Explo Night.

Tomorrow evening, the sixth graders will be doing a presentation on what they have learned in the "Explo" class this year. Although I personally have a soft spot for this specific group of children and moreover find them exceptionally loquacious and talented, I cannot help but have the feeling that I might have, at some pint, actually accomplished something with them this year. Back when I read Ellen Winter's book about Gifted Children, I felt the need to reach that 3% of the classroom population that cannot due to time and other constraints be challenged to the fullest extent. With that purpose in mind, I designed this class, hoping that the other students might rise to the challenge.

And rise they did.

Listening to them practice their speeches yesterday and today nearly bowled me over. Quite literally. They have grown so much as thinkers--they ask big questions and they, themselves have grasped the purpose of the class. To hear from their own mouths about figuring out what, exactly, school is for, is not only refreshing but astonishing when they completely nail what school should actually be about--discovering and becoming comfortable with the self. I had a conversation with a group of them as they wrote their "Opposite Papers" last week about why, indeed, they were in school. At times, of course, it has seemed like we are all in school to learn about the Middle Ages or how to speak Hebrew. I, myself, have lamented not having enough time with them to finish project X or problem Y. However, in the end, it doesn't matter if you were able to create a super-amazing or just pretty good board game. Did you work well with your peers? Did you compromise? Did you discover something new? That's honestly the point of school.

So, in the end, I realized that I shouldn't need to care about whether or not they remember what constitutes a portrait. Did they find an art piece that moved them deeply? I don't need to care about whether or not they remember the types of creation myths that we read. Did they come to a realization about the need to create religion? I don't need to know if they rememember facts abou their legendary figure. Did they realize that it is important to be an agent of change in the world?

I attempted to structure the class itself around a series of questions, asking big questions of myself each unit. I think in the end, I should have been asking the same questions I was asking the students of myself. What, truly, does it mean to be me?

So close?

Summer's getting close enough that I can almost taste it. Although I am really sad to be leaving work, this definitely has bee a much more stressful year than last year. And of course, as always, I shouldn't complain since my job generally consists of awesome things like field trips and individual conferences. Granted, there's the not as wonderful things too--like worrying about children, and not being a psychologist and not being able to fix everything. But, overall there is so much more that is wonderful than is difficult.

With summer growing closer, both the children and I are growing restless. I had wicked bad allergies today, bad enough that when I lifted my head from the pillow, the entire world was echo-y and spinn-y. Not a good way to begin the day. Since this is the ONE day of the week that I don't teach nearly all day, I called in sick and took some benedryl allergy. Usually, that stuff knocks me out which was why I had so stealthily (and apparently unhealthily) avoided it until now. Within a couple of hours of watching reruns of the Colbert Report, I was feeling a lot better and (lo and behold) able to breathe from BOTH nostrils. Since then, I've been looking about the house, (grading as always), and thinking about what my goals are for this summer.

Trips that I would (ideally) make this summer: Boston (I should be going for a super-sweet conference) and New Hampshire (to see EW, EPC, PL [if she's still there] and my Aunt and Uncle--hopefully C would come out for that part), DC (to see SAI), Athens/Atlanta, and Birmingham (to see C's sister.) It all sounds like a lot of fun, but probably too many $. I also would, ideally, like to go down to Texas to see TM and give her a (long-overdue) wedding gift.

I'd like to organize my closet this summer and finish organizing the second bedroom. We dumped some stuff in here in an effort to just be moved in. Sometimes, it is still strange to think that we won't be moving again for a while. Needless to say, we rushed our moving a little bit so there are some piles that I'd love to get rid of.

I'd like to remove the wallpaper in our kitchen. Massive undertaking.

I'm going to set a goal of doing the wii fit 5 days a week. I love it and doing it has really gotten me in shape; I know it sounds laughable, but seriously! It's really fantastic. I'm trying to sell my parents on getting one.

Mainly, though, I can't believe that there are green leaves and warm weather.

Things that are cool in Chi-town right now:
Pirates exhibit at the Field
Harry Potter exhibit at the MSI (we went this past Sunday, it was amazing)
Relatively cheap Cubs tickets (since it's not sooo warm yet)
Restaurants with new outdoor seating
Uncommon Ground (this past week I remembered how much I love it!)

count down

there's only 3 weeks left of school.
there's only about 14 days left of teaching.
bizarre...

Squee. Marriage. Yeah, that's right. Squee.

This has been neglected too long. With the whole business of teaching and long weekends in Milwaukee and short weekends with Bat Mitzvahs, it has been too long. Soon to be back on track.

But, we're getting married, on the short track.

Field museum. Hall of gems. A surprise even though we knew it was existing. (: Really, really happy.

Too happy for sentences.