Teaching | BulgingButtons

October 27, 2013
by BulgingButtons 7 Comments

Daily Prompt: The Golden Hour

“You can’t hoot with the owls and then soar with the eagles.”

This quote, attributed to Hubert Humphrey, vice president under Lyndon B. Johnson, is displayed prominently on my mother’s refrigerator. It shares space with, “A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips,” and a warning not to eat processed meats, which have not been a part of her diet for as long as I can remember. I guess better safe, than sorry.

Personally I don’t agree. With any of it. I also don’t agree with covering your refrigerator in quotes, clippings, and inane magnets, but that’s another story all together.

Let’s get back to the owls and eagles thing. I have to assume that once upon a time it made sense for human beings to wake with the sun and sleep in the darkness most of the time. Of course it would have depended on what old homo sapiens was up to. Planting and tending crops required daylight, while hunting might have been a better activity for twilight or later, depending on the prey.

I think we’re pretty much past all of that. Like it or not we live in a more or less 24 hour world now, at least in much of the world. We’re globally connected, so working across times zones frequently means that we’re connecting to one another at different times of the day and night. We also have far fewer restrictions on our activities based on time of day. You can buy your groceries, wash your car, or watch your favorite soap opera at 3 am if you desire.

Still, the whole world isn’t operating on the 24 hours open model. I’m a school teacher in a traditional school. The morning bell rings at 7:55 and by gum I better be ready when it does. In order for that to happen, and all of the things that lead up to it to happen, I have to be up by 5:25. It is unholy. Still, there are alternatives starting to emerge, such as online schools that operate with different schedules.

The world is moving away from the nine to five model. More people are telecommuting and more employers are recognizing that flexible scheduling can increase productivity, as our world economy continues to shift from manufacturing based to information based.

As for me, I’ve always thought that if I could go to bed at 2 am and wake at 9 am I would be at my most productive. Over the years, though, I’ve started waking earlier and earlier. Too many 5:25 alarms have warped my inner timepiece. Soar with the eagles, huh? Honestly, I’d rather be back in the nest.

6:00AM: the best hour of the day, or too close to your 3:00AM bedtime?

October 18, 2013
by BulgingButtons Leave a comment

A Brave New World

Have a look. Feedback welcome. Student work is coming soon!
BB

fourth grade fab

Hello and welcome to the 21st century. I realize it’s been the 21st century for a while, but in some ways I’m a little behind the curve. I’ve been teaching elementary aged kids for about a decade now, and for the past several years I’ve integrated technology into my teaching. This past year I switched schools and have less access to technology for the students. It’s been a bit of a challenge, but I’m working through it.

In addition to being a fourth grade teacher, I’m also a writer. I adore words and putting them together, and I love being there when kids begin to discover their voices. The groups of kids I currently teach is bright, funny, motivated, and creative. I told them about my blog and their eyes lit up. Then it hit me, they should have a blog too. When I asked what they thought about the…

View original post 145 more words

October 6, 2013
by BulgingButtons Leave a comment

Daily Passion Prompt 31: Home Sweet Home

Day 31: If you had to pick one place in the world to move to, where would it be?

If I could live anywhere I would live exactly where I live now. Well, maybe a few miles away in one direction or another, but basically in the same place. You see, I live here by choice. I already made the decision to put down my roots someplace other than where I was raised. It’s been over twenty years, so I’d say it was a good decision, but who knows if it will be forever.

I wanted to live someplace where there were opportunities for me to grow. When I finished grad school there were very few teaching jobs available in my hometown. It seemed that you really DID need to know someone doing the hiring, and I knew nobody. I applied to virtually every district in the western half of the state, often times for jobs that I really didn’t want in tiny isolated communities where I really didn’t want to live. Fortunately for me, although it didn’t feel like it at the time, I wasn’t offered any of those jobs.

The time was right for me to pick up stakes and go west. I wanted to live where there was sunshine and opportunity. I was tired of long, grey winters and too few rewarding jobs. LIke millions of people before me I saw a westward move as a chance to improve my life. There were bumps along the way, but overall it has been the right move for me. My extended family visits regularly and I go back east every year. The way I see it, I get the best of both worlds.

I love where I live and I don’t see a reason to leave in the near future, but somewhere down the road maybe life will hand me different circumstances. Then I might contemplate a new move. I might go back to my hometown, but I doubt it. I love to visit and there are people dear to me there, but I think I would try somewhere new. After all, I still don’t miss the snow.