Bryans' Sustainability Blog

2011-11-21T17:48:00.001-05:00

Since my last post I have been plodding forward with my plans to get the idea of ESD more widely recognized in my area. To that end I have met with representatives of our local Land conservation group, The Harris Center, and Antioch University.
The meeting with the Harris center was quite productive and there is the possibility of an evening course nest spring and even a teacher workshop.
Today I held a meeting at school with a number of faculty who had expressed an interest in ESD. I gave a brief presentation on ESD and then we had an informal discussion, over lunch provided by my principal, to talk about how we might spread the idea with in the district, and certainly within our high school. It was suggested that I give a similar presentation at a faculty meeting and follow it with an assignment to come up with some ideas as to how ESD could fit into each teacher's curriculum. I have the Principal's OK to go ahead with this.
I have also started an online course through the GREEN Education Foundation. So far I have been very impressed with the quality of the course, both in terms of the online pedagogy, and in terms of content for the person who wants to learn about sustainability in education.
The course is currently in BETA testing so you can try it for free if you log onto
http://www.greeneducationfoundation.org/
There are also all kinds of great ESD lesson plans to be had here.
My next move is to get in touch with Franklin Pierce University with which my school has a close association. I'd like to work out some kind of partnership with them since they are in one of our two district towns.

2011-09-04T06:29:00.001-04:00

I’ve been interested in ESD since before I started teaching. In fact ESD is the reason I started teaching, though I didn’t know at the time that it was called ESD. What I did know is that we live in a finite world but, through our dysfunctional economic model we are destroying our environment. As a scientist, I know that the next generation will need to be educated so that it can work toward solutions to the problems that two centuries of consumerism and infinite growth philosophy have created.

Sustainable development has three components:

Environment
Society
Economy.

It includes all of the following

Biodiversity
Climate Change
Cultural Diversity
Indigenous Knowledge
Disaster Risk Reduction
Poverty Reduction
Gender Equality
Health Promotion
Sustainable Lifestyles
Peace and Human Security
Water
Sustainable Urbanization

It is directly relevant to our students because it is about their world and their future.

A useful, and brief (2 pages), white paper can be found at the U.S. Partnership for Education for SustainableDevelopment website. The US Partnership has also published a set of National Learning Standards for K-12 education

Last year I was able to create a course which I called “Sustainability”. I still hadn’t heard about ESD but then I found out about the Fulbright-Japan program, applied and was introduced to the global community of like-minded educators. Introduction to this community through the Fulbright-Japan opportunity has increased my passion for ESD, and motivation to get ESD taught across the curriculum in the school in which I work, and eventually across the whole school district. I am fortunate in working with a number of colleagues who share my interest. Over the summer I was given a professional development grant to develop curriculum extending my sustainability course from one quarter to a full semester.

I have introduced the topic of sustainability to my Principal, and the District Superintendent and Curriculum Coordinator and have received their support. At the same time I recognize that a top down approach is not likely to be effective. To that end I am inviting a nucleus of like minded colleagues to join me in enhancing their curricula with ESD activities and projects.

It is my intention to document my progress with the introduction of ESD to the district through this Blog

7/4 Independence Day - Kyoto & Osaka

2011-07-15T11:29:00.002-04:00

July 4^th, Independence day. This is our one free day in Japan. A bunch of us have decided to go to Kyoto with Keiko. We took the train to Kyoto and arrived at the new, modern station. There is a shopping mall built around the station and it has an observation deck on the roof. We went up to the roof to see all of Kyoto laid out before us ending, in the distance, in lush forest.

We purchased an all day bus ticket and headed out to our first temple of the day. The Ryōan-ji Temple which has beautiful gardens and a famous Zen rock garden.

Keiko on Temple Steps

Our next temple was Kinkaku-ji, also known as the Golden Temple.

The next little trip was a real surprise. After a train and bus ride we arrived at Kibune. This is a beautiful little village up in the hills. It is famous for its ryokan, restaurants built on platforms over the river which face out on to beautiful waterfalls. Her you can eat noodles which float by you in a bamboo bordered stainless steel chute. Hard to explain. You’ll have to see the movie!(Catching Lunch ..) it follows this post.

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You can tie your wishes to a bamboo

You can tie them to a rack

or you can float them in the water

After enjoying the shrine we went into Osaka to the Dotumburi district. It was pouring with rain. We enjoyed the street with hundreds of restaurants and crazy signs. There was a fugu restaurant with a giant puffer fish sign hanging outside. We were heading for another food treat –Okonomiyaki. These are pancakes made with a batter and filled with greens, and a variety of meats and fish. You choose. There are two styles. We had the Hiroshima style. This means that the pancake is cooked in layers, rather than having all the ingredients mixed together.The cooking is done on a teppanyaki table while diners sit around the chefs at the bar which is, like the teppanyaki table, heated. DON”T PUT YOUR ELBOWS ON THE TABLE! The pancakes are served on the bar and eaten with a little shovel shaped spatula. See it done at Okonomiyaki

Courtesy of Aimee Welch

Thus ended our last full day in Japan

Catching Lunch in Kyoto

2011-07-15T11:28:00.001-04:00

Click here to view this video

7/1 - 7/3 Kobe conference

2011-07-14T10:48:00.001-04:00

Keiko and Yuko at Mosaic in Kobe

Keiko at the conference

This was the final wrap up. We spent all of our time working with our Japanese colleagues on the next steps. There were a number of excellent lectures but the focus was on the development of joint projects. I was involved with two of these, one was about food and is based on the book, The Hungry Planet, the other is about energy usage.
In th evening we had a farewell reception as our Japanese colleagues were heading back to their homes.

Dr. Satterwhite says Goodbye

Dan, Terri, Jen, Jess and, in front, Katrina

Me and Shinichi (my physics collaborator)

6/30 - Gold Leaf Museum, Tea house district & Recycling center

2011-07-14T10:35:00.002-04:00

This was our last day in Kanazawa. We started the day by checking out of the hotel.We took a group picture on the hotel stairs.

We then jumped the bus for the Tomuro recycling center in Kanazawa city.
This is both a recycling center and an education center for fourth graders to learn about the importance of recycling. The entry hall had a variety of art made out of recycled materials.

We met the director of the center who apologized for the fact that the center was not in operation that day due to scheduled maintenance.He took us upstairs to a meeting room where he showed us a video which is used with fourth graders and describes how recycling is done in Kanazawa and why recycling is important.

We then went downstairs to a large exhibit hall which explained how recycling is done with different materials. He also showed us how Kanazawa recycles large objects like furniture and refrigerators and other appliances. Within the recycling center is a workshop where these items are repaired and then can be auctioned back to the people of Kanazawa. What a terrific idea.

Then off to the Yasue Gold leaf Museum. This is located in a tea-house district of Kanazawa. In the museum the process of preparing gold leaf was explained. Gold was first discovered near Kanazawa before it was called Kanazawa. Kanazawa means golden stream. In addition to the discovery of gold a plant whose stems and leaves are required for the making of the paper which separates gold leaf also grows here. Thus the basic ingredients were available locally and the industry took off. Now the gold is bought on the commodities market in London. Most of it is from South Africa. Kanazawa provides 99% of the goldleaf used in Japan. It is found on the Golden Temple, photos of which you will see in a later blog.

Gold leaf shrine and screens

After the museum we walked around the tea district. Then back on the buses for lunch at a hotel in the station.

At the lunch we were able to make presentations to our amazing guides for the Kanazawa stay.

Then back on the train and on to Kobe, and our Okura hotel. I was surprised at our return because my new room was a huge corner room with great views and room for a pony! It was dinner on our own at night so few of us went to Chinatown.

6/29 Omicho Market,Shikindai Junior High,Ishikawa Nationa College of Technology, Night life

2011-07-13T14:10:00.006-04:00

Woke up early and met Aimee and Jen and we walked over to the Omicho Market. While the market hadn't opened yet, much of the food was out and we were able to take lots of cool photographs of interesting fish products and some other stuff which will remain a mystery to me.

Mystery stuff!

At 8:30 we caught a bus to Shikindai Junior High school. We arrived to the usual warm welcome. We were greeted with a speech and a brief outline of the education for sustainable development activities at the school. We then visited classes which included Taiko drumming, tea ceremony, Noh Theater and Kaga Yuzen dyeing. We also had a chance to look at some other classes.

Recycling bottle caps

Preparing for the meeting

Principal introduction

Taiko drumming

Tea ceremony class

Preparing scenery for the Noh play

Preparing Kaga Yuzen (silk dyeing)

Kaga Yuzen Kimono

Americans try Kaga Yuzen

Student Work

Science class, making guns from chopsticks!

Our next stop was the Ishikawa National College of Technology. We had lunch in the school cafeteria. The lunch is quite impressive I really enjoyed the shrimp tempura.

Beat this for school lunch!

We were then met by the President and given a brief outline of the school by the Vice President. We were then given a tour of some classes which included a class on remote sensing, an architecture class in which they designed chairs made from wood thinned from the forest, and another class where they were developing ways to filter water for purification. This was the first place in which I'd seen technology, like whiteboards and computers, readily available to students.

Remote sensing class

Water filtration

Testing the water

Chair design. More comfortable than it looks!

More chairs

After our tour of the classes we had a meeting in which we were told about the education for sustainable development activities the school. We then met with teachers and discussed environmental projects ongoing in both countries.

English Workshop

We were then invited to the 44th English club workshop, where we were honored guests. The we shared a tea ceremony, lots of formal introductions, and then we were headed off with groups of students in order to give them an opportunity to practice their English. It was a lot of fun.

English Workshop

Later that evening I hooked up with Terry, Jess, Ed and Yo-yo. We had decided to explore Kanazawa's darker side. Apparently, when the salarymen are done with work they head to small bars where they meet up with young women. These women actors hostesses and pour drinks etc. The men woo these women and is quite a business in candy and huge bouquets of flowers which apparently are part of the wooing process. Anyway, there is a district in Kanazawa where these activities take place. It is full of small bars and karaoke lounges and shops which sell candy and flowers. It is a very interesting place to walk around. We found a neat place where they make tiny balls of egg which contain octopus. They also had black sesame ice cream. It made for a delicious dinner. We walked around and discovered a little alleyway full of tiny bars with enough room to seat eight people. We sat down in one of these bars ordered drinks and food was laid in front of us. Mostly different items in a dashi broth. It was quite an adventure.

Octopus balls (not really, eggs with octopus in them!)

6/28 - Samurai House, Chuo Elementary,Kanazawa University, KenKen Ochin Restaurant

2011-07-13T14:01:00.001-04:00

I breakfasted early and went to the buffet option I had natto!

Fermented soybeans. O.K. so it isn't so tasty.

We have some extra time this morning so so a of us had decided to visit the samurai house. We met in the hotel lobby after breakfast and walked past small canals to the samurai district which was quite nearby. We found the samurai house was open bought our tickets. We took the tour. We also took a lot of pictures.

We also discovered a great gift store with really amazing candies and pottery.

Back to the hotel to meet up with a whole group. Then a walk back in exactly the same direction as the samurai house to the Chuo elementary school. A group of students was waiting to greet us. As usual we had to remove our shoes. Then we went into a conference room where the principal and some other teachers were waiting to greet us. In the same conference room was a display of some of the students' work with gold leaf and Kaga Yusen dyeing. Refreshments were served and we were given fans, which were sorely needed in a high-temperature and humidity that is constant for Kanazawa at this time of year.

The school was founded in April of 1987 through the amalgamation of four smaller elementary school it was interesting to hear their mission statements which says "they wish to promote development of the school as the home of learning, as well as fostering pupils who are well balanced in terms of knowledge, virtue and physical strength:

creating a 'home of learning' to which pupils go happily and fondly recall studying at after their graduation;

creating a' home where children learn from each other' that parents, guardians and the community can count on and be proud of;

creating a 'homeland to create competence' where teachers can feel they are improving their abilities while working; and promoting the development of a school that is energetic, productive and trustworthy."

There are very involved in what they call the UNESCO school project which is described in the following way:
"We wish to encourage the students to think about an environmentally friendly lifestyle, and to deepen understanding and appreciation ship of their relationship, their bond, with the environment. In order to do this, we will conduct environmental education and education in traditional culture. We will also provide opportunities for learning about the two water channels in our schools zone(the two rivers if Kanazawa), our handmadebiotope, and the local cultural and historical heritage. In addition, we will promote activities of the Students Committee in our school, such as activities to encourage ecological thinking and sustainable society, as well as greeting and volunteer work, thereby strengthening the bonds between all students."
The introduction then goes on to outline grade by grade projects which the students undertake to fulfill this project.
We were officially introduced to the students in the Gym. They sang for us and then we sang for them!

Every school has a place for shoes!

Meeting Dignitaries

The students welcome us

For the rest of the day we were allowed to wander the building and observe classes. I was able to observe a number of classes including a science class. At lunchtime we were assigned to home room where we would join the children for the meal.

Solar panels on the school roof

Self contained biotope

Science kids, alternative energy

Science kids - resistors

Science kids-Resistance is futile!

My Lunch Buddy


How lunch is served

This is how they clean the hall floors

After lunch we returned to a 4th grade classroom where we would observe a class on traditional culture and its economic impact in Kanazawa. This class would be the basis of a lesson study and we would meet afterwards to complete the lesson study with students from the University and their professors as well as with the school staff.

At quarter of five we left the school and headed over to Kanazawa University. We were greeted by the Dean, who happened to be a retired microbiologist. He gave an inspiring lecture on sustainable development. Again we were offered tea, and then we were taken down to another room where we were given a lecture on recycling in Japan and at the university in particular.

We finished at the University at six o'clock and then headed out for an amazing dinner at a restaurant called Kenken Ochin

6/27 - Kanazawa City Hall,Education plaza, Izumino Library

2011-07-13T11:25:00.001-04:00

I woke early this morning and explore the shrine across from the hotel. Took some pictures and then went back to the room to drop off of the camera and went to breakfast.

The hotel offers a very nice European-style breakfast in a restaurant with a lovely view of Kanazawa.

After breakfast we got on the bus to go to city hall. Arriving City Hall we had an orientation on the history and cultural industry of Kanazawa. We were also presented with gold leaf lacquer boxes and were given tea with the traditional Kanazawan dessert.

Save as Draft

The city has an interesting history. It is particularly invested in the local crafts which include gold-leaf, dyeing of silk and various construction trades. Cleverly, the last mayor saw the economic opportunity provided by these local crafts and invested heavily in education in these areas. Thus, the schools and technical colleges train students in these arts. The students stay in the area and have created a thriving tourist industry.
We had lunch a very nice hotel. And then went to visit the Kanazawa Education Plaza Togashi. This building was another investment by the last mayor. It is designed as a center to meet the needs of the areas children. It provides counseling for parents. It provides a meeting place for parents to bring children and discuss parenting. are various classes offered here around parenting. And classes are also offered for children.

Our next stop was the exchange meeting for UNESCO schools in Kanazawa. Here teachers from our program presented some of the exchange work that they had already done. There was a lot of talking at this meeting and I was interested to note that some Japanese colleagues had difficulty staying awake after a long teaching day!

Our last stop of the day was the Kanazawa Izumino library. We met with the chief librarian who gave us an introductory talk about the history of the library which serves as a repository for United Nations documents. The library is in a new building and houses a very large collection. Other facilities in the library include booths in which clients may watch movies which are available on loan.

Off to dinner at restaurant Nofudo, where we were served an excellent buffet meal.

6/26 Homestay & Exploring the nightlife with Ed, Terri, Jess and Yoyo

2011-07-12T12:38:00.001-04:00

Breakfast!

Mr. & Mrs. Ooura

The Zen garden from the road

I helped build that bamboo frame!

Chez Ooura

I woke up feeling very well rested. I took advantage of the Zen Garden and meditated for an hour while looking out onto the old trees. The family woke up and I joined them for an extraordinary, huge, breakfast. Then Ooura-san and I took the little poodle for a walk. Then we went for a drive to see his rice paddies.

We came back to the house and then worked in the garden. I picked cucumbers and eggplants. Then I helped build a frame to grow melons on.

Next was lunch. We all got in the car and drove off to the most amazing sushi place. I had never seen such a beautiful display of fresh fish and shellfish. We sat around the counter and watched the sushi sensei prepare his wares. We were given a bowl of dashi with various seafood in it. Everything was fantasti,c especially the crab sushi which must've had nearly half a pound of crab on it.

It was now nearly time to go back to the hotel. As we drove away from the sushi place Mrs.Ooura had an idea. We stopped at a store with beautiful handmade sweets that were made of mochi surrounding flavored fresh cream. Mrs. Ooura selected a variety of sweets and we got back in the car. We stopped at the house to pick up my luggage and Mrs. Ooura presented me with a huge box of this cream filled candy with a warning you must eat it today!

I cannot express my appreciation for this lovely family and their generosity in sharing their home and way of life with me.

Back at the hotel I met up with Robin and Leighanne. We decided to explore together and they agreed to help me eat all my candy. It was delicious. We walked towards the castle but then I realized that I wouldn't be back in time to meet my appointment for dinner. So I left them to explore the Keruoken gardens.

Sushi

Mrs. Ooura, me, Mr. Ooura

Candy Store

Sushi Sensei

Candy store

Candy Store

6/25 Travel to Kanazawa, Reception and Homestay

2011-07-12T10:40:00.001-04:00

I woke early and took a walk around the Marine Museum Park located just outside the hotel.

Went downstairs for another massive breakfast. By eight o'clock it was time to check out and leave the hotel .

We took the train to Kanazawa. It was very cool because we got to travel on the Japanese bullet train.

When we arrived in Kanazawa we were met by a bunch of dignitaries. Then we jumped on the bus and were taken to the Kanazawa New Grand Hotel for a reception. Here we met the mayor. The formalities at the reception were preceded by a concert on the Koto. The music was quite beautiful. The reception was very formal the food was great. The food was particularly interesting because it was decorated with gold leaf. Ninety nine percent of the gold-leaf produced in Japan is produced in Kanazawa.

Check out the goldleaf!

These are the traditional Kanazawa desserts

At the reception I was introduced to my homestay father (Mr.Ooura). I knew it would be interesting because he spoke as much English as I speak Japanese! After the reception my host dad took me to the car and we went on a tour of Kanazawa he took me to some beautiful gardens and to see the castle. We went to a teahouse and had cha and the traditional small desert.

After that we drove into the city and saw an environmental concert for elementary students. The concert was very interesting despite my inability to understand a single word. A PowerPoint in the background showed me that the story was about the creation of the earth and the importance of valuing nature. After the concert we drove back to my host family's village. We arrived around eight o'clock. We entered the house, which was traditionally Japanese. His wife had prepared an amazing dinner. His sister-in-law is an English teacher and had come to translate. His daughter, granddaughter and son-in-law were also there. We conversed and ate until about 12:30 by which time I retired to bed after taking a shower and sitting in the hot tub. During our conversation I learned that the house had been in the family for three generations. There was a Buddhist shrine devoted to the ancestors at which I prayed with the family. There was also a Zen garden with bonsai trees planted by my host family's grandfather. I slept that night in a traditional tatami room on a soft quilt.

Catching Lunch in Kyoto

2011-07-12T09:38:00.001-04:00

Click here to view this video

6/24 -First School visit and then the Earthquake museum. Dinner with Keiko

2011-07-12T08:22:00.003-04:00

Up early in the morning and a large buffet breakfast. Down for the buses at 7:50.The buses leave promptly at eight. We will visit Kureha elementary school. We took a long drive through Kobe.Half the circling around for a while we arrived at Kureha elementery school in Ikedo city. This happens to be the place where Ramen noodles were invented. There is a Ramen noodle Museum here. Ikedo has a large population of immigrants. Many of the immigrants are from Korea and the Philippines. The school celebrates their origins and teaches classes in their native languages. We were invited to meet with the principal and had a short meeting in the school office where we were introduced to the school's philosophy and to some of the staff. We were then taken to a classroom where students presented a Korean dance done with fans. They also played for us on a Korean drum or Changue. The kids were amazing.

We watched a wonderful science class where students examined onion cells under the microscope.
We then visited a homeroom, where we had lunch with students. The students served a lunch out. It was excellent, curry rice and fruit plates. After lunch I played harmonica for the students. This went over very well. And Terry led the students in clapping. The students put away the lunch things. And then cleaned up the classroom. They moved all the desks. They took out brooms and swept the floor. A few students took wet cloths and cleaned the floor in the hallway.

The school is unusual in that it has a concert hall. The students are all very talented musicians and gave us a beautiful concert in which they sang and their band played. The band was amazing and will be performing in an international competition in Singapore.

Kanazawa crew with band

After the concert we jumped on the buses and headed off to the Kobe Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institute. This museum commemorates the great Hanshin Awaji earthquake which took place in 1995. The museum is housed in an impressive modern building and contains a variety of exhibits which illustrate the horror and enormity of a great natural disaster.

Following the museum visits we returned to the hotel with just enough time to clean up before meeting Japanese teachers who had volunteered to show us the town for dinner. I joined Keiko who took us to a yakitori retaurant . I was able to sample chicken hearts and ginkgo in addition to the usual yakitori fair.

Yakitori on the Grill

The Crew

Chef and Assistant

Ginko seeds

Shimonaka-San and Janine


Japanese Traditional Pressure cookers

6/23 Kobe - Arima Onsen

2011-06-23T09:02:00.001-04:00

Omelets made to order

Baked goods

Japanese

Baked goods

Breakfast at the hotel is a sumptuous affair. They have both a European and Japanese buffet. I ate like a pig,. The pastries were to die for!

After a couple of lectures on Japanese education after the Tsunami disaster we had an amazing Bento Box lunch.

Lunchtime Bento box

After the amazing lunch we took a bus tour of Kobe and headed out for the Arima Onsen (Hot Springs). On the way we stopped at the longest suspension bridge in the world which connects two islands. It is the the Akashi-Kaikyō Bridge and connects the city of Kobe on the mainland of Honshū to Iwaya on Awaji Island by crossing the busy Akashi Strait. The main span of the bridge is just under 2 kilometers long!

Under the longest suspension bridge in the world

Then on to Arima past rice paddies and small farms in the mountains behind Kobe.On arrival at the Onsen we changed into slippers and then went up in an elevator. We were divided into groups of eight and shown into private rooms. Each room had several chairs. They weren't really chairs, just sitting places in front of a low table. We had green tea and crackers. The room had a TV. There was a little balcony from which we could look into the street. There was also a closet. In a closet was a pile of neatly folded robes. These robes are called ukata. We undressed and changed into the ukata. Then we went upstairs to a room where we showered before getting into a huge hot tub. It was really hot. We soaked a while in that tub and then moved to another tub which was outside. we soaked in that for a bit and after about half an hour we took a cold shower and a foot massage from a machine and then went back down to our little room.

Onsen tea room

The boys in Ukata

Doesn't need a caption

Kobe beef for Shabu-Shabu

The Ladies take pictures

6/22 Kobe, Japan

2011-06-22T17:01:00.001-04:00

Well, I'm here. I had quite a surprise at the San Francisco airport while drinking my 6th espresso of the day. I ran into my friend Diane Fukuda there. She was on the same plane to Japan. I didn't expect to meet anyone from Jaffrey here! I stayed awake for the whole, interminable flight and we made it through customs and immigration. Jumped on a bus from Kansai, the trash island upon which the airport is built, to Kobe, where we are staying. The route took us along the coast road around the city of Osaka, Japan's second largest city and its industrial heart. It is one big ugly city!
We arrived at our hotel, the Hotel Okura Kobe , The rooms are large and comfortable. My first stop was to check out the toilet. Yes, Japanese toilets are everything they promised.I am on the 21st floor with sweeping views of the harbor (when the fog clears).

What a dashboard!

We went to a rooftop restaurant at a near by hotel for dinner and I had Kobe beef as well as sushi and sashimi and scallops tempura.

6/21 Today is the day

2011-06-21T09:38:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was exciting. Storms in Chigago meant route changes and I missed the dinner I had arranged with the 15 other teachers who are going to Kanazawa. Still managed to get a decent dinner at the restaurant near the hotel. Up at 5:00 this morning. Off for espresso and then breakfast with the other teachers. Leave the hotel at 9;00 for the airport. Kobe here we come!

Monday 6/20

2011-06-20T05:38:00.000-04:00

The adventure begins. Up at 5:00 for my usual two double espressos. How will I cope in Japan?
No worries, I packed my handpresso and a bunch of E.S.E espresso pods.
Check my Email for last minute changes.On to the rowing machine for my last dose of aerobics for a couple of weeks. I'll tidy my office and at 8;20 David will pick me up to take me to Manchester airport. There I intend to negotiate booking my check in luggage all the way through to Kansai. That way I can avoid having to shlepp it around San Francisco tonight.
My Ebook reader is loaded with Sustainability books, Clive Cussler and Lee Child. My Ipod is loaded with tunes, Japanese phrases, tourist guides and my itinerary. My notebook is charged and ready to blog!

Friday 6/16/11

2011-06-17T08:33:00.000-04:00

It is Friday morning, my last day at school for this semester. I was up at 4:00 this morning. I was too excited to sleep. Today my students will be taking their final exams. I came in to school and realized I had left their exams on my desk at home. Too much excitement, insufficient focus!