Assignation

Our morning routine used to be that I walked the dog around 6:30 am every school day. I had a lot of time to think on those 39 minute rambles through the neighborhood and a lot to observe, too, since we walked in every season, regardless of  weather. 

It was those walks that gave this blog its name: all the random thoughts and observations seemed to beg for a home. Since then, much has changed, including, sadly, the dog, and in recent months, Heidi has taken over the morning walk, so that I can fit in 45 minutes of yoga and meditation to begin my day. 

I really appreciate the mindfulness, but this evening when yet another interruption in our usually predictable days had me and the dog taking a nice 30 minute jaunt through the quiet streets around our home, I realized how much I miss that time. 

I guess we’re just going to have to find an extra half hour somewhere— at least every once in a while. 

Out of Bounds

"Would it be inappropriate to ask a teacher about their sexuality?" a student wondered today.

"Well," I said, "it is personal, and it is not a discussion that I am willing to have, so..."

"I shouldn't waste my breath?" the student finished.

"Maybe not," I shrugged.

Outside In

We put our Christmas tree in the stand today. After being bound-up out on the deck for a week, the lovely fir needs to fall for a day or two before being festooned with lights and decorations. That doesn't bother the cats, though. The two of them have taken residence underneath its upturned branches. As in years past, they seem enchanted by the notion of bringing such a big, wild thing indoors. They preen and blink beneath its boughs as if to purr, Why don't we have this all the time? And as the fresh, piney scent floats my way, I'm hard put to find an answer to convince the three of us.

Holiday Mission Accomplished

I was more than a little frustrated after spending 45 minutes stringing outdoor lights on my balcony this afternoon only to discover they didn't work. How did I fail to check them? I had used zip ties to secure them, along with some showering icicles, and so rather than start the whole display again, I used scissors to cut the offending string into a dozen pieces for easy removal. As satisfying as that was, I was even happier when the back-up lights were twice as long and much easier to hang. 

As night fell, I went outside to get the full effect of the handiwork: merry and bright, just as I hoped!

Star of the Essay

"We should have the kids read that story you wrote about babysitting," my friend Mary suggested in our CLT planning meeting today after I confessed to abridging another author's work to make it more accessible to the sixth graders.

"That would be funny," I laughed.

"Is the character of Tracey a good babysitter?" Mary asked.

"That's definitely debatable," I said, "and plus, I would love to read a bunch of essays about... me!"

Background Knowledge

I read a story to my sixth graders today that was called "Rabies" which details the misadventures of sixth grader Jack Henry, an autobiographical character created by Jack Gantos. Like most of Gantos's writing, it is funny in a realistic and self-deprecating way. Jack Gantos was in sixth grade around 1962, though, and it takes a little background knowledge building to help kids relate to his story nearly 60 years after it took place. 

We have to start with rabies itself; many students do not know what it is. This year, when I told them it was caused by a virus, I figured we'd have a little less ground to cover, considering we have been living in a pandemic caused by a virus for the last 18 months. "But rabies is not airborne like COVID," I assured them.

"COVID is in the air?" asked a student in alarm.

"IT can be," I said. "That's why we wear masks."

"I already had it," another student reported, and her comment started a chain reaction. It turned out that over a third of the class had already had a positive case of the virus. Thankfully, the symptoms they reported sounded short-term and very mild, more like a reaction to the vaccine than anything else.

"That's why I don't really care about my mask," one boy admitted candidly. It was true that I often had to remind him to cover his nose.

"But your mask is more to block any virus you might have from getting out," I explained. "My mask protects you, in case I have COVID, and yours protects me. We know now that it is possible to get it again, and maybe spread it."

He pulled his mask up and so did a few other kids. I wondered what else they might not know.

Run the Day or the Day Runs You

I told my very chatty students that they would have to finish the notes before they went to lunch. With that warning, I let them talk, circulated through the room, and answered questions. When the bell rang, I dismissed the kids who had shown me their work, which was only about a third of the class. 

The reaction from the others was mixed. Some rushed to finish, others took their time, and at least one tried to sneak out. A couple were mad, and one told me how very, very hungry she was. "I know!" I agreed, "It's my lunch time, too."

Their miscalculation was understandable: today was one of the "anchor days" we have on five-day weeks to balance the block schedule. With all the fall holidays and other planned interruptions in instruction, the days when kids have all their classes have been sporadic so far this year. 

This particular group usually leaves my room for another class, but on anchor days they go straight to lunch. It was leverage that I grasped immediately, but it took a while for the kids.

"We have to go to science!" I heard one student whisper to another. "Do you think Ms. M will give us lunch detention?"

"This is lunch!" her friend hissed.

"Right!" I confirmed. "You already have lunch detention. Now get those notes done!"