Long Time, No Blog

It seems like it's been forever, old friend.  I've been super busy.  For some reason, I'm back working full time.  I took on coaching in Arctic Village and Venetie.  Then, when mentoring in Fairbanks came open, I applied and low and behold, I was hired.  It was less than half time, mind you.  But the combination makes it really intense.

So what do I do.  Well, one week a month I go north to Venetie and Arctic Village.  I work with the principals and the teachers there to implement school improvement.  Right now, they are in the throes of trying to get remediation to Tier 2 and 3 students in reading.  Also, they are looking at data and student work and using it to make their instruction more focused.  I think it's like hiking- when you are on the mountain, you can't really see where you've been or where you're going....it just seems like hiking along the trail is the only thing you have the strength to do.  As a coach, I am off the mountain with a megaphone, go a little to the left, now lift that right foot, now use your pole because I can see the entire mountain.  The shouts from off mountain are efforts to make the hiking more efficient.

So, I am in Venetie and Arctic Mountain for 5 days.  Then, I do support work from home, reports to the state and data briefings as well as trainings (Cognitive Coaching(  and meetings occasionally.

As a mentor, I have 5 first year teachers assigned to me here in Fairbanks.  The ASMP (Alaska Statewide Mentor Project) uses the Santa Cruz New Teacher Center tools and model.  I talk to every teacher weekly, either in person, on skype, phone or email.  I also spend time in classrooms, giving feedback, modeling lessons, and collaborating with the teachers.  Plus the trainings, Friday Forums, partner discussions, research paperwork and audio obligations, and support work.

Right now, I've had a few days off for Thanksgiving.  Paul and I paid to have a masonry stove built in the middle of our living room/dining room.  (Pictures to follow sometime soon).  The idea is that one hot fire/day keeps the rocks warm and the heat radiates into the room.  Plumbing takes hot water from the stove into the water heater and baseboard.  We haven't fired it up yet, but we should see a sizable reduction in our 5 gals/day oil consumption.  Of course, since the room was torn up, we also have been painting.  Eventually, we'll be getting hardwood floors...maybe next Feb.  We're members of the "Board of the Month" club- at the end of the month, we buy a board.

Last year, we walked every mile of Fairbanks.  This year, we plan to walk 300 miles during the winter.  Because there are only about 4 hours of daylight now, we have to choose carefully or walk in the daylight.  We walk about 5 miles/day.  Yesterday, we walked around the airport.  It was about -17 and we walked about 5.5 miles.  The cold felt good on our old knees.

We've been doing pretty well in the eating frugally and healthy lately.  We heard a horrifying report that Americans throw away 40% of their food....too old, not pretty enough, too much, etc.  It made me figure out the left-overs situation, at least for this week.  Last night we had quiche from the fridge leftovers- green onions, asparagus, spinach, bacon and a few shrimp (for Paul).  Mozzarella was what we had, so that's what I used.  It was pretty good.

Paul has lately been watching Pacific Crest Trail youtubes. He's getting the itch.  We might start at Horsehoe Meadows and hike for a few weeks next June.  That might be fun.

I'm hoping to get blogging again.  I have a few tales from the villages to share.  Do the words "water is frozen up" bring chills?  Details to follow.