Happy

Suddenly the light shifted slanting through the classroom's open window. The light, bright, splashed across students' desks. It was after noon, maybe the end of C lunch just before the bell. I thought of them. My brother. My sister-in-law. My niece.

So I sent a message.

We exchanged a few funny photos and notes. I cannot wait to spend some time with them. 

They came to town for my weekend birthday celebration--it is a big one and I am so tickled they are here. Just the idea that we are in the same state made me grin as I stepped into the hall to supervise during passing time. My teenager was walking the hall and caught me, smiling.

"What are you smiling at?" he smirked. There was some serious shade in his voice.

Seriously? I thought. A riff from "Let It Go" ran through my thoughts.

Sigh. Sometimes, teenagers try us. They take any and all opportunities to push buttons, push back, push off of what ever they do not want to do or deal with. I know this because I am the parent of an amazing fourteen-year-old. He is the love of my life, but like all teenagers, he sometimes throws shade "both sides" as my niece will say.

It has taken me many years of practice to let some things slide. I am learning how to choose my battles as a parent/. It's a good review for my teacher-self.

"I'm happy," I replied more to myself than him as I stepped into class. He continued down the hall. It is difficult having a teacher Mom. No doubt.

I know I have to choose not to engage with negativity.  Teenagers are testing all sorts of water. They try on sarcasm for sophistication. They test a range of tones and attitudes during a week, a month, our entire year at school. I am a safe testing ground.

That teens test and try is one thing I love about them. They are fluid and flexible--becoming. My son has joined this tribe. I am used to teenagers as a teacher, but parenting one is new territory.

When I tell people I teach high school, I hear a mix that spans "God bless you!" to "How could you?" 

I wouldn't have it any other way.  Teenagers are awesome. They care. They act. They do. They engage and are curious. Teenagers are one interesting group.

I love them.

I love how passionate they are. I love their commitment to friends, their loyalty. I love their energy and the buzz of a classroom when I've harnessed it. I even love them when they suck their teeth and roll their eyes with an exaggerated sigh.

I love them when they say,  "What are you looking at?" When I'm only wool gathering and happen to do the thinking stare in their direction.  I even love them when they throw shade "both sides."

Teens, like mine, belong to a tender tribe.  

Thank you to Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Tara, Beth, Anna, Kathleen & Deb for creating community and valuing voice. Join us at Two Writing Teachers. Slide by the Slice of Life buffet for seconds or link up to serve your own slice of life.

Water Runs

When I got home from school yesterday, the house looked the same. It sat squatting in the semi-green grass. The front-door faced the corner woods. The house looked the same but it was gloriously different.

When I walked in, my first stop was the kitchen sink. I twisted the cold-water knob and just like that, water spluttered and then flowed from the faucet. Years ago after watching Water.org charity videos during Project for Awesome, I counted up the number of faucets in and around my house.

We have thirteen faucets. There is no walking, no hand pumping, no carrying, no lugging, no hooking bucket handles over the horns of oxen. Water runs--through the miracle of modern engineering-- into and out of our homes, schools, kitchens, baths, laundry rooms, garages--even onto some lawns. I am so thankful that I do not have to chase it.

 Many thanks to D & E Pump Contractors for fixing the pump in less than twenty-four hours.

Tapped









Happy 9th annual Slice of Life Story Challenge!

Thanks to the team at Two Writing Teachers for cultivating such a

supportive writing community. If you'd like to participate by blogging

everyday during the month of March, head over to TWT to get the details.

 

The coffee is set to brew at o'dark thirty in my house.  I woke to the nutty scent of a dark roast. I love a strong cup of coffee. I made my way to the kitchen stepping over dog toys, the tile cold on my bare feet. I grabbed a glass from a kitchen cabinet and turned to the sink to for water. I held the glass under the goose-neck faucet.  I turned the knob for cold water. Nothing. No water came spilling out of the faucet.

We live out in the country and draw our water from a well. I'd gotten comfortable with the water service person we recently hired. I've been feeling comfortable with the service, so I haven't checked on the well or the pump in a while.

It is easy to take things for granted especially when things seem to be running smoothly. I take things for granted at home and I have known myself to take things for granted in my classroom too.

By this time of year writing routines are humming along in class. Our state writing test is this week. During our last grade-level practice the prompt derailed students, so I built in time to practice taking apart writing prompts this week.

I am confident the kids are ready. They have had a lot of writing practice. Students have been writing with me and for themselves or others since August (and before if you take prior experience into account).

Though they have prior experience writing, many have not had a lot of experience with our new state requirements for argumentive and informative writing. Today, kids reviewed two argument prompts and two informative prompts using editorial cartoons as source material. Working in triads, students did a quick "pass" for each. They talked about purpose, audience, sides and sources (for argument) and sensory detail and sources (for informative). 

 

 

Just when I thought we were finished and could tap out of the prompt practice a  student asked,

"Does an informative essay need a counter argument?"

 

 I sighed inside. Then cleared up the student's misunderstanding.

 

It is easy to assume kids have a firm grip on the differences between argument and informative writing. By February it feels like I've taught and reviewed and touched argument and expository writing a million times. It feels that way to me because to me, argumentative and informative writing are familiar modes. To some of my tenth graders though,  argument is still new territory. 

The test is in three days. I am going to make the most of our final practice and review, so that when kids sit down to write not  the prompts are as clear as the water that will hopefully be running from my taps this afternoon.  I called a contractor and as of lunch time, they were on their way to get the job done.

 

Clean water and effective writing, two things I am not taking for granted today.