There is Life After the Thesis

After chronicling my thoughts, feelings, ideas, and experiences throughout the thesis process on this blog (formerly entitled Rites of a Thesis), it seemed odd to me to simply let the blog go just because I had turned in my thesis and graduated. I don't want to merely "shelve" my thesis nor do I want all that I got from my time at Naropa to lie dormant. I want my thesis to continue to live and breathe and become, and I would like all the teachings and experiences I had during my time at Naropa to do the same. So I am keeping the blog (changing the title), and am commiting to myself to (w)rite on as I journey forward.

Monday, February 1, 2010

It's That Time of the Month...

...In my classroom (not the other time of the month you're thinking about).

At the beginning of each month I pass out two hand-outs. One is called the "Monthly" and the other is our class Rota schedule for the coming month.

"Monthly's" offer information about the new month we are about to embark on. Obviously, today being February 1, the Monthly was entitled February (from the Latin words februarius mensis - meaning month of purification).

The first paragraph is all about the origins of the month, why it has the name it has, how many days are in the month, etc.

Next, the month's flower and gemstone are listed (February's is the violet and the amethyst, respectively), followed by a listing of variously registered National holidays (i.e. "Return your shopping cart to the grocery store month," or "National cherry month," or "Black History Month").

Then, specific holidays of the month are explained: When they are and what they celebrate/honor. For example, February 2 is Ground Hog Day, while the third Monday of the month is Presidents' Day (this year, February 15).

Sometimes I incorporate the name of the month or the holidays into our school work. Last month we did an art project inspired by Janus (the Roman god of doorways and new beginnings), for whom January is named. We also spent a good deal of time learning about Martin Luther King, Jr. and writing poems inspired by his "I Have a Dream" speech. It also happened to be National Letter Writing Month and my students had the opportunity to write letters.

Some months we don't use the "Monthly" at all, except to acknowledge the passage of one month and welcome in the next.

The Rota schedule is the job schedule for Room 503 (my homeroom). I borrowed this idea from the Naropa summer intensive. Rota is an especially British term. It is "a list of person's acting, or duties to be done, in rotation" (Oxford Illustrated Dictionary, 1998). My students are each responsible for a particular job every other week. "Peer Leader" is the first job on the rotation. The Peer Leader leads the opening and closing bow every day. They also ring the mindfulness bell at the beginning of each new subject period. The "Attendance" person brings the attendance sheets in the morning and the afternoon to the Main Office. The "Homework Scribe" is another job on the schedule. This person's job is to make sure that the Science homework (students go across the hall for Science) gets written on our classroom whiteboard upon return to our classroom. Other jobs included are "Supply Table," "Duster," and "Recycling" (a couple of people team up to do the last two).

Rota fits into our classroom philosophy O.T.O. (Other Than Ourselves). It is about pitching in and taking care of our classroom and one another. Rota gives each student a chance to step up and be a part of our classroom community in a specific way every other week. It fosters awareness and responsibility.

When both the Rota schedule and the "Monthly" are passed out to the students each month, there is always a bit of excitement about who has what job when, and what kind of "holidays" will be coming up in the next 28-31 days. There is a hint in the air of new beginnings, as we leave the old month behind.

It is where the Kyu and the Jo meet and greet: The Kyu being the "rapid conclusion," while the Jo serves as a good, "orderly beginning" (Jo, Ha - an intensification, or a breaking away, Kyu...Naropa speak).

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