Everything Counts in Large Amounts

Loads of Summer PD

This is the first time I have been loaded up with lots of summer time professional development. It's interesting work and I'm glad to be a part a wonderful team doing the PD together. The first session, right after school got out was on project-based learning and how to plan a project. This was to train us for working with our Pathway team on creating an "Information Communication and Technology" (or ICT) project for next year. Then after a week off, we returned for another full week of training, learning more about the program and having time to actually plan the details of our project.

Not everyone involved in pathway teams were able to attend, as many teachers can not give up their summer time for various reasons; childcare being a big one. Some teachers don't need a reason, they just won't work over the summer. I had options offered for the time I worked; hourly pay, university credit that costs or district credit that is free, but one can't get paid for it. Credits are needed to advance on the salary schedule. Since I just advanced on that schedule this past year, I don't need credit anytime soon, so I just went for the hourly pay. Luckily for me most everyone on the ICT team attended at least for part of the time offering a lot of valuable time to connect and plan next year's curriculum. I think we are in for a very exciting experience.

New Art for a New Era

The class of 1968 made a donation to the school this year and with those funds a project one of my students had been working on for 2 years was able to come to fruition. Its quite exciting to see it up in the LMC after so much time of planning.

In my graphic design class several years ago, I gave an assignment about art in public places. My art students made proposals to create artwork around the school. I had my mentor from the UW come and talk to them about signage and way-finding. For the final exam students submitted proposals to administrators about the possibilities. Out of this class came a very gifted student, Alexa R., who asked me to become a student aide during her junior year. Instead, I asked her to work with our librarian and principal to create a new digital painting for the LMC that would go up to replace a very dated painting. Once in the works, I heard from several teachers that the dated painting had its place in our school since it was a good showing of history. So instead of replacing the old painting, I asked that custodians take down plaster sculptures that had become quite dirty with time next to the paintings. The paintings would be moved over in their place and the new art would then take center stage and make a new history. The digital art features 50 years of yearbook photos scanned in and collaged in throughout the artwork. The student spent approximately 300 hours on this artwork which included months of class time searching and scanning yearbook photos. 

Graduation Day

I don't always go to my senior's graduation but this year's was particularly special. With two yearbook classes, I had the more seniors this year than I ordinarily do in any given year. My yearbook seniors are a special bunch causing me much grief but also great pride-- this year especially. Every year, for about 8 or 9 now, I take the left over June Senior editions of the student newspaper for parents. This year I ordered an extra 500 copies for them. I got to the Kohl Center at 8:15am--early enough to get in before security was set up. I was early enough to help with set up the ceremony as well. I volunteered to be an usher, organizing the M's, N's and O's in alphabetical order.  I brought mints for kids and took photos. Once the kids were lead in by the marshals (which Josh was one), I stayed back to help clean up and chat with admin. I missed the beginning of the ceremony which showed the senior video but got in in time to hear all the speeches including Geof's, which was supposed to be less than 10 minutes but went on for more than 20. His message was special and it was especially meaningful knowing it was his farewell to our school on several levels. He will be a missed figure in our structure.

I walked away feeling very much at peace about the school year. It had been a good one. As I waved goodbye and good luck to my M's, N's and O's in line as they marched in, I felt a real sense of joy for them. Two of the girls in my line were my editors in chief, one for the newspaper and one for the yearbook. They were gifted young women that while I had encouraged and guided them with their work, while I did not feel like I had done all that much work for them. Earlier this week at a couple of grad parties, I had had a couple of parents and one grandparent thank me for "all my work" as a teacher. I even had one tell me that I had changed the trajectory their child completely. The thing is, it's hardly work at all. I love what I'm doing! There is great joy in that.

Significant Senior Artists

About 12 years ago (maybe 13?) our department decided to celebrate special art students-- students who might not otherwise be celebrated before graduating. The first couple of years, I did not take photos or if I did, they were in black and white film. We did not do a gathering but rather had the students put on a gallery show. Eventually we got routine going, a special luncheon after finals, certificates, cake and a photo taken and the gallery show kind of went out the window. The first group photo documented in Facebook is 2007 but I'm pretty sure we had at least one group before that, maybe 2. I think about how much documentation has changed with the onset of the digital camera. Now we take photos of everything. We used to not do that.

My students used to be primarily metals students and now they are primarily digital artist and yearbook editors. The criteria for students to be chosen as a significant senior artist is not only a student had made artistic production an integral part of their experience at Madison Memorial, but one who had taken at least 3 art classes and had exemplary attendance. These are student who had been positive influences and inspiration to his/her classmates. Often it's hard to come up with 3 kids for this honor, occasionally an art teacher only picks 2. Only once did Geof ask to have 4. 

The Last Day of School

Every semester I take photos of my students on the last day of classes. I will see many of my students again, some during finals, some at graduation or at grad parties and a few in my classes next year, but a few I won't ever see again. I've learned to take my photos on the last day of regular classes rather than finals because not all kids show up to the finals, especially if all of their work is done, even if there is an activity or required reason to be at the final. I've learned to make finals a time for making up work. It give me more time to give students who need it, as well as a bit more time for grading and cleaning and doing all the other things we need to do at the end of the semester.