sigh

double sigh

Dodge Ball and School-Not so different

So here is the metaphor story, I hope you enjoy it even without the schema of the stories I have told all year. I usually share most of what I share here about the boys at school so I hope it makes sense. We are on the journey of big change-I hope so anyway so here is my story to get us inspired-after playing a very energetic and competitive round of dodge ball as a staff. Wow some of those ladies can throw. It came down to the wire with me and another teacher-I lost. Oh well...I then read this to the staff-here it is:

Thinking Deeply About Dodge Ball
I believe I started off the year with a story about the "Frequent Flyer" as a kick off for the year and to provide some vision of how and why we needed to "dig deeper" into student thinking. It is only fitting we end with a story. This story came to me as most do when I have had wonderful conversation with peers like all of you. All of you who keep me challenged, excited, and striving to always do better. Above all that that you are willing to take risks and to trust.

I asked you to take a risk and trust with the "dodge ball" game this morning. I am under no illusion that this activity could have been fun for a few, and for others the worst thing ever. I asked you to play a game that involves hitting a target that is constantly moving. I asked you to catch a ball, successfully without getting hurt. If you didn't do either of these well, you got to sit out. Some of us are naturally gifted with the art of throwing, catching, running, and even a little bit of a competitive spirit. Others of us are not. Eventually you may have got back in the game because of the help of someone else or just pure luck. This kind of game may be exactly why our wonderful PE teacher wrinkled his nose when I told him, "We are going to play dodge ball, isn't that exciting!"

I thought about his reaction when I went home. I thought about it deeply. I wondered if learning is sometimes like one big game of dodge ball, and I came up with more questions. Do we ask students to hit targets we set for them that are constantly moving or confusing? Do we set targets that are meaningful and will have impact on their learning? Do we give them the skills to be successful, even if they don't come prepackaged with them? I wondered if unknowingly does our response when students do not learn leave them "sitting out", waiting for someone to come get them back in the game? Or maybe by luck it will just click? When a student doesn't learn do they feel they are just a bystander?

Again I thought of my own son and his learning struggles, who I share numerous stories about. He is the child who can't throw a ball to save his life, and it is even harder to catch one. Sometimes his lack of attention makes all the targets constantly moving. What happens when he doesn't "get" a concept? I also thought of my other son who can catch a ball, and out throw his brother on any given day, and is able to grasp the idea that hitting a small target takes focus. Where does the "extra" he needs come from? I think of their teachers and the overwhelming responsibility their individual teachers have to respond to their learning and 20 some others in the classroom. I don't know how she or he does it.

I share this story-this metaphor- for us to think a little deeper about our wonderful learning community (a kick-butt one actually is what I tell everyone). I want us to look in the future, and think of how learning doesn't resemble a "game", where some get it and some don't. Deep in our teacher hearts we want all students to learn, we know we can do it. I want us to all wrinkle our nose a little bit and think, "Isn't here something better?". That was Rod's reaction, and then he immediately asked me THE question, "Isn't there something else I can help you with, if you just want people to get moving, I can get you some different ideas"

Hmmm get moving and get some different ideas...I like that...

A spring walk

Before the fall...

After fall...

One wet kiddo riding home in his undewear. Good thing we have watched enough survival shows to know enough to "strip"

Not ignoring

Hi there, my computer is on the fritz so I am not selectively ignoring some of you. My favorites is gone and I can't get in to the some of the blogs. I will keep trying. I miss you and hope you are all having a wonderful Easter Weekend.

Now I've Started

Nothing like a couple of birthdays in April to start a walk down memory lane...

An early favorite, my camera skills were weak I can't take credit for this one, it is a lucky hubby shot-click on it, I messed with the format and this size doesn't do it justice.

This one always gets me...I have no clue why

And this one, yummmy I could just lick their brown skin

Ahhh this is a more familiar pose, "ummm don't touch me"

Again, weak photography skills but love the pic... thanks for take a walk with me. You can't imagine how many more 100's of pics I could show you, I won't make you suffer.

On Being 9

Here is another dedication for another birthday from "I Love You the Purplest"

To small fry:

"I love you the bluest! I love you the color of a dragon fly at the tip of its wing

I love you the color of a cave

in its deepest, hidden part

where grizzly bears and bats curl up until midnight.

The mist of a mountain.

The splash of a waterfall.

The hush of a whisper."

A small fry's birthday menu:

"Small Fry what do you want for your birthday dinner? Spaghetti and meatballs?'

Small fry, "I don't know I will think about it."

Two minutes later in a whisper "That hot dog and bean thing mixed together"

"You mean beans and weiners?"

"Yep that's it"

There you have it beans and weiners and frozen corn-Karen would be grimacing at the beach about it right now at the thought of it.

Weird thoughts

It's a little weird but for hubby not being here things have gone pretty smoothly. The boys have been super excellent in the morning getting ready to head out the door-always a bugaboo for dad. I asked big fry why have they been so good for me and could they do that for dad. He gives me a grin, "We don't want any yelling". Hmmmm note to hubby, yell more. This week has been hammer week, I can't get one naughty kid out the door before another one is waiting in line. And these aren't just run of the mill naughty. These are the ones that I am done being nice to, because we have met WAYYYYYY to often. This discipline thing is putting a crimp in my instructional leadership time, my great thoughts desert me. BUT I did think of a great metaphor for an upcoming staff meeting...dodge ball and the educational setting. We are playing dodge ball for an ice breaker and I was racking my brain to connect it to my vision and where we need to go. It came to me while I was in bed with a hot, tossing and turning small fry throwing his limbs across me. I will make you wait, if you are an advertiser or writer type (some of you are) I think you would LOVE the analogy, umm or metaphor. Not sure which I am walking for MS this weekend. For Maddie's mom. For my beautiful 30 year old coworker who has had ms for two years. Who has yet to give baby Maddie a bath because of the disease that leaves her to weak and scared to hold a slippery wet baby. I am humbled, truly There we are weird thoughts...hubby needs to come home, so I can go back to surface thinking...

I am here!

I am here, I am reading your posts, just not keeping myself updated. We are past frickin fractions, we maybe understand them a little better, got some after school help, whizzed through the daily work and yes then flunked the test. I am learning to let go.... We moved on to poopy poetry (which I can actually stand) EXCEPT Big fry didn't read the rubric right so on Wed at 8, the night before it is due, we are re-reading it-and there was LOTS left to do, LOTS. 3 out of 4 of us cried over the turmoil. Come to find out when we met with the teacher, "Don't fret there are LOTS who didn't get it." Humph, would have been nice to know before we jumped all over our child and his lack of attention to detail and organizing. The funny part is the kid loves the class and the stuff he writes is darn good, and he really thinks about it. Big Fry had his first track meet, wow if that didn't bring back memories of junior high track! Spring Dance is coming up, Big Fry plans to go with, "I am taking someone." This someone is Kaitlyn. I ask him "what if Kaitlyn dances with someone else". "Awe, I won't mind, it is just middle school mom". Whew Hubby is gone for the next 4 days so Mrs. Mom it is for me....

Happy Birthday Big Fry

Except from "I Love you the Purplest" for big fry on his 12th birthday

...I love you the reddest

I love you the color of the sky before it blazes into night.

I love you the color of the leopard's eyes

when it prowls through the jungle,

and the color of the campfire at the edge of the flame.

A wide open hug. The swirl of a magic cape.

The thunder of a shout.

The smile on Max's face grew and grew until his cheeks couldn't hold it in.

Then it came out in a big, thundery laugh.

To you big fry and all your many colors

Purple for your wide open heart that warms everyone you meet

Yellow for our contagious smile

Blue for the deep neverending passion for what you believe to be true

Happy Birthday!