2010: What's the Plan?

The plan for the new year is the usual one. Except now I begin a five-year pre-retirement plan. Yes, most people begin that a tad earlier, but I've never been most people. Continue at the current position for a total of 2 or 3 years, then find a higher paying position until I retire, so I can get a better pension. After retirement, work at TMLA as part time teacher, staff developer, or administrator.

Right now, step up the profile at BUFSD, continue to teach at  SJU, and get another course or see about teaching the Saturday CAPSTONE prep course. Put together a conference presentation, or workshop for SCOPE. 

Clean out entire house. Drop 25 pounds by Easter. More to come---not pounds, though.

Another Hannon Christmas

Our 2009 Christmas Eve seemed smaller, but it was lovely. There were only two generations present, with Mary Ann moved to Florida and Uncle Tony and Carolyn gone to PA a day earlier. I left in time to attend Midnight Mass and therfore missed Dan and Jen, but I am sure I'll catch up with them soon. The party in Rockefeller Centre this past Sunday was another great family get together -- with Kelly our star on ice. 

After a slight protest, which I quickly quelled, the nephews and Kelly proceeded to the staircase for the annual picture. All bets are off for this for next year, though.

Jesus Before Pilate: Speaking Truth to Power?

As usual Connie Dietz delivered an insightful, thought-provoking homily during yesterday's celebration of the Feast of Christ the King, referencing the striking (yet perfect) choice of the Gospel reading. So counter intuitive this Jesus. Last first, poor, rich, exalted and lowly. For me this radical way of life is presented most beautifully in the Sermon on the Mount and the chapters that follow. Yet, how deeply challenging a life to live. David's blog post connects the gospel passage to the concept of "servant leadership," which caught my attention. Here's a Cliff Notes version of SL.

Servant leadership is considered an underlying philosophy of leadership, demonstrated through specific characteristics and practices. The foundational concepts are found in Greenleaf’s first three major essays, The Servant as Leader, The Institution as Servant, and Trustees as Servants.

The Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership identified the following ten characteristic of servant leaders: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of others, and building community.

More to come on this, I suspect.

More Substance to this Blog Needed?

Maybe, but since I'm my only reader, it doesn't really matter and I haven't been receiving too may complaints. The thoughts of a Gilliganesque career move are resonating with me lately. They are coming more into my orbit, the realm of the possible, if not yet, probable. In some ways this could seem quite a leap. Others may see it as a different kind of leap--off the professional ledge. That's not really the way I see it at all. I see it as  a potentially transformative, life giving decision. My career has taken a hit but I've rolled with it, and this is bigger than a career, this is about living a mission and a vision, something for which I've longed over the years, on and off and to varying degrees. Hhmm. I need to plan now.

A Slight Issue with the Tombstone

So I get all the way out to Calverton National Cemetery and eventually locate Section 66 grave 5841. Front, no problem: Daniel J. Hannon, U.S. Army, etc. etc. The back: "Rosemary A. His Wife." Oh my God.  That must be the engraver's default setting for wives, because there is no way we would have opted for "his wife," to put it kindly. Fortunately, my mother was secure enough not to care about such a thing; she might even find it funny. Or not.

Calverton Here I Come

For a visit, that is, not my final resting  place; it's too soon and I've never been in the military (except for grammar school) so I don't qualify. I'm leaning towards cremation anyway; it's cheaper, quicker, and rife with fun possibilities for the disposition of the ashes.

So tomorrow, Veterans' Day I am taking my friend's mother to Calverton National Cemetery to visit the graves of her her recently deceased brothers. While there, I will visit my parents' grave. I've been there three times,  two funerals and one visit with my mother to my father's grave site. Now I have this sinking feeling that I'll get there and see that we never got my mother's name put on the tomb stone. Everything is a blur from those days; but jeez, I hope we at least took care of that important detail.  This time tomorrow I'll blog the answer, maybe even post a picture.

"The Baleful Effect of Patriarchal Mariology"

Wow... I just read the first two chapters of Elizabeth Johnson's Truly Our Sister, better late than never, considering it was published in 2003. I sense movement, faint sounds within my mind and heart which I've allowed in now and then through the decades, in varying decibels. All I can hope is to be attentive and open, maybe even with a stance of "forgiving vigilance." 

And what of other discussions of "Catholic feminism" ? Is it an oxymoron? Is there truly such a gulf between the feminist interests of celibate women religious and their non celibate counterparts in the parishes?  According to a recent article published by Johns Hopkins University, 

The content of Catholic feminism depends a lot on individual circumstances and the mysteries of temperament. What distinguishes, say, the successful attorney who would never tolerate an overtly sexist boss but stays firmly in the pews of a church with an all-male hierarchy from the Catholic feminist whose principles dictate a life on the institution’s margins? And how does she differ in turn from the woman whose conscience impels her to leave the church? 

Interesting musings for just another Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Today's is a Tough Gospel to Live

Giving from one's substance, not one's abundance. I think that's the translation I recall from my childhood. Maybe not; "substance" doesn't seem right. Anyway, this reading is certainly easier to hear when you're a child  and you don't really have anything to give, or any reputation to maintain, or any desire really to be admired. Not as easy at 50.

Gospel

Mk 12:38-44 or 12:41-44

In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds,
"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues, 
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext
recite lengthy prayers. 
They will receive a very severe condemnation."

He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. 
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. 
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury. 
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood."

Hamlet Begone!

I trust America, the magazine that is, for a solid review of Hamlet with Jude Lawe.  And, wow, what a closing line: “The course of action that seems most appropriate for this dissatisfied prince is not bloody murder but a Bloody Mary on some southerly beach.” Ouch. Given the cost and my own somewhat high standards for the play, I am not forking over serious cash for a merely “clear” performance. It is not enough that the audience understand what happens by the end of the play -- which according to the reviewer is about as good as it gets with this production. I do not need to go gaga over Jude Lawe as Hamlet. So, I’ll lower the expectations, go enjoy Jersey Boys, and call it a day.

It's a Beautiful Season

It's my godchild's 12th birthday, All Saints' Day, and it is a beautiful autumn day in New York. I think of autumn as a kind of dusk, and once again, I find myself looking to be rejuvenated-  a perennial state of mind for me, despite the season. I have been fortunate to learn about Ignatian spirituality and and the CSJ charism, both of which I call upon to inform my daily interactions and my own spirituality-- with varying degrees of consistency. These are gifts to be continually opened. In Jesuit boys' schools and CSJ girls' schools, the students are called upon to be "men for others" and women of "all inclusive love," both in many ways from the same Catholic  tradition. Something wonderful to consider on this feast of All Saints.

Forget the Casket: Lay Me Out on a Couch

Okay, the  title might seem morbid, but it's actually a brilliantly succinct expression of what my dear friend Claudia has chronicled for almost 20 years and calls "The Secret Life of Mary Hannon." I should add to the title that instead of rosary beads in my hands, just give me a nice Cablevision DVR remote.  Oh, but enough about me.

Still A Mary Louis Woman After All These Years

I guess in addition to faith, family, friends, and work, TMLA remains an important factor in my life. Actually, my ongoing TMLA experience encompasses all of those things. Most recently, I attended a dinner welcoming SSP, Student Sponsor Partnerships to its first year with Mary Louis. SSP is a Manhattan-based, not-for-profit company which matches students with financial need to appropriate private secondary institutions. This year, TMLA welcomed 9 ninth graders via SSP-- to be matched to TMLA, the girls demonstrated the ability to be successful in the rigorous TMLA academic environment. Each girl will be supported also by a "time" sponsor. This is an adult who partners with SSP and TMLA to serve as a mentor or academic coach for the students. 

I am very excited to be a sponsor this year to a young lady who lives in Roosevelt, Long Island and has begun her career at TMLA. I met her and her parents at the opening dinner and quickly realized that I taught several of her cousins years ago. I am proud that TMLA is embarking on this journey and I am very excited to be a part of it.

Progressive Lenses, Golden Eagles, and Bartimaeus?

Maybe my new glasses, dubbed "progressives" will help me progress further --- I've been a bit stalled lately. Now that I think about it, I have been using vision metaphors increasingly to describe my new position, or more precisely, the different perspective which  my work responsibilities require. I welcome new lenses. ** I wonder if they come with a weight loss lens? (That's for another post)

The home of the Golden Eagles, I am realizing, is a wonderful place with lots of opportunities for experimentation and for extending students' experience beyond the traditional classroom. As I get a better understanding of the landscape, I think I need to work creatively  on a two tier track: enhancing these experiences (21st century learning opportunities) outside the classroom AND transforming the traditional classroom to embed these new instructional strategies and learning experiences within the classroom.

**Writing often clarifies and occasionally illuminates.  The concept of vision is indeed powerful. It turns out it is the subject of today's Gospel. [Excerpt posted by David McCallum, S.J. on Ad Maioriam Dei Gloriam]

Mk 10:46-52

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me."
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see."
Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you."
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way. 

Polarity Management:I'll Take a Ying Yang Combo:

In friend's blog post yesterday, (Ad Maioram Dei Gloriam) he discussed the concept of polarity management. This is based on the premise that oftentimes, what we consider problems to be solved are really "polarities to be managed."  I think this is especially true in cases or points of view that seem entrenched or intractable or in which people have taken sides or formed camps. Working within existing polarities in an organization makes so much more sense than the traditional problem-based, either/or methodology. That does not mean it's not difficult, or that such an approach will always be successful, but I think it's the right frame of reference from which to start. It suggests an honesty, a recognition of differences, and a respect for them. In my current undertaking, this approach will be interesting, but challenging because many people (myself included) at times feel confident that they alone know what needs to be changed and how to change it. 

While the details may be different and the terms new, this reminds me of the Aristotelian idea of moderation. Our current political culture would certainly benefit from a little polarity management, which I think the president is attempting. 

Facebook and Morning Coffee

I wonder how many others check their email and Facebook before leaving the house in the morning? I cannot remember when I started doing this, but now I don't even pick up the Sunday Times.  It's online. I will say that it is hard sometimes to be charitable and nonjudmental when confronted with statuses that do not seem to need updating or with invitations, pokes, and photos. I did go through a FB addictive phase, but I've gotten more of a handle on it. Like most things with me, there are fits and starts to my FB activity. 

Opening Day 28

Tuesday morning from about 8AM to 10Am, members of theBethpage School District gathered for their Opening Day. This featured the new Superintendent, a beloved 24- year Bethpage veteran, and his slide shows of results, who's new, milestones, then the year in review. Very nice, engaging way to begin the year.  Like the other 2 public school districts, of which I have been a part, at Bethpage, the teachers seat themselves (like children) in the last possible rows, so there is about one third of the front of the auditorium empty... except for administrators. Unlike the other two, Bethpage is a one man show-- no introduction of Board members, building administrators, anniversary celebrants, Teachers of the Year, or student entertainment. My sense, however,  was that there was sincere enthusiasm for and mutual appreciation of the Superintendent and staff, which set a very positive tone to begin the year.

The Other First Day: Opening Day

No, not the first day on the bus for kindergartners or anxious moms following in SUV's, not the dreaded summer reading test, nor the first foray into the cafeteria for a "new kid" in school. Those concern students and families and often evoke strong memories.  This other opening usually occurs the day before, when the faculty and staff of a school (for private schools) and of the entire district (in public school) gathers en masse for its own opening day ritual. If my count is accurate, after tomorrow, I will have attended 28 such events, including eight in three Catholic secondary schools and twenty in three public school districts. I think that gives me sufficient credibility to weigh in on the subject... and I shall, tomorrow.

Labor Day Weekend 2009

For most of my professional life, I have "labored" at some point during this holiday weekend, from going in to work to clean a classroom or office, to organizing locker cards for incoming 7th graders, or to refining my opening day meeting agenda. The tradition continues. While there is enough to keep me laboring in the book rooms of the high school and the middle school in my new district, I will stay away and work via my laptop, perhaps while enjoying the ocean breeze. But the annual decision about the opening day outfit remains as does the hair and nail appointment and the last-minute let's lose weight and get tan in one weekend mentality. Simply juvenile.

On Welcoming Myopia

I've been reading a bit on integral leadership, most recently on the IL website. What resonated with me was the gist of several articles: the difficulty of  theorists' important, substantive work truly informing the every day work of leading. Probably, this caught my attention because I am struggling with my new role, which, ostensibly, requires quite a narrowing of my professional lens. I have a specific task : improvement in 8th graders' ELA scores.  Not that there are not other components to the job description, but, in this era of NCLB, assessment scores are king. Seems myopic. Fortunately, however, ELA is all about engaging students in reading and writing, which presents myriad instructional possibilities for creativity and challenge. In New York, I think we just need to change mental models--- drudgery and mind numbing skill books begone!

I've been reflecting about how my knowledge, experience, and skill can inform my practice.  I don't want to over think things, which can lead to paralysis, but I do want to incorporate what I have learned over the years-- about learning, about teaching, about people,  about leading, about cultivating relationships. It's exciting almost, and each day I become more comfortable thinking about the new role. As much as I'd like to compartmentalize my life-- I no longer try. (Sorry about that ridiculous "ize" verb.)  So, yes, of course, my posts end up intertwined. I am in the process of identifying professional attachments to shed in order to enter more fully into this new role. How Ignatian. Also a good example of learning through writing. Hhmm.

Attachments Begone....

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could simply blink away those things we cling to despite knowing we would live more fully without them? And what are they, exactly? Actual things, habits, needs, misdirected energies. Each of us has our own menu. My current employment will seriously challenge me to refocus my lens, to change my perspective. I welcome this opportunity to use all my experiences in the new role and to create more time and space for reflection.

The Stuff of Life Can Stop You Mid Post!

How long before you can declare stuff "junk" and discard? And I don't even have to concern myself with someone else's stuff. It's just me! I say one year is a  reasonable amount of time; except for clothes-- fat clothes, skinny clothes, and yes, the "maybe" clothes.  Tackling the sartorial stuff is more complex than the usual seasonal de cluttering. If you make sure clothes are clean and in wearable condition, you can stuff them into a nearby St. Vincent dePaul box, thus focusing on your generosity, a low level corporal work of mercy even, not your own corpus giguntus. 

Then there's the other stuff. For me, as I guess for others, the accumulated matter filling closets, boxes, and crawl spaces in my home reflects my tendency to "flit from one thing to another," as my mother used to say. I remember learning a great SAT word for that which escapes me at the moment. I'll come back to that. Ah...desultory!

As it turns out, this little blogging activity has led me to something deeper and, ultimately,more meaningful. Of course, true contemplation here would require one to consider one's possessions and think more deeply about shedding them, freeing one's self from these attachments, recognizing one's relative abundance.

One Month Later

It's been a lazy, busy month, however oxymoronic that may sound. I've been reading a lot on line and continue to think about procuring a Kindle. The picture above is from earlier in the season at a Night of Storytelling for toddlers. What fun!

I am becoming even more of a documentary enthusiast. Enjoying Sports Illustrated of all things, NPR, some well written Op Ed pieces and still reading Wish You Well by David Balducci -- that's the lazy part of busy. I still have a ridiculous tdl---that never went away and, no surprise, many items from last month remain. 

Summer Reading 2009 @ Bethpage

Never a big fan of the mandatory summer reading assignment, I was pleasantly surprised by the Bethpage plan. Choice is provided; very important. The titles are excellent. Teachers are available to provide help to students on specific days during the summer. (Also a State ed requirement). The librarians even made videos about each book. That's a plan I can support, and the letter from the Assistant Superintendent was informative and well written, especially as its audience was parents. [I actually would love an alternative assignment to be the creation of a video advertising the book to next year's students.] Also got me thinking about creating authentic "Read" posters for school libraries, featuring various members of the Bethpage community.  Ideally, we can create a culture for students which encourages and celebrates all types of reading and writing so that reading over the summer would be taken for granted.

So far, I have procured one book for each grade level, but I need at least a second. These titles might actually be good to consider for mentor texts next year, or maybe literature circles. That way, students will already have familiarity with some of the texts.

What's on Your To Read List?

I am hereby, officially, forever ditching the tdl for the trl. It's not as if the tdl was such a success anyway. I can pretty much recite it -- laundry, dry cleaners, wardrobe for the week, food shopping, bills, school stuff, SJU stuff, calls, etc. I'm here in clean clothes, my electricity hasn't been shut off, and people are still talking to me, so I guess I can venture on without the list.

But a reading list....oh now that's another story altogether. I'll time myself doing a 2-minute "quick write" (omg remember that? was it it any way useful?) of titles I have read recently, am currently reading or rereading, or plan to read or reread in the not-too-distant future:

Caulkins, Art of Teaching Reading
Caulkins, Art of Teaching Writing
Dan Pink, Johnny Bunko
JhumpaLahiri, Unaccustomed Earth, Namesake, Interpreter of Maladies
Patchett, Patron Saint of Liars
Life of Pi
Albert Einstein
Pink, Brain Rules
Patchett, Bel Canto
Noe, Getting Started with Literature Circles
Holes
Wit
The Giver
Gospel of St.John
Balducci, Wish You Well
Hawthorne, Bartleby the Scrivener
Friedman, The World is Flat

That's far from complete but my recall is not what it used to be, but an interesting list nevertheless.