I miss greatness... students.

Don't worry... the best is at the bottom:

For my own record/ milestones of sorts:
1st and last time I was obviously given the finger by a student ? Once on 11/ 21/2012. Pretty good.

The number of times I have carved the word "fuck" into the word "book" on the old wooden lab science tables .... probably five. A old custodian ( plumber crack Pete) taught me that trick :)

The number of times I felt physically threatened? Once by a student last year 11/ 2011 & once by a drunken Dad at conferences in 1997 so that would be twice. Not bad. I sent the drunk Dad to Marty Longsdorf. I'm sure that she rehabilitated him right there on the spot :)

The one and only time I was LOUDLY called a bitch? Once last year 11/ 2011. I had a pencil thrown at my head by the same girl during the same "incident". She apologized sincerely two days later and we got along famously after that. She was way beyond her years because of family crap. A survivor for sure.

The number of times that I KNOW that I was called a bitch under someone's breath? Probably 4.

The number of times I've had something of value ( money , phone etc) stolen from me NEVER!!! WOW!

The number of times I have a student say "this SUCKS" and walk out of the room? Probably about 6.

The number of times I have stood my ground under above or similar circumstances with a student and asked them " Do you REALLY want to do this? Do you REALLY want to go there ? " Probably about 8-10. Never a good situation.

The number of my former students murdered? One that I know of. She is one of the still unsolved appalachian trail murders. It hit me hard when I heard about it. She was a true gem.

The number of my former students charged with murder? One that I know of. .... just two weeks ago. He is 17 and will be charged as an adult..a part of this "knockout game" crap sweeping the country. Sad. He was a really great kid..in 7th grade.

I have had two former students that I know of die before they were 17.. one by suicide one from an allergic reaction to something.

The number of things that I have witnessed students doing or saying or written that struck me as amazingly thoughtful, filled with love and caring innocence? Countless times. Nearly on a daily basis. I miss those times and I miss being around emerging greatness and love.

I was cognizant the entire time that I was teaching that I had received a great gift by virtue of simply being a teacher of being a very small part of God's plan for the future.

Here is what I wish for you:

I encourage you to consciously think of the things that you do as you go about your daily routines and responsibilities as gifts of goodness that figuratively change into angels; that these angels of goodness are cumulative and will someday, when needed, make this world a better place.

Teachers themselves are angels IMO. Have a great rest of the week!

Mary

On a much more positive note.

Sleepy travelers after sledding, skiing, fishing & riding the 4 wheeler at G & G Dan's!

I don't want to lead anyone astray in thinking I have mostly been having negative thoughts and my days are dark. I have not and they are not. Not by a long shot.

My "time off" has first and foremost emptied my brain of nearly all stress related to having a full time job with perks. The perks being a full time job with a bonus of extra extra large additional work and responsibilities. Any of you who are consider as being a "1" FTE know exactly what the heck I am talking about. One full time equivalent in education has actually become a 1.5 with the only saving grace being the wonderful, like- minded adults who fill each of our lives with comfort and understanding and support.

Connor just turned 7. Grace will be 5 in April :)

Jess & Matt's new kitchen!

Dan still calls her "Baby Grace".

The deck is large and plenty of back yard!

Split level... the basement is roughed up already. Good deal!

I have to put all of that aside with the exception of a few transitional detours and my life has other priorities. Like uh, me doing whatever I want , whenever I want and however I want. And I'll talk about that in a bit more detail another time but here is a family update:

Jess and Matt bought a house in Becker and are steeped in wedding planning. Jessica is happily back to school at Anoka Ramsey working on her PT assistant degree. Matt is now part owner in Shulte Transmission. Their biggest worry is figuring out how to keep Matt's bird dog, Bugsy, with them at the new house without a fence. Now instead of Matt and Jess sleeping between two houses poor Bugsy is!

Danielle and Zach are going to be back in the states soon and then may well be heading to Turkey to base the rest of their travels by using cheap(er) train transportation throughout Europe. Lord only knows where they will land and put roots down but in their happy & carefree state that is on the back burner and I say "good for them!".

Jamie has been working for nearly a month now. She is the director of a medical clinic based in a retirement community called Emerald Heights not far from their home. It's a bit more responsibility than she originally was seeking and for a bit less money than what she earned at the Mayo clinic but she likes it and that is what matters. She doesn't "have to work" and speaking from personal experience that will take a significant amount of edge off of any work- related stress.

Merry Christmas to all (2) of my readers!!!

I am the first one up and I can hear the trees cracking and popping from the cold. Brrrrrrrrr. The Haradens are here. Santa came early to their house in Seattle .... quite an understand guy that Santa Clause!!!

I have few worries these days. My biggest now is that the slippers I got for Connor will be too small... he's growing so fast!!!

Oh. Well worrying about Danielle has been a life long endeavor ... the fact that she and Zack were repelling down waterfalls in Ecuador yesterday and have readily admitted that some of the South American treks they have taken on have been crazy dangerous just ratchets the worry up a little bit. Skype is the best thing ever for reducing concern for them. They will be back in time for Danielle's 30th birthday, February 28th.

Hey all.... I am on a leave of absence pending board approval. Having it approved is a formality... the paper work through HR is completed. I gave my permission to post my position for a long call sub.

My personal responsibility professionally has now officially taken a back seat to my personal responsibility to me. ... to take care of myself and get some semblance of both physical and mental health restored.

There is no timeline on that and the leave gives me a cushion of transition for which I am forever grateful. Someday YOU might need a leave for whatever reason and each case is different ( so don't ask me for specifics... it is very case specific) and so know that it's there... but I'd suggest taking care of yourself better than I did so that you can avoid it. Although I did my best and have no regrets thankfully...

It will be baby steps forward and maybe some will be backward but I'll find my way back to me eventually. It's been awhile!!

I may be back to teaching and I may not ( more likely not) but for now teaching is not a part of my life. Thought you should know and go ahead and spread the word... Housman-Meyer is on a leave.... not retired!!!!


 Yo & Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas!!!

Mary :)

Well for crying out loud.

I came into the c. lab today and the whiteboard that distinguishes for the students which side to go to according to their instructor said "Ms. Housman - Meier".

I pointed it out to Nancy and she said, "oh! I took it off of the teacher extension list". And sure enough, my name is listed as Mary Housman-Meier" on the Apollo extension list.

That is the fourth way that my name has been misspelled THIS YEAR!!! I do believe, and I am NOT kidding, that my name has been misspelled ONE time since 1995.


If that isn't a sign ( get it? sign... whiteboard sign..never mind) then I don't know what is.

I'm still loving Apollo.... that has made a HUGE difference!!!

Mary

ps

Danielle in Nicaragua ...

Did I give you this link? If I did, I don't mind re posting. 

Last Sunday Jamie, Danielle and I skyped all at once. Seattle-----------> MN -----------> S. America.

Cool. Danielle and Zach are in a very weird zone. I mean like zone in their heads. Their lives are moving very slowly. It took them 7.5 hours to travel 50 miles total to there destination on what is called a "chicken" bus. And when she told me this there was not one comment of dissatisfaction. I kept waiting for it. And waiting ( I am patient.... she can't blame the following on me) . Danielle was the most impatient baby I had. I had to stop breast feeding this child because she would scream before my milk would let down, I would get uptight, the milk took longer then and she just turned red in the face screaming screaming screaming. Danielle did a LOT of screaming ( at me) like .... until she was 22yrs. old. She is THE most IMPATIENT person I have EVER known!!!!

SERIOUSLY??? It took you 7.5 hours to go 50 miles????? I think I would have screamed at everyone!!!  Things are slow in Nicaragua I guess....

These buses are old American school buses. They break down frequently. They are collectively called "chicken" buses because people carry any and everything in the bus and on top of the bus including chickens.

The bus stops to pick up people on their way to work . There is a man who rides on TOP of the bus to whom the people on their way to work throw their satchels, packages, tools, etc. And as the people get off the bus to go to work,  they yell at the man on top to throw their posessions down to them. The man always gets the right item... never makes a mistake.

The bus is as full as three to a seat with people standing in the aisles. This sounds crazy to me.

But go to the link. There is a pay out. They are living a dream. I sure wish I had done some of these things when I was young enough and physically fit enough to look a volcano in the eye!!!

Equador is next. I swear, my spelling is getting worse. The crazy thing about traveling to Ecuador ( got it) ? It will be cheaper for them to fly to Miami, stay overnight , and then fly to Ecuador from there. So things are slow and don't make sense. The only thing that comes to mind that is similar is the Alzheimer's unit my step dad is in. But yet they are at the opposite end of life as Bill.

Ok. I'm done. Life is strange.

Mary :)

FOR example....

I will never EVER have to feel any sort of obligation and will never ever be personally persecuted
 (ever again) because of someone else 's vicious, intentional misinterpretation of my person hood simply based on said individual's selfish fear of failing a personal agenda that is either directly or indirectly related to the following depiction:


Confused? Tru dat. Peace. Fuck that. Up yours. Yo.

How about "Please pass the butter and may I be excused?'.

Peace.

Mary 

I am not only Thankful but Grateful today!

I've heard. 

That the school that I used to work in is in chaos and that 
" I picked a good time to leave".... as if I had a choice.  I believe that God intervened and saved me from losing my soul from the depths of despair believing that education was heading for the nearest rock to flounder upon an sink forever never to be resurrected  for generations.

I was wrong. I have been working under the first administration ( of my career)  that is competent.

I am working in a place that is quiet and respectful and empty of fear.

I am working in a department where working cooperatively and without dysfunction is the norm.

I am working in a place where everyone knows what the expectations are and they meet them gladly because they are presented with purpose , make sense,  are clearly for kids and not for greed or to feather a cap of some sort.

Of course all of my perceptions from my new "placement" are at first blush and I am not so naive as to think that there are not underlying currents of filth and disgust where I am as well. I just haven't seen any evidence of it. 

In my heart of hearts I have a palpable  feeling of uneasiness that this bliss is short lived and simply a result of not having the filth and disgust catch up with them yet. This is based on some very specific observations.

For example, in my new placement they are just BEGINNING to look at rubrics but they have  camoflaged the term rubric with "scales" . Why do they find it necessary to rename rubric and why doesn't anyone around me have the faintest idea of what a rubric/ scale is?

I attended an IEP meeting a week ago and people seemed surprised that a mainstream teacher showed up. I even had 3 candy bars in my PO in appreciation for my insight. Is it possible that the feds haven't caught on to this oversight?

I met with a counselor and a student who was giving me problems in school. The counselor was overjoyed that I would take the time to try to develop a positive relationship with this child. What has been happening with misunderstandings between tutor and student in the past? Does it just go on?

At the beginning of the year our school's AYP data was presented to the staff. There have been gains in some areas, losses in others but the achievement gap narrowed for the very first time. This phenomenon  was presented by the administration in a celebratory fashion followed by a round of applause. It was an after thought, a flippant , joking notation that the  narrowing gap between the lines on a projected graph showed that in fact the gap is narrowing but not because the low has gained significantly thereby catching up with the top, but that the top for the first time has lost ground more closely mirroring the gains but in the opposite direction. How are we supposed to feel good about that? And why do our leaders seem happy about it?

Yes. I am glad that I am not wallowing in what sounds like difficult muck to navigate through in my old school but my gut is telling me that the water is about to be muddied in my new school.

The good news? I won't be around to have to re adjust my navigation systems. For now I am thoroughly reveling in what feels like bliss and taking full advantage of it by not worrying about what the future holds and working hard and in the moment with my new colleagues, school and mostly wonderful students :)

I have a LOT to be thankful for today and my heart is overflowing with gratefulness. :)

Wishing you all a very happy and restful Thanksgiving.

Mary :)