"Well, I guess you can cut the arts as much as you want, Gene. Sooner or later, these kids aren't going to have anything to read or write about. "

One reason being an educator is interesting is because every one (nearly) is a product of our profession, thus we all have our own ideas about how things should be. We all remember our elementary, middle, and high school days... we turned out alright... so it gives us some vague idea about how 'education' in public schools looks like.

So what happens when you find yourself unable to make any connections between your experiences and what you currently find yourself?

You are left like a dried up plant whose roots are searching the earth in vain for anything remotely similar to fluids.

What I remember...
Two recesses a day. 20 min after lunch and 40 minutes in the afternoon. Maybe close to an hour on really nice days in the spring. The whole grade might even walk to the park.

A first grade musical. All of first grade was spent putting together the most elaborate musical you've ever seen. It was performed at the high school in May.

Festival of trees. First and Fourth grade practiced holiday songs the months before xmas to sing at a huge production downtown and tour nursing homes singing.

4th grade orchestra. 5th grade band. I'm still in love with the flute.

Choir- 4th and 5th grade musical productions.

Specialist. Art-Music-Gym-Library daily rotation.

Art outside of "art class." 4th grade was all about the big art projects. Spent about an hour in the afternoons working on our artwork.

What I see...

...

Today...my Kids getting to lunch and putting their heads down because if they speak their name goes on a list. No talking during lunch.

No recess.

No art, no music, no scheduled library time...

...

I know I can't compare apples with oranges...but shouldn't it all be about apples?

It's painful.

sad day

DoIT will deactivate NetID related services for people our records
indicate to be non-eligible students, faculty, or staff on Tuesday
November 3, 2009. The below account will be impacted by this
process:

NetID = kghayes

Official

Expedia travel confirmation - Austin, TX - Oct 31, 2009.

the valley in the news

Right down the road...

Future Badgers? I swear it's not brainwashing...

"I wish this was my life."

I looked over my mom's shoulder to the fisherman's boat behind her. The late afternoon sun made the water sparkle and the warm salty air filled my lungs.

Three old men sat on lawn chairs on the deck of their boat, sharing eachother's company while gazing off into the sea. A row of seagulls lined the dock in front of the restaurant waiting for any spare food from the customers.

I licked the crusted salt from my warming Tecate bottle and pondered over how much more time we would have sitting here in the sun before it was time again to go home.

"This is your life," My mom said to me.

I shielded my eyes from the sun and turned my gaze back to her.

"You're an hour from home and you're sitting here right now...This is your life."

While in my head I meant "this" as living on the beach of an Island with/like Hemingway writing and painting and fishing and sipping gin and tonics with suntanned skin...It was nice to reflect on the fact that, yes, this is my life.

I thought...It is so easy to wish to be in another place, with someone else, doing something different... It is a longing that is never satisfied. While home; one longs to be away, moving, shaking, traveling, doing...and while one is doing the very act of all that- somehow the opposite is now the desire. To be home, and safe, and secure, and taken care of.

Is it possible to truly enjoy today? Moments? Without thinking of the future, the past, or someplace else?

Of course it is.

I took a deep breath and felt the warmth of the sun beat down on my face.

....and last but not least

FELIZ CUMPLE MI AMOR!

punched in the face

by 42 babies and then stepped on by story problems.

Learning curve: You can't teach how to solve a story problem in a day. You also can't teach it ONLY for one week...guess I'll have to figure out how I'm going to incorporate solving story problems into my daily routine..or weekly routine a lo menos.

I stepped into a third grade math class today and was humbled to tears. I felt like once again I've been screwing my kids over, as I saw her detailed problem solving on the walls and all of the student work, journals, etc...around.

I on the other hand struggled to hold anyones attention while my kids stumbled through paragraphs in English, and I was unable to give anyone any clear direction on how to solve these problems. Find the key words, find the numbers, what is the question? Sure I tried to go through the steps that I go through in my head, but I can understand the paragraph easily...how do I teach how to solve a math problem to someone who can't read the problem? Sigh... and it's so important- and there is no time.

Is that the worlds smallest violin I hear? I'm sorry you had to listen to it...Its just the noisy bi product of those punched-in-the-face-and-stomped-on days. One of those days.

The GPD

I've been caught in a debate or two behind the Witte Desk in my years I put in there with the founder of the great political debate.

It's always nice to see an idea that was once talked about often pursued.

I dig it. Check it out and debate away...

on the weather and other strange occurences

It doesn't feel like October because it is still hot as balls out (while not hot as f'n balls like it was this summer). But it does seem to be getting darker earlier, which is weird...because it still feels like it should be light till 9pm.

The leaves are still green, and there are pumpkins in the grocery store (aka HEB/walmart).

My kids think its Halloween everyday.. (me too...) and a few kids wore winter coats the other day when a "cold" front came through.

At dollar tree today I fold about 300 Wisconsin Badger license plates (i bought some for my classroom) and I showed my Texas ID today so I wouldn't get hassled when buying Wisconsin Beer at the grocery store.

Oh yeah, and Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize.

What a strange world I live in.

currently

day dreaming about the s.u.m.m.e.r.

Ladies and gentlemen....and tonight's line up is...

Oct 6- Oct 15th...close achievement gap.
Oct 15-17th...hang out with the madre in the Valley.
Oct 18-Oct. 29th...close achievement gap.
Oct. 29th- Nov.1st...Halloween in Austin with best friend visiting the Valley.
Nov. 2nd-Nov 24th..close the achievement gap.
Nov. 25- Nov. 29th...Thanksgiving in WISCONSIN.
Nov. 30-December 18th...close the achievement gap.
December 19th...christmas break. enough said.

insert sigh of relief here

Depart
Nov
25
Harlingen, TX to Chicago, IL
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Travel Time 5 h 30 m

Portal to brilliant 2nd grade land ( a glimpse into my love/hate relationship)

inisght from a second grader.

Before I handed back the Unit 1 Math exams to my second graders, I talked told them how much respect I had for each and everyone of them. They were 7, 8, and 9 years old, and learning Math in a 2nd language. I told them that that alone was something to be extremely proud of, for not many people in the world can say they can listen, learn, work, and speak in a 2nd language.

I also told them that we are climbing up a mountain. We have to start somewhere, so its okay if your score isn't as high as you want it to be. We have to start somewhere. I told them that when they get their test back, they need to remember that everyone is different, and everyone gets different grades. I told them we don't laugh at our classmates and we dont' say mean things if they got a different grade than we did.

I asked my students how we should act if someone gets a different grade than us. Here are some of the responses...

"We can be happy if they got a good grade."
"If they got a lower grade, we can help them."
"We can be nice."

Then one girl raised her hand and said..

"Its okay if someone get's a lower grade, its not their fault, maybe they didn't get to go to Headstart.

For those who don't know, headstart is free Preschool for children on low socio economic status.

I was blown away.

Exactly.

Some students are behind because they didn't go to headstart like their peers. Everyone doesn't have the same resources.

A thought discussed by researchers, scholars, and educators around the world..and my second grader gets it at age 7.

thank you.

I never really thought of it before but you have a cool job (much challenges and thinking with pretty big stakes). people who fail daily and keep coming back trying again and again are the ones who will most completely succeed. They are also the people that tend to be the most hard on themselves. So don't beat yourself up and keep coming back - your resolve will manifest to kids who know a little more every day.

Dad

You're right on track....

I sent Sara this osng last year around November when things got crazy! She tells me I'm right on track and normal. Thanks Sara...

Yesturday when you were young everything you needed done was done for you now you do it on your own
but you find your all alone
what can you do you[you] and me[me]
walk on, walk on, walk on
cause you cant go back now

you know there will be days
when your so tired that you cant take another step
now you will have no stars a
nd you'll think you've gone as far as you'll ever get
you[you],and me[me]
walk on, walk on, walk on
cause you cant go back now

yeah,yeah go where you want to go yeah,
yeah be what you want to be
if you ever turn around
you'll see me

i can't really say why everybody wishes they were some where else
but in the end the only steps that matter
are the ones you take all by yourself
and you[you],and me[me]
walk on, walk on, walk on yeah,you[you],and me[me]
walk on, walk on, walk on
cause you cant go back now walk on, walk on,
walk on cause you can't go back now