Happenings

My state of mind right now simply put is stressed! Thanks to the help of some of my students I got a lot of work done at school today, but it seems as if everything else is going haywire. Not bad exactly, just not within the realm of my wishes. Nothing seems to be going the way I intend. My mind is spinning out of control. Control…

Control is out of reach

Taunting and tricking you with every breath

Luring you into a false sense of security

And then snatching it out from under you

Just when you think you have protected them all

It spirals away from you

Reminding you that it has a mind of its own

Control is

An illusion

This week’s post is written on a sad note for me. I was told tonight that my parents will be taking their 14 year old German Shepherd, Shadow, to the vet in the morning. It is time to say goodbye. Her old body has given way and no medicine can take away her pain any longer. It is time to say goodbye…

Shadow came to live with them when she was about 4 months old in November of 1994. True to her name, she was always following my mom around…her little Shadow. Over the years Shadow played an integral part in all of our lives. She was my mom’s baby (and a spoiled baby she was!), she was Timber’s “sister” (teaching him right from wrong…and yes-even getting him in trouble some when they were young), she was Sophie’s teacher (let’s just say that Sophie needed SOMEONE to teach her that she wasn’t top dog in every household) and she was our third dog (even though she only lived with us when my parents went on vacation-our home was her 2nd home…and she knew it too). When she came to stay with us, she became my shadow. She slept at the foot our my bed each night, and followed me everywhere I went even if I was only stepping out of the room for a minute. She had a favorite spot where she liked to lay-right between the dining room table and front window. From this position she had the perfect view of the street…and the kitchen to see anybody who came into the house. I suppose on some level she was also remembering all of those Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners where many tasty morsels fell from the table to the floor (compliments of Carrie & Christopher) which she promptly scarfed up and was hoping that there would be more if she waited there long enough. She was such a sweet dog, sweeter than you could ever imagine. Her giant chocolate brown eyes were windows to the love that she held in her heart for each and every one of us. She especially loved the kids. They too spoiled her and took great care of their Grandmommy & Grandaddy’s dog. They even went so far as to spoon feed her when she refused to eat (okay…as an old dog she had a few little personality quirks that we had to find some creative solutions too)

It feels strange to be typing the word “was”…I know she is still here in body…at least for now…but I also know that she is not the Shadow I know and love right now. Right now she is hurting, not happy and playful. Right now she is in pain and it is time to say goodbye. I know that this decision, as heart wrenching as it is for my parents is the right one. I know that Shadow will now be free from the body that has failed her and given her grief. She will be waiting for us in Dog Heaven, and will be greated by our other canine friends. Shogun, Shaira, Sama, Shiloh, Tigger, Blue, and Lobo…please take care of my Shadow.

Goodbye Shadow. We will see you in our dreams and hearts…forever.

It has been said to me many a time that a little boy and a puddle are just like magnets and will eventually attract. I suppose I should have remembered that, and even thought twice, before I took my son on a hike…along a cold mountain creek!

It all began last June late in the afternoon. My family and I were on our yearly pilgrimage to Mammoth Lakes, CA and were truly enjoying the beauty of the mountains. Having come to Mammoth Lakes for many years (since I was younger than my own children) I was very familiar with the area. or rather very familiar with certain features of the area. There were however many hikes and adventures I had never been on. It was for this reason that we decided this year, to take a hike or two into unchartered territory (at least for us anyway). And that is just what we did. This late afternoon, we were going to take the treacherous hike back to T.J. and Barrett Lakes.

We began our journey by driving up the winding mountain road towards the lakes basin and parked our car in the lot near Lake George. After tying our jackets around our waists and tightening up our hiking boots we began what appeared to be an easy hike around Lake George to the trail head. Easy on the body anyway-not so easy on an eight year old boy when he saw the rushing creek up ahead. “Oooooo…look at the water! How are we going to get across it?” Christopher asked excitedly.

Inside I was groaning for I knew just what he wanted to do..he wanted to walk through the cold creek. I’m sure at the moment that would be quite fun for him, it would however make the rest of the hike unbearable for the rest of use because we would have to listen to him complain about his wet boots. “We’ll find a way, don’t worry…” I answered firmly.

“Oh, I’m not worried!” he replied sheepishly.

Thankfully, as we approached the creek, which ran about 3 inches deep, my husband was able to create a path of small boulders for us to step on. Success! “Yes!” I thought to myself “One catastrophe averted!”

Our family of 4 continued on our way up the mountain side towards T.J. and Barret Lakes. It was most certainly not an easy climb, although not so difficult that we turned back however. Once we arrived at the lakes we spent a short while sitting beside the clear water’s edge sipping on cool water bottled to reenergize ourselves and watching the fish swim in the lakes. It was one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen.

After we were well rested we decided not to return to our car via the trail, but instead chose to follow the creek downstream to the lake and then walk alongside the lake back to our vehicle. We were getting hungry, and it was close to dinnertime so we figured this would get us home sooner. MISTAKE #1!

As we began walking downhill, we came upon several LARGE snow drifts that had not melted yet in the summer sun. They were sloppy, slushy snow drifts that our feet sunk into with each step we took. It was inevitable…with conditions like this our feet were bound and determined to get wet. Yet we forged on…determined to finish our adventure in the manner of true outdoorsmen, after all…who needed a trail to follow? MISTAKE #2!

Now, anyone who has spent time near melting snow drifts knows that underneath what appears to be a solid piece of snow likes dripping water and tiny streams of runoff. And anyone who has been near dripping water and runoff in the mountains knows that only one thing can be created in such a situation…MUD!

I should add at this moment that we were all getting rather tired-the hike down the hill was much more difficult than the hike up the trail and we found ourselves slipping and sliding with each step we took. Finally though, we emerged at the edge of the lake next to a tiny abandoned cabin with a huge snow drift next to it…that was just perfect for sliding down! MISTAKE #3!

So, as tired as they were, Carrie & Christopher summoned up the energy to plop their bottoms onto the icy drift and slide down the hill (thank goodness they avoided the mud puddle at the bottom of the drift-boy would THAT have been messy!). As soon as they reached the bottom they both bounded for the side of the lake where we could see a trail that would lead us back to the car. SPLAT! “What was that?” I asked as I heard a slopping sucking sound. When I looked over my shoulder I could see my Christopher pulling his boot out of what appeared to be about 4 inches of mud. Even the bottom of his jeans were muddy. “Ugh!” I groaned. He however simply smiled at me and yelled “COOL!”. I didn’t say anything…just rolled my eyes and began walking ahead of the kids on the trail…MISTAKE #4!

I should have stayed beside them. I should have guided them along the trail. I should have said something about the mud and how we needed to keep his boots dry. But I didn’t…like I said…mistake #4. As we rounded the bend toward the end of the trail we once again approached the same rushing creek. Now remember…I’m walking ahead of the kids, they are tired and lagging behind quite a bit, but I knew they were safe and couldn’t get lost on a trail that was so simple and close to the car.

Once I came nearer to the creek, I carefully stepped onto the same small boulders that my husband had laid out as I crossed the creek. I carefully made my way across so that my boots wouldn’t get wet. And then I kept walking…leaving the kids behind. A few short minutes later Mike & I realized that we hadn’t heard anything form the kids so we quickly glanced back to make sure they were okay. Once I saw them, I wanted to scream…and I did, “Christopher! Stay out of the creek!” But I was too late. I stood in horror as I watched my little guy traipsing back and forth through the creek splashing water from here to kingdom-come! Water was spraying everywhere-I just knew he was going to be drenched!

I rapidly darted down the dusty path back towards the creek to put a stop to this behavior, afterall, now his boots would be wet (and hiking boots take FOREVER to dry out), his socks would be drenched, his jeans would be sopping, and I just knew he would complain all the way back to our cabin. “Christopher! What in the world are you doing! Get out of there…that water is too cold…your going to get sopping wet! Why in teh world are you walking through the water like that?”

Once again…the sheepish grin…”My boots were dirty. I thought you’d want me to wash them before I got in the van.”

I had to hold back a giggle on that one…instead I managed to look at him condescendingly and calmly say “Christopher…next time…STAY OUT OF THE CREEK!”

Little boys and puddles…little boys and creeks…a true magnetic attraction!

photo credit: patrick dentler

Now, students, please post a quality comment on this week’s entry. Remember to tell the author what you liked about the piece (maybe it was a powerful line, a personal connection, flashy vocab, the picture the story painted for you, author’s crafting tools, etc.). After you tell the author something good about the piece, let them know what area you think they could improve and HOW they can do that (remember EVERY author has room for improvement). Finally, let the author know what you would like from them next…do you have any questions about this piece? Would you like to hear more stories like this one? What can this writer do for you as their reader?

It was a warm July afternoon when my family and I pulled into our driveway after a long vacation to California and Montana to a pleasant surprise. After unloading our van, I walked across the front yard to check the mail. Stepping over the brick wall and heading towards the mail box I just happened to glance up towards the corner of the porch ceiling and noticed what appeared to be a cake of mud smacked onto the eaves. “What in the world is that?” I asked myself. I gingerly stepped up onto a bench to take a better look.

“Oh my,” I whispered, “Carrie, Christopher come here…quietly!” I was so excited to show them the Barn Swallow nest that I had discovered. We had seen these beautiful black birds flying throughout the neighborhood, but had never seen a nest like this so close.

“I’m too tired, I want to go in and go to bed!” Carrie whined.

“Do I have to?????” grumbled Christopher.

“Just trust me,” I replied, “I think you’re going to want to see our visitors.”

The kids turned and looked at each other with puzzled expressions and said in unison “Visitors?” before dragging their tired bodies across the front yard. As soon as they stepped under the porch they followed my gaze into the corner of the eaves…where what to our wondering eyes did appear but a tiny mama barn swallow sitting on a nest of caked mud.

“Oh look at her!” Carrie squealed softly, “Do you think she has any eggs in there?”

“I bet she does, or else she wouldn’t be sitting there like that,” Christopher replied.

“Well,” I said softly, “we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Each day from that moment, we avoided using the front door in order to avoid disturbing our little friends. We even went so far as to hang a screen beneath the nest just in case…just in case there were baby birds in there and they accidentally fell out. Each day, from that moment on we would carefully crack open the front door and peer silently at the nest to see if we had any new arrivals. Each day from that moment on, it was the same-Mama Bird sitting on the nest, and Papa Bird sitting on the edge of the screen beside her. That is until…

One day we peered out the front door to find that Mama and Papa were gone…but peeking over the edge of the nest were 2 tiny bald heads with big fat yellow beaks. “We have babies!” we happily told our family and friends. We watched those babies grow each day, we watched the Mama and Papa come back to feed them, and when the 2 baby birds grew bigger, we watched Mama Bird sleep beside Papa on the screen so that the babies could have the nest, and eventually we listened to the babies cry when they became hungry. We watched and watched…until one day they were gone…all of them. The babies flew the coop and an empty nest remained. On occasion we would see the grown up babies (and let me tell you if you thought human children grow up fast you ought to watch a baby bird grow…it happens at lightening speed!) come back and sit on the ledge near the nest, but we thought that our experience with Barn Swallows and their babies was over.

That is until one day about 2 weeks ago…Carrie had stepped out to get the mail and Mama Bird was back on the nest. “I think they laid more eggs.” she reported when she stepped inside.

Once again I uttered the words, “Well, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

We didn’t have to wait long, just a few days later Mr. Hulburt reported that he had found a broken egg shell laying on the concrete beneath the nest. The kids and I darted quickly outside (although quietly) and sure enough, as we peeked into the nest we saw movement and suddenly three tiny bald heads with large yellow beaks poked over the edge of the nest! This time there were 3!

photo credit: the superash

The cycle continues…we watch Mama come back to feed the babies, we watch Mama & Papa sleep beside the nest, we listen to the babies chirp when they are hungry, and soon, very soon I’m sure we will see them take their first flight. And then again, we will be faced with an empty nest…it’s sad to think about it-because we have truly enjoyed watching our baby birds grow, we can only hope that there will be more eggs and baby birds to come.

Now, students, please post a quality comment on this week’s entry. Remember to tell the author what you liked about the piece (maybe it was a powerful line, a personal connection, flashy vocab, the picture the story painted for you, etc.). After you tell the author something good about the piece, let them know what area you think they could improve and HOW they can do that (remember EVERY author has room for improvement). Finally, let the author know what you would like from them next…do you have any questions about this piece? Would you like to hear more stories like this one? What can this writer do for you as their reader?

I was reading through comments (okay…our comments definitely need some work-but we’re first time bloggers so I’m sure they will improve with time) on my kids blogs today and stumbled upon one where the student felt she had nothing to write about.  I too have struggled with that lately.  I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have sat down at the computer, logged into my blog, and been unable to come up with a suitable, magical, inspiring topic to write about.  If I’m having trouble with that, I can’t imagine how some of these kids feel.

The ironic thing about this is that I have a million things I could write about.  This past summer was one of the most amazing summers for me.  I traveled to Mammoth Lakes (of course), Yellowstone, The Grand Tetons, Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, San Antonio, and San Diego.  I fished, hiked, stood on top of a volcano (all be it dormant), ran from a bear, saw moose, buffalo, geysers, and stood in two states at once.  I found a “new” house to buy, and put mine on the market…yet I can’t find anything to write about!  I begin thinking about these things and my mind just whirls around at an amazing speed and I just can’t find the words to tell any one of these stories in detail.

How in the world to overcome this mental block…how to help the kids overcome theirs…hmmmm…

This week I began my 2nd year of blogging with my students and I must say that this year is off to a much smoother start than last year. Perhaps that comes from the fact that I ironed out a lot of the kinks last year (notice I didn’t say ALL) and therefore have a better approach to introducing them to the students. Only time will tell I guess. I do have something interesting that I need to check with Mr. Mattson about…is there a program we can attach to our blogs that would allow us to “instant message” with the kids when they are blogging? I ask because I encountered something tonight that I haven’t encountered before. It was about 9:45 p.m. and I kept getting emails that Jaden had new comments. On one hand I was thrilled that he was so engaged on only our 3rd real day of blogging.  However, it was late…even I was tired!  As soon as I logged in to check them I realized he was posting back to people who had questions about his student council post. The mother in me came out and I just had to find a way to tell him he needed get to bed so I logged in as his administrator and posted a “message” under the guise of a new post. He got the message…but I’m wondering if there is a simpler way to accomplish this!? Mr. Mattson…what do you think?

PaWe arrived in San Diego today and checked in at the Pacific Terrace Hotel. We made our reservations here knowing that we were splurging. I have to admit that I had hesitations about spending so much on a hotel-but I really wanted this weekend to be special for all 4 of us (myself, my husband, and the kids) and knew that staying in a nice hotel right on the beach would be an important part of accomplishing this goal. This certainly is not the typical hotel for our family. Upon our arrival we were greeted at the door by a bell boy who delivered our bags to our rooms, our car was valet parked in an underground parking garage (and when we want it all we have to do is pick up the phone and call!). Walking into our room was like walking into a dream…we truly felt like we were getting a life of luxury (according to the kids, it’s just like the Tipton! ) Our room felt relaxing and inviting, with a balcony that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. It’s magnificent and more than I ever could have imagined. Any doubts I had have been quickly erased. Our “home” (all be it only for the next 4 days) couldn’t be more perfect…it’s setting the stage for a fabulous weekend and possibly some problems in the future (I think I could get used to being spoiled like this!)

photo credit: Mariyath

Here I am this August night sitting on a balcony staring out into the vast darkness of the Pacific Ocean listening to the waves crash against the sandy banks of the beach beneath me.  All I can see is the white caps of the rolling waves creep restlessly across the sand depositing a wealth of treasures for my children and I to find in the morning.  Here I am this August night, sitting on a balcony, knowing that in less than a week I will return to work after a wonderful, yet ever so short, summer vacation.  Here I am this August night, giving my summer one last Hoo-Rah.  One final opportunity for summer to put me in a state of relaxation, one final chance to create memories that I will forever hold dear, one final grasp to create days of leisure, days of laughter, days of fun before it’s “back to the daily grind” when school starts next week.  (I suppose calling the daily grind brings up somewhat of a negative conotation, but that isn’t truly how I feel.  I love my job, I only wish there was a way to do it in a much less stressful fashion!)

This 4 day vacation to San Diego has been much anticipated in our family.  It was originally scheduled in June to be attached to our big trip through Mammoth Lakes and Yellowstone.  Those plans were hijacked however when my daughter broke her thumb.  We had great plans of days spent splashing in the cool oceans waters as well as another Sea World Adventure-none of which would work very well when you are wearing a cast that cannot get wet.  So our plans were postponed until July-or so we thought.  At the beginning of July I got online to make the reservations and found that some of the activities we had planned to do were not available until August-ARGH!  Which brings us to this weekend.  This was the last weekend we could manage the trip before school started and all of the activities we hoped to take part in were available during this time.

I feel like this trip is the perfect opportunity for me to get back into blogging-I have certainly taken a break from it all this summer.  So here I will begin again by sharing our San Diego adventures  A short vacation which I hope will set the mood for my state of mind for the upcoming year.  A short vacation that will bid this summer a final farewell.  One last…hoo-rah!

I was talking with a colleague today about working with those children who are “gifted”. I use the term lightly, because being labeled “gifted” is all a matter of how well you do on the specific test the your school district chooses to use to identify those children who rise above the average standard. The ironic thing is that in one school district a child can be labeled as gifted, but when they move they are faced with having to test again and may not qualify on another district’s test. I suppose instead of our saying our discussion focused on the “gifted”, I really should say we were discussing the children who achieve higher than the grade level expectations. Are we meeting their needs or do they, in the long run, end up being punished as a result of their early achievements?

I can only use myself as an example. I was one of those children who excelled in reading (math…well that’s an entirely different story). In second grade I was reading at the level of a 5th grader, in 5th grade I was reading at the level of a 8th-9th grader. I attempted to read Watership Down as a 4th grader…notice the word attempted. As a 5th grader I found myself in detention all of the time because I would never have my summary for our reading group assignment written. As 6th grader I almost lost out of a local science competition because I just didn’t do my project.

Why didn’t I finish Watership Down when I was certainly capable of reading it? Why didn’t I just write the summaries in order to avoid detention? Why didn’t I just do the science project without having my G.A.T.E. teacher have to sit and walk me through it? Why? Simply put…I just didn’t know how!

No one ever taught me how to pace myself through a long, difficult chapter book…they just assumed because of my test scores that I knew how to do it intrinsically. No one ever taught me how to write a summary…they just assumed because of my test scores that I knew how to do it. No one ever taught me how to do a science experiment…they just assumed I knew how to do. No one ever taught me how! And what’s worse is that I didn’t have enough knowledge about what I didn’t know to realize that I should ask for help.

I think as educators we often assume that our students have a certain amount of background knowledge and as a result we don’t need to cover the minor details of any given topic. Either that, or we assume that our high achievers already know it, so we don’t need to remind them and instead focus on those kiddos that need a little bit more support. My own experience has taught me to assume that the children in my class know nothing…about anything…so that I can make sure they have all of the details they need to succeed at the work I give them. Nine times out of ten, those high achieving students already have the background knowledge they need…but there are those occasions when they don’t and even the simplest of explanations provides a “light bulb moment” for them. I’ve even heard them whispher “Oh….so that’s why…I never knew why I had to work it that way!”

I look now at the high achieving students in my class and I worry about them…will they be faced with the same experience at some point in their educational careers? Will they be left to figure it out on their own because “their test scores show they can do it”? Will they have to face failure and punishment because they didn’t know enough about what information they lack to realize that they should ask for help? Or will someone understand…will someone realize that even the “gifted” need to be taught the basics-they can only be high achievers if we teach them what it is they need to achieve.