1st day

I am excited to start the first day of fall quarter today. When I was a student, and even as a high school teacher, there was always a feeling of anticipation (butterflies even) until the class got up and going. That was the feeling over the weekend and last night. Today: Bring it on!

Just FYI... I am teaching a Lab Pedagogy course Monday 1:00-3:50 and a writing intensive Leadership Development course Tuesday/Thursday from 12:00-1:20.

When The Wrong Coast is Too Far

Let me begin by saying everything is fine!

That said, however, Friday was not a fun day and definitely made "The Wrong Coast" feel too far from home. I got a call from my sister around 4:00 PST that my dad had been rushed by ambulance to the hospital with chest pains. My sister is a smart gal and knows how worried and helpless I would feel being so far away that she didn't actually call me until she made it to the hospital and had seen dad for herself. At that point, he was still in the ER and they were running tests to find out what happened, but he was already doing better. They were telling him he was going to stay all weekend and perhaps have a procedure on Monday. Ugh.

It was scary, to say the least. Being 2900 miles from home means that you can't get home quickly, even when your boss is phenomenal and says "go if you need to go" without the slightest hesitation. An hour or so later I got to talk to my dad (probably breaking the rules with a cell phone in the ER, but at that moment, I couldn't have cared less!) and he said stay put here in Oregon. He wanted me to "save my vacation days for Christmas when we could all be together and not in a hospital." Vacation days isn't exactly the way things work at this level, but, he really was feeling better by that point so I didn't make the trip. But, that is what dad's always say, isn't it?  If it was really urgent, would he have told me to come?

In my head, I know the reality is that this will happen again in the future...as it will to any child that lives long enough. Reality just doesn't make me rest any easier. In the end, it wasn't a heart attack. In fact, they gave him a stress test on Saturday which he passed, so they sent him home late afternoon. He is back at work today (AMAZING!), following up with his doctor in the coming weeks, and on some new medications. And, I am eagerly awaiting Christmas break, now more than ever. But, once all the dust settled my mother was quick to point out that I have been lucky to work with some phenomenal people who put family and health above all else. I must agree! Ag Ed people (at all levels) really are the best people.

Eastern Oregon

FYI...I am aware I have been falling down on my blogging duties. Things have gotten really busy at work AND I have been using all of my free time on a "crafty" project that will be a Christmas gift - so I can't blog about that until after Christmas or it will ruin the surprise for someone!

I have spent the last few days (9/12-9/15) in Eastern Oregon visiting student teachers. I thought I would share the journey. We (Dr. Greg Thompson went with me so I didn't mess up anything :-)) visited Hermiston, Heppner, Joseph, Cove, and Imbler (in that order).  I didn't think to take pictures until we were leaving Heppner so GT took my picture with the Mustang mascot. Notice the terrain behind me... that is Eastern Oregon.

They grow mint in eastern Oregon. You can really smell it when it is raining (which it did while we were out there! That deserved the exclamation point because it always rains on my side of Oregon and it hardly ever rains on the east side. I must have brought it with me.)  Below you can see the mint which is dumped back into the fields after it has been processed and the oil removed. You can buy it to compost in your yard and it will smell minty-fresh every time it rains.

This is Joseph High School. We had a great visit.

 We started the day by meeting the cooperating teacher for breakfast at Old Town Cafe...super cute and the food was great!

Then we hopped on a yellow, straight-drive bus and wound our way around a mountain to a mountain trail head tucked back in the woods to watch a lesson on riparian areas. This was the view out of the front of the bus.

This is the scenery we viewed once we got there. One of only a few deciduous conifers you will find in the US

This was the view looking down stream.

And our student teacher doing a great job "learning" some kiddos. 

It was gorgeous out on our field trip, but the view is just as good from the school parking lot. Yup, there is a little bit of snow up there.

Then we went to Cove HS which is one of the smallest schools I think I have been in. This is literally the view from the front door. I stood in one place and snapped three pictures. You can see the sign over the door (to show that I am coming in the front) and you can also see out the back of the school down the only 2 hallways! 

Finally, we were off to Imbler High School (Tara King: this is where JD Cant teaches. He says "Hi".)

And, we got to see Chelcee doing great things in the classroom at Imbler.

My favorite part of the trip was getting to go to the eastern Oregon teachers' district meeting at Mamacita's in La Grande. What a fun bunch! But, a close second would have to be the small independent hotels (I can highly recommend "The Indian Lodge" in Joseph, Oregon) and independent restaurants (like The Cock and Bull in La Grande. Yup, that was really the name).

I will definitely be back to eastern Oregon.

The Best Part

The best part about being on the "Wrong Coast" today is that I am nowhere near this! 

Stay safe everyone!

Student Teaching Sites

We have 12 Ag Ed student teachers going out this year. They are scattered all over Oregon. We are required to visit each of them 6 times... yup 6! I have placed a blue star approximately where they are located (OSU is in Benton County - the pink one in the middle, one county in from the coast).   As you can see, I am getting ready to do some traveling in order to supervise this group.

Special "Dorkiness Indulgence Section" for any teacher education folks:

Our student teachers go out in the fall from State Fair until Fall quarter begins at OSU (August 27-September 27) and then come back to OSU for fall quarter (Sept 27-Christmas break). Our program is a master's program (they have already completed an undergraduate degree in another area) so fall quarter is when they learn about curriculum design, lesson planning, teaching methods, etc. Then they go back out to their student teaching sites for all of winter quarter (Jan-March wrapping up at State FFA Convention) to teach now that they have had some coursework. They come back to OSU for spring quarter (April-June) and complete their coursework and finish their master's degree.

i.am.exhausted

The last few days have marked my first Oregon State Fair and i.am.exhausted.  SERIOUSLY EXHAUSTED. I learned a long time ago that I am a pretty intense introvert (meaning I draw my energy internally, not from interacting with others) and with days and days of introductions/ names/ places/ handshakes/ meetings, my reserves are tapped. It was all good stuff so I wouldn't trade any of it, but I definitely need a night to "recharge".

Thursday marked the first meeting with our student teachers and we have spent the days since supervising them while at the fair. I have also watched some livestock shows, visited the OSU booth, attended an FFA Alumni meeting, a FFA Board of Directors' Meeting, and a Team Ag Ed Meeting, watched the OR Livestock Judging CDE, and made it through my first awards ceremony. I have also met a ton of ag teachers and started learning the in's and out's of Oregon Ag Ed/ FFA. I am feeling more connected and hope I am on the track to becoming a useful, contributing member of the team.


In the interest of controlling the waistline, I didn't partake in a lot of the fried food that makes the fair so fabulous, but tomorrow I will begin detoxing from my daily dose of dairy goodness from the Dairy Women's Ice Cream Barn. "Regular Chocolate Cone" - I will miss you!

(Image from http://www.oregonlink.com/postcards/skyliftferriswheel.html)

The Oregon Garden

I have admitted before that I am a geek. I love plants! Who doesn't? They can make ugly places prettier and cheer the spirit when you are feeling sad.  So...I spent Saturday (August 21) bumming around The Oregon Garden. On the way in, you pass The Gordon House (1959) - the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in Oregon and the only one in the Pacific Northwest that is open to visitors. I didn't spring for the $10 tour, but I did snap a photo of the outside.

Once I arrived, I paid my fee to get in to the gardens. The views start the minute you leave the visitor's center.

I snapped tons of photos. Here are a few of my favorites.

Everything grows here.... including Fuschia!

This is the Hobbit house in the Children's Garden. I don't think a buried corrugated drain pipe has ever been so cute (and fun- this little fella was havin' a blast)!

I couldn't resist... I like any flower that appears Daisy-like.

There were numerous water features, but this was my favorite.

Sculptural, natural garden art

Numerous pollinators made it into my photos between the time I lined up my shot and when I snapped...

Of course, I needed a shot of the beaver (among some purple cone flowers and rudbeckia!)

There were some fabulous moss covered rocks scattered around the gardens.

Some pot people in the Children's Garden.

Sculptural plants among sculpture

Now I feel like I need to see the garden during multiple times of the year. I mean, August is definitely not peak season. It will definitely not be my last visit to The Oregon Garden.

Office Update

The office has been coming together in pieces...but I have been excited about every piece. The cabinets and bookcases all came together within days of my arrival, which gave me a place to unpack, but the other pieces have been coming in a week at a time. Last week my brand new laptop/docking station/dual monitors arrived. Gorgeous! But I was working on the rolling modular cart at the time which didn't leave much for anything but the computer.

The desk arrived a week later (8.17.10). I haven't had a chance to hang my diplomas or "fluff my nest".. .this was 20 minutes after the desk was delivered and the computer moved. It feels a little "undone", but people have been asking to see the place (and I am working on letting some things not be perfect and jumping before I am ready) so, now for a "tour" around the office...

All good tours start at the door... it has my name on it! You can also see my "Strengths" are hanging on my doorknob. There are also a few chairs over there for advising and visitors and such... Oh and my favorite part may just be the new DRIOD on the desktop!

After coming in the door, you are looking straight at my bookcase of mementos... some things State FFA Office, some things NCSU, some things Mizzou, and room to grow the Oregon State collection (with my Achieve sign from the Velez's - Achieve is my top "Strength" on Strengthfinder). And, of course, a shelf for family! And the plants made the move from MU to OSU. 

 

Then you get the first view of the desk, complete with name plate (Thanks Ryan!) and business cards and TONS of workspace. The computer is phenomenal and I am using a laptop with a docking station so I can take everything on the work computer home as well as pick it up and take it to the classroom to teach right on MY computer. The bookshelf in the background is still a work in progress... mostly because it is still short a few shelves. And The M&M guys made the move, but I haven't filled 'em up yet.

Finally, a nice view of the desk from my side. Lots of storage: 4 drawers, 2 file drawers, a pencil drawer, and a pull-out keyboard shelf. LOVE IT! (even though it is not dark wood that I could use to "intimidate undergraduates!) And you can even see out the door and into the outer suite. 

P.S. If you click on the pictures, I think you can make them bigger so you can see in more detail.

Reading through summer

I am a geek. People use lots of different terms to classify the characteristics they are talking about:  nerd/ geek/ overachiever*/ smartypants/ teacher's pet. I have been called all of these at one point or another. I prefer geek. I admit it and fully acknowledge and embrace my geekiness. 

I think these terms were first applied because I like to read... most anything and as often as possible. I would go to the library as a kid and my mom would put a limit on the number of books she would allow me to carry out. I also like school. I have been in school non-stop (working or attending) since 1985. According to a friend's kid, I just finished the 21st grade. :-)  I read for fun. Grad school put a bit of a cramp in my reading for fun because I spent all day reading for school. I had to get glasses to keep up with all the reading :-)

So, once I got past that whole dissertation thing this spring, the starter's pistol fired and the race was on to read as much as I could before the academic job began and reading purely for fun went on the back burner again. Here are the one's (that I remember) I have read since May 15.

My favorite of the summer was BY FAR "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak. I found it while browsing some recommended reading lists online. It's set in Nazi Germany and narrated by death. Sounds morbid, I know, but I couldn't put it down. I think it is listed as young reader material, but it wasn't available when I was a young reader (it was released in 2005), so I am just catching up. Everyone should read it.

LOVED "Life of Pi" when I read it back in 2004 -because one of my SGHS kids was reading it in English classes and recommended- so when I saw a new book by Yann Martel, I jumped. I bought "Beatrice and Virgil" even though it was only out in hardback, which I never do. It was just okay ...so if you haven't read it, check it out from a library or wait until it comes out in paperback. Definitely no "Life of Pi."

 

My friend Beckmeyer got me hooked on Russo and in the last year I have read a ton of his stuff  (That Old Cape Magic, Empire Falls, Nobody's Fool, Straight Man, Mohawk). "The Risk Pool" did not disappoint. Next on the list, "Bridge of Sighs."

"The Secret Life of Bees" is one of those popular "IT" novels that you get a lot of buzz about all at once, but a really quick read with a neat story - and, bonus: then I got to rent the movie (with Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keyes, Jennifer Hudson). Both were entertaining!

"Rebecca" - Another classic and apparently made into a film by Alfred Hitchcock WAY before I was born (well, before my parent's were born). Now the film is on my "to-rent" list. And, like all things Hitchcock might gravitate towards, there was a nice twist.

"Brighten the Corner Where You Are" - Another one of those from a recommended reading list. Worth the time.

"The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" : I thought this was a great story - even if a friend I recommended it to was not exactly excited about a boy and his dog! And, maybe the only "Oprah Book Club" book on the list. (I won't hold that against it.)

A class. I threw of few of these in just for fun. Now I can say I have read "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time": Amusing note: I read the entire book with the voice of one of my former students in my head as the main character (both happen to be autistic).Neat story.  

Yes Indeed, That's LC's second book, "Sweet Little Lies". I told you it wasn't exactly high-brow stuff (and I admit it, I loved "The Hills").

"Game Change": one of the only non-fiction items on the list, but I wouldn't say it was exactly academic in nature. All the behind-the-scenes dirt on the 2008 Presidential Election. Interesting stuff!

And, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" is the one I am finishing this weekend: so far, it's awesome...and, being made into a movie. The other two Stieg Larsson books in the series are now on my to-read list, but it may be Christmas before I get there.

That's because the current list is related to the fact that I am teaching leadership this fall and next spring. The current list includes "Today Matters" by Maxwell, "Cases in Leadership" by Rowe, "The Leadership Challenge" by Kouzes and Posner, "Leadership" by Northouse, "Leadership" by DuBrin, "Teach with your Strengths", "Emotionally Intelligent Leadership" by Shankman and Allen, "Good to Great" by Collins and a stack full of supplemental materials that I could use to teach. Good thing I like to read!

*Rob Terry says "Over Achiever" is not the correct term because it implies that I have achieved beyond my capabilities. Therefore, "High Achiever" is more accurate, but he may be the only one who has called me a high achiever.

Art in the Garden

This Saturday I went to 'Art in the Garden' at Garland Nursery. What a neat little place! They had a wine tasting (and free coffee - which was much more up my alley) along with local artists and vendors. I just strolled around the garden center and snapped some photos. I need to take a class in photography! They had an amazing bonsai section! I want to take a class in that, too! (Anyone doubting that 'Learner' was my third strength in StrengthsFinder?)

It made me miss working at Homewood in college or being a "plant geek" of a teacher, and taking field trips to garden centers all over NC with plant ID teams. Good times....

I am broke and I live in an apartment...combining those two things meant my only plant purchase of the day was a $7.00 orchid (I love orchids!). Although, I almost drooled myself dehydrated over a gorgeous dissected Japanese maple. They grow so well here.. Well, everything does! I did take a business card from a local artist who shoots black and white images of Oregon. Some of his work will be hanging at my place before long. Gorgeous stuff.

I then tried out a little pasta place here in town and had the mac and cheese (just for you Annie!). It definitely wasn't The Rome :-( The search goes on....