proud mama

A few years ago, spurred a little bit by mean-spirited humor, and in response to the rampant dumbness of groups like these:







Colleen and I created this:

PHeights because Col's from Palos Heights, and EP because I'm from Evergreen Park. Facebook wouldn't let us use that many characters in the title. Now, obviously, no one from Chicago, when they're out and about, would tell a stranger that they're from Evergreen Park, Illinois, as close as it is to Chicago. But it was funny for Col and I to imagine. The group is ridiculous and childish, we know. And awesome. And it's brought us comments like these:


I thought about removing myself from the group just now, but then I saw this latest comment:

(For those of you not familiar with this part of Chicago/not-Chicago, Mt. Greenwood is a Chicago neighborhood that's literally across the street from Evergreen Park.)

And I can't bring myself to do it. Call me immature. Whatevs.

boring, boring, WHAT?

I asked my dad for some advice regarding flex something or other that I keep hearing about at work. An excerpt from his response:

In your case, because you are generally healthy you may not want to participate in the Flexible Spending Health plan unless you know that there will be certain predictable health care outlays during the next year. For example if you know you want new glasses or contacts, or if you want your nose shrunken down to a normal size in the next year you have to try to determine how much your insurance will cover for these procedures so you know how much you will be out of pocket.

Michael's the one with the big nose, Dad!

I peed my pants a little when it happened.

habits

So I don't know what sparked this long absence from my blog, but I really just don't think of anything to write these days. Before, I would see something and think "Blog," immediately. Now, I'm feeling very out of practice.

But just now, I thought, "Blog." Because Jess is at the gym working out, and Kasey and I are waiting for her to come home. And we've got both doors to the apartment locked and chained, so that when she gets here she'll have to knock. And when she knocks, one of us is going to let her in, and one of us is going to throw a pie in her face!

I'm so nervous! I'm so excited!

try to guess mine and my little brother's ages by reading the following exchange:

Hey Bugsy, if you're reading this: Technically, it should be, "so technically I did pretty well." Surprised you didn't know that.

just... you know... drivin', dancin', bein'

hairy wong

Here's the thing about many of the professional development opportunities I've had as a student-teacher. They're insulting to our (student-teachers' and professional teachers') intelligence. They try to "teach" us shit they we've already learned. Today, a well-meaning district official "taught" us what a jigsaw activity is. We also "learned" that having effective classroom management strategies are an important way to enhance student learning.

I'm someone who's most certainly not in teaching for the summers off. I love teaching, and I really believe in the profession's importance. Teachers, I think, have the opportunity to create and nurture a space in which students can talk about the complexities in our communities and in our country (as Obama's speech this morning implored Americans to do!)

My point is, I am not a slacker. I like learning about teaching, and I like reflecting critically on my own teaching. And want to know what I thought the best part our professional development day today was? When the district official said that she was going to show us a clip from a video by a motivational speaker, Harry K. Wong, because the evaluation she received on her last workshop said, "We want more Harry Wong!," one of my colleagues whispered, "That's what she said."

At what point can we assume that everyone in the room, when the room is filled with teachers, knows what differentiated instruction is? Why the constant review of basic concepts in educational psychology? At what point can we move the conversation forward in more productive and creative directions?

I found this when I Googled Harry Wong (ha). Like, seriously? Why do professional development things always have to make teaching out to be the most boring thing in the world?:



I guess this is more of a post for the vlog, huh?

personal victory

Today at school I was able to silence my "That's what she said" reflex not once, but twice. I can't believe it. And let me tell you, I had some killer opportunities.

student: "Ms. Dahlke! Can you come here? I don't know what to do with this thing. It's too long and hard!"

another student: "My locker's broke and I can't get any of my books or homework out."
me: "That sucks. What's wrong with it?"
him: "The thing that you pull on won't come up."

On a more professional note, I think one of the best things about teaching so far has been the large number of times I've been in a position to genuinely compliment someone. With about seventy-five students all working on independent research projects, I've been doing a lot of one-on-one conferencing. It's been great for helping me to get to know each of them, and to take notice of their progress. You know, to see them coming along well (that's what she said?).