sometimes it's the little things

It's an unlooked for September miracle: the old new* TP dispensers were replaced with new new ones--lo, two-ply TP!! And the angels sing.

*I have no idea how this was funded--the replaced dispensers were only around a few years--hence my use of this oxymoronic phrase.

Sweaty Eddie and Sweaty Betty

Back in the baking bungalow. It was only me, but even with three fans, it was over 90° in there.

Now imagine three dozen kids in there, too, sweatily resplendent in their fall finery, hoodies and high tops and tights despite the mercury, slaves to his majesty, King Fashion...

Some people would be foaming with rage if pound animals were kept in the conditions we allow our precious kids to endure.

Look, I know we have a luxurious time of it compared to Haiti and other developing countries.

But this is not Haiti.

Our schools house more wealth than banks--human capital--but our shortsighted, quick profit mentality coupled with mismanagement and comparably low pay for the educators lead to reluctance to invest in the One Sure Thing. Shame on us. Shame on U.S....

Anticipation

Finally, you're here!

Excitement for this new year:

Anticipation!!

Anticipation,

You're later than usual

(I was wondering

if you'd ever come)

But yes, my heart is racing

with hope and promise

My mind is bubbling

with possibilities and

ideas, and the

butterflies are back,

banging inside my stomach

getting me ready

for that magic bell

when the new school year begins.

THIS MIGHT BE THE YEAR--

--the magical year!!

the year of community

the year of large leaps

--the pivotal year

when all Johnnys learn to read

and shy kids take risks

and we love learning

so much the hour just flies by

and in June, we weep

because, even more

than learning, we have learned

to love each other

Anticipation,

You make September joyous--

thanks for showing up

The Rodney Dangerfield of Academia

August, 2011:

She: "You went to grad school at Harvard? Which field?"

I: "The one no one respects."

She: "Education?"

Us: "Hahahahaha!" (but my laughter was bitter...)

My new friend, She, is not alone in her assessment. What is tragic about this very true story is that selecting teaching as a vocation is seen by the academic world as either proof of lack of interest in learning or of lack of intellectual capacity.

1997:

While carpooling to an Intervarsity Christian Fellowship academic conference of all the Harvard grad schools about the intersection of Christianity in the disciplines, we introduced ourselves, starting with the front seat: the driver was an astrophysicist, shotgun was a geologist, next to me was a linguist working on his eighth language, another physicist, and then me. When Astrophysicist heard my vocation, he blurted, "Why would you want to come to this event?" I was too shocked to respond. His blurting was the first time I'd faced academic snobbery. The silence grew awkward until Geologist came to the rescue, using heavy sarcasm: "Yeah, why would a teacher be interested in anything educational?" We all laughed--I could breathe again--but I was dizzy with bewilderment for a long while.

A very long while--this still bewilders me.

Harvard's motto is Veritas, Truth.

In this case, Truth hurts.

just kill me now--oh wait...

Sooooo seminar kid C. chooses to write her persuasive speech in favor of euthanasia, but she just can't seem to get her paper off the ground. She tells me she is passionate about euthanasia, that she believes firmly that no one should have to live in agony, but she has no other arguments. I help her as best I can, suggesting she concentrate on free will and human dignity, asking if she has read enough about the topic; despite our efforts, C.'s paper is uncharacteristically thin.

The day arrives for C. to deliver her persuasive speech. C. trudges to the lectern and begins with a confession: she has just learned, seconds before, that she's had euthanasia confused with anesthesia all this time.

Whoopsie.

CHANGING...

underwear? easy.

my mind? a matter of course.

my attitudes? whoa.

New Venture, New Ideas

This September I'll have class full of ultra-reluctant learners--and I am excited about having them! It's a class for students who are below basic in reading or math. Our school started it two years ago, and it has evolved into a tutoring/study hall/on-line reading and math program.

In addition to increasing their reading and math abilities and confidence, my hope is to impact their mindset. These kids, even more than the others, have generally been mentally feral, left to feed on TV and videos, raised by their impulses and the media, consequently serving the twin gods, Immediate Gratification and Self.

I propose sharing with them stories of ordinary people who have done extraordinary things, who have shown courage, surmounted difficulties, or otherwise acted with greatness of heart. I may not transform them all into vital, literate, community pillars, but I am gunning to shatter that hard apathetic crust, to watch their minds expand to believe that their efforts really ARE more important and efficacious than their perceived abilities. And I have 36 weeks to go for it.

If you know of inspiring or motivational stories that kids (mostly boys) aged 12-15 would enjoy, please let me know!

Here are some of my current ideas:

1) The man who stood in front of the tank at Tiananmen Square

2) The Olympic gymnast Shun Fujimoto, who performed his ring routine with a broken leg, knowing the pain he'd receive upon dismount

3) Christian the lion, about the impact of love and friendship

4) The pi as music video that so delighted me, a non-math mamacita

5) Six year old Ruby Bridges, who integrated a Louisiana school

6) Thirteen year old surfer Bethany Hamilton, who, after losing her arm to a shark, went surfing a month later

7) The marshmallow test of preschoolers

8) The walnuts and rice demonstration about priorities and time management

9) Austin's butterfly (from 2:01 to around 6:30)

10) Chuck Swindoll on attitude (see below)

Ideally I'd like to have 36 solid ideas. Ten down, 26 to go!

I leave you with Chuck's famous words:

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church....a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes." — Charles R. Swindoll