Farewell, A Note to my students.

I really enjoyed looking at your portfolios. You may wonder why we make you package up your work and "re-turn" it in. Well, for some of you, (the quiet ones, the ones who do their work without me standing over you, the ones I never have to remind to stay on-task) this is the only time I get to really spend a few minutes looking at what you are really capable of. And why the goodbye movie? Because I get to know you that way. I'm sorry. My classes were quite large this year, and I had far too many places to try to be at one time. I missed out on getting to know some of you.

There's a saying, "The squeaky wheel gets the oil." That means if you squeak, I come to you. So to my quiet, shy, reserved, introspective, or really really "good" students: try to squeak, once in a while. It's always your names that it takes me longest to learn- because I don't have to stand over you to get you to work, because you try to figure things out on your own, because I'm too busy with other students' "issues" to mess with you when it appears you are ok. So break out and squeak- there's no shame in asking a question or wanting attention from your teacher. That's what we are there for, and it pains me that I didn't get to know you as much as I wish I had.

Have a great summer, kiddos.

Preparing for a big move

This is hard, really hard. It's hopefully the last big move in my life, because I don't want to do this again. Well, maybe to Portland...but that will be much much later in my life, if it happens.
Right now, it's to Austin Texas. Texas, really? Not a place I thought I would ever go. But preparing is crazy. The truck is booked, my storage unit is packed, My Etsy shop is basically closed down, because most of what I make is made to order and my tools and supplies are packed. My motivation to do anything other than finish school and pack my things is completely gone. All I can think about is what I'm going to do when I get there. Of course, I'm a bit excited about that. I will be attending singing practice with the Austin women's choir called Tapestry Singers on my first Monday there. Can't wait for that. And the Jerry's Artarama has Ladies' night every Thursday, so that will be next on the agenda, followed by a gardening club of which there are so many I don't know which one to join! I'm attacking the alone-in-Texas syndrome with gusto. I'll be happy to be back with my much-missed hubby, but a girl needs friends too!

Instagram- the dumber blog?

So I had a comment from a teen that went something like this:
Facebook is for old people. Who wants to write?

We've been worried (I say we loosely, and I mean my teacher friends) that kids are getting disconnected and forgetting how to write because of all the technology, the cell phones, the devices. Instagram has me more worried, because all it is is photos. And today, there was a cyberbullying incident on instagram with one of my colleague's students.

Are kids going to get to the point where they don't write anything at all, except for rude comments about each other's photos?