March 21

#SOL22 #21

“In case you find yourself in the swamp, you should know that humans can easily outrun alligators, which reach a max speed of 10 miles an hour and have no endurance. But they do have teeth. Lots of teeth.” ~Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, p. 111.

In our EPIClearners Daring Classrooms book club, we are doing a slow read of Brown’s book, along with activities and reflections on how her principles apply in our teaching and learning environments. I’m pondering the meaning of this quote and how it relates to teaching and life.

I’ll keep pondering, but for now I interpret it to mean to not be afraid of alligators. I just need to get out of the swamp and stand on the rock of my values and vision of what true education consists of.

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March 20

#SOL22 #20

Another nature exploration today! Robins are such a sign of spring, and this one has been frequenting my backyard for a week or two. The incessant hoeing I’ve been doing to rid the perimeter area of the yard of a blanket of weeds has unearthed great food sources for this creature, and I am sure that is part of the attraction. The Oregon grape I have in the yard is evidently also a good food source.

I wondered whether the robin also has a nearby nest, since when it flies, it doesn’t go far. But, no! Robins only lay their first clutch of eggs in late April or early May, even here in the temperate Pacific Northwest. So, this visitor is evidently just enjoying the peace of the ‘hood. Well, other than for the redtail hawk that roosts in a nearby tree!

Not surprisingly, pesticides can kill or harm robins. Not only directly, but also in the harm/death that occurs among some of their favorite food sources, worms and bugs.

March 19

#SOL22 #19

Yesterday, I startled this Pacific tree frog while mowing the lawn. I was very excited to see it, a sign of spring and of ecosystem health. I sent a snapshot to my herp-loving son, who responded with “whoa, that’s a VERY pregnant frog!” I was oblivious, but he assured me as wide as the body is, it must be a pregnant female.

I was jubilant, having visions of additional frogs appearing in our backyard to help reduce the slug populations, my main nemesis since they chomp everything I am growing! I wondered if this was the same frog I first spied in the extreme heat last summer, the one who hung out on my hose reel, obviously seeking water.

I was fascinated by the color variations between the critter I saw last summer and the one I recently spied. And was gratified to discover that they, indeed, can change their coloring to reflect their environment.

My pleasant vision came crashing down when my husband commented that the birds of prey who inhabit the area will undoubtedly enjoy munching on the newly-hatched frogs.  As I read more about this species of frog, I learned that they do eat slugs, insects, and a variety of other arthropods. On the flip side, “most treefrogs die at the egg or tadpole stage.” Their predators include everything from diving beetles to foxes.

This is, after all, the cycle of life. Most animal species are both predator and prey. And when humans leave everything in balance, it works well, and our planet flourishes. When we try to control, when we decide what is “good” or “bad” and propagate or annihilate accordingly, our planet suffers.

 

 

 

March 18

#SOL22 #18

Today’s post is a pure brag about my teen students. I gave them the following assignment, which they had a week to complete:

Read the linked History.com article, Six Reasons Why the Ottoman Empire Fell. Choose one of the topics and:

  • Research and prepare a presentation of your learning for class. Open choice of format: Google slides, Flipgrid, poem, puppet show, collage, the sky’s the limit!
  • Find at least three additional sources, cite and annotate them and submit them in Classroom as a separate document.

Here are samples of the work they created:

Military Aspects (bibliography)

Rivalry with Russia (bibliography)

Lack of Advancement (bibliography)

When I am ready to tear my hair out with frustration about their adolescent behavior, I will return to this snapshot of their excellence, not only academically but as spectacular human beings.

 

 

March 17

#SOL22 #17

un·​der·​dog | \ ˈən-dər-ˌdȯg
noun
I love the game of basketball, but don’t watch it too often, even during March madness. This evening, I caught the end of the regulation time of #15 seed Saint Peter’s vs #2 seed Kentucky. And sat rapt through the overtime period, rooting for the underdog. And woot, Saint Peter’s was victorious!
I’m not sure of all the reasons why, but I often cheer for the underdog in sports. I hope I am as fervent in supporting those who are victims of injustice and/or persecution.
March 16

#SOL22 #16

I just finished watching Netflix’s mockumentary series Inventing Anna. I didn’t quite binge watch it, but almost. Somehow I missed the true story from which this series was derived, which is as bizarre (and strikingly similar) as the narrative presented on screen. I have been wondering why I found the series so captivating? Was it Anna’s chutzpah? Or that so many people were hoodwinked? Or that our society is so fixated on (real or imagined) wealth and status?

Probably all of the above. In response, I’m doubling down on my #truthful focus, my determination to live a life filled with honesty, transparency, integrity, authenticity. I never want people to question my motives or my genuine interest in connecting with them as fellow travelers through life.

March 15

#SOL22 #15

Today I began the annual back breaking ritual… spreading literal tons of compost throughout my lawn and garden areas. Although many people (including me in the past) generally spread some kind of tree bark as mulch, since moving to this house two years ago, I use compost as my only mulch.

My house is in a brand-new development, and in typical style the developer scraped the soil down to nothing during the excavation and building process, then laid sod over the bare ground, which in this area is pure clay. As a result, the grass struggles to survive from day one.

This is the third year I am spreading a couple of inches of compost everywhere. And the grass is thanking me. It is increasingly lush and full and tolerates periods of hot, dry weather with increasing resilience.

As further evidence of the improving soil health, the earthworm supply has been increasingly rapidly. I spotted only a couple here and there when I first began planting things. Now, they are lurking everywhere, such as this congregation I found under a stepping stone I moved today.

So many things to learn and experiment with, to fail at and to cause to flourish.

 

 

March 14

#SOL22 #14

I wrote about pruning a week-ish ago, and my mind has returned to the topic today. Among my several “hats,” I am the president of a nonprofit organization devoted to… gardening! We promote (and build) community gardens and educate people in the county about gardening. I have experienced a “meteoric rise” (definitely tongue-in-cheek) from lowly volunteer less than a year ago to this esteemed position.

Requested, nominated, and voted in by the other board members. Full of visions of possibility. Enthusiastic, energetic, taking action. Only to encounter “we-want-things-to-stay-the-same”-ness. Not in words, in (re)actions.

What started out as energizing has receded to anxiety, frustration and anger.

I have been reflecting, trying to decipher the reasons I am encountering this resistance, and trying to identify what I am doing that is causing fellow board members to reject my ideas. I have working theories, and have bounced them off another board member whom I trust, who is empathetic and non-judgmental. His analysis is similar to mine, so I feel less crazy.

So, this gig is one I quite possibly must prune. If so, I will have mixed emotions, part relief, part “aaagh!” I am thankful that there will not be any sense of guilt. I have been honest, transparent, solicited feedback, invited dissenting viewpoints, done everything I can think of to build unity.

If we are not in alignment, I cannot change that. And will take my vision elsewhere.

 

March 12

#SOL22 #12

Taking inspiration from this Book Dragon post, my day in six-word slices.

I slept in until eight o’oclock.

Cups of coffee later I shopped.

Fixings for a grilled hamburger dinner.

Cardboard for the first layer.

First layer of what, you say?

“Lasagna layering” for the vegetable garden.

Assembled one of three cedar beds.

Sliced tomato, onion, avocado, grilled hamburgers.

Now I am contemplating my day.

And preparing (reluctantly) to spring forward.