Northern Noise

Today I had a chance to hear Richard Lavoie speak and it was great.  I don't know when I first got to watch his video FAT City - How Difficult Can This Be? but it seriously changed my teaching life.  In the video, Rick manages to make the audience feel the frustration of being learning disabled.  I remember a few "a-ha's!" when I first saw it.  The first was when he says something to the effect of, "You all have been learning disabled for 10 minutes and you've shut down; imagine being disabled for 16 years."  The other was that fair doesn't mean everybody gets the same, it means that everyone gets his/her needs met.  After that, I did a "lesson" every semester in every class explaining that in my class, not everyone got the same thing all the time.  It was a basis of my teaching philosophy that students got used to that idea. Every class that Bob and I have ever taught together, and many we've taught individually, have been required t

Sundays are nice.  Sleep in a little, read the paper in bed.  The boy wakes up early to watch some cartoons, thinking he's pulling one over on us.  Get out of bed, feed the dogs, drink some coffee, eat some eggs. I don't mind doing work on Sundays because it's my choice, my pace, and I'm in my pajamas.  Today I'm watching the water drip off the roof, listening for the next chunk of snow to fall.  Feels more like April than January.  The boy is out shoveling poo, wearing ice cleats and short sleeves.   The sunlight points out the dog nose prints on the windows to the deck; above dog height they're relatively clear.  So that's some cleaning that can wait until April.

I just spent  6 hours talking about math.  Luckily I was surrounded by a group of engaged, passionate math educators who were able to keep the train on the tracks, chugging forward (but don't ask me what time it will reach Chicago traveling at 60 mph).

My dad was a smart guy.  Not only clever, quick-witted but he knew a lot of "stuff."  As I mentioned, he's responsible for my love of Robert Service.  Here's another gem that he shared with me.  I used it in class from time to time, and it was always fun. The War-song of Dinas Vawr BY THOMAS LOVE PEACOCK The mountain sheep are sweeter, But the valley sheep are fatter; We therefore deemed it meeter To carry off the latter. We made an expedition; We met a host, and quelled it; We forced a strong position, And killed the men who held it. On Dyfed's richest valley, Where herds of kine were browsing, We made a mighty sally, To furnish our carousing. Fierce warriors rushed to meet us; We met them, and o'erthrew them: They struggled hard to beat us; But we conquered them, and slew them. As we drove our prize at leisure, The king marched forth to catch us: His rage surpassed all measure, But his peopl

I love poetry.  I don't necessarily sit down and read big chunks of it,  but when I need it, I can open a book or find a poem online and then I feel better. The first poems I ever remember really wanting to learn and love were Robert Service.  My dad used to read the "biggies" like "The Creation of Sam Magee" and "The Shooting of Dan McGrew."  In 4th or 5th grade my friend Lara and I performed the humorous poem "Bessie's Boil" at the forensics competition (and won first place!).  I also memorized his poem "My Madonna" after my dad read it to me and I could tell he liked it.  I didn't understand it for a long time, but I remember it to this day.  I also remember the book Hailstones and Halibut Bones filled with poems about color, and the poem tale of Winkin, Blinkin and Nod. In middle school we had an odd teacher and he read us "The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock."  It made no sense and was just weird but I remem

I've been without my dad 5 years today.  I'll never forget the sound of my brother's voice when he called.  I'll always wish I could have spared him having to find our father.  I'll always wish I could have spared everyone the pain.

It's hard to come by sometimes.  Even those who say "I'm a positive person" and look for that elusive half full glass have to struggle sometimes, yes?  I know I do. I'm a lucky gal.  I have a job I generally enjoy, a family that I love and usually like, good friends, financial stability, lots of books and two big, goofy dogs.  I wake up thankful in the morning and I go to bed happy.  Most of the time. But do you ever read the news, or see some idiot on tv who makes you question why one would even try to make it in this world?  The Alaska State Legislature's House Sustainable Education Task Force spent over five hours last Saturday talking about a return to boarding schools for rural Alaska natives. Because that was so successful the last time we tried it?  And let's not forget that they think native corporations should fund these schools because native students will attend them.  I thought it was the responsibility of the state to educate all students,

T.S. Eliot said "April is the cruelest month" but he obviously didn't live in Alaska.  I learned long ago that one should never make big decisions in January in Fairbanks, when the cold and dark have hold and the temporary high of the holiday season dips lower than the temperature.  There' s not much to look forward to in January.  February could be even colder, March is a coin toss, April just teases that May will come. I know myself enough to know that I have to stay positive or I'l spiral down into the doldrums.  It's hard some times because the people around me, people that I work with and live with and love and like, are fighting the same fight I am. At work, January is when the school district releases the budget predictions and this year's shortfall is more extreme than last year.  The reality of this is that Bob enters a season of meetings and fighting for monies that were provided for special education.  It means that I worry that my position

Tonight I ain't got it.  But I do have vodka so maybe it evens out.

Sometimes it's hard working in public education.  When I was in the classroom there was no funk that couldn't be cured by a good laugh with - or sometimes at - students.  Working in central office, not only do I sometimes feel like I'm not only both expendable and unnecessary,  even worse is the occasional worry that I'm making the problem worse.  I mean, aren't administrators and coordinators supposed to make life easier for teachers and folks in schools? On the state level, we've decided to abandon the national assessment consortiums and go with 1) an unknown and 2) an Alaskan-only test that provides us no way to compare our students with others nationally.  We're also looking at flat funding, or even worse a possible decrease. Some legislators think we should "look outside the box" at solutions (to what problems, I don't know) that include regional boarding schools, mandated state-wide curriculum, and vouchers. On the local level the rea

I really like soup.  I like to make it, I like to smell it, and I like to eat it.  My husband says I make the best soup in the world, which makes me happy even though it's hyperbole.  I make "clean out the refrigerator soup" pretty regularly, and it usually turns out okay.   Soup is one of those things that makes me feel happy, and warm, and like I'm taking care of my family. Just saying the word soup makes me smile. One of the books I remember from childhood is about  chicken soup with rice  . In January it's so nice While slippin' on the slidin' ice To sip hot chicken soup with rice Sippin' once, sippin' twice Sippin' chicken soup with rice Today I made two kinds of soup for a meeting I had. They were both very tasty and made me happy.  (Did I mention that crock pot soups make me especially happy because you get to come home to dinner all done?) Soup #1 was vegan, gluten free Lentil Soup (what someone referred to as the &qu

Don't know what to say, but by golly that's never stopped me before.  January 2 and the living is easy. Warm day (10 above driving home), leftover pizza for dinner, and my family around me.  If only I had some profound thought to share.

I didn't write much in 2013.  I can blame it on lots of things, but the fact is that I didn't and I need to do more in 2014.  It's good for me and keeps me in practice.  Some day I WILL write that "great American novel" (or at least some good pulp fiction) and so I need to keep clicking away. I'm trying to remember what's significant about 2013... nephew Miles was diagnosed with cancer, Aileen started college in Montana, I've plugging away at another master's degree, Bob and I worked, Hannah worked, got a bit healthier, read some good books, enjoyed good friends.  I guess it must be okay because nothing really bad sticks out.  Not like 2009-10 which were horrible, and not like 2000 when I was young.  Just a year in the life. Right now health challenges have me a bit anxious.  Miles in in round 2 of chemo, but seems to be doing okay.  Bob is likely having sinus surgery within 2 weeks.  Jed has been sick constantly for much of the fall and that&#