December reading list

Inspiration:
Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth: Awakening to your life's purpose" (main focus: understanding the value of this very moment. may seem a little far reaching for some but it has made a world of difference in enlightening my everyday experience)

School:
¡En Español 1! (if you in high school or if you'd just like to learn high school level beginner Spanish, this could just be your salvation!)
¡En Español 2! (think you're ready to advance to two past tenses and reflexive verbs?? you might just find this is the textbook for you! Please speak to its representative - me - if you would like some further information or tutoring)

John Dewey (okay, this is bad...can't even remember the title of the book! hopefull the intern seminar leader at EWS isn't reading this blog!) (basically this is revolutionary educational theory in its purest - and oldest- form)

"Horace's Compromise" by Theodore R. Sizer. After 5 years of so of researching America's high schools in the 1980s Sizer takes paints a picture of how American schools were in the 1980s (focusing on both the perspective of the teachers and the students) and he offers suggestions for educational reform. The message is still appropriate to today's educational scene and I really enjoy the journalistic as well as academic approach he took in writing this book.

News:
The Christian Science Monitor. Love the simplicity, yet thoroughness and sincerity with which the articles are written.

I'll be home for Christmas (imagine the song....)

One of the lovely things about being a teacher is that you still get to enjoy the holidays you had as a student. It's an added bonus to work for a boarding school with a good number of foreign exchange students who travel great distances to return to their families. Three weeks is what Emma students get to enjoy and faculty have about 2.5 because we must return early for a Faculty Forum. I'm not complaining because it gives me plenty of time to be with immediate and extended family, friends from college, as well as fly down to Florida to attend the wedding of a dear of mine from my own camp and boarding school days. Ideally I would like to get all those test graded and plan ahead for my classes but who has time for that during break??

Things accomplished since being home:
1. sleeping
2. going for a long walk with the two dogs and my mom
3. sleeping
4. watching Jon Stewart
5. sleeping
6. Playing guitar (I just learned three chords) with my cool brother
7. Lunch with Dad in DC followed by a long walk to visit the Nat'l Christmas Tree, the Nat'l Gallery of Art, and Freer Gallery
8. Fallen asleep on the Metro
9. Watched "Just Friends" with brother
10. going to bed

Is it normal that I am more tired in my unproductive state that I'm in at home than I am when I am in crazy teacher mode back at Emma??

Photos from the fall 2006

Here's some photos of my funky living space and beautiful campus!

EWS Fall 2006

Revels 2006

I took this explanation directly from the Emma Parent Newsletter: "Revels is an exciting and integral part of the rich tradition of Emma Willard School. Students have been performing this tradition since 1915, and each year the pageantry is reenacted by the senior class portraying the play's familiar medieval characters. To add to the excitement, the identities of the Lord and Lady of the Manor, the Chamberlain, the Jester, and other Revels favorites are a well-guarded secret."

Revels is probably one of the most important events at EWS besides graduation. All the underclasswomen as well as faculty dress in their best and become honored guests at the lord and lady of the manor's big feast. Below is the link for some photos from the event.

Revels 2006

troubles with blogging

Recently I've been been frustrated that I haven't been doing as much blogging as I'd anticipated at the beginning of the year. However, after pondering this for, oh maybe two minutes, I realized that (1) I just don't have/don't make that kind of time and (2) everything I want to write about involves complaints, revelations, inspiration, frustration, involving students or colleagues and this is just too public of a place to be publishing that kind of information. Who know's who could have access to my blog ? How much would it stink to have my students find this blog and learn that I actually gave them a C on their last test because I didn't get enough sleep the night before grading..oops! No, that's not true at all, but what if? It's just too political to write how I really feel about my experience. That's the crazy thing about blog writing. I'm sure I'm like many other bloggers in that I've always felt I'm much more willing to open up my emotions and express how I truly feel through writing rather than speaking. It's a dangerous thing, this computer, because these keys type my thoughts faster than I'm able to really process what I am saying.

So I'm trying to find a way to share my life at Emma Willard without making myself, the school, my colleagues, and the students vulnerable to misunderstanding and false judgement. My brother suggested starting a new blog in which I could anonymously represent myelf, but then how could I really share what was going on with those of you who know me?? that's the tricky thing. Regardless, I do want to write more. Will see what comes about.

¡¡¡¡¡Esta nevando!!!

I almost tripped over myself this morning after opening the blinds to see snow falling rapidly down to meet a white blanket on the ground (hey that kinda rhymes!). Yesterday it was in the mid-60s, yesterday it was a bright sunshiny day, albeit it a bit chilly, and now it's snowing!!!! These are the best kind of snows....when you have no clue they are coming. Maybe I could take my Spanish classes outside to play!!

Blunder of the day (written Nov. 27)

I just got back from running over to the mail room to stop a disaster. Well, I guess it's not a disaster but one wouldn't necessarily look to fondly on putting a test in a student's mailbox before the test has been graded, let alone even taken. oops! This is a student who missed a whole week of class and of course didn't try to catch up over the week long Thanksgiving break. She is so far behind I don't even know where to start. But anyway, I didn't hand out the graded test to the other students during class so I decided to put it in their mailboxes. The blank test with the student's name on it happened to be in the bunch. whoops!

As soon as I realized my mistake, which took place an hour ago, I ran over to the mailroom. I passed through the day-student lounge and guess who was sitting there on the couch??!! Yup, that very same girl and she had the test sitting right next to her. Feeling a bit like a fool, I kindly asked to have it back. Although she said she hadn't even looked at it, I could feel her sadness floating in the air as I took the top secret info from her hands. I'll be sure not to make that mistake again.

Brother and Sister bonding: "Paperweight"

"Paperweight" by Josh Radin and Schuyler Fisk

Been up all night
staring at you
wondering what's on your mind
i've been this way
with so many before
but this feels like the first time
you want the sunrise
to go back to bed
i want to make you laugh
mess up my bed with me
kick off the covers
i'm waiting
every word you say i think
i should write down
i don't want to forget
come daylight
happy to lay here
just happy to be here
i'm happy to know you
play me a song
your newest one
please leave your taste on my tongue
paperweight on my back
cover me like a blanket
mess up my bed with me
kick off the covers
i'm waiting
every word you say i think
i should write down
i don't want to forget
come daylight
and no need to worry
that's wastin time
and no need to wonder
what's been on my mind
it's you
it's you
every word you say i think
i should write down
don't want to forget
come daylight
and i give up
i let you win
you win 'cause i'm not counting
you made it back
to sleep again
wonder what you're dreaming

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So for some time now I've been trying to find a valuable way to interact with my brother Andy. Often when I'm home the deepest we go is to chuckle over some Arrested Development or watch some funny online videos from youtube.com (good site by the way!). He's an extremely bright person and I am so proud to be his sister. I just wish that we shared more of a consistent and dependable connection. Tonight went a little differently than previous home visits.Recently Andy's been teaching himself how to play the accoustic guitar. He's already got some Jack Johnson under his belt and tonight he wanted to learn this beautiful new one that's typed up above. So he searched the lyrics online and also found a live performance of the song on myspace.com (http://www.myspace.com/joshuaradin). I guess site does come in handy for more than just stalking. So as he was learning the chords I decided to look up the lyrics learn them. Within an hour and a half, he was playing and I was singing right along with his music. This is an unusual experience to report on because typically I need to find something convincingly interesting that will hook his interest and desire to talk or hang out with me. This time it came very naturally. There was no annoyance when either one of us messed up with what we were learning and no sense of eagerness to learn on one's own. we were patient and helped each other learn. Also this was a completely new, and therefore neutral, activity for the two of us. Yes, I sang in choir a while back but the only time I sang along to someone's guitar was at camp in Maine and it's usually blending in with a big group. Point is that it was a fun, new, spontaneous experience that we both enjoyed thoroughly. I'm really grateful to have connected in that way with my brother. ¿quién sabe? maybe you can expect the Hatch twin Cd coming out soon.....

http://www.searchkindly.org/

Looking for an easy way to help the world? A friend told me about this website that's a great alternative to the average google site. Well actually it still is Google but every cent made from advertisers goes to a different charity organization each month. This months charity is INVISIBLE CHILDREN (http://www.invisiblechildren.com/home.php) . My computer battery is about to run out so I will write more later about the organization as well as their incredibly informative and moving documentary.

I am a contribution

n the book Art of Possibility, the authors have a chapter called "Being a contribution". The main idea is that we should go into our days with the attitude that you have something to contribute, something of value that will positively affect the day. well, I've been just about fed up with how I've been feeling recently when preparing and teaching classes. I've been going to class with the attitude that I'm going to fail, or that they won't understand me,or that I am too incompetent in my knowledge of Spanish to be able to teach it. Point is that I have been knocking myself down and limited my potential. It's been really easy to be like this because the attitude has been pretty negative around here. I know this is contrary to what I wrote at the beginning of the year, pretty much saying that life was perfect. well this still is a very special place, but what's happened is that there is a lot of change going on here and change makes people unhappy and uncomfortable. we just adopted a block schedule, there is a lot of reconstruction and construction changing the look of the campus, old traditions are being altered, there's new faculty, yada yada....point is that many people are uncomfortable with the growing pains and not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. So recently I've been really affected by their attitudes. Every day someone has something negative to say about the schedule or the construction outside our office, or the alertness of the students, etc.

Well I'm fed up with it. I'm tired of feeling like i'm going to vomit before or during my class. I'm tired of complaining, I'm tired of feeling like a downer and so it's time for a change. I want to declare myself a contribution each day, whether big or small. I need to keep it all in perspective and try to see that light at the end of tunnel. My housemate here gave me a good thought: Getting somewhere hard to get to takes a lot of work. Seems like an obvious statement but it's so true. I need to remember that I will not become a super amazing teacher in one day, two months, or even a year, or two years....the point is that any goal is going to take some work to reach and i just need to suck it up and get through the growing pains.This said, there is still the possibility for good each day. that is where the contribution comes in. i need to declare myself a contribution each and every moment of every day or else I will be bound to fail. I know deep down that I have something to offer these girls.It may not be perfection as a teacher but there is always something positive that i can bring every day. I don't like how it feels to dig my own grave and put myself down after every failure. I need to challenge my/the general conception of reality and deny that failure always has to be something negative. Instead failure is a sign of growth, improvement, advancement.

I'll let you know how it goes.

All school fieldtrip to Boston to see Dr. Gunther von Hagens "Body Worlds 2"

www.mos.org/bodyworlds

(from last thursday)

Okay, so I'm feeling pretty down right now. the only image that I can conjure up for how I think of my teaching profession as it stands is of this wonderful yet trecherous rollercoaster ride that brings me to the highest heights with the most beautiful view and then after two seconds of enjoyment I drop down screaming into a dark abyss. After some seconds of confusion and chaos I ride back out and see the sunlight again. If I'm not painting that picture clearly it's because I feel like I'm in the abyss right now. I had a great ride up the hill with my Spanish 2 class this morning. I am so comfortable with these girls and for the most part they respond to me just how I want them to. I can be funny with the, joke with them, but at the same time be serious and get down to business and teach them. I also interact with some of the girls outside of class so it makes it so much easier. In today's class they were excited and receptive to the fun lesson I had planned. The climax of the ride was so rewarding because the girls were really getting the new vocab I had presented and they even were wanting to know some new verb conjugations that we won't learn for a few more days. It felt so good.

But now for the downer.... After my Spanish 2 class I had about 3 hours to review and perfect my lesson plans for Spanish 1 at 1:45pm. I had done most of the planning until 2am last night (probably a factor of my sour mood) after being on dorm duty from 8pm (when we returned from a trip to See BodyWorlds 2 exhibit in Boston) to 11:15pm. I was actually very awake when I was doing this planning last night because I was so excited about the lesson I had done for Spanish 2. So although I was tired today I went into if feeling very excited that I was finally going to have 2 good classes in one day. I felt organized and energized to teach the new information. But I just got out of the lesson and felt very dissatisfied. In reality it probably wasn't such a horrible class but it wasn't what I'd expected. It moved way to slow, I didn't keep everybody involved, and I'm not sure how much solid information they actually learned that will prep them for the new chapter. What happens is every unit revolves around a common theme and place. This Unit is actually based in Mexico and the first chapter is all about things having to do with school. The first two pages have a ridiculous amount of information about México and then the next page is the start to the specific chapter where there is a photo and the kids are supposed to discuss what they see in the photo and then surmise what they'll be learning in it. Then they move on to the presentation of the vocab. So, in the 50 minutes I had, I only got them that first photo of the Etapa (aka. chapter). They seemed tired, bored, and therefore were unengaged. I tried to get them moving and talking and doing something different by putting them in groups to look for information but it only worked for a short time.

I guess what I'm finding so difficult is that I'm trying to conduct a class all in Spanish to class of students with the widest range of exposure to Spanish. Some girls have absolutely no idea what I am saying most of the time and then the ones who do know what is going on are bored out of their minds. and I can't find a way to reach and engage them all (something which is necessary in Spanish. as for the ones who don't have a clue...those are the kids that are the hardest to teach. Because they don't have a clue what i am saying or how to respond. my job in Spanish 1 is to give them those basic tools, lay the foundation for their education in Spanish. That is a heck load of responsibility and pressure because their future in Spanish depends on this basic information they need to learn in this class that I teach. If I do it in the wrong/confusing way they have to learn it all over again from somebody else and it holds them back. I hate that responsability. It's even more frustrating because I watch Marilyn teach and she does all this stuff so naturally and I see everything I need to do to be a better teacher with these students from Spanish one, but I just can't see to implement those skills in the classroom when I am teaching. LIke last night....I got so excited to finally start a unit/chapter off right and was so organized but during the class it didn't seem to be enough. I still missed so many key points and actions. because you ahve to correct a kid every time they say or write something wrong. and that happens every single second because they are still not comfortable with the skills their employing. arggh...... no es divertido enseñar así.

It seems like it's going to take forever until I get comfortable with this class. I am trying to not be so egotistical and think that I am the only vessel of knowledge these kids can learn from....that is not my point, I think my point is that I just want to do it right for them the first time. I can't just have them be my guinea pigs for the year and try and fail all the time. I need to be successful because this is their education that I'm dealing with. I don't want them to go into Spanish two next year not feeling comfortable in the basics. I guess it's hard too because the basics are so hard to explain because i use them so comfortably and don't even think about. You have to think about Spanish in a whole new way to be able to teach and explain it. it's no easy job. It's so much easier to teach Spanish 2 because at least they have their basic skills already under their belts and they can try to understand me from context. They've heard the majority of words/verb structures that I am using and I don't need to explain every freakin word/context to them. They don't stare at me with blank faces because they already have the vocab necessary to understand the context.

So I'm done with my venting at this moment because complaining will never get me far. I really really want to get this down right and I'm determined to be successful. I just want the roller coaster to ease up ont he extremes...I want that confidence and ability to come as soon as possible. :/

Beginner Teachers Institute - NYSAIS 10/26

Every year NYSAIS (New York State Association of Independent Schools) puts on various conferences that support the professional development of teachers in their association. It is our (the other interns and I) second and last night here in Renssalaerville, NY (http://www.riconferencecenter.com/), a beautiful setting which certainly facilitates learning and inspiration. The conference started yesterday at 4pm and ends tomorrow morning. To sum it up: the first night we all gathered in one room and we were asked to think back to our first 10 minutes of teaching: what were we thinking, how prepared were we, what were the reactions.... then we had to get with a partner who we didn't know and share our different experience. we did the same with a different topic: sharing stories about the worst teacher that we had...the one who just didn't get us. then we turned to the positive route: who inspired us the most...possibly someone who inspired us to be a teacher. what a great idea, but i had such a difficult time remembering. I guess that could a be a good thing - to not have too many memories of bad teachers in my life. but I seriously couldn't think back too far into my educational history. I guess that's because it was so divided from going from private preschool to public elementary (kindergarten-1st) to private elementary/middle school (2nd-8th) to public hs (9th,10th) to boarding high school (11th,12th). I wouldn't trade that experience for anything but I'd say that had a unique affect on my scholastic and moral education.

After that first session we were divided into what are called "home groups". These were groups that included people from all the different types of teaching (lower, middle, upper....language, history, science, math, etc.). In those groups we shared 1. Our lowest low in teaching. 2. Our highest high. 3. Personal goals at this time in our life and 4. Professional goals.

The sharing of the lowest of lows was quite interesting and I must say entertaining too. It was great to be around people with similar experiences to mine. so you want to hear my lowest low? it's actually quite embarrassing as it only involved teaching my Spanish 1 students the numbers 11-100 (how to spell them and say them). easy right? Little did I know that i had absolutely no idea how to explain this simple concept to people who just started learning the language a month ago. not to mention this was the second class I had had with Spanish 1 and was all set to redeem myself after a not so good first class. well, let me tell you my friends, teaching numbers is not as easy as you think. I got up in front of the class and realized that I hadn't thought out the explanation of what 11-30 (ex. 11- once, 23- veintitrés, 30-treinta) and the majority of the numbers after 30 are two words for one number (42- cuarenta y dos)

when preparing this lesson just wasn't thinking like a student new to Spanish or even thinking like a teacher. It didn't occur to me that I should explain why you drop the e and the y and add an i for those one word numbers.... I also didn't think about trying to explain it in English instead of Spanish but instead tried to use words in Spanish (that they don't know yet) to explain what the heck I was doing. ah!!!!!!!!!!!!

Such lack of preparation and thinking led to 1. blank stares from students 2. a ridiculous amount of sweat dripping down my back, oh yes! and sweaty palms, too! 3. Marilyn (my mentor who observes me in this class every day!) giving looks of pain, but definitely not offering any help. 4. me wanting to rip my clothes off and jump out the window but deciding better to just give them a water break, correct the homework and then send them home.
I thought i'd had some bad classes with Spanish 2 but this class topped all the previous lows. I was having an out of body experience where i could see how it was all rolling down hill at a very fast pace....not good.

main point = forgot that teachers must teach, not just talk, they must know the ins and outs of the information that is to be presented. they must anticipate misunderstandings. Although it is wonderful to get to the point in my own personal use of Spanish where I don't have think about the whys with everything that I write or say, I need to remember that I was not at that point in 9th/10th grade and my students are certainly not there either. I am clearly being humbled here and learning to know this beautiful language from a completely fresh perspective.

school visit to Concord Academy

So at this point in my teaching career I feel like I really haven't established a teaching style for myself. I see myself more like a big sponge than anything else because i just have so much to learn and I am just soaking up everything I can from whatever resources are presented to me. last wednesday the language department took off and went to visit Concord Academy in Concord, MA. Not only was the trip itself a great bonding experience with 3 other of the female teachers (Marilyn, my mentor, Lauren-a french teacher. she was an intern last year. and Sabra- french teacher from canada) but it was a wonderful opportunity to see different styles of teaching. Señor Cambria was by far the best teacher that I have seen yet. I visited both his spanish i and spanish ii classes. I guess what was so impressive was how well organized and high achieving the classroom was. when students walked into the classroom the first thing they did was go find who their class partner was for the day. apparently they switch partners every day and this partner is the person with whom they speak, correct homework and do other exercises. every class starts with dialogue with your partner about the segment of the Destinos video that was assigned the night before. Destinos is great program where students' learning is based off of a spanish telenovela (soap opera) called Destinos.through this telenovela they are exposed to multiple aspects of many spanish speaking cultures as well as all the necessary grammatical education. It is very interactive and useful and i noticed a stark difference with the level of the spanish used by the concord students compared with Emma students. These students were using preterite (past) tense as if they'd been doing it for a year. while I struggle daily to get full sentences out of my girls, these students were speaking with ease and comfort, seeming quite knowlegeable of what they were saying. it was incredible. also there was no whining or complaining about assignments or requests. maybe the class could be more disciplined because it was coed and unfortunately I think that the gender dynamics of the classroom definitely affect the atmosphere of learning. girls at emma are way to babied but they also would break down if I were to demand the same kind of performance, respect and discipline as the students at concord academy.
so the point is, that I learned a whole lot from this visit. I'm anxious to apply some of the ideas from Cambria's class to my own classroom. I'm feeling that I got no where to go but up and I am so grateful for all these awesome examples. this coming week I am going with the other interns to the NY state Beginner teachers' Institute in Rennsalaerville. it's a three day gathering and training of new teachers from all across the state. Seminars will be given to educate us on teaching tools and methods and also we will be able to discuss the experiences we've had up until now with teaching. it'll be a good experience but i'm a little upset because i am missing classes for it. tomorrow on my day off I need to make up lesson plans for both Spanish One and Two because Marilyn will be taking them over for me while I'm gone. It's funny because I feel like those students are my guinnea pigs, babies is probably a better word, and I don't want to be away from them for too long. I especially don't want them to get confused with the switching back and forth between teaching styles. good things is that I've been told by students and parents that my teaching style is very similar to marilyns and therefore the students haven't noted much difficulty when we switched from marilyn to me....

okay so now I'm getting tired and it's noticeable in this writing. what happened to the days when 11:30pm seemed early to me?

Parent Teacher Conferences

So I did it! I made it to a very important date here at Emma Willard - Parent Days. After being away from their little darlings for about a month and a half the parents arrived in full force. Classes and hallways were packed on Friday as parents were shuffled from one class to the next by their daughters. I can't believe that I pulled of teaching yesterday. When asking about how to plan for the Parent Days classes one teacher told me that you should save your best show for that one day...in other words it needs to be your best class ever taught. Well you could say I felt a lot of pressure as a someone who is doing crash course in teaching by doing. So honestly as this day was coming nearer it still wasn't clear to me that I was comfortable if front of my own students (Spanish II is definitely better than Spanish I, which I just started a week ago) so how was I going to feel settled in front of their parents, the one paying putting down the big bucks for a top notch education. I mean I just began teaching 3 weeks ago and now i have to give them my best show? You mean I have to act as if it's completely naturally, normal, and comfortable and as if I don't want to vomit every time when kids give me blank stares back? as if really know what the heck I'm doing up there with that chalk?

Okay, so it hasn't been that bad. Actually, according to Marilyn, who's been observing my classes, I'm doing very well. She told me that i have a wonderful way of bouncing back. By that she was refering to the way I have disaster classes (like my first and second classes with Spanish 1 where I was sweating buckets just trying to explain how to write and say the numbers 11-100....it's not as easy as you think!) but then I will fix it and get it right by the next class. I'll take that as a compliment. I guess I'm determined not to fail at this teaching thing because it's the education of 24 girls that I'd be messing up. that's not to say that I won't let myself make mistakes but rather I'm committed to make this an experience where I learn and improve every day from each class. I'm realizing that maybe I'm learning as much about teaching as the students are learning about Spanish. I give kudos to all my teachers that I've had because this is no easy job. In order to teach Spanish I have to learn it all over again in a completely different way. I know how to count from 1-100 but how do I explain it to people who have never heard, seen, or written those numbers?

anyways, this is a great experience that I'm having here and the conversations that I had with parents during their conferences on saturday went really well and reassured me that I am in my right place. people are responding well to what I have to offer and that is what truly matters. more to come later.....

Sleep much?

So it's been quite some time since my last post. When I signed on to this job I never thought I'd get as tired as I was when I was in college. My past month here has disproven that assumption. On a typical day I need to be in the office by 7:45am, which means waking up by 7 at the latest so that I can get dressed for the day, eat breakfast, and walk the 7 minute walk to my office. Although I do not teach all day long, most of the "free" is spent lesson planning or in a meeting. School ends at 3:30 and volleyball practice starts at 3:45 and goes for a full two hours. That's certainly the most exciting time of my day. Then its time for a nice dinner in the dorms (the free food is definitely a sperk to this job!). There are two building called Sage and Kellas that are connected and have dining rooms in each. Somehow the time after dinner just flys by. Mondays and Tuesdays are great if there is only practice because I have some free time in the evening.

It's taking me a little while to adjust to being in the working world and realizing that I don't need to, and shouldn't, by working at all times of the day. I need to learn to separate my work from my personal time or else I will go crazy. But then again that's hard to do when you work at a boarding school. These first few weeks I have been wanting to be extremely thorough in my lesson planning and organization of the class period so I've been taking my work home with me and doing in my little office (the second attic room I think I mentioned earlier). But if I take my work home with me I revert to college student mode and dedicate a lot of time to preparing until I feel completely comfortable and ready for the class. Doing work like this leaves me little time to stay sane and have personal time. I need to realize though that it's okay for me to read the newspaper at night, or do some leisure reading, or even watch t.v (which was a very rare activity in college). This job is definitely forcing me to budget my time better.

Speaking of budgeting time.....guess who woke up at 8am Thursday morning for her 8am Spanish 2 class? Yup, you guessed it! I did! I'm learning not only to trust my cell phone alarm but also that I just need to find a way to get to bed earlier.

Jane Fonda

Did I mention that Jane Fonda was the speaker at convocation a week ago? she graduated from Emma Willard in 1955. She gave a fun speech and afterword she shook every hand at this school (including mine!) and then she danced with all the senior during the picnic on the lawn. Here's the link to her speech if your interested: http://www.emmawillard.org/news/index.php

I still can't believe that I work here!

Good Book called "The Art of Possibility"

I recently wrote an email to one of my Dickinson professors, telling her about a wonderful, life altering book that I'm reading. It's titled The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. I reread the email recently and thought it a good idea to tell you all about the book, too. So below, just to give the main idea of the book I just copied and pasted what I wrote in the email to her. I would love to get a conversation going about these topics presented in the book. Maybe, well actually, you SHOULD go get a copy of this book! It'd be great to have a little forum discussing your takes on the book and how you are applying or seeing applied the concepts in the book to every day life. I'll be adding more about this book later. let me know what you think!

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Talk about breaking down and resisting ideologies and
limitations. The basis of the book is that what we call the "real
world" and the so called rules that govern this world are all part of
an invention, or many inventions that have come to define the
parameters of life on this earth.

"When you bring to mind 'it's all invented', you remember that it's
all a story you tell - not just some of it, but all of it. And
remember too, that every story you tell is founded on a network of
hidden assumptions. If you learn to notice and distinguish these
stories, you will be able to break through the barriers of any 'box'
that contains unwanted conditions and create other conditions or
narratives that support the life you envision for yourself and those
around you."(14)

Sound familiar? It's amazing how much the authors' ideas line up with
America Studies. Because it's all an invention (IT being anything from
ideologies of beauty and age to the concept to scientific theories and
'facts' on health and well being...whatever you choose. IT can include
both good and/or bad things) the Zanders propose that one should at
least invent a story to live by that enriches one's life and the lives
of others. And from this point - that it's all invented - the authors
seek to aid in "inventing a new universe to live in, a universe of
possibility." (15) Now some might say concepts like the ones the
Zanders are presenting are flighty, overly positive ways of thinking,
and impossible to realize but I've found their approach to be
extremely realistic and applicable. It just makes sense. There's even
a great chapter called "Giving an A" - main point is not to limit
students, or anybody you interact with, to a your basic and confined
understanding of them. Instead it is about conceiving that anything is
possible with them and your job is to recognize that potential in all
people and come down to their level to aid them in the process of
discovery. They explain, "The practice of giving the A allows the
teacher to line up with her students in their efforts to porduce the
outcome, rather than lining up with the standards against these
students." (33)

Doing what I do

Okay, so last night while on duty I spent at least 40 minutes writing out a huge blog that gave you all the gist of what I am doing here at Emma Willard School. I was in the zone, the writing zone that is...writing clearly and confidently, sure that my blog would satisfy and keep the interest of many readers. My topic sentences were clear and one sentence harmoniously flowed into the next. Sadly, I must inform you tonight that the masterpiece was destroyed at the end of study hall when, due to a flaw in wireless technology here, the internet shut off and a sad looking page appeared saying "This page cannot be displayed" :( and poof! my creation was gone! So with that I guess I should to start over..........


General description:
I am here at Emma Willard School, which is located in Troy, NY (www.emmawillard.org). From the moment I stepped on campus, I felt completely in my right place. Not sure how to really explain that because I've never felt so sure of anything like this. Every thing just fits: the people here, and I mean everyone from the maintenance men to the security guards, to my neighhbors, to the cafeteria workers, teachers, all the way up to the head of the school...these are some of the kindest, most thoughtful people I've ever been around. During duty in the dorms I have met many girls who are so awesome and I've already had some amazing conversations with them. Their intelligence and maturity fascinate and inspire me daily.

My technical title is Spanish intern but that little name tag they handed me at the start of school offers such a limited description of all that I really do here. As an intern I am working specifically with Marilyn Hunter until she takes her sabbatical in the spring. I will be in charge of two classes rather than the full load of four classes. The first week involved little more than observation in Marilyn's classes. this coming week I get to really start working. Spanish II is what I get to conquer next week...eek! a whole class of 11 to myself! The challenge is to sustain the attentiveness of 11 academically driven, yet seriously tired and overworked girls for 80 minutes. Can songs and games count? Good thing is our textbooks are wonderfully detailed and provide many activities for block scheduling. I actually really anxious to get started because I am one who really learns by doing; observation only takes me so far and then I just need to get in there and experiment.

Although I am quickly finding that there are some different opinions and styles of teaching within the Spanish department, I really like the people I work with in there. I share and office with Marilyn, Efraín ( a Mexican teacher who lives on campus with his family. He's been studying and teaching in the U.S. for many years), and Diane (a part time Span. I and II teacher). We usually speak only spanish when we're in the office together. I think this is my favorite part because every day I feel closer and closer to the speaking confidence I had acquired in Mexico.

Not only to I get to teach here but I am also one of the assistant volleyball coaches. This has been one of my favorite activities because I secretly am living vicariously through my players. You could say that this is like the team that I never got to be on - they all love volleyball and have a drive in them that comes from the heart. They spirit is so contagious. Let's just say that it's rarely silent after a play or even on the bench. I've had so much fun learning all their cheers. They are so freakin' athletic and coachable its ridiculous how much potential they have. They listen to the coaches and to each other and truly strive to be better individually and as a team every day in practice. It was so easy to step in as a new coach this year because the girls are just so receptive to progress and learning and really respect their leaders. It's fun for me to because sometimes I warm up , play , and do their conditioning with them. Another great part about volleyball is that I really get along with my co-coaches, especially Kate. There are few interesting things about Kate that should be noted. Not only is she a really cool person and someone I see myself becoming good friends with but even cooler is that she graduated from University of Maryland with a B.A. in the most invigorating, practical, and box breaking majors ever. If you guessed American Studies, you're correct and you win 10 points! Not only is she just any AmStud major but she also commuted to Dickinson with Professor Davies, when he was a visiting professor there. Crazy right? Well the point is that as soon as I found out she was an Amstud thinker like I was, I knew that a great friendship would come of it.
So as coaches, we've been really helping the vballers to realize their highest potential on this team. It's fun because we both are willing to push them to do their best and we hold them accountable to complying with the standards they've set for themselves. Three days ago we sat them down before practice to give them a little thinking exercise. This exercise is called
"Giving an A". I wrote about it in a previous blog. It comes from the book, Art of Possibility. I had the girls imagine that they had one championships and were moving on to the next level. I then asked them 1. as a team to write to the coaches a letter dated in November (end of the season) telling us why they had such a successful season. What made them the team that succeeded over all the other teams? What kind of work did they do to get so good and to push through all the challenges? What were practices like....etc. In addition each of them had to write individual letters doing a similar exercise but telling us what they individually contributed to make the season the best it could be. How did the become the best passer/setter/hitter/blocker/supporter on the bench/manager that they could be? what did it take to reach their highest potential?
What happened the next day after the talk but before they had turned in their letters was truly amazing. they had one of the best games they have every played at Emma Willard. It was against one of their top rivalries and a team that has always been significantly better then them. And they one the game in four games. It was an edge of your seat kind of game with some pretty awesome hitting, plenty of serving aces, roof blocks, and hustle to pick up the tips and some of the most inspiring enthusiasm and energy that Emma volleyball has ever seen...it was just awesome and just made me even love volleyball even more. A day after the game the letters were all turned in and they certainly reinforced all that enthusiasm of the previous day. For the most part, the mental game that i had given them by writing the letter was really taken seriously. I don't mean to get emotional but the letters really did touch me because they were just so inspired and filled with excitement of the possibility of greatness for each of these girls. They showed that they had high goals and truly believed them to be possible.It made me want to meet them at their level and be a better coach so that they could be better players. what a great feeling!!

Welcome to the real world

¡Bienvenidos a todos! / Welcome Everyone!

I'm so excited to be starting a blog again. I found that being able to post my experiences and reflections when I was in Mexico (Jan-June 2005) enabled me to fully process the growth and learning that occurred there. In addition, it offered you all a unique way to learn through my observations about Mexican culture and the people there. As I embark on this journey into what many call the "real world", I find it only appropriate to share with you all my new experiences, knowledge, and inspiration. I truly believe that we all have so much to contribute to this world, but it starts with contributing to each other. This is one of my contributions and I invite you to offer any thing you may have - responses to my blog, questions, challenges to my opinions, your own inspiration and experiences, etc. The point is that I would love to hear from you!

All the best,

Margie