It took me 9 1/2 hours to get from Fort Myers airport to Canton airport on Thursday night. That is a tad bit ridiculous, but I did enjoy the time spent sitting, sitting, sitting and thinking, thinking, thinking. During times like that I contemplate poetically. I only wish I had written some of the things I thought.
There's something about air travel. There's something about airports. There's something about the whole experience that I believe truly changes a person. I suppose for some people that serious change could take place by just flying state to state. For others, it might take a bigger trip--more distance, to have a major effect. I have found that since my trip to New Zealand, my outlook has changed on many things, although I cannot pinpoint what exactly it is that changed.
I miss the internet kiosks I used in Sydney...counting the hours till I was home, till I could see John again...till I could eat American cheese again and savor the oily, waxy feel of it gush in my teeth.
I miss flying over the green hills of New Zealand, wondering if I'd ever miss that place. I miss flying over perfectly plotted fields of Kansas and thinking, "I'm almost home."
I miss sitting in a plane for fourteen hours, wondering what movie would come on next, hoping the food would be interesting, hoping I would get another Oreo or Toblerone. I miss discussing interesting stories with the passengers next to me. The man who had lived in China. The priest going back to Turkey. The woman from New Jersey, visiting her daughter in Australia.
I don't miss New Zealand. I don't miss Australia. I guess it brings meaning to the expression, "It's not the destination, it's the journey." Because somewhere between Cleveland airport and Whakatane, I changed, and somewhere between Whakatane and Cleveland on the way back, I changed. And those airplanes are where the most changes took place. When I prepared myself for take off. When I prepared myself for landing. When I readied myself for my adventures. When I reflected on my adventures.
Airports. Airplanes. I love them.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Sunday, March 20, 2005
How to Measure Success
Here I am, back in good ol' Orrville, Ohio. I see people I know or used to know every time I turn around. Therefore, I try to stay indoors as much as possible.
It's weird talking to people I graduated with...because most are, well, how do I say this?
Let me start another way. We all measure success in different ways. Some of the people I graduated with have beautiful new hairdos. Some have wonderful jobs. Some have terrible jobs. Some of the smartest people in my high school class failed out of college. Some of them gained 30 pounds. Some of them lost 30 pounds. Some of them are unmarried with 3 children. Some are married and divorced. Some are living with parents, some aren't, some are happy, some aren't.
But...when you see someone that you haven't seen in a while, a person from your graduating class, you must always act as successful and happy as possible. And when a person tells you what they do or what they've been up to, you must act as surprised and happy as possible. Even if they were number 4 in your class and failed out of Kent State and now work as a cashier at WalMart, you have to act just as happy as if they won the Nobel Prize. AND, it works the other way around. If you are only a first grade teacher, have moved to Florida, you're engaged...
Well, I guess I don't have to pretend that I am successful. Because, I feel, that I am succesful, that I have done everything I set out to do. So sometimes, when I talk to people on this topic, I feel like I'm bragging.
I am happy, satisfied...but that doesn't mean I stop there, does it? I could stay a first grade teacher for thirty more years or something crazy like that. But, I don't think my generation quite operates that way. We've been wired to always desire more, to climb higher and higher. I'm not sure how much higher I can get in the early childhood education world, but I hope that I can keep climbing. Maybe I can climb up in other areas. Maybe I can climb up in being the best wife in the entire universe. :) Maybe I can keep having kids until I'm 50. Heck, I don't know...
I was going to make a point. But, I lost myself somewhere there. I guess I want to know when I've reached success. And why we feel we have to fake success.
It's weird talking to people I graduated with...because most are, well, how do I say this?
Let me start another way. We all measure success in different ways. Some of the people I graduated with have beautiful new hairdos. Some have wonderful jobs. Some have terrible jobs. Some of the smartest people in my high school class failed out of college. Some of them gained 30 pounds. Some of them lost 30 pounds. Some of them are unmarried with 3 children. Some are married and divorced. Some are living with parents, some aren't, some are happy, some aren't.
But...when you see someone that you haven't seen in a while, a person from your graduating class, you must always act as successful and happy as possible. And when a person tells you what they do or what they've been up to, you must act as surprised and happy as possible. Even if they were number 4 in your class and failed out of Kent State and now work as a cashier at WalMart, you have to act just as happy as if they won the Nobel Prize. AND, it works the other way around. If you are only a first grade teacher, have moved to Florida, you're engaged...
Well, I guess I don't have to pretend that I am successful. Because, I feel, that I am succesful, that I have done everything I set out to do. So sometimes, when I talk to people on this topic, I feel like I'm bragging.
I am happy, satisfied...but that doesn't mean I stop there, does it? I could stay a first grade teacher for thirty more years or something crazy like that. But, I don't think my generation quite operates that way. We've been wired to always desire more, to climb higher and higher. I'm not sure how much higher I can get in the early childhood education world, but I hope that I can keep climbing. Maybe I can climb up in other areas. Maybe I can climb up in being the best wife in the entire universe. :) Maybe I can keep having kids until I'm 50. Heck, I don't know...
I was going to make a point. But, I lost myself somewhere there. I guess I want to know when I've reached success. And why we feel we have to fake success.
WELL THAT'S JUST GREAT!
grrrrr.
Well Bill, it looks like you lucked out this time. It's too bad I didn't pick teams that no one in their right mind would have picked to win in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
I'm not that surprised about Kansas' loss, but I am still recuperating from the defeat. Creighton? Wake Forest? Syracuse? Boston College?
I just keep thinking, this has to be a joke. I'm sure on April 1st, they'll say, "April Fool's! We were just kidding about the whole March madness thing!"
Well Bill, it looks like you lucked out this time. It's too bad I didn't pick teams that no one in their right mind would have picked to win in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
I'm not that surprised about Kansas' loss, but I am still recuperating from the defeat. Creighton? Wake Forest? Syracuse? Boston College?
I just keep thinking, this has to be a joke. I'm sure on April 1st, they'll say, "April Fool's! We were just kidding about the whole March madness thing!"
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Debates!
Well, I didn't intend to start a debate with my last post. I certainly never complained about my salary and my hours...what is frustrating, however, is that I don't get to go to the bathroom when I need to. It's also a lot of pressure to have 18 children's test scores hanging over your head and to be constantly criticized for their improvement or lack there of. Some teachers just take their jobs seriously, so seriously that they put it on themselves to teach their students everthing humanly possible in a year. It's pressure because it isn't working with people's wood floors, pools, or cars. It's working with their children, and even in first grade, their future has so much to do with what they learn from me.
Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)
Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!
Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)
Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!
Debates!
Well, I didn't intend to start a debate with my last post. I certainly never complained about my salary and my hours...what is frustrating, however, is that I don't get to go to the bathroom when I need to. It's also a lot of pressure to have 18 children's test scores hanging over your head and to be constantly criticized for their improvement or lack there of. Some teachers just take their jobs seriously, so seriously that they put it on themselves to teach their students everthing humanly possible in a year. It's pressure because it isn't working with people's wood floors, pools, or cars. It's working with their children, and even in first grade, their future has so much to do with what they learn from me.
Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)
Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!
Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)
Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!
Debates!
Well, I didn't intend to start a debate with my last post. I certainly never complained about my salary and my hours...what is frustrating, however, is that I don't get to go to the bathroom when I need to. It's also a lot of pressure to have 18 children's test scores hanging over your head and to be constantly criticized for their improvement or lack there of. Some teachers just take their jobs seriously, so seriously that they put it on themselves to teach their students everthing humanly possible in a year. It's pressure because it isn't working with people's wood floors, pools, or cars. It's working with their children, and even in first grade, their future has so much to do with what they learn from me.
Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)
Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!
Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)
Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!
Debates!
Well, I didn't intend to start a debate with my last post. I certainly never complained about my salary and my hours...what is frustrating, however, is that I don't get to go to the bathroom when I need to. It's also a lot of pressure to have 18 children's test scores hanging over your head and to be constantly criticized for their improvement or lack there of. Some teachers just take their jobs seriously, so seriously that they put it on themselves to teach their students everthing humanly possible in a year. It's pressure because it isn't working with people's wood floors, pools, or cars. It's working with their children, and even in first grade, their future has so much to do with what they learn from me.
Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)
Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!
Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)
Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!
Debates!
Well, I didn't intend to start a debate with my last post. I certainly never complained about my salary and my hours...what is frustrating, however, is that I don't get to go to the bathroom when I need to. It's also a lot of pressure to have 18 children's test scores hanging over your head and to be constantly criticized for their improvement or lack there of. Some teachers just take their jobs seriously, so seriously that they put it on themselves to teach their students everthing humanly possible in a year. It's pressure because it isn't working with people's wood floors, pools, or cars. It's working with their children, and even in first grade, their future has so much to do with what they learn from me.
Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)
Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!
Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)
Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!
Debates!
Well, I didn't intend to start a debate with my last post. I certainly never complained about my salary and my hours...what is frustrating, however, is that I don't get to go to the bathroom when I need to. It's also a lot of pressure to have 18 children's test scores hanging over your head and to be constantly criticized for their improvement or lack there of. Some teachers just take their jobs seriously, so seriously that they put it on themselves to teach their students everthing humanly possible in a year. It's pressure because it isn't working with people's wood floors, pools, or cars. It's working with their children, and even in first grade, their future has so much to do with what they learn from me.
Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)
Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!
Anyway, I was sick today. I even had a temperature of 99.7, which is much higher than my usual 97.7. I haven't felt as sick as I did today in quite some time. John was home and took good care of me, thank goodness, because there were a few times I couldn't get off the couch. :) Fortunately, though, I kept the vomit down. I hate to throw up and I'd do anything to avoid it! I think my "fever" (if you can call it that) broke earlier and now my temp is back to normal. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow because I have progress monitoring tomorrow and tests to give and a classroom door to decorate for this door decorating contest...I drew a great rendition of Yertle the Turtle for the cause and the kids are going to make paper plate turtles :)
Big news! Mia, the himalayan of the residence, gave birth to EIGHT kittens lastnight!
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Whew!
Well, can you see that I have been busy?
No other word could possibly describe this week except for the one that starts with and "H" and ends with "ell." I'll explain briefly...
FCATs. It's the Florida high-stakes test (like the proficiencies. Well, during the FCAT, although it's for all the 4th-5th graders, the whole school is on lock-down from 8:00-10:30 or 11. That means...I am stuck in my portable with 17 children for four hours. I can take them outside after the FCATs are over for the day, but I still have to take them. No breaks for me. Nope, I can't even go to the bathroom. It's going to be interesting Monday as my...um..."monthly visitor" comes calling. So, my days this week and next week, I have no "planning time."
Planning time is 50 minutes of each day that I get to plan lessons, get the books I need, get copies made, find resources, go to the bathroom, etc. Not that 50 minutes a day is even CLOSE to what I need to do all that, but it sure does help. Teachers NEED planning time. It is also in my contract, the contract my principal is not following.
SOOOO I have buddied up with our union leader because I think this is all a bunch of crap.
No other word could possibly describe this week except for the one that starts with and "H" and ends with "ell." I'll explain briefly...
FCATs. It's the Florida high-stakes test (like the proficiencies. Well, during the FCAT, although it's for all the 4th-5th graders, the whole school is on lock-down from 8:00-10:30 or 11. That means...I am stuck in my portable with 17 children for four hours. I can take them outside after the FCATs are over for the day, but I still have to take them. No breaks for me. Nope, I can't even go to the bathroom. It's going to be interesting Monday as my...um..."monthly visitor" comes calling. So, my days this week and next week, I have no "planning time."
Planning time is 50 minutes of each day that I get to plan lessons, get the books I need, get copies made, find resources, go to the bathroom, etc. Not that 50 minutes a day is even CLOSE to what I need to do all that, but it sure does help. Teachers NEED planning time. It is also in my contract, the contract my principal is not following.
SOOOO I have buddied up with our union leader because I think this is all a bunch of crap.
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