Nothing to Do with Cancer...

I enjoy reminding myself that this blog started for one purpose and has really turned into something different. (I do have a CT scan the first week in February if you still tune in for those kinds of details. On a worry scale of 1-10 I'm at a 2 right now.)

It's been a heck of a week in Waterloo. If I were writing a book, this week alone would consume a full chapter. Other than a humorous couple of hours involving an incredibly flat tire, a pair of grey suede heels, a good friend, a helpful boss, and a gigantic tattooed man, nothing really fun happened this week. And yes, I realize that a flat tire should probably not be the highlight of my week...

If you haven't heard about it, this week the Iowa Legislature released a list of the 35 persistently lowest achieving schools in the state. Despite the fact that my school only opened in August, we made the list, along with four other schools in our city. The news was depressing, to say the least, especially because, technically, our kids haven't even TAKEN a test yet under our new school name. The state looked at the last three years of achievement on our standardized test, and schools that were below proficiency were deemed "persistent low achievers." Anyone who works with me knows that our school is tough, but they also know we've made incredible gains in the last year. Most of us are working our little tails off on a regular basis.

Early this week, the superintendent of our district asked that we sign a "commitment to our schools" web document. That also made it a good week to do some soul - searching and genuine re-committing to my career. Talking to a former boss helped immensely, talking to colleagues reaffirmed many of my beliefs.

This morning, still frustrated, still feeling like I swallowed a HUGE bowl of Jell-O, I googled some of these quotations and thought I'd post them as much for my friends and colleagues in Waterloo as for myself. At this point, no one knows what is going to happen to our schools or our jobs. We're just playing a waiting game, but until that point, we're still in the classrooms, desperately needing to make progress.

Education is the ability to listen to almost anything
without losing your temper or your self-confidence.
-Robert Frost

It must be remembered that the purpose of education
is not to fill the minds of students with facts...
it is to teach them to think, if that is possible,
and always to think for themselves.
-Robert Hutchins

Every student can learn,

just not on the same day, or the same way.
-George Evans

Upon the subject of education,
not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it,
I can only say that I view it as the most important subject
which we as a people may be engaged in.
-Abraham Lincoln

It's only when you hitch your wagon

to something larger than yourself

that you will realize your true potential.

- Barack Obama

In an effective classroom
students should not only know what they are doing,
they should also know why and how.
-Harry Wong

We can do this.

Carpe diem. - Trela