I wish the answer fairy would arrive. I'd love to know what makes us pick the hills we decide to make our stand on. My nemesis, my great white whale, my Bunker Hill is the lunch box.
Now this should be a non issue. I know. In the grand scheme of things; twenty, thirty years from now the lunch box battle will be just a flea speck of memory, if at all.
But for some reason this where I have decided to make my stand. The lunch box comes home from school and promptly goes into the closet. Yes, that was written correctly. It comes home Monday through Friday and promptly goes into the front coat closet. Loaded with partially empty Tupperware, assorted detritus, and a melange of other items.
Come morning, I make my opening salvo. "Where is your lunch box?" The first battery returns fire, "I'll go get it." I maneuver into the next position, "Is that where it belongs?" Strategic reassessment and field repositioning, "What can I take for lunch?" Countered positioning, "What's in the fridge?" with and second round, "You better hurry you only have 15 minutes."
That equates to a step backward, for the next battery fires from down field, "I have all my homework done." I wheel the cannons right and return fire, "Great, finish packing and get your stuff into the car." The light charge enters the field, "Done. I'll go put this in the car."
In this moment I know I have been outmaneuvered again, but I have not yet conceded the field, yesterdays tupperware is piled in the sink where it will stay until the evening foray.
Come evening, I make a final swing left, "Clean up the tupperware. Where is your lunch box?" Heavy artillery, booms across the field. "I'm not done with my homework, and I have to take a shower tonight." I return fire, "Okay, get it done and get this tupperware cleaned up." Bam! The final round slams home without so much as a warning. The tupperware is rinsed and into the dishwasher, the shower is started and runs and runs and runs...
It isn't until the next dawn that it hits me. Yet again, the lunch box has become a petri dish and I am left standing on my hill. Yet again.
But today the cavalry arrived, only time will determine the outcome. The cavalry consisted of a few hundred small black ants. Busily cleaning up on Friday's lunch box all weekend.
War has it's gross factor. But when you're hunting that great white whale, you thank the stars, wait for the bus and then spray the Black Flag.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
footprints
It's funny the memories that we pick and choose to keep along the way through life. Today was one of those days when I got a glimpse of the memories that Katie is holding.
Crayons. Shredded crayon actually. The undeniable, pure, unmitigated pleasure of shredding crayons.
To put this memory into perspective takes abit of a tale. Like most new parents, we were poor as church mice. Poor enough that a coloring book and box of crayons was considered a luxury. I wasn't being selfish, I made sure that Katie had her own box, but mine was that heavenly vision of perfection. 96 colors all new and perfect. Nothing compares to the smell of new crayons. Yep, it was the kid in the candy store effect, mine all mine.
So, my box was carefully put away, far from the reach of little hands; or so I thought. I still don't know how she knew where they were or how she managed to get into them. But like all the best laid plans of mice and men, there was a minor... derailment.
Katie had discovered the delight of stripping off the paper wrapper, madly coloring wild designs, shredding them into bits and pieces, creating new masterpieces along the way.
My poor crayons never stood a chance. I was devistated. My luxury gone. Evidentally, I made my point that day with Katie. Because it's been seven years now and she hasn't forgotten Mom's crayons.
Then again, she hasn't forgotten the pleasure of shredding crayons either.
I think it's time to buy her a new box.
Crayons. Shredded crayon actually. The undeniable, pure, unmitigated pleasure of shredding crayons.
To put this memory into perspective takes abit of a tale. Like most new parents, we were poor as church mice. Poor enough that a coloring book and box of crayons was considered a luxury. I wasn't being selfish, I made sure that Katie had her own box, but mine was that heavenly vision of perfection. 96 colors all new and perfect. Nothing compares to the smell of new crayons. Yep, it was the kid in the candy store effect, mine all mine.
So, my box was carefully put away, far from the reach of little hands; or so I thought. I still don't know how she knew where they were or how she managed to get into them. But like all the best laid plans of mice and men, there was a minor... derailment.
Katie had discovered the delight of stripping off the paper wrapper, madly coloring wild designs, shredding them into bits and pieces, creating new masterpieces along the way.
My poor crayons never stood a chance. I was devistated. My luxury gone. Evidentally, I made my point that day with Katie. Because it's been seven years now and she hasn't forgotten Mom's crayons.
Then again, she hasn't forgotten the pleasure of shredding crayons either.
I think it's time to buy her a new box.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Push IN rather than Pull out, an interesting thought
Why do Finland's schools get the best results?
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Finland's schools score consistently at the top of world rankings, yet the pupils have the fewest number of class hours in the developed world.
By Tom Burridge
BBC World News America, Helsinki
Last year more than 100 foreign delegations and governments visited Helsinki, hoping to learn the secret of their schools' success.
In 2006, Finland's pupils scored the highest average results in science and reading in the whole of the developed world. In the OECD's exams for 15 year-olds, known as PISA, they also came second in maths, beaten only by teenagers in South Korea.
Education in South Korea
In South Korea, the school day is long and pupil's have a much stricter study regime.
Watch John Sudworth's report on the drive to succeed in Seoul
This isn't a one-off: in previous PISA tests Finland also came out top.
The Finnish philosophy with education is that everyone has something to contribute and those who struggle in certain subjects should not be left behind.
A tactic used in virtually every lesson is the provision of an additional teacher who helps those who struggle in a particular subject. But the pupils are all kept in the same classroom, regardless of their ability in that particular subject.
Finland's Education Minister, Henna Virkkunen is proud of her country's record but her next goal is to target the brightest pupils.
''The Finnish system supports very much those pupils who have learning difficulties but we have to pay more attention also to those pupils who are very talented. Now we have started a pilot project about how to support those pupils who are very gifted in certain areas.''
Advertisement
The BBC's Tom Burridge talks to Henna Virkkunen, the Minister of Education and Science in Finland.
Late learners
According to the OECD, Finnish children spend the fewest number of hours in the classroom in the developed world.
This reflects another important theme of Finnish education.
Children walk around in their socks at Torpparinmäki Comprehensive
Primary and secondary schooling is combined, so the pupils don't have to change schools at age 13. They avoid a potentially disruptive transition from one school to another.
Teacher Marjaana Arovaara-Heikkinen believes keeping the same pupils in her classroom for several years also makes her job a lot easier.
''I'm like growing up with my children, I see the problems they have when they are small. And now after five years, I still see and know what has happened in their youth, what are the best things they can do. I tell them I'm like their school mother.''
Children in Finland only start main school at age seven. The idea is that before then they learn best when they're playing and by the time they finally get to school they are keen to start learning.
Less is more
Education in the United States
"If education is expensive, try ignorance"
The US education secretary discusses the challenges facing the Obama administration
Finnish parents obviously claim some credit for the impressive school results. There is a culture of reading with the kids at home and families have regular contact with their children's teachers.
Teaching is a prestigious career in Finland. Teachers are highly valued and teaching standards are high.
The educational system's success in Finland seems to be part cultural. Pupils study in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
Finland also has low levels of immigration. So when pupils start school the majority have Finnish as their native language, eliminating an obstacle that other societies often face.
The system's success is built on the idea of less can be more. There is an emphasis on relaxed schools, free from political prescriptions. This combination, they believe, means that no child is left behind.
Advertisement
Finland's schools score consistently at the top of world rankings, yet the pupils have the fewest number of class hours in the developed world.
By Tom Burridge
BBC World News America, Helsinki
Last year more than 100 foreign delegations and governments visited Helsinki, hoping to learn the secret of their schools' success.
In 2006, Finland's pupils scored the highest average results in science and reading in the whole of the developed world. In the OECD's exams for 15 year-olds, known as PISA, they also came second in maths, beaten only by teenagers in South Korea.
Education in South Korea
In South Korea, the school day is long and pupil's have a much stricter study regime.
Watch John Sudworth's report on the drive to succeed in Seoul
This isn't a one-off: in previous PISA tests Finland also came out top.
The Finnish philosophy with education is that everyone has something to contribute and those who struggle in certain subjects should not be left behind.
A tactic used in virtually every lesson is the provision of an additional teacher who helps those who struggle in a particular subject. But the pupils are all kept in the same classroom, regardless of their ability in that particular subject.
Finland's Education Minister, Henna Virkkunen is proud of her country's record but her next goal is to target the brightest pupils.
''The Finnish system supports very much those pupils who have learning difficulties but we have to pay more attention also to those pupils who are very talented. Now we have started a pilot project about how to support those pupils who are very gifted in certain areas.''
Advertisement
The BBC's Tom Burridge talks to Henna Virkkunen, the Minister of Education and Science in Finland.
Late learners
According to the OECD, Finnish children spend the fewest number of hours in the classroom in the developed world.
This reflects another important theme of Finnish education.
Children walk around in their socks at Torpparinmäki Comprehensive
Primary and secondary schooling is combined, so the pupils don't have to change schools at age 13. They avoid a potentially disruptive transition from one school to another.
Teacher Marjaana Arovaara-Heikkinen believes keeping the same pupils in her classroom for several years also makes her job a lot easier.
''I'm like growing up with my children, I see the problems they have when they are small. And now after five years, I still see and know what has happened in their youth, what are the best things they can do. I tell them I'm like their school mother.''
Children in Finland only start main school at age seven. The idea is that before then they learn best when they're playing and by the time they finally get to school they are keen to start learning.
Less is more
Education in the United States
"If education is expensive, try ignorance"
The US education secretary discusses the challenges facing the Obama administration
Finnish parents obviously claim some credit for the impressive school results. There is a culture of reading with the kids at home and families have regular contact with their children's teachers.
Teaching is a prestigious career in Finland. Teachers are highly valued and teaching standards are high.
The educational system's success in Finland seems to be part cultural. Pupils study in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
Finland also has low levels of immigration. So when pupils start school the majority have Finnish as their native language, eliminating an obstacle that other societies often face.
The system's success is built on the idea of less can be more. There is an emphasis on relaxed schools, free from political prescriptions. This combination, they believe, means that no child is left behind.
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