Teachers: The Short End of a Stick

It's been more than a year that I have been educating my son at home and we love it. This experience totally works for us and I do feel guilty that I didn't start sooner however, Vincent reminds me that his 4th grade teacher was awesome and he would have hated to miss that opportunity.

What made her awesome? As he explains it, there was no homework unless you didn't finish something in class; he spent the school year learning about the agriculture industry specifically in Illinois and it was hands on; she was fair and talked about taking responsibility when you were not being nice; and she made learning fun through games.
(Though her penchant  for homework ruffled feathers from admin & some alpha parents, she continued to teach her way and has received numerous accolades in her field).

Just like there are a percentage of bad cops versus good cops, everyone seems to ignore the latter. Teachers fall under that same ruling. Yes, I have witnessed some horrible teachers who are there for the paycheck and vacation days. But that's not all of them. There are teachers that have gone to college for the specific objective to receive a degree in a specialization in education. The courses are quite thorough and students learn the latest in research regarding how children learn, what is the best way to teach certain types of children, classroom management, incorporating technology, the list goes on and on. They do the equivalent of clinical hours in a school for almost two semesters and take a state exam for certification. They are professionals.

Now let's take a moment and take a look at the general expectations of a professor at a university. First, they either tend to have a doctorate or a masters (community college) to teach college students. Their boss tends to be a Dean of a school and pretty much the professor has the autonomy to select what materials will be taught in their class and how he or she will teach it (though this is changing). The Dean doesn't get involved. The Dean has a mission for the department and expects each professor to incorporate it in their curriculum. Of course, professors have more flexibility than teachers in regards to their schedule, etc. but my point here is that the treatment of professors should be the same for teachers.

Hence, a teacher should be allowed to create their own curriculum for the classroom and choose whatever materials and resources they want to achieve their goals. If the teacher decides they don't want to use a textbook. Then that's it; they don't. They should have the ability to understand what the school's mission is for each student and incorporate it in their lesson plans.
Instead, they walk in to be stripped from all the knowledge and experience they have learned in college to be told to use a textbook, must adhere to state/federal guidelines on what is taught, use a specific software, and pass standardized tests. They must meet a quota and can't stray from it. And this is only the surface of it.

Mind you, there are teachers that are so organized they can find loopholes to teach their way and make it fun for kids but it is exhausting. So when that Jimmy kid acts up, it ruins everything. You are at your wits end and it really isn't the student's fault.

I read about Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates meeting with principals and administrators and the occasional teacher, on best practices for learning, and then investing money in it. Tsk tsk. What they should be doing themselves is reading on the top research about education and then sitting down with teachers from different cities and different grade levels (focus group anyone?) to find out what really needs to happen. Hell, have them drop in to an average public school and be a substitute for a week. That's right, no warning, drop in, look at a teacher's lesson binder and go. Ha!

We have a long way to go.....

Turning Japanese: Their poop don't stink! Really.

Yokohama, Tokyo, Japan. This was my first stop. I had a view of the bay where Godzilla comes to save the day.
First few things I noticed was the slippers. When you enter a room, home, dressing room (yeah like in a department store), you have to take off your shoes. Then they have slippers for you to use in the bathroom only. That way your feet remain clean and you don't track whatever you stepped on in the bathroom to the rest of your home. Yep. Bathroom slippers.
When I sat on the toilet, (sorry for the TMI), I noticed my butt feeling warm and a noise come out of a speaker on the wall. It sounded like really loud rain. I was in awe. Heated toilet seats and a noisemaker for when you do #2! This is some fancy hotel!! It had an electronic bidet attached to the toilet.

Turns out, this is standard in all bathrooms including PUBLIC bathrooms! Even the Shinkansen has it. It goes on. The public bathrooms not only have the bidet, heated seats, and noise factor, but the stalls are completely sealed. So there is no peeking allowed! A few of the bathrooms I visited (yes my trip to Japan consisted of visiting bathrooms) had a button on the side for you to raise or lower the toilet seat. That device alone can save marriages. Then there was a liquid dispenser and a diagram explaining how to use it on toilet paper to wipe down the toilet seat. 

Now there are distinct features in a women's public bathroom where you squat to pee. At first, I had no clue which way to face to squat but on my visit to the Nico Castle, they had a diagram and you basically face the flushing mechanism. These types of toilets are more common in touristy areas or in subways where there are a lot of people commuting. It's no big deal and you always have the option of using the #2 toilet if you are older or have a disability. 

One more thing, most of the toilet stalls had baby seat that hold your baby while you use the toilet. They think of everything. 

Overall, Japan is spotless. The people take pride in being clean (reflects their inside) and every job, housekeeper, subway cleaner, retail store, coffee shop, is practiced with pride. Every where I went to eat, I was offered disposable, sealed wet wipes which I stocked up on for the trip. There's no littering. Nothing. They also use face masks to avoid getting sick or spreading illness. This goes for teens too. They present themselves well dressed. No Walmart attire here! It's probably unlawful. As is noise. The motorcycles didn't seem to be so loud. During rush hour, you would hear birds chirping inside the subway to calm people down. 

The people. I can't say enough about them. So kind, so helpful; very genuine. Not trying to screw you. No need to barter. You ask a question; you get the correct answer. No need to double guess. 

It's impossible to get lost. You just have to ask someone or the employees at the public transportation and they will help you. If you don't ask, they won't help. They let you figure it out. They are not intrusive. Oh, and they know basic English. Though I do recommend you learn basic conversational Japanese. Please, thank you, your welcome, excuse me, yes, no, 1-5, hi, bye, etc.

Crime? I saw a little 10 year old girl riding the train, by herself, going home from school. She would text someone to let them know she entered or was leaving a train. Not a soul bothered her or looked her way. My son was ready to move to Japan. It is safe.

Oh, and they have no problem wishing you MERRY CHRISTMAS and decorating with Christmas lights and trees. That's right!! They are not even Christian!!

That's enough for now.

Turning 40: Health

Yoga, mindfulness, meditation, vegan, vegetarian, essential oils, Buddhism, pot, organic anything, alcohol, spiritualism, teas, mammograms, zumba, hormonal imbalance, anti-aging creams...sound familiar. It's great to reach this decade.
God help me. If I could talk to that burger eating, pound cake/ice cream before sleep girl, I would tell her to start then. Why? That way I can have a splurge here and there and not risk some intestinal back up. For example, I had some lovely Rioja last night and I decided to try some Debowa vodka with cranberry juice. Just one. Got home at 5ish and passed out until 8:30pm. It's the Rohypnol of vodkas. I was out. I ended up smearing frankincense oils, swallowing a motrin, eating a grilled cheese sandwich to shake off the hang over effects. OMG.

As I type this, I'm drinking Sapporo Light beer because I'm trying  to avoid bloating but I love beer so....oh yes, bloating, weight gain, and ah, feeling perimenopausal. SO MUCH FUN.

Apparel is different too. I can't get away with low riders...I'm tired of pulling my jeans up! I want comfort but to look sexy. Not an easy combo. Your skin changes too. Makeup doesn't look the same any more so you have to switch to more flattering ahem colors (neutral) to look youthful.

Cardio, cardio, cardio. You can NEVER stop the cardio. It keeps you level headed and feeling good. Coffee alone doesn't do it for the energy, it's cardio and progesterone creams. That's right. I have to smear that stuff on me so I can stop passing out every now and then or to avoid night sweats.

The first sign of my body changing was when I sat cross legged with my son on the floor. Well, I attempted to get up. It felt like my knees decided to nap and was not waking up any time soon. That has never happened to me. NEVER. My entire life was about to change physically and I realized that everything I read but never practiced was about to play some karma.

Don't think twice, just enroll at your nearest gym, get medically violated, sniff therapeutic grade essential oils, partake in monthly facials, and attend as many paint/wine nights as often as you please. You should be fine.

Turning 40: the sh*t has hit the fan!

This is a subject I keep trying to figure out how to write about it but there are so many aspects to it, I didn't know where to begin. I may attempt different stages in different blogs because one would be WAY TOO LONG.
When a friend told me that turning 40 is no big deal, that we were like a bottle of wine, the older the year the better. Now I know about wine, and there are various kinds that the older they become, the more rancid the flavor. Ugh.
Generally, I am a positive person (half full) but this 40 crap took me on a tail spin. It's either an epiphany or drowning in the ninth circle of Dante's inferno.
First and foremost, you wake up. I mean really wake up. For me, I knew exactly what I wanted, who I was, and my self confidence was sound. There was no wishy washy anything. If you offer me grapefruit in the morning, I will tell you I can't eat it. That's it. Stop telling me how organic the fruit it and that it hails from the soils of central Florida. I'm NOT GOING TO EAT IT.
Clearly I know what I like and dislike. You also see others as being relatively ignorant aka stupid. However, you are more tolerant and realize that they haven't lived that many lives and need to continue to learn. On the contrary, I'm prehistoric when it comes to that so I'm not going to sit and hang with you. Maybe pre-40 I may have attempted to explain things to you OVER and OVER again thinking you would have insight but that's over now. NEXT.

Here you are, 40, you know who you are and guess what you find out about yourself? No, not that you are surrounding infinitesimally by ignorant people, but that you will not lose the weight you gained! That's right. You can't just go take your dog on a brisk walk or skip that pizza slice. OH NO. Whatever weight you gain it sticks.

If you want to look good in a bathing suit, well you have to change your diet and exercise routine. COMPLETELY. Diet has to change because you will become bloated like a puffer fish when you eat carbs and certain foods. Then certain foods like fried delicious chicken or bacon will give you a horrible upset stomach....like acid running down your intestinal tract. Dairy..ha! Forget about heavy creamed soups or dips, because you will have to buy stock on antacids. Everyone is a bit different but not by much. You are screwed. Best diet....honestly, a vegan one (lots of fruits, vegetables) and the occasional animal protein. Sorry. I'm not lying. [Sigh]

Workout! I'm at the point that I walk my dog briskly almost every day (maybe about 20 min). I swim 25 laps at the gym pool twice a week and I do yoga once a week. I thought that would be enough but it only maintains your weight, health and firmness. But weight loss? Enter Shawn T. Yep, I started the T25 workout. 25 minutes of uncontrollable sweat dripping down from unknown places. Sadly, its working. Cardio is a must after 40. You can't get away with not doing it, if you do, weight gain is ominous.

I'll stop now...there's more later-- 

Homegrown- Oriental Institute

WTH? I can't believe we have this treasure near us and the admission is FREE (donations are recommended and please do support this treasure in our midst).
The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago hosts a collection of artifacts that date back to Mesopotamia....that's right, the first civilization. And I'm not talking about some small pot or arrow, I'm talking about walls from buildings!! Huge statues all preserved right here in Chicago.

 That's King Tut behind Vincent.

Big bull from Petra with Vincent's dad (he happens to be a Taurus, go figure).

The Oriental Institute offers youth and family programs that will educate and entertain children. Talk about hands on experience! When we attended, we learned how the alphabet started and looked for some clues in the collections. So fun!

During the week, we reviewed life in Mesopotamia with some online videos for kids on their history and we learned they created taxes, farming, and other firsts not just writing.

Finally, I brought Vincent up to date with what is happening with the ruins. Some were sent here to be preserved but the rest is being destroyed by the terrorists. http://thediplomat.com/2015/03/isis-is-destroying-priceless-artifacts-heres-how-to-stop-them/

That's why supporting these organizations are worth the investment.

Homegrown- Hoofprint

I've been trying to organize my thoughts with the help of a glass of Chardonnay (I should stick with Sauvignon Blanc but whatever) on how to include the lessons I do with Vincent so that it is easy not only to document but for someone to review (Florida requires that a FL certified teacher review his work annually).

I think I am going to incorporate it into this blog with a title that always begins with "Homegrown" as my moniker for homeschooling lessons.

Vincent visited Hoofprint with his dad where he learned everything about the screen printing process. From start to finish, he produced his own logo and used the machines to print his artwork on paper and finally on shirts. He did this alongside local Chicago artists that use the printing services for their own artwork. Vincent was so happy! If you want your kids to learn about screen printing, click on the Hoofprint link and call them to make an appointment. I believe its $25 for a session.

At the library, I borrowed books on the history of the printing process from Mesopotamia to today. Vincent learned How it started? What materials were used? Who was in charge of writing? What they used it for, etc. Vincent thoroughly enjoyed his lesson.

Mes Amies

Spoiler alert: This is an emotional post.
As an ex-spouse of a veteran, I have lived through some rough moments. I joined a private group on Facebook for spouses of veterans and I was shocked at the stories I read and the struggles these women were faced with each and every day. It's kind of hard to describe the emotional toll, it's almost, not exactly, like describing motherhood or depression. You kind of have to live it to understand it.
My therapist described me as someone who has an unusual amount of internal strength. I believe I inherited it from my mother who can bulldoze through adversity, but I also believe that my friends were the pillars that kept me steady. It's that nature vs nurture theory where we are essentially molded by both.
In life, we have many friends and for the most part they are only meant to be in your life temporarily. They were sent to you for a specific reason, to learn- good or bad, and then move on. When the relationship is strained or difficult, it is a sign to let go of that person. It's hard to accept but it will make sense later.
Then, there are those friends who become part of your sisterhood. It's unexpected, at first, but when the veil of caution is removed you find a spirit so in tune to yours that it brings genuine happiness to your life. To say that I am grateful for these friends seems so shallow compared to the deep feelings I have for them. They were my crutches when I felt like falling; they were my wings to help me in flight so that I can soar; they are my stitches from an open wound held tightly to heal and a mark to lovingly remember. I am who I am not just because of me being me, but because I have friends who helped me and believed in me that I was so much more.
Hence, it is impossible for me to forget each one of them, as I invest my efforts in maintaining my love and bond for them permanently attached to my life.