Teri Parris Ford's Blog

Thoughts on the News in Texas...

I woke up early this morning and started watching the royal wedding. It’s what I’d love to focus on but I can’t stop thinking of Texas. Yesterday morning another school shooting happened outside of Houston. 10 are dead, 2 were teachers. I guess what really gets me is that the shooting began in an art room.

I have often described my working environment as teaching in the ivory tower at Memorial. I don’t see the crowded halls, hear the cursing or am even aware of the fights when they happen. I’m in my own safe world as far away from the entrance of the school as you can get. It isn’t that I don’t deal with behavior issues, because I do. This semester I have a few freshman acting like children in my class, pushing my buttons occasionally, refusing to sit down at times and in need of guidance. My job is to teach them photography and how to act like adults. I take my job seriously and it’s not easy. When I see my students, I see only wonderful people who need attention, some more than others.

The art room is a safe place for high school kids. It is a place where popularity and athleticism typically doesn’t matter. I have always seen it as the place where the real world is most prevalent in a high school—hard work pays off no matter how smart or talented you are. The immigrant who knows little English can create artwork that looks better than the 4.0 student, the special needs students often excel and the gifted sometimes complain about their grades. I love being an art teacher and I usually feel very safe in my work environment.

Yesterday’s episode scared me. The boy who struck out, was not someone anyone expected to do so, and yet students were not surprised. It was not who did the shooting that was not surprising but that the shooting happened. One student was quoted saying “I’ve always kind of felt like eventually it was going to happen here, too.” I think the same thing sometimes about where I work. Why not Wisconsin where it is legal to openly carry firearms? Why not Madison, where fights happen all too often? We are not immune to what ails this country. Quite the contrary, we are as typical as they come.

I once told my husband (many years ago) that if something violent happened to me, it will be because of a student. I know that haunts him and yesterday he texted me-- “It happened in the art room.” After 20 years of teaching, I’ve learned that my job isn’t just about teaching art. It’s about calling kids out on what is appropriate, it’s about feeding hungry children, comforting sad kids, empowering and challenging people to be better. I like to call a spade, a spade in my classroom. I’ll be honest, though, in the hallway, I keep to myself. I don’t interact with strangers. If I don’t have a relationship with a kid, I’m not going to call him (or her) out on anything. I might make a phone call but I don’t want to put myself into an exchange I will regret. Even in my classroom, occasionally I wonder about kids. I hate that I have to wonder if there is a killer in my classroom. Between the guns being  so readily available  and so many boys being so practiced at shooting anything that moves,  it’s a hard question not to ask. 

Where's My Blake Shelton?

I got home a bit after 8pm and turned on The Voice. It's one of my shows. A couple of years ago I found myself with an empty nest, living alone and suddenly having time to watch tv again. I fell in love with The Voice last year because of Gwen Stefani-- the queen of California girls, certainly no Hollaback Girl! I love her. So last year, while on The Voice, Gwen and her co-star, Blake Shelton started dating. It was perfect. Two recently divorced singers finding each other, and I was so happy for her. This season, Gwen isn't a coach on The Voice but she was Blake's guest coach and that was fun to see. I wish I could connect with someone like that. I don't mean that I want a guy like Blake-- I don't even like country music. Although I would not mind a man with a nice head of grey hair like him. What I mean is I want to find a guy who has a lot in common with me, has been hurt, like me and understands my pain but is ready to move on and have a lot of fun. As I approach the two year mark of being separated, I'm starting to think a bit more about what is next. I might only have a dog for a companion for a long time, but I'm hoping eventually for a Blake Shelton to sit next to me. I don't want him to be famous, but he better like doing hot yoga with me.

As for my Monday, it was busy and long. I'll be at work late again tomorrow and that's okay. I got a long walk with Balt early this morning, knowing I would not have time for him after school. My student teacher presented a new project and had her mentor from the UW in to observe. After school with met as a team with administration to pick out the planner winner for next year and to talk about educational pathways. It was a good conversation. I popped home to feed Balt and was back at work finishing up spring sport pages. It will be wonderful when the yearbook is all done! We are close.
Below: a finished cast ring from my metal's class, CAMM class working hard, Will Smith is in a JMM 1992 yearbook- crazy!?

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This Thing Called Life

Today was one of those fun days where I come home exhausted but I had a blast. Occasionally I am hit with realizing almost everything I do is so cool. I started the day early, getting the kiln hot and helping kids cast. Joe got a new drone with a camera and he's been teaching kids how to use it. I got a photo of him with the kids getting a photo of me! At lunch I ran out and got chicken from McDonald's, Chick-fil-a, Culver's and KFC. During my 6th hour, we had kids taste and rate each for flavor, crispiness, tenderness, appearance and the "it" factor (which I have no idea what that means). The kids had a blast, Joe helped out, of course. It all started with one student offering to write up an article for the newspaper. I can't wait to read about the results. Balt and I finished our day with a nice long walk. 

Today Joe was playing Prince in the photolab. We were both saddened by the news of his passing. Of course one my favorite Prince songs was Party Like It's1999. Joe told me he died of complications from the flu but I've read there are still an investigation pending. It seems like we've lost quite a few artists of significance this year, but I think it comes with age. Those idols we grew up listening to and watching are older and more vulnerable. I never got to see Prince live and certainly would have loved to. During the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl I saw that Prince's performance was one of the all time best. It rained while he performed and somehow made it all the better, especially while singing Purple Rain. While looking for videos and songs to post for this blog, I realized that Prince had made sure that all of his work was under his control-- not on Youtube, Pandora or Spotify! He was a savvy business man as well as amazing performer. 

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The Sun Will Come Out

I slept in a bit. I'm still adjusting from daylight savings. My body ached from the weekend yoga, extra walking and yesterday's T25. I had to fast this morning because of a wellness screening the district is asking teachers to take which is, even for me, invasive. I offered my blood to a screener in room 102 only to find out what I already know that I have slightly high cholesterol (217) and blood sugar (103). My blood pressure was down but still considered a low risk (140/86) and my BMI was somewhat embarrassing (29). So now that the district has this information, how will this effect my job security? Will I be asked to pay a premium for my insurance because of my genetic disposition that my loving parents with heart disease (dad) and diabetes (mom) have passed down to me? Will this info be in my future job performance notes? Are we looking at a future when the principal will not only ask me about student learning objectives but what my weight is? 

After the blood letting, the day went on normally. Melissa was in subbing for Joe, the newspaper was posted on line, I had lunch with an artist alumni, I worked on the yearbook and went out to dinner with Josh and Melissa after taking Balt for a quick walk. I was sorry not to have gotten a photo of the three of us at the Great Dane enjoying amazing conversation. There is always so much for us to discuss. The state of the school and our community as well as our artistic endeavors and aspirations. I will say that I am proud of Madison-- this isn't Ferguson! As our students and community leaders react to the aftermath of the police shooting of an unarmed black teen, I am encouraged by the empathy on both sides and the ability for those who need to protest to do so peacefully. I am impressed by some of the student posts I see on Facebook and have hope that there will be a better future, but I am an optimist. An interview on this morning's news from a community pastor offers wisdom and the sentiment that "we will get through this together." I can't help but be glad to be working here.

The State of Education

Today Monika was invited to meet State Superintendent Tony Evers at the Wisconsin Capitol for his annual state of education address. She was asked to lead the pledge of allegiance and introduce the assistant superintendent. The principal of our school and superintendent of our school district both came to the meet and greet before the ceremony (below; top, left picture). She was given a state DPI certificate honoring her accomplishment of winning state superintendent at Badger Girls State, along with the boy who won the same state position at Badger Boys State (below; top, right picture). We were escorted to the capitol from a hotel we were at with a bit of a short State Street tour (below; bottom, left picture). Obviously, being from Madison, the tour was for the other family. After the ceremony she was invited to the state superintendent's office to check out where he did his work (photo below; right bottom). She thought to write a short note thanking him for the invitation, which was very nice. The day was very special. We topped it off with a late lunch at Ian's Pizza. A treat for me, as I had never been and it was delicious!

I was told many times, how great Monika was, "a natural," how proud I must me, etc. She's an impressive young woman. It was hard not to brag about all three of my daughters. With a senior at UW's business school and a daughter at the Naval Academy, Monika is not an extraordinary kid in our family really. As I listened to the superindent talk about the state of education in the state of Wisconsin, I thought about how important education had been in our family. The success my daughters have found comes from a foundation of educational values early on. When Monika was running for superintendent last summer at Badger Girls State, she asked me what I felt was important about education. I think the most important thing we can do for children is offer educational experiences early in life-- pre-school and 4 year old kindergarten are a must. I watched Erika go to full time kindergarten while living in Germany and I learned how vital it was for kids to begin to learn to socialize and interact with their peers before they started elementary school. In Germany, 4 year olds are taught how to go to school first-- not how to read or do math. They learn how to interact properly, they eat a family style lunch everyday where they learn how to pass the plate of food, say thank you and at the end of the day gather their things and offer a proper salutation. 

As a teacher in high school, I have come to realize that half of my job is teaching kids to interact and socialize appropriately. I have casual conversations not only to get to know my kids but to engage in a role modeling of social norms. Children who do well in school are kids who have been read to, visited museums, traveled, were introduced to strangers and learned how to interact appropriately. Some folks point the fingers to certain sub-cultures in America as having huge gaps in learning and I would offer that while poverty is partially to blame, isolation is the greatest deterrent to learning. The sooner we get kids interacting and becoming social beings who care about the society they live in, the better places schools will become and the greatest way to do that (maybe the cheapest way too) is to read to our young. While not everyone can afford to travel or visit museums, but one can do both with a book. One of my most cherished times as a young mother was reading the Hobbit to all three girls every night for a few months one Wisconsin winter. Oh, the places we went to that winter in our imaginations! Having all three girls fight to stay awake to hear the story was magical. I believe my own educational passions began on the couch with my dad as he read Bible stories to me when was a very young girl. 

There was one funny moment when someone asked Monika if she wanted to be a teacher, like her mother, when she grew up. She smiled awkwardly and said no. I know she wants to travel and hopes to do something with international relations. She'd make an amazing ambassador. I turned to the gentleman and shared that I think teacher's kids want to grow up to make a bit more money then their parents. He laughed and agreed-- teacher's don't make enough money to travel much. 

 

12 years later

I woke up this morning knowing it was September 11th. I took Balt out, checking email, news and twitter. I tweeted, "12 years ago this morning, life as we knew it in the USA changed. 3 thousand lost lives on homeland safe grounds. #dontforget"  A storm rolled in and I could hear thunder as I typed up my Facebook status, "As I hear the rolling the thunder and remember what happened 12 years ago on my way to school, I take pause to recall that 3 thousand lost their lives in our country... not military but working folks, fire firefighters, business people, police-- most in NYC but many moms & dads on their way to a busy day. My husband joined the Army Reserves shortly there after and now I have a daughter who will serve in the Navy after graduation, both serve to protect our safety.  If you are too young to remember, ask someone older today about their morning 12 years... it is a day no American can forget. How safe we felt at home changed. It's easy to forget to pray for our country, for those who serve, for the safety of our boundaries. Today, we remember..." and added a link to my blog from 9/11/01. I cried as I typed those words. Maybe it was because I was thinking about Jessi, maybe because that morning 12 years ago is still so vivid in my mind, maybe I just needed to cry. I realized that todays high school seniors were in kindergarten. I knew no one in my classes had any recollection of the event. I decided to share my experience and then shared a short video that showed the events of that morning for my media class. It was one of the few times my CAMM class sat in utter silence. 

I met with student government advisors after school to go over our program on Friday. I got home about 5pm to take Balt for a walk, picked up Monika 45 minutes later and picked up Panera for dinner. I worked on a kitchen cabinette lazy suzane thing I ordered that was delivered yesterday, only to find it did not fit. I went back to Menards to exchange it only to find there was nothing that was available for exchanging. I came home a bit defeated and ready for bed. 

The photo above is my package for Jessi. I send her one almost every week, some are small. This one was larger-- filled with granola bars, beef jerky & fruit snacks. Even with the packages I send factored in, I can tell I am spending a lot less on groceries and food with her gone. I still miss her tons and can't wait until we get to visit again.

Dark Day in April

The sun came out for a while and it almost got to 60 degress, but not quite. Then the clouds came out and it began to rain. 

It was 8th grade shadow day, so I got to school early and the day continued non-stop. During backyard we started the school's Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament (see video below). I met up with the 8th graders & student government at lunch, I gave a demo during 4th. The girls and I had a dentist appointment during 6th and 7th hour. We had rush back so I could attend PCT. Jessi had a track meet to prep for. Monika had soccer. I had a million things to do and was in no mood to watch a track meet in the rain. Balt and I drove by many times to check on Jess.

During PCT, Melissa checked her phone and informed us of the bomb in Boston. Later my husband called to make sure I was aware. He shared that he had just spoke with his class yesterday about terrorism and how April is the bloodiest month of the year. He has written much about the terror that has happened during the month of April in his blog. He said between Waco, tax day, and Hitler's birthday, there are plenty reasons to chose from to do terrible things in April. I know that authorities are looking at a Saudi man, but my husband believes it is most likely a domestic issue. I know students are upset by this because of the posting I'm seeing on Twitter and Facebook. What upsets me is the blanket statements I read about how bad our country is because of this. There will be many heros when this over. While I realize a tragedy like this lets us see evil working in our world, it also gives us a glimmer of what is good. While the authorities continue to look for the bad guys, let us focus on the helpers.

Juniors Rock Paper Scissors Competition #winners vine.co/v/bFHFiw6hplE

— Teri Parris Ford (@teriford) April 15, 2013

 

Big projects!

Things are slowing down, but there are still a lot of projects to juggle. Student Government is winding down, but not finished. I failed to get the rock-paper-scissors t-shirt done last week, so I'm late with that project (tomorrow!). Today at lunch a bunch of seniors were working on a video project I hope to feature images of for the newspaper. I have begun working on the senior issue of the Sword & Sheild as well as a list for our Significant Senior art awards. Students are working in my classes to finish their projects and as they do, that's all there is. Every year, I have a hand full of students who end up with nothing to do at the end of the year and I have to beg them to make stuff for our end of year art sale-- another project to prep for.  The big recycling event is on Saturday, so I have to get stuff ready for that big project now (very little time for procrastinating). 

Speaking of procrastination, have you heard of this "doomsday" stuff happening on Saturday? It is all over the news (I found a bunch of stuff on youtube). I'm kind of bumbed about it being this Saturday, because I have this huge recycle event and that really would be a waste of my last day being alive. I asked my students in backyard how they would want to spend their last days if this Saturday was indeed the last day of the world. Some kids wanted to burn stuff down and be super naughty. A lot of kids, as well as myself, wanted to spend some time eating. Somes kids mentioned spending money or traveling but I heard one student say that she would want to be with her family and that warmed my heart. Of course kids asked me if I thought it was true and I assured them it was not (Matt 24:36), BUT it did make me think about how I'd want to spend my last hours on Earth and collecting recyclables at school is certainly not on my list.

Day 34: Where's my clarity?

So today is the first day of my vacation. Balt got me out of bed at 5:30am for a walk and breakfast. His walk was quick, as it was freezing outside. I made coffee, did some laundry and thought about what I wanted to do this week. As I was contemplating my vacation it began to snow. I promised myself to go somewhere south next year no matter what. I have a lot of spring cleaning to do, school projects, and of course there is always scrapbooking but all I could think about early this morning was how much my head hurt. I am not one prone to head-aches, but had a doozy this morning. I think I have been fighting a head cold for the past couple of days, thus the grouchiness and inexplicable abundance of sneezing. I went to an early yoga class with a friend and my headache was gone. If you go to my yoga studio's website, you will find a big picture of me with a bit of my testimonial. I can't sing enough praises for how much I love yoga and how much it helps me cope. 

Jessi and I went to Balt's puppy class together. Jessi thought Balt was the most rambunctious, which I guess is true, but I think he's the best at obeying too. We got lunch after and had a chat about politics. Sarah Palin was at the capitol today. Initially I loved her, but that Katie Couric interview soured things and it's been hard to be a fan since. I never got the whole tea party thing. I still don't, I'm just not politically savy enough to know the details. I shared with Jessi that I have never felt a part of any party, I just feel strongly about doing the right thing both morally and for our country. Sometimes that means voting with conservatives but occassionally it means going with liberals. Right now I feel that a conservative state government is trying to save some money using public employees and the poor when there are lots of other options that I think would make more sense to me and my bank account. I feel what really hurts both our country and our state is the inablity for conservatives and liberals to work together for the good of all. It's a lot about control and power, neither of which I have much of. 

I have to admit I am thinking a lot differently since all of this local political unrest. If you watch the Palin's clip at Madison.com, she mentions "thug tactics," distruction and violent "rent a mobs" -- and I have no idea what she's talking about. I have a girl friend who wears button at school that says she's a union thug. Maybe I'm one too? I have to admit that I think Balt added to the distruction of the capitol... the lawn, that is. He never got to poop on it though. I have no recollection of reports of violence in Madison. There's been lots of yelling, a bit of brute force (the police physically removed a few protestors without arresting them) but Madisonians have taken great pride for the grass roots (that's local) peaceful protests that are going on here. I certainly haven't taken part in all, or even half, but I've been to enough of them to see what's really going on and who's really there--it's a lot of public employees, teachers, police, firemen, professors, students, etc. And I know a lot of them like coffee because there are always long lines at the local coffee shops. Protests have been great for the downtown businesses, btw. How can I listen to someone like Sarah Palin spread falsehoods about what is going on here and then turn around and trust anything else she has to say? 
 

Day 23: Remember

Like most Americans, I am extremely blessed. I have ridden a great wave of benefits handed to me by others who have fought for them. I am not an activist, but I am a great inheritor of many activists before me. 

I recall watching Ken Burns documentary Not For Ourselves, and realizing for the first time how far the rights of women had come. Great women had fought for my freedom. I learned today that at the time of his death, Martin Luther King was in Memphis, supporting the strike of black municipal sanitation workers. Their fight was for dignity and democracy, and some are comparing that past struggle to the battle over collective bargaining rights we are fighting in Wisconsin. I know that the union is not perfect, but it has fought a long fight for me, personally, to have a great job with great benefits. If I lose my union, I will lose much. 

I know this because in the school district right next door to mine, Middleton, they have proposed a non-negotiable contract for its teachers with changes that include the removal of just cause for discipline and discharge, total district discretion of work hours, elimination of seniority protections, and elimination of compensatory time off. It did not take long for those teachers to find out how quick things would change. Madison has until 2013 to get this worked out, then we may be finding out how things will change for us as well.  It won't get better.

So today I marched. Jesse Jackson, after speaking to a gathering of teachers, lead our union to the capitol where we met up with many other unions and groups of people who continue to make their voices heard, day after day. I took Balt along with me, who is so good at making children laugh with joy and putting smiles on so many faces. I have not been a consistant part of this fight, supporting silently from the comfort of my warm home. I know there are some that think this is just about a bunch of wealthy teachers not wanting to lose a few hundred bucks every month, but it is so much more. Oh, so much more.

Small Celebrations

I was up way too late last night and then with the time change, it was well after 2am when I finally fell asleep. Jim had to be at work at 6am, so I got up with him to take Balt out and then tried to get some more sleep but Balt did not really want to sleep in. We finally got up, made coffee and got ready to go. I took Monika to soccer, then Balt and I went into school. I had some paperwork and clean up to do and then I let him run around outside my classroom. He's been so good at running around off leash, as long as no one else is around. As soon as anybody shows up though, he runs after them. I have had to chase him down a couple of times.

Once we got back, I told the girls we could go out to breakfast. Sunday is my mini-easter celebration, which means no fasting. When one has been living on juice and soup all week, it's hard to decide what to eat. My favorite meal is breakfast at the Pancake House; pecan pancakes with sausage! The girls were quite concerned about the fallout with what was going on with my contract and I was able to say that it would not change their lives very much-- less movies for them, less coffee for me. I am truly hoping that that is all it means. 

At 2pm our union met once again to vote to ratify the contract. You would think it would be a "no brainer!" The district tried to pull a lot out that our union had to fight to get back in using the thousand or so teachers that held tight on Friday night as leverage. It sounded like it was implied we would not be back at work on Monday if the contract was not respectable. It should not surprise me that the district would use this situation as a power play to get things that are not necessarily financial into the contract. After two hours and some debate we voted unanimously to ratify the contract that bought us until 2013 to keep things very similar to the way things are now, as far as procedure goes in our work place. I won't be getting any raises in the near future, but at least my work conditions aren't in for any major depreciation and I will most likely have job. 

We got a little glimpse of what we are in for after 2013 if Walker and his law are not recalled and rescinded. The teacher's assistants were not as lucky as we were. They had been working this year without a contract, so in order to get one set and extended to 2013, the district asked for ability to decrease wages and raise insurance premiums without negotiation with the union after next year. It was heart wrenching to hear many women cry out in fear what this could mean to their income and livelihood but in the end they also voted unanimously for the concession in order to have a contract that gave them the right to have a union that would protect them from other unfair practices that might occur. I have heard from teacher friends from other districts that they have not faired so well. Many districts are using this situation as leverage to take away many privileges like prep time, duty free lunch time, etc. A near by district is not even offering its teachers contracts at all, instead just waiting for this law to take into effect so that they will not have to make any concessions with its teachers. One friend, with tears in her eyes, shared she had no idea what she was in for next year, reminding me how very lucky I was to be teaching in Madison.

40 Day Fast: Day Four (Soup)

After three days, my daily intake of coffee, a fruit smoothie and soup has become more than enough to keep me satisfied. Of course, soup for dinner isn't just liquid, but I am keeping it vegetarian and feeling healthy. My kids are thrilled with having a crockpot of homemade soup everyday. Today's soup; Potato Spinach: Start by sauteing onion and celery in a 1/4C butter and throw in 3C of peeled, chopped potatoes. In a crockpot add 3C water, 1/4C flour and a can of evaporated skim milk with 1C chopped fresh spinach and 1T salt. Top with parmesian cheese-- YUM!

Today was a busy day, especially in Madison. Over 100,000 showed up to the capitol to watch 50 tractors and lots of rally speakers, including Monk (Tony Shalhoub)! My intention was to get there in time to see the tractors, but between tennis, track, laundry, walking the dog and a yoga class, my morning got overwhelming. I did make it to the capitol but not untill most of the hoopla was over. I met up with friends for a round about the capitol. Demonstrations continue just as strong as before the bill was signed in order to rally the people to fight... recall info is everywhere, money and people are pouring in from everywhere. Madison is now the hub of a union power revival where Teamsters are like rock stars! (see video). If only I could borrow my dad's teamster jacket for a few walks around the capitol!

Other items of note; Wisconsin Labor Protesters Refuse to Quit from FoxNews has a great quote from an English teacher from my school, and  Madison teachers' union agrees to wage, benefit concessions in new contract from WSJ tells me that my wages are frozen for a while and I will pay toward my pension now about $3,200 this year another $700 for insurance.

40 Day Fast: Day Two (Hungry!)

For the first time in a very long time, months really, I felt real hunger. It hit me around 10am. I had to drink my lunch fruit smoothie during my hall duty time and then for lunch I went to starbucks for a mocha light frappucino-- which made my headache magically disappear. The rest of the school day was wonderful, especially as students continue to finish some nice projects (see mosaic stones pictured). 

This morning, along with dealing with hunger, I learned that the protesters that had stayed the night in the capitol were being forced out, some dragged by their feet, although none were being arrested. The republicans closed the capitol this morning in order to clear it out for their meeting to finally pass the bill that would do away all public employee's unions ability to bargain for anything other that a salary. There was great anxiety in the air, not knowing what would happen next-- some feared violence would finally break out, but it did not. I posted as my facebook profile, "He who shuts his ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in his own time of need." --Proverbs 21:13. We may not be impoverished, but this bill will affect the working class, not the rich.

I have felt that as this situation has continued that the news media is lying to America about what is really happening here. The protesters are my colleagues, my students, the university kids who have practicums inside the building I work at, my professors; a lot of people I know. They are just regular people, just like me and yet, if you listen to Fox News or Rush Limbaugh, you will hear about the crazy liberals protesting and how Obama's people are organizing the demonstrations. "His people" might be helping out, but I know first hand that the university started the protesting and the union I belong to turned it into a big deal. What is happening in Wisconsin is just a bunch of public employees crying out that what little money they make will be less. Granted, many are angry, but most are just afraid. I suspect that, like me, protesters have little to no money left at the end of the month. I admit that EVERY month, I run out of money. I'm out there protesting because what just passed at the capitol today by state Republicans will be financially painful for ME and my family. Regular Wisconsin folks are looking at losing $300-600 in income per public employee. I have friends who are married to public employees, so they will be hit twice. And that is just the employees, what no one is talking about in the media is the loss to education! A 15 million hit just to the district my children attend-- how will that effect them? The reason I live in Wisconsin is because of my job, it's great benefits and the schools. If both are being hit, why not just go back to California? (Well, because I think I'll still be better off here-- but that's not where I want to go right now).

This is not finished. There will be a court battle and recalls, but the bill is passed and now we move on. The union will do it's best to ask the district to extend our last contract until 2013. As some students and even a few teachers where asking about a strike, I assured them we should not be walking out. To do so would jeopardize negotiations at hand and would be fool-hearty. I am praying for a ratification meeting planned for tomorrow. There is a lot more we can lose.

Here's a teacher from JMM talking to MSNBC:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

In preparation for a 40 Day Fast

I have decided to take the time of Lent to fast and pray. My prayer in particular will be for healing to occur in the state of Wisconsin and that God might soften our governor’s heart. The more I read of him and his budget fixes, the more I see a man with a dulled ability to understand the plight of the working class and the poor. I think that the governor thinks his work in the capitol is God’s work but God’s work is giving to the poor, offering food to the hungry, and supporting widows. I have not seen any support of God’s work in the governor’s repair bill, only the opposite.

While this political action has been difficult for many, I have found myself holding back primarily because I am not very political. I have tried to educate myself with the issues at hand so that I could engage in protests with an understanding of what is really going on. When someone suggested on a facebook group that we pray and fast, I felt it was a challenge I could do with all my heart.

Lent begins this Wednesday and is a time for sacrifice. After Ash Wednesday the Church remembers Jesus Christ's time in the desert when he spent 40 days of fasting.  Fasting is an integral part of many major religions including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. For Catholics (maybe Protestants too?), fasting means eating only one full meal in a day, with no food in-between meals and sometimes two other meals that should not total one full meal. Alot of Christians add some other sacrifice to their time of Lent fasting, like giving up chocolate or soda.  For the rest of the religious world, fasting means abstaining from food and/or drink. I have spent many years giving up bread during this time. This year I will give up all "solid" food (coffee, milk, juice and soup are acceptable) Monday through Saturday and spend extra time in prayer for the state. I understand that my fasting will in no way earn God’s attention or weigh in on the governor’s decision but it is my hope that it will serve as a sincere request for clarity in my own life. 

When I was in third grade I gave my life to God and became a Christian (Protestant). I attended a Brethren Elementary school until 7th grade while attending an Evangelical Church. Our family moved and my life changed drastically, I went to public schools and we began attending a "mega" non-denominational church—probably one that is quite similar to the one our governor was raised in. Instead of attending college right after high school, I went to a Bible institute associated with our church. Given my history, you would think I would be a little more religious than I am.  My spiritual journey has taken many turns and I believe it is a testimony of God's grace – still it has been difficult to “keep the faith”. I recall in 8th grade making an appointment with my youth pastor to ask a spiritual question that had been bothering me for a while, "Why does God need our devotion?" It seemed paradoxical that the church taught that God demanded our worship when He clearly did not need it. I didn't get any answers I understood that afternoon from a man who I had thought would be smart enough to give them to me. I learned early on that pastors aren’t as astute as they look. I've grown steadily in my skepticism in little bits since. I have seen the fallibility of men ruin the church experience for me over and over again to the point that I have given up on it for now, but I have not completely given up on God.

If healing is to take place in Wisconsin in the near future, it will be a miracle. As I read the news and watch the rallies, I hear rumblings of a general strike and I am struck with fear. My parents prepared for my dad being on strike (everyother year, I believe) and even with preparation, it took a toll on our family. I am not prepared. While I am praying for the state, I may find a little healing for myself.  I suppose some will offer praise to God if a compromise is found in this ongoing political drama but most will offer accolades to the protesters who have done the hard work. I am going to try to work on both angles.

"Fasting will bring spiritual rebirth to those of you who cleanse and purify your bodies. The light of the world will illuminate within you when you fast and purify yourself. What the eyes are for the outer world, fasts are for the inner."--Mahatma Gandhi

"The best of all medicines are rest and fasting."--Benjamin Franklin

"The biggest problem facing the world today is not people dying in the streets of Calcutta, and not inflation, but spiritual deprivation. . .this feeling of emptiness associated with feeling separate from God, and from all our sisters and brothers on planet Earth." --Mother Teresa 

Coming together

I got to work early again to stand with my teacher colleagues at the front of the building. When I got to my classroom I found my air was working and I had a new compressor all plugged in and ready to rock (picture to come soon). I did soldering demos in all of my beginning classes and lit up the acetylene torch for my advanced classes. It was a busy day in metals. Busy days are so much better than boring days all alone. After running home to let Balt out, I grabbed a couple of sandwiches and ate lunch with Josh today.

After work Jessi rushed me out the door to get home. She had late basketball practice which always messes up my evening. I did a Costco run for dinner, milk and fruit, then took Balt for a walk after taking Jessi to practice. A friend of mine with two dogs told me about a near by field that her dogs love, so Balt and I went to check it out. He did seem to love it but tired quickly and we came home. I got some cleaning in, made cookies and decided a late yoga class would too much to squeeze in.

After picking up Jessi, I camped out in front of my computer doing some research on the events of the past week for a timeline. I have decided to put together a special edition of the school newspaper with all the pictures that students have from all the marches and rallies. They are quite exciting and of course, an un-biased timeline is in order. Finding a student to do write an opinion that is for the governor and his bill is impossible and as I look on line for fact based information I don't see much in favor for what is going on in his administration (at least that I can find). The more I read, the more bothersome the whole situation is. I was never in support of the what the governor was doing, I just didn't let my emotions get all weirded out and take off work. While I have decided that I don't want to take this fight to the capitol, I can do a little something at school.

Even with all the crap I get from my friends at school for getting my news from FOX, I still prefer it over CNBC (I can't even watch that channel) or CNN (which isn't bad, just boring). I found this snippet on what's really happening and thought that there isn't a teacher at school that would disagree with Juan!

Purple as the beginning to the end of hate

A Canadian teenager named Brittany McMillan decided to get as many high school kids to wear purple today in order to rally together against hate crimes as well as to honor the teenagers who had taken their own lives in recent weeks. It is also a way to show the hundreds of thousands of LGBT youth who face pressure and bullying in high school that there are people who support them.

Living in Madison, one sees a lot of rainbow bumper stickers. It took me a while to figure out what the symbol was for. The rainbow flag was designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978 in San Francisco. It's original 8 colors have been simplified to 6 with purple at its base symbolizing spirit or soul. Today's event was only about wearing purple and remembering the teens who took their lives because they were bullied. It was a way to stand up to bullies everywhere for every reason. I shared with my photo class this morning that I don't have any idea what a gay student goes through in high school but I've been tormented as a fat girl and I can't image anything worse. Kids are cruel and I do my best to forget relentless teasing I endured at times (mostly in middle school). In the end it made me a stronger woman. Not every child is so lucky as I have been...

 

It takes a visit from Obama to cancel soccer practice

Right after the bell rang Melissa ran out the door before I could. I wanted to make it to a yoga class. She was heading out to the library mall on the UW campus to see Obama. I'm not sure if she made it as they ended up turning thousands away since only about 12,500 could pack into the small mall area at the end of State Street. I couldn't find any great pictures of the UW rally with Obama but as I was looking around the internet I found two photos of Obama with athletes from La Follette high school. It seems Obama prefers Lancers over Spartans! He surprised the girls tennis team over on the east side of town. It would have been so much more exciting had he made a surprise visit to Monika's practice instead. He posed for pictures with the Lancer football team. Coach Harris used to be an English teacher at Memorial before trading in his green jersey for burgundy-- he got the photo op of his lifetime making that trade. This was the president's second visit to Madison, so he must like the liberal vibe here. The city hasn't had a presidential visit since Truman. I suppose all of them have been too conservative to risk a visit?

After tennis and swim team practices, I ran over to Costco for dinner. I picked up Erika from the bus who had stories of crazy downtown traffic due to the president's visit, and we had a nice evening at home together. All three girls have hordes of homework. I should be doing some cleaning...

The Perks of Marriage

The New York Times had a nice little article about happy working women a couple of weeks ago that I found recently. While Jim was gone this weekend, I was thinking about how much I do enjoy having him around and missed him. While absence does make the heart grow founder, it offers an opportunity for appreciation as well.

I have been feeling the squeeze of more work, which means less time for home. Having Jim available to pick up some of the slack I make is reassuring. We do a good job as a tag team. It seems we are not alone, says the NY Times. "While the changing economic roles of husbands and wives may take some getting used to, the shift has had a surprising effect on marital stability. Over all, the evidence shows that the shifts within marriages — men taking on more housework and women earning more outside the home — have had a positive effect, contributing to lower divorce rates and happier unions."

All three girls have been bogged down with homework. Our snow storm was mild manner enough to keep us all going out and about. Mid-winter blues seem to be muddling up everyone's mood. I think it's time for a tan.

I'm with CoCo!!

LA artist, Mike Mitchell's "I’m with Coco!" poster is all over Facebook-- that is how I found about this late night show debacle.  Since I don't have a TV, I was not really aware that Leno had made a change and Conan was on earlier now.  I always liked Conan's show the best of all the talk shows, but rarely watched it because of the time slot when we had a TV. Jim watched it much more often as a late night lover. Neither of us are Leno fans.

As the story unfolds, I can't help but cheer for Conan. While I feel kind of bad for him losing his show, I know he'll be back doing something as good, if not better with a nice 30 mil in the bank. This week Monika and I started watching his last week on the Tonight Show after school on Hulu. It's been hilariously fun. Poor Jessi is studying for finals and missing out on all the laughter. She's had a tough week and been a little too stressed out. 

I finished my 6th power point tonight. I worked on my advanced metals' class. Tomorrow is Friday, no finals, no classes, no grading (I'm done). Tomorrow is all about getting ready for next week, marking the half way point of the school year.  It's all down hill from here on end.

On the news for Bob & HIV awareness

This aired last Wednesday evening and I heard about it on Thursday.  I was able to find it on youtube-- Bob does a great job of posting anything about his program, which is really nice since I don't have a tv.  I have a cameo about 2 minutes in.

What's a caucus, or a straw poll, for that matter?

So I guess there was an election today in the midwest, Iowa?  I had a soccer game tonight and no one there was talking about it, so I had to look it up on a couple of news sites (I like ABC and FOX) to see who won.  I had coffee with a girl friend this morning and we chatted a little bit about it, but in general I hate talking about politics.  I avoid the topic with everyone except my husband, because I don't have much common ground with anyone but my husband.

My vote is for the man that can call a kid a little jerk openly at a town meeting.

Bob Bowers

Bob came to speak to my first two classes.  He spoke candidly about HIV, the disease and prevention.  He is used to talking to teens about sex, drugs, tatoos, and bloodborne pathogens.  It amazes me how a young man can take such a negative thing (Bob has been HIV positive for 25 years) and make such a wonderful life from it.  He is warm and compassionate and people can't help but love him, being HIV+ has nothing to do it.

The What If It Were You campaign begins tomorrow in my class.  My students will be creating a poster answering that question, hopefully with compassion and knowledge.  AIDS has not affected me in my life but I have to say that if I found out I was HIV positive, I hope that I would fight to live a life as full and fun as Bob has.  Bob started getting tatoos to celebrate his life, one a year.  He began filling in the spaces with color and has some pretty cool sleeves.  I introduced Bob to Erika and told him she was interested in tatoos.  I loved what he shared with her, he is a great communicator and gave her facts.  As a mother who would like NOT to see her daughter with cool tatoo sleeves, I appreciated the wisdom he shared, but he showed me that I can not judge either.

To learn more about Bog go to http://www.onetoughpirate.com/ or to find out about his organization in Madison go to http://www.hivictorious.org/.

Men Are Now Happier Than Women?

Yes, according the NYtimes, it is true. While men have gradually cut back on tasks they dislike, women have continued with doing the housework as well as added paid work.  So we spend more time doing things we don't enjoy.  Luckily for me I like my job, but I still understand how frustrating it is that I can't cut back on the things I don't enjoy (dishes) to make room in my schedule for the things I do (biking).  Funny thing is, earlier this month there was an article on how women have more sex with men who do more work around the house than with those who don't do their share. I suppose if more men did the dishes, more women would be happy and thus equalize the competition for happiness! 

Tonight was the first weeknight it quite awhile I had time not only to do the dishes, but to actually make dinner!  I didnt' make it to the gym to work out (just too tired), but I did swim a mile during my lunch hour (maybe that's why I am so tired?).

a moment of silence

On September 1st, 2001 the state of Wisconsin mandated a daily saying of the pledge of allegiance (or the optional signing of the anthem) in all schools.  It was a spicy ordeal in PC Madison, even after 9/11.  I have stood my ground and said the pledge every morning all these years (even though I truly think every day is over-kill, really, isn't once a week patriotic enough?).  I am not politically minded nor am I really that conservative, but I can't ignore it or talk through it, I am too thankful to live in this country.  Most days I am the only person in the room paying attention to the pa announcement. Today after the pledge there was a moment of silence to remember the victims of nine eleven. I remember.  After that day my husband told me he wanted to do something- more.  He is much more politically minded than I am, and much more conscientious. He joined the army reserves in April of 2005, 2 days before he turned 40, 8 days after they opened up recruitment to 39 years old.  After he left for basic training, all through AIT and again after he left for Afghanistan, I have used the pledge of allegiance as a moment to pray and remember him, his sacrifice, his service, his love of country and his wish for a better world.

Are family ties the key to youth happiness?

I read the newspaper this morning while waiting for Erika's root canal to be done (ouch).  MTV took a poll and found that 3/4 of today's youth say that their relationship with their parents makes them happy next is spending time with friends.  In general I think the youth of today are happier than my peers of my youth.  Remember, though, I am a part of Generation-X; we are marked by a lack of optimism for the future, by a general sense of  skepticism, familial alienation and a total mistrust of traditional values.  So I asked Erika and Alex- both seniors in high school, "are you happy?"  Alex said yes, without hesitation.  Erika on the other hand, said, "skeptically so!"  Ah-huh!  She sounds like her parents!.  Or perhaps the ache of just having had a root canal was keeping her from feeling true happiness?

I had another senior portrait shoot today (see photo). I made my way into school today to do some work, but couldn't stay long.  I touched base with my boss (the school principal, big B), grabbed my mail and continue running errands. Jessi had her first soccer team practice and Monika had goalie practice. Jim's delay means he will not be home until LATE tomorrow night... I will be busy vacuuming tomorrow night- yeah, vacuuming.