My Last Day of School

NOTE: Originally compiled on June 1, 2022, but forgot to post on this blog

I recall how special I felt back in August 2012 when I walked into my first classroom at BDHS, pictured below on left side. It was a moment of celebration to arrive in a setting I had longed to find myself for 40+ years. That room held so many special memories of interactions with students from diverse backgrounds. Five years later I moved into my second classroom, pictured below on the right, this one in a totally renovated BDHS. It was my 'dream setting' if one ever existed: brighter room, multi-levels of seating, more wall space, additional storage, and new whiteboard. I never could have asked for a better setting!

       

Within my surroundings I shared insight to freshmen on cultures within the Eastern Hemisphere using geography, history and current events. I introduced National History Day and watched students explore historical events they chose to examine in detail. Some of them took their projects and participated in regional, state and national competitions. I was asked to assemble and teach our school's first AP Economics course, providing students with the opportunity to earn college credits in both Micro and Macroeconomics. On numerous occasions I had students earn Double-5's on their AP Exams. I put my best effort forward in making the subject of Economics an interesting subject for BDHS students, bringing real world insight from my 30+ years in private business.

This same classroom was the setting for Prom Planning every spring over the course of 8 years. Key Club became our school's #1 service group, and I watched students rise to the occasion to attain positions of leadership at the district and division level, in addition to becoming state leaders in the Thirst Project movement. As Class Advisor to the Class of 2017, 2020, and 2024, it was my pleasure to serve as their go-between with school administrators. 

I will forever cherish the memories and friendships made over these past ten years. For the record let it be known that I did not run away from the classroom nor from teaching itself. At 69 years of age, I felt it was time to move on to that next stage of my life. It is truly one of the hardest decisions I ever needed to make, but it was a glorious journey second only to marriage and the birth of our son. I am forever grateful for the opportunity that was provided to me!

The Start of Year Ten

Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new school year, one which has raised the bar of expectations to new levels. After being negatively impacted by covid over the past eighteen months, school administrators are determined to get their students back to a regular routine of hands-on classroom learning. Teachers are fully aware that a considerable segment of our student population is lacking skill-sets associated with English, Math, Science, and other subject areas- not without mentioning the social-emotional scars, often hidden and unseen. Regardless, there is a feeling of optimism and hope throughout the hallways of school and I am excited to be begin another new chapter of teaching.

My room is also the home for another student-teacher this fall. Bryden is a non-traditional student from UW-Oshkosh who spent almost ten years in business and marketing before realizing his true desire to teach. Standing 6'7", I feel like I'm in the presence of my son, Jacob, who stands in similar height. I look forward to him sharing new experiences with my students.  Ironically, for the first time in my career, I am not teaching any freshman classes this fall. Instead my assigned responsibilities are with grades 11-12 and the subject of Economics...a timely topic when our economy is being pushed and pulled in ways not known in recent history.

End of School Year Reflection

My ninth year of professional teaching has come to an end, and as much as I’d prefer to totally forget it altogether, there are some important implications that historians will explore further in fine detail. I would be an outright liar if I made the statement that I wasn’t challenged this past year. Circumstances beyond my control tested my resolve when dealing with students, parents, and sometimes even my cohorts at school. I know it wasn’t the best situation for everyone, and each handled it differently. 

Some students hid from school by hunkering down at home. Although they were considered virtual in nature, they were far removed from any learning activity. As a result they made no progress whatsoever and their social skills suffered in ways we’ll likely never know. My fear is that many of these individuals will be lost in life altogether, creating a void which will never be filled. When they return to the classroom next fall, these students will require personal attention, for their emotional sake as well as bringing them up to speed with learning. Many of these individuals lack the necessary supports needed from home, much less identifying one or two adults who they value as a positive role model. When school resumes in early September, it will be interesting to see first-hand the development gap between those students who chose to learn remotely versus those who elected to be in the classroom every day.

Some students handled masking and covid protocols in an admirable manner. Their resolve is to be complimented and admired, for they have demonstrated an ability to adapt to their environment. Whether they know it or not, I sense they have likely acquired new skills which will strengthen their character for many years to come. Their railroad cars never derailed and they will continue to prosper once normalcy returns to everyday life.

In reading that “final essay question” I always pose to my freshmen students in Global Studies, I discovered that many of them made the connection to how well off they have it compared to others who live in the Eastern Hemisphere. The overwhelming percentage of them were able to comply with the required 3-4 solid paragraphs, each consisting of 4-5 well-written sentences. Inside each reflection was a story of genuine realization that they “got it” just as I hoped and more. Their insight came from various lesson segments taught earlier in the school year, and each composition delivered a sense of satisfaction which teachers live to experience.

I still value my time and efforts in the classroom. My energy level remains high and I love integrating new technologies with real-life experiences. And best of all, I still learn from my students!

The Year to Forget

 I recall the announcement to school staff with instructions to "pack up everything you'll need from school for the next 2-3 weeks" all too well. For the past few weeks we watched nightly news reports detailing the spread of covid19 across the United States, much less the rest of the world. Initial forecasts created the impression that it would be just a short period of time until school returned to normal, and students seemed thrilled with their newfound freedom from the daily grind of having to do schoolwork. As the virus took an ever-increasing number of victims with preexisting health conditions, many families isolated themselves. 

Suddenly church congregations no longer worshiped as one, movie theaters closed, and small businesses shut their doors. Meanwhile large retailers such as Walmart and Menards achieved record sales. In April 2020 our school attempted to instigate remote learning, but lack of public wifi and connectivity frustrated student and parents alike. It was about this time when I sensed upperclassmen taking on full-time jobs, replacing older workers who quit for fear of getting covid19. Why go to school when you could pull down $500+/week? Grades and plans for secondary educations became second-thought.

I might only imagine the concerns which were likely voiced by administrators in off-the-record closed door meetings. The state of public education was quickly falling into disarray without a time-proven plan to navigate to safety. Teachers, many of who never pondered the concept of online learning, were now instructed to pick up from where they left off from in-person learning, a next to impossible task in itself under normal circumstances, Covid19 was anything but normal.

For myself, the transition was easier than most...having completed my Masters Degree in Online Learning four years earlier. I was able to apply many of the methods I learned, but Marian University never mentioned the topic of lack of engagement and social disconnect on the part of students. To this day the issue has yet to be addressed by any school district, and that day of reckoning will need to take place before we regain any sense of "normalcy" once again. For the time being I have doubts as to whether a viable solution can really address all those students who truly need it. And for the sake of clarity, I'm referring to students of all ages throughout our entire country. Unfortunately, in this case, the cure was worse than the disease

2020* - The Year with the Asterisk

The day was Tuesday, March 17 when I said goodbye to my classroom and fellow teachers. What followed was 100 days of lock-down learning at home for students, a challenging task for families and teachers alike.  It was a hell of a way to end my eighth year of "traditional" teaching in an all-to-nontraditional way. Students were offered the option of grade-as-is or pass-fail, many of who chose the latter, and who would blame them? Just do the minimum required and you pass to the next level without any consequences. Apparently it worked as graduation rates hit an all-time high, but from my personal point of view a new knowledge gap was created which will impact this generation for many years to come. Too many of our young people sat on their duff, although it was in the safe environment that so many felt was necessary.

When the first day of a new school year rolled around on September 1, it marked a period of 168 days when students went without being in a traditional classroom with direct instruction. Unfortunately there is a segment averaging approximately 20% which has chosen to remain virtual, some fearing for their personal health and others fearing the accountability of having to attend school, much less wanting to complete any assignments. Those who do attend are restricted to a well-intended plan called the "hybrid system" of two days in class, three away. This provides teachers (myself included) with only one class period per student each week, diminishing most chances to build relationships which are so valuable today in education.

My greatest fear is the learning gap that will scar American society (and notably so many young people) for many years into the future and diminish our standing in the world. Be it soft skills or hard skills, look at the damage covid19 is inflicting on us all. What are the chances that we will be able to pick up the pieces to a shattered economy and societal norms in the immediate future? As much of an optimist I see myself being, the logical answer is "no much".....or at least it feels that way more and more each day. 

A Turning Point in History

Watching the world unfold over the past several weeks with the growing threat of covid19 has been uncomfortable to say the least. At this point in time our economy on a local, state, and national level, along with the economies of so many other countries has been trashed. As businesses shut down unemployment claims skyrocketed to record numbers. Watching grocery shoppers panic-buy their everyday needs was unsettling to say the least. I never expected to see local supermarket shelves cleared of everyday items such as toilet paper, canned soup, and frozen foods. Two weeks ago I was unable to even find a whole chicken, be it fresh or frozen, among the half-dozen stores I walked into. People suddenly resorted to the practice of hoarding as they feared the worse, much like they were acting out a real-life zombie apocalypse. Here within the United States, a country with countless riches in human and physical resources, the supply channels are awash with chaos as people have reacted by purchasing ten times their everyday needs. Food stores, regardless of size, don't have the ability, either with people or logistics, to adequately respond in typical fashion, and it's disheartening to see societal norms break down so quickly. Has civility been lost altogether?

Throughout this process, I am saddened when I see how dependent people have let themselves be on government for basic needs of survival. While I firmly believe it's important to care for those in need, I sense we're moving closer than ever to nanny state mentality among the masses. At one point in time most citizens embraced the concept of rugged individualism and being able to overcome great odds. Now, in a matter of a few weeks, newscasts show lines of cars waiting for boxes of food. I question not the need of people to eat, but ways which leaders within our government and the media have trashed individual rights in quest of absolute power. Everything that generations of patriotic Americans have worked so hard to protect is in harm of being overwritten and accepted by the public-at-large. It's not that I distrust science, only that I strongly sense it being misused at this time and place in history.

For now life has been altered in ways that we may never fully understand, accelerating trends in technology and biology which will also change life as we know it. But something else is at work here, and I feel it appears to have the making of something very sinister. Only time will tell.

The Autumn of My Life

I always enjoy the days of fall as a time of reflection, looking back on the past six months of our growing season to ponder possible changes for next spring. While the air is crisp and cold, there's also a sense of finality knowing that winter is fast approaching. Trees shed their leaves, birds begin to flock, animals hibernate, and I spend time putting away outdoor furniture, dumping the compost tumbler, and moving the woodpile closer to the house. Although retirement is still 4-1/2 years away, at 66 years of age I find myself contemplating how many autumn seasons I have left on this earth. Without sounding morbid and pessimistic in my approach to life, I have a sense of realism of what life holds for me in those golden years to come.

The cycle of life is genuine and relentless in the way it demonstrates consistency and fortitude. Whether I live to 100 years of age or die tomorrow, I have a sense of fulfillment in all that I experience. I often think of those ancestors 400+ years ago who rarely traveled more than a few miles from home. No doubt there will come a time in the near future when my descendants journey into the far reaches of the solar system without giving any thought of my rather simple lifestyle. However, we all have an imagination to build our realities on.

The end of the day and the accompanying sounds of wildlife are treasured more than ever. My senses of sight, smell, taste and hearing are amplified in ways I never imagined. While those sands in my hourglass slip away, they represent unique memories of people I've met and interacted with. I'm excited about the journey ahead as never before.