What I Learned on My First SOAR Expedition (that they don't teach you in school)

 

 Dedicated to: Joe, Julie, Andrew, Eric, Maggie, Sophie, Chris, Nat, Andrea, Gene, Aaron and the rest of the field and base staff, along with the summer and prospective staff who trained with us, who taught me so much, in such a short time...

Wow! With almost 2 years at SOAR under my belt, I finally got to go on an expedition. My experiences confirmed what I already believed to be true. SOAR is an incredible thing! Spending most of my career in traditional schools, I always believed that they weren't always making the grade, for every student. Being trained and practicing in special education for much of my career I came to believe that some students just learn differently, and they need to be taught with a more individual touch. The last couple of days validated for me, that while not everyone can teach, you don't have to be trained as a teacher to teach, and do it well.

My first expedition was the brainchild of New academy director, Joe Geier. He believed that the best way to teach new staff the SOAR methodologies and logistics of a successful expedition, and a fruitful experience for children is experientially. The new potential field and base instructors, the returning lead instructors, and directors went on an expedition. Joe insisted that teachers join the expedition training so that we would know the expedition experience, and the other staff would see our investment, so together we would make a strong team for the students.

Lesson one:  Packing a pack for backpacking: Yes, they are as large and heavy as they look. It amazed me how much gear you need to trek to the backcountry for just 3 days. I didn't have many of the essentials: The sleeping bag, the tent, the backpack. The last time I had a mess kit was in Cub Scouts. I was Ill- prepared for my first outdoor adventure. Joe provided me the necessary gear, and the veteran field and base instructors helped me and gave me tips on how to pack a backpack. It's pretty intuitive. That doesn't mean you automatically know that there is a best way to pack one of these things, and why it is best. You have to plan. You have to achieve balance. You have to prioritize the things you need most toward the top. There is an art to this.  I had no idea.

Lesson two: Putting the backpack on your back: Again, you would think it is a no brainer but if you don't have the pack positioned just right on your body through a series of shimmies and shakes and strap adjustments, it can be painful and you can hurt yourself. With the assistance and support of field and base staff, I learned how to do this properly. We haven't even left Balsam Base yet.

After about an hour drive to PantherTown, we had arrived... to the trailhead. I had never used the word trailhead before. I am learning new vocabulary and techniques right and left, and this plane hasn't even taxied yet. Before we headed out on the trail, a prospective new- to-SOAR field staff briefed us on safety on trail, everything from carrying your pack, to what to do if you are separated from the group, to what to do if it starts lightning. I am amazed by the amount of knowledge the base and field staff possess, and how effective they are at sharing what they know. I am mesmerized by simply all there is to know to backpack safely and successfully.

From assembling tents, to setting up tarps, to filtering water so it is super-safe to drink, to assembling, dis-assembling and repairing cooking stoves to being able to tell us about vegetation and wild-life in the area, and the history of an area, these field and base staff continue to impress. Not only are there an incredible number of things for staff to know, and know how to do to conduct a successful expedition, they have to be able to teach it to other staff and to kids in a way that they can understand and be successful with it. From packing, to hiking to setting up camp, to camping, to wrapping up camp at the end of the expedition, I learned how to do this while LNT. ( That's Leave No Trace for all the amateurs out there).

Can I help it, if I felt a little pride in my teaching team? I haven't mentioned them yet. I can take absolutely no credit for the skills and talents that these individuals bring to SOAR, but I couldn't help but to feel a little gratification that with the help of Joe, I selected some exceptional individuals for our teaching team. These guys are helping me to truly realize what Academics at SOAR has the potential to be. In our quest to become and extraordinary school, I have been concerned that we don't do so, at the expense of the things that make SOAR a special place, something different than " Just a school." Gene McNabb_ Friedmann and Aaron Hirsh are helping me to realize that vision. At times a bit intimidating, I recognize that both of these educators possess strengths and talents that are very different than my own. But far from threatened by their unique skill- sets, I am  over-excited by the things they offer the program that truly helps me move academics at SOAR more fully into the experiential realm, with a curriculum that promises to be rigorous, as well as individualized, hands- on as much as possible, and interconnected, so that students can not only see the relevance in what they are learning, but how different subjects are  complementary to one another. Both Gene and Aaron have life's experiences that extend way beyond teaching, but have decided each for their own reasons, that they want to give what they have and know, back to kids. As some of the directors at SOAR have cautiously optimistically said to me, " ... but you haven't seen them with the students yet..." Sometimes you just have an incredible feeling when things are " right". These are some dynamic individuals.

While I don't truly digress, because we are all truly connected now, more about the base and field staff. As I sat in on trainings facilitated by Julie and Joe on behavior management, I learned not only how much experience Joe has, and how much Julie knows, but how knowledgeable the entire staff are in terms of psychology, behavior management and bringing out the best in kids. What follows is probably the biggest, and most important lesson I learned on my first expedition:

The SOAR staff have not only skills and talents, but the sincere desire to do what most regular schools can't or wont due to the constraints placed upon them, and the number of students they serve: "Teach the Whole Child". I have preached that we  are there for the " whole" child for the past almost two years from my perspective,  which didn't extend far beyond the schoolhouse. That has always been my perspective even before coming to SOAR, which is probably why I feel so at home here. I've practiced " Teaching the whole child" in terms of academics and life here at Balsam Base, and the schoolhouse. This is the first time, however, that I actually saw the holistic side of SOAR  "in action" practicing what is our philosophy, not because it is a part of our philosophy, but because it is in our blood.

I listened as staff talked the talk about how they did or were going to " walk the walk" of  what I refer to as " reaching and teaching" the whole child. It was then that I realized TRULY what a special place SOAR is to send your kids. Every member of the staff, has it within them to take the time, no matter how long it takes, to "reach a kid", because I have always believed, and the staff here embody " You've got to reach them to teach them"

This is where the fork in the path is. Where most traditional schools, through no fault of their own travel "traditional routes", SOAR staff take "the path less traveled" even if it is the longer of the two paths. Even if it is more rocky with more risks and dangers of exposing themselves to the elements, and all that nature throws in their path. SOAR staff take the time and the effort, whatever it takes to reach and make a difference with a child That is what I learned on my first SOAR expedition. I also came to the realization that "for a job" there's no place I'd rather be, and no staff I would rather call my work family. It is work, but when you love what you do, which the SOAR staff obviously do, it is so, so much more than that.

Thank you SOAR for making me a part of your family.

How Good is Good Enough (for our kids)?

Not too long ago, a colleague of mine commented to me about a need for balance between work and the rest of one's life. The comment was made that was something like, " Sometimes it just has to be good enough", referring to work. Liking to believe I am the consummate professional,  I've never believed that good enough was sufficient. Most times, when I gave it everything I had and then some, I didn't believe it was good enough. Am I simply too hard on myself? Am I simply unrealistic. Perhaps.

 My wife, at times has even said, " Mike, It's not like they're paying you six figures."(Disclaimer: This is a comment she has made to me throughout my career so it is not a reflection of my current position.) So I thought this concept of " good enough" and what is " good enough" deserved a closer inspection.

To the attorney who loses the big case after working day and night, did he or she do good enough?

To the surgeon who was selected because he or she was "the best", and then loses the patient on the table; did he or she do good enough?

To the investor, who is entrusted with a couple's life's savings for retirement who loses it all with a bad investment, did he or she do good enough?

I've spent the majority of my career in the public schools before coming to SOAR, and I never believed that there was such a thing as "good enough" Good enough to me, implies settling on less than the very best. As a teacher, I've worked with colleagues who settled for good enough. I thought of some of them as lazy, others incompetent. As an administrator, I've supervised teachers whose good enough wasn't good enough for kids. As a school leader, I coached them, I supported them, and on rare occasions I coached them out. As an advocate of the public schools, and seeing education from both sides of the desk, I don't believe that, as a whole, public education settles for "good enough". In my career as a public educator in North Carolina, I have worked at many schools, in a few different school districts, and throughout my career, the emphasis from the powers that be has always been to promote, encourage, and insist that schools be professional learning communities, committed to  continued growing and learning how to do it better all the time, all in the name of the kids.

That being said, even with the best intentions we often fail. No Child Left Behind left plenty of children behind. As diligent as the majority of our public educators are, as rigorous as our school leaders demand educators to be, there are educators that fall through the cracks, and remain in positions of influence over our kids, who don't deserve to be near our kids or called educators. When
less than excellent educators fall through the bureaucratic cracks, the trickle down effect is that kids fall through the cracks. Even with the best educators, working within a bureaucracy, students fail.

I don't claim to be an expert on all the causes of the failings of education in this country, any more than I claim to be an expert on knowing all the right things to do in the classroom. I just go into the classroom everyday with my heart and soul and try to do what is best for your kids. What I do know, is that as an educator, I want for your children no less than I would want for my own children, the very best.

When your tax dollars don't give you a return on your investment in the public schools, those who can turn to the private, and the non- profit sector for an alternative. As they say, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Those who expect different results, look for proven alternatives. That's smart.

As I now reflect upon another school year gone by, and one where I was my own hardest critic, and some would say SOAR's hardest critic because I always thought we could do better, we've done a pretty darn good job.

As I watched students present their research and academic presentations and senior speeches to parents and families, and saw students we had worked with all year or all semester step up and put on a show of their talents, gifts and skills worthy of standing ovations for each and every one, I realized how fortunate we all are, to be at this place called SOAR. We truly were, this school year, Success Oriented Achievement Realized. In the end, the acronym proved itself to be a truth which we hold self-evident.

As I met with parents, there were tears, and there were thanks, many for all that "I" did for their child. I immediately told them that I couldn't take the credit. Perhaps I facilitated, and helped out in some small way, leading a student in the right direction, and being there for them. In truth, what students accomplished this semester, this year, was a result of their own efforts, along with the help, support and encouragement of many many SOAR staff, academic staff, base staff, field staff and directors, all who had a hand in doing for their kids, and making their experiences at SOAR, a once in a lifetime experience. I like to think of myself as a small part of a team of highly motivated and dedicated individuals, all who want the absolute best for these kids.

But what is the best? As I get back to the thesis of my writing? What is good enough? Do we just do the best we have with the resources made available to us, and hope for the best results? There was much talk about teaching kids to live minimalistic-ally in the holistic/ expedition -based part of the program which I believe has tremendous value. That, I believe is different, however, from simply accepting  decent or good enough when it comes to the education of our children. Don't misunderstand, the expeditions are such a tremendous part of a student's education here at SOAR, I can't begin to comprehend. As I work to make certain that the more traditional academic side of SOAR is equal in quality to the expeditions, I am often faced with "my ideals" on one shoulder, and the "financial reality" that The Academy at SOAR is a growing program on my other shoulder. Being a growing program, one can't and shouldn't expect the "ideal" program overnight. Perfection takes time and it takes patience. While I am patient in many respects, when it comes to wanting nothing but the best for your kids, I am impatient, and perhaps I am unrealistic. Perhaps pretty great is good enough with respect to the academic program, I don't know. I have just never been able to accept pretty great, no matter what I have done in my life.

So by now you are probably expecting a conclusion, or an answer to the question that I posed at the beginning of this writing, "How good is good enough for our kids?" Well I don't have an answer to that because I am pretty hard to satisfy when it comes to this question among others. The best answer I can come up with at this point is " Never". I believe that it will never be "good enough."  Hence, as long as they will keep me, I will be here at The Academy at SOAR, working with the rest of the wonderful staff here, to play a small part, to push for my priorities, and to, as I've alluded to in a past speech, : "never accept the status quo"  as being good enough for your kids. Does that make me a little difficult to work with? Sometimes. But as I have said many times over the years, I want nothing less for your kids, than I'd want for my own. So for now, I'll be the squeaky wheel, and you know what they say about the squeaky wheel. Here's to never being satisfied...

The group ,Southwest Expedition – The Shadow People Field Trip By Andrew Harris

Tuesday March 6^th 2012

The group ,Southwest Expedition – The Shadow People, Went to the Balsam Mountain Preserve for a field trip and lessons in ecology the group studied ecco systems of nonmoving waters and moving waters they were responsible for inventory and cataloging of different types of aquatic bugs and amphibians. The kids started out a little cautious but quickly warmed up to playing with bugs in the mud and it soon turned into a competition of who could find the biggest and who could find the most aquatic specimens. It was slow going at first around a still water pound but as soon as specimens started being collected the youth really started getting into the project proclaiming “Dude you gotta check this guy out!”. After taking the waters temperature at both the edge and in the middle all of the specimens were examined catalogued and released back in to the pond. From that point it was only a short hike down past a water fall to the creek being fed below, as the boys were having the parameters explained several were making quiet side comments about the beauty of the creek and really liked being outdoors. The boys learned the differences in moving water and still water eco systems and some of the differences between them. Admittedly the boys did tend to get to get bored towards the end and engaged themselves with flat out creek explorations. After examining the specimens collected here and cataloguing those, the group moved on to a day hike to explore some local waterfalls and beauty. All in all it was a fun wet adventure that was enjoyed by all

SEC1 First Field Trip to the Great Smokey Mountain National Park

“Dispatches from the Field”

                        Moira Murphy

Last Wednesday the Flo-ridaz team field tripped to the Oconuluftee region of The Great Smoky Mountains to experience nature’s classroom first hand.  Park Ranger Emily Darling employed us as field researchers for the day.  With two activities, she led us to understanding the roles of science, research and resource management projects in the park.  At the same time we learned about all the amazing things that thrive and grow here.

First the students searched the forest for terrestrial life. We overturned rocks and logs, sorted through the soil and hunted with keen eyes.  Then we collected our specimens with an aspirator or  “sucky upper” and placed them in jars. Back at the laboratory Emily placed our bug collection under the microscope to examine, identify and classify.  It was amazing to watch the creepy crawlies enlarged and realize that so much of learning is just observing and questioning; “How many eyes does this creature have?,” How many legs?”. After lunch, the students headed back to the forest to learn to identify some of the 100 species of native trees that grow in the Smokies.  Equipped with binoculars, measuring tapes, and field guides the students studied bark, buds and branches to identify the species of trees.  It’s quite difficult to tell trees apart without leaves but the student’s rose to the challenge.  We hypothesized about carbon dioxide absorption and how trees can be used to green up the planet.  The coolest part of the day was learning that the information we collected would become part of the park database for scientist to use!  I like to think what we all liked about the trip the most was not just that it was hands-on learning but that it was dirty hands on learning.

The Pursuit of Perfection & The Road to Success - For Ourselves and Our Children



I'm a bit of a perfectionist, I'll admit. I will also admit that I frequently fall short of my target. As I examine myself and perfection in different areas of my life, it gives me new perspective on what we ask of our kids...what we hope for...what we expect...What does it mean to be perfect? Successful? What is the definition of success? How do we know we have arrived?

Most of you know, I am a person who stutters when I speak. I'm thinking of starting up a Stutterers Anonymous chapter because I'm working to drop the habit. But seriously, at 42, this past summer I sought out speech therapy again for the first time in over 10 years. Much like the students we work with at SOAR, and each and every one of us, if we are truly honest with ourselves, we all have had personal challenges. Mine has been a life-long challenge to speak like others do, to be able to communicate free from stress, anxiety and worrying whether or not I am going to be able to say the things I want to say, the way I want to say them, when I want or need to say them. Like you when you found SOAR for your children, I, too, have, for the first time in my life, found help and support for my challenge that is really working. I can't explain to you exactly how it is working or why it is working quite yet, though I have been involved in it for about 7 months now. I only know that for the first time in my life, I have gotten to a point with my speech where I am liberated. For the first time in my life, I have gotten,through therapy, to the point where I no longer worry whether I am going to be able to say what I want to say, but rather I simply focus on what it is that I wish to convey, like most average speakers. To delve into how this therapy has taken me to a point that no other therapy has in my life is beyond the scope of this entry. What my therapy session tonight got me to focus on, is to take a long hard look at what, exactly, is my definition of success. As I reflect upon this idea of success in my speech and in other aspects of my life, I also look at what success means, or perhaps should mean for your children, here at SOAR, and long after they leave us.

To start off, I must say that one aspect of my therapy that has been vastly different than therapies past, is that my therapist sincerely cares about me, and wants to get to know me as a person. Much like I try to do with my students, my therapist, Dr. David Shapiro of Western Carolina University, has taken the time to get to know me as a person, and who I am aside from my challenge. Knowing that he cares, has allowed me to carry him, and what he has taught me on my shoulder wherever I go. It has allowed me, perhaps for the first time in my life, to make the transfer of the things I have learned, the fluency I have experienced in the therapy situation, into the real world, one of the failures of most traditional therapies.

Aside from strategies, empathy, compassion, and friendship David has had me focus on success & perfection, and what my definition of success is, with regard to my speaking. Though the definition of success is still evolving for me, I have come to the conclusion that success, in fact, is not perfection. Success for me, at this point and time, is having the strength, and the solid ground to stand on, of knowing that I have all the strategies, tools and skills I need to be able to communicate smoothly, fluently and effectively. For the first time in my life I know that perfection in speaking is not success for me. Rather success for me is knowing that while I may not be perfect, or speak perfectly all the time, that I have it within me to do so, to pick myself up, dust myself off if I slide back for a moment or a day, and continue to move forward with the knowledge that I have all that I need within my grasp to speak well. Success is getting to the point in my life where there is no more fear of speaking and failing. While there may be occasional "failures" they are now minor inconveniences, rather than major setbacks to my self- confidence, and self- esteem. While anxiety may still come about, and cause me to stutter occasionally, there no longer is the snowball effect of failure in the speaking realm creating a fear of more failure that can, to many stutterers be paralyzing.

Now if I could only create more balance in my work life, and not seek perfection in everything I do professionally. But that's a topic for another blog.

How does this relate to your kids, there experience at SOAR and beyond? As parents, I think that we all recognize that perfection is not necessarily attainable. But what is success for your child, your SOAR student?

When students come to SOAR, many of them have significant setbacks with self- confidence and or self- esteem, that in many respects can be as paralyzing as stuttering and the fear of failure used to be for me. When  you have failed at something time after time, in the past, I can speak from experience when I say, it is easy to fall into the self fufilling prophecy, "I think I will fail again, therefore I fail."

I haven't specifically asked parents, "So why did you chose SOAR for your child?" It is beyond the scope of my role, and it is a personal question. Most parents, however, through our conversations in the beginning, and throughout the semester will make it clear why SOAR was the choice for their child. It is ususally because traditional methods have failed. Much like my very special therapist, SOAR is an oasis in the desert, a safe place to land, heal and grow.

So what should you expect from your child's SOAR experience? Well that isn't really for me to say. Besides, SOAR is much more than just academics, and has so many facets to it that I have yet to discover myself.  Ok, so what should you expect from your child's SOAR academic experience? This I can probably answer, and be safe to voice my opinion.

Academic success at SOAR isn't getting all A's though we do individualize instruction in a way that allows most students who try to be very successful.

Academic success at SOAR isn't necessary blazing through all the coursework that they would do at a traditional school to make certain beyond a doubt that they have the "perfect" looking transcript for wherever their academic journeys take them after SOAR, though we do try our hardest to accomodate that.

I believe, since examining this concept of success, that success, academically- speaking at SOAR is about building students back up, where others have torn them down. Much like my speech therapist is building me up by showing me all the things about my speech that I am already doing well, we create academic success for students at SOAR by focusing on what they are doing right, and building on that.

Success, academically- speaking at SOAR, is about your child finding people, both peers and professionals who believe in them, stand behind them, and support them all the way, while keeping them accountable for the things they need to be working on, to grow, much like my speech therapist, David Shapiro. Knowing that there are those who care,  and allowing your children to carry us on their shoulder constantly as a reminder of all they "are" capable of is what academics at SOAR are about.

Success, academically- speaking at SOAR should be teaching students that occasional "failures" can become minor inconveniences, rather than major setbacks to self- confidence, and self- esteem. While anxiety may still come about, and cause a student to flounder or fail occasionally, there no longer needs to be the snowball effect of failure in their own personal realms creating a fear of more failure that can, to many be paralyzing.

Aside from empathy, compassion, and friendship at SOAR,  success, academically speaking at SOAR, should provide students with the strategies, tools and skills they need  for their tool belt to help them be successful at school and with learning, that gives your children the strength, and the solid ground to stand on, no matter who or what tries to shake them.

Hey, it has worked for me. I think SOAR provides your child a pretty unique experience in the academic realm. What do you think?

Those Who Can Do (more)... Teach ( But does anybody care?)

Inspiration is where you find it. So let me preface the following piece by saying that it is both an honor and a privelege to work with your children.

It has long been my belief, particularly after having children of my own, that we, as parents, entrust the most valuable creations in all the world to our teachers, our children. Educators have the responsibility of preparing the next generation to be successful contributing members of our society. It is an awesome responsibility. I say that as a teacher, a former administrator, and a parent.

It has also long been my belief that for as valuable as our educators are, we don't value them enough. I could go into the whole politics of education, funding for education and the state of education in this country, but that is beyond the scope of my dicussion here. I think my best friend, yes my best friend from high school summed it up best when he made an off the cuff comment many years ago. He said to me, " Those who can't do, teach." While those words hurt me deeply, I take solace in the revision to that nasty sentiment which states, " Those who can do, those who can do more... well, they teach."

When I decided to go into education, about 25 years ago, I did so for a very idealistic and cliche' reason. I enjoyed working with kids. I remember saying the same thing that my niece, who is pursuing teaching as a career now has recently said, " If you are doing what you love, what you enjoy, the money isn't so important." I still believe that If you are doing what you love, and what you enjoy, than you are luckier than most. The money part is beyond the scope of this article.

It wasn't long after beginning my career as a teacher, that my idealism flew right out the window. Like many, if not most of the educators I know and have known, I have always been humble, if not a bit insecure. I've always been a bit of a people pleaser. I digress. Teaching, I soon learned after getting out of school was a hard hard job. I had ups and downs throughout my career. There were times that I thought about getting out of it, during the downs. During those times I questioned whether the hard work was worth not getting paid what you were worth. Then there were the ups, the years when I felt I was truly making a difference in the lives of the students I touched, and the other teachers whose lives I touched, a feeling that ultimately led me into administration, what the academics would prefer to call educational leadership.

I finally, twenty five years after making that decision to become an educator,  have levelled off with a feeling that I enjoy what I do, am pretty good at what I do, and make a difference doing what I do. The money thing, I am still negotiating, because unlike when I was an undergraduate, when you have a mortgage, kids and car payments, the money is important.

So where is Mike going with this? Every so often someone says something or does something that inspires me to write, ignites a passion in me. I won't divulge  the source or sources of my inspiration because it isn't important, and a writer never reveals his sources. But this evening I got to thinking, " why is it, that educators are the people we entrust our most precious creations, our children with, yet society in this country seems to have so little respect for them?" I'm not talking about patronization because there is plenty of that. I'm beyond the point in my career of being bitter. I am just observant, and at times fascinated by what people say and what people do to their educators.  If I had a dime for every time I've heard, " What you do is so special. I couldn't do what you do?" money wouldn't be an issue either.Nowadays, educators are either patronized, or they are criticized. I have been thrilled since joining Soar, that there is a legitimate recognition and appreciation for what we educators do. It is rare. Then again, that's part of what makes the climate of Soar so special.

As a former administrator, I can speculate what the issue is as far as underappreciation and less respect for educators as professionals. For I have worked with and evaluated some great teachers over the years, as well as some that shouldn't be anywhere near our kids. At Soar, I have seen your children, whose previous educators having failed them in some way is what has brought them to Soar. So education as a whole in this country has its problems. It has its issues.

Education, as a profession doesn't  garner the respect of say law or medicine. I've always wondered why? It's beyond dollars and cents, and it is beyond the respect educators have for one another within their professional learning communities. Most of the educators I know have gone to a university from 4 to 6 years, if they haven't pursued their doctorates. So a lack of education isn't the reason.
We don't patronize doctors or lawyers. We don't say to our doctor, " What you do is so special. I couldn't do what you do?" because it is understood that you couldn't. You'd need to go to school for nearly a decade first.

We also don't typically question a doctor or a lawyer's professional judgement. Other than the "2nd opinion", and the occasional " firing of our counsel",  we tend to revere our doctors and our lawyers as seasoned experts in their field.

We don't tend to  act as our own legal representative in a court of law. When people do that on TV, they are portrayed as a little off kilter, or a tad bit unstable.  If we try to  be a doctor to our own children, or self- medicate, we see in the news all the time how this gets people thrown in jail or into a psychiatric facility.

Homeschooling in this country is completely acceptable and legal. I haven't quite wrapped my head around the concept of homeschooling, and don't condemn something I don't completely understand. On one hand I can certainly understand parents wanting the absolute best for their children, and ascribing to the philosophy, " If you want something done right, you need to do it yourself." On the other hand, having been an educator for 20 years, and still feeling as though with all my experience and training, I have yet to master it, I question how those without training in the field feel that they can provide the best education for their children. The homeschooling movement certainly doesn't speak to a "reverence" for teachers in America like the way other professionals are revered.

Perhaps this political cartoon below summarizes best how I feel about how educators in this country are treated. Does anyone disagree with me?

I Embrace Their Differences... Is That so Wrong?

I know everyone from my wife to my mother says, " Mike, you're your own worst critic." I think they are right. I got out of class today and felt like I had a really great day. I connected with the students, I had fun, and I think we all learned some things today. " So why, Mike, you may ask, do you feel like the world's worst teacher?" for a second any how.

I don't want to generalize, but for the sake of simplicity in this article, I'll say it, " A good majority of the students at Soar have Attention deficits." Perhaps its just a new year but I proclaim this semester we have a rather lively bunch. As I was saying above, I was beating myself up today because I didn't feel like I was "in control" of the class today. There was a rip current and I was being pulled out to sea.

Let me further clarify. Earlier in my career, not having total control over the behaviors in the learning environment would have really stressed me out. Now, I just stand back, I breathe, I occasionally count down, look at the sun set over the ocean, and I wait... I enjoy what I do, and I like enjoying what I do, and I'm not about to let behaviors spoil a perfect beach day, or the day of those around me.

Control, I have learned over the years is a funny thing. Some traditional teachers feel they must have it because controlling the class signifies respect, and looks good when traditional administrators check in and see that kids are quiet and in their seats. If a teacher is " in control" of their class, they MUST be a good teacher, right? So I could dig my feet into the sand by the water's edge, and try to fight the current. If I think I could win that one, I might as well put my head in the sand.

Control over students is a perception, for some it is merely an illusion. For I believe that any teacher worth their "salt" knows that the only control a teacher has over their students is the control that the students allow the teacher to have over them, and this control is a mutually agreed upon arrangement based upon mutual respect. Students nowadays allow you to teach them, particularly if they know that you care about them.

So today we had a group history lesson. Yesterday, I reminded the students, it took about 30 minutes for them to settle down, but once they did we had some great discussions on the topic of the day, and we all learned a great deal. Today, I realized that perhaps it didn't take them 30 minutes to settle down, but perhaps it took me 30 minutes to get into their groove, and "ride the wave" of teaching and learning where it took me.

I digress:  Lets face it, the majority, if not all the kids at Soar are here because they didn't fit into traditional educational molds. I realized today that I could spend our entire school days trying to pound pegs of various shapes and sizes into single-sized round holes, or I could simply bust the round holes wider with my hammer so all my very different and unique shapes would fit in. Perhaps if I did a little remodeling of my round holes to accommodate various shapes and sizes, it would involve some growing pains on my part on the front end of this semester. Hopefully all my different students of various shapes and sizes, if I stretched and accommodated a bit, would all find their own way into the target holes I had carved out for them.

So without realizing I was doing it on the front end, I was busting educational molds all over the place this afternoon. I was showing a couple short video clips for an interactive multi-media experience. I had my essential question objectives for the focus, I had my study guides for review and discussion. I had the perfect plan. It was the perfect day. Then my students began to tear it all apart. The tide was coming in fast, and the tsunami was about to hit.

I had "E" whose verbal overflow valve was stuck open. Everything he had on his mind came out his mouth. He wasn't following the my rules, but he was on task, on target and participating. So I busted apart the rules, and let the water flow.

I had "M" who enjoyed responding aloud to "E's" antics no matter what else was going on in class at the time, but he was participating in the discussion as well, so I embraced the positive in " M", and overlooked my perception that " M" was being disruptive, because it was really only as much of a problem as I made it out to be. I let " M" know how valuable his contributions to class were.

I had "T"  who just loves to have a good time with " E" and the others and sometimes has trouble controlling his verbal switch, having trouble controlling his verbal off switch, but he was participating, so I caught his wave and rode it to "N1" who often give the impression he isn't paying attention with his doodling, and I overlooked it, because " N1" was able to participate in the class discussion and had a great deal to share.

I tread water for a while until I caught the next wave to "A" who knocked me under for a minute giving me the impression he could read a book off the shelf and pay attention in class at the same time. Traditional teacher asked " A" if he needed to take his surf board a little closer to the shore to help him get on the same wave as everybody else. He said he didn't, and he offered some golden treasures of information to the class to prove it.

At this point, I feel like I'm being bounced around the class like a kite being knocked around by  the wind at the beach on a windy day.

"A's"  performance which defied my perception had knocked me under but I got back on the board and caught the "M2" wave who wasn't able to answer my questions the way I posed them, so I reformulated my questions in a way that "M2" was able to catch a wave and do a couple of tricks on his board that amazed us both.


All the while "N2" seems unfocused on the video or the discussion, but is rather creating his own political cartoon to represent his opinion about the topic we are covering in history. He must be doing what is the equivalent of artistic surfing. "Do I tell him to put the artwork away?" No, I ask him to share it with the class, and explain what it represents.  I get the impression he thinks that's pretty "narly" dude.

After surfing the class for roughly an hour, I tell everybody to head in for the beach. We wrap it up by reviewing what we've learned.

I head off the beach for the afternoon,  a little wind burned and sore from all the academic acrobatics I had engaged in with my students. And I wondered, for a minute, "Did I fail them?"

For I did not truly have control of my class, and I overlooked many of the behaviors that wouldn't be acceptable at other schools (calling out, not raising hands, not completely focusing on the teacher).  Sure we had a great lesson, and we learned a lot, and the students were engaged in the overall objectives. However, If I was allowing or choosing to overlook behaviors that wouldn't be acceptable at more traditional schools, for as much success as we had felt today, was I truly setting these students up for success in the future?

It was our own Julie Dixon that reminded me that what I was doing is what really good teachers do, and what is rarely done. I was developing a relationship with these kids, that many of them probably hadn't had with a teacher before. I was providing positive experiences where these students were able to focus on the important stuff, because I chose not to dwell on the negative, which is probably all most of these kids know from school.

Sure it makes for a much more exhausting day, to surf the classroom, and to meet students where they're at and guide them in the direction you want them to go. So I embraced their differences... Is that so wrong?