After taking a week off from writing this blog, one would think that I would have plenty to write about. But just because I have stuff to write about doesn’t mean it will be written. Just as when there is work to be done, don’t assume that it will be done by me. I am what the scientists term as “a lazy- ass”. Actually, you can put the word “ass” after any adjective and it would probably describe me pretty well. (I’ll pause here because I know you will try out a few and say, “Yeah, he’s right.”)
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| This is the 'wrist carry' event in NYO. |
We did have activities at the school. Our school participated in the Native Youth Olympics (NYO) along with several other schools in our district. Events consist of several different athletic and academic contests. One event our school excelled in was the stick-pull. This is an event where two contestants grab ahold of an eighteen inch stick, similar to how you hold an oar. They sit flat on the floor, facing each other. Their legs are outstretched with the bottoms of their feet pressed against their opponent’s. Then they pull. The winner is the one who pulls the stick out of his/her opponent’s hands. Our kids did surprisingly well in spite of being the smallest school competing. This should be a lesson to the rest of the Yukon Delta: Don’t try to take a stick away from a Nunam kid, you will lose. Or a candy bar.
An activity I participated in was as a member of a reading curriculum review team. About a dozen teachers from our district got together at the district office in Mountain Village to help chose a new reading curriculum for our district. The new reading books were chosen by two people grabbing ahold of a book and the one who pulled the book out of the other person’s hand got to chose the curriculum. Then the curriculum director walked into the room and said we must discuss both programs and take a vote before making a decision.
His stern voice of reason won out and we were forced to listen to two separate sales pitches from the publishers. During the sales pitch, we were encouraged to ask questions. I asked her how old she was. The Stern Voice of Reason suggested we ask pertinent questions. So I asked her if she thought I could fit 7 donuts in my mouth at the same time. She pretended not to hear me and muttered something about research-based data and best practices. Whatever nerd, I’m know I can fit them in. Then the Stern Voice of Reason encouraged me not to ask any more questions.
After a day and a half, we took a vote and decided on a new curriculum for our district. Both would have worked out nicely so I know we made a good choice. Our state has changed our standards to align more closely to the common core standards, which has been adopted by most of the other states. This new curriculum will be a better fit that what we have now. I am happy we are changing curriculum from what we have now, as are most of the other teachers in the district.
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| This is how trees grow down here on the Delta. |
With the curriculum review finished, I can now concentrate on our Christmas program. Since our program is next Friday, I guess I have no choice but to do something about that. I may put a third grader in charge just to give them a life lesson. The lesson will be that planning a Christmas program is no fun. And I maybe I’ll have him write my blog for next week. Yes, I know I’m a Grinch-ass.
I never found the curriculum adoption meetings as amusing as the one you described. Perhaps it was because all of the elementary teachers at my school were sheep. It's true. My husband who taught high school said so, and he's always right. (He also said the district had already decided which publisher they were going with and just wanted to add teacher's stamp of approval to it.)
ReplyDeleteIt would have helped if we had had (redundant word? No, not really) one or two rebels to liven up the meetings. Thanks for providing humor to your description of one of those humorless jobs teachers have to do!
1. What people "Outside" don't realize is that that tree on the door is TALLEST tree in the Delta.
ReplyDelete2. This is my favorite of all of your posts. Excellent full-circle-route from lazy-ass to grinch-ass. Also, the "Stern Voice Of Reason". Know what? That voice becomes even less stern once a teacher has tenure. Call it the "Subdued Aloofness Of Tenure".
This is good stuff. I don't read much myself, but your blog is now on my list; aka: "I AM WATCHING YOU!"