The Beast of the East

Me, going down & up a hill

While this title sounds like something my cross-country, Californian colleagues might call me (#thatsajoke), this is really referring to the 10K McGuire Mud Run held at Fort Dix, NJ.


Yes, 10k.... And I'm not a great runner. I don't usually run. But the focus in this race is on the process: my mom, siblings & I encouraging each other and using team work to overcome ridiculously muddy obstacles. Run up a big muddy hill and when you reach the top, you'll see what I mean.

My mom & brother give me a boost.

My brother gives me a hand up.

During today's race, I ran into  (figuratively) one of my students in class this year. Talk about awkward: We just finished the first 3 days of school and are still in the "getting to know you" phase, and here I am dressed in silly costumes with my family covered in mud. But the great thing was, I got to cheer that student on while really climbing a giant muddy hill, not a metaphorical one, and he and his family cheered me on while I made my climb. How many times in one's teaching career can that be done? And there is more: we, the student and I, both know exactly what obstacles and challenges we each faced and overcame. How often can that be said in the classroom? 


Teaching is similar to doing a mud run: it is a messy process that requires teamwork and problem solving skills to surmount obstacles.Often times we, students and teachers, forget that we are facing the same challenges and engaging in the same process.  Do you think this student will look at me differently after this run-in? Do you think I will know that this student is capable of meeting challenges?

But I do know this: both he and I know that we are capable of doing great things with just a bit of teamwork.

One of the Big Hills-- Student's mom is the one climbing on the right. My Student is waiting to go; he'll be up next.
My mom (very last person in red with bi on back) and I (all the way to the left in black with my bib on back)
watch on and wait our turn.

After a Day at the Beach

My daughter
boogie-ing
to the surf.

While on the beach watching my 4 & almost 6 year old daughters play in the surf and not just get knocked over for once, I was knocked over by a wave of realization: I take the beach/ocean/bay/marsh for granted. I've lived near the ocean my entire life. It has always been there and will continue to always be there. Whenever I needed a day at the beach any time of the year, I could be digging my toes in the sand in under 5 minutes. The crash of the surf, the smell of the salt, and the burn of the sun are a part of my personal life and will be part of my daughters' lives, but little have I incorporated our local ecosystem into my literature lessons.






Here's some  ideas...

1. Sample sentences for grammar exercises include local information and landmarks.

2. When reading Abarat by Clive Barker and The Odyssey by Homer incorporate lessons about sailing, navigation, and other maritime info.
    a. Write creative stories based on constellations
    b. Read and analyze informational articles about the type of ship Odyssey sailed; create models of the ship
    c. Create transformational metaphors for real life hazards (Scylla & Charybdis-esque monsters for Barnegat Inlet)

My husband and our dog, Brody, surf fishing last fall.

3. Creative writing picture prompts based on pictures taken locally.

4. Research assignments are based on topics that deal with local issues. For environmental issues, cross-curricular assignments can be created for English and Science classes.

5.  At home, students watch informational/news videos about the local region, such as Life on the Barnegat Bay or NBC's report on algae in the bay and practice note taking skills at home. 

6. Students view local videos (example the winter fowl found near Barnegat Inlet) and write stories/scripts based on the images.



If you have any other suggestions (not just locally based for my area), please share! I'd like to generate some ideas that incorporate the use of technology and flipped techniques.