historic walk

The LHS all class reunion has come and gone.  For one long weekend, we had the opportunity to revisit the 60s, 70s, and 80s, through old friends, shared stories, and heart links.  Elementary and high school classmates, proof of our youth, witnesses to days of banana bike seats, bell bottom pants (green apple green), stolen kisses, piles of kids in cars with no one seatbelted, and the 14th Avenue drive-in.

We played softball, listened to the same music, dragged Main, and wondered about adulthood.  We awkwardly learned social skills (some sooner than others), we criticized, loved, and crushed on teachers. 

Together we were fresh and unwritten. 
 

"Remember the time..." 
"Have you kept in contact with...."
"Whatever happened to....."
"I was hoping..... would be here"
"Let's do this more often."

This is a reunion.  A walk through your youth; now your history.  Yes, I was once young.  Yes, I had my turn, when the future was a long, mysterious tunnel, waiting for me to step in and write my story.

"You haven't changed a bit!"  Such a funny remark, and heard throughout the crowd repeatedly! The accusation is thrilling, but if actually true.... a disaster. 


The chance to spend time with people who have the ability to see your buried youth,
hidden behind the wrinkles,
the weight,
the gray hair,
the bald head.

And still, "You haven't changed a bit!"

Friends -  who can look at you, and still see traces of the 17 year old you.


And for one weekend, you feel the joy in the rediscovery.

Life's Trapeze

An article written by Donna Savage states:

"I am learning to live in what I think of as 'the space between the trapeze bars.' I let go of the bar behind me (the past) and the bar I am reaching for (the future) is not yet in view. In that freefall space, magic happens."


This idea caught me by the shoulders and asked for my attention.  There is only one way to move forward, and that is to fly through the air. 

"We are the divine embrace
Here to enter the space
Between the trapeze bars
The space betrween letting go
And catching on
Where all the magic happens.
I let go and for seconds
Free fall into the void of space
My hands outreached
In faith."

I spend a lot of time fearful of the flying space.  I swing back and forth from my present bar, spending my time and thoughts longing for the next bar, but focusing on the possible drop.  That bar of the future won't come to get me.  It won't stop and let me step to it, with firm ground beneath my feet.  I've got to fly.

30 Years of Teaching

On the last day of school, June 2, I officially added the 30th notch to my
-years of teaching- belt.

I started my career in Room 8.  After about 12 years, I was moved to Room 14.  That was a tough move.  Obviously, I'm a person who is comfortable with predictable surroundings.  I WAS room 8.  I became Room 14.

14 is a gang related number, so the numbers from my door were often stolen.  We just couldn't keep numbers on my door.  Then, the rooms were all renumbered, and I became Room 11.  I really like living in the number 11.

I have logged miles and miles and miles of walking on these sidewalks of Stratford School. 

I've played softball on these fields with Stratford kids.
Volleyball in the gym with Stratford kids.
Danced on the gym floor with Stratford kids.
Laughed, without measure, in these rooms, gym, and playground, with Stratford kids.
I've held hands, hugged, comforted, and disciplined.  Oh, and I've taught... 600 - 700 kids.
 
My kids grew, and our relationship stayed intact.  I've had the great pleasure to watch them grow into teens, adults, parents, and friends.  There are far more than just a few who are still in my life.  Each one is a blessing to my heart.  I've taught their children. I continue to teach their children.  I've taught entire families. 

Personal evolution...............

I've walked these sidewalks as Miss Bettencourt.
I've run along these sidewalks, the energy of a youthful teacher, Tigger bouncing between the office and my room.


I recall the first time Mr. Villa called me on the intercom and addressed me as "Mrs. Wiens"... in August of 1983.  My heart raced!

I've waddled along these sidewalks, pregnant, swollen, and tired.  I drove away after a full teaching day on Thursday, April 7, and delivered my baby Jake on Friday, April 8.  Almost like the moms in the rice fields.  I evolved into a mother on this school site.

I suffered personal losses while at this school.  I remember the exact spot where Anne and Doug told me about our beloved Scott, and my knees buckled. The principal gave us his office so we could openly shed our tears, while my friends at school made arrangements to take my class for the rest of the day.

I received "the phone call" in the middle of class, that I needed to get to the hospital immediately, because my sister was not going to make it through the day.  My students witnessed my gut response to this, and they rose to the occasion.  Their big eyes of sympathy forever engrained in my memory.  I was exhibiting real life to them.  They handled it.


Technology evolved..............


I've woven 35 mm reel to reel tape from a feeder tape to the empty receiver reel, to show flickery movies to students.  My favorite was "Hemo the Magnificent"  circa-1958.

I've had purple fingers, fingernails, and often smudges of purple on my face from using a mimeograph machine to make student copies. I recall, with affection, the rhythmic sound of the machine churning out my copies -

tha-tump, tha-tump,tha-tump, tha-tump,tha-tump, tha-tump... 

and the sweet smell of the toxic ink.

I've used the overhead projector to create my own bulletin board characters (I didn't think it was "right" to purchase premade bulletin boards!). 

I've gone from a huge suitcase sized record player, playing scratchy singalong records, to cassette recorders, to CD players, to Pandora custom stations.

I can remember the thrill of being introduced to a "computer" in 1983.  A big, bulky thing, with a greenish screen, called an Apple IIe.  I couldn't believe that someday we could possibly have a computer in EACH classroom!!  Oh my! How could our district ever afford such an expense!! 

Then came the computers color screens.  AND a mouse! I can't even remember how we maneuvered a computer before the mouse.  Teachers had to take turns cleaning the "mouse balls" in the computer lab. 

The dreaded Apple computer bomb - ugh. The sight of this still gives me heartache.

                            

Now, I have a laptop cart in my classroom, that houses 22 student laptops. 

My overhead projector, after spending too much time ignored in the corner, has been retired to the storage garage. I felt guilty sending it off, cart and all.

Replacing my OHP is this  new Elmo, that projects real life images to my 10 foot wide screen.

Yesterday I was trained on the use of an iTouch, so that my students can use those in my room next year. Amazing realization that paper/pencil assignments are going to join the projector, overhead, and IIe computers!! Maybe even before my retirement!

2011 - Room 11 - The evolution of my education.  I've lived an entire life on the campus of Stratford School.