Ah, the last day

For today, do freerice.com and give something back to the world:) Thanks for being a mellow, easy going bunch. I appreciate the efforts people put into making the best of a situation that wasn't ideal. You have my respect for your maturity in the face of challenge.

Happy Wednesday

Wait, did I already post for today? I think i did. Oh well. Read on to the next one for your daily blog:)

Shared Meals

Tonight, the Beck/McCammon family- that's mine- had a most delicious and healthy meal... or, we had McDonalds. Still, the three of us sat down, talked about our day and had a quite nice occasion. They say that the family that eats together stays together. Would you agree? What are the trends and patterns for your family and family meals or eating? Quinn has breakfast in bed or in his bedroom every morning. I bring it to him and while we get him dressed and ready for school, we encourage him to eat. At least once a week, usually on pizza night, we eat while watching a movie. We are by no means a model for meal-time, but this evening reminded me of how healthy it can be to sit down- even if what we're eating isn't the best. The company, though, was pretty fantastic:) and that makes any food go down a little bit easier.

Hope you're all having a merry end to your term.

Quinn's first conference

Today was Quinn's first conference for pre-school. It was for his afternoon session, which takes place in the St. Kate's Early Childhood Center. I wasn't able to make it to his conference because I had theater auditions. He Montessori conference is on Thursday and I will be present at that one. Learning about who your precious son is through the eyes of a teacher is fascinating, especially since I've been on the other side of the table for 10 years now. It's strange to think someone could know something I don't, but their eyes glimpse different things and he is a different person who I'm not with him- not a wholly new person but still someone who can reveal new things to people who aren't his mother. I wonder how much you recall about your early years in school and how you were perceived or thought of by educators. What role did your parents take in your education? How vulnerable I feel on this side of the table.

I'm away at a two day workshop, but will think of you in my absence. Have a productive day and be well!

The Final Week

Ah, we did it. We have reached the end of the first quarter. What describes your mood? Relief? Happiness? Sadness? At the end of every period in life, it's natural to be reflective. A new term means a fresh start and how often in real life do we have those? I've lived my whole life on a school schedule, or as much as I can recall. Every fall was a new beginning, every summer a break from it all. I don't know what it would be like to work a 50 week year doing the same thing. Sure, I've worked summers before, but I always have some element of change in what I'm doing. Do you look forward to life after school and living a different sort of life and schedule?

I will be out of the building for two days this week for a district workshop. If you need to reach me, email me at rebecca.mccammon@spps.org or comment on one of my blogs. Please be on-task and respectful of whoever subs for me. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding.

Funky Blogger

My blogger is being odd and not showing in my dashboard the most recent posts. So, I've gone searching this morning for people's most recent posts. I think I am caught up- whew! What a week! With all this testing, the early release and the registration process, not a single day has been routine. Today, though, should be a smooth day of classes without interruption:) Even as I write that, I wish I had some wood near by to knock on.

Last night I made my way to MOA with Luke and Quinn. It was a totally unplanned trip. Luke picked up Quinn from preschool and Quinn wanted to go ride the train/light rail. So, they stopped by the house, picked me up and away we went. Initially, it looked like out stop was going to be solely for Quinn to get an ice cream cone and then we were going to turn around and go home, but a trip to Lego Land and my need for some maternity attire stretched out of our trip. The woman at GAP was exceedingly friendly and not pushy at all. It turned out she has two adopted Korean kids of her own and so we were all a chatter. It was such a nice interaction that it reminded me that customer service is such a vital commodity. I would return to that store just to honor her strong work ethic. Of course, the Rosedale GAP doesn't have a maternity section, but I also would want to throw any commission her way that I could. We chatted about local Korean restaurants, potty training, the Mom works, as it were. So many days I function in my world that is the same from day to day, talking to the same people and interacting in the same ways. Meeting new people is extremely rare. How nice to come across such a genuine person who I had things in common with!? So, my musing today wonders if you are inclined to meet new people in your life? Do you like that process? When was the last time you met someone new? For as small as our school is, do you know everyone? Do you feel boxed into your social group or relationships?

Change is interesting

Yesterday was the first time we did registration the way we did. It is fascinating to watch people's reaction to stress. It's intriguing to watch individuals struggle with their transcripts and academic fate. It made me realize a series of things. For one, this was never something I had to think about in high school. I went to a big, traditional high school and we signed up for a year of classes in the spring prior to the new school year. My classes were nearly all the same all year long- English, History, Band, German, etc.. Sometimes, in having so many choices and yet not, there is enormous turmoil. I see students celebrate their hard work, bemoan their credit shortage and more. In my room, it was relatively calm because I help to advise the freshman who are new on the high school path. But, many an upperclassman wandered into my space and in varying degrees, changed the tone and mood of the room with their energy. I watched the explosion of emotions that had little to do with me, but was aimed at me. Odd. In my old high school, there was a whole office of people who handled the scheduling. Here, the teachers who already teach a larger variety of classes than in any other school are asked to also be guidance counselors. And I don't mind this, because I like helping students outside of my subject area, but when the school is then attacked by voices for doing their best-- it pains ms. Of course, some of this all relates back to the notion of equity. Shouldn't our school have the kinds of resources that others do? All interesting queries.

It sounds like that come springtime, you will register for the whole year at one time. Will you like this? Do you like being actively engaged in selecting your classes?

On a side note, my back has started to show signs of the pain that comes with pregnancy. uggh. What is running through your mind today? Tell me about your book.

For your amusement

This was actually taken a few weeks back at a family Halloween party, but here is Quinn and his Dad. His Dad crafted from cardboard and painted Quinn's wings. Pretty adorable, eh?

A new day

Ah, a Monday. So, how were your weekends? Mine was lovely:) Aside from some continued nausea and pregnancy sickness that hit me on Saturday, I did much of what fulfills me as a person. I had relaxed mornings with my family without any of the normal rushing that takes place on school days. I made my son breakfast both mornings. I went out to dinner with Luke while Quinn's Grandma took him to a pumpkin patch for outdoor fun and later, mall trick or treating. I watched adult tv programming without interruption (Dexter) and read from my book. We went to the MOA and played at Lego Land, I cleaned the downstairs of the house and I've just made meatballs for dinner. All in all, not bad. I need to do some planning and correcting, but I feel pretty pleased with how I've spent the last 48 hours. I've been with people I loved, relaxed as able and done for others what I could. Not bad. There's something about having lose ends tied in life that allows me to approach a new week or task with enthusiasm. For example, I can't correct papers in a super messy house. I can't focus on Quinn fully unless I have things sort of organized. They say that parents should spend at least 15 minutes a day doing exactly what the kid leads you to do and guides you. Often, Quinn invites me from my school work to come and play with him and I do. It's enough that I have to pull myself from him too often, but when he asks, I do my best to respond.

How have you responded to the needs pressing on you in life? How do you attend to your own needs and honor the needs of others? How will you approach the demands of the next two weeks while maintaining your physical and emotional health? How can I help?

Be well and have a glorious day.