I think most shocking to many of us were the mistruths we’re fed from the commercial tea industry about what is caffinated and what isn’t.  I highly recommend you visit their blog and online store, and their brick and mortar store in Northampton MA if you’re in the area.

A great evening of interesting people having fascinating conversations!

Well, I must admit life has been very full — usually is – and I’m considering not continuing this Project — could I call it the 65 day project?  I’ve skipped quite a few days; and see by my trusty old paper calendar that I should be on day 84 today – and here I am at Day 65.  What to do?  Quit or persist?

I’ll give it some thought today: like life, we don’t always have a choice whether to quit.  We must persist in some fashion, perhaps in a different way than we thought, but persist we must.  Since I doubt many people are even paying attention to this project, and it’s been for myself, I need to decide whether to go on in some way, or quit.  I”ll think about it for the day.  The Day 65 versus Day 84 is a bit symbolic of my life.  I’m a middle of the boat kind of person.  I learned it very young.  It was important not to be noticed as a child, and it was a really good idea to try to anchor the part of the boat that was rocking.  So I stayed unnoticed in the middle of that boat.  As an adult, I’ve certainly ventured out, even rocked the boat, but I do end up back there in the middle.  What this creates is a life of getting things done – many of those things good things – but getting them done in a plodding kind of way, and getting them done in a way unnoticed by others.    So, today,  I’m thinking about persistence.

I’m sure no one else but me is counting or cares; but if a reader is interested, I know very well that Day 52 had almost a week between it and Day 51!  I can blame the crazy October snow storm for a day or two; not just the power outage which was only the better part of a day for me, but the crazy readjustment that seemed needed everywhere to get past this storm. My students were late and absent and flustered when they were present.

I did have a couple of days of rethinking it and wondering if I should just cut my losses at half way to 100.  But, I won’t stop.  Tomorrow, I’ll begin again with little thoughts about teaching and learning.  Why not?  I know the blogs I’m writing are short, maybe not even sweet to some, but it has convinced me that I do have something to say.  Not only something to say, but that once I start writing, it comes relatively comfortably.

I do know, and blogging has reinforced it, that I don’t have enough time to do each entry thoroughly.  But, I’ve decided to get back to the task I set myself.  Then when 100 days has come to an end; I can reformat and rethink the best of the 100 and see where that takes me.  Interruptions happen in life: some of the worst really throw us onto a new road for short or even long amounts of time.  Some of them teach us a new way to look at life, large or small parts of life that maybe need a new perspective.  Some of them are just plain annoying and equal no more than the big mud puddle that must be stepped in to enter the car on a rainy morning in my driveway.  So, move along life, today I am thinking about interruptions.

First a word about the numbering of days:  For those of you who care, and frankly, I’m not sure anyone does, somehow I skipped from Day 22 to Day 28.  In my real life that was only 3 days – the weekend – since I last wrote.  But, who knows – somewhere the numbering got off.  But, not to worry, my calender – my lifeline – has been numbered in red, and with any luck, I’ll stay on task!!

Today, I’m thinking about reading.  I worked up a system of reading and reading responses this semester in my Introductory course that I’ve been really happy with.  First, I should mention that I did away with the textbook.  It shall remain unnamed; but part of the reasoning was expense.  $185.00 for  a textbook is outrageous.  Another reason is that I discovered that this textbook had three versions.  Our department has used this text, which is in its ninth edition, for almost ten years.  It’s a very reputable author who we’ve met at conferences and she actually works in our field.  But this past academic year, when I put a call into the publisher, I discovered that the publisher had created three versions of the text: one for Texas, one for Florida and one for the rest of us.  I could get sidetracked and winded discussing the politics of this; but I don’t think I need to, I suspect any readers I might have will get the reasons for the versions.

At any rate, gone is the textbook.  So I choose to assign my class online reading, as well as some material from sources that allow copying (I am obeying copyright laws.).   I also have been thinking about less is more.   So, I assign one to two articles for each topic in the introductory course and the students respond in writing to that material.  They also know that they will discuss their response with other classmates.

I was thrilled today to find this resource describing almost exactly what I had designed.  I’ve not done it as a Reading Log, but the instructions I created are very similar.  This is very satisfying in terms of my own teaching to know my design is confirmed.  The less is more has worked very well.  I’m getting more quality responses to the readings than I’ve ever gotten.  And, as I suspected, those who come unprepared get “caught” by their colleagues, not by me, for coming unprepared to discuss.  I set aside 15 – 20 minutes of each class, when a reading is due, to have Reading Talks.

I’m proud of myself and really excited that this is working out so well for my students.  Today I am thinking about reading.

A wonderful family weekend  results in Monday morning moments of “Should I feel regretful?” because all of the homework and planning I was going to do over the weekend remains undone. A never ending challenge to my own commitment to good teaching is brought on by weekends when I choose to enjoy my family and home; and end up with a lot to do on Monday to be prepared for the week’s classes.  (I suppose I also ought to be thankful I don’t teach on Mondays, but, then again, don’t think I will go down that road!)

In beginning to think about how I’ll approach some topics that I’d like to write about, I came across this blog entry this morning:   Andy’s Teaching and Learning Blog While you can go there and read the whole entry of course, I’d like to quote a section here:

“Some have mentioned that I’ve gone over to the Dark Side, and in fact, that phrase has come up frequently. Dark Side, implying that the faculty role is one of the positive, good-feeling, health, innocence, the way of the Tao, one of righteousness, virtue and Truth and Justice.

On the other hand, as George Burns said, “Too bad all the people who know how to run this country are busy running taxicabs or cutting hair.” Those who are managing college budgets, processes, reporting requirements, scheduling and providing feedback do not speak with one voice. They work in an environment characterized by ambiguity, compromise, and negotiation while attempting to balance conflicting goals and interests. Their dedication to the core mission of the organization, serving students well and helping them achieve their goals and opening the doors of opportunity, trying to do things right while trying to do the right thing, in the face of some severe constraints is admirable. They are decidedly human. Dark side? I don’t think so.”

This morning one of the first emails I received was the news that our Dean of Faculty and Students (don’t think that’s the correct title, but I’m not one for keeping track.) is stepping down from his work to return to the classroom.  And, this semester, I begin working in a reorganized division with the fifth Dean I’ve had in ten years.  There’s a lot of reasons to be a little unhappy about all this – okay, some days a lot of reasons.  But as Andy mentions above, those who work in the insituttion I work in, have an incredible dedication to their mission and to the students we serve.  Somedays it’s amazing to me.

So on the Mondays where I think, jeesh, I really should have done more college work over the weekend, I know I’ll figure out the week ahead.  I always do.  I always will.  Most of my students will eventually work with our youngest citizens:  I have no choice.  The future of young people is my passion.  I am decidedly human and will work with that!  Today I’m thinking about dedication.

Last Friday it dawned on me that 100 days project in school meant 100 days in school!   I had to debate with myself whether I was going to plan to write everyday or give myself permission not to make an entry on non-school days.  So as you can see – if you count and really why should you? -   I didn’t write on these two weekend days, but I counted them!  Confused?  Suffice it to say I’ll count the days as they pass, but may not have written on weekend or holiday times.   And, this serves as a reminder for me to do research on how the 100 Day Project in schools got started as a curriculum idea.

This weekend was so wonderful, and so exhausting, and didn’t include a bit of schoolwork!  This is pretty unusual in the lives of teachers.  While most of the teachers I know take Saturday off from their work – although most of us will tell you our brains are always thinking about the children or adults we work with – they generally sit down to some task on a Sunday afternoon, knowing Monday mornings just around the bend.

Due to the Hurricane and follow-up tropical storm rain of 10 inches plus, we needed to spend Saturday mowing, helping our neighbor clean rain gutters (and hubby had to do in at least 5 paper wasp nests – likely a record of some kind), and stoop painting.  Sunday, we went to the local agricultural fair with daughter and granddaughter.  We won ribbons for entries; some of us ate ice cream for lunch and fudge for dessert.  Exhausted and still hungry we came home to drag ourselves to bed.

But, I tell you this because these are the kind of weekends that more teachers should have.  Time to relax, recharge and spend loving time with their families.  Burnout is a real issue for teachers.  I recently read that almost 50% of new teachers leave within the first five years due to lack of recognition, and low wages.  I’m closing in on the years that many take retirement, and I must admit there are days when the job is too full, with too many administrative tasks (called administrivia by a friend), that have nothing to do with direct teaching for me that I would be tempted to leave the field as well.  Fortunately for my students, and I suppose for me, I’m trying to build up my savings and retirement income so that I must take the tough days with the good and find my reserves of energy and push through to the good day.  I’m not saying that all days should be perfect for teachers, I am saying our nation does not honor the job enough; and we teachers feel that disrespect.

What to do?  Give yourself permission to have a whole weekend of joy, of fun with the family, okay, even some chores like painting the stoop that uses a different part of your brain and recharges the other part for the classroom and your students.  They and you will be glad you did.  Today I’m thinking about Monday mornings!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/technology/personaltech/22sfbriefs.html?scp=1&sq=beat%20poet&st=cse

Did you know about this other blog I write for?  It’s a great resource with thoughts, book suggestions, tips and more for bringing drama to the early childhood classroom.  PictureBook Plays is more than taking the three popular well-behaved kids in the class, giving them costumes, hoping they remember how to recite a few lines, and praying that all the others, designated such uninteresting things as trees or traffic lines behave!  Check out my thoughts about Halloween and how to enrich young children’s lives with REAL interactions with picture bookcharacters, props, self-esteem, problem-solving and more!

I am aware that I am woefully behind with posting to my blog.  Most of it has had to do with wondering what to write about, and who the hell cares anyway?  My trusty hubbie and daughter tell me often after I’ve expressed an opinion or told a story:  you should write about that.  I compose it in my head — get exhausted from tons of other responsibilities (by the way, I think we 50 somethings work much longer hours than ever!), and then forget the wonderful piece anyways.

I was really excited to write today; because I thought it would be totally cool to be blogging from a conference called:  “Innovation lab:  The College Ready New England Annual Conference hosted by the New England Board of Higher Education.  The key note speaker was Steve Hargadon, who had invited several others to join him virtually.  And, apparently, at the last minute he couldn’t get to the conference, so the whole thing was virtual — it was really quite cool.  (Even if connections were lost, mics didn’t work, etc. at times).   The second half of the keynote was done by Brian A. Reich — really fascinating — apparently he’d been twittering the whole time he was actually speaking aloud to us!

But could I blog?  NO!  Frustrating….

So am I ahead of this technology curve with my iPod and my blog?  Or just behind really understanding what was wrong with the wifi (the campus guest wifi kept making me sign-in; thus if I took more than 30 seconds to type something; I had to sign in again and thus my saving even got lost….)  Do I compose nicely before posting?  Or just say anything coming to mind?

Ahead, behind, or what?  (For now, I’m tired and going to go get between the sheets — I’ll put some links in here tomorrow:)!