Tag Archives: Yes we can

>The Great Small Purse Drive

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Mocha Momma is who I want to be when I grow up. Oh, wait; she’s younger than I am. Oh, well, she’s wise beyond years and simultaneously young at heart. Did I mention generous? Creative? Resourceful?

She is a high school administrator in Springfield, IL, at a school with, well, lots of difficulties. Safety is a big concern, and with that in mind, students cannot carry backpacks around with them. Boys complained that girls were allowed to carry purses, and the policy was updated to limit purse size.

70% of the students in this high school live at or below the poverty rate. These girls can’t afford a second purse just to keep themselves together at school. Mocha Momma came up with a solution: the Great Small Purse Drive.

I’ve been reading Kelly’s blog for several years now, she’s read mine, and we’ve emailed back and forth. She’s a woman of integrity, with great taste in coffee and a great sense of what’s important in life. I trust she’ll get these purses into the hands of girls who need them.

Purses should be smaller than a standard 8.5 X 11 piece of copy paper. Send any donations to:

Kelly Wickham
P.O. Box 9465
Springfield, IL 62791
Let’s do it, readers. Pass the word and pass the purses. One big closet clean-up for you; one small purse for a young woman.

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>One change a Month

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>I saw the idea on Over Coffee: the Green Edition. She suggested twelve recommendations, one per month, for a person who wanted to become more eco-conscious but could only handle one change a month.

Imitation being the most sincere form of flattery, I stole the idea. Here’s my list: one action per month, meant to be additive so that after a year’s time green behavior feels natural.

January: Read and learn. Join Paperbackswap.com for trading books. You don’t have to stop buying books, but instead of hoarding them, pass them on to another reader through the swap network.

February: Switch to cloth napkins. This was so easy I wondered what took me so long to try it. I buy them on sale, so the investment is minimal. They go in with the rest of the wash, so there’s no additional expense for laundry.

March: Dig a garden plot. If you live in the north country like I do, this might be too early. If your ground is still frozen, plant and nurture a few seeds. Herbs grow quickly; try basil and oregano.

April: Start backyard composting. Really. It’s simple. Buy an inexpensive compost bin or build one yourself. There’s no need for the fancy ones – unless you want something really cute like my new bin!

May: Plant a garden. Vegetables for eating, flowers for pleasure, but keep them local. No imports, please. Vegetables can be so satisfying. There’s not much on Earth that can compare to a fresh tomato right off the vine.

June: Shop at a Farm Market or join a CSA. When you pass by the street musicians, drop some spare change in their cases. They offer so much enjoyment when they share their talents.

July: Use your own shopping bag. Keep a small one in your purse or the car’s glove box. It’s an easy change if you keep the bags handy. As the habit grows, you’ll collect fewer and fewer plastic bags. It’s worth the (small) effort.

August: Before hitting the school supply sales, check your home. Buy only what you need. This is both economical and eco-conscious.

September: Use a reusable lunch box, including containers and flatware. Build this habit early, and the brown bag will never feel the same.

October: Rake your leaves into a pile over the garden or compost them.

November: Cook local or regional specialties for Thanksgiving. That’s easy for me to say: cranberries grow in my state!

December: Give up wrapping paper. It’s not recyclable, it’s rarely reusable, it contains too many chemicals to be burned in a fireplace. Re-use gift bags or get creative with your wrapping.

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>Commitments and committees

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It’s July, the time when a teacher’s thoughts turn to – committee assignments?
Last year the basic committees at my school, a high-maintenance class, and a few commitments outside of my own classroom walls filled the work well to overflowing. Day to day workload was so heavy that I could barely keep my head above water. And when a respected friend reminded me that “People who tread water eventually drown,” I knew had to rethink my priorities. How could I get my job done, manage my time well enough that I could successfully add to the success of each committee that had me on the roster, and not break down in tears at the piles of work my desk each day?
Decisions like these are both personal and professional. How much is my time worth? My boss had asked me to help write a grant, then unceremoniously dropped me from the grant writing group, then placed me back on the committee rolls. I acquiesced and participated until she merged our group with another that required major meeting time outside of the school year. I couldn’t follow through and make the summer dates, so I decided to drop off the committee rather than make a half-hearted contribution.
In public schools like mine, committee time is unpaid – uncompensated in cash or otherwise. Teachers spend generous amounts of time working beyond the contract every day and every week and every weekend. After I’ve planned my lessons, taught my students, assessed their learning and then restarted the cycle, how much additional volunteer time is really necessary? I’m still on two small and very specific project committees that actually value my talents and connections. I’m fully trained in conflict resolution and remain on the crisis response team. Frankly, that should be enough to make any principal happy.
But wait. The plot thickens. Teachers in a nearby charter school invited me to join their network as a board member. We share a philosophy of teaching by active learning and a mutual love for their exciting and specialized curriculum. Here’s an opportunity to use my skills and my knowledge to make a difference for kids – but kids outside my school and classroom.
That’s where the conflict comes in. By dropping off a school committee but joining a board for a different school, the boss may sense a conflict of interest. True or not, the perception may be that I care more for the charter than I do for my own highly-needy school community.
I respect and like my principal. In my building, however, cliques exist, bullies run rampant, and I’m at the bottom of the professional pecking order. My word doesn’t carry much weight, and neither does my work. Last year a coworker told me to “…just go with the flow.” I didn’t remind her that only dead fish go with the flow, and dead fish also stink.
On the charter board, I’m a respected outsider rather than a low-on-the-totem insider. At board meetings, I can swim upstream along with the other members rather than fight the current alone. Because of this status, I can make a real difference. My work outside the classroom will have a significant impact on students.
I think I just made my decision.

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>A teacher reviews Obama: the Historic Journey, Young Readers Edition

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>When Mothertalk offered the opportunity to read and review the young reader’s edition of Obama: The Historic Journey produced by The New York Times, I jumped at the chance. To help convince the people who choose the reviewers, I reminded them that 1. I teach fourth grade. 2. My students were very interested in the campaign and the election.

Obama: the Historic Journey is illustrated with vivid and varied photos, most taken by New York Times photographers. The text is by Jill Abramson, who collaborated with colleagues, browsed the NYT archives, and included her own knowledge of the lengthy presidential campaign. Abramson opens the book with election night and ends with the inauguration. The chapters between chronicle young Barack’s life and the many unique circumstances and people that contributed to make him the amazing man he is today.

The narrative is what we teachers call “ordinary language used well.” It’s readable: my school’s reading specialist leveled it at late third grade reading level. The style is direct and factual, yet captures the excitement of the campaign and the passion of the people involved in Obama’s long journey to the White House. Students looking for detail will find it; students looking for familiar events such as the election night speech at Chicago’s Grant Park will find those as well. Readers searching for an understanding of how voters came to elect the first African-American president of the U.S.A. will find it. Reading as a teacher and reviewer, I found myself drawn into the dramatic story, even though I knew it well, having followed it as events unfolded in real life.

All in all, Obama: the Historic Journey (young reader’s edition) is a wonderful book. It’s big (about 9 by 12 inches), hardcover, and sturdy enough to withstand the fingers of many eager readers. The text is simple and straightforward enough that an average fourth grader can read it, and detailed enough that older readers will be taken in by the story itself. The photos include the predictable (Obama being sworn in, family at his side) and the uniquely fascinating (toddler Barack playing in the Hawaiian surf). All are clear and excellent quality, as I would expect from the NYT.

I predict I will have a hard time keeping this book on the shelf in my classroom. Students will be lining up to grab it, eager to read the details of this Historic Journey. Maybe our library media specialist will order a copy; this one is for me and my class. I’m not giving it up.

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>Compost 3-2-1: Summary and Goals

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>We teachers sometimes use a summarizer technique called a 3-2-1 review. It’s like a bulleted list that helps students process what they’ve learned and show that they’ve gained from the activity or unit. For example:

While watching the video, fill in the following.

3 things you already knew
2 new facts
1 fact or concept that surprised you

New Year Goals

3 habits I will keep
2 events I’m looking forward to
1 goal or change for the new year

I can use the same 3-2-1 techique to summarize my composting progress.

3 items that decomposed completely: no sign of them at all!

  • coffee filters with coffee grounds
  • banana peels
  • waxed paper

2 items that did not decompose: I should leave these out from now on.

  • Dental floss. Don’t laugh; it’s waxy, contains food residue, it makes sense that it would decompose! But it didn’t.
  • Pine litter from the bunny box. The small dry pieces partially degraded, while the wet one are gone for good. If I left the bin for another year, just to finish decomposing, I think the used litter would completely fade into the soil. Maybe when I get that second compost bin…

1 goal: another item to add to the compost pile, one more thing to keep out of the garbage can and landfill

  • Non-recyclable paper and cardboard. Examples: the cardboard circles from pizzas, food boxes containing crumbs or soiled with food residue, and the like. I’ve started ripping these into long strips and soaking them (in rain barrel water, of course) before adding the paper to the compost.

There you have it: my 3-2-1 review, a summary of the pile I just spread on the garden soil. The resulting assessment will be a long time coming: to fully evaluate the success of this year’s bin, I’ll need to wait until next spring, when the latest pile of compost (you guessed it) happens.

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>Green Reading: In honor of Earth Week, my favorite eco-friendly sites

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Happy Earth Day!

Any lifestyle change is easier when there are others around for support. My teen son may say, “I’m not into this green crap,” but I can dismiss the teen attitude and keep communicating with my greener friends. As I stick the homegrown tomatoes and spinach into everything my teenager eats (ha!), I’ll read my favorite green blogs and web sites and get more and more reassurance and support for my eco-friendly ways.

Ecowomen, Protectors of the Planet! This blog is written by four women who share my outlook on life. The fact that one lives only a few miles away is a bonus. I would read this site if they lived in another country!

Mother Nature Network. They rate highly enough in my bloggy life that I put their button in my right sidebar. Readers can find it there as well as in this paragraph. I like their news roundups, their op-ed pieces, and their blogs. The videos I skip because I prefer text. Take note, MNN; a transcript of your videos might attract a few more hits.

Susan at Farmgirl doesn’t just talk the talk: she lives it. From her adorable sheep to the recipes she posts (using organic ingredients as much as possible), I can live the country life vicariously through her. Don’t forget to read the copyright paragraph! It’s different every post.

Earth Muffin lives south of the border (she’s in Illinois). Her blog resembles mine: a little family, a little life in general, but always with an eco-friendly outlook. Her family is wearing Green Bay Packer attire in the profile, too: we’re kindred green (and gold) spirits.

Then there’s The Best Green Blogs, a directory of bloggers with green sensibilities. I have the button for their home page in my sidebar, too. Ooh, look here!

BlogHer has a green section, too. It’s growing little by little. As we serious green bloggers contribute, this section will get stronger and stronger.

Work It, Mom includes green and frugal articles and features a blog called Sustainable Life. Green living isn’t limited to Stay at Home Moms or farm-dwellers. It’s all of us.

I hope the expansion of eco-sites on the web indicates not a trend, but true curiosity and interest. This can only improve environmental awareness. And as awareness grows, action will follow.

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>Recipe for an Historic Inauguration

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Take one republic, preheated by
Wars
Poverty and
Health care crises.
Blend worries, industry failures, job losses
Top with slashed budgets and crashing morale.
Mix dedicated candidates with
Intelligence
Experience
and Passion.
Nurture from deep grass roots
Seek hope, change, and motivation.
Beat at high speeds until competition peaks.
Organize. Volunteer. Vote.

Set aside to cool.
Season with Knowledge
Insight
Plans and Ideas
Fold in global perspective,
Authentic world view.
Ship by train to nation’s capital.
Set atop quality cabinet.

Serve with courage and inspiration.

photo credit: La Petite, at a rally last June

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