Bossy

It feels good to be the boss.

No. I mean it. My first week back to school was this week- and - (God, I'm going to curse it by writing this post) I am in charge! It was truly a peaceful, in-control week. I have great classes of kids that are excited to learn, and so far, supportive parents as partners for the year.

There's no doubt in my mind that this is the calm before the storm. I mean, last year I started out with NOTHING and the kids were still good enough for me. The kids at GPHS have a little fear of God to start out the year, giving all us rookies a chance in our first week. I remember it was the 3rd week last year when the big guns came out. Honeymoon over. Difference is, I know how to deal with it this time!

There are other improvements too. I have an enormous classroom, which means I have the room to move around and stay close to kids that seem off task. We have a new administration that is running a tight ship including school uniforms and a ban on cell phones and ipods. This stuff is great and makes my life so much easier! I am thrilled at the vibe at the end of the first week. I just feel comfortable in my own skin and happy to be there making a difference.

Wait, did I just say...HAPPY? to be at school?

Probably the best thing so far are all the visits from my former students. I probably get 10 hugs a day from old kids that pass me in my doorway. Especially amazing are the hugs from kids that were on the fence last year- kids I reamed for smoking weed in school, or kids that I failed for at least a quarter till they got their act together. It makes me feel like I really am accomplishing something here.

Well, keep me and my students in your prayers, and enjoy this video from my first week of school !

http://vimeo.com/14492928

Meep Meep!

I love things that look like their cartoon versions. On our family's recent vacation to Arizona, I got my fill of cartoon joy!

As soon as I got off the plane, I saw a cactus that looked like it should have been the stem of a margarita glass. I couldn't believe it was growing out of the ground. It looked fake! A couple of college guys were on the bus with me to the rental car facility. "Hey man," one said. "Why don't you run as FAST as you can into that thing. No really. No do it. It'll make a great youtube video. It'll go viral!" I had to agree...

It wasn't just the cactus, though. The landscape is the backdrop to every John Wayne western you've ever seen. The entire time I was there, I just kept pointing and saying: "Wile E Coyote fell off THAT cliff!" Canyons and red rocks, cactus and prickly pear- it all looked like a painting or movie set.

I realize I'm talking about the scenery here and not the vacation but I can't emphasize enough what it was like to take in that desert environment with your own eyes. I have been lucky to travel the world and see many "views" but the scenery in Arizona is some of the most breathtaking and unique settings in the world. It is truly God's artwork. A picture CD is in the mail, and I'll post them soon so perhaps you can get the idea!

Beyond the scenery, the time spent with the family was lovely. I really miss everyone now that I am a "grown up" and it had been since Christmas that I'd spent any time with my sister! We are a corny, nerdy family and did all the tourist stops- Native American museums, botanical gardens, outlaw-themed steak houses, Indian cliff-dwellings, hiking trails, and my favorite- a pink jeep tour in Sedona!

I'd recommend a trip to Arizona to anybody. Boycotting be damned- nothing matches the beauty and campy fun of this state. I'm sure there are embarrassing videos and pictures that will spring up soon as a result of this trip. (I can't do a somersault on land...or underwater.) But... it will be worth it!

Peace and love.

Is this heaven? No, it's Iowa.

If you're a fan of the classic Americana baseball movie, Field of Dreams, you know this line. Perhaps there's no better definition of heaven than the simplicity of family, sunshine, a great game of baseball, and ... a cornfield. After a long weekend in the Midwest, I have to agree.

My trip started out as a weekend visit to Milwaukee to visit Dr. Charles and catch up with him before the school year started. He now works at the MLB level and is at the drawing board stages of some national initiatives for MLB charities that benefit public schools. We planned to brainstorm some ideas based on my experience and the experience of my peers in TFA. My friend David, an old coworker from my Dodgers days and now a senior at Penn, is working at the Chicago Cubs this summer. He's also interested in public education, so we decided to make the trip together.

I wasn't sure what to expect out of the weekend, and it spun itself into quite the adventure. I figured: it's summer, I'm in the midwest, who knows when I'm coming back... so might as well make the most of it! We had plenty of dinner conversations about baseball, careers, charities, and teaching- but decided to turn the trip into a vacation as well! We took an impromptu trip to the one and only Field of Dreams in Iowa, and played catch with some major leaguer's gloves. (See photo album.)

After our trip to the cornfields, dinners at Ryan Braun's, and all the checking out downtown Milwaukee (which is actually a very cute, very friendly town) David and I took a bus down to Chicago to do a little sightseeing. This was my first time visiting the city, and like most people, I was impressed. I was even spoiled with some 2nd-row Cubbies tickets on my first trip to Wrigley park! I think I was most surprised at the total and complete lack of advertisements at the field. Even Wahconah park is covered with ads- it was a field lost in time.

Overall it was a delightful trip and I was so happy to visit with Charles and David. Enjoy pictures from my midwest adventure here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2398087&id=5515657&l=8c634d9865