A Snowy Start

We arrived back to Anchorage safely... and to a LOT of snow. This picture is of our car this morning. Cleaning off the car took us about 15 minutes. Returning to work went relatively well today, though I think it's going to be a long week.

Winglets

John and I were scheduled to return to Anchorage via Salt Lake City on a red eye Sunday night/Monday morning. BUT, our flight to Salt Lake was delayed enough that we'd miss the connection to Anchorage. AND, there is only 1 flight to Anchorage a day on Delta from Salt Lake. SO, we ended up being booked on the next day's flight out to Anchorage. The plus is definitely that we didn't get stuck in Salt Lake, but were able to spend more time with family. The bad part is that we both had to miss a whole day of work. :( This means, between the flight delays and the snow days, I haven't been to school in 9 days. I told my principal I'd be back tomorrow even if I had to use a dog sled.

We didn't need to take a dog sled--fortunately. We were, however, booked on a Delta 737-800... and, on our itinerary, it said winglets in parentheses next to the plane type. I'm sorry-- WINGLETS!!! --that does NOT sound good... I want like mega-wings or something, not baby wings. I promptly researched and discovered that this is the name for (as best as I can tell) a supplementary wing feature (I think where the wings turn up at the ends) that added stability and fuel economy. Phew-- not baby wings after all!

Now we're in mid-air or, according to Flight Aware, 32,000 feet on our way back to Anchorage. It was difficult to leave home (this is the first time I've lived far enough away to "return home" for any holidays). It really helps, though, that we'll be back in just 3 weeks!! On the Anchorage end of things, we'll be happy to be back to our critters and to work--which just goes to show how much both of us must like our jobs :) We're so thankful to Tammy and Steve for taking care of Hayden and Nelson and to Joe for picking us up at 1 in the morning... we're so fortunate to have wonderful people in both of our cities.

Super Fun

Sorry I haven't written for a while... John and I had a super fun time in Arizona. It was also super busy though--hence the not writing thing. It was wonderful to enjoy the time with our family and friends, as well as those clear Arizona days and the warm sun. Thank you to all those who made our visit special. We're looking forward to seeing more people and spending more time with others at our longer visit in December.

Antlers

Hayden loves to chew. Mom got her a "Super Kong", which holds up well... but she decimates just about everything else.

Kyle had recommended trying antlers. We get them through Amazon... they're pricey, but are the only thing that lasts more than a few minutes.

Today the doorbell rang and Hayden barked (that's her new thing). She went running to the door, but started to turn around once she saw no one was there. Then, I picked up the package and she must have caught a whiff. I couldn't smell anything; she obviously could. She promptly sat as if waiting for a treat... as I walked into the family room, she took off to stay in front of me... she followed me in a jumping sit all around until I finally got the box open. It was pretty darn cute.

Now she's happily chomping away.

My Second "Snow" Day

I just got the call... no school tomorrow either. How crazy!

My First "Snow" Day

School got canceled tomorrow...

"All Anchorage School District schools will be CLOSED on Tuesday, November 23, due to icy road conditions. ASD administrative facilities, including the Education Center, will be open. Employees are encouraged to report to work only as road conditions allow them to safely do so.

"Superintendent Carol Comeau and ASD staff have been consulting with municipal street maintenance personnel and checking weather reports. Although major roads may be in acceptable driving condition tomorrow, there is great concern about the condition of side streets and the safety of students walking and waiting at bus stops.

"Unless otherwise announced, ASD schools will reopen on Wednesday, November 24. 'We will continue to review road and walking conditions and will make a decision about Wednesday's classes at a later time,' said Superintendent Comeau."

I guess, then, it's really an "Ice Day" -- but it's my first of either. Perfect then... I can clean and prepare for our trip! :)

Homer Spit and Alaska Humor

Here is a picture that Steve and Tammy posted of the clerk trip to Homer Spit. John, Steve, and Rebecca all went down to Homer and then to Voz for the inauguration of their youth court.

Tammy and Steve have posted these funny questions that are often asked about Alaska--Dumb Humor--and some odd Alaska laws too-- well worth checking out.

These are my favorites of the stupid questions:

1. What currency do you use?
2. Do you live in an igloo?
3. How old does a caribou have to be before it becomes a moose?
4. Will we see whales on the river rafting adventure?
5. Does the boat go under water?
6. What time do the Northern Lights come on?
7. Which of the animals do we get to pet?
8. Will the Glacier still be there in the summer?
9. At the Talkeetna moose dropping festival someone asked, How high do they drop the moose from anyway?
10. Do the barrels of oil going through pipeline make a lot of noise?
11. (On a Whale Watching tour) Where do we see the hunchbacks?
12. Is there electricity in Alaska?
13. Why don't you clean the glacier?
14. What sort of dye is used to give those glaciers that blue color?
15. How long have you been a Native?
16. (While in Denali National Park) Where do they take the animals when the Park closes for winter?
17. Fossilized ivory from woolly mammoths are sold in a local gift shop a customer comes in and get upset and asks, why was the woolly mammoth killed for the ivory?
18. What building do you keep the glaciers in?

Skiing Photos

While I was falling, Michael was taking pictures... hey, he had to do something while I was busy popping out of my bindings ;) The pics include photos of John from along his ski route (I wasn't ready to go to the top yet)... so, I waited at the bottom. I'm looking forward to trying again, despite my initial failings. At least John did well!

Icy, but Fine

There's a lot of ice and some pretty serious ice/freezing rain warnings here. Just wanted you to know that John dropped me off and I got here safely. He's on his way to work. So, so far we're both doing fine and will continue to be careful on the roads :)

Down the Hill and On My Rear

Today John and I went downhill skiing. Well, kinda.

Michael, one of John's fellow clerks, is a certified ski instructor. He doesn't work as an instructor, but he does help us. So today we rented skis and got lift tickets. Michael had wanted to work with a small group, which meant it was just us 3. We'd hoped to go with Tammy and Steve; but, after today, I understand the need for small numbers. I was terrible!!!

Michael was a very good instructor... and John was a very good student. I was an appreciative student, but spent most of the time on my rear. I have a long, long way to go as a student!! I'm hoping, at some point, to actually go down the hill standing up!

Teaching-- NY Times Article

Here is a fascinating New York Times Article that Uncle John passed along... (with my own opinions italicized at the start)

I find the teaching academy mentioned in the article to be of particular interest. One of the major issues, as I see it, is our failure to invest in education as an investment in our economy. How do you get a top college graduate to choose to be a teacher and not an attorney or business leader when at one you can make $34,000 and at the others you can start at $60,000? How do you keep a teacher invested in teaching?

For me, one of the hardest parts of my jobs is the time commitment to do it well. Essentially, to do it well, you have the 7 hour commitment while students are there and then you have all the time required to prepare for another lesson. I mean, imagine preparing a 7 hour presentation in 40 minutes of prep time. The during-the-day prep time is NOT enough for teachers to actively incorporate best practices and meet the needs of struggling learners. With rare exceptions, I almost always work the 7 hours with the students plus AT LEAST another 2-3 hours per day... so, including work on weekends... I work at least 50 hours a week and could do a MUCH better job if I worked 60 hours a week. Yet, when someone chooses teaching or when you start dating a teacher, you don't think... oh, this person's going to be working 60 hour weeks. A lawyer, doctor, candlestick maker-- sure, you anticipate those late nights. But, our very conception of teachers is that they get lots of vacations.

I think another major issue in schools is discipline. Schools' hands are often tied relative to what consequence can be issued. I'm NOT suggesting we start implementing corporal punishment... but I'm saying that discipline is a major part of the problem. One class of 35 can achieve much more than a class of 20 if the dynamic is right. Students with disciplinary issues can easily monopolize a teacher's time-- in the classroom and outside (for meetings and documentation and interventions). The majority of exemplar schools have found means of sidestepping this. For instance, charter schools, particularly the KIPP schools, are routinely recognized for their miraculous academic gains. However, almost all charter schools can suspend or expel students with significantly shortened due process than is incumbent on public schools. The solution? I wish I knew... My best suggestion at this point is setting up some type of highly structured alternative schools to which repeat disciplinary offenders can be sent with relatively limited delays. Or, perhaps parents could be required to sit with or provide an aide for repeatedly disruptive students... okay, maybe not. This would obviously be aimed at deterring behaviors and raising accountability... not an actual practice. However, we absolutely cannot make the gains we need with disruptive behavior. I'm interested to see the changes that come in the years to come, because there aren't easy answers.

November 20, 2010
Teaching for America
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

When I came to Washington in 1988, the cold war was ending and the hot beat was national
security and the State Department. If I were a cub reporter today, I’d still want to be
covering the epicenter of national security — but that would be the Education Department.
President Obama got this one exactly right when he said that whoever “out-educates us
today is going to out-compete us tomorrow.” The bad news is that for years now we’ve been
getting out-educated. The good news is that cities, states and the federal government are all
fighting back. But have no illusions. We’re in a hole.

Here are few data points that the secretary of education, Arne Duncan, offered in a Nov. 4
speech: “One-quarter of U.S. high school students drop out or fail to graduate on time.
Almost one million students leave our schools for the streets each year. ... One of the more
unusual and sobering press conferences I participated in last year was the release of a report
by a group of top retired generals and admirals. Here was the stunning conclusion of their
report: 75 percent of young Americans, between the ages of 17 to 24, are unable to enlist in
the military today because they have failed to graduate from high school, have a criminal
record, or are physically unfit.” America’s youth are now tied for ninth in the world in
college attainment.

“Other folks have passed us by, and we’re paying a huge price for that economically,” added
Duncan in an interview. “Incremental change isn’t going to get us where we need to go.
We’ve got to be much more ambitious. We’ve got to be disruptive. You can’t keep doing the
same stuff and expect different results.”

Duncan, with bipartisan support, has begun several initiatives to energize reform —
particularly his Race to the Top competition with federal dollars going to states with the
most innovative reforms to achieve the highest standards. Maybe his biggest push, though,
is to raise the status of the teaching profession. Why?

Tony Wagner, the Harvard-based education expert and author of “The Global Achievement Gap,” explains it this way. There are three basic skills that students need if they want to
thrive in a knowledge economy: the ability to do critical thinking and problem-solving; the
ability to communicate effectively; and the ability to collaborate.

If you look at the countries leading the pack in the tests that measure these skills (like
Finland and Denmark), one thing stands out: they insist that their teachers come from the
top one-third of their college graduating classes. As Wagner put it, “They took teaching from
an assembly-line job to a knowledge-worker’s job. They have invested massively in how they
recruit, train and support teachers, to attract and retain the best.”

Duncan disputes the notion that teachers’ unions will always resist such changes. He points
to the new “breakthrough” contracts in Washington, D.C., New Haven and Hillsborough
County, Fla., where teachers have embraced higher performance standards in return for
higher pay for the best performers.

“We have to reward excellence,” he said. “We’ve been scared in education to talk about
excellence. We treated everyone like interchangeable widgets. Just throw a kid in a class and
throw a teacher in a class.” This ignored the variation between teachers who were changing
students’ lives, and those who were not. “If you’re doing a great job with students,” he said,
“we can’t pay you enough.”

That is why Duncan is starting a “national teacher campaign” to recruit new talent. “We
have to systemically create the environment and the incentives where people want to come
into the profession. Three countries that outperform us — Singapore, South Korea, Finland
— don’t let anyone teach who doesn’t come from the top third of their graduating class. And
in South Korea, they refer to their teachers as ‘nation builders.’ ”

Duncan’s view is that challenging teachers to rise to new levels — by using student
achievement data in calculating salaries, by increasing competition through innovation and
charters — is not anti-teacher. It’s taking the profession much more seriously and elevating
it to where it should be. There are 3.2 million active teachers in America today. In the next
decade, half (the baby boomers) will retire. How we recruit, train, support, evaluate and
compensate their successors “is going to shape public education for the next 30 years,” said
Duncan. We have to get this right.

Wagner thinks we should create a West Point for teachers: “We need a new National
Education Academy, modeled after our military academies, to raise the status of the
profession and to support the R.& D. that is essential for reinventing teaching, learning and
assessment in the 21st century.”

All good ideas, but if we want better teachers we also need better parents — parents who
turn off the TV and video games, make sure homework is completed, encourage reading and
elevate learning as the most important life skill. The more we demand from teachers the
more we have to demand from students and parents. That’s the Contract for America that
will truly ensure our national security.

Metronome Goodness

My students try really hard. Many of them have made significant gains in their reading. Several of them have moved from being non-readers to being readers... but they still read at non-reader rates... "The fat cat dep... de... depended on the food."

AHHHH! One day I found myself snapping out a pace-- "COME ON," I was thinking. "Pick it up!"

After snapping (mostly literally), I thought... this is it... I'll get out a metronome and have them start picking up the pace.

I did a long lesson on fluency and rate, which used the metronome. Then we practiced quite a bit.

When the kids retested today, several of them had made HUGE gains. They've been able to read most of the words for awhile now, but they were plodding along, as opposed to briskly reading all the words except for the tricky ones. The practice with the metronome made a gigantic difference! One student moved from 75 words read correctly per minute (wpm) to 100 wpm. Another went from 134 to 173 wpm. Another kid made a 36 wpm gain... the others were mostly 8's and 10's... but 2 wpm per week is normally the expectation for growth.

So YAY! It was a great teaching moment.

The Next 3 Days

Tonight John and I saw the movie The Next 3 Days. It was very good. I thought it would be an hour and a half chase scene, but it's actually pretty involved, well acted, and very engrossing. That said, the Top Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave it only 38%... rotten. No Bueno. I guess one of us must be right!

Frozen Propel Bottle

Nine degrees. That's now the coldest weather I've been in. Truthfully, without the wind, it didn't feel any colder than the sixteen degree weather before.

But, I found my half full Propel bottle in the car... completely frozen!!! It's not like I couldn't have figured out that would happen; I've just never seen it happen before.

The biggest problem right now is that there isn't snow and there's ice everywhere. It's like walking on a skating rink... I'm being much more careful now though. Just makes me exceedingly thankful for our studded tires.

Thanksgiving

As a side note, I can't wait to come home and be "cold" at 4 Peaks ;) All those times I shivered in the open air bar... HA!! Bring on 40 degrees!!!

Burrrrr

It occurred to me that this is the coldest weather I've ever been in... ALREADY! Today the car showed the temp at 16 degrees. YIKES... but then, with windchill it was in the single digits.

Most amazing for me is that the kids just bundle up and head on out to recess. And, if there's a fire drill, you can't get your coats first... I'm tempted to just carry mine around in my hands while teaching ;)

It's an adventure!!!!!!!

Ebates

If you're doing any online shopping this season, I highly recommend going first to ebates and then clicking through to whatever site at which you're going to shop. What happens is, if you go through ebates, then click on member/affiliate sites the sites offer cash back. Ebates literally sends you a check... I think I've been signed up for 4 years-- and have "earned" almost $200. Even if you don't want the money, you can donate it directly to a charity when you sign up. They also often have coupons. So, two thumbs up-- definitely try ebates. (Oh yeah, it's free.)

Persimmons?

In our most recent produce box we got persimmons... HMMM... I've never eaten persimmons much less cooked with them. I think I've narrowed it down to these 2 recipes; but, if anyone's ever done something with persimmons and *liked the result*, do share :)

NUMBER 1--
Smoked Prosciutto & Fuyu Persimmons with Balsamic Vinegar & Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 medium or 2 small Fuyu persimmons (about 6 to 8 ounces total)
  
• 5 to 6 ounces thinly sliced smoked prosciutto
  
• 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 2 to 3 tablespoons artisan-made balsamic vinegar

Using the tip of a paring knife, carve out the stem end of the persimmons. Carve out a sliver of meat and skin and taste. If you like the texture of the skin, leave as is; if not, peel the fruit whole. Cut the persimmon into very thin wedges, prying out seeds if there are any, with a sharp knife or with a mandoline. Arrange the prosciutto and persimmons, somewhat overlapping, on plates or a platter. Drizzle with the olive oil, and then finish with the balsamic vinegar.

From a Splendid Table and A Thanksgiving Menu from Judy Rodgers

NUMBER 2--
Persimmon Cookies

• 1 cup persimmon pulp
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1 cup dates or raisins, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

In the big measuring cup, put the persimmon pulp, add the soda & stir.

• Cream the sugar & butter, add the persimmon pulp & soda blend.
• Add the egg & mix well.
• Add flour, sifted spices & mix well
• Add the nuts & raisins

Drop by spoonfuls on a greased baking sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Living in Alaska is a bit like being Mister Rogers. Every day I bundle up. Pants tucked into my snow boots (that's a different issue all together). Big coat and sweater. Then, I get to school... this is where it should sound familiar... and I take off my coat, scarf, sweater, and boots... and promptly switch to my indoor sweater and my loafers. It really makes me giggle... I AM MISTER ROGERS!!! and, to boot, my kids have no idea who Mister Rogers is... so I guess, to them, I'll have to be Miss Fees ;)

Snow... and lots of it

We had our first big dump of snow... funny to compare this to the just-over-a-week-ago pic of the sunset ;)

What is most surprising is how bright it is... the 2 measly street lights (or in the case of the backyard, our one flood light) reflect off all the snow. I didn't use the flash and the sun hasn't risen. I actually woke up last night and it was so bright I thought the sun had risen and we'd overslept. I checked my phone and it said 2:22... but I got up to check the stove just in case my phone was off on the time again!

Daylight Saving Time

Today was my first time ever switching off Daylight Saving (apparently it's not Savings, since it is 'saving' the time-- so Tammy learned). I briefly fretted over "falling back" or whatever. But, we thought we had it made since our cell phones would switch automatically.

By the time this morning rolled around, I wasn't thinking much of it though. (Honestly, I forgot.) So, John and I went about our day.

We were supposed to pick up Tammy and Steve for tonight's film, but called and asked to meet them there. We were running short on time and were out running errands. As it turned out, the store didn't have what we were looking for... John and I had about 20 minutes to kill. We wandered into the gaming shop (more on that another time) and Play-It-Again Sports. When we arrived at the theater, we were pleased to be the first in line. After a couple minutes, John noticed that we were still the only ones in line... and that was *NOT NORMAL*. We checked the time... nope 4:50 and, yep, the film started at 5:25. We were good. A couple more minutes passed and we called Tammy and Steve who are rarely, if ever, late. They then checked to make sure we knew it was only 3:55, because of the change in time!!! UGHHHHHH!! Our phones didn't change over. We were there over an hour and a half in advance.

Daylight Saving-- YUCK!! My first impression is not a favorable one. Plus, now we're 2 hours off from Arizona. This DST thing leaves much to be desired.

Correction

So I keep saying Mastermind, but I really meant Megamind. Doesn't much matter... it's totally not as awesome as Despicable Me!!

A Weekend of Movies

This weekend John and I have been catching up on movies...

On Friday we saw Mastermind with Steve and Tammy, which was cute and has an awesome soundtrack.

Yesterday we saw Salt. The premise and plot line was solid, but it could have been a billion times better with a better screenwriter (Aaron Sorkin??) and director. The one thing that I found utterly irksome was this: In one scene Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) steals a Russian-style hat. Fine. But then, in the next scene she has on a matching cape!! Where did the cape come from?? Really!

Tonight we're going to the Bear's Tooth to watch Despicable Me again... He's so FLUFFFY!!

Hope you're having a nice weekend!

Fake Back to the Future Screen Tests (SNL sketch)

Joe shared this with us... pretty funny ;)

Spills and Stops

Ice is terrible! I had my first spill... It was in our school parking lot on black ice. I scared John terribly, as I AHHHHH-d prior to slipping, which sent my phone flying (and disconnecting) and me on my butt and hands (don't even know how that happened). I'm okay... the base of my palm is a bit bruised, but otherwise I'm fine... YUCK! I'm going to go buy those metal claw feet things to add to my shoes.

Another spill was an oil spill... on the road near Talkeetna-- the road to Fairbanks, which put a full stop to the Fairbanks trip. I was feeling very uneasy about it, so I was pleased with the decision.

We had dinner with Joe at Imperial Palace--a Chinese/Korean restaurant between Pin-Ups Espresso and Castle Boutique... very tasty and nice staff and ambiance, though its location was a bit iffy.

We're going to go see Mastermind tonight.

Snow

Yesterday was my first time driving in snow... ice is worse, but it was still a "first". They don't plow very well, so you mostly get driven on slush. It's so messy! My poor pants :(

The biggest problem I've run into is walking Hayden. She still pulls on the leash and that's dangerous on the ice.

Otherwise, all is well in the great-white-yonder.

This weekend is the Michigan v. UAF game, so we're headed to Fairbanks.

I miss everyone and am glad Thanksgiving will be here sooo soon!!!

Worse

In July and August I complained about the weather and even pasted in the forecast in a post. However, we've stepped it up... look at this week's forecast... EGAADS!!! I read this and just see-- ICE, ICE, ICE :( We'll be careful!