Josie: Opal looks sleepy. She looks sad.
We look at her.
Ava: That’s just her resting bitch face.
Personal Success
Esther, Mia and the Stars
I’ve written a children’s book. My daughters are my illustrators.
I’ve written the story.
I’m working on formatting it for publishing.
It’s about a girl who is bullied and how her best friend and teacher help her school turn it around.
Here is one of the illustrations:
After the illustrations and stories were done, I just let it sit…for months. I need to take the next steps of getting it published.
Writing about it on my blog will make me accountable. Tell me to do it. Yell at me! I need a push.
“I don’t know what to write…”
I get this complaint from at least one student a day when we do our timed writing. I learned this exercise from Natalie Goldberg. Write for five (or ten or fifteen) minutes straight. The only rule is that you don’t ever let your pencil stop. Just write. No censorship.
In my classroom, students write to a prompt. For example, “What makes a good life?” And then they write. This develops a strong writing voice over time.
Of course, as with anything else in life, you must do it regularly and give it 100% each time. You will improve. Yes, you’ll write a lot of crap. But any successful person has created a lot of crap and then a few golden nuggets…
Try it!
It’s Them, Not You
I laugh a lot all day while I work.
Kids say the funniest things. There are entire shows and books about the humor of children. As a teacher, I also get a lot of hugs. AND, I really like the other teachers, my co-workers. We laugh a lot together. This job is pretty awesome.
Many years ago, I had a position in a money management firm where the “COO” (Chief Operating Officer, or soft murmuring sound made by a pigeon – (you choose)) walked briskly from his office to my cubicle and told me, “You are laughing too much and too loudly.” And then he stomped back to his office with a grand view of the San Francisco Bay. He made a lot of money. He died a couple years ago. I hope he laughed before he went.
I’ve held other jobs where I didn’t laugh all day. Isn’t that sad? I mean, it would have been inappropriate – unprofessional – to do so. The guys in suits, taking themselves so seriously and looking down at you for being….happy you.
You know what? It’s them, not you. You’re not too loud, or too happy. You’re not unprofessional (unless you’re taking lots of cigarette breaks, or calling in sick all the time, or just not doing your job). You are fine just the way you are. If your boss doesn’t like you, or if you’re unhappy, you might consider changing your job.
Just sayin’.
Mogee*
The Mosquito buzzes loudly
and gives you time to escape
the angry welts of last nights’ feast
evidenced upon your nape
negligent neighbors leave pools green
the larvae turn to pupa
The process is quite enthralling
tho it might cause The Zika
A solution is in order
but the slayer you so dread
is the Desert Bat Sonor’
whose winged path you dare not tread
*Mogee is Korean for mosquito
Bonus picture of my dog.
“Pitiful” Passionate Pundits
I’m sitting here at Mesa Community College (Red Mountain campus) while my daughter takes a reading test for dual enrollment credit (Spanish).
I love college campuses. I love schools. You’re surrounded by people who are trying to do better. Even if you’re a student and you don’t enjoy it, you’re actively working toward a goal. There is a vibrant, energetic, optimistic atmosphere within colleges. Administrators, professors, teachers…everyone is here to help.
The most potent role models in my life were teachers. My father (a professor), my mother (a natural teacher of life) and Ms. Meretta (my 3rd grade teacher).
I want to give a shout out to my fellow teachers.
I’m really proud to be a part of an educational team. Our culture lauds profits and high incomes. But I get to work with people who care, who work hard and feel satisfied just helping kids. Teachers are the hardest working people I have ever known.
Tonight, my eldest daughter said, “I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, but I don’t want to be a teacher. They don’t get paid ANYTHING.” That makes me a little sad, but I understand it. We really don’t pay teachers enough. Will this ever change in America? I don’t think so…not in my lifetime, anyway.
Still….
The Genius of Genus
The butterfly’s head was buried in the rocks, her beautiful wings were chevrons trembling in the wind.
Gingerly, I lifted her out. Half of one wing was gone – eaten?
She was shaking. Or was it just the wind? Was she already dead? I brought her into the house and laid her on a small plate. She shivered, and then she was still. I want to keep her, selfishly, to admire her beauty.
Today, we saw four turkey vultures preying on something. They were on the sidewalk! We drove right up to them. A small rabbit had been dismembered and disemboweled. Body parts all over the pavement. We drove away and were gone for three hours. When we returned, everything was gone: the rabbit, the vultures…Nature is efficient. She wastes nothing.
Ava
Beloved second born of mine,
Your wit and humor are divine;
Not ceasing to amaze,
Your smile rivals sun’s rays.
You walk with violin and bow,
Sports, parties you’ve had to forego;
Committed to ideals,
You cede an even keel.
As we trod this life of unknowns,
Your sense of justice are loud sones;
Ignorant peers bemoan,
Your rationale full grown.
My nerves and heart are overwrought,
On those occasions when I thought,
My love -passion – crested,
Stern words manifested.
Although the moon may wax and wane,
Effort and ache are not in vain;
Their eyes – of not import,
Your own dreams you must court.
The Personals
[This is an ad ghost-written by me, on behalf of my husband].
MWM Seeks General Practitioner
You: Good-looking, fit doctor. Non-smoker. Willing to give tough love. Age between 30 and 49 (I don’t want you dying on me). Friendly, passionate, conversationalist (I like to talk), must be funny. Race unimportant. Favors advice of healthy eating and exercise over pill-popping, per my wife.
Me: Hilarious white male. 6′ tall, 200-something-lbs. (will discuss when we meet). Nonsmoker. Honest. Good-looking. Hobbies include football (watching) and baseball (also watching). Cookie-addict. Seeking painless weight-loss. Call me.
When Your Past Comes Back to…
We were walking on our daughter’s high school campus during Open House. The schedule was set up as a truncated school day: we were to follow the students’ schedules and meet each teacher for six minutes. We were given five minutes between each class. Willey and I were a bit overwhelmed and we realized how Josie (our first high school child) must have felt on her first day: the buildings so far apart, the time to get to each so limited. It was also over 100 degrees outside, even though it was 6pm.
“Mrs. Chung-Wipff?”
I turned around. I didn’t see anyone I recognized. A petite “helper” student walked toward me. (The high school had arranged to have some juniors and seniors assist parents). I searched the girl’s face. And suddenly, I recognized her. Same cute nose and adorable freckles.
I taught Taryn second and third grade. It was the only time I looped in teaching, carrying my entire class over to a second year. It was over eight years ago. When I said goodbye to that class, it felt like I was saying goodbye to my own children. One girl, Taryn, was moving to Utah. She had an angel face and greeted me every day with an enormous smile and the best attitude! She – and the others – made me a better teacher. She and I wept together on the last day of school. I was surprised at the amount of emotion we had. I was going to miss her so much!
And here she was!
I can’t believe she remembers me, I thought. As if she could read my mind, she said, “I can’t believe you remember me, after teaching so many kids!”
No matter what your profession, you must realize that your kindness, love and attention mean the world to someone in your life. It can affect others for years to come, you just never know.
Kismet 