Chocolate Therapy

I have had three difficult days at work in a row, following up on a stressful end of the week last week. Today I have spent the day with my inside voice screaming louder with each incident in the classroom, "Just give me chocolate!" I indulged in two Oreos when I got home.

Now I am curled up with Jo on the couch (I love my laptop) with a cup of tea and typing with one hand, the other being busy snuggling.

Fi has finished her math homework and has joined the snuggling on the couch. So, I will give in to snuggle therapy rather than chocolate therapy and let the stresses of the day slip away.

Inspiration

I am wading through Mosaic of Thought by Ellin Oliver Keene and Susan Zimmerman. I am totally loving it. As I have been delving into the Net resources on guided reading and reading comprehension over the past several months, over and over again this book was referenced as a key starting place for teachers working to support their students in developing stronger comprehension. So I ordered it and have been plowing through. I think that this will be one of those books that gets reread and written all over.

The most exciting aspect of the book is that the research Keene and Zimmerman are sharing from classrooms all over the USA fits with what my gut has been prodding me about for the past year. So, I am wrestling with how this means I need to change my teaching so that my students are able to become stronger readers.

This is the trill of the chase in teaching... hunting strategies that work better for learning.

40 Things I Love About You

My dearest husband celebrated a big birthday this past month.

As my beloved moves beyond his big birthday I hope and pray that he will be freed to live deeply in the moment and enjoy the blessings of his new season. I hope that he will see himself clearly for the incredibly talented, creative, and faithful man that he is. So, this blog entry is dedicated to the man that I love and cannot imagine my life without.

LK, here are 40 things, large and small, that I love about you...

1. Fifteen years ago you were absolutely sure that I was "the One" when I was lost in doubt and fear - and you have remaind rock solid since then.
2. You have always known that a hug and a shoulder to cry on help in dealing with hurt more than any words of sympathy.
3. You put aside your own desires when someone else has a need.
4. You develop an interest in the things that matter to other people around you - even if it is silly shoes that are completely useless for where we live.
5. You care enough about other people to remember the little things, like their favourite snacks or movie.
6. On Saturday mornings where our early bird is up a 5 a.m., you get up with him and let me sleep.
7. You remember birthdays.
8. You remember anniversaries.
9. You bring dark chocolate home from town faithfully.
10. You make sure we all have a nutritious breakfast every day, and get up early to make eggs and toast during the week.
11. You faithfully cook yummy dinners that are the highlight of my day.
12. You sit through Barbie and Tinkerbell movies with your little girl without complaint.
13. You sit through Project Runway with your wife without complaint.
14. You know when the next Project Runway season is being released and order it for me as a surprise.
15. You shovel a rink for your family when you don't have skates to use it yourself.
16. You shovel our neighbours' driveways every time it snows, because that's the kind of guy you are.
17. You are brave enough to go on the adventure of our lives; even though it meant leaping, rather than stepping, out of our comfort zone.
18. You are brave enough to start a new career from scratch because you are needed. And you are amazing to watch as you spread your wings and show great talent in yet another skills set.
19. You are brave enough to let go of old dreams that you have grown beyond.
20. You encourage me to have social time with others, even when you don't need it for yourself, and don't complain about staying home with the little people.
21. You listen and listen and listen to my worries and concerns. And then you listen some more.
22. You make my knees weak still, after almost 14 years.
23. You make heart-soothing music, soul-nourishing food, and eye-pleasing pictures.
24. You know exactly what makes me hot and bothered, and are shameless about getting me hot and bothered.
25. You get down on the floor and play with your kids, even when you are tired and want to hide behond a book.
26. You share your chips with the rest of the family - even when they are your special treat.
27. You encourage, and encourage, and encourage.
28. You teach out of your love of learning; our kids, me, and your students.
29. Your hands; strong enough to play a tracker organ and gentle enough to dry tears.
30. Your hugs, which are always freely given.
31. Your interest in books and stories and the world of imagination.
32. Your eye for beauty in the world around you.
33. Your photos. They inspire me to see the world differently.
34. Your music. There is no finer accompanist on earth.
35. Your ability to craft mood and tone through music and text and images.
36. You encourage me to go ahead and let it out when I am mad-as-hell and frustrated at the world. And you don't laugh when I wind down and just sound silly and complainy.
37. You usually have the best-interests of those you love in mind rather than the best-interests of yourself.
38. You notice every move in the right direction and encourage me to keep at it.
39. You get down on the floor and play LEGO with your kids.
40. You do laundry and dishes.

I could go on and on... but I only allowed myself 40 this time.

You are God's greatest relationship gift to me, other than my relationship with Him. Thank you for being the One for the past 15 years.

I love you, LK.

Back In the Saddle

The past two weeks have been crazy busy. We are back in the swing of school full time, LK celebrated his birthday, and things have turned upside down at work.

Things are very busy in the classroom with students being amazingly well behaved that first week back, then going into some sort of protest the second week, as well as having a new students mixed up the classroom dynamic. That has been exhausting.

LK celebrated a big birthday but wanted to keep it low key. So we were busy with that for a week.

This week our top dog at school announced that she is leaving for another position in the city, and she has a week left here. Her replacement is the Head of Resource, who is being replaced by the grade 1 teacher, who is being replaced by a new teacher. Quite a chain. It means there will be some big changes coming down the pipe over the next several months. THis has many staff members at school wondering what it means for their jobs.

LK and I have been trying to thing ahead without getting worried or stressed about the impact this will have on our classrooms, students, and family. We would appreciate prayer for wisdom in knowing if this is a step into setting roots here, or a lifting of our roots and getting us ready to move on again. We are hoping for the former as we have begun to make connections in Grassy with people other than the "outside teachers".

I am thankful for the sense of care and blessing that I have strongly felt over the past month from God. I have had so many moments of wonder at my kids and spouse, and been awed by how rich I am in the love of my family. I am deeply thankful for our jobs, which we both are enjoying and learning so much in. I love my long-distance friends and family and am finding new riches in the relationships we are developing living far away from one another. It has also been wonderful to have LK's mom here to visit, and we are looking very much forward to our next visitors over the March Break.

Anyway, meandering blog aside, we are well. I have not been up to crafting thoughtful reflections on my day for the past two weeks as the days have been long and tiring. Hopefully the next few weeks will settle down.

The Good, the Bad and the Just Plain Frustrating

It was a really good day yesterday. We ended a great week at school with students and were enjoying a cheerful family drive into town with requite silly conversation and singing. LK turned to me partway to town and said, "This is really more fun than I thought."

With a big smile on my face I replied, "Teaching?"

"All of it. Working together, talking over ideas and stuff. It's different than music."

It made me smile to my belly button. LK and I have been working together since the very beginning of our relationship. It started with a musicology project in university, continued with a singing/accompanying relationship, and is evolving with a colleagial relationship in teaching. It has been a wonderful privilege to work together like this. Few couples get to have a relationship this intense that works. Not to say that it is always smooth sailing- we have conflicts for sure, but it is productive and enjoyable far more than it causes us frustration. It has been a source of deep gratitude for me for the past fourteen years.

It was an afternoon of feeling blessed to overflowing yesterday. But, there was a frustrating blip in the day to mar its perfection (isn't there always?).

I had bought LK a wool coat from Mark's Work Warehouse in Kenora for Christmas. I bought it a month before Christmas and paid close to the full amount for the coat (it was on the first set of markdown prices for seasonal wear). He tried it on at Christmas and it was okay, but when he went to wear it for the first time the zipper unzipped from the bottom as he zipped it up. Not the quality I am willing to live with for the price. So it was set aside to be returned after the holiday (once the company was gone and life settled back into a routine). I had made sure to get a gift receipt, just in case, and had carefully put it in a safe spot in my wallet. Unfortunately I chose the week before Christmas to clean out my wallet of all old receipts and the gift receipt went with all the others into the oblivion of the garbage.

It wasn't until this week when I was getting ready to return the coat that I realized my mistake. Fortunately the coat was the Mark's house brand and I figured that even if it was on sale a bit more, they would have the customer service to take back a broken coat that hasn't even been worn. I was willing to get whatever was the current sale price.

I was not prepared for sales clerk without problem solving skills and a complete lack of interest in keeping a customer coming back. When they scanned the coat it came up at a price of $19.99. Now, right away I thought that was a ridiculously low price for a wool coat whose original price was close to $200-. Did it raise red flags for the clerks? No. They were a bit flustered, but the computer is not to be questioned- that was the price. Never mind that it is only the beginning of January and seasonal wear doesn't get marked down 90% until well into February or even March. So I went and looked for another one of the same coat- there were two in other sizes. They both had price tags of $149-. I asked the clerks why this discrepancy? They figured that the coats were to go on sale for $19.99 shortly. I could either take a new coat ordered from another store that would hopefully not have a broken zipper, or take a lost of over 75% and get $20 back.

I was livid, to say the least.

So, I got the numbers of the corporate office, blah, blah. blah, and took my broken coat back out with me. It took a concerted effort to let go of the anger and frustration - what in the world happened to treating people with respect? Why do companies insist on making their customer feel like it is an affront to expect to get our money's worth from a product?

I did it though- I put the frustration aside for the rest of the afternoon, which was lovely.

Guess what showed up this morning in our cleaning? The receipt. So now I can go back and get my money back. I sure won't be shopping at Marks in Kenora again. Because in my opinion, their customer service sucks.

Fortunately

The original children's book by Remy Charlip (cover pictured above) starts out,

"Fortunately, Ned was invited to a surprise party.

Unfortunately, the party was a thousand miles away.

Fortunately, a friend loaned Ned an airplane.

Unfortunately, the motor exploded.

Fortunately, there was a parachute in the airplane.

Unfortunately, there was a hole in the parachute."

Ned's adventures continue until he fortunately stumbles upon a party that happens to be a surprise party for Ned himself.

If you recall any of your own adolescence you will understand why a seventh grade teacher does not look forward to preparing a class for a performance of any kind. Most seventh graders abhor standing up on a stage in front of a bunch of people and performing in any way. Singing is absolutely out of the question, a play is a possibility, but opening and closing the curtains for other classes is much more in line with what most adolescents would choose as their participation in a Christmas Program.

So, as December began a little over a month ago, and LK was casting about for some inspiration for something for his class to do for their share of the concert he struck upon the idea of a Fortunately, Unfortunately story. This was a writing activity that he uses occasionally for a fun Friday shared writing session with his class. So they wrote a story about Santa that followed the theme of a Fortunately, Unfortunately story. They illustrated each sentence and LK took photos that he projected on Power Point while the class read their story to the audience. It was fabulous, creative and totally theirs. I have learned that this sort of thing is typical for my spouse, take a pretty good idea and make it into something personal, unique and perfectly-suited-to-the-occasion.

During the holiday he had a brainstorm - take the pictures that the students worked so hard on and assemble them into a book like primary teachers do with class books. I suggested that he put it into the school library for all students to sign out. That way his authors are published and have an audience for their work. So he did, and I signed it out yesterday to share with my class.


In my classroom this month we are working on a reading comprehension strategy called Asking Questions. Basically it is teaching students to ask questions before, during and after reading. We adult readers do this automatically (we wonder and think about what will happen, we go huh? when something doesn't connect). Children have to be taught to do this. So that is what we are working on in fourth grade this month.


This morning for shared reading I picked up Fortunately. We looked at the cover, asked some questions and then dove in. By the third page all of my students were listening carefully. They started asking questions by the sixth page. By the end they were on a roll with questioning and (this is the best) laughing out loud at the story. I LOVE THAT! It was a totally magical moment where my students, who usually have to be bribed to read, were engaged in enjoying a book together. But the very best came in writing workshop after I showed my class what the grade sevens had done with their story.


Instead of the topic I had planned on modelling for the class I grabbed a teachable moment and suggested that it might be fun to try our own Fortunately story. They were completely on board. So we wrote a story about an imaginary seventh grader who is chosen to carry the Olympic torch in Kenora, but runs into some trouble getting there. I was in heaven watching my students share ideas, listen to one another, take suggestions, make decisions, and craft a creative, interesting, believable story with no guns in it.


Now they want to make a book just like the grade sevens did. Have I mentioned that I have the best job in the world?

Wednesday

It is so good to feel deeply refreshed after a holiday. I was still smiling (without faking it) at the end of the day. I was tired, but not stretched. I wish that every day, even those long ones that used three days' worth of patience in June, could end with that feeling.

However, the work to do after the kids go to bed just isn't letting up. Isn't it supposed to be easy after a few years of teaching? Aren't I supposed to have all my plans done and laminated (much sarcasm here)? Sigh.

I love my job. I also love to curl up on a cold winter night with a good book or a DVD of a favourite tv series and chill out. I would love to leave school at school every day and just be me at home. But if I did that my students wouldn't get what they need from their learning every day.

That is the best part of the holidays, no homework for the teacher.

Back at It

We started back to school today. It was not nearly as difficult as I had anticipated. I think that really being refreshed by our holiday made a big difference in my attitude today. Plus I really do love my job, almost as much as I love hanging out with my family. And, really, I get to do both every day. Who could ask for more?

It was an early morning, with LK working out downstairs at 6am (which woke me up to the THUMP THUMP of his shoes on the living room floor). Fi was awake by 6:30 (very uncharacteristic for her) and crawled into bed with me as her room was cold. It was -34 this morning.

So we all were up before we needed to be. That led to a relaxed getting ready with no rush at the last second to get bites of breakfast down on the way out the door. I had everything laid out last night too, which made a huge difference. I must remember to keep that up- it improved my morning mood substantially.

Arriving at daycare we discovered that the heat is STILL NOT WORKING. I had no words. We just slipped back into the take-Jo-to-school routine and I am home with him this afternoon. It turned out to be a good thing though, I got the tree and decorations all put away and the living room all tidied. It feels a bit bare in here, but that it the January sans-decor feeling. It will pass soon enough.

My class was remarkably well behaved this morning. In fact, I stopped mid-morning and commented on the fact that I had not had to even warn anyone about their behaviour. Stunning! I was delighted. Didn't want to leave, in fact, I really wanted to enjoy their attention to their learning.

So, I am revelling in the chatter of my son, "Mama, Jo do dishes," which is a constant sound and puttering without feeling guilty about where I should be. Jo is enjoying that fact that he has my attention and doesn't have to wear his pants. It is sometimes really nice to have things out of your control and just to roll with it- because anything else just gets me supremely bent out of shape.