The more things change, the more they stay the same....

I have a beautifully framed print of Winslow Homer's " The Country School" (1871) hanging on my dining room wall.  It was a college graduation gift from my parents when I was a "ink still wet on the diploma" first year teacher. That print has followed me around the country on our various moves and has served as a reminder that people have been doing this teaching thing for a while with far fewer resources than most teachers have today.

The original hangs in the St. Louis Art Museum.  The link to the original is much better than the amateur picture I attempted with my phone of the print.

https://www.slam.org/collection/objects/36767/

(And yes, the St. Louis Art Museum's acronym does spell: slam. I found that very amusing for some strange reason.)

The written description of the piece points out that the boys and girls are sitting on separate sides of the room, supplies are scattered on a table, the attention of some of the students has wandered, and there is, apparently, crying in baseball school.

If you were to look closer, you would also notice that students were sharing books. Shoes were optional. Clothes were tattered. The benches are crooked, the floor needs to be swept, and I'm pretty sure the table in the back right corner has the remnants of some drawing or botany lesson that still needs to be finished and put away.  And if you look very closely at the teacher, you notice that she is plainly dressed, she doesn't have her attention on all the students at once, and her hair is slightly mussed, as if she hasn't had time to herself to fix it after coming in from monitoring lunch and recess. Also, I'm still trying to figure out if the containers on the back table are very large coffee pots, or just a lunch pail and pitcher of water.  I hope, for her sake, its coffee...

From what we know about One Room Schools in the 1800s, she is probably single. Teaching may not have been her first choice of career, but it was what she was allowed to do at the time. Her students would have needed lessons for all subjects, but also for multiple grades. Her training, when compared to today's requirements, was woefully inadequate. Her salary was a pittance, and she may have had to board with the family of some of her students, meaning she never had down time.  Her ability to manage the school and her behavior in public was under constant scrutiny by the townspeople and school board. She still had to do laundry, sewing, and other chores when she was done with school.

But here is what she did have: She had the opportunity to build close relationships with her students and their families. Find out what the kids dreams were. Encourage them to try some thing new or do something they didn't think they could. She could take the time to dive into that drawing or botany lesson. She may have even played an inning of baseball with the children during recess. Whether she taught for just a one term, or made it her life-long vocation, she was going to have an impact on the lives of those children spending the day in that one room school with her.

We have all been asked to be that teacher for the next few months. Professionals and parents together. We didn't all choose distance learning, but it is what we have been asked to do. Our training and our workspace and our resources may seem woefully inadequate. Parents may have kids in multiple grades, studying multiple subjects. The townspeople are going to be watching to see how well we all do, on all sides of the teacher's desk. We have no shortage of other chores on our plate. Our down time doesn't exist. Our students may be inattentive, shoes may be optional, and the floor probably should have been swept three days ago.
There may even be some crying.....

But here is what we do have: The opportunity to build closer relationships with our students and families. Find out what our kids dream about. The chance to dive into that botany or drawing lesson. The opportunity to go outside, muss up our hair, and play an inning or two of baseball with our kids.

The more things change the more they stay the same....

Except now we have Google and Alexa.....and coffee...

'Cause I didn't miss the class on that. :)

For more information on One Room Schools : https://www.countryschoolassociation.org/online-resources--links.html

For more information on Winslow Homer (and to help you plan a trip to Maine ;)

https://www.portlandmuseum.org/homer

What to do when there is no class to miss.....


For all the parents who are now homeschooling, but never intended to, I present:

The Top Five Things to NOT WORRY ABOUT!

5) Access to technology.
 Seriously. Relax.  We somehow managed to educate children in this country without Ipads, internet, Google, Alexa, etc for hundreds of years.  Taking 2-8 weeks off from Google Classroom may actually be a good thing.

4) Not knowing Edu-Speak.
It really doesn't matter if you understand terms like "best practices", "differentiated instruction", or "curriculum integration".  When you are working with your own kids, you already have an idea of what works best for them, and what they need to work on.  Which is what most of those "edu-terms" mean anyway.

3) Not knowing how to "teach" something "correctly".
I'm pretty sure that school districts are already having or will soon have the conversation about state mandated testing scores and assessments coming up this semester.  I'm kind of hoping the whole country follows the example Texas is setting and that these tests will be cancelled.
If you do struggle with a certain concept on assigned work, don't be afraid to let your kids see you tackle a math problem or answer an essay question that is difficult. Your child may even be able to explain it to YOU, thus strengthening their academic confidence.

2)Having to spend 8 hours a day on school work.
NO ONE SPENDS THIS LONG ON ACADEMICS!!!!
At least half of every school day in an elementary school is consumed with managing groups and behavior.  A typical day may look something like this:
8:25 students BEGIN arriving
8:45 students are in class, ready for announcements, attendance, and morning routine
9:00 students prepare for their first academic block
9:05-10:30 Instructional block for math/literacy.  This includes a 15 min group lesson and 45-50 minutes of students working in small groups in centers to practice the new skill and review old skills.  After the 15 minute larger group lesson, the classroom teacher may get 15 more minutes per small group to do more direct instruction.  For most of this period, students are reviewing and learning without a teacher directly involved in their group.
10:35-11:ish.  Students work on a unit for science, social studies or writing....not the same subject every day.
11:ish-12:ish lunch and recess
12:30:-1:15 ish  Writing/Social Studies/Science or Special (Art, Music, Library, PE etc)
1:15-2:30 Second academic block.  Math or Literacy, depending on what was already covered in the morning block. Same situation....teacher does a large group lesson, then checks in with smaller groups as they work on review/practice.
2:30 ish-2:45 Pack up and get ready for dismissal and announcements.
2:45-3:10 Bus Dismissal and Parent Pick-Up.

Out of that whole day, a student may be focusing on academics for a total of 4 hours, and only part of that would include direct, one-on-one feedback from a teacher.
Considering the fact that you won't have to manage 20 other students in addition to your own children, being done with "school" by lunch will probably happen quite often.

1) Ruining your child's academic future.
Not. Gonna. Happen.
Even if you can't help with the grammar, math or science that your child has to work on, please remember this:  One of the best indicators of a child's success in school is parental involvement.  Just the fact that you may worry about this shows that you care about their education.  If you don't know something, learn it together. If you aren't sure about something, let your kids see you ask for help from someone else. Read together out loud or even just spend 20 minutes together reading your own books. These are the habits of life-long learners, and they are BEST modeled at home.

Don't worry.
You got this.

Your kids may trace their future success at NASA to the time they spent with you at the kitchen table practicing their multiplication facts....

If you don't send them to the moon sooner ;)

'Cause I didn't miss the class on needing some adult "recess time" either. :)

If you give an educator a February Break

With many apologies to Laura Numeroff.....


If you give an educator a February Break,

She will want to spend some time in the craft room working on a  quilt project....

When she goes into the craft room, she will see the piles of papers sitting in the corner that need to be sorted and added to the tax paperwork pile.

As she spends the day sorting the paper pile, she will be reminded of the fact that she needs to find her W-2 so she can update her license so it gets a fancy gold star.

While spending the second day of break gathering all 276 forms and proof of identity papers required by the BMV, she is reminded that she will have to drive to town to finalize this transaction. There are several things in the house that need to be purged and brought to the thrift store. She shouldn't waste the gas to make two trips civilization this week, so she spends day three sorting and organizing closets and corners to gather up a full load of donations.

While de-cluttering the bathroom closet she sees her reflection in the mirror and is reminded that the BMV will probably take a photo, and she hasn't trimmed her bangs in a while. After finishing the closet and trimming her bangs she will also Clorox-wipe the bathroom sink, faucet, mirror and backsplash.

Finally, on day four, she will drive the car loaded with donations, bottle returns, snack, drink, book, and all 276 forms and proof of identity papers to the BMV to get the fancy gold star on her license.
She will spend day four completing transactions, running errands and finding a few "new-to-her" school-appropriate articles to add to her wardrobe. She may also sneak in a quick trip to the beach, since its February and she won't have to share the ocean with tourists.
She will return home to add the clothes to the laundry pile, and start a load of laundry.

On day five, she will remember that she left the laundry in the washer and head back to the basement to switch the load over. On her way through the living room, she will spy the pile of 276 forms and proof of identity papers that she left on the book case and realize they should go back in the safe in the craft room.

Upon entering the craft room, she will realize that the quilt is still sitting on the cutting table waiting to be finished.

Sighing, she looks at the calendar to see how long it is until April vacation when she has another
week off.....
'Cause it looks like she missed the class on project management....

Dirigo*

1 Year
12 Months
365 Days

However you say it, December 3rd marks my first full year in Maine. It has been a year of transitions and discoveries, for all of us.

Some transitions were easy.  It was not hard at all to get used to the smell of salt air, walks on the beach and the cry of sea gulls when running errands in town.  It was also not a hardship to discover the wild strawberry, blueberry, and blackberry patches for fresh summer fruit.
Also not difficult....
Waking up to a backyard of pine, birch, and maple trees every morning.
Settling in with people who "get" my New England sense of humor, and who wear Red Sox shirts and Patriots ball caps.
Adding a chicken coop and eight chickens to the chore list.
Living life in our current town...where the library buildings are on the historic registry, a house isn't "old" unless it was built in the 1700s, and the families that aren't "From Away" have cared for and worked for the municipality for generations....and made room for those of us from weird places like "Iowa".

Some transitions were more difficult:
Leaving the #bestsummerjobever....and the people and cookstove that went along with it.
Starting a 3rd (short-lived) career, then restarting a first career...with all of the paperwork, testing, and licensing requirements that entails.
Kiddos making life changes and major decisions while I (mostly?) cheer on instead of nag....maybe....sometimes....
Knowing it was time to say goodbye to our beloved fur baby.

These were not unusual, or unexpected stressors, just all piled into a shorter time span than I would have liked.

*But today I finally looked up the translation for the Maine State Motto,  Dirigo   Latin for "I Direct" or "I Lead".
Which, intended or not, is the best summation of the 23rd Psalm that I have found.
There is an entire back story as to why I shake my head and chuckle every time I think of my plans in college to be hired on at a school in small-town Maine, settle in, and live in the state that has been tucked in a corner of my heart since childhood.  Ask me about it when you have a few minutes or time for coffee. It covers a few years/decades.  The short answer is.... I was led.

And I didn't miss the class on that.

Summer

A Mainer's*  timeline for summer....

May
1) For the first 3 1/2 weeks spend as much time as possible at the beach. This is the last chance for a long while to have easy-to-find, whenever-you-want, free parking.

2) Get your teens to start job hunting at the best local ice cream shops where they give family discounts.

3) Remind your husband to not mow over the wild strawberry patch in the yard.

4) Think about putting the snow shovel in the cellar.

5) Think about packing away your sweatshirts and jeans.

Memorial Day Weekend.  The Official Start of All Things Summer.  It is an unwritten state law that summer does not start until this weekend. Ever.

June

1) Forget the beach.  Unless it's a random, rainy, Tuesday morning, there will be no parking available, but there will be all.the.tourists.in.the.world** complaining about how cold it is in the ocean.

2) Find all the wild strawberries.  And eat them. :)

3) It may be warm enough to get your veggie garden it.  Or it may not.

4) Think about putting the snow shovel in the cellar.

5) Think about packing away your sweatshirts and jeans.

July

1) Spend some time looking at the long-range forecast to plan the 2-3 days you "maybe" will go to the beach this month.  Sometimes it's cheaper to pay for parking at the beach than it is to run the A/C....if you even have one. There will still be tourists complaining about the temperature of the ocean.

2) Find your local newspaper.  It will have all of the free concerts and firework displays to help with the entertainment budget, since you think you may pay for beach parking this month.

3) Remind your husband not to mow over the wild blueberries in the yard. Pick the blueberries. Make muffins, pies, and jam.

4) Forget about the snow shovel still on the front porch. It's blocked by the 4th of July decorations.

5) Dig out your two pairs of shorts and your summer T-shirt while you think about packing away your sweatshirts and jeans.

August
1) Still no beach. The tourists are still here. Unless you know someone with lake or ocean-front property that can be bribed with a blueberry pie to let you park at their place....then....beach.

2) Start picking the wild blackberries before the birds and bears get to them. Continue with the blueberry hunting and the muffin/jam/pie making.

3) Pick the green beans out of the garden your husband planted, because they were the only thing that survived the month of June.

4) Rediscover the snow shovel on the front porch when you finally take down the 4th of July décor.  Decide it's not worth it to bring it down to the cellar.

5) Put away your two pairs of shorts and your summer T-shirt. They're getting in the way of your sweatshirts and jeans.

Labor Day Weekend.  The Official End of Summer.  Also an unwritten state law that it can not be summer after this weekend.  Ever.

September
1) Start planning trips to the beach, mostly to avoid all the tourists/tour busses heading inland with leaf-peeping tours.

2) Get the rest of the produce out of the garden before the frost comes. Get the apples off the tree before the deer start snacking. Make apple jelly and pie filling.

3) Winterize the chicken coop....you don't want to have to thaw your eggs before you make breakfast.

4) Start thinking about adding another shovel on the front porch.

5) Assess the sweatshirt and jeans situation. You may need to add a few of both to the closet rotation.  And a new flannel shirt.

Because while the snow may be a few weeks off yet, nothing says "Fall in Maine" like a warm, comfy, plaid, flannel shirt.  And I didn't miss the class on that :)


*I know....I'm not a Mainer. My kids are not Mainers. My husband is not a Mainer. My dog is not a Mainer. My chickens are Mainers.  They were born here.   I'm from away.  But a piece of my heart has always been in Maine...


** I really don't have a problem with tourists.  I occasionally am one.  They bring money and job opportunities for the state.  Especially jobs for teens who work at local ice cream shops that give family discounts...

Lasts

This year has been full of them.

Some of them are good....
As in...This spring was the LAST time I had to drive through parent pick-up/drop off line at the freshman building.

Can I get an A-Men and a Hallelujah!



This August was the LAST time I had to drive the children to school in the morning or worry about pick-up schedules in the afternoon.

Woot!

Some of them are bitter-sweet....

Our son ran his last high school cross country race yesterday.
We used the last jar of pumpkin from the garden this week.
We paid our last car insurance bill with only adult drivers last month.




Some of them are hard.


I taught my last lesson in the one room school house this week.

Tomorrow I will "chaperone" my last 1875 baseball game.

Next week I will spend one last day in Greteman's General Store.




If you had asked me three months ago, I wouldn't have had any idea that October would be the month of "lasts".
But things have happened rather quickly.


My husband got a job that is perfect for him, that he wasn't even really looking for.
Total time from first inquiry to official job offer....5 weeks.

We put our house on the market.
Total time from official posting to accepting an offer.....6 days


We reserved a moving truck.
Total time to pack, move a child in with friends to finish their Sr. year in IA, get a second child set up in their new school, find a new job (ugh...resumes and cover letters), say goodbyes and move to Maine.......14 days.

I'm excited about the move.  I just wish I could take Iowa with me.

Cause while lasts are not my favorite, they do make me so grateful for all the firsts that we have had over the previous 6 and 1/2 year in this state.
First State Fair, First Caucus, First trip to Fareway, First ICubs game, First cookstove meal, First cow milking, First petticoat...….

And I hope that many of you will make your first trip to New England to visit, for your first taste of lobster, a first walk on the beach, a first bowl of real clam chowder (with NO tomatoes) a first Red Sox game and a first trip to Acadia National Park to see the sun rise on the first point of the United States for the day.

Because while lasts can be difficult, they hopefully mean that some exciting firsts are just around the corner....
and I hope I didn't miss the class on that.

Welcome to Iowa!

I may have mentioned, once or twice, that I am not from around here...…
That things like State Fairs, and crop reports, and weather(tornado) conditions and mid-west life in general are a cultural shift from my earlier years spent living in Massachusetts.  It has been a pleasant learning curve to adjust to a life of "Iowa Nice", low cost of living, and a grocery store chain that still has a butcher that will cut your meat to order.  I could probably do without the -20 temps in the winter and the 105-heat-index-for two.straight.weeks. temps, but as someone once said....It's not Heaven....it's Iowa.

In my current position as a museum professional, I have the opportunity to interact with guests from all around the world.  People from India, Pakistan, China, Japan, France, Germany...….have all meandered their way through 300 years of Iowa's agricultural heritage.  We have discussed the similarities and differences of farming and technology in our respective countries.   We have enjoyed learning new things about new-to-us cultures.   I have become entranced with Iowa life, and feel like I have been here long enough to  be able to say "Welcome to Iowa" to those who are newer to the state than I.  It's fun greeting people and assuring them that while Iowa may be new and different from the culture they left behind, it is well worth their time to settle in and make this their new home.


I have created a small check list of things to recommend to future Iowegians :)
Even if you don't participate in them, it is nice to know what they are so you can follow along in a conversation with the "locals".


In reverse order...
10) Maid Rites

9) Detasseling Corn

8) how to use a 4-way intersection with stop signs

7) bacon

6) E85

5) Cyclones vs Hawkeyes

4) Caucus season

3) RAGBRAI

2) Dyersville

1) The State Fair

I may or may not geek out over this list when meeting new transplants to the state.

Okay....I do.....geek out....more than a little...…

But that didn't seem to phase the young couple that found themselves in 1875 Iowa this past Saturday.  After passing a pleasant few minutes discussing all things medicinal in the Victorian Era, we discovered that we were from the same part of the world...and had experienced some of the same cultural shifts.   They had already started on the recommendation list....and had already prepped for the top 3!

After spending a few moments describing all the glorious things that are the Iowa State Fair and why it was so important for them to see the Butter Cow, I was able to leave them with this small bit of wisdom....


Iowa is a great place to work and live.....especially now that we run on Dunkin....


The look of relief on their face was almost comical.


Because while I didn't miss the class on all the things that make this place close to Heaven, I also didn't miss the class on comfort foods and having a small link to your former home.....


Welcome to Iowa, former New Englanders.....relax and have some coffee :)