Will swine flu fizzle or present a pandemic?

Timing is everything, and "shoulds" are bogus, even when a pandemic is threatening.

I should make sure our medicine cabinet is stocked.
Reality: I usually buy over-the-counter meds when they're on sale, especially vitamins & supplements. They run 2 for 1 specials so often I never want to pay full price.
End result: We have lots of some meds, we're almost out of others.

I should make sure our cupboard is stocked.
Reality: Fear of Mother Hubbard Syndrome is alive and well, and we have plenty of canned and frozen foods - including the beef stock I made last night after grilling steaks. That will be one. good. soup.
End result: We'll be able to last a few weeks if we're quarantined. A month? That might be tougher.

I should go over my files and records from Public Health Training.
Reality: I barely have the time and energy to get my school papers corrected and recorded.
End result: I'll pull the files when the first case gets reported in my state or in town.

Heck with all this! I should be gardening!
Reality: Wisconsin weather is fickle, and there's still the potential for frost later this week.
End result: Planting will wait until the end of May.

I should write a knowledgable post about swine flu.
Reality: Swine flu posts abound, as do up-to-date articles. Search any reputable news site for swine flu and you'll find updates.
End result: I think I'll go check the medicine cabinet and see if I need to make a stop at Walgreens!

In between writing the rough draft and hitting publish, I received the latest newsletter for public health volunteers in my fair city. The advice is routine, and I hope the situation remains so. ------->Prevent germ transmission in standard ways, stay home if you're sick, etc.
-->Store a two week supply of food and water and pet supplies, stock up on nonprescription medicines, and keep prescriptions current.
-->Keep a good supply of basic health supplies such as thermometers, gloves, soap and hand sanitizers, and cleaner/ sanitizers such as bleach.
-->Plan ahead: know how family members will be cared for if they're sick.

Hmm...with aging parents and a kiddo in college, the last item on the list isn't as easy as it sounds. Maybe I "should" make a few phone calls.

Stumble It!

Shoulds are bogus, even in a snowstorm

Ah, contradictions. This is a case for "Shoulds are Bogus."

The school for the blind should be more flexible in receiving kids who do not take their buses.
Reality: Their dorm staff doesn't arrive until a certain time, and that's that.
End result: I had to plan to drop him off late in the evening, and then either find a hotel or make my way home over back roads late at night. In the snow. During deer season.

I should have left earlier in the day.
Reality: Amigo couldn't get into his dorm at the school for the blind until 7:30 PM at the earliest, so leaving earlier was pointless.
End result: We watched the Packer game at home and then left.

We should have changed plans completely, leaving early Monday morning.
Reality: We didn't know the weather would be as bad as it was or the traffic as slow as it was.
End result: We changed plans as we got closer to our first destination.

I should have prepared Amigo for the possibility of change.
Reality: Having too many options can cause him to melt down just as much as a sudden change can. There was really no way to prepare him.
End result: He had a meltdown in the van.

I should be grateful we found a hotel room down the road from La Petite's apartment.
Reality: I'm very grateful. In fact, the other hotel in the town near Amigo's school cancelled my reservation with no charge. I'm grateful for that, too.
End result: We're nearly the only customers here, in this hotel in a small college town. It's very quiet.

And shoulds or not, I'm glad we have a safe and warm place to lay our heads and rest. No matter what the morning brings, we'll be all right.
And the hotel room has a coffeemaker, so at least one of us will be happy in the morning.

Stumble It!

Just another really, really manic Monday

Monday, Monday. We were still in the throes of the month-long disruption we call No Child Left Untested. My grade level couldn't have science because of the domino effect that a testing schedule creates. Eager to start teaching science again, I pulled a few videos off the library shelves to help the kids build a little background knowledge before starting the Human Body unit. One, National Geographic's The Incredible Human Machine, was a little on the long side, but looked promising. National Geographic's educational videos are good quality, filled with great photography and valuable content. This one was on the elementary library shelves, so I presumed it was age appropriate.

Oops.

The video started with a full screen shot of daVinci's The Vitruvian Man in all his proportional glory. Any narration was lost in the hysterical giggles and noisy hoots of fourth graders reacting to this, um, detailed drawing. I stepped in front of the TV and reassured them that I understood they were naturally uncomfortable, this was a very famous drawing by a famous artist and they could take a deep breath and settle down as the movie went on.

Did I say settle down? The next piece in the opening discussed the body as art and showed a painter working on a nude portrait of a woman. The woman was tastefully posed, and nothing unseemly was shown, but it was enough to re-establish the hysterics.

I should have given up then. But shoulds, as my regular readers know, are bogus. The reality? I pressed on, kept attempting to settle the kids and redirecting them toward the paper on which they were to note new facts they hadn't known before seeing this movie. The end result: They couldn't keep it together. The class was officially off the walls with giggle fits and roars of inappropriate laughter. There was no possible way for these kiddos to learn anything from the video, no matter how fascinating the cinematography.

Later in the day I vented a little to my coworker in the 4/5 combination classroom. "It was a National Geographic film! Those are usually excellent!" She answered with a quirky grin, "Did it start with a naked woman being painted?" "OMG, yes!" She burst out laughing. "I had the same problem with the same video some ten years ago. I remember telling (principal at the time) that it was on our library shelves so I thought it would be okay!!"

Fast forward by a day and an email and the conclusion is this: it's an old, old video. We're clearing our shelves of all things VHS in the spring. This one will simply bite the dust a few months early. The principal knows about it and will field any phone calls. Hopefully, all will be well.
Until I actually start teaching about the incredible body machine....

Stumble It!

"Are you watching the convention in Denver?"

"I'm still getting over Hillary."

Spoken by a teaching colleague, one with whom I'm so alike that I'm not sure we weren't twins in a previous life, this statement started my afternoon on the first day back to school.

Political talk is an under the table kind of thing in schools. We shouldn't use email for anything election-related, actively campaign, visibly support candidates while on school property, or even discuss politics if we might be overheard by parents or community members.

You know how I feel about the word "should." Should, of course, is a bogus concept.

The reality: we quietly discuss politics among ourselves. We teachers often become politically active outside the classroom, put up signs at home and bumper stickers on our cars. We attend meetings, make donations, interview candidates in the name of our professional association, and we write letters. We write blogs!!

So when I saw our congressional representative outside the building shaking hands as more than 1,500 teachers and other school staff walked into our opening day meeting, I smiled. No, I more than smiled. I walked up to him, shook his hand, and thanked him for running for re-election. I wished him good luck in November because we need him in office.

In another hushed hallway conversation, a union rep and I talked about the need to have pro-education people in office at the local, the state, and the federal level. Like it or not, teaching is political. Decisions in Madison, decisions in Washington, and decisions made at City Hall affect the what we teach and how we teach it.

I could go on for a long, long time with a list of examples, but I have desk tags to make and a charter school board meeting tonight. So in closing, here's a Should to summarize.

Teachers should be able to teach without politics.

Reality: Education is political. It is often driven by public perception. Government decisions affect everything we teach.

End result: Teachers need to be politically active. In order to be effective advocates for children, teachers need to vote for pro-education candidates. And in order to elect pro-education candidates, well, teachers need to step out of their classrooms and .... well, you know the rest.

Stumble It!

Serenity or shoulds are once again bogus

Husband's parents should move into a more accessible apartment.
Reality: FIL can't handle moving chores physically, MIL remains in denial and won't take any action until he "recovers."
End result: Husband and his brother will end up shouldering the emotional burden while brother's wife and I help out with the practical end of things.

The 'rents should take the initiative and sign the papers on the senior condo.
Reality: Their denial has kept them from acting.
End result: We'll have to confront them directly.

The parental units, as the situation gets more and more dicey, should prepare power of attorney with at least one of their sons.
Reality: Denial.
End result: We plan to sit down with them and ask some hard questions and push for answers, including papers. They can revoke these powers after the move if they wish, but for now at least, it would make paperwork and downpayments much easier.

We can't control their actions or attitudes.
We can control our own reactions.
We can work together, brothers and wives, to come up with a plan, but we can't control the parental units' reactions to it or their choices. Here's where the wisdom to know the difference will come in handy.

Stumble It!

Shoulds are, as always, bogus.

I should have washed the windows when I filled the minivan with gas.
Reality: I didn't have much time.
End result: I bought coffee instead, left the windshield-washing for later.

"Crop dusting" at neighborhood park should have been done on a weekend or outside school hours.
Reality: DNR had only a finite window of time, did it during the school day.
End result: My minivan got coated with the sticky film of an organic insecticide.

Car wash should have taken care of it.
Reality: Car wash track broke down as my minivan entered.
End result: Minivan front end covered with soap, washing code noted (in soap) on side window. Sticky coating of organic insecticide still present.

I should get a free car wash!
Reality: I had already paid. No refund available.
End result: Credit issued, I can go back to get the wash done when they're fixed again.

Update: I went back to the car wash on a cool and cloudy day. The line was non-existent, and the service was great. the minivan is finally clean.
Now there's rain in the forecast, but that's fine with me.

Stumble It!

shoulds are bogus, or good intentions pave to road to you-know-where

I should compost year round.

The reality: it's too cold in our lovely winters. A banana peel placed in the bin in December will still look like a banana peel in April.

The end result: I feel mildly guilty throwing away coffee grounds, orange peels, and other biodegradables. Sigh.

I should have taken my own bags to the bookstore last weekend.

The reality: I didn't. I had the bags sitting out on my dresser, and then I got caught up in my search for gift cards. I left without the cloth bags.

The end result: I left without the cloth bags. I realized it when we were checking out. Fortunately, I only needed one plastic bag. All in all, that's not bad, but I really intend to make a habit of turning down the one-use plastics.

I should be exercising regularly.

The reality: I'm not. I was all set to start and then I got sick.

The end result: This too shall pass. Amigo has set a goal of exercising weekly, and I'm going to join him. Just -- not today.

I should be eating healthier foods.

The reality: I'm feeling lousy and reaching for comfort.

The end result: I continue to pretend that lemon bars have enough vitamin C to have some nutritional value.

I should be resting and drinking herbal tea.

The reality: I'm wasting time blogging and drinking diet orange soda.

The end result: liquids are liquids, and they'll help rehydrate my aching body and drippy nose. (More than you wanted to know, eh?)

Knowing that Husband missed three days of work with this virus, I should have made sub plans in advance.

The reality: Monday is a relatively easy day with a decent amount of prep time. I used my time to write sub plans for Tuesday and rest then.

The end result: It's true. I saw the doc on Tuesday, and she told me I'd be sick for the week. Maybe I should have ... no, let's not start that again. I think I'll reach for more ice water and yogurt.

Stumble It!

Random Thoughts on a Snowy Saturday

Amigo is again feeling under the weather. We went to the Saturday morning clinic and found out that his ears are not infected, but quite plugged up and filled with fluid. Prescription: Lots of fluids, OTC pain reliever, and a vaporizer. He's curled up on the couch right now in the "humidified" den watching TV.
We ended up watching SpongeBob Squarepants by the process of elimination. The Weather Channel was interesting for a while (it's been a fascinating winter if you're interested in weather or climate trends), but after we'd watched three "locals on the eights" we lost interest. After all, how many times can we see a prediction for 50% chance of a half inch of snow when we've already been out on snow-slicked roads that have at least an inch or more accumulation? Now we're watching the snow fall (it's really pretty if you're indoors) and surfing the channels.
CNN was our next stop. On a weekend that is often fluff and football, they had to cover a story of a police officer's murder in New Orleans. How sad! New Orleans PD doesn't need any more tragedy. My sympathies to the family and force.
He wanted to watch Dora or Diego. Look, kid, you're 16! give me a break! No kiddy cartoons while I'm in the room, at least!So we eventually ended up on SpongeBob. At least this is a cartoon with humor I can appreciate.
I had a random dream last night. It was a convoluted series of events involving people in my life both current and past, eventually ending up with my laptop being stolen while the case was left behind. Husband's response: "You really want a new laptop, don't you? Your case is still perfectly good, but the computer inside it is obsolete."
Well, he's right, but it's a want, not a need. I can rationalize all the good reasons for a new laptop except the price. We really don't need a new laptop. It would be convenient, useful, and all kinds of handy, especially if we outfit it with Amigo's adaptive software. But no, it's not a need. Yet.
Maybe Husband is demonstrating his sensitivity in understanding my dream. His fortune cookie yesterday told him to get in touch with his "feminine side." What could I say? "Honey, PMS stinks. Here, have some chocolate."
And on the feminine side -- I entered a handful of Bloggy Giveaways and actually won a prize! It's a lovely handmade bag from C at MamaSaidSew! There were many, many prizes, but I only entered those that I felt were of value to me or my friends/family. In this case, it's definitely something I wouldn't make myself. I can't sew worth a darn, no pun intended. Thanks, C! I feel lucky.
Maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket. A win would fund my new laptop...

Stumble It!

Shoulds are bogus or What a Week it Was

The Packers should be headed to the Super Bowl.
Reality: They lost.
End result: They're heading on home to watch the Bowl on TV like the rest of us.

Bitter cold weather should result in a day off from school.
Reality: Our new superintendent is a tough guy and thinks everyone else should tough it out, too.
End result: No day off, or even a two hour delay, despite the double digit below zero wind chills.

Students should behave when reminded, if not sooner.
Reality: Sometimes they argue with the teacher instead of shaping up.
End result: Certain individuals in my class are wondering why I contacted their parents regarding their inappropriate behavior.

I should be finished with my progress reports and feeling refreshed upon starting a new semester.
Reality: Dealing with the large numbers of students with unmedicated ADHD and the undiagnosed who-knows- what that permeates my classroom is, frankly, exhausting.
End result: I'm going to be working on my progress reports this weekend, since I had no energy to finish them earlier this week.

I should be mad at Buttercup for scratching me this morning.
Reality: Well, really, I shouldn't have picked her up when she wasn't eager to snuggle.
End result: She's still my sweet bunny, and the scratch is fine now. In fact, you can find a Buttercup Portrait here. Yes, she's a character.

I should rest this weekend.
Reality: It's Trivia Weekend!
End result: I'll spend too much time listening to the webcast and helping Amigo answer questions during the contest, and I'll thoroughly enjoy the 50 hours. Well, I'll thoroughly enjoy as much of the 50 hours as I experience, since I'm much too wise (or old) to stay up the whole time.

Stumble It!

Teachers often talk about "attention-getting behavior," mainly negative behaviors that develop in an attempt to gain center stage when the positive attention isn't sufficient. But what happens when the attention-getting behavior is developed and sponsored by a major university?
The Child Study Center at NYU recently worked with a major advertising agency to create billboards that they felt called attention to child and adolescent psychiatric and learning disorders. Nicknamed the "Ransom Note" campaign, the billboards displayed 'notes' like this:

"We have your son. We will make sure he will no longer be able to care for himself or interact socially as long as he lives. This is only the beginning…Autism."
"We have your son. We are destroying his ability for social interaction and driving him into a life of complete isolation. It's up to you now…Asperger's Syndrome"
"We have your daughter. We are making her wash her hands until they are raw, everyday. This is only the beginning…OCD"
"We are in possession of your son. We are making him squirm and fidget until he is a detriment to himself and those around him. Ignore this and your kid will pay…ADHD"

These ads spurred an activist movement that surprised their creators and sponsors. Autism advocates mobilized immediately to protest the implied hopelessness and inaccurate perceptions in these "notes". Bloggers like Kristina of AutismVox and Vicki of Speak Softly stepped up, spread the word, and eventually were quoted in the New York Times. I read great posts by Mom-nos and Dr. Joe, both parents of children with autism. If you follow the trail from these four, you'll find many, many more blogs that addressed the topic -- written by parents of children with autism and adults with autism and Asperger's Syndrome.
The campaign has been abruptly halted because of the negative responses. Dr. Harold Koplewicz, head of the Study Center that initiated the Ransom Notes campaign, made a public statement of apology, ending it thus:

"...Our goal was to start a national dialogue. Now that we have the public’s attention, we need your help. We would like to move forward and harness the energy that this campaign has generated to work together so that we do not lose one more day in the lives of these children.

"We invite all of you to continue this conversation online at a “town hall” meeting that we will hold early next year as we plan the next phase of our national public awareness campaign on child mental health. Look for details on our web site www.AboutOurKids.org."

Well, as the saying goes, the road to you-know-where is paved with good intentions. Gaining the public's attention by using shock isn't a new tactic in advertising, whether commercial or public service. Autism isn't new, either.

But considering that awareness is the lowest form of knowledge, far behind comprehension, application, and analysis, shouldn't any public relations campaign be far better quality than this one? The autism movement has moved well beyond the awareness stage. Any major attention-getting ideas should be beyond that stage, too.

But you know what I say, "Should" is a bogus word. It's meaningless, really.

I wonder what kind of "ransom note" they'd come up with for a hearing impaired mom, happily married, well-educated, professional, raising a teen and a college student? If you haven't guessed, that's me. And don't bother with negative attention-getting behavior, either. I've taught too long to fall for that.

Stumble It!

shoulds, once again, are bogus

Should: Appointments, especially early morning appointments, should never be cancelled.
Reality: The phone rang at 6:25 a.m. to cancel my 7:00 physical therapy appointment
End result: I had a morning off (half a sick day) that I didn't need.

Should: I should have cancelled the sick day. It was early enough in the morning, and I didn't need the time off any more.
Reality: I had brought home a bag full of work to do after the appointment.
End result: I stayed home anyway. I waded through four piles of papers, cleaned the kitchen, and blogged.

Should: Cancelled appointments should be rescheduled easily and conveniently.
Reality: I'm a teacher, people. My work schedule is NOT flexible! And I have parent-teacher conferences next week in the evenings, so I'm not free after school, either!
End result: I took an afternoon appointment on a day between conferences. I'll blow another half sick day. Bleh.

Shoulds: I should drink less coffee.
Reality: I like my coffee.
End result: After the appointment was cancelled and I put Amigo on his school bus, I made a pot of Sumatran and started in to work on my school papers. Math tests, vocabulary sheets, penmanship, and more, met with my green pen while the Early Show played softly in the background.

Ah,well, I'll be ready for conferences next week. I'll be rested and relaxed (and caffeinated) this afternoon, too. No crabby teaching in Social Studies. Nuh-uh.

Stumble It!

Shoulds are bogus and hindsight is 20-20.

It was definitely one of those days.

Should (not): The secretary on the phone at 7:20 telling me that Amigo had fallen and bumped his nose shouldn't have used the phrase "I don't know if it's broken".
Reality: She wasn't a nurse, and didn't describe the injury very well, despite my Red Cross training and my detailed questions.
End result: I worried all day. I even emailed husband.

Should: The historic house down the road should have been clear in their phone call.
Reality: Both the secretary and the principal thought it was a "deal with this within an hour or lose the trip!" situation.
End result: We were cranky when we made the return call because we hadn't arranged a field trip there, and we eventually found out the call had just been outreach to recruit more schools to visit.

Should: Teachers should communicate all special needs, even gifted and talented, to the next teacher.
Reality: A student today told me he was supposed to be in the next grade's math program, accelerated by a year.
End result: The jury's still out. I sent out a quick email to the relevant teachers, and I'll check the child's file tomorrow. I couldn't today; I was dealing with a field trip phone call (see above).

Should: I should have stopped worrying about Amigo's nose.
Reality: Since I didn't see it or talk to a qualified medical person, I had no idea how serious it was -- or not.
End result: He talks like he has a cold (which he still does), had a small headache, and strongly resembles a football player with a bandage instead of a breathing strip across his nose.

Ah, well, as my coworker so wisely said, "If you bang your head on the wall, all you'll get is a sore head." So instead of pounding out my frustration, I think I should have a cappuccino and some cinnamon toast. Comfort food is called for after a day like this.

Stumble It!

Breaking up is hard to do

A Head Start director once distributed posters that said, "Change is our friend." In smaller letters, it proclaimed, "Posting is mandatory." Yes, she had a sense of humor. Change was the norm in her realm, and facing it with a smile was one way to handle the many changes that were thrown her way on a daily basis.
Change can be difficult. It's not always possible to face it with a smile. I am leaving my current job for a different one next fall. I hope it's for the better. I still have misgivings, but leaving is the right thing to do. I should have done this sooner, but you know about "shoulds". In leaving my job, I'm leaving some of the best friends and closest professional colleagues I've known. Ever.
In spring of 2002, we started graduate school together. We were nicknamed the Fab Five, all five of us from the same school in the same district. We carpooled to classes and got to know each other during the 45 minute drive each way. By the time we finished the intense program in fall of 2003, we were bonded for life.
On our last weekend of classes, the weekend we presented our final projects, we came out of lunch to find the car pool van full of helium balloons. This forced us (kicking and screaming, of course) to take this picture. We've displayed it in each of our classrooms ever since.
Last October, mine fell from the wall behind my desk, shattering the glass cover. I cleaned it up, vowed to get a new frame, and secretly fought back the superstitious thought that this might be a bad omen.
Omen or not, I picked up a new position. With the support of my Fab Friends, I will pack up my classroom and move across town come June. Despite our distance, I know they'll still be there for me.
Amy, whose loving and generous son picked out balloons and wrote us each congratulations cards, even though he was only in second grade.
Sara, she of the best and funniest camping stories, now a survivor first class after her battle with breast cancer.
Julie, the calm and cool one, the one who traded classrooms with me when I couldn't do stairs after my foot surgery.
Dawn, she of the musical laughter, the most talented teacher I've ever met. She truly has the Midas touch.
Oh, yes, and I can't forget how the banana, wearing Sara's boa, got strategically hung on Dawn's door with Julie's and Amy's help. If I get too serious, these ladies might just post a banana on my door -- or fill my room with deer droppings once again.

Stumble It!

Shoulds are bogus -- again

The "should", the reality, and the end result

I had a half day of school today, so I should have gotten some housework done.
The reality: I came home, turned the self-cleaning oven to "Clean", and took a nap. A long nap.
The end result: My oven is clean, and I feel well-rested. Not bad, really.

I should have cooked a decent supper.
The reality: I napped much of the afternoon and my oven was in its "Clean" cycle.
The end result: Amigo and I met Husband at a diner halfway between his workplace and home. Mmm...Friday night fish fry.

I should be gathering some professional reading for our upcoming grant meeting.
The reality: I surfed Amazon for gardening materials and family-oriented books.
The end result: I ordered Unstrange Minds by Roy Richard Grinker, an autism parent and anthropologist, and Let it Rot, a composting guide in its third edition. Hey, spring is coming! I can smell it!

I should have started laundry tonight, since I'll be gone all day tomorrow judging another music festival.
The reality: I didn't start laundry. I napped and then took Amigo to meet Husband for supper.
The end result: I'll do it Saturday night or Sunday. If I'm really lucky, the family might start it tomorrow while I'm gone. Don't laugh so hard; sometimes they do!

I should go to bed early, since I have to get up early tomorrow and drive to my festival. I have to be there by 7:30.
The reality: I napped most of the afternoon.
The end result: I'm hanging out online, having fun reading blogs and updating my own. I'll be plenty relaxed when I do go to bed. I'll sleep well.

All in all, "Shoulds" are bogus, but all in all, it was a good day.

Stumble It!

And on the third hand...

Today was Mixed Feelings Day. Not familiar with that one? That's because it doesn't exist. I could call it Of Two Minds Day, but that wouldn't cover it, either. There's too much going on. My mind keeps spinning, and I keep bringing it back before it spins out of orbit.
On the one hand: I love my work teaching elementary school. I dread my job. I get stomach aches every Sunday night thinking of what may be waiting the next morning. It's not the kids; I teach some wonderful kids. It's not the co-workers; I work with a fantastic, creative, supportive team of teachers. It's a few noisy, nasty, know-nothings that make my job a living h-e-double hockey sticks. It has reached a point where I am reluctant to check my school email on weekends because it upsets me too much. Someone, but someone, needs to step in and tell these non-teachers it will do their children a lot more good to trust our knowledge and work with us rather than raise their swords and start a battle. This, I keep thinking, is what drives teachers out of their field.
On the other hand: I spent today moonlighting in my other role as musician, judging a music festival in a small town near here. It was a wonderful, enjoyable day. The parent volunteers assisting in my room were supportive, polite, and positive. They went out of their way to treat all who entered, whether student or adult, with courtesy and respect. When I needed something (like a desk or table on which to write my critiques), I had only to ask, and it was provided. Eager middle school student volunteers brought around refreshment carts with water, coffee, and various snacks several times a day. The middle and high school performers played well, conversed with me, and in general, kept me smiling all day. This, I thought, is teaching at its best. It's the way teaching should and could be.
But shoulds, as you know, are bogus.
On yet another hand, I read this post today. I work closely with the special education teachers. I speak Spanish, while not fluently, fairly well. Students with special needs, behavior plans, and limited English skills are welcome in my class. These students need me.
But on the other hand, how much longer can I put up with an administration that will not draw the line in the sand? How good is it for students, special or traditional, disabled or neurotypical, to have a teacher who is stressed-out to the point of illness?
The answer is simple. No one can do their best work while feeling threatened. I need to feel safe, healthy, positive, and eager to go to work on Monday mornings. On one hand and all the other(s), extreme stress isn't good for anyone. Not my family, not my students, but most of all, not me.
On all hands, something needs to change.

Stumble It!

Shoulds are STILL bogus

The new updated version, again comparing the "should" with the reality

I should feel relieved that it's Friday.
Reality: I am judging a music festival tomorrow, which means an intense (but exciting) day of work from 7:30 until at least 4:00.
End result: I'll enjoy the day. I'll collapse Saturday night and sleep in on Sunday.

I should be resting, storing up energy to fully recover from last week's illness.
Reality: I have a long day tomorrow, so I'm starting laundry tonight.
End result: the last load is in the washer, I'm in mid-fold cycle, I'm coughing, and I'm tired.

I should wear flat shoes to minimize the pressure on the little Mort dude that hides in the ball of my foot.
Reality: My only flat dress shoes are brown, and my only clean dressy pants are black.
End result: I'll take off my shoes under the table and hope no one notices.

I should have planned next week's science lessons thoroughly.
Reality: I missed my main prep periods today due to a field trip, so I didn't have time to get everything ready.
End result: I'll be making copies and cueing the introductory video before school on Monday.

I should be more worried about Monday's science lessons because I'm introducing a new unit.
Reality: I'm hoping for a snow day.
End result: Who knows? It would be fitting, since the new unit is Weather and Water. No matter what, I'll get to play with the barometer and windmeter this weekend and call it research. Teaching science is fun!

Stumble It!

resting, refreshing beverages, and reading -- news, that is

I am a bit of a news junkie. I won't give up my daily paper, provincial though it is. I surf the online headlines when I can. When we travel (which isn't often, I confess) one of my chief pleasures is picking up a major paper wherever we are and reading it, cover to cover.
Why? Perspective. Keeping informed is important, but keeping perspective is essential. Knowing what's happening is good, but without background and detail, that knowledge doesn't get beyond the first level of Bloom's Taxonomy.
Yes, I'm talking like a teacher. Teaching is a great field. My progressive state senator has called it a noble profession. I love my work. I need to repeat that; I love my work.
There are times when I dread my job.
I dread the nasty phone calls and meetings with parents who claim intimate knowledge of what I "should" be teaching, but barely handled high school themselves.
I dread the harassment of special needs students. Yes, it happens, at school and in the neighborhood, and I will continue to fight this through education, not bullying or verbal harassment.
I dread writing up yet another discipline referral and knowing that the only good it might do is to create a paper trail.
I dread the reactions of parents who claim their innocent angels couldn't possibly have misbehaved. It must have been another Student/Teacher/Someonelse's fault.
I dread reading yet another headline saying that scores on yet another bubble test will result in judging the quality of my instruction.
Hello?!! Is anyone listening? There are so many good families, good students, no, great families and great students, that the negativity shouldn't take over. But 'shoulds' are bogus, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and the positive (and analytical) people are much quieter than the others.
If Greenpeace and a Japanese whaling ship can co-exist and one offer assistance to the other, but elementary school parents can not, what does that say about our neighborhood? Our town? Not much, people, not much.
Of course, I'm sure that's my fault, too.

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Anniversary of sorts

I should have celebrated this 5 posts ago. Of course, "shoulds" are bogus. This post (today, right now) is my 105th post on Compost Happens. How time flies!
I started the blog as self-expression and self-therapy, if there is such a word. I love to read and make time for books, but I don't make time to write. When I do make time to write, it feels SO good! In that way, the blog has definitely met my expectations.
My immediate family reads it, if not regularly, at least now and then. A few local friends and extended family read as well. But as for other readers, I'm not sure. I put a stat counter on just last week out of curiousity, and I found more lurkers than I expected. I'm not on the level of the Famous Mommybloggers or the BlogHer crew, but I do get a respectable number of readers each day. Even though I blog for myself, the idea of an audience pleases me.
I started A Mother's Garden of Verses when I put up this post because I kept thinking, "I have a poem that expresses this so well. But it doesn't really fit the format of the blog." I knew that would happen again, so I set up the other blog as well. I don't update it nearly as often as this one, but every now and then I put up a new poem or an old one that I like. They're all mine -- don't blame anyone else if they're poor work -- but give me credit if you like them. :)
I've enjoyed reading others' blogs, too. I plan to update my links or set up a blogroll when I get time (uh-huh, yeah, right) to send people who read me to those from whom I gain inspiration.
Thanks, blogosphere. I'm here to stay. I hope all yous (that's Wisconsinese for y'all) enjoy the ride as much as I do.

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I don't like this new world.

There are some words that shouldn't belong in the same sentence. Of course, as I've said before, "shoulds" are bogus. But darn it, some words just don't make a pair - and that's no joke.

shooter + school
death + senseless
children + hostage
copycat + crime

There are too many eerie similarities between the latest Pennsylvania shooting and the hostage-taking in Colorado. With the gunman dead, the police may never know what stimulated him to pick up his weapons and take over an Amish one-room schoolhouse. The families may never know if he had intended them or their community as victims (for whatever reason) or if they were simply in a tragically convenient location. No one will know if last week's shooting in Colorado inspired him, or if another event in his own life tipped him over some imaginary edge.

It's senseless. And that's one reason, one reason of many, that it's so heinous a crime.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and the officers who stormed the school, some holding children as they died. May it never, ever happen again.

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Inside the Blogger's Studio

I've been tagged by Mom-nos for a new set of questions. These originated on the Bravo show "Inside the actors' studio" with James Lipton. At the end of each in-depth interview, the host always asks these ten questions. Ordinary people like bloggers often have interesting answers, too. Here are mine.

What is your favorite word?
Touchdown! (Okay, can you tell I answered these on a Sunday afternoon?)

What is your least favorite word?
Should. Shoulds are bogus.

What turns you on (creatively, spiritually, emotionally)?
Reading. Gardening. Learning new ideas.

What turns you off (creatively, spiritually, emotionally)?
Narrow minds, closed minds.

What is your favorite curse word?
Drat. I don’t swear (okay, I RARELY swear), so I’ve found alternatives.

What sound or noise do you love?
Simple sounds: silence, the wind blowing through trees, rain falling

What sound or noise do you hate?
Whispers: Even with my hearing aids, I can’t understand whispers.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Writer or Poet

What profession would you not like to do?
Hold political office. I could work for a candidate or office-holder, but my skin is too thin to ever campaign.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you enter the pearly gates?
Whatever She says, I’d just like to be able to hear it without straining or asking her to repeat herself.

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