Breakfast

Recovery: Part II

Recovery is a process. Whether I have biked 80 miles, walked 8 miles or put a new floor in the kitchen, the body has to recover. Training helps the body recover faster and more completely. Training reduces the soreness inevitably brought on by a physical activity. How do you train for a bad work situation? I realize many people would say that you find another job situation. In education that isn't always easy. I entered the profession at age 30, did my advanced degrees so I could earn a livable salary, but suddenly you are early 40's with no interest in totally leaving the classroom (I have written before about full time, career administrators and it isn't positive.) and it is nearly impossible to change districts. I was co-chairing the department where I found wonderful people to work with. We took care of each other, we worked hard, consistently changing our lesson plans to reach the ever-changing teenage mind. But twice monthly came those increasingly tense department chair meetings. The body recovers from physical activity, the mind is a more difficult muscle to train.

Being a person of faith I believed prayer could assist, it did. I believed spending time in creation could assist, it did. I believed riding my bike could assist, it did. But what I didn't recognize was that my recovery was never complete. Just as a physical work-out without proper training puts you in debt, mental stress without the proper time to heal accumulates mental debt........stress. This, in-turn, produces a negative attitude toward your superiors and that begins to wear down those who work with you.

Tony Swartz posted this "stress curve" in http://www.theenergyproject.com/blog/stress-not-your-enemy. I can now see that I was beginning to operate more and more in the exhaustion section of this curve. More next time.

Recovery Part 1: background

Retirement didn't last long. It was a bit over a year ago that a call came from a friend, and former colleague, asking if I would be interested in finishing out the 13/14 school year as a Library Aide. This would give me an opportunity to spend time with students without papers to grade or lessons to plan or teachers to evaluate, heaven. It didn't take long to decide that if the position opened I would apply. Fortunately, the school thought I would contribute something and hired me.

I never totally understood the toxic environment I worked in for the final twenty years of my career and especially the final seven to eight years. A single building (high school) of 2,000 students with a superintendent, two assistant superintendents, building principal, two assistant principals, deans, and department chairs who handled a portion of evaluations, budgets, teaching schedules, etc. A consistently high turn-over rate that was explained away every year by one excuse or another. A salary schedule that had gone from one of the highest in the area to one in the lower third. The building principal and one assistant superintendent were placed in their positions without having to interview or even having the positions advertised. The newly named building principal had taught for 5 years, hated it so much she went into consulting through the local regional office and was brought back in an administrative role.

I attended a meeting with one of my staff members with the superintendent over a Close-Up (search for the program) misunderstanding. We arrived to see the administrative staff lined up behind the superintendent, the initial dressing down was to my department member but then the discussion turned on me. I found out that I couldn't be trusted (I even had the superintendent repeat the accusation twice) and I was to no longer make any decision without approval. I was at the state teacher retirement office later that week and retired within two years (ERO option, 28 service years + 2 years sick leave).  Oh, I did continue to make decisions and no one ever asked about it. My retirement letter which I thought would be part of the public record even stated that having had it made clear what was thought of my tenure at this high school I would not be attending the retirement luncheon nor would I expect any retirement gift. I was amazed that this triggered no response from any board member, not a question to a person who had been a part of the district for twenty-eight years, a department chair for twenty years, and winner of the Outstanding Contributor Award in 2010.

Fortunately, the superintendent retired the same year as I did. The district hired a new superintendent and as one of the few people with any sense of history in the district I invited the new superintendent to meet for coffee. The new school leader was a breath of fresh air, one hundred eighty degrees from the former superintendent; how do you tell him what he was walking into? I took the cowards route and didn't. After the retired assistant superintendent was appointed to fill a vacancy on the school board I knew what was coming and sure enough, two years later the new superintendent is leaving. I don't know all the reasons but I do not believe it ethical for a former administrator of a failing school district to join the school board of district he was unable to impact during twenty years as an administrator. Run for school board in one of the feeder districts within the community but let others do what you were unable to accomplish.

I hope to develop the theme of recovery over future posts. Suffice it to say, not all districts operate like the one where I invested so much of my professional life.

Contemplations

Training miles: 217.5

Because I will be riding alone I am trying to do most of my training alone. I will try to drag son or a friend along on some rides but most of the time I will ride alone. Some of you reading this may think that sounds awful, some may think you would listen to music or a book, and some may quit at the mere thought of riding alone. I have come to appreciate being alone on my bike.

Today, my wife walked nearly 4 miles in just over 60 minutes. That was wonderful, I enjoy the time with my wife, I always enjoy being outdoors (no phone!) on a beautiful day but walking with her makes it even more special. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork (Psalm 19:1)." We get to catch up a bit on what we have been thinking, struggling with, enjoying, plans, budget, family, and other every day things. But this isn't the same as being alone on a bike.

The Psalm remains as true, I get to examine creation in a whole different manner when alone. I can ask questions of God when I'm alone that I wouldn't ask in the company of others. I am more clearly thinking when alone and I can set small goals without needing to ask anyone if that sounds okay to them. The Psalmist goes on to write in verses 3-4, "there is no speech nor spoken word (from the stars); their voice is not heard; yet their voice (in evidence) goes out through all the earth, their sayings to the end of the world. Of the heavens has God made a tent for the sun." These words are so true. The sun nor clouds verbally respond to my questions nor the stars when out before the sun rises (yes, I have lights) but their voice is heard through the quiet. God's voice can speak through the quiet and we need quiet to hear it. Alone, on a bike, provides that opportunity.

Endurance

I've started training for a summer bike trip. Today was one of those difficult days, strong wind out of the southeast that held my first 6 miles of the ride to an average speed of 8.3 mph. A quick right turn made it difficult to stay upright on the bike for the next couple of miles and one final right turn made all the difference. I could ride 20 mph without effort all the way home. Enduring the first six miles took some mind games, I think the new phrase in education is "grit." It is interesting that we are discovering many students are lacking grit. How did they miss out? How do we give it to them? Is grit important in life? Is grit important in school?

Those raised on a farm are laughing, grit was taught early and often.....chores that had to be done every day, hard, dirty, sometimes dangerous work taught "grit." People of faith know the words of James, "consider it wholly joyful,, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort, or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience (Amplified Bible p 358)." The ability to overcome adversity comes by facing adversity, ask any athlete. We don't develop endurance by avoiding training, physical, mental and spiritual. They all contribute to developing endurance so we can run the race of life.

My ride today brought my March total to 128 miles. Not nearly enough seat time for my 1200 mile ride later this summer, but it's a beginning, my endurance is on the rise.

Retirement

Not sure where all the time has gone. School year started with me still teaching my online US History class. We met family for a week at Yellowstone National Park in early September and now late September has our kitchen torn up waiting for sub-contractors so I begin the finishing process.

This was our fourth trip to Yellowstone, first time after school year has begun and the park always amazes me. There is so much to study and education examples abound. Questions of the how, when, and why, nature kept running through my mind. I understand the science behind the "millions of years" for some of the canyons to form and then you read about the floods in Colorado, which occurred just as we were leaving YNP, and you wonder if really understand geologic time. Seems a flood can do a lot of damage in a short amount of time.

To Start a Business

 August 15 meant a trip to Midwest Distribution (United Methodist relief organization) where several of us spent the day working. Those of us who were assembling school desks noticed that there were a large number of old sewing machines. This took me back to my early years where I would sit and on the floor at my grandmother's house and push that floor pedal up and down to watch the needle work. No electricity needed.

Why does the United Methodist Church collect, literally, dozens of these machines and get them working in perfect order? I have made five mission trips to the Amazon region and was still puzzled by the 21st century need for these types of sewing machines.

Two gentlemen rework these machines by cleaning, oiling, and fine tuning the gears. They are then "shrink wrapped," placed on palates and shipped to regions around the world where there is no electricity but cottage businesses can thrive with this advancement over hand sewing. Wow, I am so bombarded every day with 21st century technology that I forget there is a significant segment of the world that still goes without electricity.

What if more of us sacrificed a few "things" and started giving money to organizations that are producing small solar panels for use in these areas of the world where consistent electric supply is still years away. My challenge today (STEM) for teachers is to have their classes work on solar and wind power generators that are small and easily assembled. They must be able to withstand harsh climates, be easy to set up and take down. The footprint must be minimal.

I know these types of products are being created but our students might come up with a simple product, lighter, stronger, more efficient means of bringing electricity to the less fortunate of the world.