Wilderness Trek 2009

Summer 2009 has been a crazy one. Between teaching full-time at Circle of Support (teaching 5 different classes and grade levels which meant a lot of planning), plugging away at summer classes for the Master Reading Teacher certification, and trying to transition jobs and districts...I've been a little overwhelmed. Back in the spring, I agreed to chaperone a group of Central Dallas kids to Wilderness Trek in Colorado. As the week grew closer, I was excited for the opportunity to visit my favorite place in the world (Colorado!) but not so thrilled about the timing as I was just so swamped with everything going on. However, looking back over the week, I now see that I began the trip with the absolutely wrong attitude. I went into the week thinking about "my time, my schedule, my inconveniences" or even how "I" was going to enjoy Colorado and how "I" wanted to hike another mountain, etc.etc. How I was humbled this week! Over and over I was reminded that the Trek experience has very little to do with hiking and backpacking or being in Colorado and everything to do with what we learn and how we grow, and as an adult, how we can support the kids as they are stretched, challenged, and pushed, both physically and spiritually.

Although this was not my first experience with Trek, it was just as powerful. I was just amazed at the peace of mind and stillness of heart that I felt throughout the week. All the thoughts and pressures that constantly attack my mind at home seemed so impossibly far away. This is a week that definitely brings out both the best and worst in me. In ways, I felt I found myself (the "me" God intended) again, and in other ways, I saw so clearly the areas that are still so lacking (patience, generosity, gentleness). But more important was the astounding growth I saw in the kids. Our guides were wonderful and led such thought-provoking devotionals each day and painted such powerful spiritual parallels that I feel really took root not only in my mind, but in the kids' minds as well. Although this can be so physically challenging, the struggle is often much deeper within. I was so proud of the growth I saw in the kids as they stepped up as leaders, looked within themselves, pushed themselves, and encouraged each other all the way to the top and down. I know many were touched in countless ways this week...I was!

Kayaking

Every summer I work at a summer learning/enrichment program in South Dallas called Circle of Support Girl S.M.A.R.T. and Boy S.M.A.R.T. I teach 5th and 6th grade girls Reading and this summer I also taught a writing enrichment class in the afternoons. Circle of Support also partners with lots of other community organizations to bring a wide variety of enrichment opportunities to the kids. One of those partnerships is with the Dallas Arboretum. Every year we take the sixth grade girls to do a week long nature and science camp there. The highlight of the week each year is the day we go kayaking on White Rock Lake. I always think this is such a fun day. Most of the girls are nervous and unwilling beforehand but two minutes on the water and they are loving it. It can be a little challenging for some to figure out the whole "steering" concept but we always make it across the lake and back. We go across one way, stop and eat lunch, then paddle back to where we started. Sometimes I don't even think the girls completely appreciate what they've just done, but I'm always proud of them that they accomplished something I'm pretty sure they've never thought about doing in their lives. Sometimes education is so much more than the academic content we teach in classrooms. Sometimes the best education we can give kids is just new and unique experiences. Experiences that take them outside their "boxes", expose them to new things and activities and people, and help them realize just how much is out there. Experiences that challenge them to stretch themselves and do more than they expect of themselves. Experiences that give them a thirst for learning and trying new things. Even if they never kayak again, I hope that they remember this day the next time they are presented with something new and challenging and feel more confident and eager to dive in and try it.

I personally enjoy kayaking a lot and could probably even enjoy it as a hobby if I had somewhere to store a kayak and some way to haul it around! ;-) Here are some pics of our fun day in the 106 degree heat on White Rock Lake.

Coming Soon....Madison Kate Curtis!

This weekend I went to Sulphur Springs to visit my BFF Rachel (Henderson) Curtis. She and Braughn moved to SS about two years ago and I think I have only visited once! I realize that is pathetic on my part, but I will soon have a reason to visit more often! Braughn and Rachel are expecting their first baby girl within the next month or so and today was their shower at their church. I really enjoyed spending the night, catching up with both the Curtis's and Rachel's parents, and getting excited about Madison! Rachel and Braughn will be amazing parents and I'm thrilled for them.

So stay tuned...hopefully I will have pictures to post of Miss Madison before too long!

Game Night at Janet's

Last weekend, Janet hosted a game night at her house for all the former University of Values teen workers or teens who have been associated with various Central Dallas programs that are now in college. Most of us have not seen in each other in awhile and Janet thought it would be good for the college students to re-connect and have each other to encourage each other and support each other on the mountain to college graduation. I didn't know that there was going to be delicious Mexican food like quesadillas and GUACAMOLE! Janet made some of the best guacamole I have ever had. I could not stop raving about it! :-)

However, while waiting on the others to finish eating, I started reading a book on Janet's shelf called "Tulia." This peaked my interest since Tulia, Texas is in our neck of the woods in the Panhandle. I got sucked into this book and could not put it down all week. It was all about a legal battle that took place back in the late 90's and early 2000's. One spring morning back in 1999, the Swisher County sheriff's office arrested 47 people for selling powder cocaine. Almost all of the arrested were black. The arrests were made on the testimony of an undercover narc. The whole thing was suspicious from the start for several reasons....first of all, the population of Tulia is less than 5,000 people and if 50 people were selling cocaine, who were they selling it to? Secondly, the fact that they did not find any drugs whatsoever in any of the defendent's homes when they were arrested sent up some flags. Thirdly, the fact that mostly African-Americans seemed to be targeted was another concern. Come to find out, the undercover cop had absolutely no evidence other than his word and he had completely fabricated many of his reports. However, the trials that followed were insane and many of those arrested were sentenced for huge amounts of time, even up to 361 years! The book was all about the legal struggle that followed to get these people appeals and a fair and just trial...and believe me, it was a struggle. It was a sobering look into our state's justice system and to many of the prejudices that are still all too real in many parts of our world.

Anyways, here are some pics of the game night, although I was on the couch reading this book and not participating in the fun!

Around Town This Summer...

So I've been meaning to post for awhile about some of the interesting field trips I've been able to go on with the kids this summer at Circle of Support. Most of these were in June, so I'm only a month behind!

One of the first trips we went on was to the House of Blues in downtown Dallas. They did a special presentation for kids on June 19th (Juneteenth) about the history of African-American folk music and art and the impact that blues music has had on many other genres. It was called the "Blues Schoolhouse" and it was very well put together, especially the musical history by the band. It really made me want to go back to the House of Blues for a concert or a meal sometime. Very culturally rich enviroment.

One Wednesday afternoon we loaded up the bus and headed to far west Ft. Worth to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing where our country's currency is printed! Currency is only made in two places in the United States...Ft. Worth and Washington D.C. We had to go through some pretty tight security to enter the facility and then a tour guide walked us through the entire building and showed us all the money in the process of being printed. It was pretty amazing to see literally millions of dollars before your very eyes! The kids weren't too impressed with this field trip, but I thought it was interesting.

Another week we visited the Old Red Museum in downtown Dallas. This is the former Old Red Courthouse that has been recently renovated into a museum about the history of Dallas Co. The girls participated in a program about the history of toys and games and how they've changed over the years and then created their own Mr. Potato Heads out of real potatoes, like the original toys. However, the displays in this museum were great and I could have definitely spent more time perusing them. Now that I've lived in Dallas for awhile, the history is a little more meaningful and fascinating to me. I would definitely recommend this museum to any visiting guests who like this kind of thing!

Then of course we have our regular Friday field trips that are more entertainment based and have inlcuded visits to Incredible Pizza, Amazing Jakes, Hawaiaan Falls, and roller skating so far...I'm not as big a fan of these field trips, but the kids do have fun.

Next week we will be taking the sixth graders to the Dallas Arboretum Camp. I always enjoy this trip every year. They learn a little about nature, make birdhouses, create journals, and also have a kayaking day in which we learn to kayak on White Rock Lake...it was a lot of fun last year, so looking forward to that for the upcoming week, alhtough not eager to be in the 105 degree weather.

I also took a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina over the Fourth of July holiday, so my next post will be "Out of Town This Summer!"

Change Is A'Comin!

Decision making has never been one of my strong points. You see, I hate change but for some reason it's like I'm always putting myself in situations that require change. For me, the actual decision to make the change is the hardest, followed by the transition phase in which I constantly question myself and regret the choice and stress myself out. But typically, once the "deal is sealed" and I'm past the point of no return, I'm fine.

For the past couple of months, I have been grappling with a pretty big decision. I have been at Pearl C. Anderson for three years now...two as a teacher and one as a librarian. From the outside looking in, it seems the librarian posiiton is quite the "cushy" job. No grading, no profiling, no test scores, no parent calls. It was a pretty stress-free year. But all year, something just seemed a little empty. I just wasn't being challenged and I didn't feel like I was making any kind of real difference. No one cared if I came to work and did my job or not. The only kids that I really had any kind of relationship with were kids I had as students...not the incoming sixth graders or kids I didn't already know. Then on top of that, our school is just pretty much a mess as far as the structure and discipline and accountability goes. The kids are out of control all the time. Rigorous, meaningful instruction is rarely seen. However, my frustration is not even really with the kids or even with their parents that send them to school acting that way. My frustration is with my co-workers who refuse to be team-players, who refuse to work together, who refuse to follow any of the initiatives that are put in place in an attempt to build some kind of structure. My frustration is with our administrators who don't hold anyone accountable...teachers or students. I felt myself growing apathetic. I felt myself getting content and comfortable, hiding out in the library from all the frustrating stuff going on in the building. I was distancing myself and daily losing a little more of the drive that used to motivate me. But I wasn't happy because I don't want to live my life at a mediocre level. I don't want to give mediocre effort at whatever is before me. I began to realize that maybe the library was not for me. I began to realize that Pearl C. Anderson might not be the place for me either. On top of that, many of my reasons for being at Pearl C. had transferred away as Turner Courts was torn down, the ASA moved to Roseland, and many of the connections, relationships, and families that I hoped to build with at Pearl C. disappeared. Suddenly, I felt very disconnected within the South Dallas community that used to be rich with partnerships.

So kind of on a whim, I looked up KIPP TRUTH Academy, a charter school that I've known about since they started here in Dallas in 2003. This is a 5-8 grade middle school in Oak Cliff that is part of a national network of KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) schools. These schools demand high expectations of both students and staff, but have amazing results. I contacted the principal out of curiosity and the ball began rolling. I attended an information session just to observe the school. I saw quiet, orderly classrooms where students were focused and diligently working. Teachers weren't screaming or yelling or talking on cell phones. They were TEACHING! Whoa!! I saw students lined up without a sound in the hallways for dismissal or restroom breaks...each one holding a book and reading silently. It was such a drastic constrast to the Pearl C. environment that I almost couldn't believe that these kids were the same age, same background, same demographic as the students I see every day. When these KIPPsters leave 8th grade, they are getting scholarships to all the best private high schools in the area...some have even been accepted to boarding schools in the northeast. They improve 5-6 grade levels in reading and math within just a year or two at KIPP. I was impressed to say the least. I was invited back for an interview, then an extended observation session, then to teach a sample lesson. Each time the principal was very straightforward about their expectations for both students and staff. He emphasized that it is very hard work and not the place for everyone. The school does have an extended school day (7-5 each day) and two Saturdays a month (8-1) and three extra weeks in the summer. They have a very specific structure and very specific procedures in place for everything from how to pass up papers to how to take a class to the restroom. Some might find this environment too restrictive, but the students seem to have adapted well and the absolute absence of any discipline problems speaks to the effectiveness of having a consistent structure in place that ALL the teachers adhere closely to. Every teacher at KIPP is committed and dedicated to seeing each student succeed no matter what. College is the goal and it is emphasized often. Every second counts is also a heavily-repeated theme. Although I was somewhat intimidated by the intensity, I was also intrigued by the idea of being a part of something that is really making measurable progress with these kids. I was intrigued by the idea of being able to TEACH instead of deal with crazy discipline issues all day every day. I was excited to be a part of a committed and passionate team of people who feel the same way about education that I do.

Well, just as I was getting pretty excited about possibly getting on board at KIPP, I hit a few speed bumps. First, KIPP starts their new school year in June. They promote their students to the next grade and have three weeks of summer school, including two days of "KIPPnotizing" for the incoming fifth graders in which all the procedures and policies are drilled into them. I had already committed to working at Circle of Support for the summer as well as six hours of grad school classes and was quite intimidated by making such a big transition so soon...especially since the only position he still needed to fill was science. Now I've never entertained the thought of teaching science even for even a minute before. Not that I hated science in school, but I didn't just love it either. I've always just naturally been a reading/language arts person. So I wasn't sure how I felt about that. So after much excruciating thought, I told the principal that I just didn't think I could do it because I just didn't feel starting so quickly in June was the right timing for me. However, he then presented another possibility to me. I could teach 7th grade science (which there are only two class sections of 7th graders), I could come two days in June, and then start in August. Now not having to back out on my summer commitments made me feel entirely better about this possibility.

Still, it has been an inner struggle in making this decision. Teaching at KIPP is not for everyone. You're basically committing to at least a 50-60 hour work week, eleven months out of the year. I've wondered if I can fit into the discipline style and structure. I've wondered if I will regret giving up the freedom and flexibility I've had in the library position. On a more minor detail level, I've struggled with not being able to work at Circle of Support next year and not being able to go on Wilderness Trek this August with CDM after all. I've battled myself about teaching 7th grade and about teaching science. At KIPP I most likely will not have a classroom...I will teach in the cafeteria. I'm wondering how that will work for science. There are a million little factors that I have weighed again and again and driven myself crazy with. It's just that there are decisions in the past that I made and now realize I made for the wrong reasons and I don't want this to be one of those situations.

But at the same time, it has been good because it has forced me to look closely at myself, what I'm really about, and how I'm contributing to the things I believe in. I'm realizing that I have allowed myself to become "comfortable" and unchallenged...and a person doesn't grow like that. People around me don't grow like that. The world doesn't change like that. I realized that I have the opportunity to work in an enviroment that will not only challenge me, but hold me accountable. And where I can be a part of changing the trajectory of kids' lives by giving them the quality education that leads to choices and possibilities for their futures.

This past Thursday and Friday I had to attend the first two days of orientation for new 5th graders, called "KIPPnotizing". Let me just say it was intense...and tedious. But what I'm realizing is that the strict discipline and consistent structure completely eliminates so many of the distractions to learning that exist in other schools. Teachers I've always worked with commonly remark, "Well, you just have to choose your battles..." But at KIPP, the structure eliminates all the battles, so all you have to do is teach. It's really a startling contrast to every other school I have ever been in, and I'm really starting to get excited about being a part of it.

You can go to www.kipp.org or www.kipptruth.org (the Dallas school that I will be at) to learn more. I would love to hear what you think!!

"The experience of the race shows that we get our most important education not through books, but through our work. We are developed by our daily task, or else demoralized by it, as by nothing else."- Anna Garlin Spencer

Summer--Here With a Bang!

Today is only the second day of summer break and it's already busy!! It's been great so far though!! Thursday was our last official day for DISD. After finishing up there I headed straight to our teacher meeting and parent open house for the Circle of Support Girl S.M.A.R.T. Summer Learning Program where I work every summer. I have grown to really throughly enjoy working at this camp. It is Monday-Friday for eight weeks each summer, located in South Dallas. I work with the girls program, although there is also a boys' program. I teach 5th and 6th grade Reading every day in the mornings. In the afternoons, the kids have all kinds of enrichment activities and programs. On Fridays we take field trips. I really look forward to the program every year...this year no exception. However, this year I will also be teaching a writing enrichment class in the afternoons. After the meeting I was a little overwhelmed because I have sooooo much preparation to do this weekend! After not teaching reading or writing during the school year this year, I'm a little rusty and need to go back through all my stuff and pull some things together. So that is pretty much what the rest of my weekend will consist of.

Friday morning was wonderful because my good college friend, Crystal Holm, came into town, along with her fiance, Kyle. Crystal now lives in Oregon and I have not seen her in two years!!! I was really excited to see her and also meet Kyle who I have heard so much about. I kind of drug them around all day, because I had to go back up to Pearl C. to check on some things with the summer school equipment check-out. Then I had promised Jazmine (Wyshina's daughter) that I would take her to lunch for her thirteenth birthday this week. Jazmine will be leaving next week to go live with her dad in Guam for at least a year (he's in the Air Force) so I've been trying to spend time with her before she leaves. So we went to eat at Razoo's where she and I loaded up on fried food (fried gator tails, fried pickles, and fries...yuck, I'm grossing myself out just reading that!). Then Crystal, Kyle, and I went to Wal-mart to get some things to cook out later that evening. We played a little Wii, made brownies, and then set up for our cook-out by the pool. Holly, Aaron, and Maddy also joined us. Holly brought three things that were just awesome...deviled eggs (yumm!!), fresh cherries (yumm yumm yumm!!!) and then a vase of some beautiful fresh tulips for my apartment. They look so pretty on my dining table...I sure wish I had a camera to take a picture of them!! :-( T.A. brought his little girl to swim in the pool and she insisted on me doing that with her most of the time, so I'm glad that Crystal, Kyle, Holly, and Aaron were able to entertain themselves quite well. (Sorry guys!). Even though I didn't get to do as much visiting as I would have liked, I am so glad that all of these people were able to come over. Crystal and Kyle had to get up really early for their flight back to California today so it was a short visit, but I'll take it!

So the rest of today and tomorrow will consist of class and lesson planning. Camp will start Monday, and my Summer I class will start on Tuesday. For Summer I, I will have class Tuesday and Thursday night from 5:00-9:00. On three, everyone say ugh...one, two, three, UGHHHHH!!!! Then in Summer II I will have class at the same times, but on Mondays and Wednesdays. So it's going to be a long summer. Next Thursday and Friday, I will go to KIPP for two days of "KIPPnotizing" (more about this in my next post!) and next weekend we will have a bake sale for Trek. So...the summer busy-ness begins...but for the most part it's busy-ness that I really enjoy (not the night classes, but everything else!) So with that said...got to go down to the garage, dig through the teaching stuff and get these plans together!!! Happy summer everyone!! :-)

Hmmmm!!!

I got this in an email forward today...pretty good!!

After being interviewed by the school administration, the prospective teacher said: Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning. You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride. You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job. You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the final exams. You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents in English, Spanish or any other language, by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card. You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard,a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps. You want me to do all this and then you tell me....... I CAN'T PRAY?

Ah, Pictures!

I borrowed these from another bridesmaid off of Facebook. They will have to do for now!

Meredith's Wedding

I'm sitting with my feet propped up after a long day of heels and endless picture taking and trying to wrap my mind around the fact that my "little sister" Meredith is married!! Wow! The wedding was nice and relaxed...not too fancy schmancy so that everyone could focus on what the day was REALLY about instead of stressing over crazy details. Meredith was a beautiful bride of course. I would post pictures BUT...

I finally figured out that my camera had been stolen off my desk from school a couple of weeks ago. I've been very distraught about that because I loved that camera. One good thing was that my memory card was in my laptop at the time so at least I didn't lose that or all of my pictures. (FYI--This is my second camera to be stolen by the way...my first digital camera was stolen the day after Brandon and Amanda's wedding when my apartment was broken into a couple years ago.)Anyways, I've been trying to figure out all week how I could get my hands on a camera to be able to take pictures of this weekend, but after a picture-less rehearsal last night, I finally concluded I was just going to have to buy another one right now. I have a couple of graduations that I wanted to be able to document as well so I figured now was as good a time as any to fork over the money I shouldn't have to be spending again. So this morning I went to Wal-mart before my hair appointment to pick one out. I was running late so it was a rushed selection. Then I realized that I left my memory card at home so I had to drive all the way back to get that and drive back across town to the hair place...trying so hard not to miss anything or be late. Meredith's hair lady did my hair (and did a bee-you-ti-ful job if I do say so) and then we went to the church to get ready. I had to search everywhere for a pair of scissors to open the package and ended up shredding the pacakge trying to get the camera out. I excitedly put in the batteries and began to peel off the sticker covering the LCD screen just as Meredith was starting to get ready...and....the stinkin' screen was broken!!! ARGGHHHHHH!!!! Still no pictures!! I was so sad!! Of course there were a million other people taking zillions of pictures so hopefully they will share some with me, but there's nothing like being able to take your own.

The whole wedding weekend has been really nice. Last night at the rehearsal dinner (which was On the Border....my absolute favorite!!!!) everyone just stood up and shared really sweet things about Brandon and Meredith. It was such a random mix of people there but it was neat to see how we could all come together for one special purpose. Probably the thing I loved the most is that after the rehearsal dinner last night we all went back to the Campbells along with all their college friends who were here for the wedding and just had a devotional and prayer time for a couple of hours. We just sang and people took turns praying for Brandon and Meredith. I've been in and around a ton of weddings but I really admired their determination to maintain a spiritual focus and to put aside all the details to just enjoy their friends and family and worship together. It was really beautiful.

Meredith is just really special to me. She's always been way more wise and mature than me, even though I'm seven years older, and she has always been a great listening ear and advice giver! :-) There have been many times that I have not been a good friend or "big sis" but she never gave up on me and she fought to keep our friendship intact. She is one of the handful of people in the world that i know truly cares about me no matter what.

So anyways hopefully I can mooch some pictures off of someone so you all can see my beautiful hair do...and oh yeah, Meredith! ;-)

Exhausting Weekend!

While most people were relaxing beside barbecue grills or swimming pools this weekend, I spent the past three days in round-the-clock strenuous manual labor. I moved to another apartment this weekend and it was quite the ordeal. I think packing and moving is one of the most difficult and frustrating things we have to endure in life...it makes me wish I were my grandparents who have lived in the same house for over 50 years. It never seems like you have that much stuff until you start opening all the cabinets and closets and putting things into boxes. Then it's just embarrassing to have to ask anyone to help you. However, it must be done..ugh, ugh, UGH!!!

Saturday morning started off with our rescheduled car wash to raise money for the Wilderness Trek trip. We didn't have very many cars come through, but there were only a few of us so it was probably all we could handle. It seemed like every vehicle that came through was either a huge SUV or pickup truck...which they deserve to have their cars washed as well, but goodness!!...very tiring! After the car wash it was off for more packing. I couldn't pick up the keys until 5pm and the moving truck until early Sunday morning, so Sunday was actually the big moving day. T.A. helped me load the truck with everything except the big furniture and heavy stuff. Then he had things to do, so I recruited some kids to help me unload. The plan was to hire the moving helpers that helped me last time for the heavy stuff. (They were awesome...one of the guys carried a whole couch on his back by himself like it was a backpack). They were supposed to meet us at 3pm. The plan was to have all the boxes unloaded so they could just do the furniture. Dezeray, Raiven, Kearwon, and Rosco did an wonderful job unloading the truck (that took T.A. and I at least 4 hours to load) in about 30 minutes. They were so great!! So we took a break and sat around waiting...and waiting...and waiting for the moving helpers. Strangely, he wasn't picking up the phone and the voicemail was full. This was so baffling to me because in all my other dealings with these people, they have been very professional. Well, I finally realized that I was getting stood up and had to quickly figure out plan B. The kids didn't balk at tackling the big stuff. I have to say that Kearwon was a beast. He loaded the bed, the couches, etc. almost by himself. T.A. came back over and he and Kearwon handled the TV and a few other large things. It wasn't easy but we finally got everything in except the washer and dryer. We are going to need a big dolly (how do you spell that anyway?) and a couple of really strong people for those, so I'm still figuring that out right now. Last time the moving help handled it like it was something a kindergartner could do. How I missed those guys!!! Still don't know what happened to them. I ended up splitting the money I was going to pay the moving help between the kids because they got a lot more work put on them than they bargained for! They were really great...they never complained and just made the day fun. We also feasted our weary bodies at CiCi's before I took them home (after Pizza Hut was going to charge me almost $40 for three medium pizzas...ridiculous!!)

Monday was spent taming the chaos. My new apartment has a garage so my "crew" had just dumped a lot of stuff in there. My apartment is upstairs on top of the garage so a few zillion trips up and down between the garage and apartment have my calves mooing today. I think it will be a few days before I can actually park in there! I really like the new apartment except that the closets are TINY!! Practically non-existent. So I spent most of the day finagling my stuff trying to get it all tucked away somewhere....the garage helped with this hugely! Khris, Kearwon, and T.A. came over to try to deal with the washer and dryer and they managed to get it into the garage, but not up the stairs. I also had to go back to the old apartment and give it a through cleaning, which is never fun. Finally...after about 3 days of nonstop physical labor, I crashed in a nice, neat, super clean apartment!

I say this every time but....I'm NEVER moving again!!! ;-)

P.S. I just realized that I don't think I ever posted about the fact that I was never able to find a house/townhouse/or condo in the price range, area, or condition that I was looking for. Because I had to make a decision with the end of my apartment lease, I decided to postpone the house search for the time being. Thus...apartment life continues!

Another Quote....

"Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give the world the best you've got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."- Mother Teresa

Plugging Away!

Well, another semester of graduate school has successfully come to a close. Grades were posted today and I was pleased to see that I came out with A's in both my classes. I was reviewing my transcript and was sort of excited to realize that I have now completed 33 hours towards my Master's and only have 9 hours left!!! When I started back in Fall 2007, I originally started with a major in Reading, so I lost about 9 hours when I changed to the library thing. (I call it the library thing because the official name of my degree is a Master of Education in Library Technology and Information Science with a Major in Library and Information Science...whew!! What a mouthful! And very redundant. I can never remember the whole thing and have to look it up every time!)

However, I recently decided that I would go ahead and take two additional classes in order to qualify to take the Master Reading Teacher certification test. The MRT program requires 3 specific graduate level reading classes and passing the certification test. I already completed one of the required classes when I was still in the Reading program, so I figured that two more classes won't kill me. I can take one of them this fall and one next summer.

SO...the plan is to take 6 hours this summer, 3 hours for Library and 3 hours for Reading this fall, take my school librarian certification test, graduate with the Master's in December, then take the remaining Reading class next summer, take the MRT test and then BE DONE!!!!

So I'll have a reading/language arts/social studies certification, school librarian certification, Master Reading Teacher certification, and a Master's degree! Surely I'll be able to keep a job in the state of Texas! :-)

Thanks to everyone for bearing with me being anti-social for the past two years. Although the programs haven't been extremely difficult, I have taken 6 hours every semester and it is quite a bit of time and work to squeeze into a full-time work schedule. I'm really looking forward to December and having weekends to spend as I please again!

The end is sight, thank goodness!!!!

Quote of the Day

"The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children."--Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)

Scrapblog

Well, after three hours of trial and error, I managed to create the little header thing for my blog that you see above. I did have an entire background but it was a little too much for my taste so I just stuck with the header. It was a combination of a template off of www.thecutestblogontheblock.com and some editing I did using www.scrapblog.com. Now, I'm kinda excited about my Scrapblog discovery. It is free and you can create some pretty cute little photo layouts and whatnot...if you're into the whole digital scrapbooking thing, I think this is a user-friendly site to start with.

Of course, without a camera my photo blogging attempts might be at a standstill for awhile. :-(

Experimenting

I am playing with the whole blog layout thing. I see all the other pretty blogs and I want one!!!! So bear with me until I can figure it out and get it just the way I like it! :-)

He Got a Job, He Got a Job, He Got a Job!!!

So the newest update on my friend T.A.'s road to teaching greatness is that he had an interview at Thurgood Marshall Elementary in Richardson ISD yesterday and he was offered the P.E. teaching position! Wow!! This is just such a huge blessing right now for numerous reasons. First of all, there are several hundred unemployeed teachers floating around the Metroplex right now because of all the budget cuts of the last year, not only in Dallas, but surrounding districts. Many districts are not hiring at all right now, and the few that are must be inundated with resumes and applicants clamoring for positions. Secondly, T.A. was looking for a P.E. position, and these are rarities in and of themselves. Since most schools only hire one P.E. teacher, this is not a high-demand area. Thirdly, T.A. is an alternative certification candidate and those are pretty low on the totem-pole right now. The fact that he was able to score an interview within two weeks of passing his test and then be offered the job on his first interview is amazing!!

It is really thrilling to see his goals finally coming to pass after so many years of ups and downs and disappointments. I know he is going to be an outstanding teacher and mentor!! Congratulations Mr. Alford!!! :-)

P.S. I would put a picture here of T.M. Elementary's newest staff member, but my camera was STOLEN at school and I am digital-less yet again. WHY is it that the few material possessions I have in life must always be taken from me illegally?? WHY????

What Makes an Effective Teacher?

I recently filled out an application for something (which shall remain undefined at this point in time) and was asked the following question, among others. "What makes an effective teacher?" This was my response...

There is much talk today in education circles about the shortage of teachers and the need for "highly-qualified" educators in our schools. It seems like everywhere you turn there is an advertisement recruiting college-degreed people into the teaching field. Upon closer examination of these programs and definitions of "highly-qualified" one finds a list of requirements that include GPA's, test scores, college credits, and transcript totals. But nowhere in the definition of NCLB's highly-qualified teacher do you find the requirements of being selfless...of possessing passion...of believing in the worth of each and every child...of having the ability to relate to the students in a way that makes learning relevant, exciting, and fun. Although I agree that it is important for teachers to possess the appropriate academic credentials, I believe it is equally important to possess the inner qualities that are going to enable those teachers to actually impact students' lives.

First of all, a teacher must be selfless. The needs of his or her students will always take precedence over the teacher's personal feelings or desires. The teacher must be willing to sacrifice time, resources, and energy in order to truly be effective. Teaching can never be an 8-4 job in which the employee clocks in, clocks out and leaves it all tidily behind at the closing bell...not for the most effective teachers. The demands and needs are simply too great. An effective teacher doesn't see her position as just a job or a paycheck..it is a life's work that doesn't end when the students go home at the end of the day. It isn't limited by a salary or a clock.

Teachers are able to consistently exhibit this kind of self-sacrifice because of a deeply rooted purpose and passion for what they are doing. Teachers must love WHAT they teach and WHO they teach. It can never be just a job they endure for nine months for the sake of summer vacations and a retirement plan. They must operate from a drive deep within that is greater than just having a "job." The most powerful teachers are those that are masters of what they teach...they are mathmeticians, they are scientists, they are historians, they are English language experts who choose to share their love and expertise for math, science, history and English with students. Their knowledge and love for the content they teach is reflected in engaging and exciting lessons. They create an infectious interest in these subjects among their students. Teachers also have to love kids. It is amazing to me how many teachers enter the profession with no real affection for children. It is reflected in their impatience, in their harsh comments, in their lack of empathy and understanding toward students ....the types of attitudes that breed disciplinary issues and a breakdown of students' self-confidence and motivation. The best teachers have a natural connection with kids and love interacting with them on a daily basis.

Finally, effective teachers must have the ability to know how to relate to their students in a way that makes learning come alive. They must be in touch with the culture and generational world views of their students in order to know how to make their instruction relevant and engaging. They are constantly searching for ways to help their students apply content learning to meaningful real-world situations and scenarios. These rare teachers are the ones that can inspire even the most relunctant learners to excel. These teachers understand the fine line of speaking the langugage of kids without being a kid...they know how to relate without blurring the line between teacher and "friend." This means that teachers have to be constant learners themselves. They have to constantly be striving to educate themselves on the things that matter to kids, on emerging technologies, on emerging cultural trends, on emerging educational approaches and philosophies. They're open to growing and evolving as educators. These are NOT the teachers who are still using the same lesson plans from the 1960's when they began their educational careers. Simply put, the very best teachers are voracious learners.

It is unfortunate that so many adults can walk into classrooms across our country with a spotless transcript and the highest academic qualifications on paper, yet be completely ill-equipped to be an effective teacher. In order to truly strengthen our education system for our children, I believe that inner qualities and capabilities must be scrutinized just as closely as academic standards and proficiencies in recruiting effective and powerful teachers.

Wilderness Trek Car Wash Saturday!!!

We had a fun get-together at Janet's house a couple of Saturdays ago to plan for a bi-annual trip to Colorado for Wilderness Trek with some of the teens who have been involved with Central Dallas. I had the opportunity to go with a Central Dallas group in 2004 and it was such a great experience. It was amazing to see kids who have rarely been out of Dallas, much less Texas, travel to such a completely different enviroment and be challenged in so many ways, yet come back inspired and proud of accomplishing something they never even considered doing. At that time, we always took the staff from the University of Values summer program after the camp ended, so the group already knew each other well. This year will be a little different. We will have teens that have been involved at different times and places with CDM and do not necessarily know each other. (We are also going to allow Dezeray, one of my students here at PCA, to join the group. ) We had a fun time at our information gathering getting to know each other, getting a better understanding of what the trip is about, and even having races to see who could put a tent together the fastest. I think we are definitely going to have a great group and I'm already excited about August! (For those of you who don't know what Wilderness Trek is, it is a Christian based organizaiton that guides high school students to backpack up one of the many 14,000ft peaks in the Rockies. Very challenging, but rewarding experience through which one can learn many important life lessons as well as grow spiritually).

Another important difference with this group is that we will be raising our own funds. In the past, donors always provided the trip for Central Dallas groups. However, although some teens really got a lot out of the experience, others didn't always truly value the opportunity because it wasn't something they had to plan for or invest in. Mr. Edd or Janet or others would work hard to get funds donated to cover our trip, and then some teens might decide not to go at the last minute. This year, it was decided that in order to develop more commitment from the participants, they would need to be involved in the fundraising. Therefore, the other purpose of our gathering last week was to plan some events to raise money. Each participant will need to raise $350, more if they want to do extra stuff while we are in Colorado like rafting or swimming in the hot springs in Salida. I think this is a do-able goal, but it's going to take a team effort from all involved.

Our first fundraiser will be this Saturday. We are having a car wash at the Richardson East Church of Christ from 9-12. After all the rain we've been having, Saturday would be a great day to come get your cars spruced up!! If you would like to help us wash cars, that would be awesome, but even just coming by to be serviced is helpful! So...if you can help out by providing old towels, buckets, sponges, paper towels, or tire cleaner, let me know and I will pick it up from you. If you can help with washing skills and techniques, meet us in Richardson on 9 on Saturday. If you can help with contributing funds to have your car cleaned, show up in your dirty ride and we will make it sparkle!!

Thanks for your support!

Trip to Aggieland and Down Memory Lane

When I first came to Dallas back in the summer of 2002 to do a youth internship at Highland Oaks, my host home was with the David and Sandi Campbell family. This random decision on their part to host an intern and my random decision to come to Dallas ended up leading to some of the most special relationships in my life! At the time, Meredith was either 14 or 15 years old, the same age as my little brother Dawson, so I always thought of her as the little sister I never had. :-) At the same time, Meredith only had brothers, so I was her "big sister." After the summer was over, I went to Guyana, South America for a few months and then ended up returning to Dallas to do an internship at Central Dallas Ministries. The Campbells graciously opened their home to me again for about five months and even offered me a part-time job at David's law firm. This family was such a huge blessing to me and instrumental to me getting my feet on the ground here. At the same time, Meredith has continued to be a great friend and "sister" to me. She has always been very mature and focused for her age and we have been through a lot of personal ups and downs together. It has been awesome to watch her through high school and drill team and college applications and then through college and career decisions and boyfriend uncertainties. And now, seven years later, Meredith is getting married! Whoa! I feel so old!! She met a great guy, Brandon, at her church at A&M and their wedding is at the end of May, when they will get married and study happily ever after. (He's going to med school in the fall and she is starting her Ph.D in clinical psychology at A&M).

So this weekend was her birthday and one of her showers in College Station. Now, for four years, I have been saying I was going down there to visit her. Now that she's about to graduate, I figured that it was time for me to stop procrastinating. So Saturday I hopped in Lady Yac (my car) and headed south through our very beautiful state to Aggieland! I ended up really enjoying the weekend. A&M is a really one of a kind place. Everytime I visit a big college campus like that, I'm blown away because it's such a drastic contrast to LCU. At the same time, it's crazy because the whole weekend reminded me of my college days and made me miss college a lot. Because despite the fact that our universities are completely different, the general experience is so much the same. As I hung out with Meredith and her roommates, the conversations and the camaraderie was so familiar. When you're in college, you just don't realize how much you'll miss that time in your life later. It's the only time in your life when you're so much on the same page with so many great friends and people, when you share so many unique bonding experiences with people.

Sometimes I wish I could have went to college twice. I loved LCU and I loved the small college experience. At the same time, I will always be curious what it would have been like to go to a huge university like A&M or UT with all of the traditions and history and school spirit. It would have be awesome if I could have just rewound my life back to age 18 after I graduated LCU and started over as a freshman at some big college just to see what that was like! :-) However, since I'm now knocking on the door of 30, I think I should give up my big college dreams and just live vicariously through people like Meredith!

The funniest thing that I saw at A&M was in front of Kyle Field where they have the 12th man statue and then this little roped off area where all the Revellie dogs are buried. I don't know why it is so humorous to me that these dogs get their own special roped off memorial site with special lights and plaques and everything, but it cracks me up. Only at A&M!!

Unfortunately, I can't seem to find my camera so I don't have any pics of my adventure in Aggieland, but hopefully I will find it before the wedding so I can at least post pictures of that in a few weeks!

He Passed, He Passed, He Passed!!!!!

T.A. got the exciting news that he passed his teacher certification test this week! Now to move onto bigger and better things!

I was just really proud of him for how hard he worked to achieve this goal and can't wait to see him in action as a teacher next year!

Here are a few pictures of T.A. doing what he does best...motivating the thugs (as he says).





Way to go, T.A., for going hard in the paint and refusing to let anything stop you from getting to where you want to be and where you can make an even bigger difference! :-)

The Soloist

A few months ago I saw a preview for the movie called "The Soloist" with Jamie Foxx and thought then that it looked intriguing. As the time grew nearer for its release, I began to hear more and more "hype" about the movie. I began to really look forward to seeing it and even paid the absolutely ridiculous and painful price of $10.00 per ticket on Saturday to check it out.

Ten dollars and two hours later...I was disappointed. Really, you didn't learn anything from watching the movie that you couldn't have gathered from the preview. Basically, a reporter in L.A. who is searching for his next big story meets the character played by Jamie Foxx, who was a former Julliard music student now living homeless on the streets of L.A. Mr. Ayers was a victim of mental illness and schizophrenia which led to his demise. The reporter ends up befriending Mr. Ayers (but still capitalizes off of writing popular feature pieces about him) and connecting him with a new cello that revitalizes Mr. Ayers passion for music. The reporter also attempts to get Mr. Ayers off the streets and into what he perceived as a more suitable situation, but it turned out to not be quite as simple as he rosily envisioned.

At first, I was a little perturbed with the movie because it just wasn't what I expected. It wasn't as powerful as I thought it was going to be. I wasn't really moved. But since I did pay $10 to see the dumb thing, I decided to reflect on it a little more and share what I took away from it.

First of all, I was a little bothered by how the movie portrayed the homeless community. Maybe it's different in L.A., but I have never personally witnessed the chaos, the open drug use, the open prostitution, etc. that defined all the scenes of the homeless in this movie. It portrayed the shelter with a very "frightening" connotation in my opinion. It seemed to amplify the common stereotypes we hold about the homeless. I wondered how many of the homeless would feel about being portrayed in such an overly-negative light. While it is true that many homeless struggle with substance abuse or mental illness, there are also many who do not. The absolute chaos surrounding the shelter in this movie seemed a little extreme and might quite possibly perpetuate the fears that many hold toward the homeless.

Then, in the reporter's character, I recognized something that was uncomfortably familiar. In so many movies or stories about the inner city, or about the homeless, or any other less popular part of American society, there is always some white "hero" to save the day. And the story becomes more about them than the community. Even in my experiences here in South Dallas, I meet many well-intentioned people but they come with a focus that is really more about how this service will make them feel, what stories they'll be able to go back home and tell about their good deed with the poor folks. Steve Lopez, the reporter, was at first drawn to Mr. Ayers because of how he could use his story for his own purposes. Many times well-intentioned people arrive on the scene armed with an agenda and "solutions." They arrive without ever really taking the time to really get to know the people for who they are and not what stereotypes have defined them as. They arrive without asking them for their expertise and input about what the problems really are and inviting them to invest in the solutions. The result is that many times these do-gooders are either disappointed or offended by the response to their "help." They may leave indignant and angry about the lack of gratitude and appreciation by "those people." Or perhaps under better circumstances, they return to their homes in the suburbs, feeling warm and fuzzy about their service, but leaving no real change behind. Real change comes with relationships, with investment, with listening, with partnership, with community.

This movie was really about Lopez's journey of discovery in this regard. It was his realization that it wasn't about helping Mr. Ayers, but about becoming his friend. He realized that the most important thing he could do for Mr. Ayers was just be a part of his life, be a listener, be a supporter...be a friend. Forcing his ideas of solutions on Mr. Ayers only created a divide and mistrust between them. Accepting Mr. Ayers, respecting him, and dignifying him as a friend (not a service project) was where the good was found, not in the deeds he tried to do.

The other thing that I appreciated about the movie was the message that everyone has a story...everyone. No one would have suspected that this disheveled and eccentric looking man playing an old violin with two strings had once been a bright and gifted student at Julliard. What amazing stories we hear and what amazing people we discover when we look past the exterior and extend the hand of friendship.

So although it took two hours of slow moving dialogue and a whole lot of classical music (which was putting me right to sleep at 10:30 on Saturday night), there were a few important messages buried beneath the predictable storyline.

Learning Centers in Limbo

Tonight I will be attending a Dallas ISD school board meeting, along with other staff members and parents (hopefully), in order to express our concerns about the potential end of learning centers in the Dallas district. While I am concerned about losing the learning center, I've had to take a long, introspective look at this issue over the past couple of days and I have come to some tough conclusions. But first let me give you some background....

Pearl C. Anderson, where I teach, is one of 14 "learning centers" in Dallas ISD. This is what the district defines learning center as:

The Dallas Independent School District’s Learning Centers, located in East, South, and West Dallas, were originally court-ordered efforts to return disadvantaged, inner-city, minority students to their neighborhood schools and provide quality educational programs with supplementary funds. The Learning Centers represent an alternative to the district’s previously attempted vehicle of providing transportation to distant sites as a remedy, for a better educational opportunity. The concept of the Learning Centers is based upon the philosophy that a history of educational deprivation under conditions of poverty can be overcome.
Specifically, the purpose of the Learning Centers is to provide special programs with educational concepts different from those in other schools in the district. Each Learning Center is expected to provide innovative and creative instructional strategies to accelerate student learning so that the achievement difference between minority and majority students will be narrowed. The target population for this program is all neighborhood children in Grades 4-8 who live in the target school’s attendance zone. There are 14 intermediate Leaning Centers (Grades 4-6) and 2 middle Learning Centers (7-8). Eight Centers are located in South Dallas, 5 in West Dallas and 3 in East Dallas.

More specifically, what this means is that theoretically our school has a few more "perks" than other schools in the district. We have a longer school day, smaller class sizes, an extra adminstrator, Reading and Math Demonstration teachers, a community liasion and social worker, and also more fine arts opportunities like drama, piano, orchestra, and dance. We also have extra funding for Before and After School Tutoring and other enrichment programs. Teachers here are supposed to have at least three years of experience and are supposed to attend more professional development and training. We do get paid a little more because of our extended day (an extra $20 per day). These added benefits were intended to make the schools in South, West, and East Dallas more equitable to schools in other areas. However, the district recently found out that by providing extra funding to "specialized" schools like the learning centers, and also our magnet schools, that we were violating guidelines that qualify the district to receive certain kinds of federal money. Therefore, more than likely, the district will choose to do away with the learning center concept in order to get into compliance for these funds. All of the above mentioned benefits will be lost.

At first, I was upset and concerned by this development. Even as a learning center, I feel our resources are so limited at times. I feel that opportunities for the kids in this area are already so scarce. I look at these kids and know that they NEED this extra learning time, they NEED these extracurricular opportunities, they NEED the smaller classes. We're already struggling...and now facing even more crucial losses. Of course I don't want to see the few things we have going for us here at PCA disappear. But then I read an editorial in the Dallas Morning News that actually made several valid points and I had to take a close look at ourselves as a staff here at the learning center.

Steve Blow pointed out that while the learning centers were created to target students in poor and minority areas, now almost the entire district is considered poor and minority, with statistics that define 95% of the district as miniority and 85% qualifying for free or reduced lunch. He made the case that it is kind of hard to continue justifying extra funding for a few schools whose population is not that different than the other 212 schools around them. I must note that there are indeed deeper and more complex factors to consider, such as the history of the South Dallas area itself...the barriers that have been present here for decades...these factors aren't as objective as the simple demographics mentioned above, and I think it is very important to not sweep them under the rug now...however...

Blow also pointed out that the learning centers might have more of a fighting chance if we at least had some results to show for the added benefits. One might think that with all of the resources mentioned above that our student's performance might reflect a higher level of success. But unfortunately, that is not the case. None of the learning centers hold an exemplary rating. Most of the schools are barely meeting the district average. This is where a uncomfortable look in the mirror must take place. What do we have to say for ourselves? What justification can we give, that with all of our extra "stuff", we still aren't getting our kids to perform? Are our kids really that much different than the kids in Oak Cliff, or in Pleasant Grove, or in West Dallas? What excuse do we really have for this lack of success? Staff are quick to point the finger at the district, at the administrators, and our favorite, the parents...but is this really where the blame lies? After all, all schools in the district are stuggling with budget cuts and administrative turmoil and uninvolved parents. Can we really say that our challenges are that much greater?

In my honest opinion, learning center staff has grown comfortable and content. We've gotten used to the supplemental pay, the extra support staff, the class sizes of 10-12 students. We have had every opportunity in the world to excel as educators. We have opportunity for additional training and professional development. We have extra time for planning and collaboration. We have staff present to work with our parents and the community. But in my three years in a learning center, I must say that I do not see these benefits being taken advantage of. I see staff members reading magazines in the lobby until 4:45 waiting to receive their supplemental pay...when the additonal time is meant for tutoring and planning. I see teachers arriving late and leaving early. I see teachers that are absent 10 or more days a year with no directions or arrangements for their classes. I see teachers that can't even manage their classrooms of 15 students. I see teachers blatantly ignore schoolwide iniatives that are designed to create a better disciplinary structure within the school. I see teachers who refuse to attend the additional staff development and training. Not to step on toes, but I see support staff that I'm not even sure what they do after being in this school for three years. Yet, all of the sudden, at the mention of losing the learning centers, teachers are sitting up, paying attention, planning protests at the board meetings, crying out indignantly about the unfairness of losing what we have...but where have we been the last 10-15 years? Where were these teachers' voices then? I can't help but wonder if this is about the kids or if its about our paychecks.

This might sound harsh and critical. This might be dangerous or inappropriate of me to post for all the world to see. But honestly, I'm disgusted. It's really hard for me to go downtown and defend the learning center (even though I believe in it) because I can't justify how we have absolutely wasted the opportunity that we had all these years. As I've stated before, we can't control the backgrounds our kids come from. We can't control who their parents are or how involved they choose to be. But we can control what goes on in these walls for 10 hours a day. We can control the level of professionalism and dedication we show as educators. And until I see every teacher around me giving 100%, I have no patience with the whining and complaining about the neighborhood or the parents or the district. It is my honest belief that some of our biggest problems in education lie with the people we're putting in these classrooms. My frustrations in education stem about 90% from what I see from the grown adult, college-degreed people around me...not the kids, not the neighborhood, not the parents.

I know this to be true because there are a few schools here and there that do overcome all the same challenges we all face, but they overcome in a powerful and significant way. One example is a school here in Dallas called KIPP-Truth Academy. It is a charter school with rigorous expectations for both students and staff. The school targets underserved or "inner-city" kids, so their population is no different than the kids that walk in our doors every day. However, this school is achieving phenomenal results through high expectations and intense dedication to learning. I spoke with the principal who told me that their parents are no more involved than average elsewhere. These kids are coming from elementary schools and homes with all the same problems that we deal with. So what's the difference in their performance and ours? Are their kids smarter? No. Are their parents more involved? No. Are their teachers dedicated to high standards professionally and passionate about what they do? YES!! And the results speak for themselves. (Go to www.kipptruth.org). KIPP, being a small school, has limited resources, yet they maximize what is put before them through rigorous standards and relentless pursuit of excellence. I truly believe that if the STAFF and administrators at these learning centers embraced the same commitment to success and if we took advantage of the resources and opportunities given us, however few or many they may be, we could achieve more with our students as well. It's embarrassing to go downtown and claim that we need this learning center funding when we have really nothing to show for it. It's really just flat-out embarrassing.

But am I going to do it? Yes, I am. Yes, I'm going to the meeting. Yes, I'm going to fight for the learning center for the sake of the kids who walk through these doors every day. But am I going to defend my colleagues lack of professionalism and lack of results? That I will not and cannot do. Learning center or not, we have GOT to do better.

Quote

"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

--Not sure who said it---

Can You Spell....SCRABBLE?

Well, I have to thank Miss Madeline for two things recently. First of all, I have to thank her for bringing so many of my rarely-seen relatives into town! There's nothing like a new baby to bring people flying and driving in left and right! We got to see Estelle, Brandon and Amanda, and Cindy last week, and although Madeline was the main attraction, I did enjoy the opportunity to sponge off of her company! ;-)

The second thing I can thank Maddy for is my newly expanded Scrabble life. When she was in the hospital, Aaron happened to introduce to me the wonderful world of Facebook Scrabble! It's a good thing that Facebook is blocked at school or else my addiction might really get out of control. In addition to the daily fix of Scrabble that I am getting each day online, all the additional visits to Carrolton have led to traditional Scrabble matches around Holly and Aaron's dining room table where I witnessed one of the greatest plays ever by my brilliant aunt Estelle, who racked up an amazing 108 points in one turn! Ah, yes....thank you Maddy for being born and being so cute so that everyone wants to see you and hang out with you and play Scrabble while you are sleeping! :-) Good times!!

Apalled!

This morning I am apalled after reading an article in the Dallas Morning News about a bill that is currently up for consideration in the Texas Legislature. Actually, the bill itself is much-needed, but the opposition to the bill is what is disturbing me. Many districts in Texas have adopted grading policies that set minimum scores for students. For example, in Dallas ISD, teachers are not allowed to give students a grade below 50, even if they have not done the work. Other districts have even set the minimum grade at 70, meaning teachers cannot "fail" students. They claim that if students fail too badly and get themselves into too deep of a hole, so to speak, they won't try to climb out. They claim this leads to increased dropout rates. The current bill up for debate seeks to put an end to setting minimum scores and would return rights to the teachers to assign grades that actually reflect what the student has or has not done in the class.

I always had a problem with DISD's "nothing below a 50" policy, but I cannot emphasize enough what a disaster it would be if that were changed to "nothing below a 70." Case in point. A student this morning overheard me discussing this subject with another teacher. He grinned and said, "Oh, I like that rule! That means I don't have to do any work!". Exactly. That is exactly the message that such a grading policy sends.

Our expectations for children are already so low. Vast numbers of students are being passed from grade to grade without mastering basic skills. Just imagine if the grading policy was skewed even further. We always tell our kids, "Failure is not an option." We say this to let them know that we do not want to accept anything less than success from them. It is intended to be a motivating statement and to send a message that we're not giving up on them and they shouldn't give up on themselves. But in the real world, failure IS an option. It is a choice that as adults we have to make daily. Failure is a very real and very possible outcome if we don't make the right decisions on a day to day basis at our jobs, with our money, etc. That ever present consequence motivates us as adults every day. Without that possibility, what motivation do students have? What is success if there is no failure to measure it against? How can we possibly say that we are preparing these students for college and for life? In college, professors actually have high expectations for students. Failure is a very real possibility. You MUST do the work and do it well...there is no way around that. You MUST master the content and the grade is a reflection of that. If we changed to a no-fail grading system, I'm not sure what the grades are supposed to reflect!!

It's not that as I teacher I enjoy "failing" students. In fact, most teachers will do everything in their power to assist a struggling student, whether by providing individual reteaching and tutoring, or opportunities for extra work and re-testing. If through these efforts, a student demonstrates mastery of the content, then they do indeed deserve an improved grade. However, I've had students that absolutely refused to do any work. They went an entire year and didn't attempt or turn in a single assignment, despite my best efforts to motivate and inspire. Now on paper I could give them a 70. But that would not mean that they had mastered the class or had the skills to be successful at the next grade level. It might make our dropout rates look lower and it might make our schools look better on paper, but it would not mean we were being successful in educating these students. In reality, we're doing a huge disservice to the students. We're really taking away their options when we do this. If students refuse to do their work or do not demonstrate competency in a subject area and we choose to say they have, then we have taken away their choice to fail or succeed. And it ultimately has to be their choice. We of course do not want to see students drop out or fail and as teachers, we have a responsibility to do everything in our power to prevent that from happening. But the reality is that at the end of the day, it is up to the student. I would rather have 2out of 10 students CHOOSE to drop out than FORCE 9 out of 10 students to the next grade that don't have the necessary knowledge or skills. I would rather lose a few along the way than gradate 100% that can't read or write.

I just don't know how my conscience would allow me to adhere to this policy. I just don't know how I could live with myself, allowing a student to believe he has been successful in my class because his grade says he has mastered at least 70% of the content, when I know that he or she simply has not done the work or demonstrated competency. How can we be expected to lie to these kids and their parents like this? The grading system would have absolutely no meaning, no integrity, or no objectivity. Can ANYONE explain to me why this is a good idea??????

Isn't She Cute??

I took these pictures of Maddy with my phone yesterday. I have to say that Aaron and Holly did a pretty good job making a very cute baby! She is just the sweetest thing...and looking more like her mom every day (plus the wild hair from Dad!). I must say that I'm glad that the Fletchers are close by because it's fun to get to go see Maddy, but I know it's hard for all the other family members out there who don't have the luxury of being just 30 minutes away. But it seems that the Fletchers are being taken care of by their church, DBU, and hosptial families with the utmost care, so that is something to be thankful for!