Working in Education through the Language Lens

I've posted about resilience before - but this post is geared more towards being able to push through those hard times, when life seems to be falling apart -at the seams. Just like diversity, and other topics near and dear to my heart,  I want this conversation to continue. I recently watched "To Write Love on Her Arms" ~ if you haven't seen it - and you are an educator - you should. It's not a feel good movie by any stretch. However it allows you to take a glimpse - into the lives of those affected and afflicted by addiction and mental illness. Unless you have experienced any kind of trauma or mental health illness of your own, you will watch this movie with blinkers on, missing some key things. So let me share some self reflections (without spoilers- and yes read between the lines): 1. You cannot "see" depression. Unfortunately, it is not always visible when someone is going through a period of depression. Don't expect to see a teary eyed ...

"Well this is a mess!" These were the exact words my orthopedic doctor used to greet me on Thursday to share the results of my MRI. I had torn my shoulder a few weeks back (trying to lock the back row passenger seat in place while turned around in the driver seat). Yup, not smart! Then, instead of resting - we moved. So I packed, and lifted, and packed and lifted. Then, I slipped on a stack of flattened boxes - and while trying to spare my shoulder - landed on my forearm and burned it on a wooden stair case. THEN, while in the new house, I attempted to lift my 80lb chocolate lab up four stairs (usually not an issue), but as I exerted force, my shoulder gave out. So needless to say - I've been unable to do all I need to do. I have pictures to hang - and boxes still to unpack. My hopes of landscaping and building a vegetable garden and chicken coop are being put off until next Spring. Even getting dressed and clicking the seat belt fastener is a challenge. Being on...

I have passed this dead tree stump for weeks - and every time I pass it .... I see an old man, leaning on one knee and reaching out for something, just outside his grasp. It didn't occur to me that this would be my ONEWORD - but with each day - and each visible reminder.... I finally accepted it . . . STRETCH There are a few other areas of my life need stretching too - but for the purpose of this blog space, I want to reflect on how STRETCH relates to my professional life. As a central office administrator, my work can become isolating - and less about students and more about policy and compliance. It can also be relatively easy to focus just on my own department and let other areas seem less important. It might seem like Balance would be a more appropriate choice of word - but it's stretch I need. I often take on more than I should - and feel stretched to the point of breaking. So it's not that stretch that I need either. This is specifically - focus...

It's that time of the year. School has started and new students arrive in your class. You've spent weeks making preparations and having desks, tables, materials ready for your students to dive in. Then in walks a student, or maybe two or three, and they are introduced as English Learners. Your first thoughts probably swing the pendulum from "oh s$&# - to - I'm up for the challenge". You might have an EL teacher on staff who immediately steps in and starts working with him/her/them/you. The reality is you now have this student in your class and you're accountable for making all content comprehensible, um BY LAW. You're going over procedures and reviewing what we should know and remember from last year, and this new student is: *Digging in their desk *Putting them head down on the desk *Poking their neighbor with a pencil *Rolling around on the carpet *Refusing to take papers you hand out *Doodling on um everything They are not doing anythin...

A few weeks ago, I planned a fun morning with my visiting niece and nephew. We headed down to the riverfront to ride inside the Duck Boats. Those are amphibian tour buses ~ anyway... While we were waiting for our tour time, I took everyone to an area where I had seen 'the hamster balls' many times before. I had walked passed these many a time, without stopping yet a few times secretly wishing I could go inside. It looked FUN! Today though was a perfect opportunity! Send the kids in and eat up some wait time. My three youngest boys and my nephew each climbed into their balls and onto the water they went - and fell, and fell again. Fall after fall the boys just couldn't keep their balance. Two of them finally gave up and just lay inside the ball. The whole time, as I was laughing and taking photo's, I was also thinking :~ "it can't be that hard! "I'm going to do this!" "They just keep falling!" So after the boys turn - it was ...

bar·ri·er ˈberēər/ noun noun: barrier ; plural noun: barriers a fence or other obstacle that prevents movement or access. synonyms: fence , railing , barricade , hurdle , bar , blockade , roadblock "the barrier across the entrance" a circumstance or obstacle that keeps people or things apart or prevents communication or progress. "a language barrier" synonyms: obstacle , obstruction , hurdle , stumbling block , bar , block , impediment , hindrance , curb "a barrier to international trade" the starting gate of a racecourse. British a gate at a parking lot that controls access by being raised or lowered. a long narrow island lying parallel and close to the mainland, protecting the mainland from erosion and storms. noun: barrier island ; plural noun: barrier islands Origin late Middle English (denoting a palisade or fortification defending an entrance): from ...

  I haven't had to use this expression before with a literal context. However this weekend, we needed all hands on the back decks. This picture was taken on Father's Day, as my husband was including all four boys in completing the hand rail and sides to our newest deck (back door landing). A great learning experience  Yesterday we all helped paint this deck and our pool deck with stain (hopefully for the last time due to our purchase of lifetime deck stain ~yeah, we'll see!). Two very different decks Two very different tasks Two very different parents Six pairs of hands My learning: The assignment of task to helper is critical. At one point I had my youngest son right next to me so that I could keep an eye on him, knowing full well that I probably have to follow up and check on his work. Having him in charge of a small section that was not a very visible section was strategic to having him feel like he was doing as good a job as the rest, but put my min...