The Usual Chaos

It's teacher interviewing season here at school, and interviews bring their own sparkle and glitter or, sometimes, not. Last week I visited with a couple of outstanding candidates, one that particular sticks out. Never before has our panel been asked a question like this: "In this last semester, what's one thing that's happened to you here at Hebron that's made you proud to work here?" Hmmm. Thought provoking for sure! Luckily, my answer was immediate. Just a day or two prior, I began a nine-week long activity with my sophomores. It began with the "What if...?" and "I wonder..." sentence stems. I introduced the topic of those ideas and musings that tumble around in our brains, often when we are on autopilot while mowing the lawn or brushing our teeth. Sometimes, these thoughts drift through when the lights are off and the covers pulled high and the body is finally still. I wonder how my relationship with my parents will change now tha...

Midterms have come and gone, and state mandated testing has concluded. With nine weeks remaining, I asked my students to reflect on themselves as readers and writers so far, and as always, I received many interesting answers! Thus, in Mr. Fitz fashion, I'd like to use their thoughts late this Sunday night to kick off the final push to summer. "Before I was put in this class I would barely ever read, but the last 9 weeks I noticed I've read more than I ever have." "I have finally finished a book in many years after coming into this class. I have changed by suddenly wanting to read more books during my free time." "I've really taken an interest in the books I read. I even read more in my down time. I have learned that I can relate to a lot of my books and they can assist me in certain situations." Words like these make me ecstatic! My students are getting it, finding themselves in books and slowly making reading part of their lives, a ha...

It was slow at first, a trickle of nervous educators moving into the small gym drop by drop, and then, the deluge. Our line was three or four or five deep, all waiting patiently with portfolios in hand and hopeful eyes. I harnessed all of my focus to engage each teacher, offering my full attention for a few fleeting moments, listening for that perfect fit. By noon, my feet aching, I flipped through the folder of English applicants, pleased with the possibility that awaits. Saturday was the Super Teacher Job Fair for my district, and this year, my campus hosted. Like my own house when company comes, our school sparkled for its early morning visitors. I had the honor of manning our campus table with my fellow department chairs in hopes of discovering the right teachers to join our ranks. Once the chaos begins, it is an onslaught of people, but it just may be one of my favorite things to do. I love watching people in general, and when I know those I'm watching are teachers, it...

It's Sunday evening, my usual writing time. It's a beautiful, rainy, graying day, and I'm snuggled in a comfy chair in a comfy sweater. The new wrinkle this day - I'm listening to Hamilton,  and it's causing all sorts of flashes in my mind. You see, I made the mistake of admitting to my Academic Decathlon team that I'd not listened to the soundtrack start to finish... so they fixed that problem in the many hours we were trapped in a giant vehicle together last weekend at the state meet. I see my self turning into the hotel parking lot one more time as "Take a Break" plays. I hear all five of my riders singing at the top of their voices as "My Shot" plays. I laugh again as I remember them rapping the cabinet battles - edgy words and all - while watching my face!  But most of all, I am again feeling the momma-like pride about all nine of those kids. It's sometimes hard to explain just how proud I am of them. Words just don't do it. An...

"I can't stop reading this book! I've never liked a book this much before!"  - Lexie, English 2, first period. Beautiful, musical words to my English teacher ears! I grinned for hours after Lexie told me that last Friday, especially since the book she's referring to is my absolute favorite young adult book, The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson . I've read it three times. Only three! I guarantee I'll read it again too. There's just something about those words in the most amazing combinations that grab me every time! My co-teacher, Mr. Barb, tells me it's  because I am the main character, Lennie. Maybe. I've never had a sister. I played the flute rather than the clarinet. But in some ways, I guess I get her. And one day, when I grow up, I want to write like Nelson does. One day... So selling this book to my sophomore readers is rarely a problem. I gush over it every time I talk it to them; I just can't help it! And finding a reader ...

I remember her face. A sweet smile. Long, shiny blonde hair. Sparkly blue eyes. A look of determination situated between her biting of her lip and her gripping of her pen. She would succeed. And succeed she did. She spent her life fighting dyslexia and, though enjoying a good story and good discussion, always found English class to be an uphill battle of words in her mind and on her page. She worked and worked and worked. She focused. She revised. She conferenced. She improved. And finally, the day came when she received that essay, that elusive, difficult A. Tears streamed down her face and onto her pages. She took that essay home and hung it on the fridge - a first to finally happen in her eleventh year. I remember her face. A silly grin. Big, hopeful brown eyes. Always joking. Always hugging and laughing, yet under her humor brewed a touch of despair. She knew she could succeed, but she hadn't yet. And her attempts to achieve on state testing continually fell short. Just shy. ...

It's Sunday. The wind is whipping around my house, howling and moaning and stirring our chimes into a noisy frenzy. The fireplace is crackling, and Maggie the cat is sprawled luxuriously near by. A new to-do list explodes in my head as I think of all the things that must be accomplished quickly to get our newly qualified Academic Decathlon team to the state meet in a month. My fingers click furiously across keys and screens, tallying expenses and researching lodging. And then I pause. I find myself staring off into the quiet with a smirk as "Old Man River" winds through my mental jukebox again. I love these kids. This team. These teens. Friday and Saturday's regional meet was a roller coaster of emotions to say the least. I felt tense, anxious, and nervous. Excited, silly, and chaotic. Exhausted. Frustrated. Over the moon! After certain events, they weren't exceptionally confident in their performance. After certain score releases, we coaches weren't excep...