Please don't hate me?

For all those who would like to beat me right now because I can't seem to manage to keep things in line on the blog, I apologize. Things are good, but incredibly nuts.  I eat, sleep, and work. I check my email once in a while with good intentions of getting back to people when I have time enough to devote the attention they deserve. Instead, I end up making people think they don't matter when they don't hear from me and think I've dropped off the edge of the earth (not quite, but Molalla is close...). So for all of those who would like to throw a shoe at my head, I apologize and will try to keep up a bit better. I will be dragging myself into Hollywood Bowl because I do want to see people, even if I fall asleep and drool on someone's lovely multi-colored loafers. Here's hoping February has room for a little balance.

words are divine in 2009

So it is a cheezy title but that is what my kids at school and I are doing for the new year. We are hunting out new and awesome words to expand our vocabulary. I read an article the other day that stated that what separates low SES kids besides their life experience is their lack of vocabluary and exposure to the world around them. I thought Hey! I can do the vocabluary part!

What is new with us? I went skiing for the first time in ten years and I suck. We were going to go again this weekend but were snowed in. I have read about 30 childrens chapter books over the past three weeks and have been sledding so much that I am still sore (the oppinion of a six year old is that every moment there is snow we should be in it) so we were.

I am in another battle with fluency with Miriam as her teacher is sure although she is in the highest reading group and has 100% comprehension on everything that they read that because she can not read fast enough they should drop her down. I feel like an alien in a foreign world sometimes.

New years goals? Another tri or two I suppose, maybe learning to ski with some kind of grace, more soccer and less time caught up in classroom politics. A deeper understanding of each of my students gifts and how to inspire those gifts within them, more dancing with Miriam, deeping my time with Kevin, quiet time without judgement of myself and eating a lot of fruit. Am I cracking you up yet? Thats me.

Hopes...Dreams...Wishes

Tonia what a great idea for kicking off the New Year.

I have never been one for making a resolution but I do have hopes, dreams and wishes for 2009. My dreams came true in 2008 when we were blessed with Sierra. She has been such a wonderful addition to our family. My courage friends showed me what life can be if I take time for myself...now in 2009 I hope to find time for myself. Now that I said that what are we doing for the January reunion?!?

My hopes, dreams and wishes for 2009 are grand and I have no idea how I will fit it all in. I guess that is why we ring in a new year on a regular basis. As I prepare to head back to work in February I am determined not to let the papers that need to be graded stress me out. I hope to leave work at 3:30 four days a week, go to the gym for some "me" time and then pick Sierra up no later than 5:30. My hope is to only stay at work late one day a week to grade papers...I don't want to be one of 'those' moms who bring home all this work and have little time to spend with their children.

I dream of "me" time...hiking, going to the gym, scrapbooking, reading, stamping and going out with friends. I don't want "me" time to be cleaning, laundry, cooking, yard work.

I have grand plans for a road trip with my Mom and Sierra in late June or early July to Southern California to see my brother. I also want a tropical vacation (a dream) where I can swim up to a bar and do nothing but lay by a pool. I also have my 10 year high school reunion this summer and my wish for this is to look better than I did 10 years ago! Oh and don't forget we are all supposed to go away for a weekend....who is working on this?!?

Oh my...I guess I have a lot of hopes...dreams...wishes...
Wendy

What's up in the new year?

So here's the update from me...

Did you know that it is actually quite difficult to catch snowflakes on your tongue while driving a convertible? Hey, I had to try... managed to get one or two. Heated seats are a glorious invention!

School life is going well. The small-town feel works well for me, as I don't have anyone breathing down my neck telling me what to do. It's nice to work in a district that actually treats its teachers as if they know something. My learning curve is way up, but I'm having a great time.

Just when I thought I was finished coaching and I could have a private ceremonial LEGO melting, my little geek squadron pulled a coup and made the state championship tournament, which means another month of living la vida LEGO.

It will be a difficult time for my building going back to work tomorrow. One of our sixth grade teachers, who was in remission from cancer, suffered a brain anurism (sp?) and passed away on Christmas eve. She was an icon in the school and community, and it's going to be rough on everyone for awhile.  Very sad.

That's pretty much the rundown of life right now. How about you all?

Asta la vista, baby!

T

Sierra Maree

Hello to all of Mom's Courage Friends! I am already ten weeks old and my mom tells me I am growing like a weed. At my two month check-up I weighed 11 pounds 14 ounces and was 23 inches long. I am working my way right out of my 0-3 month clothes and right into my 3-6 month clothes. Mom wishes I would have worn my cute clothes more than once or twice. I like my mom being home with me but I know that she is looking forward to returning to work in February. I am going to go to Goddard while mom and dad are at work. I think my mom is going to cry when she drops me off for the first time even though she says that she will be just fine. Here are some pictures of me that I wanted to share with mom's friends. I hope you enjoy them and that all of you have a wonderful Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Here we are all dressed up to go to a Christmas party at 9 weeks old.


At 10 weeks old I can hold up my own head. I am a very strong little girl!


I got to visit Santa in November when my Grandma & Grandpa Peterson were in town to meet me. I slept through the whole visit with Santa but I still think he knows what I want for Christmas.

Mom and I are enjoying the unusual Portland weather. I even have my own personal snow suit that some friends in Colorado sent me.

As you can tell I can't wait to see you all in January at the next Courage reunion. I am sorry that I didn't let my mom come to the one in November. I know that she was really upset to miss out on seeing all of you...

Introducing Sierra Maree...

Reflections of a Broken Teacher

Thoughts just thoughts that are plaguing my brain

I had a parent this week call me and chew me out for his kiddo missing three minutes of recess. It was a hard thing for me and I am struggling to shake it. One because I feel wounded by the whole interaction. Here is a man who has never met me and has no idea who I am from Adam and before requesting a conference or even having a reasonable conversation with me he assumes that I am out to get his child and that I have the worst intentions for him.Thus he reaps insults on my teaching philosophy and who I am in the classroom before ever seeing me face to face or listening to what I have to say.

In my heart that is so vurniable and open with my kids this is a hard thing to understand. When I tried to talk to him about policies in my classroom I was cut off and told that there was never a reason for his child not to have all of his recess. What I wanted to say was, "well if you are willing for your child to achieve at lower standards then every other child in my classroom and you are willing to allow your child to tell you half truths then I suppose I am also willing to allow this to happen." Is that how I responded? of course not, but by his behavior you would think that I had beaten his child in school.

It never ceases to amaze me that in everything we do in our community of learners there can still be such huge gaps and misunderstandings between parents and teachers. I spend hours a day with these children trying to instill within them a confidence of themselves as learners and people. I work diligently to give everyone a chance to speak and be real within our class, and I am probably one of them most overly reflective teachers I know...often to my own deteriment. How then I ask myself can such misunderstandings and abuse happen between parents and teachers?

I come to this conclusion.... Quite honestly I think the basis of such interactions is fear. I understand that there is a fear of children not being treated with respect, I too suffer from this fear with my own child. I fear that because Miriam is a unique child she will not be held with care as others are,and that because she is overly bold she will be targeted within the classroom as something that she is not. I have a fear that someone else guiding her on a daily basis will affect what I have worked so hard to instill in her and I have a fear that not being present will affect how she sees the world. It is hard to let go and trust that another human who joins me in the journey of education could/would seek to understand her the way that I do. If I as an educator struggle with this how much more so do my own parents?

And so now I am left with the question of how to alleviate these fears within the parents of my own classroom community? Is this even my responsibility? What part do I carry in supporting students and families alike?