El Capitan

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Recently, two young adventurers made rock climbing history when they scaled a difficult section (Dawn Wall) of a vertical rock formation called El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Their story is remarkable and captured world wide attention. I do not claim to even vaguely understand why some folks set their sights on such goals but I do know that there are people who survive by living life on the edge, literally. For many of us, I suspect that living on the edge is far less dramatic and newsworthy. Climbing for us happens when we put our head into the wind and accomplish the demanding moments of life.

The profession of teaching comes with many El Capitan moments. Here are a few.

1) Parent Teacher conferences--Nothing says love like sitting in a cold gymnasium for four hours, entertaining parents and students after a long day of teaching. And then doing it again the next day. And the next day. Finally a compensatory day is given....two months later. Makes dangling from a tent in mid-air look more and more appealing.

2) In-service training--Don't get me wrong. I believe in teacher training sessions. I have led many of them myself so I have experienced both sides of such events. That being said, sitting through a presentation on the latest cure-all for students is sometimes challenging at best. My favorite part is when a session leader decides to remind us that "this is what our kids feel like when they have to sit all day."  Well, thank you for letting me know that I am a cruel and evil person who tortures kids all day long. Takes the sting right out of an already long day, for sure. I find it is best to embrace the moment for what it is. A hike through informationville. Hopefully, a little trail mix is provided.

3) Schedule changes--Schools operate on very tight time frames. If a class is supposed to end at 10:03 it must end at 10:03. Not 10:02 or 10:04 or 10:05. Woe be to the teacher who upsets the apple cart of punctuality and regularity. I wish the same could be said for executive decisions. At the beginning of our current school year, we were given six different operating schedules including the back to school day, one-hour late start, two-hour late start, anti-bully program, alternate day schedule and in-service late start day. Makes the OCD in all of us want to get counseling or climb a tall object without a rope.

4) Technology--It's a wonderful thing. It really is. But, it is a butt biter when it doesn't work. From the beginning of time, good teachers have known that every lesson needs a plan A, B and C for sure. Add to the mix the fickleness of techie tools and we need to extend the alphabet of options. I never want to go back to a classroom without a Smartboard and student computers but I know that even a good pair of hiking boots can pinch on occasion.

I know that I will never climb a K2 mountain or wrestle alligators but I get up everyday, lace up my shoes and put one foot in front of the other. I think that is what the El Capitan climbers did, too. So I guess we have more in common than I thought.

Pass the trail mix.

Replacement

Resolutions, goals, target behaviors. All words commonly used at the beginning of a new year. There is something refreshing about hitting the reset button and beginning anew. My word of the year is going to be replacement. I have a household of candidates begging for an update. The budget, as usual, will keep the wind of exchange from blowing too hard so I will need to be judicious in my decision making. Here are a few old friends who are destined for the Goodwill bin or the big truck that stops by every Monday morning.

1) School tote bag--My current bag is circa free from a bus trip taken with my mother a "few" years ago. (I wasn't blogging back then so you were spared two weeks of epicness.) The bag has served me well with its waterproof lining, sturdy handles and handy side pocket. It is also the correct width for stacks of papers or projects that need to be toted to and from school. Alas, the bag is developing holes and is looking a wee bit tired. My daughter gave me a new tote for Christmas so replacement number one is in the finish column.

2) Plastic cup--Don't judge. I like to cook so I often need more than one measuring cup during my exploits. I currently have a sturdy glass Pyrex measuring cup and a sad little plastic cup with illegible markings. I have no recollection of the genesis of the sad little cup but it has been a workhorse for many years. It has now developed a rather significant crack which moves it into a sanitary crisis. Goodbye, little cup. Hello, shiny new Pyrex.

3) Seed bin--I like to feed birds and I keep the seeds in a cast off construction bucket from my husband. It is the right size for a bag or two of seeds, but it has one fatal flaw. The lid does not snap into place with an airtight seal. Enter the dreaded Plodia interpunctella, a.ka. bird seed moth. One evening, in the dead, very dead of winter I spotted a fluttering specter. It didn't take long to discover the source of the home invader. Bird seed. Perfect harbor for the life cycle of moths. Ick. Time for an airtight container and a few moth traps laced with eau de lepidoptera.

4) Purse--I do not have seasonal purses or yearly upgrades. Rather, I drag around my arm extension until a strap falls off or the lining becomes a black hole for keys and stray aspirin. I am dangerously close to both disasters with my current purse. My criteria is quality construction and a low, low price. I also do not like trendy for obvious reasons so I will be in for quite a challenge. Maybe a little duct tape can buy me another year.

5) Potato chips--I am an addict of these crunchy, salty slices of delightfulness and despite my attempts to enjoy one or two chips in moderation, a circus sized portion is enjoyed well before my brain hits the stop button. I've tried a few replacements in the past including a one year moratorium (broken on the exact anniversary date with a full bag of kettle chips), kale chips (pleasant but missing something like, umm, taste) and crispy Wasa toasts (lots of crunch if you like cardboard). On second thought, I might keep my little food demon around and pretend that I can master the slow down switch.

I hope all of you are enjoying a peaceful start to your New Year. Replace a few joy drainers and celebrate the steadfast.