Sorry…I’ve been in a meeting.

I have every intention of posting here on a daily basis; however, I have been.  Pretty lame excuse, huh?   

I was wondering, while sitting in a meeting,  where the documentary crew might be.  Seriously,  someone has got to get this on video.  Any takers out there?  What’s that guy’s name…the one who makes all the films that make people angry…Michael Moore? I have a few ideas for him.  Have his people call my people.

Back to life. Back to reality….

After the Utopian cocoon of the KWMP,  a week in the South Florida sun and a few days doing absolutely nothing, I am back behind my desk in my temporarily empty classroom.  Oh, I’m not just sitting here.  I wanted to turn on my laptop to make sure that it still functioned after the re-imaging it received yesterday.  Sadly,  all of the websites that I have bookmarked over the past four years are gone…I will slowly recall and bookmark again. 

I am excited about being here at my desk.  As I open cabinets and boxes I am thrilled to see items familiar and magical that make up my bag of tricks.  More like a chest of tricks.  This is my fifth year at Lovinggood. 

Despite all that is expected of me.  Despite the fact that I am concerned with the current state of education due to these economically interesting times, my enthusiasm for teaching and learning, the excitement for the infinite possibilities for good this year remains intact.

So, back to reality…  Where is the reality show about teaching?  I think there is one about being in the principal’s office.  (I’ve come across it while channel surfing once or twice). This Blog will now serve as my daily report on the reality of teaching….no producer, the only camera, dear reader, will be in your mind’s eye, and the best thing – no commercials.

Definitions of language.

Language is like a tree with roots deep that dip beneath the surface and rise up connected to the tip of each branch and each leaf.

Language is like a river continuously flowing out to the sea. Overflowing, dammed, dried up, rocky, fluid, flooded, crystal clear, muddy, sustaining, life giving, drowns, bathes, quenches thirst, refreshes, overwhelms, soothes, ripples, gurgles, bubbles…

Language is like a building with many floors, windows, and doors.  Some floors can have vast open lofts and others tiny apartments. Every time the building appears dilapidated or outdated something comes along to renovate it.

Down to the bones…

Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones was  the focus of my professional reading discussion group today.    I’d like to thank Natalie for inspiring me through the writing I’ve had to accomplish during the KMWP.  She says, ” Separate creator, editor and internal censor…give the creator room to breathe.”  Wow, permission to breathe.

http://www.nataliegoldberg.com/

Helen’s demo Grappling With Grammar had us thinking about teaching grammar in the context vs. teaching grammar in isolation.  It was great to see the research pointing to the necessity for developing a foundation of grammar awareness.   Also nice to know that pretty much everyone shares the same writing pet peeves.

Shameless self promotion….

“Grey Matters: Activating brain strategies for more effective proofreading”  is your chaperon through the terrain of proofreading chaparral. Research based strategies fire neurotransmitters to propel understanding through proofreading activities.

So what do you think?  I should make some changes?  Yes?  Please help!!!

Lot’s of writing today.  Ready?  Here’s another little something about teaching…

“ You won’t make money being a teacher, proclaimed a boy with whom I was having the “when I grow up” conversation in high school.  I declared, with conviction,” I’m  doing it for  the intrinsic value.”  Astonished at my use of the word “intrinsic,” I didn’t realize the far reaching impact of my response.  Teaching is not an occupation, rather it’s an avocation.  One is married to the craft like the devout who pledge allegiance to the contemplative life.

Yes, there are high expectations placed on teachers  (may I say ridiculously high?) by the muckety-mucks who rarely, if ever out of fear, step one foot in a classroom.  Then there’s the reaction from the general public ranging from, “Oh, it’s such a noble profession.”  to  I don’t know how you do it!” and finally, “Are you crazy?”

I won’t lie.  I do dream of the day when I can offer my expertise just one or two days a week, when I can be the special guest star in someone’s classroom.  For now, though, I am the best teacher in my own classroom.  I have tried to walk away from teaching, but I missed  the discovery; the joyous, challenging daily experience.  I missed the students who sometimes masquerade as the best teachers.  I missed the roller coaster ride of adventure between 1st and 5th periods.  I missed the “life is like a box of students – you never know who you’re going to get” Forrest Gumpedness of it all.

Where else can I perform 5 shows daily.  Laugh so hard that I cry on a regular basis.  Act like a fool, make learning fun and get paid ( albeit paltry) to do it?  Where else would I meet the most creative, brilliant interesting, rebellious rapscallions who don’t mind hearing stories about my dog or Fred the dead opossum?

I will continue this. Comments are welcome.  I can’t write in a vacuum.  Thanks!

Blog Pocket

Yes,  you read that right.  And those in the know will sing with conviction, “Blog Pocket.”   Lunch has become time to bond as we watch and/or listen to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkUbqmS9TWI.   Check it out and learn to love.

Hard to believe that this is the end of the second full week.  So many great ideas.  I’m glad that demos will be posted on the KMWP site.

I will be working on the annotated bibliography for my demo.  Raise your hand if you detect enthusiasm.  Hmmm,   no one.  Well,  love to write; can’t say I love to write annotated bibs.

The cosmic 2×4

Occasionally, one of these will come out of the ethers and whack me on the head.  I  never get used to that and have learned to expect it when I least expect it.    Lately, though,  the whacks are coming with more frequency and less intensity.   One of them came in the form of a phone call the other day from my mother.  She said I could go ahead and write her story.  Ok,  without going in to the long version of our story, this is an earth shattering proclamation.  Hey, if mom thinks I’m a writer, then I must be a writer.    Today,  I will say with confidence that I am a writer.  Not just a writer, but in an active fellowship of amazing teachers/writers.

This morning, Kathleen Z.  and Nini captured my imagination with their demo on dialogue writing.

This afternoon,  so inspired by Sabrina’s demo I created this…

Wake-Up

I am on a journey,

fully aware, alive, eyes open, alert.

I am not alone

surrounded by the forces of positive energy, thoughts, visions, experiences

of those who have gone before me.

I am rich-

pockets brimming with guidance from the universe.

I am awake

behind the steering wheel

driving down the highway of life.

Isn’t technology great?

As a Gen-Xer, according to Pam’s demo,  I guess I fall somewhere in the middle between being a Digital Immigrant  and a Digital Native.  I remember   life before personal computers, cell phones, ipods, cable television and microwaves.   Given enough time to figure out the application I can become fairly fluent in the language.  I’ll admit that I am sometimes resistant at first, especially if I feel the technology is frivolous.   I didn’t really see a need to use Twitter, but with Pam’s guidance I see how it may become a valuable tool for the classroom.    Of course, I couldn’t wait to use photofunia.com  to enhance a photo that I had taken using my cell phone to post as my new profile pic on facebook.

Kristen’s demo has me thinking, again,  about creating a Blog for my students.   I took a class here at KSU  two summers ago called Blog2Learn.  It was pretty basic (and that’s all I’m going to say about that).  I currently post to a static page on a daily basis during the school year….it would be great to have an interactive page for me and my students.

Brynn’s demo seemed the answer to our school wide question of  “What will we do for advisement?”    The empathy organizers, even though meant for elementary, will be perfect for homeroom.  I can also use the info as another angle in to the persuasive writing unit.

Look, Mom, I’m BLogging…

and I feel confident about doing math.

It is generally at this point in the summer when I start thinking, ” I can’t wait to get back to school.”   Now I’ll be going back to school with so many new approaches to writing.   Montyne led us through a fun and interactive demonstration on BLogging that definitely got the wheels turning.    There has been a push for teacher commentary on student work.  The BLog posts that I envision will give students the opportunity to leave commentary on the writing of their peers.  Perhaps that writing will be about math now that I have been inspired by Dolleen’s demonstration  on writing in the math classroom.  No longer burdened by a math anxiety…(now that I know that’s what I’ve been suffering from)…I feel free to have a discussion about math with my students.

Why should “mom” be proud of the fact that I can BLog?  A question in my memoir, “Why do mom’s do that?” led a few of us down the road of tales about our mothers. The fact that no matter what we do it will never be good enough for mom is a common thread.

Say a prayer for my demo…

Thanks to Urban Dance Squad that line from a song on some far off mixed tape from ’91? ’93? has been rolling around my head for the past few days.

Well, I can say that I’m glad that all the agonizing about getting it done and done well is over.  Is it possible to become addicted to self-doubt?  To enjoy the feeling as you anticipate falling on your face?

I did it AND it was lots of fun.  I am so glad for the opportunity to look in depth at information, books, web pages that  have been stacked on my desk for months (even years).  Thanks for all of the great feedback.  I look forward to adding some polish with guidance from my Fellows.

“too much pressure is too much

I tap a fan’s back to be my bro’

while the rhymes are bust, it’s you I trust

just say a little prayer for my demo”