LOOK OUT!

Be careful, everybody. I am typically averse to the collision of my work and personal lives. I like both, I just don't let encourage them to mix very often. But my work, related to learning and the like, is colliding with my personal/family life as I read some blog posts. So, I thought I'd post a few thoughts here and see if anyone feels like I do, or feels like talking about them... (Mom? I'm talking to you...)

I started here, a post from Fred Wilson. Fred Wilson writes on Venture Capital and emerging technologies, and I read him for fun and to pay attention to emerging tools. Today, he stepped into my world by talking about learning.

That led me to this fascinating post... from someone I've never once read. This is, to me, a courageous message to send to your kids. I ask myself... am I ready to send them this kind of message?

And from there, I ended up in this particular comment, which brings me back to questions I ask myself all them time.

I have real complaints about school. It takes up such an obscene amount of time. How much of that time is well spent? Just last night, Jenn was talking to our neighbor Janet about their weekend. Janet's kids are brilliant. They went on a trip Saturday, and that meant that they spent the entirety of Sunday doing homework. Literally, the whole day. Is that useful? Is that something I want for my kids?

Before I had kids, I would have spoken out aggressively against home schooling. The home schooled kids that I encountered as a camp counselor were not well adjusted. Their social skills were lacking (it is, I think, part of why they were sent to camp).

But now? I am uncertain. My kids go to school in one of the top districts in the nation (Brentwood High ranks 192nd according to Newsweek). The report card on Lipscomb Elementary is very high. And yet, I still come many days wondering if their time was well spent.

So, my only conclusion right now is that I have doubt. I'm thinking about it. I'm not going to do anything rash (have no fear). But, I'm thinking about it a lot. I'm thinking about it when Oakley tells me that she already knows everything they're doing in class. I'm thinking about it when Aspen has to do homework, even though she's getting 100's on spelling pretests and she spent 7 hours at school that day.

Thank you, Lipscomb

Well, we're off to a good start on the new school year. It is admittedly a bit of a challenge, as we were rezoned over the summer. We were never really in love with Edmondson, frankly, so that part was no big deal. But, Aspen had a bunch of friends, so that part of the move was sad. (We miss you, Cassie!)

As for Lipscomb, we're off to a great start. Oakley went to school for a little while yesterday, and she had a great time. The "games" she got to play with her teacher (Mrs. Gilliland) and the other Kindergarten teachers were a good start.

Aspen is enjoying herself as well. Tonight she was telling me a bit about school today. She said (and I paraphrase):

"We were playing with Mrs. Dodd today, and she has a magic wand. She swept the wand over us, and it made sounds, and then it pointed a blue light at somebody. She asked a boy what 2 + 2 was, and he said 6 on purpose. She had to fix her wand."

There were two things that I thought were really cool about that. One, Aspen, without thinking about it, said playing. She was learning, yes, but it didn't feel like it. She felt like she was playing. (Sure, school still feels long to her. But seriously, work feels long to me and I have the best job going. She leaves home at 8am and gets home at like 4:40. But the bus problems are a totally different story.)

The second cool thing is that she had a memorable learning moment on the fourth day. I kid you not, I'm not sure she had a single memorable learning moment in her entire year last year.

So, thank you, Lipscomb. We are off to a good start and we appreciate it.

Purple Bracelet

Well, I don't have independent confirmation of this story, but I'm fairly sure it's mostly accurate...

So, Aspen was given an award of sorts at school today. You've seen the yellow Livestrong bracelets; Aspen was given a purple one with the words Character Counts by the school guidance counselor along with several other folks. It seems that two people from each class were given the award, which included having their picture taken, for random acts of kindness. Aspen and her good friend Sean received the bracelet because they had been "caught" staying after lunch for a moment to pick up other people's trash at the lunch table.

Sean and Aspen had also led a successful crusade at the school Mardi Gras event to get the lunch room custodian Jesus elected Mardi Gras King. (Note, the subject of the email that came out the following day from the school still makes me laugh. When you see a subject line that simply says, "Our Custodian, Jesus," don't you start thinking about bumper stickers?)

Regardless, I'm awfully proud of Aspen for being thoughtful even when no one was supposed to be watching.