End of November

Where has November gone?

For those of you that follow me on Facebook you know that 11!11!11! had significance to me . . . the day came and proved to be spectacular! I had the day off and I was able to share with many friends and family members as well as was able to make new friends.

Some highlights from this month (some professional, some personal~how does one separate this anyway?)

• celebrated my eldest child's birthday 11/1/11
• attended Tripoli High School's Musical and assisted with the dinner theater, November 4&5
• attended my children's school conferences with many of their teachers (they are in 9th & 10th grade)
• attended the National Association for Interpretation national conference for one day in St. Paul~preparing for my adjunct course next semester (Intro to Natural History Interpretation) and connecting with friends
• on my return from St. Paul, 8 miles from home, deer meets Prius ($3800 damage; in shop November 11-28)
• 11!11!11! celebration
• Tripoli state VB Champions!! (attended November 10 & 12)
• Welcome baby shower to TQP family member Nora Mourlam (born 10/4/11)
• attended Benchmark training for the Teacher Performance Assessment Consortium (TPAC) in San Antonio~met new friends and thought deeply about what good teaching of science looks like
• attended movie "Breaking Dawn" with my daughters (not that good)
• watched my daughter, Megan, play her first JV BB game, November 22 (victory)
• my son, Austin, 15 get pneumonia and so in the hospital with him November 23-27~most unusual Thanksgiving ever
• completed my philosophy of educational leadership for my course (check my prezi: http://prezi.com/oo-xuyth6uzx/model-the-way-encourage-the-heart/
• attended first Tripoli varsity games at CAL, November 29 (victory)
• approval of the TQP IRB for UNI student clinical experiences! November 30

Life is a special occasion . . . celebrate!

Motherly Instincts and Education

 "In the final analysis, civilization itself will be measured by the way in which children live and by what chances they have in the world."  
                                                     Mary Heaton Vorse


This quote was used in a presentation by Dr. Marilyn Cochran-Smith while attending the TPAC Implementation Conference in San Diego. This thought has been turning around in my mind over the past several days and I caught myself mulling over it again today as I contemplated my "mothers" day. On this day nineteen years ago I became a mother . . . perhaps the most uniquely profound identifying experience I have had in my lifetime. The lens of a mother is like no other. The perspective of balancing holding on and letting go with the knowledge that providing the roots that will allow wings to grow is a huge measure of parenting success and one that allows me to fall back and regain focus when needed. The fierce fury of a mother moose or bear protecting their young alongside the nurturing notions that prods the progeny on to greatness is an image that I cling to and moves me on to fulfill my vision of leaving a message on Earth that "I was here".

As proud as I am of the three blessings that I am raising and sharing life's journey, I also find my mind turning to those that I have been fortunate to have taught in school. Last night while trick-or-treating, two siblings that have since begun raising their families, came by my house. The spark in their eyes upon recognition and the warm embrace and fond memories certainly filled my heart just as the recent time when driving through a local fast food window and greeted by a former student who exclaimed, "you were the best I ever knew!" allows my smile to shine stronger. The stories may go on and on until I stop to contemplate: what about those I didn't reach? What could I have done differently? 


So how might the entire profession of educators go about making certain that EACH child has extraordinary chances for success? This should be toward what we endeavor rather than belittling ourselves into the politics of which standards and which and how many test scores will matter. We need to move beyond the assembly line production thought to the individual creative process that is uniquely human for EACH child that exists. This will not necessarily be more work if we open our hearts and minds to view this as a labor of love. . . the type of love that mothers know best.