As a parent and a teacher, one of the things that grieves me the most is dawdling. When I assign a task, and then see the child take forever to do it, I become greived and irritated. If the child would just buckle down and DO it, they'd be done and we could both move on to something more fun. But they dawdle and whine. Usually, the task gets done eventually, but at what cost of time and energy!
My mother was a master of negative motivation. Back in the days when it was legal to spank, she wielded that power with authority. But I recall a lesson on dawdling that really struck home.
We had finished a large dinner (I believe it was Christmas or Thanksgiving) and it was my turn to do the dishes. I think I was about eight years old, perhaps ten. I thought with all that mess, I would be given the assistance of one of my sisters. (Not Mother. She didn't do dishes. That's what she had girls for.) No. It was my turn; I would do it alone. I remember standing in the kitchen which seemed full of dirty dishes. Every dish, pot and pan in the house was used and dirty. I wailed "This will take three hours!" My mother said, "I'll give you forty-five minutes. If you aren't done by then, you'll get a whipping."
Now, THAT is motivation.
I don't remember the details, but I do remember moving as fast as my little hands and feet would go. I organized, washed, dried, and put up all those dishes. I think it took a bit over 45 minutes, and I was afraid I would be whipped for overshooting the time. But I was proud of what I'd done. I really hadn't thought it possible to do it all by myself, but there was the proof.
Now, if I could figure out a way to get students to actually DO their assignments when they have class time to do it... is there a Nobel prize for education?
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
I taught spinning today
I had the privilege of teaching four ladies how to spin yarn today.
Yes, there are people in the 21st Century who choose to spin yarn from wool. I'm not sure what causes this type of insanity, but it's more prevalent than you might imagine.
The scene was a nice yarn and fiber shop inside a beautiful home in Elbert County. I had wanted to visit there previously, but "never got around to it." The home is located on an alpaca farm (or you could say there is an alpaca farm co-located with the yarn shop) and specializes in alpaca yarns and fibers.
Three of the four ladies had planned to rent wheels to practice on. The fourth lady said she had a wheel. But when she arrived, the shop owner and I determined that she had an antique semi-functional wheel. Neither of us could spin on it, so we strongly recommended she rent a wheel with which she could learn.
During the three hour class, I helped each of them learn how to use their wheel, how to change the bobbins, and how to make yarn. One of the ladies decided that spinning was not her thing, and that was perfectly OK. (I recently made a similar discovery in a pottery throwing class.) She was much more interested in learning how to process the fiber. That's good, because a lot of us would much rather spin or knit than wash fleeces or card them.
All four students successfully spun a singles yarn. I sent them home with a bag full of different kinds of prepared fiber to spin. They need to practice a few minutes every day, or as close to it as practicable. A follow-up class about how to ply their yarn is offered in two weeks, but they have to spin some more singles to have something to ply.
The shop owner said something very nice about me. She said I was a very "gentle soul" when it came to teaching spinning. Aw, shucks...
Yes, there are people in the 21st Century who choose to spin yarn from wool. I'm not sure what causes this type of insanity, but it's more prevalent than you might imagine.
The scene was a nice yarn and fiber shop inside a beautiful home in Elbert County. I had wanted to visit there previously, but "never got around to it." The home is located on an alpaca farm (or you could say there is an alpaca farm co-located with the yarn shop) and specializes in alpaca yarns and fibers.
Three of the four ladies had planned to rent wheels to practice on. The fourth lady said she had a wheel. But when she arrived, the shop owner and I determined that she had an antique semi-functional wheel. Neither of us could spin on it, so we strongly recommended she rent a wheel with which she could learn.
During the three hour class, I helped each of them learn how to use their wheel, how to change the bobbins, and how to make yarn. One of the ladies decided that spinning was not her thing, and that was perfectly OK. (I recently made a similar discovery in a pottery throwing class.) She was much more interested in learning how to process the fiber. That's good, because a lot of us would much rather spin or knit than wash fleeces or card them.
All four students successfully spun a singles yarn. I sent them home with a bag full of different kinds of prepared fiber to spin. They need to practice a few minutes every day, or as close to it as practicable. A follow-up class about how to ply their yarn is offered in two weeks, but they have to spin some more singles to have something to ply.
The shop owner said something very nice about me. She said I was a very "gentle soul" when it came to teaching spinning. Aw, shucks...
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Writing
I have found a book that I want to recommend to the world. After I write this here blog, I'm going to pop over to Amazon.com and review it heartily.
It was available at my local public library and is entitled The National Writer's Association Guide to Writing for Beginners. It was written by Sandy Whelchel, the executive director of the National Writers Association. It's a small volume, just 94 pages plus a few appendices. I'm up to page 26, and I have already learned so much! Each chapter is short, easy to understand, and has one or two exercises that are actually fun to do.
I'm trying to write (or work on) something every day, and I'm trying to read more. I've been reading more of the magazines that litter my house. Wow, there's all kinds of cool stuff in those magazines. Maybe that's why we've been spending our hard-earned money on them.
Sandy claims that the techniques to improve fiction writing will also work for non-fiction. I don't read fiction much, so I will be writing mostly non-fiction.
One of the things Sandy discussess for improving fiction is the use of the four-way sentence to hook the reader. So, here are some four-way sentences I wrote as an exercise.
Mary watched breathlessly as her grandson Jeff tore open the brightly-wrapped birthday gift. "Cool!" he squealed, pulling on the hat and mittens she had knitted. "Thanks, Nana! These are awesome." (Lead-in for a book of knitting patterns designed for boys.)
Johnny slammed the book shut and threw it down on his desk, his handsome face a mask of disgust. "Another frickin' fifty bucks wasted. And this is supposed to be an advanced book? There's nothing in it!" (Lead-in for an article about technical manuals.)
Lynn sat up groggily in bed, blinking her dry blue eyes, barely able to think. I need some water... or Gatorade... and I've GOT to stop this diarrhea! (Lead-in to an article about gluten sensitivity.)
Jim grinned broadly as he shook hands with his new manager in the interview room. (Lead-in to an article about how computer people need to learn to market themselves.)
So, hey, it's a start. Maybe you'll see these words in articles in Reader's Digest some day!
It was available at my local public library and is entitled The National Writer's Association Guide to Writing for Beginners. It was written by Sandy Whelchel, the executive director of the National Writers Association. It's a small volume, just 94 pages plus a few appendices. I'm up to page 26, and I have already learned so much! Each chapter is short, easy to understand, and has one or two exercises that are actually fun to do.
I'm trying to write (or work on) something every day, and I'm trying to read more. I've been reading more of the magazines that litter my house. Wow, there's all kinds of cool stuff in those magazines. Maybe that's why we've been spending our hard-earned money on them.
Sandy claims that the techniques to improve fiction writing will also work for non-fiction. I don't read fiction much, so I will be writing mostly non-fiction.
One of the things Sandy discussess for improving fiction is the use of the four-way sentence to hook the reader. So, here are some four-way sentences I wrote as an exercise.
Mary watched breathlessly as her grandson Jeff tore open the brightly-wrapped birthday gift. "Cool!" he squealed, pulling on the hat and mittens she had knitted. "Thanks, Nana! These are awesome." (Lead-in for a book of knitting patterns designed for boys.)
Johnny slammed the book shut and threw it down on his desk, his handsome face a mask of disgust. "Another frickin' fifty bucks wasted. And this is supposed to be an advanced book? There's nothing in it!" (Lead-in for an article about technical manuals.)
Lynn sat up groggily in bed, blinking her dry blue eyes, barely able to think. I need some water... or Gatorade... and I've GOT to stop this diarrhea! (Lead-in to an article about gluten sensitivity.)
Jim grinned broadly as he shook hands with his new manager in the interview room. (Lead-in to an article about how computer people need to learn to market themselves.)
So, hey, it's a start. Maybe you'll see these words in articles in Reader's Digest some day!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Maybe I'll write...
I've been considering changing careers to writer instead of teacher. Say, why not both? I've spoken with some folks at CTU about returning to teaching part-time for them. But I've also been thinking about doing some real research and writing.
Here's what's brewing:
1) For many, many years, I've thought of writing up a book of knitting patterns for boys that boys will actually want to wear. Most patterns I've seen were so "cute" that the boys I have known would not have been caught wearing them past the age of 3.
2) I've noticed that the open requisitions I've seen for software engineers require skills that I don't have, and I know CTU does not cover. Perhaps no college does. I'm going to look into that. At the very least, I should let CTU know they are not preparing their computer science students for the real world. But perhaps other colleges or Wired magazine would be interested as well.
3) My husband thinks I should write technical books that explore certain technical subjects. He thinks if I write The Joy of Oracle or The Joy of Solaris they would be big hits in the system administrator segment of the population. (Yes, we are nerds. Why do you ask?) The only problem with this option is... sigh... those would be a LOT of work, and likely require major investments in hardware and software. Besides, the way Oracle has behaved since taking over Sun, there may not be a market for Solaris books in the future.
But, I have noticed that I have not gotten around to checking out with the Colorado Department of Education how to go about becoming a teacher. So I'm not sure I really want to do it. Besides, we have learned this week that our county (Douglas County Colorado) is facing a tremendous budget shortfall in education, and may lay off many experienced teachers. What a great time to try to enter the industry!
Here's what's brewing:
1) For many, many years, I've thought of writing up a book of knitting patterns for boys that boys will actually want to wear. Most patterns I've seen were so "cute" that the boys I have known would not have been caught wearing them past the age of 3.
2) I've noticed that the open requisitions I've seen for software engineers require skills that I don't have, and I know CTU does not cover. Perhaps no college does. I'm going to look into that. At the very least, I should let CTU know they are not preparing their computer science students for the real world. But perhaps other colleges or Wired magazine would be interested as well.
3) My husband thinks I should write technical books that explore certain technical subjects. He thinks if I write The Joy of Oracle or The Joy of Solaris they would be big hits in the system administrator segment of the population. (Yes, we are nerds. Why do you ask?) The only problem with this option is... sigh... those would be a LOT of work, and likely require major investments in hardware and software. Besides, the way Oracle has behaved since taking over Sun, there may not be a market for Solaris books in the future.
But, I have noticed that I have not gotten around to checking out with the Colorado Department of Education how to go about becoming a teacher. So I'm not sure I really want to do it. Besides, we have learned this week that our county (Douglas County Colorado) is facing a tremendous budget shortfall in education, and may lay off many experienced teachers. What a great time to try to enter the industry!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
PMS
To all my sisters, biological and otherwise, who have struggled with PMS for years... I'm sorry. I thought I understood and sympathized. I didn't. Now I do.
While I've always had a bad time with the actual "period" I never really had a hard time with the pre-days. Until the last year or so.
It's so sneaky! You just get the period in the rearview mirror a week or so, it seems, and suddenly molehills turn into mountains. Chocolate is not a nice little treat, it is a necessity. AUGH! You start doubting your sanity. What the heck is going on? Why do I feel this way? OH... waitaminnit... how long has it been.... oh, damn! Now I have THAT to look forward to later in the week.
Oh well. I have also noticed one good thing about it. The last day "before" I usually have a huge surge of energy and can clean the house in one day. Helps make up for losing most of the day #2 of the cycle... Don't ask, you don't wanna know. Just don't expect to see me then.
While I've always had a bad time with the actual "period" I never really had a hard time with the pre-days. Until the last year or so.
It's so sneaky! You just get the period in the rearview mirror a week or so, it seems, and suddenly molehills turn into mountains. Chocolate is not a nice little treat, it is a necessity. AUGH! You start doubting your sanity. What the heck is going on? Why do I feel this way? OH... waitaminnit... how long has it been.... oh, damn! Now I have THAT to look forward to later in the week.
Oh well. I have also noticed one good thing about it. The last day "before" I usually have a huge surge of energy and can clean the house in one day. Helps make up for losing most of the day #2 of the cycle... Don't ask, you don't wanna know. Just don't expect to see me then.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
My son is sixteen
My son turned sixteen today. He's a junior in high school. Since I'm not working, I had the fabulous opportunity to take a birthday cake to his school for his lunch with his friends. I took the cake, plates and forks, and a gallon of milk with cups to wash it down. His friends sang "happy birthday" to him and devoured the cake. It seemed to be appreciated by all.
My husband and I are unabashedly proud of him. He is a year younger than his classmates, but he has a 3.9 average in advanced classes. He recently took the ACT and scored a composite of 30 (which is really, very good). He's just a fine young man and I'm proud to be his mother.
It almost didn't happen. When I was married before, I thought for years that I was infertile. But the Good Lord was keeping me from having a child by the man I was married to. Not until I met my current husband (the love of my life) did God see fit to allow me to become pregnant. Actually, once Johnny and I got married, I was pregnant within four months. It destroyed my goal of becoming an Air Force Officer, but - hey - I was going to be a MOTHER! And then, the dear Air Force doctors didn't believe me when I told them I had an unusually large head and a small pelvis, and I was worried about being able to deliver if my baby had a large head. So, without any gory details, let's just say my concern was justified. Thank God, my husband was with me throughout my labor, and he told the doctors that I'd been allowed to suffer long enough, my baby was in distress and it was time to intervene. They checked the records, found he was right (duh) and told me I needed a C-section. Well, I had told the earlier shift five hours earlier that I needed a C-section. But I was just the dumb woman in labor, I didn't know anything. The C-section went smoothly, and saved my baby's life and mine.
So, sixteen years later, I still adore my husband, and we have a strapping son who is 6 feet 4 inches tall, is loved and respected at his school, and makes his teachers and family proud.
My husband and I are unabashedly proud of him. He is a year younger than his classmates, but he has a 3.9 average in advanced classes. He recently took the ACT and scored a composite of 30 (which is really, very good). He's just a fine young man and I'm proud to be his mother.
It almost didn't happen. When I was married before, I thought for years that I was infertile. But the Good Lord was keeping me from having a child by the man I was married to. Not until I met my current husband (the love of my life) did God see fit to allow me to become pregnant. Actually, once Johnny and I got married, I was pregnant within four months. It destroyed my goal of becoming an Air Force Officer, but - hey - I was going to be a MOTHER! And then, the dear Air Force doctors didn't believe me when I told them I had an unusually large head and a small pelvis, and I was worried about being able to deliver if my baby had a large head. So, without any gory details, let's just say my concern was justified. Thank God, my husband was with me throughout my labor, and he told the doctors that I'd been allowed to suffer long enough, my baby was in distress and it was time to intervene. They checked the records, found he was right (duh) and told me I needed a C-section. Well, I had told the earlier shift five hours earlier that I needed a C-section. But I was just the dumb woman in labor, I didn't know anything. The C-section went smoothly, and saved my baby's life and mine.
So, sixteen years later, I still adore my husband, and we have a strapping son who is 6 feet 4 inches tall, is loved and respected at his school, and makes his teachers and family proud.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Failure IS an option
I've been listening to a radio show (www.allamericangold.com) about how our economy is going in the long run. Yesterday and today, Joe Jaiquin was talking about coaching his basketball team and the importance of failure. It is not just an option, it is CRITICAL that our kids be allowed to fail, to learn that they must get up and try again.
Well, I'm taking this in a different direction. Sometimes instead of trying again, we need to learn to try something else. Have you climbed on that horse 100 times, only to be bucked off each time? Maybe you need a different horse, or maybe you need to ride a bicycle. Heck, even Walt Disney and Donald Trump declared bankruptcy and started over!
I've known since I became a computer programmer in 1981 (yes, I'm that old) that it wasn't the best possible job for me. It's a job, that I was able to do, that most people cannot. But it was never my passion. I worked with many people over the years who would slave at their computers all day long, only to go home and play on a home computer all night. Not me! I could not wait to get away from the computer. So why on earth did I get two degrees in computer science? Because I never wanted to admit that I made a mistake in 1980 picking the career. I never wanted to admit (drum roll please) that I am a FAILURE as a software engineer.
OK, that's done. Now what?
Well, the best. "funnest" most satisfying job I ever had was as an instructional designer for Lockheed Martin. Once that job went to just doing the scheduling and teaching, I got bored and hired my replacement. I need a teaching position where I will be constantly stretched to design and solve problems.
Whoa, that is WEIRD. I just got a robo call from Jefferson County offering me a job as a teacher in Thorton. Well, it's not a job offer, but it's notification that a position exists which the computer thinks I may qualify for. You must admit, the timing is remarkable.
I think I'll be a teacher when I grow up. =sigh= Time to go back to college.
Well, I'm taking this in a different direction. Sometimes instead of trying again, we need to learn to try something else. Have you climbed on that horse 100 times, only to be bucked off each time? Maybe you need a different horse, or maybe you need to ride a bicycle. Heck, even Walt Disney and Donald Trump declared bankruptcy and started over!
I've known since I became a computer programmer in 1981 (yes, I'm that old) that it wasn't the best possible job for me. It's a job, that I was able to do, that most people cannot. But it was never my passion. I worked with many people over the years who would slave at their computers all day long, only to go home and play on a home computer all night. Not me! I could not wait to get away from the computer. So why on earth did I get two degrees in computer science? Because I never wanted to admit that I made a mistake in 1980 picking the career. I never wanted to admit (drum roll please) that I am a FAILURE as a software engineer.
OK, that's done. Now what?
Well, the best. "funnest" most satisfying job I ever had was as an instructional designer for Lockheed Martin. Once that job went to just doing the scheduling and teaching, I got bored and hired my replacement. I need a teaching position where I will be constantly stretched to design and solve problems.
Whoa, that is WEIRD. I just got a robo call from Jefferson County offering me a job as a teacher in Thorton. Well, it's not a job offer, but it's notification that a position exists which the computer thinks I may qualify for. You must admit, the timing is remarkable.
I think I'll be a teacher when I grow up. =sigh= Time to go back to college.
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