Pondering...the meaning of respect.

There are days when I wonder when the world changed. I work with teenagers and I know there are things they experience I never had to. My life began with a very solid foundation. There were rules and expectations, and there were consequences when I didn't meet those expectations. Tonight I sit here and ponder the path my life has taken, and I wonder do I expect too much from my students?

Is it too much to expect them to be kind, considerate, understanding? I know that patience is difficult. I struggle with it myself sometimes. Is sitting still and staying focused too much to ask? I wonder if the technological world we've created has increased the instances of ADD and ADHD, or have we failed to teach children how to cope with overwhelming stimuli. Part of me thinks its more the latter. I can remember as a child being expected to finish a meal before being able to play. The other day I was at a local fast food restaurant (yes, I know it's not healthy) and this father walked in with three young children, probably 2-7. The kids made a beeline for the playground, and then didn't want to eat when the food was ready.

Is it too much to expect a certain level of courtesy? Or that offensive language doesn't belong in my classroom? When did it become acceptable for a fifteen year old to call me, her teacher, a rather vulgar name?

I know that all children aren't rude, or disrespectful. I'm even willing to bet that most of my students don't behave this way all the time. I just wonder if we, as a society, have failed them and one day when we need them to step to the plate, what kind of reaction will we get.

The Pitfalls of Technology

It's been a crazy week, technology-wise. I love the stuff, but I'm often really frustrated. First case. It appears that my wireless network is up and running, but it won't recognize my computer. After and hour of "verifying identification" I just plug back into the wall. Second case: I have a student in one of my online classes who is special ed. I have a great deal of difficulty evaluating her work when I don't have a clear understanding of her disability. This is one of those moments when I really miss the face-to-face that I get from my kids in the classroom. Of course, some of them share a little too much information with me. But that's another story. The third case is similar to the second. Mom hates texting and email, so we talk on the phone. (And some of you know how much I dislike the phone). Dad gets a kick out of it, so that's one of the ways we communicate. Today I sent a text, he replied and then I stressed about the underlying meaning, and that he missed my meaning. It was a mess. I guess I really need to work on emoting via text messaging!

Winter's Comin'

We spent this past weekend in Sisters for the Harvest Faire. It's sort of a tradition with family and close friends; one that I've missed out on for the last three years. It was a beautiful weekend, but very chilly. On the way over Friday I took this picture near the summit of Santiam Pass. Winter's comin'.

Art at the Museum...and in the Park

The Hallie Ford Art Museum at Willamette University is celebrating it's 10th Anniversary this weekend with free admission, and they just opened an exhibit I wanted to see. Today seemed like the perfect time to visit. The exhibit, ceremonial regalia from the nine Native tribes in Oregon, was interesting. I found out while I was there that the pieces were chosen by the tribes themselves, and not the curator of the exhibit. That's unusual in art circles. I got there just in time for a tour by an anthropology student, and I started to follow along but found myself enjoying my own wanderings better. I'm one of those people who actually likes to read the exhibit signs.

After seeing the galleries, including an exhibit of Native American basketry, in the museum I wandered outside, and across the street to Willson Park. It's one of those small, urban green spaces with a gazebo and a fountain. It neighbors the capital building, and the golden pioneer gazes across it. I found myself drawn to the sculptures in the park. I don't what it's called, but it's kind of whimsical.

First Wednesday

Last night Traci and partook of downtown Salem's First Wednesday. On the first Wednesday of the month businesses downtown stay open a little later. There's live music and interesting people. Since October is breast cancer awareness month the theme was pink. It was fun hanging with my sis. The weather was excellent and we browsed through some stores we'd never visited. And we discovered Casey's Cafe on Court Street. (Want a review? check out the Eat Salem blog) I will say that Casey's has really good burgers, dogs, fries and onion rings. It's nice to find local places to eat.