heckit's blog: July 2014

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Love

by Mary Sarten

Fragile as a spider’s web

Hanging in space

Between tall grasses,

It is torn again and again.

A passing dog

Or simply the wind can do it.

Several times a day

I gather myself together

And spin it again.

Spiders are patient weavers.

They never give up.

And who knows

What keeps them at it?

Hunger, no doubt,

And hope.

******

AMDG

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

of mollusks

Of mollusks

by Mary Sarten

As the tide rises, the closed mollusk

Opens a fraction to the ocean’s food,

Bathed in its riches. Do not ask

What force would do, or if force could.

A knife is of no use against a fortress

You might break it to pieces as gulls do.

No, only the rising tide and its slow progress

Opens the shell. Lovers, I tell you true.

You have held yourselves closed hard

Against warm sun and wind, shelled up in fears

And hostile to a touch or tender word

The ocean rises, salt as unshed tears.

Now you are floated on this gentle flood

That cannot force or be forced, welcome food

Salt as you tears, the rich ocean’s blood,
Eat, rest, be nourished on the tide of love.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

you are writing a gospel

You are writing a gospel,

A chapter each day—

By deeds that you do,

By words that you say.

Men read what you write,

Whether faithless or true,

What is the gospel

According to you?

--Anon

Monday, July 28, 2014

My hat is in the ring: Principal

“Remember where you came from.” Approach the job with a great sense of humility and don’t ask from persons things they cannot give you. –Teresa

Sept 2009

I have had a difficult week. I have never seen it this bad: Six teachers are in survival mode, as is the principal. The pressing issue is discipline. It is only the 4^th week of school and we are having serious issues: 2 false fire alarms I two days, 7 suspensions in the last week. We especially have not been connecting to our African American students who make up 18% of the population but 90% of the discipline issues. I have been in several classrooms where competent engaging teachers are having difficulties—they feel they are not effective and I feel I am not effective.

Drew says I need to leave this position and “not be a social worker but teach”

If you don’t know something, ask. --Kathleen

October 2009

At Teachers for Social Justice, a recurring pronouncement made was “if you can’t teach children of color, then please leave and let someone else do the job.”

When you start observing teachers, go in with nothing—no computer, no clipboard, etc. Establish relationships. --Dina

February 2010

On Tuesday, I had S stay after school fo bench time he owed for last week and that day. I unfortunately had had negative interactions with ho on the basketball court as I had him play with D. He questioned why this was and I responded, “I need to keep you away from everyone.” When it should have only bee nthe 3 boys with whom he had been suspended.

When I came to pick him up, he refused to come. He stayed hin his room. I began to work there and help sunny paint, with which S wanted to participate. I wanted to talk with him, but he refuse. I finally call his mother and he followed me to my room. He said he hated me. I have never felt hate that way. I know students express frustration to me but I had never experienced hate. He did stay with me short of the 40 minutes but I realized that while I had won the battle, I was losing the war. The objective of benching the child wasn’t so he’d hate me but to have thim change his behavior and I was losing miserably.

Ask for a coach, a veteran principal you can learn from. –Peter

December 2010

I decided to apply to the PLI. I realize that I need to grow in my capacity as a professional. Regardless, I do not want to be a Principal—yet I see the need for leadership. If not I, who? I see that it is now my generation’s turn to take the reins of leadership; we cannot rely on an older generation t continue the work of leading. It falls to the present generation. I must take up the call to serve and lead.

Make time for yourself.

If everyone is happy, you are doing something wrong. --Jennifer

August 2011

I must discern principalship or not. I don’t want it. But is it what God wants?

Or is it th voiced I hear inadvertently or on to be one. And if not Princpalship, hen what? If God wants me to be a principal, he will have to let me know.

Define your relationships with the staff separately from your principal. --Matt

May 2012

I met with Dee Dee to ask her for guidance, “I’ve been a an IRF for 9 years and I am feeling it is time to make a change but I don’t know if being a Principal is it.”

Years ago a former Assistant Superintendent asked me to be a principal, “Do you know how many Latino principals there are in SFUSD? I can count them on my hand.” I responded that if I became a Principal, I would not have time to do art. . I also didn’t want to be a principal so I could work on my personal life. But now I don’t do any commercial art and I am not seeing anyone; and just because I have someone does not mean he would be my balm.

So Dee Dee says to me, “ So you become a Principal, try it for a year. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to do it.” It is true. I can go back to the classroom. It is OK to fail.

Leadership is an action not a position. PD is a process not an event. –E’leva

“Congratulations on your new job.”

“Thank you,” I respond. “ask me again in six months.”

Take time to establish your relationships. --Brent

Today was my first day as an administrator. People ask me, “Are you excited?” I respond that if I had won a $1,000,000, I would be excited. This is a job. I am looking forward to it.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Ecuador

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Day 1

We started our trip rather tenuously as once we boarded our plane wecouldn’t leave the gate as the plane’s oil light was on. (you’d think someone would check before putting the plane at the gate?). After deplaning, waiting for status and fearing we’d loose our connection, we talked to a flight attendant who kindly rerouted us to Houston so we had one less plane to take.

We landed in the historic center of town, exploring the colonial architecture and narrow streets. It was a good way to orient ourselves to our environs.

After walking through the historic center we climbed the towers of the La Basilica del Voto National--a gothic structure on one end of old town. We climbed its towers to view sweeping views of the city.
After visiting the guilded baroque Jesuit church, we toured El Museo de la Ciudad, a former hospital, which portrayed what life was like for Quiteños from the XVI to the XIX centuries. Fascinating.
Possibly our best dinner was that evening in a terrace on Rondalla Street. Robert had a wonderful roasted chicken; and their condiments of onions and ají was divine.

Day 2
As we were in Ecuador, we decided to visit the equator to do cheesy things like straddle the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The better pictures where that of doing the tree pose before the city church. We were proud to take public transportation ($.25 for the trolley for a 1 hour ride to the bus terminal and $.40 for the 1.5 hour bus ride to Mitad del Mundo, a dusty town. It was a bit disappointing but there were lots of restrooms where we didn't have to pay and a nice shady place for ice cream.

Next door was a more interesting place: museum of the Sun Inti-ñan. we were shown indigenous artifacts of the guaraní; like a shrunken heads (yuck). More fascinating were the experiments demonstrated that are only possible on the equator: balancing an egg on a nail, trying to walk in a straight line along the equator with arms extended and eyes closed (you can't), and the fact that water pours down the drain clockwise south of the equator but counterclockwise north of the equator. I am told this is smoke and mirrors.

Day 3

We arrived in Mindo about a 2 hour ride from Quito. We spent the day in the cloud forest: nature, hiking and a small town-vibe, like Parlier but nicer.

A hand-powered cable car takes individuals across a river basin to a trail head of some six waterfalls. When confronting a challenge to get closer to a waterfall, I'd ask, "what would Francis do?" And when this middle aged 51 year old traipsed across rocks too wet and too slippery for his own good trying to channel his god son, a little slip into the water brought me humility.

Day 4

Most of today was spent traveling on the bus. 2+ hours from Mindo to Quito and then 2.5 hours to Otavalo. So I was selective in not eating too much or drinking water, as I didn't know when we'd stop to go to the rest room.

Mindo has paradise weather. Since there were no fans in the room I guessed it is never too hot and chilly cool mornings pass with a light sweater. Alex, who owns the Mindo Real guest house, a complex of beautiful cabins near the Mindo river, was very hospitable.

Before we left Mindo we visited a butterfly farm run by a Californian. It was peaceful and delightful way to begin our travels.

Ecuadorians are among the nicest, most polite and soft spoken Latin Americans. So it was interesting today to see my first altercation between them. A family tried to get on the bus without paying. The ticket collector told them to get off. The woman was angry, "Ya, no grites!" As the bus pulled over to let the family off while she begged for $1.50 from the other passengers. Drama.

Otavalo is a midsized city with a largely Kichwa population. The women are bronzed colored and were embroidered blouses and black shawls and wear head wrap on their head. The men wear blue ponchos and white pants with felt hats, and wear their straight black hair long in a tail. Handsome.

Day 5
Today I woke up dehydrated, with a low grade fever and a stomach ache, which kept me in for a good chunk of the day. After walking about the animal market where livestock is sold in the open market, I went back to the hotel to nap. After some soup and more napping I felt good enough to go to the market to try to haggle some purchases.

Day 6
When we got back to Quito in a nicer but not as lively part of town. We went to Parque la Carolina and people watched. Kite flying, bike riding, guys rollerblading in skateboard park and first gay couple--both boys looked pretty and one had this white face cream on.

Day 7
Sometimes you make the best plans and you have to make the best of it. We heard la Capilla del Hombre by Guayasimin was a good museum to see so we trekked up a variety of wealthy neighborhoods (think barbed wire and security doors) and more modest ones uphill for some 3 miles taking in exhaust, dodging dog poop, walking around construction zones, in the sun and shade to the museum only to find it was closed on Mondays. So headed back to Parque la Carolina to the botanical garden and had a lovely time.

Day 8

Last day was spent going to the teleferiQo, a 2.5 km suspended sky train that takes you to a summit 4100+ meters above sea level. Snow capped Cotopaxi, an extinct volcano, looks over the city. It was windy site but provided magnificent views of the city.

Later, at the free Museo de Arte Contemporáneo we saw a multimedia show on fútbol and on work of Eduardo Villacís, a digital artist/painter/illustrator. Part of his showcased work was "Smoking Mirror", a graphic novel and artifact exhibit on what would have happened had the Aztecs gone to Europe to colonize it after Columbus "discovered" America. The Aztecs would have named Europe "Amexico" and would have converted the Europeans the to Aztec religions. Interesting. I wonder what it would be like to claim "indigenous privilege".

Before we went shopping at the craft market, we ate our first almuerzo del dia on this trip. They are lunch specials that Ecuadorians have for $3 or less. They include a first course, main course, drink and dessert. Paloma picked ours: $2.50. We had fish & rice, oj, and an apple streusel; they charged is $4.50 for all three of us as they ran out of the first course. It was great to eat with the locals. Robert didn't care for it; but it sure beat paying $40+ at places where they charged you taxes and tip.