Fluency

 

I have been tasked with reflecting on my teaching practice during the pandemic. I was asked to provide my thoughts about what personal and professional learning is transferable from this year to next year.

One of the things that I learned this year, is the importance of oral reading in the classroom. During my many years of teaching, I have encouraged kids to read aloud during class. Students read along with me in partners during reading group time. Students read aloud to each other "solo" at reading centers. Students partner read, alternating pages. Students play games in math, and read the instructions aloud to one another, talking through the game.

When they read with me at centers, I place them in groups based on their fluency speeds. Then, I slowly pick up the pace with each group, over an extended period of time. Before they know it, each student is reading faster. And, I test for fluency often, and regroup the students as they progress.

Today, I started giving fluency tests to my students. Almost every single student has lost fluency during this pandemic. That is in direct contrast to non-pandemic years. Each year, almost every student gains in fluency, because they are practicing daily. We all make mistakes when we read aloud. And, mistakes are fine in my class. Students learn to self-correct quickly, and efficiently. They learn to think, as they're listening to the words which they are speaking, so it actually builds comprehension, too.

I remember hearing, a few years back, that this process discourages readers. I just don't see it. I see it building strength, self-esteem, and greater comprehension. It makes the classroom feel like a place where mistakes are tolerated, and where growth makes students feel powerful.

I read aloud to my class daily, and I place the book on the projector, so that students can see me make mistakes, and then self-correct.

This is valuable information, which comes at a heavy price. I felt intuitively that oral reading benefitted students. Now, sadly, because of the pandemic, I have the numbers to prove it. The good part about fluency, is that like all practice, it changes the reading dynamic quickly. So, we'll get started on Day One of next year...

(Art) Work Ethic

 

I'm now at the point where I feel that I have only a short portion of time left on this planet. So, I need to kick it into gear art-wise. I guess that if I keep making work at a steady pace, I'll finally get good at it. There is an internal drive, which seems to be connected with learning. But, it's also connected to wins and losses. Gambling. 

Ceramics is a tough master. Stuff fails. A lot. It is such an involved process, that problems can crop up at anytime. Drying issues produce cracking. So, I've learned to heal cracks with my own mix of slip and papier mache. Then, there's bisque firing. If the work isn't completely dry, it blows up. Glazing is it's own minefield. I like to use underglaze, because it's pretty fool proof. Then, there's underglaze washes, and the final trip to the kiln, for a higher temperature blast. Cue cracks and warping.

Nothing is guaranteed. 

It's important to have a work ethic. But, that means that other things suffer: relationships, chores, yard work, house cleaning, friendships, and more. You have to make sacrifices. Recently, I've been researching three artists for my day job. I have my students write reports about Famous Californians. They research a historical figure, dress up like that person, make an informative poster, create a slideshow or video clip, and then deliver their report to the rest of the class. I also do a report, to model my expectations. This year, my choices were Ruth Asawa, Marguerite Wildenhain, and Viola Frey. All of them were exceptionally driven. All of them created a large body of work. All of them taught in some way. And, I know that all of them had the same desire to constantly create that I feel.

Being an artist means putting in the time. But, more than that, I don't think that artists have the ability to NOT put in the time. It's not a choice.

Open Studios Application

Well, I applied to Open Studios. It has been a tough year for getting motivated to make work. Shows were cancelled, and it often felt like the rug was pulled out from under me repeatedly. But, I managed to learn some new things, and to make some new pieces. I really hope that I get juried in, because it will give me some purpose during the summer. Fingers crossed.

 

This Hard Time

 

Today, on my last week of recording videos, I made six language arts videos. Only one was available to load onto YouTube, by the end of the afternoon. The rest are missing. There is no record that I ever made them. But, I did press "record", and zoom took 20 minutes to compress the files, so I know that they exist. Somewhere they are there, in the dark recesses of my computer.

This is a metaphor for my year. I know that I've given my best. I've tried my absolute hardest. But, there is very little proof of success. I have ultimately no control over the academic gains of my students. Those with self-discipline, those who are willing to do their work, will learn. Those who are unwilling, will fall behind, because the "fourth grade slump" is very real. You can't coast.

Today, I received a card from a teacher friend. I've known her for about 18 years. She confided in me that she finally started taking antidepressants. She said that she couldn't take staring at the faceless black zoom boxes anymore. She couldn't stand watching the chaos in the streets every night on the news. I am comforted by the fact that someone who is an outstanding teacher is also feeling the burn. I've been trying to power through this year, to just put on my horse blinders, and run the race. But, it gets harder each day. I am so glad that this friend went to a doctor to get help. She is a kind, caring, and compassionate human being. She is precisely the sort of person that kids need in their lives. Her card was a blessing to me today.

This pandemic time is not for the faint of heart. In two weeks, I will be responsible for the health and well-being of twenty students. I know that they will try to stay safe. But, this virus is stubborn. And, there are people who will not get vaccinated. And, there are people who will not wear masks.

And, today, there were two more mass school shootings...

So, I'm going to go pet the dogs hard, and take some sleeping pills. I will get my book out and read. My book is about an Austrian Jewish woman, who is stuck on the Channel Islands after the Nazi invasion, and the British surrender. It is based on a true story. 

I will keep making art work. I will get through this hard time. People have gone through worse.

Potted Topiaries: Round Two

A few months ago, my dad was cleaning out his food supply cupboard. Some syrup had exploded, and instead of just throwing away a bit of the expired food at once, it was an all hands on deck situation. When the cupboard was emptied, my mom's old sugar and flour tins were discovered. These were old silver and blue cylindrical tins which she always dragged out when she baked. I kept them, and decided to use them as sculpture bases. The design was to involve some urns, with ceramic topiaries on top. These would sit on top of the tins. Of course, the tins would need to be reinforced inside, to support the weight.

I made one vase and topiary. It turned out well, but it was huge. When I set it on the tin, it looked out of scale and ridiculous. Luckily, I only made one. During Spring Break seemed like the ideal time to try again. One set is done, but the other urn and topiary will need to firm up a bit more, before I flip the vase. So, I guess that I'll finish it after school tomorrow. Thank heaven's for daylight savings time!

 

Baking a Cake

I decided to make some nests to hang on the front of my classroom. And, while I was constructing the nests, I had a mishap. Two of the nests had to be destroyed. I realized that I have been accumulating quite a large amount of broken greenware. That means it's time to make cake and ice cream. Nothing uses up excess slip, quite like icing! And, I made some ice cream cones, too. The slip coats the ice cream portion of the cones.

So far, I've had a pretty productive Spring Break. There's still more time to get creative!

Nightmare Paddle Down the Amazon...

 

I'm finally free. I've spent five months being confused. It started out with me being locked out of my account repeatedly. There was no explanation as to why I was locked out. It ended with me finally cancelling my actual credit card. I won't bore you with the minute details. Also, I'm not sure that I actually even understand the details.

No matter what was going on with my account, Amazon never disclosed any security issues. To the best of my knowledge, thieves were using my account. First they made small purchases, to match mine. (I just download books and small ticket items, spending about $50 to $100 a month.) They used fraudulent credit cards, and sometimes mine. They accelerated to purchasing big ticket items, like a $4000 television, a hideous coffee table, iPhones, and more. These items were sent to Delaware and Florida. One time, I accidentally received air pods that were placed in my box of vitamins, instead of being sent to Florida.

No matter who I spoke to, or how many times I tried to shut down my account, the account was left open. It takes approximately 12 steps to shut down your account from Amazon's website. And then, you are told for your trouble, that they will send you a notification about your account in a few days. That notification never arrives.

I contrast their actions to Netflix. My account was hacked twice, and I was immediately notified. One hacker was in Southeast Asia, and the other was in the Dominican Republic. Red flags. There were Amazon purchases made on the east coast. I have lived in California for 20 years. I use English, there were receipts in Spanish for my account. I never buy big ticket items. There were so many red flags that Amazon just simply ignored. These were all red flags that were pointedly kept from me. I had to investigate them on my own.

Here are some signs to look for with your Amazon account: Monitor your mailing addresses. Are there new addresses added? Check your account regularly. Check your searches. Are all of the searches your searches? Check your payment page, and make sure that only your credit card is listed as a method of payment. Amazon wants you to use "one click", because it's convenient. We all just purchase like robots, because it's convenient. But, check your information with each purchase. 

In the end, I was told on the telephone that I would have to go to the box store of an Amazon partner, and file a complaint, filling out paper work. I was told that I would have to participate in the investigation being conducted by police in Delaware. How can I participate in an investigation of a situation I don't even understand? I laughed, hung up the phone, and then cancelled my credit card. Just like that, it all stopped, and Amazon cancelled my account.

Now, I'm heading to my bank this morning, with my Amazon records which do not match my credit card. I was an early Amazon customer, because I loved having fast access to books. They have their fingers in so many pies right now, only cash matters. And, hearing about their treatment of employees is appalling. They are willing to let fraud continue, as long as they figure out how to make money off of it. Yuck.