As you know, my blog tends to be anything interesting, which is happening in my life. Sometimes my blog focuses on the personal, and sometimes on the professional. However, during my career, I found that I was not able to separate these two aspects of my life: Who I am as a professional is informed by my personal values, experiences, and perspectives, and visa versa: Who I am as a woman is informed by the those books I have read and written, my professional experiences, and my dear colleagues. When I first started teaching (1966, near Philadelphia), I thought I was to keep the personal and professional separate, as my teachers/professors had told me that I should. I clearly remember hearing: “Don’t smile until Christmas.”
Fortunately, I came to understand that this notion might be a bit gender-centric. For sure, I had learned it from dear men teachers and mentors. Somewhere about mid-career, I finally came to understand that I know nothing about being a man, but I sure know about being woman, and at least for me, the personal and professional are integrated holistically. I had to be me, and this meant, loving the kids. When I taught teenagers in AZ, I remember I started to realize that the kid who was the toughest to love, needed it the most. These personal discoveries had a profound impact on my professional career.
WinkWorld Readers, yesterday when my fingers wrote that previous paragraph, I did not know it, but simultaneously our daughter, Dawn, was creating a video “TED Talk” for a class she is taking on Women as Leaders. Dawn only has two more classes to finish the course work for her PhD, and her dissertation is conceptually well-organized already.
When I watched this video later in the day, I had to smile as she was creating a video of the personal/professional conundrum, at the same time that I was writing about it.
I confess, I am a podcast nerd. I have been planning to share with you some of the podcasts, which I listen to regularly, but the purpose of this WinkWorld is to share only one of them with you: “Check This Out With Ryan and Brian” available from iTunes – Apple, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, and any place where podcasts can be found.
It focuses on innovation and all-things-education for teachers. Brian Briggs and Ryan O’Donnell are the two teachers, who created and operate this podcast. Brian and Ryan strike me as energetic and passionate teachers and learners–who also are very hip. Meet Ryan and Brian.
I have never met Ryan, but I have known Brian since our Davis, CA days when Bo, our son, and Bryan were teeny-bopper best buddies. Meet Bo and Brian in junior high school, when Bo was running for a class office.
Later Brian was in the teacher credential program at California State University, Stanislaus where I taught. I continue to stay connected with him, as we do share an interest in all-things-education.
I am honored that Brian shared on the podcast his perspectives on our many connections. In the following podcast on gratitude, (Giving Thanks #97 episode), they are discussing the importance of gratitude and reaching out to others who have touched your life. Brian mentioned a high school teacher, Don Harman 10 minutes into the podcast, and me, 16 minutes into the podcast.
If you want to listen to this podcast, click here.
Brian and Ryan know that students are changing, and that educators need to change with them. Their work is free professional development on innovation in teaching with technology. They recognize that some teachers welcome change, and others are more cautious. They also are aware that the majority of teachers are somewhere between those two extremes.
I know that Brian and Ryan are very involved with Cue.org which is a nonprofit community of connected educators focused on improving education for all learners in CA and NV. If you do not live in those two states, do not worry, as I follow them online. Their goal is to inspire innovative educators.
In this podcast, Ryan and Brian, are reminding us to reach out and tell someone how much we appreciate them. I appreciate each of you taking time to read my musings.
We have just returned to the SD ranch from AZ, and I was not sure what I should write about on WinkWorld–until I glanced at the books on my desk and my night stand. In what follows are some thoughts of what I have recently read. Here we go.
First, my colleague and dear friend, Janet Towell, sent me a book to read; her mother is next on our list of readers. Here is Janet when she visited us and our Little Free Library.
And, here is the book which she sent me to read, The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. It is a fast and painful novel. The characters are powerful, real, and unforgettable, but keep your tissue close. Basically, it is a love story between a mom, with many challenges, and a daughter, with different challenges. Janet, I think I thank you. My heart was hurting as I read, but I couldn’t put it down. Dawn, you are not allowed to read this one.
I also found a copy of Frank McCourt’s Tis: A Memoir in a Little Free Library in Tucson, so I reread it. I had forgotten his writing style. I promise you that you will hear his Irish lilt and laughter when you read it.
While I was in Tucson, I went to visit the Worlds of Words (W0W)* at the University of Arizona. Kathy Short, who created this magical place did a talk on recent trends in literature for little kids and teen-agers. It was fascinating, as she did a book walk through 10s of books. And, I wanted them all. I limited myself to 3 children’s books–the first is My Two Blankets by Irena Kobald & Freya Blackwood (an Autralian book). If you have kids in your class, who are new to our country and do not know English, I highly recommend this book. In the story, the little girl is such a happy, free-spirit in her home country. Her Auntie calls her, Cartwheel. However, when Cartwheel comes to her new country and does not understand English, and all that surround her seems so foreign, little Cartwheel withdraws in sadness and cuddles with her blanket from home. Eventually, a little girl in class befriends her, and little Cartwheel re-emerges with a new blanket, which is as warm, soft, and comforting as her first blanket from home.
While I was at WOW, Yetta Goodman sent a whole pile of her books for sharing. I tried really hard to let all of the teachers go first, but finally I just had to jump in–and, there I found a copy of Jane Tompkins’ A Life in School: What The Teacher Learned. I used her writings with teachers in the 90s. From Tompkins, I learned about the dangers of the pedagogy of performance and the pedagogy of the distressed. Rereading this book is like visiting with an old friend. And, I love having a book from Yetta.
While at WOW, I learned of The Day War Came by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb. This books tells how childrens’ lives are shattered when war comes. If you have refugees in your class, I highly recommend this book, and I think all of us can learn from this book. See the picture of the empty chair? The little girl in the story is not allowed into class, as there are no empty chairs. Eventually, a little boy brings a chair from home. This book is based on a true story, which triggered hundreds and hundreds of people in the UK to post images of empty chairs. #3000chairs
I bought a copy of Turning Pages: My Life Story b Sonia Sotomayor. In this childrens’ book, Sotomayor tells how words, books, and libraries were central to her bilingual life. Finally, she tells how the law books were stories of real life people who need justice.
Carol Edelsky also was at WOW, while I was there. It was great to spend time with her. In 1991, she wrote a book with THE. BEST. TITLE. EVER. She has later editions, but this is a photo of my original book. And, yes, I added the roses and the baby-in-balls photo.
Carole recommended that I read, The Overstory by Richard Powers. OK, will do.
Thank you, Dr. Kathy Short and team of Worlds of Words at the University of Arizona.
In the previous issue of WinkWorld, I told a story about the idea generator (see bottom of this post). Since that time, I have been searching and searching, as I had a vague memory of having written about it sometime, somewhere.
FOUND, finally in my first edition of Critical Pedagogy: Notes from the Real World, 1996.
On pages 99, I found this story of the idea generator.
Here is what my old, and much-loved book looks like today.
Here is the back cover.
I see Amazon still has new and used copies for sale for about $15. Amazon is a complete mystery to me: Where are earth do they still get new copies, as it as been out of print for years? And, how do they figure out their costs? The most recent edition of that book (4th) is usually so over-priced on Amazon. However, this issue of WinkWorld is about the idea generator–and, not the cost of books.
In a previous WinkWorld (posted below) I mentioned the idea generator when writing about Lisa and Chyllis and the Becoming a Better Me project. I have taught this idea many times, and I know exactly where I was the first time I ever heard Steve Krashen mention it, but suddenly I wanted to find his original citation. I couldn’t find it; Google couldn’t find it; it was not on his web pages, so I sheepishly emailed him and asked for the original citation. Hours passed. No response. Finally, Steve wrote back when he realized that he had never written about it–he had only spoken about it.
The idea generator is just that: You walk around for months trying to solve a problem, and it feels impossible. However, the ideas are incubating; they are cooking; they are jostling around in our head unconsciously, and suddenly, Bingo! Someone says something, and your brain shoots out the answer to your problem.
Well, I don’t have the citation, but I do have a story.
It was 1986, Davis, CA, and Steve Krashen was speaking to a packed room of teachers. There I was in the center of the first row–not wanting to miss a single thing. I was armed with a pen and my yellow legal pad.
I had been agonizing for weeks about a Title VII grant, which I needed to write for Davis Joint Unified School District, CA and felt I shouldn’t even go to hear Krashen speak; rather, I should stay in my office and write that blasted grant. However, sometime during the course of his presentation, he must have said something, which really connected with me, because Bingo! My idea generator ignited, and I started writing as fast as I could. The ideas were pouring from my head to the yellow legal pad, and the grant was finally being written. I wrote pages, and at a certain moment, I noticed the room had become very quiet.
I glanced down at the floor from my writing, and there were two shoes directly in front of me. Two men’s shoes. I looked up, and Steve said to the crowd of teachers: “And, that, my friends is what happens when the idea generator takes off.”
Incidentally, Steve that grant was later funded for the Davis Joint Unified School District. Thanks.
If you are a reader of WinkWorld, you know that I promised a story about the idea generator for this issue, however it just seems like it is time to re-post the following story.
I don’t know what the future holds, but I know a bit about the past–particularly my own experiences.
Idea generator: It is written and in the queue to send soon.
This one is mostly for teachers and teacher educators. You may remember my former student, Lisa, who read 2, 648 picture books during the last school year. This activity triggered the idea generator* for another former student, Chyllis.
Chyllis and Lisa had never met each other, although they both went to CSU, Stanislaus for their masters degrees, and they both lived and taught near Turlock, CA, although during different years.
In the following post, I will first re-post the blog about Lisa reading so many picture books, and then I will post Chyl’s reflection and her follow up activity with her present graduate students this year at UNLV, where she is now teaching.
In what follows, Chyllis shares the letter which she wrote to Lisa.
Dear Lisa, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am from the Turlock area, I taught at Waterford Middle School while I was completing my MA. Now one of my doctoral students from UNLV is a new professor at Stan State. It seems there are lots of connections for us.
Chyllis’s Project: Becoming a Better Me
I was sharing with Joan that this semester I am requiring my MA students to do a personal project, called: Becoming a Better Me. Your story about the picture books prompted this assignment. Additionally, I am doing the assignment with my students. Most of my research is in mentoring and disciplinary literacy. My deficit is children’s literature, so I am reading at least one picture book a day as my project. I shared my project and Joan’s page with your interview with my graduate students.
The following is one example of a project which you inspired. Thank you.
Brenda, Chyllis’s Grad Student, Describes Her Project
While teaching preschool I read many picture books and bought even more. Since I have many picture books I’d like to read all of those books and find new ones to read. I teach seven resource classes a day, so I can read seven picture books a day. The books that are well received will find a place in my classroom library the rest will get one more chance with a different class and if they don’t excite the students they will be culled.
This “reading picture books” aloud will bring me back to my love of reading, expose all of my students to read alouds, and create an exciting classroom library all at the same time. I will compile a list of each book chosen and share with not only my follow class attendees, but my work colleagues as well.”
Chyllis Continues Her Letter to Lisa
Lisa, thank you for the inspiration and motivation. I would love to have you virtually attend my class if you would like, and we meet on Tuesdays from 4:15 pm – 6:45pm. If this is of interest to you, please let me know and we can set it up.
*So, what the heck is the idea generator? Be sure to read the next issue of WinkWorld in a few days.
Janet Towell is a dear friend from my CA days. Our offices were right beside each other, and we only lived a couple of blocks apart. We have been great friends since that time. After she left CSUS, she went on to Florida Atlantic University for great years there also. She has retired to Las Vegas, and she recently came to spend a few days with us. I must warn you that she is a city girl, and she found ranch life amazing. Every time we came back in the house, Janet went right to her journal and wrote so that she would not forget any details.
Readers, if you would like to connect with her (Dr. Janet Towell), you can find her on FB and/or she reads the responses to my blog.
Life on the Prairies . . . By Janet Towell
September 5, 2018
Joan Wink and I have been friends since the nineties. I have been wanting to visit her ranch in South Dakota for 25 years. Labor Day weekend I finally got the chance. Allegiant Airlines flies direct from Las Vegas to Rapid City, so that part was easy. Seeing her smiling face at the airport brought me such joy. I could not believe that I was actually in South Dakota after all these years.
Driving home from Rapid City in the dark was a big deal, although a normal part of life on the prairies. The drive takes approximately two hours. You have to constantly watch for deer on both sides of the road. At least there is very little traffic. Talking made the time go by quickly.
When we got to the entrance of the Wink ranch, Joan told me to get out of the car to look at the stars. What an amazing sight! The infinite number of stars was breathtaking. I had never seen anything like it. And that was just the beginning.
During my three days on the ranch, I felt like Alice in Wonderland, stepping through the looking glass into another world.
What I have learned so far about life on the prairies:
Ranchers know the meaning of the words “America the Beautiful”: “O beautiful for spacious skies and amber waves of grain”. The vast landscape is jaw dropping.
It is easier to get around on a ranch by driving a four-wheeler rather than riding a horse.
You should never leave home without your gloves, rubber boots and a walking stick. Everything on a ranch is dirty and rattlesnakes can be lurking in the tall grass.
JW’s comments: Please note that she is not wearing her gloves.
Reading is more important than TV, at least in the Wink household. The Internet is their link to the outside world.
Ranchers must plan ahead. The closest grocery store can be two hours away.
Prairie wives know how to cook and they cook a lot, especially during hunting season. Fast food is a pipe dream.
Prairie women are strong and independent. Most of them do it all: Cook, clean, drive a tractor or pick-up truck, help with calving and/or branding, haul hay, and take care of the kids (and most of them have large families).
JW’s comment: Most of the women I know, do all of this, but I don’t want you to think that I do. Recently a truck driver from San Francisco, CA was here. He sat in his truck and told me to jump into the tractor and move a piece of equipment, so he could get his truck where he wanted it. I replied, “I have spent my whole life NOT learning how to drive a tractor, and I am not about to learn for you.”
JW’s comment: This is Janet in her town life, doing a ReadAloud of one of my favorite stories from Patricia Polacco–Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair.
In fact, I love that story so much that ended The Power of Story with a story about it. Click below on “continue reading” if you would like to read it.
Human connections are vital. The local church is a safe place where the congregation (a close- knit community of 25 or so) can share their joys and sorrows.
Gravel roads are as prevalent as paved roads. There are over 1,000 miles of gravel roads in the county where Joan and Dean live.
One and two-room prairie schools still exist, but they are few and far between. Because of the dwindling numbers of students, their future is in jeopardy. We were able to visit with Missy on Friday, one of two teachers at the K-8 Atall School, an hour’s drive from Joan’s ranch.
Small towns may only consist of a post office, two gas pumps and a small general store. Although you must get your mail at the post office, Amazon will deliver packages to your door. Amazing!
JW’s comment: Janet, we feel so, so fortunate to have postal services out here. A few years ago, we all went to battle to save our little post office. I remember a federal official who came to talk at us, in his light blue shiny polyester suit at a local native school. We were all in jeans and working clothes. I remember an older native woman explaining to him that many of the Lakota simply cannot drive an hour or two to any other location, as they are so isolated and live in poverty. I remember him (the white man) telling her (the native woman) that she chose to live there. Obviously, he did not know his history, and I wrote to his boss in DC and the President and told them of this outrage.
There is an abundance of wildlife. Over the weekend I observed a couple of great blue herons roosting in an old cottonwood tree, six storks circling overhead, a herd of antelope, young antelope twins (orphans), ducks, Canadian geese, and a prairie dog town that had seen better days.
Many ranches were homesteaded in the early 1900’s and they have stayed in families for generations. Joan’s house (that belonged to her Grandma Grace) was originally built in 1910. The average ranch has 5,000 acres and 200 head of beef cattle (primarily Angus).
JW’s comment: Dawn’s book is available on Amazon. It is the story of my Grandma Grace, who was very important in my life growing up.
Most ranchers have their own gas tanks and generators. Power goes out frequently in the winter and gas stations are rare.
Water is a high commodity on the prairies, requiring ponds with dams, deep wells, miles of pipelines and numerous water tanks for survival.
JW’s comment: Janet and Wink playing in the water over at the truck washout.
Crops in southwestern South Dakota include wheat, sorghum, corn and sunflowers.
Hay must be baled, stacked and stored for the winter. Round hay bales can weigh between 1200 and 1500 pounds. Some years there is hay and some years there isn’t, depending on the weather.
There are not many trees but some, such as red cedars, grow along the river banks. The Wink ranch is near the Cheyenne River.
A variety of farm vehicles is required on a ranch: A John Deere tractor, pick-up truck, jeep or SUV, side by side, 4 wheelers, snow mobiles, and a riding lawn mower.
It is important to carefully latch the gates on the ranch so the cattle will not get out. (That’s another story about a bull that escaped on Saturday morning.)
JW’s comments: Fortunately, Janet spotted him as he strolled in front of the house. Wink went running and jumped in the side-by-side and put him back in the right pasture.
Ranchers follow this rule: “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man (or woman) healthy, wealthy and wise.”
Everyone I met during my trip was so friendly, welcoming and warm. (They get very few visitors in this part of the world.) During emergencies, ranchers drop everything to help each other during times of crisis.
JW’s comments: Janet, you learned a lot!
Just being with Joan, talking about old friends and good times during our days as colleagues at California State University, Stanislaus, was the best part of the trip. In the words of the old Girl Scout song: “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, the other is gold.”
We often read in the academic literature that schools of the future will thrive if they also serve as community centers; however our very isolated one & two-room schools already are thriving, vibrant community centers. This week I drove an hour and 15 minutes to visit the first day of school for Hereford (K-8), 2-room school. They welcomed me, as if I lived 5 minutes away. The school yard was filled with moms, dads, babies, aunties & uncles, grammies & grampys, a school board member, and even the local electrical company people who arrived with donuts and juice for everyone. I’m pretty sure that these prairie people don’t need the academic literature to tell them what works in their school.
In this issue of WinkWorld, I will share just a peak into this wonderful experience.
Both teachers, one baby daughter, and 15 kids lined up for the official photo. Teachers, we understand how tricky it can be to get kids to line up on the first day, but when you add horses to wiggling kids, it is even trickier
Here are two of the 8th graders: Jess and Sage.
Ironically, Jess on the left with the dark long-sleeve shirt, once was a little girl who came to my classes at Black Hills State University with her mom, a graduate student. Here is Jess 3 years ago in our graduate class, as I was doing a Read Aloud.
Incidentally, “The SheepOver (Sweet Pea & Friends)” by Jennifer Churchman and John Churchman is a great book. There are now 2 others in the series: “Brave Little Finn” and “Alpaca Lunch” available on Amazon.
This little guy is just beginning kindergarten. He was not the least bit excited to tell me about riding to school on a horse on his first day ever in school, but he was VERY excited that he had a phone buried deep in one his many pockets. He eventually dug it out and proudly showed it to me.
In the photo below, Carrie, is the teacher for the kids in 5th-8th grades. Carrie even rode with her baby, Grace.
Terri is the teacher of K-4; here she is with the kids who will be in her class.
Of course, we had to have some fun!
Hey, Look, I Even Found an Avid Reader!
This mom, Cassie, was reading “just a few more pages” until I went over and interrupted her as she was lost in the flow of the book, Winter by Marissa Meyer, which is part of The Lunar Chronicles.
Finally, it is time to go in and start the school year: Ring that Bell, Boys!
Thank you to Elizabeth (mom of Jess), Shelane (traveling library paraprofessional), and Terri (teacher) for sharing some of your photos and the video.
Linda Huff, a teacher in Texas, was kind enough to share a short story about when she discovered the power of reading–this took place after she read Stephen D. Krashen’s book, The Power of Reading.
Enjoy Linda’s discovery by clicking on the grayed-out “continue reading” in the box below.
Recently, Linda and I had another conversation about how mainstream classroom teachers can more actively engage students with their classroom libraries, school libraries, and/or their local library. I thought I might share some of these resources, and I hope you share with us how you use the library with students.
Library Resources for Mainstream Teacher (or any of us!)
I asked my school librarian friend/colleague/former graduate student and school librarian extraordinaire, Dr. Deb Schneider of Tracy, CA for some resources. Deb immediately cited a few more references for us. Thanks, Deb!
Deb also introduced me to Common Sense Education and their many resources for families, educators, and librarians. They appear to be particularly helpful in the area of digital literacy and information literacy. Lots of media resources.
I know there are many other great resources for teachers to access in order to support students’ active engagement with their local library or school library, and I hope you will share some of your resources with us. Thanks.
