you are my sunshines, my many sunshines...

So far this year I've had 5 sunshines come back and visit me at school, and another coming in later this week. In fact, I talked to 4 today! I can't tell you how wonderful it is to hear from all of them, and to still be part of their lives, whether they're looking for boxes for packing (who else should you call but your obsessive recycling teacher!) or wanting help applying for college, it's wonderful to still be a resource. Absolutely wonderful.

With all the crazy changes going on in my world this year, it's really nice to hear back from these guys. I've said many times "once a sunshine, always a sunshine"... and I'm so glad they feel the same way.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual from my friend Wendy, who got it from SouleMama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.

another brick in the wall

There's lots going on in our happy district... and lots of it is not so happy. So far this week I've had concerns about things happening at all four levels. I'm under no delusions that our district is perfect, nor that it is the worst around. We do many things well... and have many things that need to be improved upon.

I don't want to focus on the negative, because, well, my brain doesn't work well that way. So I've been asking myself what can I do to make it better? How can I help my friend and colleague get through her struggle? What suggestions can I make to spark a productive conversation instead of just complaining? How do we fix it?

What can I do to make things better?

[Believe me, when I answer that question, I'm going on tour.]

{this moment}

A Friday ritual (becoming a Saturday ritual for me) from my friend Wendy, who got it from SouleMama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.

something to ponder

http://whatedsaid.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/10-ways-to-assess-learning-without-tests/

This is from What Ed Said, a blog WB suggested but hasn't really hooked me yet. I don't have time to read this post now, but I definitely will later.

Thoughts?

{this moment}

A Friday ritual from my friend Wendy, who got it from SouleMama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.

highs and lows

Yesterday, contrary to what my sister who lives in the future indicated, was not a good day. We got it all in-- wired kids; a severe disagreement between me and Sunshines about what it means to answer the question "What happened?"; kids needing to be dismissed because staying the day would have resulted in something being broken; another needing dismissal because his GF was in labor; the FBI (no joke) showing up to question a student about someone else who had enlisted last spring; and one kid thinking about dropping out. Oh, and after school the local police called to follow up on a complaint and another called upset about something that happened at home.

Today was much better. Still wired, but at least willing to be roped in. I'll take it as it comes.

the bright side

One good thing about getting 7 school days under your belt before Labor Day weekend is that the day off actually feels like you've earned it. We had a great weekend-- lots of friends came over to hang out by the fire, I got all our laundry washed and hung out on the line, and we cooked like crazy people yesterday; Girly made chocolate chip muffins while I handled the bread and butter pickles, zucchini relish which will get canned tonight, zucchini whoopie pies, and cole slaw to sit on top of the pulled pork best friends invited us over to share. When the alarm went off today I couldn't even be upset.

And now it's a short week. Sweet!

ch ch ch ch changes...

I don't remember how much I've said here about all the changes in my classroom, but we've got lots going on. First of all, we've gone from a teacher and an ed tech to two teachers. Which is huge, because instead of being responsible for all 24 credits our high school requires for graduation, I'm only responsible for 12. That may not seem like much when you just read it, but trust me when I tell you, 12 is a very manageable number. We also changed locales over the summer. We had been down the street in a building that housed central office and 4 other HS classrooms. Now we're in a stand alone house the district purchased.... a long time ago. It really functions like a portable classroom, except it's not portable. Anyhow, both of us have our own classroom, which is wonderful. Next weekend they're taking a wall out of my room to make it better able to fit a dozen or more adult sized bodies, and at some point (I hope some point soon) they're going to get the basement ready for us to have one big room that will fit all 2 dozen students we share at once. So to translate... our classrooms weren't ready for the first day of school, and if they're ready by the first of October I'm going to be thrilled.

But all that is pretty easy to deal with. The really big deal is that we are now, in effect, employed by 2 different high schools. Another school in our region (I'll spare you from my rant against our state government's budget balancing scheme) does not have an alternative ed program, and the best plan for all (meaning kids, parents, teachers, administrators, and taxpayers) was to bus them up to ours. This was decided last spring, and at face value, it's not that big of a deal. Sunshines are sunshines, no matter what their zip code. But graduation requirements, well, those are definitely different. To say that it has taken me some figuring out is an understatement; I didn't leave work before 4:30 all week. Naturally, this other school reports grades on trimesters, while the first reports quarterly. Quickly doing the math... that's 14 times we'll be reporting progress reports and grades. One school awards credit at the end of each semester, the other at each trimester, which means some of our students need .5 credit of health while others need .67. None of this is insurmountable either, but it would have been helpful to have known before the first day of school workshop.

The good news is we have a plan and have it as figured out as it can get until going through it once. Two logins for the two different schools; everyone's transcripts have been reviewed and assigned to our appropriate classes. We each get a prep period, WHICH IS HUGE. I have not had a prep period since taking this job, and can you tell how thrilled I am to have one now?? My classes are basically English and history while hers are math and science, and we split the electives. It changes a bit second semester, but it does get everyone what they need. The returning sunshines aren't thrilled to have to learn a second teacher, but it really is in their best interests.

I guess the most significant part of this week was how quickly the kids from the other school assimilated. They are all interacting with each other, sharing stories about cars and cops and parents and realizing what I knew from the beginning: they are the same kids, they just have different school colors.... which they're still not sure they care about completely. It took us less than a week to start to form this community, which is all the proof I need that none of them are bad kids. They are now my kids, for good or for ill. I will defend them when necessary, and I will call them on the carpet when needed, too. Mama Bear has 22 sunshines, and it doesn't really matter where they come from. They're here now, and that's all that matters to me.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual from my friend Wendy, who got it from SouleMama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.

the end of summer means popovers!

We ended our summer the way we often do: driving across the state to have popovers and lobster stew at the Jordan Pond House. It's a 3 hour drive to get there, and it seems a lot of others had the same idea because we had a significant wait to get a table... but it is so very worth it. The popovers melt in your mouth, and the homemade strawberry jam and whipped butter are just decadent. The stew can't have much more than butter, cream, and huge chunks of lobster. If you've never gone, you need to fix that, and soon. You won't regret it.

The point is this has become part of our family ritual. We go to Acadia at the end of summer; one of these summers we really should go and stay longer than a day, and spend more time in the park. This year we didn't time it right to visit Thunder Hole, but we did make it up Cadillac Mountain. This massive cruise ship was in town, and it certainly looked to us to be bigger than some of the islands in the bay.

These crazy rituals of ours make me happy. Most of the people we know are not insane enough to log 6 hours of driving in a day just for some popovers.... but we are, and it helps define us. We don't follow routines much, but we have things we like to do at the same time every year. The end of school means take out lobster rolls, although most of us don't order lobster rolls anymore. Memorial Day usually has us on a Family Field Trip somewhere, but who knows where. Girly and Beaner have started a birthday shopping trip, as their birthdays are only 3 days apart... and I'm thrilled they are learning that rituals like that are part of what brings you joy and comfort in this life. That, and when you find a place that has incredible food, it is worth a day's journey for another taste.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual from my friend Wendy, who got it from SouleMama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. But I forgot my purse at school yesterday, which had my camera in it, so I'm a day late. Sigh.

winding down

The alarm clock has been ringing more and more frequently, and the need for regular dinner times and bed times is becoming more apparent. Clothes are purchased, backpacks filled, and the list of things to accomplish whittled down to a final few. I am looking forward to getting back into the routine of our regular lives, but the end of summer is always bittersweet. It's not that I don't want to go back to work, but that I don't want the fairy tale to end. Who would? Even though I know all good things must, I'll hold on tight to the next week, so when it's time to let go, I truly have no regrets....

{this moment}

A Friday ritual from my friend Wendy, who got it from SouleMama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.

{these moments}

A Friday ritual from my friend Wendy, who got it from SouleMama. A single photo- no words - capturing a moment from the week. But because it's my blog, I get to make the rules, so I'm doing two. Because I can.

{that moment}

So we were on vacation, and reliable internet was not part of the bargain. But here's my moment anyway...

brain development

if you get a chance to attend a workshop or conference where Karen Williams is speaking about brain development, go. Trust me. Drop everything and go.

(I can't find a specific website to link to her, but check these out if you want proof.)
http://leahsedpsych.blogspot.com/2009/05/brain-development-presentation.html
http://www.maine.gov/corrections/jjag/williamsWorkshop.htm

where everybody knows your name

The conference I'm at, formally known as Dropout Prevention, has been renamed Positive Youth Development (turns out youth who stop attending school don't really like being referred to as dropouts, and honestly, I can't say as I blame them). This year specifically is titled R3, which stands for Relationships, Relationships, Relationships. It should come as no surprise to anyone that I, the self-proclaimed QUEEN of relationships, am here. I have heard so much over the past two days that has affirmed what I do and given me ideas for where to go from here. (For those of you who attended two years ago, fear not: it's a whole new gig. The organizers took all our suggestions to heart and you really should come back with me next summer. Seriously.)

Anyhow, that's not the point of this post. The point, in my typically wordy manner (Strunk and White would be SOOO mad at me!) is that (madder still...) the organizers have taken relationships research to heart. As I was checking in (listed by first names, not last, as a way to be more personal) the woman in front of me had a lot of questions and held up the line. As I waited patiently, the administrative assistant for the college department that sponsors this event had my folder ready for me. Yes, she remembered me, out of a sea of hundreds of people and having talked to me face to face maybe 5 times? Wow. That is impressive. She is good, no doubt about it, and yes, one of her friends is the mom of my childhood best friends, but still.... that's darned impressive. Practicing what you preach.... yea, beyond impressive.

Over the last 2 days I've run into other organizers who remember me, both from state government and other alternative educators and administrators. Me! So much of this is because all of us in this field believe in the power of relationships, and know that no real work happens without it. No matter the reason, it feels pretty good to know I am making a name for myself in my chosen field. (Let's just hope they remember me for good reasons and not because I'm someone they're trying to avoid...)

reflection

My head is filled with ideas... and yet I may have just found the simple focus I need. Dr. Gil Noam designed a model he calls PEAR, and it's simple enough to work but complex enough to pack a punch. This is the model I think we'll use this year to sort of focus what we're trying to do. It is based on a 4 leaf clover, with 4 aspects that should be considered: active engagement, assertiveness, belonging, reflection. I can build lessons, curriculum, and programs around all of those models.

Other thoughts include using the 40 Developmental Assets that the SEARCH Institute have developed on a regular basis. These are measurable assets that have been proven to reduce risk behaviors; research has also shown these assets can be improved and taught.

I've got ideas on our schedule, what classes we can teach, how I can improve my classes, how to use these little white boxes more effectively..... So many thoughts, so little time to process!

Perhaps most importantly, however, I've had a chance to meet and talk in depth with my new colleague. I feel really good about our ability to work together, to help each other, and to improve our program and the lives of our students.

I love this conference, and I am so very glad I came and that she could come with me. I think it's going to be a great year. Summer's not over yet, but I'll be ready when it is. Man, I heart my job...

stay tuned

Thank you, WB, for making sure I came to this conference. Next year you might want to join me... yes, it's that good.

Deets later.