The First Week Of School... Teacher Version.

Look carefully!   Tell me what you see...

 Last week was my first week of school.   I wish I had known that...   Or at least had been better prepared.    I was told it was a "Meet and Greet" for both sides.  I was to get a feel for the students and they were supposed to get a feel for me.    And together....  We were going to learn a little bit about each other and how the process works.  

Well,  I learned a LOT!   ( And not all of it "good")   First,   What I learned is that several of the tid bits of advice that I received were not 100% accurate....  for me.    Classes started technically on Wednesday.   (Freshmen Tuesday)   And I was ready for that.   

But then Thursday arrived.   I was not "technically" ready for that....  But I managed to pull out a few things to make the time survivable. 

Then Friday arrived....    I had nothing!    My classes were all to begin on Monday of this coming week.   I had no idea I would be teaching a class at all this last week.    So I did ( could) not move my lesson plans down one day (Or three)   How I survived is anyone's guess.  ( With a lot of help from God... I'm sure) 

Learned:   I have to learn Google Classroom FAST!   And it is such a simple program that a trained monkey can learn it in half an hour by  randomly hitting the keyboard with a banana!  ( Do you detect the sarcasm in my prose?)  Mostly, I find it to be like a disorganized desk top with all of your important papers and files buried under MORE papers and files.   And the more you attempt to organize it,  the deeper things become buried!  

So...  I need help.

I was able to chat with Kathy this morning and she generously offered  her services to me tomorrow after school.    She told me she was in the same boat when they moved over to goggle classroom, so she knows the feeling well.   I have been trying to avoid leaning on too many people since I know they all have their own hills to climb and lessons to plan.   Holding my hand and spoon feeding me is probably not high on their priority list.   

That being said...   I have reached the state where asking for help is unavoidable. And side note:  the Staff have been WONDERFUL in offering help and advice.  Hopefully, I will still be around long enough next week to update the issues.

Other than that,  I met the kids!   Not terrible.   They all have potential. ( I will revise that statement later, I'm sure.)  And I'm hoping things will begin to work out as the year progresses.    And hopefully,  I will gain some skill and experience in the process.   To be the Best Teacher I can be.  (Or at least good enough to help prepare these kids for the future....) 

This weekend has been mostly about recovery.... For ME!   I have tried to avoid looking at my planbook so I don't mess with it more than I need to.   I have been obsessing over these first few lesson plans for nearly a month now!    I tend to obsess with things until I destroy them, so to avoid such a catastrophe,  I did some sidewalk chalking.  

Nothing special.   I'm actually not even very impressed with it.  But I have not been able to do any chalk art since July!  And it was a nice distraction from my current plight.  

Tomorrow I go back to war!   Well,   not technically, war...   but an internal struggle, nonetheless.  I pray that this last week was a gut check and now begins the veteran phase of the battle.   One of Murphy's Law of Warfare is that "The best laid plans never survive first contact intact."  I'm hoping that as I adjust my plans,  I can get a better feel for what works instead of relearning what doesn't.   I'm hoping I learned that lesson already. 

Time, at moments, seems to stand still.   And other times,   it flies by when you are not teaching.    I simply have to figure out how to make every second count.

And The Mushrooms Continue.

 A quick post on the weekend finds.   It seems the weekend has passed far too quickly for my liking.    But I did manage to find a few mushrooms and make some progress on the painting of the fish.  Also, it was a fine rest time before the storm of the school year begins.   

But for now:  Pictures!  

I was just commenting on how I had not found any Jack-O=Lanterns this year, when I finally found a wonderful, brightly colored cluster around the base of a tree. 

I also found a Panther Amanita and an Old Man Of The Woods!   

I have yet to try one of these Black Boletes..... I heard they are so-so, at best, but easy to identify and so many people simply toss them in the basket and mix them in to the medley.  Unfortunately,  the slugs got to this one before me and had completely consumed the interior.  

Golden Corals!

And then there were the Chanterelles.   Apparently, they are not finished just yet.   I found a nice bag full along with some Tiny Chanterelles. ( A different species.) We ate most of them over pork steak and potatoes this evening.  

Tomorrow will be my last free day before the school year begins.  Classes officially begin next Monday, but this week, we have the student sets meeting.   I have no idea what I am in for, but I will simply have to survive and maintain a state of readiness for the future.   Time passes so quickly... and Every Second Counts.

A Day At The Kenosha County Fair

 I volunteered for a vendor spot at the Kenosha fair yesterday.   Seems Shoreland has a permanent booth there to help raise funds for the athletic programs.  Similar to the food stand that is open at the football games during the school year.    The prices are very affordable and they have a clean dry place to enjoy your meal with your family as you walk around the fair.   A good time.  

I was the grill master.   After a 2 minute block of instruction, I was in charge of the steaks, hamburgers and hotdogs.   It was a pretty sweet gig.  I volunteered for the 10 to 4 shift so I could enjoy a bit of the fair after I was done.   And besides,  The second shift ended at 10 PM.   And that is past my bed time.  

By and large, the day progressed with hardly any drama.   I guess the real rush happens on the weekend.    But during the middle of the day,  the crowds were fairly manageable and there were happy and able bodies there to handle every situations.   

As a volunteer,  We were able to get into the fair for free and eat all the food we wanted. ( quality control, he said)  so by the time my shift ended, I was not tempted at all by the high calorie, high fat, really-bad-for-you fair food.  I hope that was a bonus.  

I walked around a bit when I was finished with my obligation.   It had been a while since my last fair, and I was curious how this one was different from the Iowa State fair.  .

Needless to say, there were many pictures taken.   Lots of educational and photo art photos.... But after a bit of review, I decided that many of them can not be in the blog.   I did enjoy the chicken pictures.   Mostly because I see all the fly tying possibilities of owning chickens.   And some of the roosters had the cutest crow you ever heard.   

The turkeys were all puffed up and ready to strut,  making a fun time trying to take their pics.  

Overall,  I am very happy I did it.   It was an easy way to get into the fair and eat free food without paying for anything.  And all I had to do was flip a few burgers for a couple hours.   Easy!  

Next week the school year begins with the groups meeting as they prep for the school year.   Call it the "pre, school  year"  Where we inform the kids and teachers and parents on what is expected of them while they attend.   I will be learning as much as the kids, since this is my first year and I have yet to experience things as they should happen.   Good times!   I can hardly wait.  

It is late.. and I just discovered a couple new things for the smart board that I will have to experiment with tomorrow   Everyday is a new learning adventure!  And every second counts....

Rock Collecting Lake Michigan.

 I have been mulling the idea over and over in my head for a while now.   How can I get Earth Science to be relatable and educational for the kids who are bored with Geology?  I mean,  Rocks bore the crap out of me!   Why should I expect anything less for kids trapped in school?  

The wrong answer is to not teach them anything.  Even I would be bored with that plan.   So the right answer (which happens to also be the hard answer)  is to somehow make it interesting and "fun" for them. How do I do such a thing?  

Well,  with the help of my retired partner in crime,   I set out on a mission to collect various rocks from along the Lake Michigan shore.  They are pretty, after all.   And plentiful!  And perhaps an idea or two might hit me along the way.   

After lugging about 50 lbs of rocks up and down the beach... in the sand and the summer heat,   I had an "Ah HA! moment.   Possibly induced by a minor case of sun stroke...  I'm still working out the details in my head, but I think it will add a touch of fun to the mineral classification process.  I shall keep you posted.  

Speaking of Cheryl,   we found a huge stash of beach glass again.   ( She collected glass while I collected rocks.) After several hours,  we headed to the Beer Garden for some Fish and chips and beer.   Not a bad way to spend a Birthday Weekend.  

The biting flies and mosquitoes were kept away by the HORDE of Dragonflies that hovered around.   I LOVE Dragonflies!   Not only are they the coolest thing to watch in the skies with their darting, hover and strike flying patterns;    Or their colorful green iridescence. But mostly because they hunt, kill, and eat the bugs that make the great outdoors not so great!   With the Dragons hovering around,  you know that you are going to have a peaceful outdoor experience.  ( Too bad they do not continue after dark.)  

Cheryl is back in Iowa as of the writing of this blog post.   We enjoyed a hot fudge Sundae on one of the last days of Summer.   Well,   Last days for me.   This next week is one of the last few days where I can tweak any lesson plans and hopefully formulate an idea on how I plan to accomplish this upcoming school year.   I shall continue to pray for inspiration and more "Ah HA!" moments as the lessons continue.  I'm sure God will not abandon me. (Hebrews 13:5)

And one final note:   This evening,  as I returned home from the Reach Service,   The Great Egret was out and about walking the neighborhood.  He was very "chill" and I was able to drive right up to him and take his picture from the window of the Silver Surfer Subie.  This is the closest I have ever been to one of these, so I was kind of excited.  And I might as well share the pic with the blog while it is still fresh in my mind.  

That weekend flew by way too quickly!   And it seems like the next few weeks are going to do the same.   I don't have much time before the School year begins. Now more than ever... I'm realizing every second counts.

Student Orientation Day!

 The First of two!  And it was FUN!   I got to meet a number of students and their parents.   My job was to simply hand them  a check list of items and stations they needed to visit and point them in the right direction.   Easy!   And during the process,  I got to chat with a few of them along the way.

And all this on a day where information was once again, coming fast and furious!   I admit that the feeling of being overwhelmed is getting a little old now.   Dare I say:  Familiar?  You think I would simply get used to it.   (And perhaps that is the entire point!  To be comfortable with being uncomfortable....) But after tonight....  There was a feeling of excitement that I have not felt in a long time.  

It is late... And usually I feel rather drained after meeting so many people.  (Especially strangers!)   But I actually feel rather "energized" from the ordeal.   Go figure.   I can't explain it other than God's hand is at work within me.   

I like that thought and feeling.

Still,  that being said, I should probably cut this post short and head to bed.  It has been a long day and I have been up since 3:45 AM!   So I should probably get some sleep.  

Oh!  And it was my Birthday today!   I almost forgot!  Funny how things like that get glossed over when you are focused on the fun.  

I just wanted to post a quick blog entry about the feeling.  If nothing else... To be a record of the journey and process of things.   A strong family.   A friendly culture.   And a loving and caring God to aid me along the way.   Praise be to Him!  For making every second count...  Amen!

The Happiness Of Chanterelles.

 I was having one of those days today....  where you think things are slightly spiraling out of your control...   Call it....  "Overwhelmed".  So I went out for some Forest Therapy.  Because nothing gets me calmed down better than a walk in the woods...  Usually alone.  

And then God reaches down and blesses me.   He has a certain way of doing it.   Funny how he seems to know just the right combination.  

First:  I found a ripe Mayapple/  I have never found a fully ripe one before;  mostly because everything wants to eat them!   But today, I found one and was able to sample an elusive fruit.    And it was wonderful!   Like a sweet plum!  But without any pit in the middle.   It was a great start to the nature walk. 

Soon after,  I found a few mushrooms.   Nothing terribly special.   A Field Bolete and a few Russulas.  But then....  Chanterelles!  

I thought the Chanterelles were over after my last forest find.  IT had been several weeks and I have not really been able to go out much at all.   And then there is the "competition" out there.   Those faceless folks who steal forage in my secret favorite spots.  Imagine my surprise when I started finding a few in a spot where I have never been successful before.  

And then there was the Deer!   Three of them.   A nice touch.  I like seeing animals and talking with the wild things.   They did not seem very afraid of me.   And rather than run off,   they decided to stop and stare for a while.    

And then I found the Mother Lode!  HUGE Chanterelles all around the deer.   After a while,  I wondered why the deer were standing there so long, and as they slowly walked away,  I wandered up to where they were standing.   HUGE numbers of Chanterelles!   So many I could not fit them all in my basket.  I ended up leaving a number of them in the forest, because I simply could not carry them out.   Looks like we will be enjoying he fruits of nature for the next few days.

During the process,  My worries disappeared and I simply enjoyed the moment and the fun of finding.   Funny how God can fix the day in the best possible way.  

I should also mention that I had been fishing a bit after the school meetings.   A couple small pnds around here have a large supply of greedy green sunfish.    And an occasional bluegill.   Nothing huge, mind you,    but lots of fun on a fly rod.  

Shoreland School Faculty Meetings are under way and there is that feeling that pops up where you think you are in over your head.   But I have had that feeling before in many other situations and managed to survive them.   So I guess I just have to let that excitement of teaching overwhelm the fear of failure.   And when I do that,  and pause to consider my purpose in this whole thing,  I find that those fears fade away to a distant background noise.  

That being said,  I will continue to pray for guidance and help every chance I get.   I find myself praying a lot lately.   And I don't think that is really a bad thing.   In fact, perhaps that is the whole point!   With God, everything is possible!   And after my latest personality evaluation,   I guess being a "True Believer" is my number one quality.  Well,  Having "faith" in my belief or something like that.   Core values....   

Regardless,  I shall continue to press forward and do my best.   Because I have already spent enough of my life building the foundation with failures and life lessons.   And with fewer days ahead of me than behind me...  Now more than ever...   Every second counts!