N is for Nope

Will we get a snack?
Can we chew gum?
Can we...
    play games
    take a nap
    go outside
when we're done?

These are the questions my students have about taking the high-stakes standardized tests that start tomorrow. Never mind that they never get a snack at that time; we don't allow gum anywhere in the school, but especially not in the computer labs; and planning fun activities at the end of anything encourages some kids to rush through and finish quickly.

But why shouldn't they dash to complete their test? In middle school, the consequences of these assessments are not borne by the students, but rather their schools and teachers. It is a disconnect that, despite their many questions, most sixth graders do not understand.

Life Lesson: Psst! Kid! I'll give you a granola bar if you pass this test.

M is for the Many Things She Gave Me

One of my mother's many, many charms is that she knows a song for every occasion, and she is never afraid to sing it.

Here's one she taught us years ago:

M is for the Many things she gave me.
O means only that she’s growing old.
T is for the tears she shed to save me.
H is for her heart of purest gold.
E is for her eyes with love light shining.
R means right, and right she’ll always be!

Put them all together, they spell MOTHER, 
a word that means the world to me.

Although personally, I feel that the second line needs some work, overall? I like it.

Life Lesson: I love you, Mom!

L is for Let's Go Already!

I am typing this very quickly, because my dog is whining at my ankles. A few minutes ago we asked her if she wanted to go to a party. She cocked her head in that cutest-dog-ever way she has, and when we elaborated, Do you want to see Sonic? Riley? Treat? Bill? Emily? She began barking and dancing around.

Too bad Heidi still needed to change, and I needed a quick trip to the powder room. Isabel whined and barked outside the door, and she is waiting very impatiently by the front door now. Fortunately, I hear Heidi on the stairs, and we will be on our way in just a second.

Life Lesson: Dogs live in the now, and now means NOW!

K is for Keeping Secrets

I have a colleague who is reading Gone With the Wind for the first time. She brings her kindle to the lunch room every day just to grab a few paragraphs of that tasty southern-fried drama, but the irresistibility of the tale and the fact that she is loving it seems to surprise her.

Not me. My mom gave me a copy of GWTW when I was 12, which coincided with one of the theatrical re-releases of the film, and she promised to take me to see the movie when I finished the book. It was definitely one of the most rewarding literary and cinematic experiences I've known.

So, it's fun to talk about the story, but since she hasn't seen the movie, either (!), it's a challenge not to give anything too important away. We were having one of our veiled conversations when another teacher on the team entered. She listened for a minute and then exclaimed, "Oh! Are you talking about Gone With the Wind?"

We nodded.

She turned to me. "You mean that part when Scarlett kills that guy who comes to their house and Melanie comes down with the sword?"

I shrugged at my friend apologetically. "Yep."

Life Lesson: If you want to keep something a secret, it's best to not speak of it all.

J is for Journalist

We have reached the personal profile portion of our English class. This is an assignment that I have experimented with off and on for the last six or seven years, but it truly came into its own last year, when after three solid months of blogging, my students were ready to turn that introspection out. (Plus, they had created quite a body of work for anyone who might profile them to use as a reference.)

The way it works for us is that each student is randomly assigned a classmate to profile. There are at least two interviews, and the first is a basic get-to-know-you opportunity for which the journalist prepares a list of questions designed to uncover a lot of information. After reviewing the notes and reading some of their subject's writing on our online community for background, journalists must narrow the focus to find an "angle" for the profile piece. Next is a second interview with a much more focused set of questions. Our young journalists must also interview friends, classmates, and teachers about their subjects.

The final product is a 500 word profile with a clear focus and theme. (Think "life lesson" because that's our frame of reference at this point.) It is a non-fiction research piece that exposes students to primary sources and demands analysis, synthesis, and artistry, but those are not its greatest strengths.

Life Lesson: The kids love it!

I is for It's About Time

I was surprised at how emotional I became this afternoon when I read that President Obama had expressed his personal support for gay marriage. My throat tightened and there were tears in my eyes, and for a moment, it didn't matter that it was too long in coming and still a much too political calculation; the pulpit of the presidency made a purely symbolic gesture very real and very important.

Life Lesson: Do not underestimate the power of validation.

H is for Hip Hip

Several months ago I was out with the dog on the big, grassy hill by our house. A neighbor and her dog joined us, and there was a lot of canine joy, enough in fact to literally sweep me off my feet. Oh, I jumped up in that desperate, I-meant-to-do-that way, and brushed off the apologies of my neighbor. I was fine, and nothing hurt, except my pride.

A few weeks later I noticed a definite hitch in my left-side giddyup, especially after sitting for a while or going up hills. Oh, I gamely limped along and, considering age and inactivity my primary nemeses,  increased my impact activities at the gym and focused more on lower body strengthening. After a while, it was still kind of owwie though, and so I made a doctor's appointment, which was canceled and then rescheduled for June.

At last I decided to call a doctor who specializes in acupuncture. Unlike everyone else I contacted yesterday, his office had a same day appointment at 4 PM. Considering it a good sign, off I went, and after a brief consultation and exam was diagnosed with bursitis of the hip.

It went like this: Dr. Tran listened to my story and then pressed a place on my upper leg.

"Ow!" I said.

"You have bursitis," he replied.

Looking it up later, it all made perfect sense-- the trauma, the delay of symptoms, the chronic pain-- it was a classic presentation of the condition. My primary care physician might have prescribed a shot of cortisone, (and she still could when I see her in June) but I opted for six twirling needles and a half-hour of quiet in the dark.

And I get to back on Thursday.

Life Lesson: Keep those alternatives open.