"We don't complain; we investigage."

As you may know, I just returned from the conference for all the state Teachers of the Year (STOYs). The organizers centered content around how to be a voice for the educational community. John Quam, the organizer for the national teacher of the year program, started off by telling us we were not the best teachers: we represent the best teachers. This nicely encapsulated the role of the STOY.

One morning, I was listening to a podcast by Gil Fronsdale, who said, "In mindfulness practice, we don't complain; we investigate." And although Gil directed his comment toward meditators, it perfectly applied to my week. We spent the week thinking about problems in education, not complaining about them. We brainstormed solutions, not grievances. We discussed developing messages, not attacking them. It was exciting and energizing and somewhat overwhelming too.

And I so wish that I could have had my colleagues with me. My colleagues, especially those in the Language Arts Department, are folks who discuss these issues all the time. I wanted them there so that I could get their thoughts on the issues at hand - reauthorizing of ESEA, for example, or establishing a method of teacher accountability and evaluation. I realized very quickly how lucky I am to work with teachers who see themselves as professionals, which often means tackling larger issues as well as being many things, including lobbyist and PR rep.

Now that the Dallas conference is over, I can start planning my year. I will soon be blogging about my issues, but I am curious as to what issues you see as priority educational topics. Thoughts?

I love this picture I took in Death Valley years ago. There is something quite beautiful in the desert, something unique. There is beauty in the rugged edges of the desert and the tenacity of life in such a harsh environment.

Currently, I am spending my time in a different desert state - Texas - though I head home Sunday morning. I am here for the State Teachers of the Year conference where we learn what the role entails. Who knew the position was actually a job in itself. In fact, some teachers go on sabbatical for the year. The role in Nevada is not nearly so intense, but it will mean seeking out speaking engagements. Here in Texas, we have spent time working on and crafting our individual messages, which I will share with you at a later date when mine is more . . . well . . . crafted. So stay tuned.


In the meantime, I will cover a couple Reverb prompts:

Beyond Avoidance. What should you have done this year but didn’t because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?) (Author: Jake Nickell)

I had planned on a residential retreat this last summer. I particularly wanted one through either Spirit Rock or Mountain Stream. The only five-day retreat that worked with my schedule was one by Donald Rothberg (yay!) for Jews (oh.). I could have looked harder and for ones farther away, but I didn't. This year, I will be gone four weeks out of the year, so I doubt I will commit to a reatreat, but I am hoping to do one in 2012. It's cool that our sangha has been hosting some and in such a wonderful location (Tahoe), but because they have all been during the school year, I haven't been able to attend.

Future Self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Author: Jenny Blake)

It's difficult to answer this question, though I will take a shot anyway: I think I would say to myself Remember equanimity and that there is a lot of wisdom in the advice to not take things personally. I know the next year will be different for me in that I will need to leave my shell of introversion to meet others. Although this is no small task for a shy person, I know it will be good for me, and I know that relaxing into situations and not taking things personally will make the whole process smoother and more rewarding.

This is particularly poignant for me because I have spent the last five days feeling like a middle school student at lunch on the first day of school, trying to find where I fit in. In that way, it has at times been both awkward and very good for me.

I don't know what it is about this blog, but I feel like it has become much too heavy in its focus. I will brainstorm ways to lighten things up. In the meantime, here's joke for y'all: Why did the dinasauer cross the monkey bars?

Wait for it . . . .

Because he wanted to get to the other slide.

Teehee.

A few more prompts

Next prompt:  Try. What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it? (Author: Kaileen Elise)


For 2010 I wanted to try a picture a day for a year. I made it all the way through August, but then I could not stomach the idea of sitting in front of a computer and editing and uploading pictures. With an online master's, your participation and even your textbook reading all take place online. I got really sick of the computer. But I do not regret my decision to stop the project. There will be other opportunities.

For 2011, I want to try to simplify my life. That's why I put the photo of the stop sign up: I want to remember to STOP and think before I act, to stop buying and to stop taking on extra responsibilities.


I am ready for this - I spent the last month not shopping at all, and I have truly enjoyed it. I can honestly say that this time around, I did not feel the urge to buy anything. In the past, I limited my purpose to environmental issues mostly, so I could buy digital items and services. This time, I looked at environmental issues, financial benefits, and attachement issues. I found it refreshing to not buy anything but groceries. I didn't even miss the almost daily latte and have instead learned to appreciate a good cup of loose leaf tea. And I appreciated more of my attentions being diverted from things to activities and people.

Partly what helped make this easy for me is that my husband decided to join me this time around. Having the most important people in your life onboard with these kinds of decisions is so incredibly helpful.

Another thing I want to try in 2011 is a residential retreat. I am not sure I will be able to fit it in with all the other traveling I have scheduled, but I am certainly going to look into it.

Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011? (Author: Leonie Allan)


I had some great down time this summer. Reading especially helped heal me. Because I read so much for work, it was especially nice to revisit the concept of pleasure reading. I read Shantaram, which I loved, as well as some cheesy mysteries. For my trip to Dallas, I am taking The Book Thief. I am terrified of flying, which is always allayed by a good, gripping read.

This "healing" was a slow process, but as the summer unfolded, I become more enthusiastic about everything.

For 2011, I would like to be energized by my travels and by having some free time. As I mentioned before, I am putting my master's on hold starting in a few weeks, and because I am no longer department chair, I have less work to carry home at night. Consequently, I hope to have some more time to play - to hang out with my kids, to cook, to read, to craft, and to meditate.

2010 in Summary

Next blog prompt from Reverb 2010: December 15 – 5 Minutes. Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010. (Author: Patti Digh)


Here I we go: 2010 started out very bleak for me. The first three and half months were a dark time in my life. To this day, I am not entirely sure why. For some reason, my faith in myself and my places in my family and my social circle was shaken. Although I am not 100 percent clear on the cause of this dark moment in my life, I do know that the weather had something to do with it, and as the ground thawed, so did my attitude toward the world. In the spring, my energy and my enthusiasm slowly increased.

In April, my principal called me into his office. I was nervous. What had I or someone in my department done? I was surprised to hear that I was chosen as the CHS teacher of the year - surprised because as department chair, I had nominated three other teachers. I had hoped it would be one of them who had won. Shortly thereafter, I interviewed for and won the district Teacher of the Year.

One big decision I made this year was to step down as department chair. This gave me a lot more time this summer to enjoy summer. And so I started my master's program, which has been more work than I expected, but rewarding nonetheless.

In the fall, I finished my application for State Teacher of the Year, and I discovered in December that I had been chosen. That has been a whirlwind.

Meanwhile, the year was largely devoid of serious illness - no hospitalizations, knock on wood. We like Rosalind's 2nd grade teacher. Jason has also started his master's in liberal arts. Sawyer is starting to enjoy toys beyond trains, but we still love to read about, play with, and visit trains.

Time!

With that prompt over with, I have to say that thoroughly enjoying this weather.Spring in January.

I'd share what I am reading, but I am still reading about school finance. It's a lot more interesting that it sounds. This week we are discussing systemic challenges to school finance - vouchers and religious charter schools especially. I am also reading lots and lots (91to be exact) developing research papers. My favorite topics so far:

• What happened with the death of Benny Paret?
• Why should the federal Department of Education be eliminated?
• What is technology addiction?
• How do the recession and the Tahoe ski industry affect one another?
• What is behind the age controversy in the Olympics?
• What are Colic and Laminitis in horses and how can they be prevented and treated?

Sheesh! I love my job!

Most popular topics this year from my students:

• What is diabetes and how is it treated?
• What effect does music have on a person?
• What injuries are common in snowboarders and how can these be prevented?

Things are coming together with their papers. My seniors this year rock, in case I haven't mentioned that before. I better not get too used to it. Things could be very different next year, but for now, I am loving on my classes and closing with a picture from a year ago.

More Reverb 2010 Questions

Here's another one:  Body Integration. This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present? (Author: Patrick Reynolds)

At first, I thought I would just pass on this prompt, but when I think about it, I would have to say there have been times when I was working out when I had this cohesive ME experience. And there have been a few times cuddling with my kids or in the classroom when things seem so natural and at ease. 

Action. When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step? (Author: Scott Belsky)

My next step is more about inaction than action. At least personally it is. I want to scale back, to focus on the people in my life and to not always be so concerned with accomplishing something. In the long run, reading a book with my kids is more valuable than accomplishing the task of emptying the dishwasher or folding laundry. But, dang, that is so much easier to say than do. At some point, someone has to empty the dishwasher or fold the laundry.

Or maybe not.

Appreciate. What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Author: Victoria Klein)

This has been hard for me to answer, but I think the Dharma is something I continue to be grateful for. I know it sounds cheesy, but what I have learned and what I am hoping to someday more successfully practice are concepts that affect every moment of my life. Compassion, for example, applies whether I am in my kitchen, in my car, in my classroom, or in the boardroom. On the cushion or off, the teachings have affected my life and effected change in my life.

How do I express gratitude? Well, not well enough. I do say a little thank you for this opportunity to meditate at the end of every meditation. But there is so much more I could be doing to express this gratitude from saying thank you to those who have made it possible for me to learn and practice to giving back more to my community to making more of an effort to live what I am learning.

So with that, thank you for this opportunity to reflect on what is important in my life.

Totally Stoked!

The kids and I are gearing up for Valentine's Day by making decorations. I love this holiday because it is all about the people whom you love. Plus, red is my favorite color, so it gives me an excuse to dress myself and my kids in red.

Saturday, I met with LeAnn Morris, the 2008 Nevada State Teacher of the Year. She filled me in on everything I can expect to happen this year. Her summary of her year and her advice energized me. Here are just a couple of things I am excited about:

• My first trip is coming up in about a week
• I get a new SMARTboard, and the school gets a site license for a program
• I get my own hotel room!
• The past three years one online univeristy has offered all STOYs a free-ride scholarship. If it does continue and if they will transfer my credits, it will save me about $15,000.
• I will visit the White House and likely meet President Obama.

I have avoided this topic on my blog because I don't want to gloat, but at the same time, I really want to enjoy this year to its fullest, and I am really excited about what's to come.

I am contemplating starting a new blog on educational topics, though I'm not sure if I really need three blogs going. We'll see.

2011: Simplicty

Last year, I set a ridiculous goal for myself to have a different resolution every month. I ended up overwhelmed and frustrated. What I needed more than anything was to cut back, not add on. This is why for 2011 I decided to commit to simplicity. Step one - set the intention. 

I intend to do all that I can to simplify my life. Doing so will bring me more peace of mind, more time to spend with my family and friends, and more time for creative play and meditation.

From here, I made a long list of things I could do to simplify my life. The list is rather boring, but I will tell you that I have already made a difference in how I feel, and I am happier with the way I spend my time. Simple things like canceling digital subscriptions to email lists can make a big difference.

Then I discovered the prompt from Gwen Bell, which is  What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? (Author: Sam Davidson)


This fits in perfectly with my resolution to simplify, so I spent a week contemplating this questions. I finally came up with this list:

1. More items on my to-do list
2. Stress
3. Clutter
4. Extra weight
5. Gossip
6. Digital clutter
7. Anger
8. Lots of time in front of computer 
9. Worry 
10. Temper tantrums 
11. Fatigue 

I also brainstormed things I could do to eliminate these things.


I am glad I am doing this. Although I am cutting back where I can, I will be very busy this year. From what I understand, being the state teacher of the year (STOY) comes with work. I am happy to do it, and I am also glad I am clearing my plate so that I can feel like I am putting my best effort into those responsibilities. I am putting my master's program on hold until September, starting in early February. I can't wait to not have a paper a week to write!


I am getting really excited about my first trip as STOY, which will be to Dallas for a conference of all the STOYs. 

Moving along on the blog prompts

Beautifully Different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful. (Author: Karen Walrond)

This is the current prompt from the Reverb 2010 blog prompts that I am working on, more than a month late, I might add. This one has me stumped. I guess my answer is mostly I dunno. I guess I don't know what I do that makes people light up except that I smile at people a lot. Paradoxically, I both love people and am extremely shy. This often causes discord for me, but I think the real important quality I have that makes me different is that I love teenagers. I am frequently asked why I would want to work with teenagers. You know, the whole kids-these-days song and dance. But on top of finding teens quite respectful and kind, I have learned that I love this age because it is the age in which teens start deciding whom they are separate from their parents, their siblings, and (gasp!) their friends. I think it's exciting to be a part of a student's exploration of what it means to be her. And this plays out intellectually in the classroom when students believe one thing, but their research leads them elsewhere. How exciting to watch a student explore an issue like stem cell research and do a complete 180 on the topic.

I don't think this love of adolescence makes people shine, but it does make the work I do more meaningful. I love my students and love being around them, and generally, I think they sense that.

Well, this topic warrants more contemplation, so I am going to move on: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans. (Author: Shauna Reid)

My friends Bob and Mandy hosted a 40th birthday party for me and my work buddies. It was a lot of fun. The best food there - various delicious cheeses my friends Terri and Adam brought. The best conversation - Scott telling us about his son's new girlfriend. In text that isn't funny, but it was hilarious in person. The best music - Bob bought Motley Crue's album Shout at the Devil. Hee hee. It took me back to the days of ratted hair and Ratt.

Next question:

Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? (Author: Susannah Conway)

Definitely deciding to pursue my master's. As hard as it has been to juggle teaching literature, grading papers, being a mom, working out, maintaining a social life, and meditating all while doing my master's, I have discovered that I really love the issues and topics that go along with education administration. Case in point: I was writing a paper, and my friend Ben agreed to meet me for coffee at 10 a.m. to help me work out an issue. At one point, I thought, "I'm getting hungry. It must be about noon. I should suggest we get something to eat." I looked at my watch - it was 2 p.m.! We had talked about this issue almost entirely for four hours, and I hadn't realized so much time had passed. I am sure both our spouses were a little skeptical as to what we were actually doing, but unless you count discussing the priorities of a successful co-teaching program having an affair, then you can rest assure that everything was on the up-and-up.


Well, it is time to meditate and call it a night. It's cold here. Here's to wishing you have plenty of warm drinks to warm your tummy and friendship to warm your heart.

More 2010 Review

For the blog review of 2010, Gwen Bell asks, "Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (Author: Gretchen Rubin)."

The last thing of 2010 that I made was definitely a scrapbook page. During the Christmas break, I spent a lot of time in my crafting area making cards and pages. I loved it and found it completely reeneergizing. While working on my master's, I have very little time for play, so the break from both work and school was much needed. I have six more weeks of this program before I take an extended break so that I can focus on my Teacher of the Year resonsibilities.

Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why? (Author: Alice Bradley)


This question gives me stomach knots. I haven't completed the letting go, but I decided in December to change dentists. This upsets me. I kind of bonded with him over this last year. I like him and have finally started getting the work I needed because he helped me work through some of that. But then I discovered that he is on his third round of probation with the state examination board. Time to move on, unfortunately. The problem is that I have serious loyalty issues and feel that moving on is disloyal even if I think it is better for my pocket book and my health. I have struggled with coming to terms with this.

Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011? (Author: Cali Harris)

I discovered the 365 picture-a-day community, and even though I didn't finish the project, I did enjoy chatting up fellow 365ers and getting and giving feedback.

Reverb 2010: Blog Prompts from Gwen Bell

Lat December, well December 2009, I followed Gwen Bell's suggestions for a blog a day to cover the previous year. I want to do the same for 2010, but of course I am running late. But, meh! Who cares about timeliness. December and May are crazy months for us for a whole slew of reasons. So why not blog in January?

Prompt 1: Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?

For 2010, I think the one word has to be "roller coaster." Okay, so that is cheating because it's two words. The year started out bleak. I don't know why, but the winter sucked me dry of my energy and enthusiasm. Then as the weather improved, so did my mood. So many things this year caught me off guard, but especially being chosen as the school teacher of the year, then the district teacher of the year, and then the state teacher of the year. While this semester has been one of my best as a teacher (my classes this year ROCK), it has also been one of the saddest semesters. Lots of people around me have suffered immensely, and we put our dog down.
 
For 2011, I want the word to be "simplify." There is not doubt I need to simplify my life. Simplify my possessions and my commitments and my goals. That's the plan, anyway.

Prompt #2:  Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it? (Author: Leo Babauta)

Well, this is an easy one - my master's program keeps me from writing. And I have two more days of a break before it starts again, so I who knows when I will blog again. The good news is that for my master's I write a paper a week, which keeps my writing skills well-honed.

Prompt #3: Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors). (Author: Ali Edwards)


This is an easy one: the moment when the state announced I received the state teacher of the year award. I was pretty nervous going into the assembly because there were rumors I was the reason for the assembly. Now, you have to know that the idea of over 2,000 people gathering and paying attention to me is about as close to terrifying as anything could get. As it became clear why the presenter was there, I got so nervous that I could hear my heart pounding. My voice and my hands shook when I walked to the front of the gym and accepted the award. It was all a whirl - lots of cheering and lots of shaking on my part. The best part was when the students were released to go back to class, three boys from my junior class last year rushed down to hug me. That moment right there was one of the best moments of my life - my junior class last year was full of both kindness and brilliance. I could not have asked for a better group of students, and having some of them there to cheer me on so deliberately made my year.
Prompt #4: Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)


My profession has always initiated a sense of wonder for me.  As an English teacher, I have always loved being able to explore new authors and new writing processes for students. Lately, however, I have felt compelled to research more educationally-driven issues: I researched sleep and school start times, Hispanic enrollment in honors/AP classes, co-teaching, and cheating and plagiarism, just to name a few.
Well, that's all for now. See you soon hopefully.