Happy Birthday, Sarah

Happiest of Birthdays to my teacher-daughter, Sarah!

November Catch-Up (A VERY Long Entry)

It has been a BUSY month. I have gotten a few entries posted to my blog, but I have some catching up to do, too. Here goes:

Trip to Iowa

My mom and I went to Iowa to see JC and Trinity participate in their ward's Primary program. (I have already written about having seen two eagles and a great horned owl during that trip.)

 Here we all are at church that morning.

 Curt and Vanessa get some fresh air and exercise in the back yard with JC and Trinaty.

November Tornado

Earlier in the month, I glanced out my classroom window and noticed the sky was very, very dark and looking like severe weather. Surreptitiously I went to my computer and checked the weather. A tornado watch was posted! I went down the hallway to warn a couple of teachers to be on the alert and had just stepped back into my classroom when the tornado sirens outside began wailing.

Quickly we evacuated the classroom and went to our safe spots in the hallway. And then the wait began. It was 3:00, only 25 minutes before dismissal. Already some buses had arrived and parents were lined up at the back door to pick up their children. They all came into the building to join us.

Thanks to smart phones and wireless computers, we were able to monitor the storm. (And, I called my mother and texted Curt, Vanessa, and Craig to be sure they knew we were under a tornado warning.) Funnel clouds were forming all around us - West Lafayette by Klondike and Harrison, Dayton, Lafayette, and then several more in West Lafayette. Because of this, we sat in the hallways for an hour and a half! And the kids had nothing to do! But despite the long, boring, and initially scary wait, they held up well, and we finally sent the kiddos home at 4:30.

Since there had been several funnel clouds in West Lafayette, I was concerned about my home. As soon as the kids boarded the buses and left, I hopped into my car and quickly drove to the house. Obviously, West Lafayette had had a lot of rain and wind. My patio furniture was blown about somewhat, but that's pretty normal. However, it is not normal to see this:

 At first, I thought someone had thrown the ice from a drink gotten from a fast food joint into our yard. But upon closer inspection, I realized it was hail stones! West Lafayette had had quarter sized hail, and that hail was still on the ground despite the warm weather and passage of time since it had been dumped.

Thanksgiving, 2011


This was not our year to have all the kids come home for Thanksgiving. Nonetheless, we had Lisa and Kyle and his family Thanksgiving Day.  We also had my mom and Phyl, Leslie, Rick, Jenny, Steve, and Cindie. James and Sherree also joined us, so we had fifteen! (Sarah and her family arrived Friday afternoon.)

 There was the usual, legendary spread of food...

...that had folks lined up in anticipation.

And two turkeys - one fried by Craig, the other stuffed and roasted by me - for a total of thirty pounds of turkey! (Which we did an excellent job of chowing down.)

 We are able to get two tables into the dining room and this allowed us to at least all sit in the same room.

Just look at those full plates!

The Post-Dinner Marshmallow Shoot Out

Braden had been promised that he could have a marshmallow shoot out after dinner, and what an event that was! He teamed up with Boompa (who spent most of his time in the kitchen loading Braden's shooter!)

 You can just see Braden's head and the tip of his shooter peeking up on Kyle's left. Kyle is looking for his own dad who is in the kitchen loading marshmallows into his shooter.

 Jenny got into the fun BIG TIME. 

She sprayed Great Grandma with a blast of marshmallows!

 But Jenny was in for a surprise - Great Grandma had been picking up spent ammo and had a fistful of marshmallows. She charged off after Jenny...

 ...clobbering her (if you can clobber someone with marshmallows) in the hallway.

 Boompa emerges from his kitchen post and sees some action.

And Kyle takes Pooma hostage. Braden and Boompa weren't worried, and shot at Kyle anyway.

 Scooping up some spent ammo to reuse.

Lisa and Addie stay well out of the action, preferring to cuddle in a chair.

Post Thanksgiving Fun

 Great Grandma brought a real treasure to share with her great grandchildren - the old fashioned bear bank! 

You put a penny in the slot on the hunter's rifle, pull the trigger, and KA-CHING!! The  penny shoots into the bear's mouth and he swallows it!

 Braden thoroughly enjoyed playing with it (and the supply of pennies Great Grandma brought with her! 

Then, since the weather was so nice on Friday, Braden and Addie helped me put out our outdoor holiday decorations.

 The shiny balls are always popular with the grandkids!

 And Addie fixed the hat on the gourd snowman that Aunt Jessie made and gave me. The gourd snowmen go on the park bench in the alcove by our front door.

 Red jingle bells to hang from the garage lights.

The silver ornament goes by the front door. (Gotta get rid of those pumpkins!)

Then, something that is a treasured tradition for me - putting out the Nativity that my mother made me with Lisa. We do this together every year, and this year, Trinity, Braden, and Addie helped us.

 Admiring Great Grandma's beautiful handiwork.

 By the way, see that family resemblance??

Lovely ladies.

 Bailey decided to nap on Braden Saturday afternoon. He was so tickled!

 And, we celebrated Sarah's birthday together. Here she opens her gifts.

And an O'Rears cake (white cake with white frosting) to celebrate the special occasion.

Lisa left on Saturday afternoon, Kyle and Ashley early Sunday morning. Sarah and Todd attended Sacrament meeting with us and then headed for home. Needless to say, my home is very, very quiet.

And despite the fun we had, I am feeling just a bit lonely for my children.

Happy Birthday, Jessica!

Happiest of birthdays to my beautiful-inside-and-out daughter, Jessica! I love you!

He Answers Even the Smallest Prayers

My mother has never seen a bald eagle despite having lived on the Wabash River since 1970. She did have one swoop into her back yard a year ago, but it happened so fast, she only saw a flash of white and brown, so she doesn't really call that a sighting.

I have lost count of the number of eagles I have seen, and even taken her eagle watching around the bridges over the Wabash in the area, hoping that she'll see one, but to no avail.

Today she and I drove over to Iowa to visit Todd and Sarah, and see JC and Trinity in their Primary program tomorrow. Knowing we'd cross the Wabash, Illinois, and Mississippi rivers plus numerous smaller rivers and creeks, I planned to keep my eyes peeled.

As soon as my mother got settled into the car, we offered a prayer for safe travels. As I prayed, I decided I would go ahead and voice what I was thinking - that I wanted my mother to see an eagle. I think my mom was a bit surprised, and I admit I felt a bit sheepish, but it was important to me that she see one, and we HAD been looking for a long time!

We crossed all three rivers without spotting a single eagle. I was starting to think that maybe the prayer would be answered on the trip home instead as we drove out. I was needing to gas up the car, and thought I might stop at the I- 80 Supercenter, but instead decided to press on a few more miles.

Good thing I did. A few miles beyond, I glanced up and saw a large bird in the sky. I thought it was a hawk, when suddenly it banked a bit, and I saw the white head and tail. "Bald eagle!" I cried, and my mom looked up and spotted it, too. We both watched in awe as the bird flew across the sky and out of sight.

Wow!! She was speechless! And all I could think was, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!"

I am so grateful that Heavenly Father loves us so much that He is willing to grant requests such as mine. (And even better, later in the day we saw a Great Horned Owl. She'd never seen one of those, either! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!)

Irony

Students:  "Mrs. I, for our presentation on our book, can we re-enact the scene where the foster brother teases a boy and shoves a pencil up his nose while he's sleeping? We won't really do it - we'll slide the pencil along the side of our nose instead."

Me: "Oh, no, sweetie, you can't do that! What if you slipped or wiggled? That's too close to the eyes. Do something else. We have to be safe."

Pause.

Students: "May we do a slow-motion type fake fight? With some fake punches? Like this?"

(Demonstrates.)

Me: "Sure, that'll be fine. I like that much better."

So what actually happens during the presentation? The girl giving the fake punch leans in too far and actually connects with the boy portraying the victim, popping him in the chin with her fist! The surprised look on his face would've been HILARIOUS if I hadn't been so horrified that she'd actually hit him! She was pretty stunned, too.

Immediately going through my mind was the fact that C fell off a water slide a year and a half ago, fracturing several bones in his face and jaw. He'd had extensive work to repair his bones and teeth. My heart dropped as I thought of how he might now be injured.

He got up with a grin and aside from a red mark and just a spot of blood on the inside of his bottom lip, he was fine when I checked his face. And, C didn't want me to worry, so he reassured me by saying, "Don't worry, Mrs. I. I take a lot harder hits in tae kwon do class. That was really nothing."

I did call his parents at lunch to let them know what had happened. As I explained what had happened, C's father laughed at the irony that the "safe" activity actually ended up with a real punch! I am not yet to the laughing point about it, but I DO see the irony!

That's My Girl!!

Forget the technology - today's modern teaching tools for the modern Health teacher are...

Deer and pig entrails!

Yes, my daughter, Sarah, is bringing her teaching to a whole new level by using materials that fascinate the kids, teach them, and connect with what she is teaching! And I could NOT be prouder!

Her class is studying the cardiovascular system, which just so happens to coincide with the butchering and hunting season in Iowa. So, since nearly all her students live on farms or go hunting, wise Sarah offered extra credit to any student who brought in organs. She received a set of heart and lungs from a slaughtered pig and two deer hearts (complete with fatal arrow punctures.)

 Here she is, holding something that piques their interest.

 A brave student even touches it!

 Gathering around for a close-up view.

 And now the high schoolers have set any squeamishness aside and are fully engaged.

 Sticking his finger inside to explore the arrow hole!

Another girl investigates and "takes the plunge."

Sarah remarked, "I love the real-life application as a teacher. Helping students make personal applications is critical to my subject matter."

What did her students thing about this activity? "The coolest thing I have ever done in high school."

Brava, Sarah! Your mama could not be any prouder.

A Real Honor

I got the following email from Arlette Ingram Willis, a professor from the University of Illinois and with whom I wrote a paper that was published in Language Arts, the journal for The National Council of Teachers of English. Arlette and I are both very excited and honored. (And it makes me even more determined to get that PhD!)

Dear Lynn,
It has been nearly a year since we have chatted - I know because I had to find your email address!
The note below should have been sent to both of us, but it is best that we respond as co-authors. Personally, I think it is great and a real honor! I will wait for your reply...
Agape',
Arlette

From: Ellie Ash [elisheva@stanford.edu]
Sent: Sunday, October 23, 2011 9:08 PM
To: Willis, Arlette I
Subject: Re: permission to reprint ERIC abstract 

Dear Dr. Willis,

   I am writing on behalf of John R. Rickford, Professor of Linguistics at Stanford University, to request permission to reprint the following material for a book that Taylor and Francis (Routledge) will soon be publishing in the academic market.  As we are working within our publisher's timeline, I hope that you will be able to respond quickly.   I am requesting permission to reprint the abstract that you and/or Lynn Isenbarger prepared for the ERIC database for the following article from Language Arts.

   ERIC abstract for Isenbarger, Lynn and Willis, Arlette Ingram.  (2006)  An Intersection of Theory and Practice: Accepting the Language a Child Brings into the Classroom.  Language Arts 84(2) 125-135.  

The abstract can be found at http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/detail?accno=EJ752005

To be reprinted in:

African American English, Creoles, and Vernaculars in Education: A Bibliographic Resource, edited by John R. Rickford, Angela Rickford, Julie Sweetland and Tom Grano; proposed date of publication is Fall 2012.

Approximately 200 pages.  Printing in 100 hardback and 600 paperback for the academic market.  Prices will probably be about $135 for the hardback and $41.95 for the paperback.  

We request non-exclusive rights, covering all editions in English throughout the world, including any e-book editions.  Appropriate credit will be given in the book's acknowledgements.

Please note that we would only be reproducing the article's abstract, not the article itself.  

I'm not sure whether you or Lynn Isenbarger or both hold copyright, or if ERIC does, so if you know that additional permission is needed for rights from another source, please let me know.  I would email Ms. Isenbarger but I don't have any contact information for her.  If you have any questions, please contact me at elisheva@stanford.edu or by phone at 617-872-0847.  

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely, 

Ellie Ash

Research Assistant

℅ John Rickford, Dep't of Linguistics

Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305

Egg on My Face

At this point in the school year, I am pretty strict on everyday things such as putting names on papers and assignments. After all, the children are 4th and 5th graders, and this should be routine.

Especially for the feedback cards that they give each other after Classics or Author's Chair presentations. Their names MUST be on those. The reason? Anonymity, whether it be wearing a mask at Halloween or faceless internet postings, can lead to unkindness. Having to sign your name to your feedback card ensures that, if a thoughtless comment is made, I can speak to the child who made it.  I want the kids to give honest feedback, but to do so kindly.

J presented his Classic today, and came up to me later in the day with his feedback cards. "Someone didn't sign this one," he said as he handed me a card. To my embarrassment, I recognized my own handwriting on the card! (I do the feedback cards along with the kiddos.)

"Sorry!" I said and I hastily wrote my name on the top and then passed it back to J.

"But I don't know who wrote it," J continued, then his voice trailed off. I could see it dawn on him that, since I had just written "Mrs. I" on the card, it had to be MINE.

Even funnier,  I could tell that he also realized that he had just called his teacher out like she was a student for forgetting to write her name - not what you would usually do to a teacher! The look on J's face was PRICELESS, and I began to laugh.

"That's okay, J," I reassured him. "You were absolutely right to come up. I forgot to write my name, and I am very sorry. But you did the right thing in asking." J relaxed a bit and went back to his seat, smiling and looking relieved.

Sure am glad that I have given those who forget their names lots of second chances because I sure needed one today!

Say, What??

My students usually remember everything I say, whether or not it is connected to learning or just casual conversation. And sometimes those odd bits of conversations that we had (and which I don't remember) come out at the strangest times.

M came up to me this afternoon holding one of our science books and with just a bit of a twinkle in his eye. "Hey, Mrs. I!" he said. "Remember how you want to swim in the Mediterranean?"

(Actually, that's JET SKI in the Mediterranean, but how did he know that??)

I confirmed that I rememebred, and so M continued.

 "Well, you might want to do it soon. I am reading about plate tectonics, and in 150 million years, the Mediterranean won't be there anymore."  And he finished his remarks with a big grin while I burst out in laughter.