Scattered thoughts... about moving forward?

When I moved to my new place and had to register to vote, I had the option of doing an absentee ballot.   I debated because it would have been really convenient, but then I decided I wanted to be a part of the voting process, at the polls, in my new community.   So after work I came home then walked to the polling place.  I went to the line to which my last name had been assigned and waited... when I got to the front of the line the lady working the polls (volunteering) was one of my neighbors, in my condo association.  It was nice to see her there and I felt like my desire to vote at the polls to be part of the community was working...then they told me they didn't have the right ballot for me... huh? Apparently the city had not anticipated the voter turnout and they had run out of ballots for my precinct.  (Other people were able to vote based on their precinct.)  So they asked me to stand to the side while they awaited the arrival of more ballots.  And as more people came through the line, they joined me... in the gotta wait line... It was interesting to watch people's reactions as they were told they could not vote.  We started talking and many started complaining... taking on my Susie Sunshine role I reminded people that we were lucky that we live in a country where we can vote.  People agreed... in the moment... but as the number of people who couldn't vote grew so did people's displeasure... the people running the polls said that they had called an hour and a half earlier alerting city hall that they were going to run out...and we were told that the ballots were..'on their way.' About 45 minutes later the ballots arrived and we voted... exercising our rights...
I couldn't help but think about the people who, through history, were told they could not vote....because of race or being female... and am thankful that people fought to give me the right to vote.  I also thought about people in other countries who continue to live in places that do not have a democracy... and again, feel lucky.  And it led me to thinking about having the right to do something that we so often take for granted... which led me to thinking about Maine's Question 1.  For those who are unaware, Maine's Question 1 was about Gay marriage.  Having the RIGHT to get married is not something I have ever had to worry about...it was something that if I chose to do I could do... and if someone had tole me I couldn't  because of something like my religion, my ethnicity, or my sexuality I would be irate... it's discrimination.  Period.  So... Maine, I am proud of us!  We voted Yes on 1, allowing gay people the right to get married!

I tried to stay up and watch the election results... I relaxed, in bed, and had the tv on... and before I knew it I was waking up and it was 2 a.m. I missed all of it... but left the tv on long enough to hear that Obama won and that Maine had voted yes... so I happily went back to bed.  I am glad that Obama is returning to his post... and I do believe that he wants to move us forward... and I continue to have hope about what changes he can help make... and hope that the senators and representatives in Washington can work together, despite their party affiliation...

On my way to work today I heard about two voters in Maine who deserve a shout out... one, a man who was about to vote and had a heart attack... collapsed... and when he was revived and about to be taken to the hospital, refused to leave, in an ambulance, until he had voted.... and a woman who went into labor and refused to go to the hospital until she had voted... wow... and the people I was in line with were complaining about having to wait for the right ballots...

I felt pretty rested today which was nice... the sinus infection is going away and while I am still tired I do see a light at the end of the tunnel...

I feel like I have more to write tonight, but I am a little ADHD, I am watching tv, texting, cat loving, and facebooking... I have to say that my cats are so affectionate ... Sheldon, the one with the moustache is perhaps the most friendly cat ever.  No matter what s/he loves love!  Anyway...

Onto school... work...
One of my colleagues and I have started a new program at our school.  We are targeting seniors who are supposed to graduate in June, but who are struggling, academically, to pass the remaining classes they need to earn the credits.  In addition to meeting with them regularly in my office individually, we have started a weekly after school tutorial... where they stay, we provide food and help as needed... last night was the first night and we had 8 kids.  We were hoping for 15... We will have 15 soon... or else I am going to make some seniors very unhappy... by giving them the choice of staying with our group or going to detention.  I prefer it be something they choose, but if they don't choose correctly I may have to force their hands... The 8 kids who were there were fairly productive, some were very productive... and I think many of them appreciated the food as many don't have much at home... It was nice.  In addition to providing a the tutorial option, we are also building relationships between the kids... because we know that if kids feel connected to other people at school their academic performance increases... so... baby steps.  I want to figure out a way to do something similar with underclassmen, but... not sure where that will fit in... but I will find a way... maybe try to get seniors who are doing well academically to tutor underclassmen who are not? hmmmmm...

So today I was thrilled to see one of my students who I had not seen in a long time.  He had been suspended and then had not returned... I called home Monday and though there was a language barrier... oh, there are 25 languages spoken in my school...down from 33 in previous years... so the language barrier... the student's parents do not speak English... and eventually I was able to communicate that I wanted to speak with the student...and told him that he needs to come to school.. and he told me that he may be moving, but I made sure to tell him he had not moved yet and that until then he needed to be here... at school... he is one of my seniors who NEEDS to be at school if he is going to graduate... he didn't come yesterday, but today he was there!  YAHOO!  I made some changes to his schedule including having him in my office as his homeroom, so I will see him every day... and his mom came in and we were able to talk with her, with a translator, and hear what her fears had been for her son... and learned that he is not moving... which makes me happy... he is a kid... for a variety of reasons... for whom the military is a good choice... I have to say that my heart has a hard time directing kids into the military because I don't want them to be overseas, fighting, dying... but it is a good move for some... and I need to think about it more for some kids... need to not look at their futures through my lens all the time... he would be a student for whom graduating, having a diploma, will be huge.

Laptop girl... since I had to become the enemy she and I have had little direct interaction... Last week, I forced her into a conversation by engaging her about her attendance and our arrangement that her attendance would work towards reducing her debt on charges she owes for damaging her laptop... and she has done well... and she sees progress... it's funny that it is something she has bought into (pun intended) so deeply, when on so many other things she doesn't invest much... (pun also intended) ... so as I had her in my office for that I broached the topic of her suspension.  I started the conversation by asking her if she has ever been sitting with someone who got something in their teeth, like spinach, when they were eating and has had to tell that person it was there.  She said she had and when I asked her why she, in not so articulate terms, said because it was the right thing to do, to not tell the person would be rude.  And I told her that I have had that same experience and like her, I tell people if they have something in their teeth... and then I said to her, that the issue that had happened, for which she had been suspended, was like spinach in her teeth... that there are some things that I just can't overlook or let go... even if it means she gets mad at me... and the fact that she didn't tell me where to o and how to get there was enough for me to realize she got it, she understood... and then I asked her how we could handle things in the future if something similar was to happen... and she said it isn't going to happen again... I like that she thinks that, but I know something will happen... and hope that I can come back to this conversation and tell her she has spinach in her teeth... Since then she has made more eye contact with me and has engaged a bit more... relationships are a process...

There are so many kids that need so many things... and I continue to shake my head at the barriers that are put in front of kids... when it comes to education and getting help... Our school has been 'written up', if you will because of our graduation rate not being as high as it should be... and the district is not pleased and wants us to improve that... so... this after school program is one way we can do that... yet the district won't fund it.  We don't need much funding... we were hoping to hire a person, a staff member, who could be there every week, knowing the other staff person and I have meetings after school at times and that if I am dealing with a situation I may be tied up a bit... we wanted someone to be there consistently and as another person the kids could go to in the building... the total cost to hire the person we wanted to hire would cost $270... but it isn't in the budget.. however paying for pizza or other food at this is possible... different budget lines... which I don't fully understand... So... instead... we will somehow make sure that one of us is there every week, every week... and will ask teachers to volunteer to be there... I am sure we will get some teachers to volunteer, and yes there is a part of me that feels like it shouldn't be seen as volunteering, as it is part of their job, to work with kids, even if it is after school... but... it feels like a barrier... there are other barriers that exist for our students ... and I am going to work hard to knock them down... It's easy to know what to do, what is best for kids... it's just hard sometimes to know how to get there... which tools to use to knock down those roadblocks...

I love my job. I love the kids... and even though, come June, I will only have known my seniors for about 9 months... I will be emotional about their accomplishments as I watch them graduate...

So... when I write I often think that my thoughts are somehow connected despite being fragmented and scattered... tonight I think my post is about looking forward... with hope... for our country... looking at how far we have come in people having the right to vote and exercising that right... and how people are so dedicated to the democratic process....and how our country has elected Obama once again... and I think about my students... who will all be adults the next time we vote for president... and how much their lives are going to change in that time... and Hope... hope that they are ready for it.... and hope at that point they would be able to come back and tell me about their lives and how well they are doing...
And speaking of looking forward...  131 days and 23 hours until spring!