DAY 6 SOL # 2017 Long drive

Our Monday began with an early morning three hour drive to the opthomologist for a follow-up visit. The one perk was meeting our son and daughter-in-law for lunch. After a long lunch we headed back toward home. I've already fallen asleep trying to read and comment on slices for day 6 so my slice is lacking the thoughtful reflections I have read in so many other interesting posts.

Day 5 SOL#2017 Birding

Every morning as I take my dog outside for her morning walk I observe the birds around our farm. Lately I've taken the binoculars so I can identify a few more. I seriously began trying to learn bird identification when I started my second career with the state conservation agency 11 years ago. I started by going with experienced birders, early mornings. It's great to be outside with people who can share their knowledge. I've learned to identify some birds by their call, or a particular behavior pattern. I've shared what I've learned with beginning birders, hopefully I've encouraged them to try it on their own. I've enjoyed birding with beginners and experienced birders.

I've shared with teachers how to use bird field guides to teach students how to read nonfiction text, or how to teach students to become citizen scientists as they observe birds and record data about their observations. Birds are a great topic to engage students.

The Cape Girardeau Nature Center has a year long program to encourage birding. I'm planning to join in the challenge. If you are interested, you can read about it here

https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/join-cape-nature-center’s-big-year-birding

It might remind you of the book and movie, "The Big Year".  Check out the movie here
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1053810/

Day 3 SOL 2017

I found my slice while reading a SOL from another participant about school field trips. I've experienced field trips from four perspectives. My first field trip I was a second grade student. I remember taking a short bus ride to a presentation in a neighboring school gym. We had to take a dime for admission. I can't remember the presentation, only the trip there and the large crowd of students. That was almost 60 years ago

As a teacher, I remember a field trip during summer school. I taught third & fourth grade students. We spent a great amount of time planning the trip. Everyone wore matching bright gold tee shirts. Small groups of students were divided among the staff. We rode the bus half the way then stopped at a rest stop for a picnic lunch consisting of bologna sandwiches made by the teachers earlier that morning. After three hours travel, we arrived at the zoo. We spent the day taking the students to as many exhibits as possible. At every stop we counted the number of students in each group, making sure we didn't leave behind stragglers. Of course we're exhausted at the end of the day. No parents went on this trip. Later parents were usually invited and given a group to lead. 

My husband and I attended a few field trips with our son during elementary school. We explored with him and his friends, carefully watching them to make sure they stayed together and were safe. It was not nearly as stressful as being the lead. We enjoyed the day, finding little difference in taking him with a group of friends in our personal vehicle. 

More recently I have been responsible for setting up the field trips for school groups. I was responsible for the planning, scheduling, pre-trip details, and presenting to the groups. Evaluations afterward helped with improving the experience for the next time. Some schools have policies that do not allow parents to ride the bus to attend field trips. I have seen an increase in parrent attendance at field trips. 

I value the learning that occurs during field trips. Students are given opportunities to interact and grow in ways they otherwise could not. Successful field trips require much planning that does not end until the trip has ended.

Day 2 SOL 2017 day 2 of retirement

Day two of retirement - I exercised, walked the dog, did laundry, painted a picture, took the car to get an oil change, cooked dinner, did dishes, and attended the women's club. It doesn't seem that I accomplished anything. At work, I gauged my progress by checking items off a list of tasks. I don't want to feel as though I am wasting any day. Ok, maybe I need to create a list of things I'd like to complete. We are planning to clean one shed on day 3.That will be one huge accomplishment I can enjoy. 

Day 1 SOL 2017 Retired

The first day of March holds two important firsts for me. It is the first day of writing a daily slice of life sponsored by two Writing Teachers blog. I've participated in this annual event several years. Each year my goal is to participate at 100%. Life events seem to interfere with my plans. Sometimes poor internet caused me to fall short of my performance goal. Other times work obligations hampered my success. This year I thought maybe I shouldn't even try because I haven't achieved my expectations. But I value this writing process, I love feeling connected with teachers, and I relish a challenge. So here I am late in the day creating my first post for the 2017 writing challenge. You can read more about the process here: https://twowritingteachers.org/2017/03/01/day-1-sol17/

The other first for me this March: it is the first day of my second retirement. I taught in a public school for 29 years and retired from that in 2006. Just as soon as that job ended, actually even before I was done with school, I went straight to work as an education consultant for a state agency. Yesterday was my last day working there. I planned to work 10 years, but ended up loving most duties of the job and continued working until yesterday. I wanted to leave on a high, while things were still going smooth, while I could still meet my expectations. But I was getting tired, I was starting to avoid some of the more stressful duties. That was my clue that it was time to make a change so in January, I began the process to retire. I had 2 months to clean out my office, tie up loose ends and prepare for the transition. I cried while in my office on the next to the last day. Yesterday I attended a training and afterward my coworkers gave me a sweet send-off. I was done. 

Today I attempted the transition! I awoke early and began my regular routine: took the dog outside for a walk, gave her a pill, fixed her food, made coffee, exercised, showered, started a load of laundry, washed a few dishes, set out my husband's pills, took the dog outside again, I looked for birds and picked up limbs from the storm while she explored. We went inside and I checked the time, it was almost 9 o'clock! My thought: what am I going to do the rest of the day? 

I applied make-up and headed out to pick up a prescription, pay a bill and check the mail. I was excited to be around other people and eager to talk with old acquaintances. One friend offered me a job helping her with her new venture, wedding venues. It definitely sounded interested. That took 30 minutes so it was still not nearing lunch time. My thought: how am I going to do this?

My husband said I had to learn to pace myself, that I could not do everything in one day. Hmm. I only know how to work full steam, I don't know how to change that pace. I'll try to take one day at a time. 

#10FoundWords Feb 1 Hacking

Hacking

Wildlife psychology teaches us how to imprint young to an area

Some doubted the program could succeed

Eaglets were captured and placed on a refuge

High atop a twenty foot tower in a hacking box

A 6 x 6 x 6 framework surrounded by screen wire simulated the nest

Staff concealed their identity with a coverlet

To become surrogate parents, actors in the narrative

Bravery urged them up the narrow ladder

Daily carrying food and water

Mainly fresh fish, never a chicken

As the Eaglets grew, they learned to fly

Practicing close to the nest, always returning

Finally it was time fledge

They soared high above, transcending the hacking box

Sometimes dipping in the pool of water to capture the freshest of fish

Eagle Day 2017

This weekend the public is invited to venture outdoors and view Eagles in the wild. This is the last of the scheduled Eagle Day events in Missouri for this winter. Viewing scopes will be focused on eagle nests at three sites, Lake Wappapello, Duck Creek Conservation Area and Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. We've been seeing pairs of nesting Eagles around their nests, so the odds of observing Eagles are high. 

Staff from the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, MO will present hourly live eagle programs featuring a Bald Eagle, Phoenix. 

At four other stations, naturalists will provide visitors with facts about wetland habitats, food webs, adaptations and successful attempts to restore Eagles to the area. The Visitor Center will have crafts, an Eagle video, and exhibits about the Bald Eagle. 

Participants can see a model hacking tower. It will be used to demonstrate how eaglets were raised on the Refuge in hopes they would imprint on the area and return to raise their young. Thirty-four Eagles were successfully hacked from 1981 through 1988. 

Call Mingo National Wildlife Refuge for specific information at 573/222-3589.

 Painting of a Bald Eagle by PJH