. Whitney, CA- Never made it to the top, but did manage 11,000 feet. We chose a bad time to climb and ascending to the top that day required snow/ice equipment, which we didn’t have. I don’t recall why we didn’t try another time.
• Folsom State Prison- Didn’t get to see Johnny Cash, but I did visit a family member several times. Also got to see one of their famous art shows, and yes I own a painting that was painted in the prison.
• Roswell, NM- Never saw any aliens, just my Aunt Lois!
• Yosemite- One of my favorite places on earth until it got so incredibly crowded. I am so thankful for more peaceful memories from my childhood.
• Oregon- On my list of states that I must see! I have never traveled as far north as Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, or North and South Dakota. Sounds like a road trip I need to make before I’m too old!
• Mexico- Went several times as a child. Although I’ve been close to the border, I have not been as an adult. No regrets.
• Canada- Yes, I’ve been. No plans to return.
• Carlsbad Caverns, NM- Spooky wonderful place!My grandmother went with us when I was a child. Don’t remember how old I was, but I do have some good memories of it.               

Birds

These lovely birds provided some entertainment for us today. The cold doesn't seem to bother them as long as they have food. 

Sick and getting sicker...

Penicillin was considered a “miracle” drug when it was first discovered. But even Alexander Fleming warned that misuse of it might lead to antibiotic resistant bacteria. He was correct. We have grossly misused it in every way possible. And now we are paying the highest price possible. Antibiotic resistant infections are becoming a global, life-threatening problem.

Yesterday I was reading an article in Prevention magazine when a startling statistic made me stop mid-sentence. I re-read it…and re-read it. Then I went to my computer and Googled other sources. Confirmation only made the facts worse:

The CDC has determined that “Every year 2 million people in America get infections that are resistant to antibiotics and 23,000 of them die. “

Anti-biotic resistance has now become a major health issue of 2014 and one that should concern each and every one of us, especially parents of young children.

If you are thinking MRSA, think again. While MRSA still exists, it is becoming more preventable and manageable. There are other more frightening infections out there- moving from person to person, hospital to hospital and country to county. Familiarize yourself now with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae or CREs, and expect to hear more about them.

We have brought this menace on ourselves because of ignorance. There are basically two things that make us sick: viruses and bacteria. (I know that is a simplified version, but we don’t really need to discuss the difference between infection and disease, or fungi, protozoa, parasites or other topics today. I’m not a doctor!)

The common cold, influenza, measles, bronchitis, and chickenpox are caused by viruses.

Strep throat, TB, and most ear infections are caused by bacteria.

We can’t treat viruses with antibiotics, yet patients, especially parents of young children, continue to insist on doing just that. Many people routinely ask for antibiotics every time they have a sniffle. When the antibiotics don’t work they simply ask for more, thinking that they just have taken them long enough. This is from the CDC website:

 Antibiotic use promotes development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Every time a person takes antibiotics, sensitive bacteria are killed, but resistant germs may be left to grow and multiply. Repeated and improper uses of antibiotics are primary causes of the increase in drug-resistant bacteria. While antibiotics should be used to treat bacterial infections, they are not effective against viral infections like the common cold, most sore throats, and the flu. Widespread use of antibiotics promotes the spread of antibiotic resistance. Smart use of antibiotics is the key to controlling the spread of resistance.

 

It has been thirty or forty years since I’ve taken antibiotics. But I did spend many years eating meat, and agricultural use of antibiotics is also of concern to health officials. Animals are routinely given antibiotics to promote growth and prevent diseases. This is especially true in the poultry industry where animals are raised in huge flocks. It is virtually impossible to treat individual animals, so antibiotics are put into their drinking water.  Studies are being conducted to determine how this affects humans, but that’s a topic for another day.

My point for today is for you to curb the misuse of antibiotics by becoming more informed. You can begin by reading more about this on the CDC website. 

Just Words

You will have to excuse me if I am often focused on education issues. Education plays a major role in my life and my mind is always trying to solve problems or understand issues or find ways to do things better. I think it puzzles over school problems even when I’m asleep!

Yesterday as I observed my students completing a new task I was struck by their differences and reminded of two vital components of classroom work: comprehension and cooperation.

In the spring we read, read, read. Our two goals are fluency and comprehension. However, it is remarkable that students do not always attain both. I have three students who can “read” almost anything I put in front of them…but they don’t understand half of what they read. There are a couple of reasons for this phenomenon. First of all, they may still be so focused on the process of reading each word that the sentence, and therefore the story, is not received by their brains. Another reason for their lack of comprehension is my fault- I have not taken the time to ask them about the story! I have also been focused on their ability to read the words. So now we both begin reading time with a two-fold goal: reading the words AND understanding the story. However, the primary reason for not understanding a story is not understanding the words.

Yesterday’s story was a great example of reading vs. understanding. The book that we read included the sentence “Dad will go in the cab.” Easy to read! No problem! What is a cab? No clue! We sometimes overlook the simplest concepts. Our little country children do not have any experience with a taxi cab. If they have seen one in a movie or elsewhere it was not retained by their brains because they were not given enough information about it to store it for future reference. Without an understanding of the concept of “cab” they lost a key component of the story. Accumulating a powerful, diverse vocabulary is essential to reading comprehension!

Our other spring reading focus is “group work” and it is amusing to watch! Each day I give groups of four to six children a reading project to complete together. Each one involves reading something and completing a task. Yesterday they had to read a four-sentence story, read four similar sentences, and then put those sentences in the same order as the story. (For example, the story said “Beth heard the bell ringing.” The similar sentence was “She heard the bell.”) Today’s task is to read six sentences, read a word bank of six words, and choose the correct word to fill in a blank in each sentence. Other tasks include reading a simple story and answering four questions. Each reading group has a dominate reader and other students of varying levels. The rules are that the group must read together, help each member complete the task and turn in their work at approximately the same time- no team member left behind. Well, you know how that has worked! lol The first time we tried it the dominate readers were out of their seats in record time and they were very surprised when I made them return to their group! Now that we have practiced the concept several times everyone is eager to do group work each day. The dominate readers get to be leaders and the less-confident readers know they will be successful.

And you thought kindergarten was all about playdough and recess!