Congraduations!

Friday night was the night I have been waiting for all semester. The culmination of an entire semester of working one-on-one with seniors to help them graduate. We got through it and reaped our rewards Friday night at the Quest Graduation ceremony. Like a mother duck, I was proud of my "babies" and captured their magic moments for posterity's sake.
Preston

Taylor

Mareya

Whitney

Tony

Congratulations to all MY graduates!!

Livin' the good life...

Last week was an incredible week for me at work. It started off slow, but then things picked up on Tuesday when Whitney "graduated." I picked up a new student...a junior with dyslexia and all sorts of other issues who needs help with English III. The problem is that the school is changing computer programs next year. They will no longer use Apex. So...any student that doesn't complete their course work this school year loses that work and that credit. So, I am working like crazy to get Dylan through Walt Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Willa Cather, etc. We should finish the first semester tomorrow and start on the second semester. In the meantime, I had two more of my kids "graduate" on Friday. I wrote about Taylor earlier. His mom is a bitch and kept telling him that he couldn't do it. Now she's all giddy and wanting to take credit for "pushing him through." She is clueless and doesn't merit my time so I'm moving on. Taylor knows that it was the staff at Quest that believed in him and helped him and that's all that counts. On to Meredith. What can I say about Meredith? I first met Meredith last fall when I subbed in Choice for Mr. Freeman. She was 21 years old at the time and coming back to school for her diploma. First meeting and we hit it off. She told me how stupid and out of place she felt. Said she should just get her GED but she really wanted a diploma. I told her she wasn't stupid at all and I admired her determination. I said I realized how hard it had to be for her to attend school with 16 and 17 year olds. She is so much more mature than them.

Flash forward to three weeks ago. I found out that Meredith was not going to be able to graduate. It's now or never for her. She is too old to return next year. I went to the counselor and asked what all Meredith needed. She needed to finish English IV, US History second semester, Art, Spanish II and PE. No one believed that she could do it. I asked if I could work with her. Then I went to Meredith and talked with her. I told her that if she wanted to graduate I would help her get it done. All she needed to do was be at school every day and come in early when she could. She agreed. Nobody believed she would come in early but the next day she was there two full hours before she was supposed to be. We got started...and the rest is history (no pun intended).

Last Friday Meredith and I stayed late (till about 4:20) trying to finish her art module. We did. We also talked. Meredith told me that she was excited because now she could see the light at the end of the tunnel. She confessed that she had stopped believing in herself because she didn't see anyone else believing in her. She said, "I am graduating because of you." Of course, I cried. Then I said, "No, Meredith. You are graduating because of YOU...you did the hard work. All I did was keep encouraging you."

I found more than a student in Meredith. I found a reminder...a reminder of why I got into education...a reminder that people do know and care what you think...a reminder that everything you do affects someone else's life. I also found a friend.
So thank you, Meredith, for the lessons that you taught me and for helping me reconnect with my passion about teaching!

Happy May Day...

Today is May 1st. Okay, it was really yesterday, but I was gone.

Wow. Time is flying by at an amazing rate.

Ron and I will celebrate 31 years of marriage on Tuesday, May 4th. Thirty one years? Is that possible? Where has the time gone. We were married, then we had babies, and now we are both "retired." That last is in quotes because if you follow my blog you know about my "retirement."

Anyway...This weekend we decided to celebrate by going to Winstar in Oklahoma and spending the night at the casino hotel after a day of gambling and a Neil Sedaka concert. I will leave out the intimate details of our getaway since my daughter reads this blog and right now she is saying, "Eeewwww." Back to the concert: Sedaka may be 71 but he is still incredible. Still has the voice and OMG, the songs! I didn't realize all the artists that he has written for or who have recorded his songs (Elvis, Sinatra, Patsy Cline, Bobby Darin, David Cassidy, Captain and Tenille, Connie Francis to name a few of the DOZENS). Songs like...Calendar Girl, Breakin' Up is Hard To Do, Where the Boys Are, Solitaire and the fabulous song he recorded with his daughter..."When you walk into a room, you know you steal my breath away...When I look into your eyes I find it hard to find the words to say..." Old songs, new songs. Fabulous!

But, I digress.

It was our anniversary getaway. Gambling fun. Concert fun. Staying at the casino hotel because it was "convenient."

Okay, we paid a lot of money for this room, but it was gorgeous. Brand new. Lush. Bedding to die for. Quiet...no noise in halls or walls. I slept like a baby.

While I will probably NEVER pay $200 for a hotel room again...it was a nice experience...as these photos will show. Okay, they don't do it justice. You would have had to be there...but then, that would have been weird.

Okaaayy...





So...happy 31st anniversary to my wonderful husband, Ron, and may we have at least 31 more together. I love you.

Congratulations!

Would it be inappropriate to dance naked at a graduation ceremony??? I am pretty sure that I have stated before, maybe more than once, how much I love my job. I work one-on-one with seniors in an alternative setting to help them finish the courses they need for graduation in just a few short weeks. So far, I have helped Tony, Preston and Carmen graduate. Carmen is the latest success story. She "graduated" at 11:27 a.m. today. I am currently working with Taylor and tomorrow I pick up Whitney. Taylor needs to finish economics, take government and finish horticulture. We started economics on Monday and he will finish it tomorrow. Whitney needs economics, government and sociology. We start working on government tomorrow. I hope to be able to work with Taylor and Whitney simultaneously. Then she should be able to finish economics by May 1st and sociology by May 10th. Cool, huh?

When Carmen graduated today I had my camera ready to take our picture together. She had the sweetest card ready for me. She thanked me for taking an interest in her and for taking time to help her realize her dream. She has absolutely no idea that I get more out of this than what I put into it. I'm telling you, it is the perfect job. I consider it a fringe benefit to get paid for this...doing what I love.

So, congratulations Preston. Congratulations Tony. Congratulations Carmen. And congratulations to Taylor and Whitney for what I know they will accomplish in the next three weeks. Thank you for allowing me into your life. I am proud to be part of your success.

Oh, by the way, see you guys at graduation on May 28th. I'll be the one with the camera and the big silly grin!

Carol and Tony


Carol and Carmen

Them's Fightin' Words...

Let me start by saying, "I love, Love, LOVE my job!" After 30 years in education I am in a position that I can name names and see faces of the kids that I am making a difference for. I helped Preston and Tony complete graduation requirements last week. Today I picked up two new students, Carmen and Taylor.

Carmen is a self-motivated single mother of a three year old. She is finishing her education in order to provide better for herself and her daughter. She is delightful to work with and so very appreciative. She does, however, have a problem with reading comprehension. That is why I am working with her. I started working with her on economics today. She had already begun the course, but we cranked it up and produced a lot of work today. We should finish the course by next Tuesday and will start government on Wednesday.

Taylor is a different story. He is a very bright young man who has gotten himself into some legal problems. From what I have been told, that is totally understandable. Cutting to the chase...his mother is a first class BITCH. Apparently she verbally kicks him in the crotch every chance she gets. Look, I understand being frustrated with your kid...even angry. I can't and won't ever understand undermining their efforts to better themselves. Taylor wants to graduate in May. He has to finish horticulture, economics and government. His mother is telling him, "You can't do it. You won't do it. You'll never make it..." She is a dream crusher. She is a leech. She is a bitch. I want to punch her in the face and I have never hit another person in anger in my life...okay, I spanked my kids,and I was probably angry at the time, but that doesn't count.

When I heard about Taylor's situation today, I got really pissed off. How dare she? It became my personal challenge to prove her wrong. I want Taylor to graduate so he can get out of that poisonous household. I want him to follow his dream...going to community college and working so that he can afford to finish his degree. I want him to SUCCEED beyond all of our wildest imaginings. I want Taylor to be able to say, "I told you so," and then turn and walk away to a better life.

I am grateful today. Grateful for the support I had growing up. Grateful for the sacrifices that were made so that I could get an education, so that I would be able to support myself as an adult should the need arise to do so, grateful for a nagging mother who kept me motivated, grateful for the economic sacrifices my dad made so that I could have all of my needs, and many of my wants, filled. Grateful that I am in a position to be able to physically observe the difference I am making. Grateful for the opportunity to get up each morning, go to work, and leave at the end of the day with a smile on my face.

I am blessed beyond all reason. I want to be a blessing to Carmen and Taylor and whomever comes my way next. Thank you, God, for this opportunity!

Cheater, Cheater, Pumpkin Eater...

Okay, I will admit up front. I am NOT very creative. However, I can copy just about any idea I see. I'm really good at that. Almost a year ago I went to an art show at the lofts where my niece lives and works. It was really very fun. Hobnobbing with the artists (even if unknown), drinking wine and eating cheese and grapes and checking out other people's creative endeavors. I got to see some really great photography and I fell in love with this "painting" of a heart. I was enamored with it. I asked the artist how she did it...and SHE TOLD ME. Okay, like every other human being on earth, I've been drawing hearts since I first picked up a crayon. So, I can make a decent shaped heart most of the time. I decided then that I would reproduce that painting. When my boys got their house in August I thought, "That painting would make a good housewarming gift."

Okay, eleven months have passed, but why get into a rush? Last week I finally bought a canvas. Why? Because I was walking through Big Lots and they had a shelf full and I thought, "Oh, I could make that heart painting." Simple as that. Once I had the blank canvas sitting around I had to get started. Took me a couple of days to lay down a good base coat. Once I had an even brown tone I took a pencil and sketched in a heart shape. Sound difficult yet? No, okay this is the interesting part. Next, I broke out the tub and tile caulk and laid down a flat base over the heart shape. Let it dry a couple of days and then started layering on the texture. Once that dried, twenty four hours give or take a few, I sprayed over the caulk with gold spray paint. That took about 5 minutes to dry. Then the final touch...two or three coats of red on the interior of the heart and...voila...it is done.

This may not be everyone's taste, but I love it. I love the texture. I love the contrast in colors. I love the simplicity. I simply heart my heart painting. This one is for Ryan and Rich. There's a part of me that says, "Gee, I hope they don't want it so I can keep it." But really, I hope that they love it as much as I do. I can make another for me!

Eat your heart out!!

Thank you, Quest...

As most/all of you know, I retired in May 2008 after thirty years in education. I taught middle school in Dallas for two years. I taught 6th grade one year at a private Christian school and then I taught high school for ten years. After that, I moved into educational administration. I spent the next sixteen years as a campus level administrator. When I retired I was quite literally burned out. I spent so much time in meetings, paperwork, working with data, planning for testing, testing, etc., that I simply lost my passion for education. It was a job.

Now, however, I have my passion back. Shortly after I retired I decided I still wanted to work and so, going with what I know, I returned to the classroom. Teaching. My first love. Shortly after I started subbing I got a call to sub at the alternative school in Rockwall. That one time is all it took. I work almost exclusively at the alternative school. Troubled kids...or kids in trouble. Doesn't matter. Some are 16 and some are 20. Doesn't matter. What matters is that for the first time in a long time I feel that I am making a difference. I work mostly one-on-one with young men and women who are anywhere from 1/2 to 2 credits short of graduation. My job...get them through by May. I have one 20 year old that I have gotten through Economics, English IV and now, we will finish his last course, government, at the end of this week. Woohoo! Way to go, Tony! I'm so very proud of you!! Another student that I began working with this week, Julio, is in a credit recovery program. I worked with him one day and we finished five units and the first semester of World Geography. He was so sweet and so appreciative. It doesn't take much of that to stroke your ego which in turn fuels your passion. I think, "If I wasn't here...making time for these kids...how would their lives be different?" I wonder how mine would be different as well. It's good to have my passion back!

The principal at the alternative school, which is called Quest, is a jewel. She and I worked together when we both taught high school in Rockwall. Many years ago. She is so good to me...maybe too good to me. She treats me as a peer rather than as a "lowly temporary employee." She talks to me about things that matter. She gives me all the leeway that I could possibly want in my working situation. This week, when my personal problems with my dad surfaced, Sherry didn't ask any questions other than to ask what I needed. I was nearly two hours late to work, it was obvious from my swollen eyes that I had been crying, and I was pretty shaken. When I walked in Sherry simply took me into her office, closed the door, sat beside me and asked, "What can I do to help you?" She listened to my brief description of the morning. She asked if I needed to go home. More importantly, when I said, "Sherry, I need this. I need to be here. I need to be doing something productive," she trusted me. She knew that regardless of my personal issues I would not do anything to have a negative impact on the students. I appreciate her trust.

Apparently I am one of those people who wears my feelings on my face. I am usually a happy, smiling person who greets everyone with a grin and engages them in conversation. I am a people person. I love people. Tuesday, it must have been apparent that I wasn't having the best of days. Numerous people stopped me to ask if I was okay and wouldn't take the generic, "I'm fine," as a final answer. They care about me. They reached out to me. They hugged me. They checked on me all day. They are precious.

So, for my Quest family I made a cake. Food is always a good way to say, "Thank you." This was my second attempt at working with fondant and it turned out better than the first. Not perfect, but better. At least this time the fondant covered the whole cake ::snicker:: I had fun making it and hopefully they will have fun eating it. Quest family...I love you. Thanks for welcoming me into your inner circle and letting me share the passion of teaching and the joy of your friendship.

Oh, yeah. Enjoy the cake!!

Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake with Brownie piping and Chocolate Dipped Strawberries