"Dear Diary..."

Christmas letter 2009

December 9th, 2009
Dear Family and Friends,
Since we finally have the technology (we bought a printer this fall), I decided I would use the snow day we’re having here to compose a holiday letter. Granted, many of you will receive it by way of e-mail rather than the “old-fashioned” way, but know that you are all in our thoughts as we slide into Christmas and 2010.
I continued to do a lot of substitute teaching in the 2008-09 school year, and the more I did, the more I enjoyed it. I find it quite curious that I especially enjoy the days I’m called for the elementary school. When I was teaching orchestra, the LAST place I wanted to be was in the elementary schools, but I realize now that it had much more to do with the scheduling of music lessons at that level than with the children. And, I’m older. Yes, really. The amount of ibuprofen I now take proves it. The reading specialist at Southern Door Elementary says I have that “oma” quality about me. At first I was a bit put out by the reference to “grandma.” But she’s right, I could easily have been a grandma by this time in my life. And I guess all those latent maternal instincts come flooding to the surface when I’m around all those children. I’m quite addicted to their hugs, and love it when they see me, and ask, “Who are you today, Mrs. O’R?” Anyway, when school ended last June, I felt a little lost for several weeks. But I had found a summer job, working at a little bead shop in Sturgeon Bay. Unfortunately, the economy has hit the Door County tourist trade quite hard, and by July, much too late in the season, I was looking for work. It was a blessing in disguise. I truly did not want to work in retail again. Been there, done that. Patrick encouraged me to use the time to explore the possibility of getting a teaching license. I called UW-Green Bay, thinking that since I had gotten my first teaching license through them, it would be easy to get an add-on license. Not so. But after considerable internet research, and a few phone calls, I found the Accelerated Licensure program at Silver Lake College in Manitowoc. We talked a LOT about it, and I finally made an appointment with an advisor.
College is very different than it was when I enrolled in the 70’s. It’s different than when I went back and finished my degree in the 80’s. Gone are the days of long lines for registration and buying books. A few clicks of the mouse, and I’m all set, and books arrive by UPS. My accelerated program allows me to continue subbing, and I attend classes on weekends, and turn in assignments online. It took some getting used to, making sure that everything was exported and formatted properly. Many of my instructors and department administrators are nuns, and I must admit I’m a bit intimidated by some of them, being the left-wing Druid that I am! The language of Education has also changed quite a bit since I was a full-time teacher, but it’s just a matter of terminology, not philosophy. I enjoyed my one Friday night and Saturday morning per month on campus. Luckily, I finished this week, just ahead of the snowstorm that keeps me home today. I was quite pleased with my progress, I haven’t forgotten how to write a research paper, and look forward to next semester. I took three classes, and will take three more, starting in mid-January. That will leave one or two classes for summer session, and one next fall. IF I can do a long-term subbing gig of at least 6 weeks in one classroom, I may use that for my “student teaching,” and would not have to be assigned to a classroom teacher, full-time, for an entire semester - and not be paid! I’m keeping my fingers crossed, burning sage, praying for pregnancies. Whatever it takes.
I have also returned to the podium, quite by accident. Last year I noticed a young woman in the parking lot at Target, and had that I-should-know-who-that-is feeling. We’ve been in Door County ten years, so sometimes when this happens, it’s hard to pinpoint the where and when. I decided I’m too old to appear threatening, so I marched right up to her car, explained my curiosity, and asked who she was. After a bit of history exchange, we discovered that she had been one of those happy campers at UW-Green Bay summer music camp, a very promising cellist, when I was “Mrs. E,” not “Mrs. O’R.” She had gone on in music, graduating from Lawrence, and was now the Director of the Door County String Academy! Small world, indeed. We agreed to keep in touch, and Lori eventually persuaded me to come work with her students as a “guest,” and to adjudicate their spring music festival of solos and ensembles. I had a ball! I had not completely forgotten how to wave a baton, and I was hooked. Her older students did not have a large ensemble component to their program, so we made one. We rehearse one Sunday afternoon per month, mostly high school students and some local adult players (including our neighbor, Peter Sherrill, on the string bass) and will “debut” next week at a holiday concert in Sturgeon Bay. You may follow our progress online, here: http://www.doorcountystringacademy.blogspot.com/
Patrick is well, and continues to amaze and delight me, with his support, good humor, encouragement, and cooking! Although there have been changes at the mill, Patrick’s job is fairly secure. We’re just happy that he still HAS a job, and each year that goes by is another year of seniority, and another year closer to retirement. The economy forces us to stay close to home, so there haven’t been any trips to relate. Last spring and late this fall, he went to his father’s, in Fort Wayne, IN, to help with seasonal projects around their home and/or lake house. Our niece, Jessica, was married this summer, and we attended a reception they held in Milwaukee, in October. It was nice to see Patrick’s sister and her husband, and Patrick’s brother. The bride’s brother, James, is in the army, stationed in Afghanistan at the moment, and our thoughts go out to him every night when we watch the news. His wife and their two adorable children were at the reception, and it was fun to see how the kids are growing and changing. Rachael, our youngest niece, was absent. But she had a good excuse - she was studying this fall semester in Ireland, at the University College in Cork. She has really enjoyed it, if her Facebook page is any indication, and there is even talk that she will go back for graduate studies after finishing her degree at U of I, Champaign-Urbana, this spring. Finishing college! Those four years certainly flew by! About the only way I can keep track of her adventures is on Facebook, so feel free to “friend” me (Patty Calkins O’Rourke) here: http://www.facebook.com/
We worried about Snickers last Spring, when he suddenly had trouble walking, getting up and down stairs, etc. A trip to our vet, dear Dr. Neil, and x-rays confirmed that he has arthritis, and after experimenting awhile with medications, he’s doing great. He even chases and plays with Spike, the little orphan cat we took in two summers ago. Spike is very vocal, very entertaining, and although he wants to keep tabs on us and be close, he’s not the “lap cat” that Thumper was. Thumper passed away this last year, after a good, long life, and I miss her terribly. But this summer we were reminded that orphans are never very far away, and they will probably always find their way to us. Twice we were visited by sweet little kittens that were looking for love, and we scooped them up and delivered them to the Humane Society’s animal shelter in Sturgeon Bay. Both were adopted soon after. Yes, we were tempted both times, but I think we’re at capacity right now, at least until I finish school. These, and other adventures, can be found on my blog: http://paporartist.typepad.com/dear_diary/
I’ve not pursued any art in quite awhile, with the exception of projects for my Creative Arts in the Classroom methods class. So I’ve enclosed this little origami Christmas tree, complete with teacher-gold star sticker, the project I used for my final.
(I’ll be honest, I was going to do a crane. But when I finished, it looked more like an airplane that had crash-landed.) Here’s hoping this finds you all well, and with bright prospects for the new year ahead.
Love,
Patty, Patrick, Snickers and Spike O’Rourke

delete, edit, and integrate, oh my!

still sorting out feelings about this strange summer of "unemployment," after a stressful, hectic, but very rewarding school year.
I feel as if I went to sleep as an artist, and woke up as an educator, with one foot stepping back into my former life as a music teacher/conductor.
I'm dragging the other foot, as there is still a lot of baggage I'm carrying with me.
but I'm confident that it will all fall into place.
I absolutely loved my time spent subbing, especially after I got to know more kids/teachers and their routines.
and although I was a bit scared at first, I'm so glad I also made the jump back into adjudicating music festivals for WSMA.
those Saturdays at Who-Knows-Where High School can be very long, but I think I'm a good judge, and I have a lot of fun.
and NOW, I'm dusting off the baton, and will be conducting a group of young string players with the Door County String Academy.
it's very exciting.
but I'm also nervous about it all.
want to make sure that all the parts & pieces fit, and don't interfere with the life I have here in Kolberg with Patrick, and the critters.
to all my artist friends, I want you to know that I've not quit "making stuff," but the emphasis has switched.
at first, it was out of necessity - just had to make more money.
but now, I think this is the direction I should go, it's where I'm supposed to be...
later,
Mrs. O'R

are you smarter than a 5th grader?

if you've never seen the tv show, I would suggest that you watch it.

once.

that's enough.

enough to make me a bit crazy (with major disappointment thrown in) at the number of adults in this country - educated adults - who fail miserably in this game.

one of the advantages of subbing is being able to see all the "stuff" in a variety of teacher arsenals, and try things out.

in a recent two-day assignment with 7th graders, I opted to try something fun for the last 20 minutes of a Friday afternoon.

using Brainquest, grade 5, we played our own version of "are you smarter..." and it was a huge success.

I asked them all to stand, and then went around the room, asking the questions in order off the cards.

if they answered correctly, they got another question.

if they answered incorrectly, they had to sit down, and the question went to the next person.

the "record" for number of correct answers in a row was 6.

and although it was very frightening when I went through most of the class before someone could tell me in what year we celebrated our country's 200th birthday, the kids had a lot of fun, and I felt as though it was "educational" fun, as well.

are you smarter than a 5th grader?

later,

Mrs. O'R 

another opportunity, but...

the day after my call from the high school, I received a call from the elementary school, wondering if I would be available as "an associate" for 5-year-old Kindergarten.
(I think that's the new, politically correct term for "aide.")
and it would have been the entire first week of school!
well, I would have loved that, but I had already put myself on call for the high school, depending on the arrival of the choir director's baby...
crap.
so, today is the first day of school, and the phone did not ring.
either the baby was born early in the weekend, and he's not taking any additional time off.
or, the baby hasn't arrived yet, and we're waiting.
either way, I'm screwed out of four days, and I'm disappointed that I wasn't called with an update.
oh, well.
I will use the day to catch up on some stuff around the house, and dig through some of my old teacher stuff, see what I can find that may be of some use this year.
later,
Mrs. O'R

new school

I was pleasantly surprised when I received the message yesterday that the school district I just applied to this summer had called to schedule me as a sub.
was even more surprised when I called this morning and found out it could be as early as this next week - the first week of school!
the new high school choir director & his wife are expecting a baby, and she could "go" at any moment, I was told.
if I am called these first few days of class, there won't be any individual/small group lessons scheduled, as yet, so it will just be a matter of keeping a study hall in line, and entertaining two choir classes per day.
my music background is instrumental, but we can survive a few days, early in the year.
so, starting next Tuesday, I'll have to lay out my clothes the night before, set my alarm, gather my teacher stuff, and get ready.
so it begins...

Mrs. O'R

first calling

I was quite surprised when my phone vibrated (can't have the ringer turned on while at work), and I saw I had a message from school.
took a break, called Mrs. Wonderfulelementaryschoolsecretary, and she was already scheduling me to sub., September 17th, for 6th grade!
I was surprised, pleased, and then a bit sad, realizing that "summer" is winding down.
will have to start pulling together some supplies, and maybe shop (yuck) for a couple of pieces to add to my teacher wardrobe.
so, last night, after supper, we invited the neighbors over for dessert & wine, sat on the porch, and just enjoyed the lovely evening and each others' company, until the mosquitoes chased us inside.
will have to memorize evenings like this, so I can call them forward in the dead of winter, when I'm counting the days until spring!
later,
Mrs. O'R

recognition, of sorts

yesterday, as I was walking down the street on an errand for work, I suddenly heard, "Yo! Mrs. O'R!"
I turned to see a young man waving from the passenger side of a passing truck, and realized it was a high school student I had "dealt with" while subbing this spring.
he was one of several who had given me a lot of grief in an 8th hour history class from hell.
I waved back, and then realized that I wasn't really being heckled by this kid, he hadn't made any obscene hand gestures, he was actually just saying, "yo!"
it was kind of nice.
this past week I checked in with another school district close to home, and I will be on their sub list this year, too, in addition to the district I worked in this past spring semester.
both are only 15-20 minutes from home, and the extra days will definitely help us out financially.
if I can get called at least three days per week, I can make our mortgage payment.
when I got back to work, I took out my calendar and counted the weeks left in my summer.
although there are lots of things I still want to do before fall, I'm looking forward to getting back to school.
part of it is the autonomy, I know.
but part of it has to do with trying to make a difference.
and maybe I can.
later,
Mrs. O'R

progress report

received that 5:37 am call, but unfortunately, I was not available to go in today.
(I have a summer job interview, and I'm a wreck!)
but I was told that the teacher at the elementary had requested me as her sub - and I've not subbed for her before.
"they all love you," is what I was told - isn't that wonderful!?
I was so apprehensive about going back into the classroom, wondering if I could really "do it" again after all this time, and all that has happened in my life.
and now, I actually look forward to these substitution adventures.
there are some rough spots, but I think I'm enjoying the challenge of it all.
you just never know...
later,
Mrs. O'R