Summertime!

Well, not really. But, when this place is open, you know summer isn't far away!

So what if it was snowing this evening?

A coney dog tastes the same, winter, spring, summer, or fall!

Mrs. Grabow's Pepsi Ring Toss

Thomas Paine, where our kids went to elementary school (and where I started my career in education as a teacher's aide) had an annual PTA Chili Supper and Fun Night that is still being held to this day. Our family LOVED that evening - a chance to go back to school, play games with friends, and...

Play Pepsi Ring Toss in Mrs. Grabow's classroom! (She used to stock Sprite for my kids back then.)

Look closely and you will see that Cole, Lisa, and Curt all signed this one. (This picture was taken by one of Cole's friends who had gone to the 2013 Chili Supper.)

Kay Grabow had Pepsi Ring Toss stats from each year like this posted around her room on big sheets of paper that she rolled up and stored after the event. Then, the following year, she brought them out and displayed them again at the next year's Chili Supper. Year after year, stats were kept, and Thomas Painers, including the Isenbarger kids, LOVED to come back and find their names and trace their participation back through the years. (Along with laughing at their signatures and how they'd changed, too.)

Then came the school fire that burned her classroom and the wing it was housed in. I remember standing outside the building that night, watching the glow of the fire in the south wing and feeling incredibly sad at watching my kids' school burn. 

Believe it or not, the survival of the Pepsi Ring Toss statistic pages was something people (including me) wondered about - they were that big a part of the school's history and culture. By that time, I was teaching at Yankee Ridge Elementary, and so I contacted Kay to see if I could help her with things from my own classroom as she struggled to put together her teaching materials and get her classroom going again.

As we talked, she mentioned that the Pepsi Ring Toss sheets had been damaged and that she was hoping to salvage some of them.

Bingo moment. 

As the mom of six of her former students, I saw an opportunity to give back to her for all she'd done for our kids. I knew just how important those sheets were to her as well as the school; here was something I could do to help. So, I offered to come pick them up and restore them as best I could so that they would be ready for the next Chili Supper. 

They were smokey and had some water damage, but were mostly salvageable. I cut them all off their black butcher paper and re-glued them onto new. (You can see in the picture how they have been modified, especially on the one only partially shown - the rounded corners are where I had to cut the paper.) After letting them dry and cure, I rolled them up and returned them to Kay.

Needless to say, when Cole's friend posted that picture this weekend on Facebook and I realized I was looking at my own handiwork, I was really, really glad that those sheets had survived the fire and that I was able to give back to a teacher (and school) that continue to be very important to the Isenbarger family lore.

This may be the last year those statistics are posted. At Christmas, Kay wrote me and said she is retiring this June after 43 years teaching 4th grade at Thomas Paine. The end of an era and perhaps the end of Pepsi Ring Toss.

The Laundry Room

Know where I inevitably feel that "I'm home" sense?

My laundry room.

Believe it or not, that's where I always feel that sense of relaxation, of stress dropping from my shoulders, and a sense of peace.

Odd though it may be, I often smile when I step into the laundry room, whether I am coming in from the garage or entering via the main floor hallway, and just as I do in the morning, I feel a warmth and sense of happiness.

Why I feel that sense is the question, but I think I have it figured out.

This is by far the nicest home we've ever lived in - we are very, very blessed. (In fact, as I roll down the driveway each morning, I often pause and look at my home, feeling thankful. I then say an out-loud prayer including an, "I love this house.") Craig and I are keenly aware of the blessing our home is to us.

I am thankful for my garage, too, although I don't feel the relaxation or peace when I am in it. (My thoughts usually are along the lines of, "I am so glad we have a garage and my car is [pick one] warm/cool/defrosted/snow and ice free/dry/whatever.")

But then I step into my laundry room. I see my washer and dryer, Christmas gifts from people who love us. Our food storage, shelves and shelves of security should the unthinkable happen. In the corner is the door to the tornado closet, the place my family knows to look for me should we have a tornado plow the house.

I think part of the "I'm home" stems from the sense of security I feel in that room.

(It certainly ISN'T a love for doing the laundry that piles up in there!)

Shark Bait!

Leslie has been saying that her wound looks like she was bitten by a shark, so when I found this picture of a cross country jump, I had to share.

Ironically, the cross county event was a breast cancer fund raiser.

Showing Jesus

Yesterday, Nancy Sattler and I were in my classroom chatting before a meeting when in walked Sarah Ferguson, another 5th grade teacher at our school.

"Good, I'm glad I found you both together," she said as she handed us a CD.

"Listen to track 4. I just want you to know that I sing this song at home all the time and I think of you two every time I sing it or hear it. You two are my role models and this song always reminds me of you."

And out she walked.

Needless to say, Nancy and I were a) dumbfounded, and b) very curious about the song.  We played it later in the morning during our prep time when the students were out of the classroom. And we didn't know what to say after we did.

Show Jesus by Jamie Grace

Your smile's always shining out
And they know what it's all about
It's not hard for them to figure out
The way you show Jesus
You know love is what they heard
And you didn't even say a word
Ain't it funny that's the way it works
When you know Jesus

Oh it's like flipping on a light switch when you're walking into this room
It's so undeniable

I gotta tell you that I like the way
Any time anywhere any place
It's written all over your face
The way you love Jesus
And it always speaks to me
A little joy with a touch of peace
It's so inspiring
The way you show Jesus

So gimme that gimme that
And show me that show me that
Oh gimme that gimme that
The way you show Jesus

When I'm feeling down on my luck
When life's hard and times get tough
You're right there to pick me up
When you bring Jesus
Cause every now and then
We all need a really good friend
You're always one of them
When you show Jesus

And oh it's like flipping on a light switch when you're walking into this room
It's so unmistakable

I gotta tell you that I like the way
Any time anywhere any place
It's written all over your face
The way you love Jesus
And it always speaks to me
A little joy with a touch of peace
It's so inspiring
The way you show Jesus

So gimme that gimme that
And show me that show me that
Oh gimme that gimme that
The way you show Jesus

Oh it's like flipping on a light switch when you're walking into this room
You're so unmistakable
And oh show up any time of day you could never get here too soon
You're so unbelievable you're so unbelievable

Just gimme that gimme that
And show me that show me that
Oh gimme that gimme that
The way you show the way you show him

I gotta tell you that I'm liking the way
Any time anywhere any place
It's written all over your face
The way you love Jesus
And it always speaks to me
A little joy with a touch of peace
It's so inspiring
The way you show Jesus

So gimme that gimme that
And show me that show me that
Oh gimme that gimme that
The way you show Jesus

So gimme that gimme that
Hey show me that show me that
Oh gimme that gimme that
The way you show Jesus


I have been thinking about Sarah and what she said. I guess you never know when someone is watching you and what they see, especially when you wear many hats: teacher, mother, grandmother, friend, colleague, Mormon, etc.  I'm glad, though, that she saw the Savior.

Smiling and Basking

Some days you just have to smile and bask in the joy of seeing a student stretch and work to their potential. Those are some of the absolute best times as a teacher. And I was smiling and basking the other day when JM presented his last classic paper.

JM was a push-in to the High Ability classroom as a 4th grader. He arrived quite deer-in-the-headlights, and was very, very intimidated. I was shocked when he assessed at a 2.3 grade level in reading - there was no way he could survive in my classroom reading two grade levels below his own grade!

His parents shared my doubts - they even approached me and asked me if they should pull him out and put him back in a general education classroom. Needing more information before making such a drastic decision, I spoke with his third grade teacher about her experience with him.  She was adamant that he belonged in the High Ability class and shared that JM did not like to read and neither did he push himself.

Fast forward to the following year. Things have smoothed out for JM and he has truly found his niche. He is even working a year ahead in Math! Needless to say, I am thrilled and very proud of him, so when he presented his fourth classic on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and wrote this, I about cried:

The "best part" is writing and doing a project? "As good as the reading is..."?  Can this be that scared, intimidated boy I knew a year ago?

Not only has his "perspective about classics changed dramatically," HE has changed dramatically.

And I could not be prouder.

Word Play

Words are a big deal in my classroom. My students really get excited about them, and many keep lists of interesting words they've discovered in their reading.

We also study Greek and Latin roots, and a favorite activity involving them is Scrolls. I got the idea from Pam Green when I was student teaching (thanks, Pam!!), and it is a fun way to explore our language and its origins in Greek and Latin.

So, I let pairs of students choose a root or a prefix and then challenged them to find words based on that root or prefix. And, since past experience tells me this generation of kids turns to technology immediately when looking for information, I told then I would give a prize to the pair who found the most words without using the internet as well as a prize for the pair who found the most words.

Using rolls ("scrolls") of receipt tape, the kids got to work.

The beginning of a scroll. The children number each word on their list so we can keep track of all we've found.

 Several scrolls unrolled and placed on the ground for measuring.

 The end of two scrolls - notice that the one on the left has an astounding 1308 words - a new class record!

 That one, the prefix "pro-", was so long we had to lay it out in the hallway to measure it.

 AP and EP, the 4th grade pair who put all that work into their record-setting scroll.

 We were pretty excited to have a 52 foot long scroll, so the kids decided to measure it by humans. We measured 17 and a half human lengths. (The boy on the end got a very funny look on his face when I called him a half human. Haha!)

 After counting and measuring, each pair put their stats on the Eno board. The Scrolls activity took about a half hour to an hour a day for a week (with most pairs taking their scroll home at night to work on) plus an hour today to figure out all our statistics.

More on Dr. Seuss

Great discussion with my class today on "hidden" meanings authors put in their books and why they do it. (Of course, I was thinking about the parables Christ told, but that wasn't something I could share.) The children had dome wonderful ideas. I am going to show them this tomorrow:

I can't wait to hear what they think of this!

The Carpenters

My favorite singing group of all time is the duo of Karen and Richard Carpenter. So, I cannot resist sharing this cartoon.

Leslie - Surgery Update

Leslie's surgery went very well, so well, in fact, that they think she may not need chemo or radiation! She is resting comfortably in bed and Rick is with her. She's groggy and in some pain, but happy the surgery is done.

Leslie in Surgery

Leslie is having a mastectomy today, and was taken into surgery at 11:20 this morning. She was in good spirits and quite happy with the nifty gown she got to wear - it had a hose that circulated warm air around her. She could adjust the heat as needed, and we all got a giggle out of the way it puffed her gown up in places.

Rick, of course, is with her as are Mom, Jenny, and me. Steve and Cindie are doing food duty - making food and running it up to Brookston to put in their fridge. It will be here for Rick tonight and then for both of them tomorrow when Leslie comes home.

Kyle and Ashley are in the Orlando Temple this morning. It is nice to know that they are there, praying for their aunt, as she undergoes the first big step in fighting her cancer. Other family members have put Leslie on various temple prayer rolls, and Craig and I prayed for her before I left the house for the hospital.

A nurse just came out and told us they were just getting started at 11:35 - she was draped and things had begun.

Now we wait.

Solidarity Bracelets

When my dear friend, Pam, had breast cancer, I had to be supportive from afar. I thought and thought about what I could do so that I was "with her" and she had a visible reminder of my love and support, and then I had an idea - I bought matching bracelets for the two of us, and we both wore them throughout her treatment. She's cured now, and my bracelet is tucked away in my jewelry box. It holds great meaning for me.

With Leslie recently diagnosed with breast cancer, I thought it might be good to go the bracelet route again, only this time, in addition to buying one for Leslie and one for me, I got one for our mother, Jenny, and Cindie, too. Gretel's, where I had gotten Pam's and my bracelets, had these:

They're all a little different - just enough to be unique -  narrow silver bands with a filigree design and jewels scattered throughout. Mine are spaced evenly; on others they are clustered together in groups of three.

I really like mine, and Leslie was very excited when I gave her hers Sunday afternoon. I hope it is a reminder to her that her family loves her and is pulling for her as she battles cancer.

A Ribbon Rack!

I have been wanting to display my ribbons for some time. The Chronicle of the Horse always has some ads for them, but when I checked them out, they were costly. An online search showed the same thing.

This weekend I realized that my ribbon rack was right in front of my eyes:

The top of the window blinds is perfect!

Mastectomy Poem

A friend of mine, Laurel Ade, sent me this poem to share with Leslie. It is truly beautiful.

After the Mastectomy

They were afraid it would be different
To make love without
Her breast on
And it was.

Right from the start
It brought him closer
To her heart.

by Carol Lynn Pearson

Teachers are Influential

Teachers have a lot of influence over their students. Sometimes, you could even call it power. Not just with grades and discipline, but in other areas as well. For example, my classroom is decorated in orange and blue because of my love for the Illini (and because it is Harrison's colors; I am an alumnus, and these kiddos will go on to Harrison for their high school experience.)

Asa result, you would not believe the number or orange tee shirts the boys wear, or the orange shoelaces or even athletic shoes! Sometimes they are rather sheepish about it, but usually they point it out to me that they have orange on.

The girls also wear orange. They make hairbows and barrettes out of orange materials. Bookbags, pencil cases, socks, and other things in orange, orange, orange. Little notes they write me are often in orange and blue marker or ink, and some go so far as to use orange and blue highlighters in their work!

That's just one example of how teachers can easily influence or lead the children into opinions and ways of thinking, a responsibility I take very, very seriously. Thus, I have to be careful about some things. They do not have a clue as to which political party I belong to or who I voted for in the last presidential election even though we discussed the election at length and they asked who I would support.

My religion means everything to me, and yet I am careful with that, too. I have a BYU sign up in my classroom, and when asked a religious question I will respond honestly, but I am careful to only make general statements about being a Latter-day Saint. (On the other hand, should they ask me about it in the future when they are no longer in my classroom, then I would not hesitate a bit to answer their questions.)

Sometimes the influence or power manifests itself in humorous ways. Take the letter I for instance. Capitalizing it when it refers to oneself is taught at an early age, yet sometimes kids forget to do so. Two years ago my fourth graders (my current fifth graders) were having a rash of uncapitalized letter Is.

I decided a group lesson as a reminder was needed. And, since my name is "Mrs. I.", I have the perfect tie-in to help them remember. So, and this was really off the cuff, I told them a quick story about THE MOST IMPORTANT letter in the WORLD. Why, it was so important, that it always had to be capitalized. And their teacher liked it so much, she even went by that letter.

By this point, most kids were grinning, knowing what I was getting at. But to bring the point home, and again, really just making things up as I went along, I said it was the QUEEN of letters just as I was the queen of the classroom, and I drew a tiny little crown above the letter that I had written on the board.

 That quick, off the cuff lesson started a trend of putting crowns over the letter I all year long. (Sometimes they even put crowns over the lower case Is as well!) If I were writing on the board and wrote the letter as a capital, someone would pipe up, "Don't forget the crown!" and I would have to add it before continuing on with the lesson.

I honestly thought the fad would die down over the course of the summer. But this past August, I was teaching at the board and a fifth grader asked, "When are you going to teach the fourth graders about the letter I??" There was a chorus of agreement from the other fifth graders (while the fourth graders just looked puzzled.)

So I did; I taught them about the letter I and why it was always capitalized. I added the crown again, and when I turned to look at my students, those fifth graders were grinning in agreement, happy to have their new classmates in on "our" class tradition. Which means that all year long I have found little crowns in another generation's work.

It even extended to their valentines to me.

Every one of these has a crown over my name. (And check out the color of Airheads candy that one boy has given me. Yep, it's orange!)

It's sweet and it makes me smile, but those crowned Is are a constant reminder of the influence, the power I can wield over these kids. Certainly not something to take lightly, and a bit sobering at times, too.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is probably the easiest holiday to celebrate in the classroom - a drink, a snack, and opening valentines makes for a good party. Easy peasy! (Although my class wanted to connect this year's party to the classic book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, so I wore a gold crown all day parading around as the Queen of Hearts while the kiddos feigned obeisance and genuflected. Come to think of it, it's kind of fun being a queen for a day!)

Craig has a tradition of sending me a singing Valentine via The Tippecanotes, a men's barbershop group.

They always sing Craig's favorite song, Let Me Call You Sweetheart. I have become very fond of it, too.

Since we were having a party themed to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the Queen of Hearts, I figured fancying things up was in order and brought in the valentine tablecloth I made a few years ago.

I also brought in three silver platters and a small silver candy dish. Food displayed fit for a queen!

And I put out two copies of the book, the one on the left belonging to my mother from her childhood.

Of course, we had to include our reading buddies! They could not come to our party, so we brought their valentines from us to their room. I paired my students up and had them present their buddy the huge envelope containing our cards and candy.

Sorry for the poor picture quality. As the photos show, things were happening fast and I was snapping and oohing and ahhing at the same time.

 I love looking at their faces when the two classes are together. It may be a bit chaotic, but it's joyful chaos!

 This particular buddy has a terrific sense of humor. When I asked to take her picture...

... she mugged for the camera.

At the end of the day, I was pretty pooped and ready to give up my crown. But there was one last bit of celebrating to do - dinner at Outback with Craig!

Happy Valentine's Day!

A Student's Valentine Humor

Because my students are with me for two years, we have a different relationship than the usual teacher/student one. In a lot of ways, it is very relaxed, a tribute to the kids because they act well even in that relaxed atmosphere, continuing to get their work done as well as treating their peers and me respectfully. (It makes for a very enjoyable two years together, and is one of the reasons I always cry when they leave on the last day of school in May.)

So, when I received this Valentine from MC (the one on the right), I had to laugh:

 Can't see what made me laugh? Look a little closer.

A baseball tattoo for me to put on! (Shades of Flurdizzle at the tattoo parlor over the holidays, with Curt talking him out of it!) MC (aka Tallboy because he is nearly my height) is a huge baseball fan, so that part is not surprising. But a tattoo for the teacher? I could not resist teasing him a bit.

"Tallboy, thanks for the baseball valentine!" I called across the room to him. Then I added, "But what will Mr. I. say when I come home from school with a tattoo?"

Tallboy was quick thinking and with a grin retorted, "'You look wonderful, darling?'"

Oh, my! We both burst into laughter, me almost until I cried.

I love my class.

A Dr. Seuss Spotting

Yesterday, Todd spotted a Dr. Seuss quote in an unusual spot:

The Denver airport terminal windows!

It's from the book, The Sneetches, and is a story about a culture where some Sneetches had stars on their bellies while others did not, and the star-bellied folk thought they were better than their non-starred friends.

Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches

Had bellies with stars.

The Plain-Belly Sneetches

Had none upon thars.

Those stars weren't so big.

They were really so small.

You might think such a thing

Wouldn't matter at all.

There's a citation for Dr. Seuss, and then a web site underneath, www.thosewhogo.net. Curious, both about the unusual location for a Seuss quote on cultural differences as well as the web site's purpose, I checked it out. I discovered something that I will use next year when we do our Conflict unit and create our own reaction artworks.

It's an art project! Here's a quote from the web site:

“To those who go” is a public art project by Ximena Labra for those and about those who will travel. Not only in space and time, but also in their minds, those who travel are willing to go beyond their usual surroundings. They are the seekers. Therefore, they find.  It is the will of discovery that makes us human beings find out who we are and what the universe is made of.

This is a project about people who went and saw, the ones that have gone further and shared their discoveries, their dreams, their revelations.  But it is also a project for the ones that are going today, -in spite of everything and because of everything the world is about- to find and to see, to do and to be… what they are.

Around 25,000,000 people will visit the Denver International Airport during this project´s existence.  From December 2012 to August 2013, the airport will display many great quotes about travels and travelers on different areas, and from great halls to toilets, all passengers will be able to enjoy them.

Also, there is an online collection of  books for anyone to download from the free airport wifi in this website.  One moment, or many hours of delight for every passenger that can read or listen is what this project is about.

This piece was actually made inside Denver International Airport. We had our work in progress site at the Terminal Level 5 Gallery during December 2012. From January to August 2013, this place will be open for visitors with project information and will also contain other art projects being displayed here at the time.

Valentine's Day Wildlife!

No, I don't mean my class party or celebrating with Craig; I mean the real deal - living, breathing  wildlife!

As I was driving down 52 this morning heading into work, I saw a large bird winging toward me. It was flying quite low, and as it got closer, I spotted the signature white head and tail feathers of a bald eagle. Wow! A sight that always makes me smile.

Then, as I continued on toward school, I saw several very large birds walking through the field by Heartland Church on 300. I'd seen them before around the church, but had been unable to identify them. This morning, I realized that I was looking at a flock of wild turkeys. Wow number two!

The old adage "good things come in threes" occurred to me, so I scanned the surrounding fields as I drove. Sure enough, I saw more wildlife as I proceeded down 300. Near the old farmstead with the ramshackle buildings, I saw a deer standing in the back of the property. I kept my eye on the deer as I drew closer - and then realized to my chagrin that the "deer" was really an old burn barrel. Oops!

But there was still a third wildlife sighting in store for me this morning. I had arrived at Hershey and was sitting at my desk preparing for the day. I saw some birds outside my classroom windows, and realized I was looking at bluebirds - they've arrived back from their wintering location! Yep - wow number three!

Sharing the Gospel

I shared the gospel today in an unusual way, at least for me. I helped Marianna, my hair stylist, download the scriptures and the hymns apps to her iPhone!

She's a devout Catholic and we always share spiritual thoughts when she's working on my hair. Today I mentioned that I had my scriptures on my phone and how handy and nice that was. She asked if I could do the same for her phone.

So, while Marianna cut my hair, I downloaded them and then showed her how to use the read-aloud feature on the scriptures and play the music on the hymn app. She was so excited, and kept playing different hymns and scriptures over and over. She'd cut a few snips of hair, then pick up her iPhone and change to a new hymn or scripture.

It took a whole lot longer to get my hair done, but it was worth it to see how excited she was to have access to the scriptures and the hymns. It also made me appreciate just how lucky we are that the Church makes so many gospel applications freely available to anyone, not just members of the Church, but anyone who wants them.

A Reading Buddy Moment

Our Reading Buddy class is the profoundly disabled class. The kids have forged strong connections with their buddies, and they love to be together. So, when the Purdue Bell Choir came and played for us yesterday, I was not surprised when some of Jane's kiddos were anxious to sit with mine.

EP is one who really loves being a buddy, and Jane's kids seek her out whenever we are together. The assembly was no different - when E spied her, he asked if he could sit with her. Jane looked at me and raised her eyebrows in question, and I nodded. In a flash, E was off, slipping between students to get to EP.

As the assembly progressed, several teachers were brought to tears, including me, as they watched EP and E together. I wrote the following email to EP's mom after school.

I have to tell you about what I witnessed today. :)  Your daughter brought a bunch of teachers to tears today, including me. We had an assembly with the Purdue Bell Choir, and one of our reading buddies was anxious to sit with her. She scooted over and patted the floor so he knew to sit down. She redirected his attention gently if it wandered, keeping him involved in the music. Then another one wanted to sit by her; same thing happened. She was so kind and caring throughout the concert, and I have had several teachers come to me personally and talk about what they saw her do with her buddies. She is a lovely young lady, and I thought you should know. :)

One of those moments you know you will remember forever.

My Grandmother's Smile

Years ago as a small child, I cracked up Mimmy, my Grandma Martin, when I announced to her, "My mom says I have a big mouth, just like you!!"

My mother was mortified and hastily corrected me, saying that she had said I had a WIDE mouth, not a BIG one. My grandmother loved to repeat that story, and she always, always had a twinkle in her eyes when she did.

Apparently, Corinne has a big mouth, just like HER grandmother, too!

Ashley took this picture and posted it on her blog, saying that her mom, Corinne's other grandmother, thinks Corinne has my mouth using the photo to prove it. (Note: LuAnn did not say it was big; I did!)

Regardless of whether it's wide or big, it is nice to know my grandmother's wonderful smile has been passed on in our family.

The Westminster Dog Show

I found this on the Westminster Dog Show's site this morning. Look familiar?

This is CH Salilyn's Condor, aka Robert, who won Best in Show at Westminster in 1993. He's with his breeder and co-owner, Julia Gasow, and his handler, Mark Threlfall.

Duffy is from the Salilyn line, too, and the resemblance is remarkable!

We'll Git 'er Done!

Leslie, Lisa, Jenny, and I have all changed our profile pictures on Facebook to this:

My guess is that other women (and possibly some men) in the family will do the same as soon as they check their Facebook accounts and see it. Leslie posted tonight about her cancer, so Lisa, Jenny and I all felt we could show our support publicly as well.

We're all pulling for you, Les!

Education Ripples

I like to write. No, I LOVE to write. Nonfiction. (Which is odd, considering I prefer to read fiction, especially science fiction.)

In some ways, writing is cathartic for me, allowing me to express my feelings and emotions through the written word as opposed to dumping it all on poor Craig. (Not that he wouldn't listen. He does when I go that route.)

But, I also like to write about education and have published four papers in peer reviewed journals in the last decade. My last paper was published in 2008 so it's been a while. I've toyed with writing another, mulling topics around, most of them centered on gifted children and the quirks they bring into the classroom.

A quick search on the internet for my other articles showed some surprises - places where what I have written has been cited or is being used.

Michigan State University, California State University-Northridge, and University of South Florida-St. Petersburg all had links to my papers via their education departments.

John Rickford, at professor at Stanford, included my most recent paper in African American English and Other Vernaculars in Education, a book he published about teaching Standard English versus African American English in the classroom. (I knew about this one as he asked permission to include it.)

I did not know that Redd and Webb had included the same article (or possibly cited it) in their recent book A Teacher's Introduction to African American English.

But the one link that surprised me was one from Harvard University's The Smithsonian/NASA Astrophysics Data System. While the article was about teaching science to students with disabilities, it's an education paper, not a science paper. Regardless, it was exciting to see it on their web site!

The Smithsonian/NASA Astrophysics Data System

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Teaching Science to Students with Learning Disabilities: Subverting the Myths of Labeling Through Teachers' Caring and Enthusiasm

Zembylas, Michalinos; Isenbarger, Lynn

Research in Science Education, vol. 32, Issue 1, p.55-79

The purpose of this study is to describe and analyse the role of a teacher's caring and enthusiasm in an inclusive science classroom. Using stories, interviews, and action research, it is revealed that this teacher's approach focuses on two major ideas: (a) Combining activity-oriented science curriculum with the building of caring relationships in her classroom; and (b) Developing enthusiasm for science and fulfilling students' personal purposes. A case study of one student labeled as learning disabled is analysed and provides evidence of his remarkable growth in terms of his academic and behavioral performance over a period of two years. Based on the results of this study a number of ways of subverting labeling are suggested and two qualitative hypotheses for further research in this area are proposed. The main suggestion of this study is that thinking behind labels in the context of an inclusive science classroom needs to be revised in light of the role of teacher caring.

DOI: 10.1023/A:1015050706407

 The ADS is Operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory under NASA Grant NNX09AB39G

Journal and Courier Article

Six-year-old Jude Cotter died Tuesday at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, but his death was not linked to the flu.

The Lafayette boy developed a rare and sudden condition that doctors believe was linked to the Epstein-Barr virus — one of the most common human viruses and one that often develops into mononucleosis. In Jude’s case, the illness spread to his brain and caused viral encephalitis — severe swelling — that ultimately killed him.

“It’s something you don’t ever imagine happening to a 6-year-old little boy,” Karla Cotter, his mother, said Friday.

Cotter said whenever her son became sick it would pass within 24 hours or so. He was healthy and happy most of his life.

And while Cotter said there’s little, if anything, the family or doctors could have done differently in Jude’s case, she wants other parents to know he was not contagious and did not present any public health threat.

“I don’t think parents need to worry it’s going to happen to their kids,” Cotter said.

TSC reassurance

Jude was a kindergartener at Hershey Elementary School. Tippecanoe School Corp. Superintendent Scott Hanback said a schoolwide communication was sent by Principal Linda Fields following Jude’s death.

Counselors were available to meet with parents, staff and students, and an administrator from another TSC school has been assuming some administrative tasks to free up Fields to meet with families.

“In case there were any rumors or speculation about the cause of death, the school did issue a statement that basically said we do have a state law that mandates if there’s any type of reportable disease we’re required to report that to the county health department,” Hanback said.

“Should that need have prompted itself, we wanted to assure our parents that they would have been notified by TSC or the school if there was cause for concern.”

Despite what’s happened, Cotter said she doesn’t plan to live in fear of germs or public settings with her other two children — Kane and Tessa.

“We’ll still send them to public school. We’re not going to live in a bubble,” Cotter said.

Her advice for parents: “Just love your kids. Cherish them. You don’t know when within a week they could just die.”

ZOOM

Jude Cotter