fourteen - fall fun

Becky and I absolutely love fall.  And, over the course of the past few weeks, she and I have been taking in the changing season in all its New England glory.

We began by apple picking - twice.  First, we went to Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury, MA where we picked up fresh farm produce, picked apples, and ate warm apple cider donuts.  



A few weeks later, we went to Carlson Orchards in Harvard, MA where we picked a bushel of apples; that's about 60 apples!!  

That night, we made homemade apple butter and southern style biscuits, using recipes from my favorite breakfast place in Atlanta, GA - The Flying Biscuit Cafe.    

Last Sunday, we decided to drive up to the White Mountain National Forest for the day.  We took the aerial tramway to the top of Cannon Mountain, hoping to take some great foliage shots.  Were we surprised to find rime ice in place of leaves!  Rime ice is "a white ice that forms when the water droplets in fog freeze to the outer surfaces of objects. It is often seen on trees atop mountains and ridges in winter, when low-hanging clouds cause freezing fog. This fog freezes to the windward (wind-facing) side of tree branches, buildings, or any other solid objects, usually with high wind velocities and air temperatures between −2 °C (28 °F) and −8 °C (18 °F)." (source: Wikipedia)  It was some of the coolest (pun intended) stuff we've ever seen!  I think the most amazing photo we have is this one.  You can see the fall foliage in the distance with rime ice covered trees in the forefront. 

Here are a few more!

We took lots of great shots, so check out some additional photos here.

Yesterday, Becky and I biked from our house down to Harvard Square to watch some of the Head of the Charles regatta.  It was a gorgeous fall day - sunny and in the 50's.  You really can't get more quintessential Boston than the Head of Charles.

For all of you not currently in New England for this gorgeous season, I'm sorry.  Hopefully, you'll be here next year!

thirteen - teach like a champion?

Education in the United States has suddenly become a hotter topic than usual in recent weeks.  With the premiers of Waiting for Superman and Teach: Tony Danza, it seems that everyone is buzzing about teachers. 

During a recent professional development workshop that I attended, Steve Clem from AISNE said that teachers make 600 teaching decisions every day.  We are constantly reassessing and evaluating what we do, how we do it, and how we can do it better.  And, we don't always get to asses our teaching before or after the fact.  We are usually assessing and making adjustments minute by minute as we teach.  We need to adjust based on the vibe in the classroom, what time of day it is, how hard or easy the previous night's homework turned out to be, how the latest quiz or test went, the questions students ask, the questions students don't ask, how well or poorly the students are participating, and an endless number of other factors.  Teachers need to have the ability to walk into a room and instantly gauge what is going on.  To say that it can be challenging is an understatement.  And, it's something that in my seventh year as a teacher, I am still working on. 

"This is not an easy job.  You know, there are so many people out there who think they can do this.  And that's unfortunate.  You know, people believe they can wake up and say, 'Oh, I think I'll teach today.'" - Linda Carroll, Principal of Northeast High School in Philadelphia

Now, I would never pretend to understand the various trials and tribulations specific to an inner city public school teacher, for example, but do I understand what it is like to be a teacher at any school.  It is exhilarating and humbling and fulfilling and exhausting and the best job I could ever imagine having all at once.  It is also daunting.  We, as teachers, are charged with educating children.  Think about that for a second.  We are charged with helping youth not only learn the academic subjects that we teach, but also teaching them skills that enable them to learn for a lifetime, helping them to be engaged and productive members of their communities, and being their for them as a support system in many ways.  This is an awesome responsibility.  Mr. Clem also said during that workshop, "We have a moral obligation to get better at what we do because we work with children."  A moral obligation.  When it's described this way, the task of teaching children seems scary, even.  As Ms. Carroll also said, "This is serious work…You don't get the tag of teacher until your students are learning."

But this serious work - this awesome responsibility - is something that I wouldn't trade for the world. 

twelve - national coming out day, Oct 11th

A message from Becky:

Dear friends, colleagues, and family.

Many of you know that as a teenager I attended Johns Hopkins’ Center for Talented Youth summer program at Franklin and Marshall College at the Lancaster site.  My time there was some of the most formative of my life to date.  The positive experience that I still remember so vividly today was due to team of educators and residential life staff that worked every day to create a safe space for all of us to learn and grow.  When I returned as a staff member, it was in large part to pay back a dept of gratitude that I felt to those staff members, especially to those who continued to be role models and mentors for me long after I left Lancaster.  My effort to fill their shoes began with the words “My name is Becky.  I grew up in New York.  I am Jewish.  And I am a lesbian.”     

Those words were part of an opening presentation created around CTY’s “Zero Tolerance” policy for bullying.  By outing ourselves in a variety of ways (sexual orientation, religion, cultural heritage), we hoped to demonstrate to the CTY community that CTY was a safe place to be whomever it is you are.  Here I was outing myself in front of 500 people, including 15 young women who would be living on my hall for the next three weeks.   I was terrified.  

Since coming out almost ten years ago, I have come out over and over and over again.  The feeling of terror I felt on stage has slowly moved into anxious uncertainty.  Each time I meet a new person I wonder if they will use the wrong pronoun and if they will be embarrassed if I correct them.  Each time I enter a new community I wonder if I will be the only person who identifies as queer, or if my voice will somehow be dismissed because I speak from a place of minority.  When I was hired to work for a community during the Jewish High Holidays, I felt compelled to make sure they knew my girlfriend would be joining me at services before I committed to working with them.  As secure as I am in myself, I know I can not control others. 

How blessed I am to be able to write this email without that feeling of anxiety.  Today is National Coming Out Day.  I feel so lucky that today, I can come out to you and not worry what you will think – except maybe “duh” or “tell me something I don’t already know.” 

Today I am hoping to continue what I began nine summers ago at CTY.  Our world does not have a zero tolerance policy, but that doesn’t mean we can’t each have one.  Today, I am coming out as someone who recognizes the potential I have to affect another person’s life, the potential I have to help someone realize that they are important and feel safe growing into who they are simply by being present, by being who I am, and by saying outloud “I support you.”  Today, I am asking you to come out as a role model and an ally with me.  I am asking you to refuse to stand by and watch as teenagers kill themselves because of senseless bullying and hatred.  I am asking you to refuse to stand by and watch as young people choose a life on the streets because they have no where else to go.  I am coming out because I will not let you sit silently by either. 

I am writing to ask each of you to take a moment and consider what you and your organizations currently do to support GLBTQ youth, and all youth – as they begin to discern and grow into their own identities.    All teenagers (really, all people) deserve love and support.  Everybody deserves to look up at school, temple, church, on the playing field, or at the movies and see someone like them.   

Just as GLBTQ youth can’t change who they are, neither can you.  I recognize that not all of you work directly with youth, nor do all of you identify as GLBTQ.  This is a good thing.  Support comes in many different ways and should come from many different directions.  Changing your facebook status to indicate your support is a good start, but it is not enough.  If you need ideas, follow this link to Keshet’s “Ten Things You Can Do Today to Strengthen Our Community.”  Feel free to substitute “pastor” for “rabbi” and “Unitarian," “Christian,” or another faith tradition for “Jew.”  Write or call your high school principal and ask what they are doing at your high school to support GLBTQ youth – even if you graduated 30 or 40 years ago.  Want more ideas?  Check out the GLSEN website, support HRC, or ask me.     

GLBTQ youth and adults are part of your community – wherever you are.  Your community needs you.  How will you respond?

With love and hope,

     Becky

P.S. Have you seen this video on YouTube?  It’s part of the “It Gets Better” campaign.  Don’t know what that is?  Google: “Dan Savage It Gets Better.”