CHRISLEISH in SF
I had hoped I would start the habit of daily writing, but I am not there yet. However, I am aware of that nagging feeling of WANTING to write each day, so that in itself is progress. Commitment to the Slice of Life Challenge is the habit building discipline I need right now.
I have so many things that are works in progress; things that require planning, attempting, revising, redoing, and then perhaps revising and redoing again...hmm, sounds like the writing process. Guess it doesn't just apply to writing. My young adult sons are living at home and it is an enlightening and challenging dance to "parent" them. I wanted to be as far away from my parental home at their age as I could get, so I am thrilled that still love being with us and each other. That said, there are days I worry that I am codependent in their postponement of self reliance. Living in SF where the housing costs are out of site does not help. Very aware the past few days how the same situation can be looked at from two different perspectives- polar opposites- success/failure. My work of the moment is to notice when I am looking at the glass half empty and see it from the other side.
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I know how important it is to include time for social emotional learning in the classroom on a regular basis, but sometimes it is hard to figure out how to do it when there is so much need for math time, reading time, writing time, not to mention the often neglected science and social studies.
Most programs require extensive exercises and keeping rewards charts and I have an internal resistance to reward systems. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has a great website and curriculum that I am trying it out with my kiddos. We had success with the first lesson last week talking about gossip and rumors. This week the focus is on communication and I messages. One thing I have found to be at the foundation of all these programs is "I messages"- teaching kids how to communicate in a nonviolent, accusatory way. This weekend I tried using I messages with my own kids and realized just how hard it is to do. So as I introduced the concept and read examples to the students, we talked about how much I struggle with it as their teacher and how much I would be needing their help to be successful with this. Within minutes I was expressing my frustration with a student and struggled to communicate it as an I message....I have a lot of work to do I had hoped I would start the habit of daily writing, but I am not there yet. However, I am aware of that nagging feeling of WANTING to write each day, so that in itself is progress. Commitment to the Slice of Life Challenge is the habit building discipline I need right now.
I have so many things that are works in progress; things that require planning, attempting, revising, redoing, and then perhaps revising and redoing again...hmm, sounds like the writing process. Guess it doesn't just apply to writing. My young adult sons are living at home and it is an enlightening and challenging dance to "parent" them. I wanted to be as far away from my parental home at their age as I could get, so I am thrilled that still love being with us and each other. That said, there are days I worry that I am codependent in their postponement of self reliance. Living in SF where the housing costs are out of site does not help. Very aware the past few days how the same situation can be looked at from two different perspectives- polar opposites- success/failure. My work of the moment is to notice when I am looking at the glass half empty and see it from the other side. I have not been writing regularly since I started this school year. I sort of gave myself permission to take some time off since it was a new school, new kids, new challenges, and I wanted to focus my energy on getting up to speed. But the truth is, I have needed writing to keep perspective, to think things through, to process through the ins and outs and ups and downs of starting over in a new school, with new kids, and a whole new community.
There is so much about the move that is positive, and I really am glad life presented the opportunity and I jumped- but it has not been without its adjustments. Teaching Math and Science for the first time is a huge learning curve. And having such a high percentage of students who are English Language Learners with parents who speak little to no English and I speak even less Spanish. We are just starting the third trimester and I wish I could start the year all over again. Having to retake one of the components for the National Boards is taking away my ability to plan beyond the week or two ahead of where I am, and I am becoming aware of the need to keep a notebook of the things I want to do differently at the start of next year. And so, I am writing again. I am writing in anticipation of the Slice of Life Challenge and I am writing in anticipation of asking my students to write every day. If I am going to ask them to try- then I need to try first. Just like I need to try the art project first or do the science experiment once in advance...just to know what the possible pitfalls and hurdles will be and hold their hands through them- or life them up and over without a hiccup. That's the plan anyway. This summer has been non stop. I have transferred schools, so I needed to close and clean up one classroom that I have lovingly built over the past 6 years, and then I needed to go in and clean a classroom that a teacher who was leaving left with cabinets full of student work from 2012. All of that without district help in any way. The packing, the renting of a van, and the carrying boxes of books up and down many flights of stairs...And now, I have a week to put a classroom together before the school year really begins.
Don't get me wrong I am not complaining (well- about the district not helping with a move I am). I am excited and I think purging and building a classroom is something we should ALL do every 5-10 years. It is so lightening and clarifying. The thing is, that before I realized I was going to be transferring schools, I committed to teaching at a Young Writers' Camp here in the city and a subsequent one in China for two weeks. Again- hardly complaining! I learned SO MUCH and was able to work with amazing colleagues. Through my affiliation with BAWP, Bay Area Writers' Project at the Grad School at UC Berkeley, I have been given the opportunity to work with the most dedicated and experienced teachers and writers. At times I feel confident that I am a good teacher, maybe even a better than average teacher, and then I meet someone who is so much more experienced and I realize that I have a long way to go. Every year I learn so much during the summer that I am able to bring into my practice the following year. Which leads me to the title of this piece. I am tired of hearing that teachers get the summers off. Maybe some do take time to replenish and heal after the nonstop months of planning, problem solving, and adapting through 9+ months of the school year. Maybe some do take extended vacations with their families who have been given the short end of the stick weekend after weekend as papers are graded and weeks are prepared for. But I will bet, even the most burned out of teachers will spend hours, days, maybe even a few weeks, thinking and anticipating NEXT YEAR'S CLASS> Who will they be? What will they need? What do I need to have in my classroom to be sure there is something for everyone? What have I been doing that I need to rethink how to make it more effective? How will I be sure that THESE students are understanding and growing throughout the year? And so- please don't say teachers have summers off. |