An Ode to Summer....alternate title...Summers not REALLY over yet!!!

So our Christmas letter last year was lame...here's a "Christmas in July" letter....sort of ....

According to my friend, Google, Summer began on June 22 and doesn't end until September 22...but for my (public school teacher) purposes it started on May 29 and ends (sort of) the night of August 8😭.  There are still more summer plans in the works....a couple more concerts (covid-willing🤦), some camping (hopefully when we get these floors and related work done 🏡), and hopefully lots more nights sitting around the fire pit downtown or in our backyard🔥.  Here's a partial wrap up though for those of you who don't follow us on social media or want a condensed list!

* Let's cheat a little and start with May 22--the first concert any of us had been to in over a year--a free concert at Levitt Pavilion Denver (awesome venue, by the way)--Devotchka! Opening acts:  Nina Defreitas and Adam Cayton Holland--both kids came with us! We finished up the evening like we were in college--at IHOP for pancakes (did you know a lot of IHOP's are no longer open 24 hours? Who knew?!)

*June 5:  Brother of Brass.  Levitt Pavilion. They were supposed to open for the Flobots, but the Flobots have stormed out...another great concert! (Don't worry...we saw the Flobots later!) Both are local bands and put on a great show--Brothers of Brass made an appearance at the rescheduled Flobots, too!

*June 6:  Michael Franti and Spearhead. Opening act Satsang. Both acts were phenomenal! Hands down (for me) the best concert of the summer.  Co_Ski_Atty entered a contest to win tickets for frontline workers and won tickets for me 💓💓. Red Rocks was beautiful and we sat in a section with many other prize winners--such an awesome and therapeutic evening.

*June 7-11 The return of in-person VBS!  We masked up and had very limited "spots"...but we did it and it was awesome! The Boy volunteered and got to hang out with other teenagers!  It was a joy to be back with littles and do some arts and crafts!

*June 10 The Revivalists with opening act Neil Francis.  We paired it with a stay at the Cliff House in Morrison--our new favorite getaway ("hot tubs at every cabin")

*June 17 found us downtown for a "Magical Movie Candlelight Concert" and a stay at the Brown Palace--another very cool evening!

*June 19 was a very modified LobsterFest--but a chance to use our awesome backyard!

*On June 24 we celebrated our 26th Anniversary at Trestles (Our new place...since our old place was in Indiana and was torn down)

*July 2: The Flobots at Levitt!  (For real this time...with opening act 2MX2 featuring Kid Astronavt, Lolita Worldwide, VocoChoir and others--this was probably my 2nd favorite concert of the season--not only was The Girl home, but there were awesome covers of some of my favorite protest songs!

*July 4...a return to Red Rocks and to the Cliff House for Blues Traveler!  First Red Rocks Concert for the Boy and for The Girl's boyfriend.  There were a lot of harmonica solos and we were awakened by a fire alarm...but the weather was perfect and the time with family was priceless!

*July 18:  Got to see a childhood friend of Co_Ski_Atty while her daughter played in the National Club Soccer Championships (they are the champions!), Pandas and People with opening act The Band Pacific at Levitt and some nice naps in the van in the middle!

Not included in the list were numerous date nights--usually Wednesdays, but sometimes other nights, to fabulous restaurants in Denver and Castle Rock--

and a lot of long walks, a couple longer hikes, 

and Planet Fitness trips...

oh...and a partial house remodel including new hardwood floors and paint for most of the first floor (stone will go in laundry and powder rooms...later...as will paint...) and a new dishwasher (swoon!)

a backyard "remodel" including a new fire pit, new bench, awning, lights.....and more!  

The Girl started (official) nursing school, moving to an apartment near campus and taking Alice The Cat with her.  

The Boy got his driver's license, 

(no picture by his request :) )

we bought a (new to us) Jeep (not for The Boy...)

and I bought new hiking boots to replace my 20+-year-old pair ...

we bought a lot of records (tried to get one at each concert and ordered a few as well!)

and I snuck away with a friend for some yarn-related vacationing and silliness...

an exciting summer!

*And...3 more concerts scheduled in August, (4 if you count one the Co_Ski_Atty and The Boy are going to without me), 3 in September, 2 in October...and one on the calendar already for next summer🤣...I'm so glad live music is back!

Happy (sort of) end of summer--can't wait to see what the fall brings!

Questions from the classroom this week....

I was originally going to call this "questions and answers from the classroom this week", then realized that I don't think I have THE answers...I have my answers, that I've given when I was asked these questions, but I don't think I have the answers.  So in the spirit of thoughtful discussion...I present "Questions from the classroom this week".....

Question I:  "What do you think about arming teachers?"  The last few days, as always, have been interesting.  If you follow me on Facebook, you know that about a week ago, a friend posted this political cartoon. 

 

The original poster (not a teacher) and I engaged in a bit of a spirited discussion, joined by other friends (who also aren't teachers) who (in a nutshell) told me that if I wasn't willing to protect my students with a gun then I shouldn't be teaching.  We continued the discussion and they eventually brought it down to something like, "well, we get it if you aren't comfortable with guns, but lots of other teachers should carry".  The question, asked by them (and actually in the following days by my students and my own children) was "Well, why wouldn't you carry?".....Here is a selection of my answers in no particular order:

1.  Ask me to reenact my "where are my keys" skit.  Yes, I know that I could wear a concealed carry holster.  I could lock a gun in a drawer/cabinet/closet.  But in an emergency...do we really need teachers wondering where their gun is?  Scrambling to "the other classroom" to unlock somewhere and get their weapon?  We don't have our own classrooms at my school--almost all of us travel from room to room...which room do we lock our weapon in?  Is there a weapon locked in every room? In an emergency (or non-emergency)do we really want teachers wondering "derr...where are my keys gun"?

2.  I have no idea how I would react to an active shooter situation.  When I worked at the alternative school we took guns and knives from kids...but it was never in a crisis situation, it was always "What is pulling your pants down? Dude, hand it over...what were you thinking bringing that to school?!"  I am not trained in hand to hand combat, nor at this point in my life, do I want to be.

3.  I don't like handguns.  It's complicated.  In the Zombie Apocolypse scenario discussion that comes up every so often, I've said I would want a single shot, bolt action 22 with a ten shot clip. (If you worked at camp with me you know exactly what I'm talking about).  But I don't want a 22 in my classroom either.

4.  All the reasons other people have so eloquently stated elsewhere--who pays for the weapon, the ammo, the ongoing training? (And when some billionaire comes up with the money, I will respectfully ask him/her to buy me some textbooks, lined paper, a dvd player that works with my projector, a new projector, and toner cartridges instead...).  My job is to teach...if you have some spare money to help me do my job, cool, don't give money for a new component when I need resources for the original component!

5.  Despite this being a world in which high school teachers shouldn't hug their students, sometimes we do.  It just happens. Sometimes kids come flying across the room in crisis or excitement, sometimes they are in the hall and just fall in our arms crying...it happens...they are hormonal little people and face real problems and issues every day..  What about the kid who I give a hug to, because they are upset about violence that happened in their home...and they feel the concealed gun?  Nope..at that point, I lose my ability to help them problem-solve and become another violent adult in their mind.And some of them are good actors....what an excellent way to get a concealed carry weapon...pretend to be upset...grab it.  I'm no shrinking violet, but I am not a 22-year-old soldier...in fact, statistically, I'm old enough to be that 22 years old's mother....so please don't put in in a position where I could be overpowered and my own weapon used on me or others. 

6.  And here, folks is my number one reason for thinking that me carrying into the classroom is a terrible idea.  I teach high school.  I work with lots of kids with a variety of mental illness and diagnosed issues.  In my mind, there is a decent chance that if there ever was an active shooter at school, it would be someone I know...perhaps someone I know pretty well, who kept their plans secret or who engaged in an impulsive act....would I be able to use a firearm against a kid that I've sat with, counseled, problem-solved with, met with their parents, comforted......?  We've heard over and over how sometimes people slip through the cracks, someone should have done something...but that sometimes shootings happen out of the blue...we would never expect it from "that kid".  I don't know.  I did not sign up to be a soldier or a policeman.  I don't know if I could pull the trigger on any human, even one who was threatening me and my students...but especially someone who I considered "one of my kids".  I just don't know...Could I hit them with a chair?  Throw things at them?  I don't know about that either.  Probably at a stranger (although again, never having been in hand-to-hand combat...I don't know how I would react)...but at one of my kids, even one who was trying to kill me?  I just don't know.  And this is the only one of the six answers that I haven't shared with many folks until now.  But it is the one answer that springs into my mind at the oddest times and causes me to "what if" and "could I" over and over again.  It shouldn't be a factor in any decision I make...but for me, it is a huge factor.

Question II: "Well, what about arming more people, not necessarily teachers, at the school?  What about metal detectors and searching backpacks?"--I'm willing to hear and talk about this...come up with a plan of who, how they are trained, paid for, and what their role will be on a day to day basis...Sure, let's talk...We have school SRO's, I know they have locked weapons in/near school...someone with more expertise than me come up with a plan and I'll happily give my two cents.  And I don't have a problem with metal detectors at all--we had them at the alternative school twenty years ago--just make sure there are people trained and available any time someone needs into the school (since I get there at 6:45 am...someone should be there to scan me). And be consistent--the guy delivering snacks to the vending machines gets to be scanned, too...a uniform and boxes of snacks are not impossible to procure....

Question III: "Why don't we just ban all assault weapons?"  I don't know that this is the answer...I don't know that its not...but 9-11 was carried out by men with boxcutters...so if a ban happens, I think people with evil intent will just be more creative...so, by all means, do what you think is appropriate, but this alone (in my opinion) is not the answer.

Question IV: "What about more wait time/background checks/periodic checks on/about people who already own guns?"  Sure...again, give me a plan that has details...there are times we ask people to re-take the driver's license vision test, to make sure cars are safe, to have a license to drive and that they are in good health to do so...I don't think it violates my rights to ask me to verify that I am a safe and responsible gun owner. (I suspect this point could get some spirited discussion...).  I have to prove that I take recertification classes to remain a teacher (as do lawyers, doctors, nurses)...so "recertifying" gun ownership doesn't sound unreasonable...

Question V:  "What about walk-outs by students?  Are you going to be mad or punish your own kids if they do it?"  When my daughter asked this question I told her if she can tell me her reasons, and if she tells me when it is happening, then no, I won't be mad. I don't have to agree with the reasons, but she has to be able to articulate why she is walking out...  We talked briefly about opportunity cost--it might not be a good idea to walk out during the AP Gov test, during the SAT, during a Trig test...choices have consequences and costs.   I walked out in middle school to protest the boy's swim team not being able to wear mohawks to school....(We chanted "no hair, no fair!" in response to the boys having to shave their heads and scampered back to class as soon as the AP said, "ok, you made your point...get back to class").  Protest is still part of the first amendment...protest your little heart out but you better be able to tell me why...not just you "want out of class".  And, because I'm a suspicious "old lady"...if you've advertised your walkout ahead of time, please be alert and viligent about what is happening around you--keep your eyes and ears open for counter-protesters and others who might mean harm--and have a plan for where to go for safety (ie:  be outside, but near the unlocked set of school doors, so you can get back in...)  I told my own students that I'd appreciate knowing when/if a walkout is happening and I'll adjust what we are doing (so that we can talk about the purpose of protest in a democracy if nothing else) and so again, I can try to help them be safe while protesting.

and finally...

Question VI:  "Do we need more mental health support/resources/compassion in schools and in the community?"  Yes.  Do we really need to discuss this? Would it catch every person intent on harm?  Probably not..but do we need more resources? Without a doubt...yes.  Just yes.  How do we pay for them? I don't know...but I do know it begins with trying to know our neighbors, trying to take care of each other. It begins with teaching people (kids and adults) that it is ok to "narc" on someone if the report is going to lead to help.  And that all the time we need to be aware and thoughtful about how the people around us are feeling.  Many of the shooters in these horrible situations have been disenfranchised and isolated--their world was very small.  We have to get better at not only official services, but also at noticing and reporting things--not to punish people, but to get them help.  And we have to be better as a society about listening--not to throw people in jail or a hospital "without cause"..but to perhaps head off more tragedies by being more aware of the people we interact with.

Teacher retention, the January blahs, and all that...

Recently another experienced teacher and I were chatting with a teacher new to our building this year.  He was expressing his frustration with all the usual teacher frustrations--student behavior, parent behavior, administration actions.  We chatted about the ideas of planting seeds, of doing what we can do the very best we can, of taking time for ourselves to keep perspective, of choosing what battles we want to fight (with kids, parents, admin, our own families)...but I left wondering what else can be done in our crazy society that sometimes seems outright hostile to teachers.  The problems in schools don't go away after January, but there is something about this month that makes it all more unbearable.

I think this is a time of year when a lot of teachers struggle--when we question why we do what we do.  We are about half way through the year--past the fall, when the kids are (generally) on their good behavior, deep into grading essays late into the night, and seemingly far from graduation and all the celebrations that spring holds.

My first year of teaching someone gave me a chart that I wish I could put my hands on.  It had each month and then a tongue-in-cheek description of how a new teacher might be feeling.  Over the years, I've realized it is pretty accurate for how I feel every year.  August was something like "hopeful, idealistic, energized", May was something like "thankful, feelings of accomplishment, and tired".  And in the middle was January, described something like  "desperation, self-doubt, want to leave teaching".  Ouch.  And usually true for me...maybe not want to leave teaching...but many years I want to go to another school or go back to teaching social studies full time instead of special ed.  And some years I'm ready to quit and raise goats, run away and hide in Mexico...well you get the idea.

Compounding my "blahs" is the fact that one of my favorite team teachers ever is resigning at the end of this semester.  There are many reasons, which are hers to tell, not mine.  I'm happy for her, because she has some opportunities that will be great for her family...and I'm sad for our school, because I think there were things that administration, as well as us, her fellow teachers, could have done that might have helped us keep her with us a little longer.  It is the same phenomenon that we see in  all the time--that good teachers (great teachers!) leave the field because there is something they need that they aren't getting from our current system.  And worse, they sometimes leave the field sad and frustrated, being pushed out, rather than pulled out for something different or something that they really want to do.

I know I don't have the answers...there are lots of folks who think they do (just google "teacher burn out prevention").  There are lots of ideas out there.. but my hope and prayer is that we are all just a little kinder to each other--especially to the adults we expect to educate our kids--and especially during January. Spring is coming...we can do this!