drifted to the back porch for coffee...

The honeysuckle always smells the best at dusk and dawn...and this morning it's creeping around the edge of the house pretty loudly.

I cup my ears and the cicada's rhythm increases ten-fold.

The sun is rising just over the bluff of Cowskin Creek, drying out the sleepy hay field waiting for today's balers.

The three Purple Martin households are awake and catching breakfast.

The baby calves are lowing--heading for their momma's bags.

The croaking bullfrog announces dominance at the creekbed, and I'm sure the entire valley can hear it.

An occasional hummingbird zips by for morning nectar.

The pups are still asleep, the cats are stretching in the sunbeams, the artisan well bubbles up crystal clear drinking water.

I'm enjoying coffee, a rocking chair, and this view before the heat steals the day.

My Proudest Moment Is Right Now

I wanted to tweet this, but I couldn't break it down to 140 characters. So I'm posting a quick note to my blog to remember that even in 2011 in rural, suburban, and urban areas we have kids who are breaking the cycle. I am inspired by this one, who writes in her Senior Valedictory Exhibition "my proudest moment is right now. I am the first to graduate from high school in my family. When I started, I was super nervous and didn't think I could make it. At times, I thought it would never end. But here it is; this is the last day, and I did it. It was a rough road, but I am ready to continue it. I will probably hit some more bumps along the way, yet I am ready to face them. I know I will be taking baby steps rather than leaps, but I will make it. I just want to scream to myself "I am proud of you!"
 
This was not something so uncommon in the rural schools where I spent the large majority of my teaching career. But now, I teach outside of a large metro area, and I was surprised by this. I did not know this about this young woman, and I spent a year with her in English IV. I admire even more greatly her work ethic and her attitude in class. She will make it! A few years ago one student wrote to me and his class "there's more to me than I let on." I have to remember this about every student!

T'was the Day After the Bookfair (with apologies to Clement C. Moore)

Twas the day after the Bookfair and all through the schools
Students were buzzing about reading and books that are cool.
The choir sang gleefully, and the saxophonists played jazz.
The Tiger Stripe White Mocha Caramel Frappaccino added razzmatazz!
 
The Tiger was there, and RHS cheerleaders, too!
Mr. Brown read books between visits from the Zoo!
Welcoming crowds of kids, our librarians ran crazy
In handing out the Republic Voucher, it seemed no one was lazy!
 
For just in one night we sold quite a few books--
And we can STILL get a percentage if you didn't get your NOOK!!
 
So on Schofield, on Lyon, on McCulloch, on Price
Now the high school and middle school, please be quite precise
Through Monday, December 6, back to Barnes and Noble you go
Use Republic's Bookfair Voucher number to give us more dough!!
 
What's that I hear? Wait, I think it's something I foresee:
You've memorized the number...10367373!!!
Because the clerk will not ask you, or give you a hint,
You must show very clearly your Republic Voucher print.
 
So for our libraries you go, off to raise a little money
Buy DVD's, or music, or books--maybe thrillers or something funny.
From all of your purchases we reap some reward
Buy online, or from the cafe...whatever you can afford!
 
So in advance we all thank you from the bottom of our hearts
For spreading the word and doing your part.
Our community of learners will be reading new books,
(Did I mention you could buy yourself a brand new color Nook?)
 
We closed down the Bookfair, took the artwork away.
Packed up the craft table and went along on our way.
But I heard our librarians exclaim in delight--
"Happy Reading to All! Now go buy more tonight!!!"

Student Blogs re:SpeakLoudly

Hi, Writers!

If you are a student blogger and you've written about banned books, the Wesley Scroggins editorial, Speak, Slaughterhouse Five, or Twenty Boy Summer, would you post a link to your blog in the comments below. My students are wanting to read the words of their peers from around the country on this topic.

Thanks!

Here's Teens Read and Write
and
The Juniper Breeze

Waiting for Super(hu)man to Change Education

I have to say I was disappointed in Oprah. And I know I'm also opening a can of worms by expressing that. There are definitely teachers who should not be teaching...no profession is exempt from this syndrome. And I must admit, there are many times I was an "inadequate"...and I would even call myself a BAD (embarrassingly bad) teacher at some time during the last 17 years of my career, and am I ever thankful I wasn't fired. Instead, I learned, grew, and worked through my inadequecies because I am in the business of learning. I know there are many, many teachers who are great teachers who have had lessons, units, quarters, semesters, or maybe even years of inadaquacy--but there are so many who change and grow and develop into an effective teacher. I would go has far to propose it's this way in every profession--from "not so good today at my job" to "wow--I rocked it!"

Teaching is hard, hard, hard work. It's a continuous development and when teachers are supported in reflecting on their own practices, learning what strategies are effective (which changes daily in this century and with our kids), and in not being evaluated by test scores, then, quite possilby, we could have an "okay" or "good" teacher turn into a "great" teacher.

I have a big issue with people talking about my profession and trying to "fix" the problem who haven't spent a minute, or wait, make that 282 minutes a day with 130 students for 185 days a year in one single classroom. It gets a little taxing and some days I feel like I'm a great teacher, and some days I wonder what in the world even happened today. I'm not saying I don't think we all can't engage in the conversation, I welcome this discourse--even those who are not teachers, but Oprah single-handedly silenced the voice of all the good and great teachers our country has. There was not one teacher on her "expert panel."

I'm going to see Waiting for Superman so I can join the national conversation regarding its content. But I'm a public school teacher and I serve ALL students. Rich. Poor. Hungry. Snotty-nosed. Whatever. I will see to it that every kid has the right to an education, a good education in my classroom, not just the ones who "qualify" for a privately funded education. I do not believe Charter Schools are the answer.

To my readers: This was an impromptu voice posted on my friend Kim's FB wall after she posted that inadaquate teachers should be fired. I had a lot of other things to write this morning before work--specifically regarding the professor trying to ban books in my school district (which I will write about later)...but her status was the first thing I saw, and I sat down to write. I have more to say on this topic, but thanks to my friend (and great teacher, Kim), for forcing me to start thinking through my own thoughts and beliefs about Oprah and Waiting for Superman.