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School at Home

3/29/2020

Home school is NOT the same as school at home.

Our “soft dismissal” means that, for the past two weeks, Utah students have been schooled at home. School at home is not to be confused with home school. Home schooled students are primarily guided by their parents; school at home students are directed by their classroom teachers AND guided by their parents. It is a joint effort and, believe me, everyone’s joints are feeling it!!

I have 110 students. At our first post-dismissal faculty meeting we were instructed to send an email to every parent telling them how their students should access our classwork. In the email we were to instruct them to respond to our email, verifying that they had read and received it. After giving them a couple days, we were to contact every parent who did not respond to our email.

On Tuesday of last week I sent 110 emails. Two days later I made 79 phone calls. By Monday I had 15 students who had not shown up at all and 16 who had not turned in any assignments. This Tuesday I made 33 more phone calls. Now I have only 5 students who have not turned in any work….which actually is a better statistic than when we meet in a physical classroom…..which is not to say that this school at home thing is better than school at school.

Across the board, the reaction seems to be that students would rather be in school. “Who would have thought that I miss school?” one student commented. “My siblings are driving me crazy” commented another. In an online survey, I asked my students what I could do to help them succeed in this new format. “Cure the coronavirus so we can go back to school,” was one response.

Parents too, seem to want their kids back in school. “This is so hard”, “I have so much more respect for teachers now”, and “I don’t know how you do this” were some of the comments I heard as I spoke with parents. My favorite is a popular meme that says “And just like that, spanking and prayer are back in school”.

Perhaps absence makes the heart grow fonder. Probably I really do love my students. I know that as I correct assignments, I picture the face of the student whose assignment I am assessing, I think of his/her unique gifts, I smile as I remember interactions we’ve had, and I feel a titch of tenderness...every time with every student.

Make no mistake. It has been a rough year with this particular group of students. They tested me past my limit and made me seriously consider immediate retirement. However what does not kill you makes you stronger. And I am a much, MUCH better teacher, thanks to my experience with them. I developed skills that I would have never gained had it not been for them; skills that will make a better, more effective educator for the rest of my career. And, in the process, I grew to love them. Every single one of them.

I grew to love them in the classroom. I may even love them more online. I love that the very week I started a unit on waves we had an earthquake. (Seismic waves are real!) I love that the state has cancelled end-of-level tests this year. (Dealing with unending management issues put me weeks behind teaching the core curriculum.) And I love not having to contend with classroom management issues. There are things I don’t love, things like learning how to set up video chat sessions, participating in video chat sessions, and watching videos of chat sessions. Love it or not, this is our educational reality at the moment.

Life is the stories you can tell and we all are living stories in uncharted territory right now. May we continue to work jointly together. Our success hinges on it!

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Spirit Week

3/22/2020

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Spirit Week! I loved Spirit Week as a student at Sugar Salem High School, I loved it as a young teacher at Ben Lomond High School and I love, LOVE it as an old teacher, facilitating instruction from a computer next to my kitchen. Lexi Cunningham, SLC School District, has invited all students, parents, teachers and community members to participate in statewide Spirit Week. (Details at #utahschoolspirit ) What a fabulous idea! If I can figure out how hashtags (#) work, I will be participating and I invite you to do the same.

Based on the following truisms, that 1) mimicry is the best form of flattery AND 2) it is a sign of intelligence to recognize utilize good ideas, I decided to institute my own version of Spirit Week and I invite you to join me.

For the next 7 days, starting Monday and continuing through next Sunday, I will be doing a Spirit Week activity every day. Please join me. In the spirit of unity, let’s do this together.

Monday: SCATTER the SPIRIT
In the spirit of the song “Scatter Sunshine” today’s challenge is to spread smiles
In a world where sorrow ever will be known
Where are found the needy and the sad and lone,
How much joy and comfort you can all bestow,
If you scatter sunshine everywhere you go.
Scatter sunshine all along your way.
Cheer and bless and brighten
Every passing day.
Cheer and bless and brighten those around you. Scatter smiles, scatter flowers, scatter seeds, scatter good will and kind words. Wave (with all fingers) at a passerby. Smile at the people in the toilet paper aisle. Leave nice notes on car windshields. Here are some more ideas:     https://www.appreciationatwork.com/blog/5-ways-scatter-sunshine/

Tuesday: STRENGTHEN the SPIRIT
The spirit and body are intimately connected; when we strengthen one, we strengthen the other. Today’s challenge is to strengthen the spirit by exercising the body. Take a brisk walk, a leisurely bike ride or see how long you can hold a plank. (The longest time in an abdominal plank position (male) is 8 hr 15 min 15 sec, and was achieved by George Hood (USA) in Naperville, Illinois, USA, on 15 February 2020.)
And do it outside! Just being outside is spirit strengthening.

Wednesday: SEEK the SPIRIT through SERVICE
Look for opportunities to serve. “First observe, then serve” advised Sister Linda K. Burton. (October 2012) Monday’s challenge was broad, today’s is specific. Deliberately, purposefully, intentionally,consciously seek someone to serve. Then do it. Make someone’s day.

Thursday: SALUTE with SPIRIT
Give a shout out to someone. Be it a serviceman or woman, an influential mentor, a kind neighbor, or the newspaper delivery person, choose someone to spotlight. Salute them publicly or privately, with a post on social media or a heartfelt personal note. This is today’s challenge.

Friday: SAVOR the SPIRIT
To savor is to enjoy completely. Today’s challenge is to savor the spirit of gratitude and to reap the benefits thereof.
“..gratitude may be one of the most overlooked tools that we all have access to every day. Cultivating gratitude doesn’t cost any money and it certainly doesn’t take much time, but the benefits are enormous.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2014/11/23/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-of-gratitude-that-will-motivate-you-to-give-thanks-year-round/#397d19d7183c
Look around. Count your blessings. Make a list of the blessings brought by COVID-19…..the forced slowdown, the increased association with family, the decreased association with you-know-who, less traffic, more reading….the blessings are there. List them.

Saturday: SING with SPIRIT
Sing! Or hum...or whistle… My sweet Kath always whistled while she worked. And my friend Ricky has a song for every situation. Singing has amazing benefits, even for those of us who are not musically talented.
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/21-incredible-benefits-singing-that-will-impress-you.html. Today’s challenge is to sing!

Sing, sing a song
Sing out loud, sing out strong
Sing of good things not bad
Sing of happy not sad

Sing, sing a song
Make it simple to last your whole life long
Don't worry that it's not good enough
For anyone else to hear
Just sing, sing a song
(Made famous by The Carpenters)

Sunday: SHARE the SPIRIT
Share your spirit experiences with others. Share what you felt, share what you learned, share what you know. #spiritweekshare I particularly encourage you to share what you feel, learned, and know about Christ. There is peace in Christ.

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Lambs

3/15/2020

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I love lambs. Really. Love. Them. For the love of lambs I go out on winter mornings to feed ewes in 20 degree (F) weather. For the love of lambs I haul 60 gallons of water down to the pasture in 5 gallon buckets. For love of lambs I pitchfork 20 loads of manure out of the corral in the spring. For the love of lambs. Lambs make it all worthwhile. Watching lambs leap and frolic in the greening pasture brings joy comparable to that of watching one’s own children investigate wildflowers in a mountain meadow. I love lambs.

One of the reasons I love lambs is that they symbolize spring and all the wonders it brings….tree buds, apricot blossoms, daffodils, softer, gentler air and sunny, shirt-sleeve afternoons...and hope. Spring brings hope. Hope for warmth and light and love. Lambs bring hope too. Hope for growth and life and love.

And right now we need hope. I don’t need to say why. The turmoil and tumult and trepidation of our current situation are as obvious as is the need for hope. There is hope in lambs. There is hope in spring. One could say that hope springs from lambs. I can say, without hesitation, that hopes spring from the Lamb. In fact, it spouts from Him, pours from Him, floods from Him.

The Lamb of God, even Jesus Christ, is the fountain of hope. He is our hope for the future and He is our hope in the present. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28)

We can’t all have lambs but we all have access to the Lamb Look to the Lamb. Hear Him!

Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd

1. Dear to the heart of the Shepherd,
Dear are the sheep of his fold;
Dear is the love that he gives them,
Dearer than silver or gold.
Dear to the heart of the Shepherd,
Dear are his "other" lost sheep;
Over the mountains he follows,
Over the waters so deep.

(Chorus)
Out in the desert they wander,
Hungry and helpless and cold;
Off to the rescue he hastens,
Bringing them back to the fold.

2. Dear to the heart of the Shepherd,
Dear are the lambs of his fold;
Some from the pastures are straying,
Hungry and helpless and cold.
See, the Good Shepherd is seeking,
Seeking the lambs that are lost,
Bringing them in with rejoicing,
Saved at such infinite cost.

3. Dear to the heart of the Shepherd,
Dear are the "ninety and nine";
Dear are the sheep that have wandered
Out in the desert to pine.
Hark! he is earnestly calling,
Tenderly pleading today:
"Will you not seek for my lost ones,
Off from my shelter astray?"

4. Green are the pastures inviting;
Sweet are the waters and still.
Lord, we will answer thee gladly,
"Yes, blessed Master, we will!
Make us thy true under-shepherds;
Give us a love that is deep.
Send us out into the desert,
Seeking thy wandering sheep."
Songwriters: William J. Kirkpatrick

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Science Fair 2020

3/1/2020

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Preparing for the Science Fair was brutal this year. Brutal. I have 110 8th grade students. Easily 75% of those students needed one-on-one tutoring to create and refine their projects and at least half of those required two or more one-on- one tutoring sessions. In class we discussed the need for only one variable and the critical importance of collected numeric data. I taught them how to make a graph using Google sheets and we practiced making graphs in class using numeric data we collected during a lab….a lab in which there was only one variable. But still, application is different than practice and for so many of my students, practice did not equal understanding. Helping them create an unique experiment with a testable question, one variable, a logical sequence of procedures to test their question and a way to measure and collect numeric data required an immense amount of time. I would have logged overtime hours if I were employed full time. And I am not. I am a two-thirds time teacher who has worked time and a half the past few weeks. I stayed after school until 6 p.m. on the days I was scheduled to teach and on the days I was scheduled to be at home I spent the entire day on the computer, reviewing and commenting on projects. I seriously, SERIOUSLY questioned the value and sustainability of the science fair. Is it worth the effort? And can I maintain the pace?

Science Fair day came and went in a blaze of gratitude and glory.

I was (and still am) so grateful for my science teacher buddies. Karen and Talyn are the greatest (and one of the main reasons I am still at OPA). My heart was also so full of gratitude for the judges. We had 25 judges and many of them came just because they are my friends: Phil Davis (Trek), Keith and Michelle (from Portland, OR), Joe Drago (who is like a brother to me), my parents (always have my back) and Allan Ormond (their neighbor, my friend), Freddy Perez (a former OPA student I tracked down) and Gil Green (a former student from Ben Lomond), Amy Buckway (WSU professor and my neighbor) and several parents who have been great to support my field trips--Anna Cash, Brenda Empie, Bill Davis, Jana Whitby, Annette Cumins, Heather Holliday and Stacey Brower. (Stacey came early--7:15 a.m--to register students, helped judge and then stayed late to help us calculate awards. HOLY COW!) And we worked the judges hard. Do the math….183 science fair entries (7th,8th, and 9th graders) x 3 (each student gets judged 3 times) = A LONG DAY!

In my speech to the judges I said “Be prepared to fall in love”.....and they did...fall in love. Many of them expressed gratitude for the opportunity to sacrifice their time and tax their brains. They were so good to focus intently on each student; to make every student feel heard and valued. Priceless.

Maybe not priceless but certainly valuable is the importance of choosing a topic of personal relevance. I really emphasized creating one’s own experiment this year and, though I did get a few “cookbook” experiments, most of the kids chose questions in which they had a personal interest. Jaime made 5 sandwiches and stored them in different places, Jesus kicked a soccer ball with his toe and the side of his foot, David tested model airplane designs, Edward engineered a security system for his bedroom, Katheryn switched applesauce for oil in cookies, Iona tried to turn a pickle into a battery, and Annoitte offered her guinea pig orange, green and purple food to determine its color preference.

Julian told me three times he was NOT going to do a science fair project. Yet he showed up in my class last week with his board and some papers to glue on it. I could tell he wanted to do science fair but was scared, SCARED and a bit overwhelmed. I encouraged, even begged, him to NOT give up. He came in after school and we worked on his board together. When he left my room his grin was as big as his entire lower jaw.
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On the day of the fair Julian took his board from my room and said, “I am putting this in my locker” as he headed into the hallway. I did not believe him. Science fair boards do not fit into lockers. About 30 minutes into the judging I discovered that Julian had not checked in. WHAT?!??!! I hunted him down and pulled him out of first period. “What?” I asked. “I am not doing it,” he said. I begged and begged and begged. And begged. Pleaded. Offered to get on my knees. He steadfastly refused to present. And he kept saying “I don’t know” to my repeated queries about the location of his board. This went on for about 5 minutes. He tried to go back to class. I stood in front of the door so that he could not enter. No exageration. Five minutes at least. Just as I was about to give up he told me that he had indeed put his board in his locker.

We went to the locker, retrieved the board, and I walked with/escorted him down to the fair. Joe Drago and Phil Davis readily agreed to be his judges and they made sure he had a good experience. [BLESS THEM!] Once again, Julian’s grin was ear to ear.

Angelica was completely scared to present her project. She asked me if she could practice with me before the judges came. Sure. She started but floundered halfway through and ground to a complete halt. I pretended to be her and used her board to present her project to her. Then I had her present to me again. She did a fine job, both with me and the judges. When I asked her about it afterwards, she said she’d had a great experience, that talking to the judges was fun.. Her smile was also ear to ear.

Isabell came up to me grinning. “They liked my project,” she said. When I asked her about talking to the judges she said, “I did not do so well the first time. The second time was okay. But I rocked it the third time.” Sparkling eyes and success for a young lady whose background and home life is harder than most of us will ever experience.

Samuel said, “I accidentally hit a judge.” ??? “I bumped him with my elbow like this,” he said as he demonstrated an elbow bump on my arm. “Do you think he will take points away from my score because I hit him?” he asked in all seriousness.

Amy Buckway (neighbor) told me about an interaction she had with a student. When she said the student said “I don't even want to be here” I knew immediately who she was talking about. Cute Jeanna is another “push me/pull you” [non-verbally asking for help while verbally refusing it] kid whose heart wants to be loved but whose soul is bruised; keeping people away is much safer than letting them in. When Jeanna told Amy she did not want to be there, Amy sat down beside her and asked some more questions. Soon Amy had Jeanna talking freely and even smiling about what she did. It was a big win with a student who rarely receives positive adult attention.

Eron’s experience was a pay-day as well. He did his project on basketball shots, asking the question “Does tucking your elbow in while shooting affect how many shots you make?” (He is passionate about basketball.) He came in after school for help putting his data on a graph. (He has not passed science yet. In class I have to beg him to do his work. The fact that he solicited help is miraculous.) The morning of the fair he did not check in. When asked why, he said he forgot his board at home. Which may be true. It also may be true that he did not have money to buy a board. Or that he was overwhelmed with the idea of making a board…. Anyway, he did not have one. So Rebecca (our super woman secretary without whom the science fair would not be possible) helped him make one. He was so proud of his board. His was also a face-consuming grin.. And he did well; earned 5th place in his category. I believe he floated out of the awards ceremony; I don’t think his feet were touching the ground.

It was a great day for the judges (most of them), for the students (most of them) and for me. Is science fair worth it? RIght now I think so. Please remind me to re-read this post in January 2021.

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