Whatever Flips Your Waffle (192)
Jayna joined the marching band this summer as a banner carrier, and the NRHEG band has worked hard since May putting together a Wild-themed marching show to perform at competitions and parades. They’ve marched every weekend in June and July, with the final performance this past weekend for New Richland’s Farm & City Days parade.
My daughter’s had a fun time, but realized just how much work goes into this show and just how much work it is to walk all these parade routes. No more is she the casual observer, gathering candy from the streets, but instead the sweating parade marcher who is thankful when the end of the route approaches.
We haven’t followed her to all the parades this summer, but after running the gauntlet of Ellendale, Albert Lea, Blooming Prairie, and now New Richland over three weeks, I’m about paraded out. In fact, as I sat watching the Blooming Prairie parade on July 4th, I started wondering what a person who was not exposed to parades every year might think about the constant stream of tractors, horses, fire engines, and bands.
Well, my question was soon answered. Sitting behind me was a young man visiting our country from Colombia. The people around him were attempting to explain every unit that went by, but I heard little response from this boy. At one point, one of the people explaining asked him if he understood everything. The response was something along the lines of, “I don’t really understand much of this. I just stopped paying attention.”
After the parade, I asked him if they had parades in his home country. He told me only when the military decided to show off or when there was a change in government, nothing like our many-colored, varied-theme parades. He was also startled when Tootsie Rolls came flying his way!
So what is it about parades that so enrapture us, that thousands of people show up in places like Albert Lea and Blooming Prairie to watch essentially the same thing every year?
We’ve attended Blooming’s parade ever since I met Michelle, since her cousin lives on the parade route and always hosts a family and friends potluck. I think many people do this; I see many of the same groups of people around us on that block in BP. It’s a great reason to plan something, centered around a big event.
I’ve always loved watching the bands, probably because I remember my own marching band days. The shows they put on now are much more advanced than our stay-in-a-straight-line performances and always enjoyable. Plus, there’s always at least one polka band in most of the bigger parades! You can’t go wrong with some good polka music!
I’d like to make a proposal though for 2016. We all know the politicians will be out in force next year since it’s a major election year. I think I may make my decision on voting based on candy thrown. (Why not? They all do about the same amount of nothing when on the job.) Whoever throws out the best candy gets my vote!
Can we please put a moratorium on Tootsie Rolls for at least one year? Between those and Dum-Dum suckers, we’ve got enough to last until Halloween. In fact, someone suggested that I save it and hand it out in October!
Mark Lee of the Ellendale Fire Department might be going along with the Tootsie Roll boycott. He claims the EFD will buy and freeze candy bars and take them out right before the parade. There are two benefits to this: chocolate is good, and you don’t have to throw whole fistfuls at kids, just one each. Mark’s got my vote if he runs for office!
Speaking of parades, I’ll put my two cents in on the whole Confederate flag debacle. Who would ever have thought you’d see Hartland trending online?
Look, Brian Nielsen has admitted that he shouldn’t have flown the flag on the city fire truck. The Confederate flag is a symbol to many people of a dire time in our country’s history and the racial overtones of that time. It’s been around for a long time, but took one nutjob to wave it around before killing people to make everybody hop on the bandwagon to get rid of it.
Brian’s stance that we’re becoming too politically correct is spot on. A person can hardly step outside the lines of what people want to hear without facing someone’s wrath. I didn’t even notice the flag when they went by (scrounging for all those Tootsie Rolls, likely), but the way the media is today, all it took was one outraged person to post it online, and away they went. How many people raging about it have enjoyed watching The Dukes of Hazzard without thinking much about what was on top of the General Lee?
Was it wrong to do? Sure. Did it deserve this amount of attention? No way. If some crazy waves a Green Bay Packers flag prior to killing people, will the team change its name and colors, ignoring its long history? (Now going tongue in cheek, fair warning.) Anyone who flies a Green Bay Packers flag offends me. It represents everything I stand against. Take it down. You live in Minnesota. Oh wait, let’s not even get started on the Minnesota state flag or the names of lakes or…
Before I go, a very happy birthday to my wonderful wife Michelle, the love of my life, who will celebrate before next you read my words!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is accidence, which means the fundamentals of any subject, as in, “The writer’s focus on the accidence of parades sharpened his readers’ perception on the subject.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!
As we celebrated the Fourth of July this past weekend, I found cause to muse on the past and how it influences our present and future, if we allow it.
I coached 7th grade baseball for 13 years, beginning in 1997. Every day, I walked out of the Ellendale school and past a dilapidated old building on my way to the baseball field. I remember thinking often that someone should just tear that eyesore down; it might be a good place to expand parking for the ballfield and the school.
A few years ago, I learned about the history of that building, which turned out to be the famous Gus’ Station. Ah, now things changed. This was apparently an iconic location in Ellendale for many years. My thoughts turned away from tearing down and moved to wondering why it fell into disrepair if it was so loved.
I wasn’t the only one who wondered that. The Ellendale Area Heritage Society, along with the Steele County Historical Society, worked diligently to find ways to restore the once-proud building and show off an important part of Ellendale’s history. The building was moved a couple years ago to the Village of Yesteryear at the Steele County Fairgrounds in Owatonna. My family and I visited it during the fair and were amazed at not only the restoration, but the passion of the people who were acting as “tour guides.”
But the job’s not done yet. I had the chance to stop out at Steve Fredrickson’s shop, where he was working on some vintage gas pumps that will be added. One came from Iowa and the other from Florida. There is also some hope to build a three-stall garage and have some older tools that have been donated displayed there, as well as some classic cars.
Those gas pumps were a true marvel. These days, when you go to the gas station, you often swipe your card and set the nozzle to dispense the gasoline until your tank is full. This is quite a departure from the full-service days. Nobody cleans your windshield or checks your oil for you anymore, and many people never enter the station itself either, unless they need something to eat or drink.
Steve was able to fill in some gaps in my knowledge of Gus’ Station. Though it was opened in 1931, Gus and Hilda Jacobson took over in 1946, which is where the name comes from. However, there was a brief time where it wasn’t a gas station since there was a gas shortage during World War II; a family rented it for housing!
The biggest thing I didn’t know was that Highway 30 used to come right by Gus’ Station, where it was located on what is now 8th Avenue. The road then turned past the school and connected to the main street, which put a little more curve in the state highway. That was one of those interesting tidbits that I started to picture in my head and saw how it made sense. Otherwise, why would a gas station be located off the main drag? It wasn’t – that was the main drag!
Location is everything and not just for gas customers. Being that close to the school must have been a huge money maker. I can picture kids running down to Gus’ Station after school and adding some sugar to their diets. I’m sure One Stop has the same status today, except many kids drive there, and many probably stop prior to school for coffee or soda.
We often bemoan what we’ve lost from our past, but thanks to the EAHS and the SCHS, that past is available in vibrant color. We can learn so much from our past, even those of us who are transplants. Gus’ Station was a landmark in Ellendale, and I’m grateful these groups of people have done so much to take that old building I used to hope would be torn down and turned it into something to show off with pride.
Unabashed plug: With all the work left to do, there is a fundraiser coming up on July 18 at the Village of Yesteryear. They’re having a pancake breakfast from 8:30-1, along with a car show featuring a cruise at 1:15. You can even take your vehicle’s picture by Gus’ Station, which might be a real treat for those with classic cars! I’m thankful I was able to explore some of this history and that we can see a future with these important parts of our past still alive.
Word of the Week: This week’s word is fardel, which means a bundle, as in, “The EAHS wanted to find a place for the fardel of old tools in Gus’ Station.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!
I have to keep an eye on many things when I’m umpiring baseball or softball. In baseball, I always have to keep my eye on the pitcher in case he does something illegal, while in softball I need to make sure the runners don’t leave the base early.
But sometimes I notice other things. One of those things the last couple of years has been a dearth of players choking up on the bat. There are two occasions in which a batter should move his or her hands up the bat handle. One is that the pitcher is throwing very hard; this allows the batter to get around on the pitch quicker. The other is when a batter has two strikes. Choking up there again allows that quick bat and hopefully an ability to at least put the ball in play instead of striking out.
Why don’t players do this much anymore? I’d much rather ground out than strike out; by putting the ball in play, there’s a much better chance of reaching base than by a swing and a miss!
It’s been an interesting spring and summer of umpiring. I’ve noticed that the weather has overall been better than it has the past few years. Sure, I had consecutive nights in April where I was on a field with a temp around 30 degrees. Sure, I had games pushed back because of rain. But the amount of days with the sun shining and the temp in the 60s or above has been astonishing!
My love of the game is what allows me to love umpiring, but I thought I would be tested this year. Since Jayna was playing junior high softball, I was asked to umpire those home games. “Oh boy,” I thought, “junior high softball. I’m not sure I can expand my strike zone enough to keep games moving.”
Plus, I had to umpire with my daughter batting and sometimes pitching. There certainly would be questions of favoritism. I’ve always prided myself on not being biased for our local teams, and that would prove the case again this spring. Jayna didn’t get every close pitch when she was toeing the rubber, and there certainly was no question when I called her out on strikes while at bat one game. She knew it was a strike, so I escaped scrutiny when I got home!
I’ve been able to see fabulous come-from-behind wins and dramatic escapes by home teams fending off the opposition. I was happy for a team from Farmington who won in the bottom of the seventh with a walk-off double that drove in the tying and winning runs. Why was I so happy for them? Earlier in the game, I had blown a call which caused one of their runners to be out. I hate to make a mistake that might cost a team a game, so it was nice to see them overcome that.
There were a few instances of parent discontent, which I mostly ignored, though I gave a stern look at a group from out of state and didn’t hear anything the rest of the game. But I did have to walk that path of ejecting a coach this year. This young man didn’t seem to realize that 9th grade baseball isn’t the most important thing in the world and didn’t know when to let his argument drop. He didn’t want to hear my interpretation of the rule and kept yapping.
I believe I gave him four warnings throughout the game, which is more than he deserved. I finally restricted him to the bench, a wonderful rule put in a couple of years ago which allows me to avoid ejecting someone, but keeps their mouth shut and their face off the field. This coach didn’t believe that was a real rule and told me to learn the rule book. That was a step too far after all the previous indiscretions, so I tossed him.
Okay, this happens sometimes. But he made it worse by coming back on the field after the game was over and berating me some more. In addition, the classlessness of some of his players was evident with their comments about my strike zone and their “fake shakes” with both the opposing team and me after the game.
We need more people to umpire. I had to ump two of Jayna’s games on the road this year because the other schools couldn’t find anyone. But is it any wonder folks don’t want this job? I don’t hear overt criticism every game, but it happens more often to younger, less-established umpires who might not have learned how to ignore some things or don’t know how to deal with coaches such as I encountered.
The pay is pretty good for a couple hours of work, and I hope that can draw some younger people to this occupation. Jayna is learning some basics by umpiring Anton’s 3rd/4th grade games this summer. I’ve worked with her on positioning and making strong calls, which she’s done well. I’m willing to help train in any younger folks who want to give it a try – I’m going to need umpires for Anton’s team next year when they move to the QCBA.
If you enjoy baseball, umpiring is the best seat in the house. You often get to watch good ball, and hey, you even meet some really, really interesting people, both good and bad!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is splenetic, which mean bad-tempered or spiteful, as in, “The splenetic coach soon found that he wouldn’t win any arguments with the umpire.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!
The very first “boss” I had at a paying job was my friend Steve’s dad, John Hoffmann. He hired me to walk beans when I was a youngster. I thought it was fabulous. Steve and I walked down rows near each other, searching for weeds. John and his wife Kathy never yelled at us for dilly-dallying, but gave subtle encouragement. We got soda and candy bars for break and then a home-cooked meal every day for lunch. At the end of the season, they took us out to eat at the pizza buffet in town.
Wow – what a great boss! This work thing wasn’t going to be so bad.
And then I started working for Heritagefest, the former big polka festival in New Ulm. First-year workers got to walk around the grounds emptying garbage and keeping bathrooms stocked with supplies. After that, we could move up to preparation and take-down. This involved a few weeks to get things ready (it was a big deal in New Ulm!). For that, my bosses were some of my teachers from school; this was their summer job. That was a little more difficult. I didn’t really want to see these people during the summer! Plus, they weren’t afraid to get after us if we weren’t pulling our weight.
I recall having an argument with one about the best way to move some bleachers. I wanted to put extra people on the back since that part was heavier, while he thought we could just put one person at each corner. After his idea failed miserably, we went with mine. (This small victory was probably a bad sign for all my future bosses – I wasn’t afraid, even at the age of 15, to challenge an idea!)
Turning 16 was a big deal because I could get a real job! I followed in Dad’s footsteps and worked for Randall Foods, your one-stop shopping center. I started out selling Christmas trees and decorations before moving into the main store and bagging groceries and finally joining the stocking crew. Through all this, my main boss was Dick “Here I Go A” Ginn. (Yes, my fascination with nicknames started in my teens…)
Dick oversaw the entire operation, so my interactions with him were limited, but he would always mix a friendly greeting with a list of 10 things I should do before my shift was up; his eye was always on the prize. The key was to always at least have an empty cardboard box in your hand if you saw him, to make it look as if you were in the middle of something. Dick’s focus to get the job done was admirable.
When I headed off to Winona to further my education, I merely shifted to the Randall Foods there. I ended up working in frozen and dairy for much of my time there under the helm of Duane DuBois. Duane was the best of all bosses – he taught me what I had to do and then just let me do it. I had a very flexible schedule around my classes; all I had to do was make sure my job got done. When Duane had to take a medical leave, I assumed his role for a couple of months. Suddenly I was a boss myself and had to make some decisions. It was a startling couple of months, but I’m eternally grateful that Duane trusted me with that at the age of 22!
And now I’ve been through three superintendents at NRHEG. This, plus two principals, isn’t a bad number going into year 20 of my career. And the range of personalities has been tremendous with the top man. As I wrote this, I realized how I could compare each of the three to former bosses. Rich Lorenz, for whom I had the highest respect for his managing of this district through both good and tough financial times, was a lot like Dick Ginn. Kevin Wellen, who had a turbulent six years here, reminded me a lot of my Heritagefest bosses – we didn’t always agree, but the job got done.
As Dr. Goodwin departs for Arizona, I realize that he reminds me a lot of Duane DuBois. While some staff didn’t always appreciate Dennis’ outgoing personality and the passion he had for students, I found it refreshing and a lot like my final years in the grocery game. I had input into the product if I desired, but I was also encouraged to do my own thing and not be afraid to take chances. While the biggest chance I took at Randall Foods might have been rearranging the pizza freezers (it was a big deal!), having a boss who appreciates me and lets me work is the best kind.
Best of luck to Dr. Goodwin (I saw it was 114 degrees the other day in Arizona. Dry heat…), and I hope we can find the next boss to be of a high caliber as well.
Word of the Week: This week’s word is turbid, which means unclear or muddled, as in, “The future of the school was turbid as it searched for a new superintendent.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!
Now that the referendum has, unfortunately, failed, our school district can put a firm calendar out for 2015-2016. If the building project had passed, the state would have allowed us to begin prior to Labor Day. As it is though, the school year will start September 8, as late as it is possible to start.
And before I go on, allow me to rant a bit about this outdated rule about having to start after Labor Day. Pressure is constantly on the legislature to leave it at that, largely due to resorts. That isn’t really something that affects many people in the southern part of the state, so why not allow schools to start when they like, within reason? It would be nice, at least, to have the kids come Monday-Wednesday. We could still give them a long Labor Day weekend, since many people make plans for one last summer fling.
I’ve heard the State Fair argument as well. Listen, the State Fair goes for two weeks. You can find time to go. If you are showing at the fair, then go ahead and show! The first few days of school are really getting back into the swing of things, and those kids who show at the fair are generally pretty on top of everything. Trust me, people miss school for worse reasons!
My regular readers know I’m in favor at looking at the possibility of a 45-15 schedule (nine weeks of school with three weeks off). The start to that is allowing schools to start earlier. Let’s be honest: the majority of kids are bored out of their minds by the time the Steele County Fair is done. High school athletes are already back at it – why not everyone else?
Anyway, back on task. It’s been a difficult process for the calendar committee this year. We were trying to work multiple calendar possibilities relating to the referendum and also the idea that the legislature was talking about allowing school prior to Labor Day for this year at least. At the end of the day, there are a number of similarities to last year’s calendar, with a few tweaks.
Here’s one thing we heard and made some attempts to change: the nights of the secondary school conferences. Three of the four last year were Wednesday nights, and that bothered some people who were trying to get their kids to church obligations and then run to conferences. This year, only one of the four nights will be a Wednesday, the one during December. There just is no other choice in December. Wednesday is the only evening that doesn’t have an athletic event or concert. The other three quarters we found different evenings, so hopefully that will work better for those who want to attend.
Last year was the first year of switching to one night a quarter instead of twice a year. We moved to midterm so parents with concerns could help put together a plan for the rest of the quarter. It seemed to go over well, and I was frankly surprised that we still had decent numbers for the final quarter conferences.
Christmas falls on a Friday this year, which made scheduling that break a little tricky. With input from the entire staff, it was finally decided to have the last day of school be December 23. Part of the thought process was that if parents wanted to leave that day, it’s often some wrap-up along with activities for the kids. Looking at the big picture, it was either make that a contact day or tack one on in June.
Snow days are always hit or miss. This past year worked well in that the one snow day we had was able to be made up a little over a week later on MLK Day. We’ve left that as another possible make-up day this year, along with one around Presidents Day weekend and one around Easter weekend. We’ve also cut back on scheduled two-hour late starts, down from nine to three this year, another item we heard some commentary about.
Easter has a slightly extended break this year. It fits nicely with the end of the third quarter, so the kids again have one more day off than teachers, since we’ll be in for an end-of-quarter workshop on March 24, again, unless we have to use that day to make up a snow event. The key with make-up days is that we try to keep them in the same quarter so teachers have the same amount of time to complete curriculum. If the weather terrorists stay at bay, kids will have off from March 24-28, a nice long break before the last sprint around the track. (Just wait until the following year though, when Easter falls again in the middle of April. Ugh.)
The final day of school will be June 2, with graduation falling on June 5 – plan now, parents of seniors! The calendar committee always hopes we produce the best calendar from an educational standpoint. And before long, we’ll start working on 2016-2017!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is opisthenar, which means the back of the hand, as in, “The calendar committee member wanted to give his opisthenar to the legislature for not allowing school to begin early.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!
I recently stepped down as the chairman of the secondary school’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) team. This was the culmination of many things, mostly the need for something to come off my overflowing plate. I was part of this team for three years and saw some tremendous strides in how we deal with problems in school and how we can recognize those who are consistently positive, respectful, responsible, and safe.
However, the number of complaints has gone up recently. I heard a number of them, being the face (and voice) of our team, and I know there were plenty that were muttered out of my earshot. You can never please everyone. Our team put together a survey to see how staff felt about different things we were trying in order to promote that positive atmosphere at school. I was amazed when I saw some responses that basically said to get rid of everything we were trying (tie-cutting for positive traits, red slips for random acts of Panther Pride, postcards home to spotlight good things, etc.).
That’s fine if you don’t like some things. However, come up with some ideas of your own. Don’t just sit back and complain; join the team and let your voice be heard. What I’ve come to discover though, is that it’s much easier to sit in the stands and throw rotten fruit than it is to get up on stage and perform.
I originally joined this Panther Pride team because I wanted to see change in our school atmosphere. I joined the calendar committee because I didn’t like how snow days were handled. I became a negotiator for our union because I was displeased with the constant antagonistic relationship with the administration and board and wanted to try and promote a positive working relationship instead. Simply put, I was sick of sitting back and waiting for change to happen; I had to try and work toward that myself.
It sure would have been easier to sit in my classroom and just teach English. I wrote a column recently regarding stress and even heard a complaint about that. However, the stress really got to me, and that’s the main reason I needed to step back from one area which was causing it.
Saturday Night Live had a character named Debbie Downer (played by Rachel Dratch) who was constantly finding the worst in every situation. “Speaking of sad things…” was often how she would start a line. This is too easy a trap to fall into. Hey, I do my share of complaining about some things, but I’m usually trying to at least make some effort to change them. Things you read about in this space are not just talk from me, but there are often things I’m doing behind the scenes as well.
Roxane Gay wrote an intriguing column recently that I read in Reader’s Digest called “Why I Stopped Whining.” She also noted our tendency to complain and said it “allows us to acknowledge the imperfect without having to take action – it lets us luxuriate in inertia.” She mentioned how seductive it is, when most of us really don’t have any intention to change these things anyway.
Ms. Gay comes up with a good conclusion. “Complaining may offer relief, but so does acceptance… There will always be something to moan about. By focusing on grievances, I risk missing out on precious, startling moments of appreciation.” That stuck with me when I read it over a month ago.
If there’s something I’m going to complain about, I’d better be prepared to take action to work toward a better solution. Otherwise, I need to step back and let it go. I need to find the positive things around me and appreciate them. After all, to bring things around full circle, that’s what the PBIS program has been about. There are things we can try to change, but even more so, we need to start to see all the good our students and staff have to offer. I may no longer be head of the team, but that will simply give me more time to put my own words into effect.
Word of the Week: This week’s word is sinecure, which means a position in which one is paid for little or no work, as in, “The new boss looked over complaints and decided to reduce the number of sinecures in his employ.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!
I’ve had a number of people comment to me recently, “I suppose I know how you’ll vote,” regarding the upcoming NRHEG bond referendum. I’ve made up my mind, but it was by no means an automatic decision just because I’m employed by the school district.
When the information for the additions and renovations to the school buildings in New Richland and Ellendale were first announced, I sat down to look at this from three perspectives: my job, my children, and my community. Would this benefit those parts of my life enough to add more on my tax burden?
First, my job. In reality, the only thing that impacts anything I do for the district is acoustic improvements. Certainly, a new gym would boast a great sound system and acoustics that would allow people to hear and understand me during athletic contests. Plus, having assemblies in the revamped space where we now have the varsity gym would help when I have the microphone, especially our school spelling bee. Other than that, my main job as an English teacher is not impacted.
Second, my kids. This will have a larger impact. By the time it’s done, Anton will be in New Richland and will be able to join Jayna in enjoying the new science facilities, fitness center, and the aforementioned area in which they will perform for concerts and plays. This part is huge. We have so many students who show success in the fine arts, but have a worn-out athletic area in which to perform. If you’ve ever attended a concert or play, you know the problem. That space simply was not designed for those performances, and that’s a shame. I look forward to hearing the full impact of a solo at a concert or a soaring monologue at a play.
It’s too bad the changes to the Ellendale building couldn’t have occurred while my kids were there. The additional classroom space will open up more opportunities for all our students with the SMART room, music area, and the possibility of incorporating a gifted and talented program, something I’ve advocated for over the years. We spend so much time working with those who truly need help to read and perform math at grade level, but we don’t spend enough time with those who are well ahead of the curve, who also need additional support to keep achieving at that high level. In addition, the secure entry by the office is, unfortunately, vital in today’s society to protect all our future assets, our wonderful children.
Lastly, my community. I love our school community and the towns which comprise it. The people here are so caring and generous with others in times of need and good friends no matter the situation. Our communities remain strong, even through economic ups and downs. A large part of this is the strong school system embodied at NRHEG. So many people come out to support our students at extracurricular events, including sports and the fine arts. We see some senior citizens helping kids at the elementary site. People who don’t have kids or grandkids in the system will ask questions and read the paper to find out what’s going on. (I can’t tell you how many people have asked me if I needed any more ties this year!)
To keep our communities strong, we need to continue to strengthen the school. Are we in a difficult spot now? Certainly not, but the beginnings of wear and tear are showing. The gym is over a half century old, and many other school areas are in that range. Would you allow your house to go that long without change? Even the 25 years since the last major renovation are a longer time period than most of us would be comfortable with if we didn’t make at least some change. I’d rather not get to a point other schools have reached (USC and WEM come to mind) where change is an absolute must. It costs less to nip things in the bud than it does to fix or build everything brand new. And by keeping our school strong, our communities will remain strong, and everyone benefits from that, even if you don’t have any relatives in the buildings. If our school starts to fail, we will be negatively impacted by that.
A concern was raised in this paper about why we need expanded space. There is a point to having so much technology and a change in the style of teaching, but that only means we need more space. To individualize education more than the old-school lecture and test style, we need areas in which to move students around in smaller groups to meet their needs. There is no longer a one size fits all mentality. The focus of so many teachers is seeing growth in each student. For that to happen, more space is needed.
And of course there’s the money issue. I look at my tax forms each year, just like all of you. I always hope it will go down, but that’s rarely the case. Full disclosure: this referendum would add about $44 a year on to my taxes. Plus, I can look out my front window and see the construction on my street; this will cost me $600 a year in assessments. I like to break this down by month. If I add these together, I have to find ways to save less than $54 a month to cover these new taxes. Can I do that? Sure, and I’m betting most of you can find that too, especially if your street isn’t being redone!
Everyone’s tax burden and home situation is different. I looked at all aspects of this bond referendum before making the decision to vote yes. I take our school system very seriously, not just because I teach, not just because my kids are here, but mainly because I have chosen to call NRHEG my home. I care about the future here, even after my kids have graduated and I have retired. I hope you care enough to join me in voting yes on June 9. Thank you for joining in the democratic process.
Word of the Week: This week’s word is nunatak, the final word in the National Spelling Bee, which means an exposed rocky part of a ridge or mountain not covered with ice or snow, as in, “The spelling bee contestant didn’t even have to ask the definition to spell nunatak correctly.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!
Here we are again, staring at the end of another school year. It’s been another roller coaster ride, though at least we were able to avoid some of the more serious issues that plagued us in the lockdown year of 2013-2014. There were ups. There were downs. Here are a few things that stand out, especially with what occurred in my corner of the school universe.
The second year of my grading changeover has been fairly successful. My long-time readers may recall that I grade everything on a four-point scale, linking my assignments to the standards that are in place for English. It’s not easy to get an A in my class since you need to exceed the standard on a number of assignments to attain that highest of grades. Students have opportunities to redo many assignments as a way of trying to master skills and keep from making those same mistakes on future assignments.
I really like this grading style. Many of my students are adjusting well to it and have taken chances to redo work and get better at skills. I have a number of the kids who will rewrite essays and clean up some of their mistakes. In theory, they shouldn’t continue to write run-on sentences or fragments and will remember to capitalize proper nouns! Students have commented that they like the chance to try the assignment again. Sometimes they had a bad day on a vocabulary test, so a chance at redemption is welcome. Many who redo work have shown tremendous improvement overall and focus better on the initial assignment so as to not have to worry about the time to try, try again.
In education, we always figure it takes three years to truly figure out all the kinks to a new system. I hope that I can really hit a stride next year with this grading philosophy; I’ve had a few other teachers inquire about it, possibly spreading it beyond my classroom.
This year was a real change since I had my daughter in class. I had to really stop and think more about what I said for fear of being even more embarrassing than usual. It can’t be easy when your dad is in front of the class, saying something that he thinks is hilarious, but might not be even mildly funny. Even worse could be when Dad loses his temper and chews people out. It doesn’t help when your father does weird voices on the announcements or sings to people in the cafeteria, but Jayna has borne the burden well. I checked with her, and she said it hasn’t been too bad, and she looks forward to having me as an English teacher again next year!
I have a few students that deserve recognition. These are kids who have stood out in very good ways and helped to sometimes shine a light in the darkness. Brooke Wobschall, as mentioned in this space before, keeps us up-to-date on the Holiday of the Day. This is the kind of person she is, adding some nice touches to help people find a little more enjoyment. Brooke has really advanced as a writer and works hard to turn in the best quality work possible. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an assignment from her that was finished just to get it done.
If we gave Most Improved awards, Olivia Christopherson and Lexie Ignaszewski would garner recognition. These two 8th graders have worked hard for me from the first day of 7th grade. However, both seemed to pick it up a notch this year and really worked hard to keep getting better all the time. Both girls figured out what it took to complete work at a higher level. It may not have always resulted in exceeding the standards work, but these ladies will continue to improve, and I’m confident they’ll achieve much in high school and beyond.
Finally, I have to make note of my best writer this year. I’ve been working on a Mount Rushmore of sorts, thinking about junior high writers I’ve had who write at such a high level that I’d feel comfortable handing their writing to Mr. Weber or Mrs. Bently to grade in a junior or senior English class. I’ve had many good writers over the years. However, I haven’t had enough incredible writers to yet fill that mountainside. But this year I added a third person. The previous two were my peer here at the paper, Jessica Lutgens, and a junior this year, Jessica Nafe. Both girls would routinely blow me away with their writing. The same happened this year with 7th grader Lexi Combs. She puts so much care into every word she crafts in a story or essay and writes so smoothly already at this young age. She is destined to use writing in a career some day!
And with that, summer is upon us. I will take a deep breath, grab my chauffer’s license for my kids, spend lots of time on ballfields, and try to trim down my reading list. Here we go!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is junkettaceous, which means frivolous or worthless, as in, “There wasn’t a single junkettaceous word in her entire ten page story.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!
As you read this, the NRHEG senior class of 2015 is entering its last week in high school. This is another fantastic group of kids, many of whom have shown tremendous growth since their time haunting the junior high hallways. I was even told that there are over 40 honor students this year – way to go!
It’s a rowdy time in the school. I remember teaching seniors years ago and trying to keep them on task in May, especially their final few days. All students get this way, but knowing that the shackles are about to come loose for the final time is a special anticipation that we really only experience once. Sure, it’s exciting to finish college, but it didn’t feel quite the same; after all, I only spent four years there compared to the 13 from K-12. Plus, I knew that meant I had to really become an adult and get a real job!
I was thinking about those honor students. I also thought about all the great athletes we have. That led to thoughts of the tremendous musical talent I’ve witnessed, as well as the theatrical exceptionalness. Add to that the students who have shown their muster through FFA and building some amazing projects in the shop. What a wide range of talent we have at NRHEG! Every student seems to find a niche and an area in which he or she can truly shine.
And this is why it’s so important to do more than JUST be a student. There are so many talented people in our world, and as students exit high school and some eventually further their education, while others hit the work force or join the military, life is about so much more than grades.
Some students were grumbling recently about how useless they thought various classes were. I managed to show how some of my knowledge of chemistry was useful in cleaning up spills and how knowing some physics is important to understanding how to make a baseball make some funky moves on its way to the catcher’s mitt. Sure, my economics class in college didn’t do much except fill out a requirement, but you never know when something I learned there might pop up and become useful.
Life should be a broad canvas, not just a narrow paintbrush. I’ve known kids, both when I was in school and since I’ve been a teacher, who were so focused on getting good grades that they missed out on other opportunities. Plus, as some of them found out, when employers look at resumes, they want more than just good grades. After all, we don’t take many tests at our everyday jobs, do we?
To our seniors: paint in big, beautiful strokes! Cover the whole picture with color, not just the main part! Fill out your resume with more than just work-related items. In today’s competitive marketplace, no matter what your occupation of choice, showing that there’s more to you than just another drone is vital.
After I was hired and had been at NRHEG for a couple of years, I asked our superintendent, Mr. Lorenz, what about my resume stood out. After all, I was fresh out of college and had no teaching experience. There were two things that he told me jumped out at him: I had directed the pep band at Winona State and I collected comics.
Some of you might wonder why I would put those things on my teaching resume. It was for the very point I’m trying to make: I had to stand out. About 90 people submitted resumes to NRHEG in 1996 for an English position. Mr. Weber and I were both hired. Those aren’t great odds, but we managed to be unique. Would pep band or comic book collecting make me a better teacher? Maybe not, but they showed that I had a life outside my classes and that I was willing to get involved.
So, graduates of 2015: add to your resume! Show the world that each one of you is special and has talents outside those that will earn you money. Not only might those things help you get a job, but you’ll enjoy life so much more. It’s nice to leave work behind and just do something you enjoy.
And please enjoy the end of your high school career! It’s a wonderful time, filled with memories. Please carry your Panther Pride with you and be positive, responsible, respectful, and safe as you move on to your own paintings!
Also, to all my readers, please have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. Take a moment to remember all those men and women who have given their lives so we can grill out and enjoy freedom with our families and friends. God bless America!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is opsimath, which means one who learns late in life, as in, “The opsimath looked back on a life too full of work and wished he had spent more time smelling the roses he used to love.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!
(Apologies to “Weird Al” Yankovic for the title to this week’s column!)
People often ask me where I get the ideas for my columns. The simple fact is that I look at life all around me and often will find the germ of an idea from one sentence I hear uttered. Case in point is this week. Jayna mentioned liking the idea of being the first group picked up by the bus for a softball tournament because then she would get one of the “good” seats in the back of the bus.
I’m not sure there is such a thing as a “good” seat on a school bus. However, I remember thinking the same way growing up. Kids always seem eager to be one of the oldest on the bus so they can sit in those coveted rear seats. It always seemed that the absolute coolest kid got that short seat in the very back that could fit only one bottom. (I never got that seat.)
Anton, too, was telling me about some things that happened on the bus this past week. He rides over to New Richland after school most days to hang out with me until I’m done with work. It’s quite the craziness he gets to see with a bus full of kids excited to be done with another day of enforced labor at the salt mines. He told me about the bus driver having to chew out some kids when they reached their destination since they couldn’t stick to BIS (butts in seats).
Mr. Cyr used to tell me to get my bus driver license so I could haul my own sports teams to events. I knew better than that, though. If I walked that path, I’d get calls to cover routes and other really fun activities. Even today, I’ll hear the occasional nudge to think about doing that. No way! Bus drivers perform such a vital function, but are too often underappreciated. You don’t often hear about great bus drivers, but you always hear about ones kids don’t like.
I had one of each growing up. We lived a few miles out in the country, so I hopped on the bus every morning to see Maynard, an older gentleman who seemed like he didn’t care much about anything except getting there and back again. When I was in elementary school, some of the older boys stole my winter hat and played keep away. I went and told Maynard, who assured me they’d give it back. As we got closer to my drop-off point, I frantically told him again that I needed my hat, to no avail. When we reached my school, the boys tossed my hat out the window. Maynard noted that I could now get my hat.
Maynard was so oblivious that he once hit a fire engine… on its way to a fire. Since you can’t leave the scene of an accident, that particular fire truck never made it to its destination. Nobody was hurt, but when you’re in early elementary school and stuck on a bus for an hour as the police investigate and question people, it can be pretty traumatic.
After Maynard retired, we had Greg take over. Greg was one of those awesome bus drivers who would lay down the law when needed, but also treated you like a person. I was in trouble once for messing around with some other kids, but after a week of being stuck in the front seat, I had certainly learned my lesson.
Greg was lenient when it suited him. One of my favorite memories was the great catfight I saw while I was in middle school. Two high school girls, clearly not enamored with each other, got to arguing one day in the rearmost seats. I was about five rows up and whirled around when I heard their voices rise in pitch. Just in time too, as they hurled themselves at each other and began the hair pulling. But it didn’t stop there! One of the girls threw the other back into the seat, then reached down and tore up the seat behind her, intending to use it for bodily harm.
It was finally at this point that Greg decided to stop the bus. I had been sneaking glances toward the front and saw that he very well knew what was going on, but was enjoying the show. However, when the bus had been damaged, it was time to step in. I’m still amazed at the feat of strength it must have taken to rip up that seat!
Riding the bus as a coach or teacher is not my favorite part of the job, but I tolerate it and often muse on those long-gone days when riding the bus was an adventure every day!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is shilpit, which means feeble or worthless, as in, “I felt rather shilpit as the older boys laughed while bullying me on the bus.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!
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Not long ago in class, a student mentioned that she was halfway there on an assignment. My immediate response, being the child of the ‘80s that I am, was, “Are you livin’ on a prayer?” in reference to the 1986 Bon Jovi smash hit song.
Another student jumped in and said, “My mom ALWAYS plays that song! She’s seen Bon Jovi in concert like 42 times!” (Upon further investigation, I’ve learned the number is closer to 27.)
This child has been exposed to Bon Jovi and other excellent rock music from that time period, thanks to her mom. She even grudgingly admitted that it’s pretty good music. (And yes, many of us joined in an a cappella rendition of the chorus to the song!)
Last week I wrote about the influence we sometimes have on our children, without even thinking about it. After the comment by that student with the music, I was inspired to expand on that very subject: ways we corrupt our children!
We have so much influence on our children that sometimes we must think about the power we wield. Do our children always like the music we play, just because they’re exposed to it? Certainly not, but some of that can creep in. Hey, you listen to enough polka music, as I did growing up in New Ulm, and you might develop an appreciation, if not love, for that style of music.
Anton will often choose the same country station Michelle listens to, though Jayna would rather tune in to the hip-hoppity, jip-joppity schlock that passes for pop music these days. Still, she can be caught singing some of those country songs and maybe even if I’m tuned in to Power 96 and listening to classic rock.
Being the huge Star Wars fan I am, I sat my kids down even before they entered kindergarten and had them watch all six movies. (Side note for those who care: when doing this, always show the original trilogy first. It makes the scene where Darth Vader revels that he’s a dad that much more dramatic!) Both kids can recite lines from the movies and are certainly looking forward to the new movie debuting in December. Would that have happened without my influence? Possibly, but I’m always amazed at how few 7th graders have ever seen even one of those movies before I show one in class for a writing assignment.
I’ve worked the angle with another of my great loves, comic books. I read them to the kids when they were young and bought some for them. Jayna has never really expanded on that, though she has enjoyed some of the Marvel movies. Anton, however, has jumped into this hobby with me full bore. We still read some comics together every month and talk about what is coming up in the future. This past week, we attended Free Comic Book Day and saw the new Avengers movie together. Will he always love comics? I hope so!
Many of you probably have similar experiences. You share a hobby and are excited when your child loves it like you do. Whether it’s a sport, hunting, knitting, cooking, or something else, parents swell with pride when they create a parent-child bond through a shared interest. Again, I ask: would the child find that enjoyment without our guidance?
We do have to be careful. Kids are very impressionable, and sometimes we have bad habits that we shouldn’t pass on to them. A University of Washington study showed that children of smokers are twice as likely to start smoking between the ages of 13 and 21. That’s probably not the type of influence we want to exert on the kids.
How about careers? There doesn’t seem to be a lot of reliable information out there on statistics of that, partially because kids often follow a career that wasn’t even a job when their parents were young! One study in England showed only 7% of kids choosing the same career as a parent. Do you want your child to follow your path? I suppose that depends. Do you enjoy your job or not? Is the outlook bright for job creation in that area in the years to come?
We all want our kids to grow up happy in their job and interests. We really do influence them in so much of that. At the end of the day, if the kids are happy when they find that job and strike out on their own, that’s what really counts, no matter how much we tried to corrupt them.
Word of the Week: This week’s word is tonsure, which means to shave the head, as in, “The barber wasn’t sure he wanted his son to learn to tonsure others as a permanent job.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!
Studies show that children raised in a household that votes predominantly for one party in elections will likely vote along the same party lines, especially if the parents are vocal about their beliefs. That would seem like a natural thing. Things and ideas we are exposed to as youth tend to shape the way we think.
I’ve heard students over the years utter extremely racist or other insensitive remarks and been taken aback. In some of those instances, upon contacting parents, I’ve understood why those students thought those things were okay to say. Mom and/or Dad also talked that way. Once, when telling parents their child had uttered a racial slur, I was asked, “What’s wrong with that?” Ah, the influence we have as parents…
Should we believe everything our parents tell us? Certainly not; those of us who are parents know we’ve all misled our children at times (I present to you certain holiday-related mascots), but I hope most of us try to set a good example for our children to follow. Do we persuade our children to have a particular outlook on different parts of life? Of course.
One thing we should perhaps teach them as well is the ability to look at all sides of an issue and to make up their own minds about topics. This is what my 8th graders have been working on as they delve into persuasive papers.
Persuasive writing is always one of my favorite units to teach. We start with the kids choosing a rule they dislike and would hope to see changed. Many write about their curfews or increasing passing time between classes. These are minor things in the grand scheme of life, but our focus is always on trying to look at all sides of the issue in question.
If the student is writing about curfew, he or she has to explain in the essay the parents’ point of view in imposing that curfew. If it is about passing time, the ability to understand the school’s reasoning for the three-minute limit is vital. Students learn to acknowledge that opposing viewpoint and then use that to springboard to their own reasons for desiring change.
We do this all the time, don’t we? If you go in to your boss and ask for a raise, don’t you need to know how the company has been doing? It helps your cause if you can point out recently increased profits before asking for more money for yourself. If you go in and ask for a raise without being aware that your company has lost money the past two quarters, you might look foolish and hurt future chances at an increase in pay.
Persuasion is a fine art. I use the analogy with my students of being a coach. A coach will look at how the opposing team runs their offense and their defense and devise a game plan to beat that. This is similar to looking at the opposing point of view in a debate or paper. If I know the team we’re playing will run a 2-3 zone defense, I’d better have my players ready to run an offense that can work against that. If you want to persuade somebody to change his or her mind, you’d better have a game plan and know their reasons for thinking that particular way before engaging in attempted persuasion.
The key is to always respect the other person’s right to have an opinion different from your own. We might be absolutely convinced that we are correct, and no matter how hard we try and how many great reasons we think we have, we might not be able to change the other person’s mind. There comes a point where we have to just admit we tried, but we won’t have success in that endeavor.
This was a difficult idea for this stubborn German to accept, but as I got older and matured, I learned to be more accepting of different ideas. College exposed me to so many different cultures and ideas and opened up a world of possibilities, if only I stopped to listen. My roommates and I had some fascinating discussions that really opened my eyes.
This is what I encourage with my students. Stop and listen for a moment. Think about all points on an issue. Contemplate all this before coming to a conclusion. If your mind stays the same, that’s fine. I’ve read many papers over the years with which I disagree, but some of the best I’ve read are ones where I’m opposed to the opinion expressed. However, the student has written a good persuasive essay, and if it gives me pause to think again, then the writing has done its job.
Ultimately, persuasion includes a strong voice, and I hope my students develop that ability. I use persuasion all the time, but just like my students when they debate with me, I don’t always win the argument. Even so, I will always understand the other person better, and that’s still a win.
Word of the Week: This week’s word is kippage, which means commotion or excitement, as in, “The kippage in the room rose was palpable when the student stumped the teacher during a debate.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!
As my daughter prepared for a softball game the next day, her concern was that all the girls planned to dress up for game day, and she didn’t really have any dressy clothes. She and Michelle had to search through closets and try to scrounge up something that wasn’t her typical t-shirt and jeans.
The next day, I overheard Jayna and her friend Grace talking about wardrobes. Grace commented that what to wear each day was the most stressful part of her life.
Oh, to be young again! If only my clothing choice each day was the main thing causing me stress – I’m sure many of you are thinking the same!
According to Susan Knowlton and the Health Guidance website, stress can have many negative aspects including lowering the immune system, negatively affecting decision making, and sometimes leading to anxiety and depression.
We all have stress, and how we deal with it is really crucial to our well-being. Nurse Kate here at school helped set up 10-minute massages for us on our last workshop day. Laura Possin of First Impressions came in and helped work out some of the knots we had. Teaching is a stressful occupation, and it showed by the number of people who signed up for this experience!
That 10 minutes got me thinking about stress. There are so many people who have work-invoked stress. Teaching might be stressful, but I can’t imagine how much that ratchets up if you’re a doctor, police officer, fire fighter, military personnel, etc. Those people-in-service industries have stress to get the product or service done on time; my wife talks about the stress with this all the time as she creates signs for businesses.
Brooke Wobschall keeps my classes up to date on the holiday of the day on my board, and April 16 was Stress Awareness Day, appropriate for the day after taxes were due. Here is an example of a way stress could be avoided: don’t wait until the last minute to complete something! Those who wait until the last day to file their taxes probably have a ton more stress than those who work on them in January and February.
Students face this all the time (when they’re not worried about their clothing). It wouldn’t matter when I give a deadline for a project, there is always a contingent of them who will wait until right before it’s due to even begin. Case in point would be my book projects. They have the entire quarter to finish a novel, answer some questions, and present a project. Two weeks into the new quarter, I had a number of kids decide maybe they should pick out a book. Why not start right away and finish early? A lot less stress then, compared to not being even half done with the book less than a week before everything is due.
Some stress is self-induced. Michelle tells me often that if I didn’t get involved in so many different groups, I would have a lot less stress. That’s true, I know, but I’d still worry about things like how the school calendar is put together and how contract negotiations are progressing if I weren’t directly involved with them.
I’ve found a lot of stress in those two areas this year. The simple fact, as with so many things which committees decide, is that you will never have 100% of the people who are affected be happy. Not everyone likes the calendar that’s been decided on for the 2015-2016 school year (a topic that you’ll probably see here soon), but it’s the best from an educational standpoint. Our union has a tentative contract with the district, and there we also see that not everyone will be happy, even if it’s a great contract overall.
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I strive in these roles to find something that’s best for everyone. I listen to all sides, and it’s always difficult to explain to people who don’t get their ideas fulfilled why that didn’t happen. This creates stress. It’s nice to get along with people at work, but differing opinions on topics can sometimes cause strain. I always try to remain professional and mend fences, but the stress is difficult in that area. I’d rather be part of the solution though, than on the outside; I don’t always get everything I desire either, but having a role in reaching the end result is preferential, even if it brings some anxiety.
Knowlton also talked about the positive effects of stress, which include motivation, cognitive improvement, and even physical enhancements. I’ll have to take those as offsets to some of the negative. Jerome K. Jerome is quoted as saying, “It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do.” I suppose that means I appreciate my relaxing times more because of some of the stress inducers. And as Al Batt said in his column last week, there are many people who would give anything for our bad days. How true.
Word of the Week: This week’s word is expurgate, which means to remove parts that are objectionable, as in, “She was able to expurgate the stressful situations of her life simply by sitting down and reading a good book.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies.
Here’s a question I hear often: What do the teachers do on the days they work without students in the building? The refrain I often hear is that we must sit around drinking coffee and eating donuts, adding up final grades, and not much else.
Au contraire! First, I despise coffee, and our wellness committee would frown on chomping down on donuts. Is there some fraternizing on workshop days? Absolutely. Those days give us a chance to sometimes touch base with other staff members we don’t see often in the hectic world in which we work. However, those meetings usually wend toward education and comparing notes on what’s going on. It’s nice to know what other teachers are doing in their classrooms because you can at times find connections to your own teaching. Working across curriculums benefits students as they see the threads from many classes and how all these seemingly unimportant ideas are related and important in life.
Workshop days are different depending on what time of year it is. Prior to school starting in the fall, rooms need to be put back together. That means arranging desks and seating charts, putting up bulletin boards and other decorations on the walls and doors, and sorting through the requisitions we received over the summer. There’s the excitement of a new year and new groups of students, which helps get all the preparatory work done. Trust me on this – most teachers spend a lot more time in school in August than they are required to. We all want everything to start smoothly, and there are many details to reach the perfection we hope to achieve on the first day of school and beyond.
As we reach the end of each quarter, there are indeed grades to finalize. I have learned over the years to try to avoid big assignments or tests right at the end. I’d rather not feel rushed on workshop day to finish those corrections and all the final grades. Plus, with my philosophy on giving students second chances to show improvement, I want them to have some time for that.
For instance, my 7th graders finished a paper on the last day of 3rd quarter. It would have driven me mad to correct all those stories in a day. Plus, there was a clear sign of re-teaching needed. I told them I would put it on the 4th quarter grade, and some have already taken advantage of redoing the work – they’re learning!
Workshop days sometimes involve meetings of different committees since it’s a time when everyone is available. It’s rare to have a whole staff meeting, though that can happen if there’s something important. There are planning sessions among teachers who teach similar classes. Mrs. Rudau and I both teach sections of 8th grade English. We’re able to touch base to see if we’re staying on the same page. I have special education kids who mainstream with my class, so planning ahead with their teachers is vital. These quarterly days help that run smoothly.
I don’t like to plan too far ahead. During the winter, it seems if I plan more than a week out, the weather terrorists strike and mess with the schedule. Other things pop up throughout the year that make planning too far out useless. However, when we get to the end of 3rd quarter, it’s time to take a hard look at where we are and how much of our curriculum is left. Do we have time for everything? Can we make adjustments?
Let me make this clear. While I have a curriculum I should follow, I’ve never ever completed everything. I refuse to just cover material. If I don’t have time to teach the concept thoroughly, I really try to avoid it or mix it with another, easier idea. I always remember American History in high school, when we spent three days on World War II and then a week on the remainder of the 20th century. How much do you think we got out of that? If we’d spent that entire time on WWII, we would’ve been better off, since we’d really have the impact of that war driven home.
And we won’t even get into all the paperwork special education teachers try to catch up on! I know how convoluted my desk looks by the end of a quarter and all the time I spend catching up on paperwork I have to do, but their task is much taller! Elementary teachers also have more planning and collaborating because there are 3-4 of them teaching the same grade, not including organizing with the specialists and others who help keep that school running smoothly.
There you go! Outside of lunch, there’s not as much downtime as you think. There are moments where I just sit at my desk and decompress for a bit. Then I look down at my to-do list and get back to it. Workshops – time off from students? Yes. Time off, period? No way.
Word of the Week: This week’s word is perambulate, which means to walk about or roam, as in, “The teacher found that perambulating a bit through the empty halls helped focus his mind on the quarter to come.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!