Find the Good (Figure It Out)

Marz called last night from canoe camp where she's a new trip staff member. It's up on the border of Canada, and before the launch of their training trip this morning, last night a local Native man came and did a blessing ceremony for them, and taught them how to call their spirit guide.

"Your spirit guide gives you what you want, but it might not be what you think you want. It sees past your confusion to your deeper self."

Someone asked about the exact wording with which to call the spirit.
"You figure that out yourself."

In contrast, this morning I ordered from Amazon for the first time in a long time, due to my ineptitude, pride, and laziness:
I could not figure out how to print on the blank certificates that a school counselor gave me (for my idea to give each student one at the end of the year);
I was embarrassed to ask for more help (as a newbie, I've already asked for so much...);
and all the office supply stores near me have closed (after Covid + social unrest), so I'd have to bus to a suburb after work to buy some... and I need them this week...
so I ordered these fill-in-the-blank ones (w/ shiny gold!) just now.

Because I was a returning customer, they gave me a free month of Prime w/ free delivery. The certificates will arrive tomorrow.

And that's how you rule the world, eh. Give the people what they think they want.

(NOTE TO SELF: Cancel Prime at end of month.)

It's getting more inconvenient to go to a store (especially being car-free), and sometimes it's impossible to pay with cash.
I'd foolishly ordered something online that was a scam recently, so I got a new card but decided I'd pay for most things with cash.
Already, two restaurants I went to wouldn't accept cash, so I left.

I don't like this loss of options, but if I listen to the message,
it's saying:
you don't need to have all the things easily available all the time.

(Is it even legal to refuse cash payments?
[googles]
Yep, it is legal.)

Find the Good, and Praise It

My spirit-teacher guide is the guy I mentioned yesterday who was voted teacher of the year in the whole state.
You can tell by how someone stands in the hall--at least sometimes--what kind of person they are, and I'd spotted this guy right away when I started. He's out there, present and engaged and approachable--laughing and talking with a cluster of happy students and staff. One day he was giving away donuts in the hall because it was his birthday...

Had I mentioned--I think not--that I'd had the good luck to run into him in the staff lounge before I was going to meet with the student who had shot her mouth off about sped students?
"Help me!" I'd said. (So glad that I'd already introduced myself and even visited his classroom, because I'm a chatty butterfly.)

And he talked to me for half (fifteen minutes) of his lunch break--totally confirmed my intuition that the right thing to do was to ask the student, "So, what happened?"

"Let her talk, and then ask her what she can do to make it right."

He's track coach, and he told me his philosophy:
"It you set high expectations, students will find their own ways to meet them. You can help them, but they're the ones running the race."

Thank you!
I've been waiting to hear this from colleagues, but mostly I've been hearing, "You gotta make them obey, make them behave".

I do want to say, this strategy of control (including the locked doors) works for managing 1,600(!) young bodies in one building. 

I also want to say, a student could have a terrific experience in this school!
If they are well-supported and/or incredibly self-motivated, with good luck and hard work, they could be building robots, singing in NYC with the choir, studying in France over spring break with the IB program, running on this great coach's team... etc. etc.

And if they aren't so lucky, there are lots of supports in place--counselors, social workers, case workers, administrators, a nurse, and a city Health Services... They will help with free therapy, bus passes, housing, career counseling, etc. Even condoms!
And all students can eat free hot breakfast and lunch at school.

So, yeah. I don't like the overall culture (have I mentioned the doors are locked?), but there's a lot of good people trying (and managing) to be good in it.
So far I'm very aware of my limitations--mostly from lack of experience with children--but I've done some good.

Go for a Walk

One of the best things I do is go for walks outside with students.
There's no recess period; going outside is not even allowed, except at lunch time.
An Occupational Therapist came to class one day with ankle weights for a student who is always leaping about.
"Why are you putting those on him?" I asked.

"Well, he's always seeking stimulation by moving around--these are like a weighted blanket, to soothe his agitation. We'll just see if they help..."

Of course he hated them, and the OT did take them off.

But, FOR FUCK's SAKE---this is a young animal who wants--who needs!--to move. And your brilliant idea, as a professional, is to hobble him? As "treatment"?

"I've found that works with this student," I volunteered, "is going for walks. After 15 minutes of zooming around, he's calm--he slows down, walks next to me and tells me about his family, his interests, even asks me questions."

"I hear that a lot from aides," the OT said. "That what works best for students is going for a walk."

Think of that.