Working in Education through the Language Lens

Individualized Learning Plans: that term is being pushed around lately - in fact it's part of our new District Improvement Plan - and for good reason. Every student is different and has very unique needs: how they learn how they produce that know what peaks their interest what engages them  how they manage their own ' intellectual safety ' - thanks to Dr. Robert Zeitlin for explaining that new term to me (as "can I raise my hand？"can I take pride being passionate about learning?" "Can I flex my 'smarts'?") and so on..... As a parent of 3 canines and 3 humans (all male mind you) - I'm fascinated by their uniqueness but  more specifically how their individuality is is masked by the pack. I explained to my counselor last week that adopting our fourth boy (no, we're not getting a fourth dog) is more like joining a member into a pack. Edward is already 12 - and our little family has been together since 2010. Our pack is al

We talk a lot in education about moving forward - bouncing forward - being resilient and learning from our mistakes/errors. At the same time we also talk about Understanding by Design (which allows us to start with the end in mind and work backwards in our planning and preparation to get to that end). I'll be honest, in my experience - it's a lot easier to keep looking forward. We've heard that message longer and perhaps that's the difficult part (the reteaching and re-framing until it's more habitual and less effort?). Is it going to take longer to embrace and embed (become natural) over time.....? Have you ever noticed.... that no matter how many times you see the same sign (billboard/poster/framed picture of sayings) - you keep reading it? I even find myself half way through saying - "dang it! you clever marketing company you!" Why else do you think we hang sayings around our house - we WILL read them - and eventually they become part of ou

I've blogged about being 'busy' before - but this post is different. I'm juggling, spinning plates, prioritizing and re-prioritizing. Food prepping for the week so that I can spend less time in the kitchen nightly -  which I means I just end up on the computer working instead of cooking. One day last week I found myself triple booked! What?  (And yet this is how I function ~ and to be honest..... thrive!) It's a constant struggle to make finding balance and peace a priority, but I've come to find out I feel a little less whole when detached from life. I need it every now and then yes, and I've learned to respond to those signals of 'slow down' or 'take a break' much better than years past. I can choose music over voxer, an hour more of sleep versus an early morning twitter chat, shutting down the laptop and cuddling with my spouse instead of trying to cram one more hour of work into my long day. Yesterday I was without my

Photo taken by friend: Maureen McDonald at the Cincinnati Zoo and used with permission       I attended a training the other day about the brain. NeuroScience of Education is a field of study that is only 3 years old. I took copious notes, and even contemplated going back to school to get another doctorate in said field - until I learned there are no local universities that offer it - and yes, my husband would question my sanity......but I digress.... It led me to some reflection, okay a lot of reflection about change. Specifically, can people really change? Can we teach an old dog new tricks?   We were told that "education literally changes the brain" - it creates fiber tracks and with exercise (for example homework, or reflection journals, or blogging on our learning) they become faster and thicker. We are building brain highways - yet if not exercised, they can get dumped during our sleep as the brain decides what's worthy to keep.  Hand in hand with

We went exploring today, just my youngest two boys and myself. This doesn't  happen very often - just the three of us, and I was thankful for the 'mom' time, while dad was away in Iowa, flying his combat RC planes. We all need some time doing things that restore and renew us.  With construction surrounding the parking garage, and the Cincinnati football game taking up prime parking, we had quite the detour in walking to our destination to view the replica ships (Nina and Pinta) docked on the Ohio River. I didn't mind it, it was a moderate 71 degrees outside with partially cloudy skies and plenty of sunshine. (I add that meteorological detail for the benefit of my PLN, as we span 10 time zones and love to fill each other in on the weather - and gas prices). My youngest had been rowdy to the point of obnoxious all  morning. Oh, please - I say that with all the motherly love in the world. In fact we almost didn't make it out of the driveway without ye

It was about 3 miles into our 20 mile bike ride today along the Great Allegheny Passage, that I thought of a single falling  leaf. We were riding on the crushed gravel and limestone path where the coal trains ran, part of history that not many get to see outside of text books.  We were taking turns taking the lead and our 13 year old songster behind me said rather randomly "catch a falling leaf". I'm not sure why those words in particular stuck with me, but I looked up and within seconds saw a brown leaf taking it's final, side to side free fall to the ground. It felt almost as magical as seeing a shooting star, until only with an intentional gaze I saw several more fall. Then, I tried to catch one, and I became fixated. My hands left the bars once to reach up, only to be outside of reach. The leaf now felt elusive, instead of common. And then to add 'insult to injury', one floated down right onto my face. Out of instinct (mastered from the bugs that had a ma

My transition into administration was like the honeymoon period of marriage - bringing a baby/child/dog into your home (yes I just did lump them all together)- and why? Well, because I officially started in my position as EL coordinator (first of it's kind) for our district on July 1st; when, kids - were out! Email inbox zero: no problem. Finishing tasks on my list - daily: no problem. A false sense of control - absolutely: problem. Fast forward (actually rewind) to August 13th, when school officially began with students. Procedural questions, first time registration weird scenario questions, emails and meetings and deadlines that seem to overlap -  AND remember we're talking "change" - that dirty 6 letter word. So why was the honeymoon period over so fast: and why was 'problem' creeping back into my brain- After a summer of learning about leadership resilience and then carrying on that work in house with our district building leader

This is not a high dive! I realize that.   This IS the water slide at the state park where we went biking this past weekend with our boys. Yet, the same emotional attachment by viewing this tall slide staircase, was the same emotional attachment I had standing on top of the high-dive board. It wasn't the height - it was when I released my grip of the rails, and walked out onto the board, it started to bounce. . .   I took a few quick, nervous steps backward and tightened my grip onto the rail - while my husband and boys awaited for me in the water below. I looked down at the water below, and I seemed to have an audience. Could they see my white knuckles? Were they watching the train wreck of a middle aged woman, with her 20+lbs of extra weight, trying to figure a way to get off the diving board - without appearing 'chicken'. Could they hear me saying - "I really don't want to do this?" I had already told my middle son that if he did it - I wo

A powerful children's book - I just had to share! "You believe I'm beautiful - and so I am!"

While embarking on a pretty significant landscaping endeavor today (as you can note by the plethora of weeds) I came across a snakeskin. No big deal right?  WRONG! I'm deathly afraid of snakes -  so much so that I cannot even watch them on TV - okay that borders irrational but I just can't seem to get over it. I have a snake in bright purple and orange tattooed on the side of my left bicep hiding away and covered by the goddess of protection on the outside of my left arm (bicep) -  and for Pete's sake I'm 41 years old - enough already! background: I grew up in South Africa and one day our school took a field trip hike up one of the neighboring koppies (small mountains) - in our uniforms - which included black leather baby doll shoes, white socks and a blue cotton dress. Never the less - as I took a step while chatting away with my class, a snake slithered across the top of my foot (eliciting a lovely school girl shrill shriek). To this da

The Science: I would love to understand the science behind our inability to resist reading signs. Bulletin boards, t-shirts, framed sayings, post it notes - you name it. They can remain unchanged and yet I will read them again, and again, and again. It's insane and brilliant at the same time. my challenge:  Then we come to the paper towel dispenser. The picture is pretty clear right?- you need two hands to effectively remove the book size sheet of brown, recycled, coarse paper from the dispenser.  and yet - not just on this day alas - EVERY day  I try to remove it - with just one hand! WHY? I guess it's the 'superman/superwoman complex'. I can do all of these other great things, surely, a little piece of paper and gadget won't stump me. Why do I ignore the sign - definitely my intellectual privilege talks louder than my reality and I grab with one hand.  Surely - if I grab in the middle with force it will tear off? I mean I'

It has come to my attention lately - there is a definite increase in the number of automobiles running red lights. I have witnessed accidents in front of me at intersections as my lane has moved into the intersection on green - and the oncoming traffic had also passed through on red. As I left my ice tea beverage dispensary (not to be named - but a definite confession of a certain Mango Iced tea - large - with two splenda's please- addiction); I saw three cars in a row speed up to a very large intersection as the traffic lights turned orange (yes - my South African heritage here). I cringed as the last two cars raced through clearly on red - waiting for that sickening sound of metal against metal. Thankfully, this time .... it didn't happen! SLOW DOWN! I want to yell, and yes may have yelled, because my goodness - what is the rush all about? What is so important that you risk your life and others to get through an intersection that would probably keep you waiting a m

What happens when I don't blog for a few weeks - you get a handful of blogs in two days. I've been thinking about this topic for a few months now actually, because every time I respond to "how are you?" with "busy", I shudder. And I'm the one saying it. So it's time to STOP and reconsider: Does that even answer the question? How am I? How many of you have had the same reply: lift those hands up high - c'mon, this is a judgement free zone if you know me by now. I often told the story of one of the first cultural differences I experienced, immigrating to the US from South Africa at age 18 - was the way in which people interact here. So many people said hello, and looked you in the eye. Perhaps it was one of the 'street smarts' skills we were taught, not to engage with strangers (yes really), but I was astounded by how many people talked to me. How many strangers spoke to me. But then I paid attention to the interchange and it was so

"No, no you cannot"! This won't be the last conversation we have with our boys about this topic, we just didn't think we would have it again - so soon! Rewind: We adopted our first two Taiwanese sons (brothers Michael -7 and James -12 at the time), and they entered first and seventh grade respectively. As an ELL teacher I knew it would be in the best interest to start a grade behind, and in James' case starting middle school upon arrival - a necessity. Living in a suburban/rural part of the county, we are not as ethnically diverse as our other schools, however being part of the neighborhood school is exactly why I moved from teaching across the river. To be part of the community! James entered 7th grade as one of possibly two Asian students, and one of possibly 4 minority students. Within the first few months he said a kid had called him "Asian". We explained that you just respond kindly with, "my name is James". Even Michael at first gr

I regret not taking a picture inside the showers at the past campsite. Whoa! Whoa! What kind of blog is this.....? I'm sorry, you're right, I only have one regret in life and that wasn't it. And I meant the shower knobs. I have had the pleasure of being in two different states, at two different campsites the past two weekends.  Camp with me as we explore the shower knobs on a growth mindset journey. Huh? Don't worry, just follow along..... Campsite A, in Appleton Wisconsin had plush lawns, a solar heated pool, sand volleyball court, paved basketball hoop and a camp store that sold, well a little bit of everything. The bathrooms were not disappointing either, they came with their permanently wet and slightly muddy floors with just the right amount of shower cleaner/mildew scent. However, on the first night of showers, one of the boys sprinted back asking for quarters? Huh? This momma isn't going to be fooled by free quarters.... For real though, a little quarter

Anyone who has been bed bound or couch bound  or in my case hammock bound has had more than a fair share of thinking time. My turn has come in the case of surgery recovery. Down at the campground with the family and being positioned under my own canopy in a remarkably comfortable hammock. It may also be the combination of pain medications that has led to an over stimulation of thought. However, today as I was managing through the morning routines I was thinking a lot about the shark attacks that have happened off the coast of North Carolina. It led me to think about people in these three categories: A) those that don't heed any warning or just don't seem to care because of their own denial perhaps. Or thinking that 'it won't happen to me" which leads them to reckless, deeper and dangerous waters. B) The other group are those who sensationalize and even profit off of the terror, the mayhem, the drama of it all.  Within days, no truly, hours there were jokes, mee

This morning as I sit inside our bus at the campground, I'm not quite ready to face the day. I'm nursing my second cup of coffee and have already shoo'd my husband off, who was being unusually perky.  Instead of joining the breakfast crew, I needed time for me. And so I reflect, and write.....and share with you. I'll admit that some mornings I do believe that by applying a little more makeup as I ready myself for the work day, I'll be able to cover up my inner angst. I'm not saying that every day I have makeup on equates to having a bad day. I have however tried to 'paint the perfect face' on days I was feeling, well far from OK. I've said before, I'm just a broken adult making each day as best as I can, doing the best I can. I had a friend who was obnoxiously loud. She knew as well as I (and others that tried to coach her), that it was her way of overcompensating for her lack of confidence and immature social skills. She hid from doing the w

I had two best friends in elementary school. I ended up going to high school with the one I was in constant competition with (Carrie), and the other whom I considered my sister more than friend (Lucy), went to the only other all-girls high school (our competitor)- oh the irony of it all. I admired Carrie immensely (OK maybe a little too much). She was a straight -A student, excelled in swimming and was a graceful yet powerful Highland (Scottish) dancer. She put a lot of pressure on herself and after spending endless days at her house and watching the parent dynamic unfold; I realized this pressure was learned from dad, and enforced by dad. I wanted to be Carrie in many ways. She was always just a bit ahead of me in academic achievement and I remember the first time I advanced ahead of her in 6th grade, I actually felt a bit guilty. I bought the face soap she bought, and thought if I changed little things about myself I would have her confidence -her success.. I loved spending time