Saturday, July 17, 2010

Still need a book...

I went from reading several things at once to reading nothing. NOTHING. I am in a reading funk and it's making me spend hours and hours on the Internet doing nothing. Except reading tweets and news articles and other stuff.

I realize that that is reading, but I need a book.

I read a great espionage novel by Steve Berry earlier in the summer and I read/edited the novel my uncle wrote. I also read a great low country novel on sweetgrass baskets. Other than that, my summer has been replete with technology but shockingly void of good reads.

As summer comes to an end for me, I am in need of some good reads to take to the mountains with me. There's nothing better than the cool mountain air and a good read in a rocking chair.

I need a book. Stat.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Promoting Professional Advocacy amongst Educators

I was met with a disturbing comment from a colleague this year.

Let me set this up properly. My state is undergoing serious budget cuts this year, as I'm sure others are as well. This lead to me getting hot and heavy with some e-mail accounts. I sent several e-mails to the local senator and representative, as well as those for whom I am a constituent. I also sent out the links to all faculty members. My e-mails were pretty informative--a link to the e-mail forms, key items up for debate that week, and some talking points to use. Doesn't get any easier than that, does it?

I had good response from several teachers. Lots of "thank you!" and "I e-mailed today!"

This is what we need to do. We need to remind these politicians that we vote and we matter. What we do everyday affects kids, which affects this state's future economy. We want this economy to turn around? Whose shoulders do you think our future rest on?

Now to the disturbing part. In conversation with a few colleagues, the e-mail campaign came up, to which the youngest in our group responded that she hadn't sent any e-mails. What was the point? She just didn't do stuff like that.

How can you NOT do stuff "like that?" We voted for these people. They change platforms and loyalties like the rest of us change underwear. It is our responsibility to remind them who they work for. We can't just turn them loose and hope for the best!

So how do we encourage teachers to take the extra five minutes it takes to be politically active? How do we convince them that their five minutes are worth it? That's what I'm working on with my new committee members. As a part of CERRA's advisory board, we want to make advocacy as simply as possible.

Input is most definitely welcome.

One last, lazy day (Hey! Alliteration!)

I'm enjoying what will be my last weekday on the couch with the dog and the DVR. Tomorrow, it is back to work.

Tomorrow, I have to start thinking about SGA (and possibly kicking myself for agreeing to take it). I head to Newberry to meet with the student body president about registration and then pick up the notebooks, aka instruction manuals, from the outgoing sponsor.

Tomorrow, I have to do a two hour driving lesson for a friend's son. It will be an exciting trip down to Newberry to run the road test and back.

Tomorrow, I will have to get up and shower and get dressed and wear shoes.

Tomorrow, I will have to eat breakfast on a schedule and not whenever I want to.

Friday, I have an 8 a.m. tee time and then scheduled pool time.

But, tomorrow, I'll feel the pressure that starts as summer ends.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

I feel you slipping away, slipping away...

I feel the end of summer is nigh. (Just the use of nigh makes me giggle.)

Now most of you teachers may be looking at your calendar and thinking, it's only July 11th. There's plenty of summer left! No, there's not. Not for me anyway. This is something I do to myself. I have so ingrained myself into extracurricular activities that my summer is over in approximately one week, 14 hours.

That is when I will get in my car and drive five hours to Georgia.

To teach color guard.

To end my summer vacation.

Color guard is the visual aspect of the marching band. It's the flags, rifles, sabers, and dancers. Basically, it's the fun stuff. And it's something I've been doing for the past, oh, fifteen years or so. It eats into my summer, but it's also something I enjoy. I get to be physical and really stretch that creative muscle.

So summer vacation will end in approximately one week, 13 hours, and 56 minutes. But I guess it's my own choice. Although it does have me thinking now about what I will be doing this time next month.