20th Century Skills

I heard recently that most VHS tapes will be unwatchable in the next 10-15 years. The technology that dominated home entertainment from the 1970's through the early part of this century and changed the way we consume TV and movies just wasn't designed to last. Which makes sense in a way-- VHS was the threshold of on demand viewing... if you can watch something anytime, availability stops being an issue.

This point was driven home to me the other day when, in a moment of down time, students watched the beginning of the movie National Treasure. Although at first they resisted a bit, when the bell rang 40 minutes into the film a collective groan filled the room. "What was the name of that again?" several students asked, interested in viewing the end.

One kid was particularly interested, and worried that he wouldn't be able to find and watch the end.

"I have a copy right here," I offered, raising a DVD. "Would you like to borrow it?"

"Oh," he shook his head in disappointment, "I don't know how to use a DVD player."

Miscommunication

I overheard a couple of kids talking about their phones this afternoon. "I almost got in trouble for my phone today," said one, "but luckily it was a substitute so she didn't take it."

"If I get mine taken away," said the other, "my parents will take it away for a week!"

The first student gasped.

"So, I just turn it off all day," continued the second.

The first student's eyes widened in disbelief. "How do you even do that???" she asked, cradling her phone like a baby to her chest.

It was her friend's turn to be incredulous. "It's easy," he shrugged. "You just hold the button down until it says power off."

There is No Substitute

Because of a new district policy, this year as a language arts teacher I was unable to administer the state test to my own students. As a result, I was assigned to invigilate for the students on another team. Those kids did not know me, and so I was treated to what I thought of as a bit of substitute teacher behavior.

At 8:30 on a Monday morning with a high stakes assessment on the line, these hijinks did not amuse me. A few seat changes, a couple of reprimands, and threat or two later, they were settling down when their teacher called with a question about my group, which she was proctoring for.

"Oh, hi, Ms. B," I said pointedly," looking at the group with raised eyebrows to let them know who was on the line. "How are they doing?" I repeated her question and paused before I answered, making meaningful eye contact with a couple of kids. "Well, there a some sketchy characters in here," I told her.

There was a collective gasp.

"I think they'll be fine, though," I finished.

And after that, they were.

Dawn to Dusk

When you have a puppy your day starts early, and so it was that I had baked 3 loaves of banana bread and a dozen and a half sweet potato muffins, packed all the recycling, watered the plants, paid the bills, and straightened the downstairs all before 8:30 this morning. Still, there were farmers markets to walk to, gardens to weed, errands to run, pedicures to be had, and meals to cook.

And so right now? The puppy is sleeping.

And I wish I were, too.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Windows open,
dogs barking,
birds singing,
breeze blowing,
sun shining.

Sold Out

I was a little concerned about sending the information for our end-of-the-year activities out with less than three weeks to go. So often over the last 25 years I have found myself counting pennies and making phone calls the night before a trip just to be sure that everyone was included.

But this year our team decided to give the students a choice of activities, one on campus and one off. The field trip was a repeat of last year's selfie scavenger hunt and IMAX movie, and based on an interest survey, I booked one 55 passenger coach. The rest of the students would get to enjoy some fun summer-camp style activities back at school.

"Space for the scavenger hunt is limited," I told the kids yesterday, "and it will be first-come-first-served, so if that's what you want, make sure you bring your money and signed permission slip as soon as you can to guarantee your spot." And with that, I turned my mind to fixing flawed test rosters and modified schedules.

I should have known something was different when a couple of kids waved twenties at me on my way in this morning. "I sent some kids away from your door," a colleague told me inside, "and told them to come back at 7:40." As soon as the bell rang, a line formed at my desk and out the door, and by 7:55? The trip was sold out. I had collected 1000 dollars in payment and scholarship donations.

By the end of the day, the bus company and IMAX theater were paid in full. I'm stunned and relieved, but my heart goes out to the kids who want to go and can't.

BUT... I'm working on it.

What? June!

That's what I wrote on my board this morning as my daily message to my homeroom students. On one level, it seems impossible that another school year will soon be over, and to be honest, I love my students this year. I will be sad to see each and every one of them move on to seventh grade.

There is a pent-up excitement in the kids, though, that they are hardly aware of, and that undercurrent of ridiculous, wild energy hums through the halls, spurting out in this or that impulsive behavior: neck-slapping, food-tossing, fidget spinning, dress-code challenging, giggles and whines.

And, oh, there is so much to accomplish in the three weeks we have left-- final assignments and high stakes tests, field days and field trips, all to be organized and supervised.

So, yeah.

June.