Learn by Hearing

When it comes to learning styles, I am primarily an auditory learner with a strong visual learning aptitude as well. Fortunately for me, traditional instruction was heavy on both, and so school was never really a problem for me.

I am so auditory, though, that often times I can remember exactly where I was when I heard something of note. For example, last summer we were on our way home from staying with my mom for a month, driving in stop-and-go traffic through Chicago, its iconic skyline to our left when I snapped on the radio to listen to All Things Considered. Michelle Martin was interviewing a guy who had made a short animated film about a black dad who struggled but learned how to do his daughter's hair. Their conversation about "Hair Love" was interesting to me on several levels-- I like animated shorts, black hair is emblematic of cultural and political issues, as is a dad of any race caring for his daughter.

When the lights went down in the theater this afternoon and the first movie of the Oscar-nominated Animated Shorts came on, for a moment I was back on the Ryan Expressway with the late August sun shining off Lake Michigan to the east, feeling cautiously optimistic: my mom was recovering in rehab, and the new school year was only a couple of days away.

I returned to the present moment as the story unfolded on the screen, and when it was revealed that the little girl's mom was being treated for cancer, which was part of the reason why the hair style was so important to both daughter and dad, I couldn't help weeping, both for their heartache and mine.

Tele-teacher

When it comes to jobs, teleworking and teaching seem incompatible. The flexible, get-up when-you-want, errand-running, Netflix-watching, going to the gym, as-long-as-the-work-gets-done model of  production is impossible to jibe with that essential face-to-face transaction that defines public school.

But on a teacher work day? When kids are off and the to-do list is mostly grading and planning? Location can be arbitrary, particularly given the online tools of today.

Our district has offered the option for a couple of years now, but I have never chosen it, partially from the suspicion that some might think if we don't need to come in, we don't need the day, and also from the self-awareness that I get more work done at my desk. But for today, with Heidi off, and most of my colleagues planning to be out of the building, I took a deep breath and checked 'yes' on the Google form, indicating that I would work from somewhere other than my classroom.

And... I probably did less today than I might have otherwise, but my grades are due when they are due, and they will be done. AND? It's not like teachers aren't used to working outside their contract day, plus I got to stay up late with my writing group last night and sleep in a little today. 

So, I'll call it wash.

Life Before

Part of the fun of our media literacy unit is watching a whole bunch of commercials with the kids in class. In fact, we even plan it for this time of year to coincide with all the Super Bowl commercials, and one tweak I've made to the daily plan is to watch a "commercial of the day" where the quote of the day discussion ordinarily takes place.

Today we watched the latest Amazon Alexa ad, an early Super Bowl release. It features Ellen Degeneres and Portia DiRossi and whimsically imagines what people did before there was Alexa. After viewing, we have a quick discussion where students identify the persuasive techniques they noticed.

Of course, testimonial was number one for this particular commercial. "That's right," I confirmed to all of my classes. "Both Ellen Degeneres and her wife, Portia DiRossi are celebrities who use the product."

And every time I said it, my breath caught just a tiny bit, for it was not long ago at all (but definitely before Alexa) that I never could have imagined even mentioning in school two women who were married, much less say it just as casually as I did today in the lesson.

My students accept same sex marriage as a given; they cannot even imagine life before that was so. Now that? Appeals to my emotion.

Stay at Home

I can't say that I ever considered what it might be like to have a wife of the homemaker variety, and yet, while Heidi is away from school on medical leave for six weeks, that's kind of the current situation. Unfortunately, there is a lot of emotional baggage that goes with this arrangement: being in recovery from surgery, facing physical limitations, and the boredom and restlessness of such a different routine have all made the staying at home the last couple of weeks a little rocky. But today, after the two-week check-in with her doctor, Heidi has accepted the reality of it all. AND? The opportunity! In addition to teaching our cats to ring bells for treats, who knows what she can accomplish in the next four weeks?

Engage

"When we write essays," I told my students, "we read essays."

They nodded.

"When we write fiction?" I continued.

"We read fiction?" a student volunteered.

"Yes!" I said. "Those are models! It always helps to see how the pros do it!"

More nods.

"And in this media literacy unit? We are making commercials, so--"

"--we have to watch commercials?!"

"Right!" I agreed. "Let's see how the pros do it!"

The students plugged in their earbuds and clicked on the links. And the rest of the class passed in near silence.

All is Found

After my doctor's appointment this morning we decided to see a movie. It was early enough that the only shows playing were out at a mall about 10 miles from our house, but that was fine because it was late enough to miss traffic, and so off we went.

Heidi's choice was Frozen II, and I went with it because I totally enjoyed the girl power sing along of the first one. Buying our tickets, I noted that the theater was not very full, and I expected it to remain that way on Monday of a school week. Boy was I wrong! We saw the movie with at least 50 toddlers and their caretakers.

As you can imagine, there was a lot of back and forth to the restroom, some talking, and even a few tears completely unrelated to the action on the screen. I didn't mind a bit though, especially because a big theme of the movie was about how everything must change. The preview of the new Scooby Doo movie had left me a bit nostalgic for those days when my nephews were much younger and we enjoyed a lot of kid films together.

Soon enough, these kids would be in school, and then out, and then taking their own little ones to a movie, so I just leaned back in my seat and enjoyed the show and the company.

No Bloodwork Necessary

I'm reclining in our new chair reading by our new lamp with a cozy new blanket over my lap. My feet are up, there is a fire in the fireplace, and I'm off tomorrow for my annual physical. If the current situation is any indication, I'm sure I am quite well!