Clarity

Every year for the last several years, starting in 2012, I have picked a word and participated in Ali Edwards' One Little Word workshop throughout the year.  This year's word that I have chewed on for 7 months is

For July, I have been sitting with my word almost daily. A question that keeps surfacing: About what am I clear at this point in 2020? I thought I would take some time for a brain dump on my sorely neglected blog.  

It is clear to me:

• that life is precious
• that talking about lives affected in terms of percentages is callous
• that the society I live in (United States) believes it is invincible
• that hypocrisy is rampant
• that we are all affected by COVID-19
• that public opinion changes on a dime
• that people can amass great amounts of power and have very little sense
• that schools and their teachers are vital to a well-running economy
• that children's sports are viewed as more important than protecting children's health
• that a large portion of US society gets an F in science
• that critical thinking and discussions are skills that must be instilled in our youth and retaught to our adults
• that I look through the world with the lens of a white female
• that I can always make it a priority to understand a different perspective
• that shutting my mouth and listening is not synonymous to agreeing, and it is helpful for the common good
• that sometimes people with good intentions make bad decisions 
• that wide brushes need to be put away
• that I can't be surprised at how we treat people of all backgrounds when we abort unborn babies and neglect the aging
• that considering a person's intersectionality helps in understanding his/her view
• that I need to perpetually think and surround myself with minds that bring up differing perspectives
• that my definition of summer has non-negotiables
• that altering the rhythms and seasons of life can have a ripple effect in my emotional health
• that social media can build up as well as tear down
• that everyone is doing the best they can with what they have
• that we need to lean in to delayed gratification
• that I dislike feeling physically vulnerable because of the non-action of those in charge of my well-being
• that autism can be lonely when you are a teenager
• that hiring practices rely heavily on social communication skills that are created through a lens that excludes many
• that I need to open a school that has alternative "business" hours for kids whose circadian rhythm matches mine
• that powerful women can intimidate the weak
• that depression sucks the life out of its victims
• that the new "normal" stinks, but God has a reason for new pathways
• that my job as a human is to learn the lessons that this time in history is teaching

That's a whole lot of clarity!

JoLynn

The Official Countdown

Countdown Clocks

As we go back to school from Spring Break, it's time. :)

The Length of Summer

In a recent trip to Florida, the hubs and I talked about living there.  My conclusion?  Nope.  Why?  I love the change of seasons.

Fall brings changing leaves, cooler temperatures, and brilliant colors.  In my life, it also means a new group of students and a new year of learning for the whole family.  Winter brings the wonderful blanket of snow (some years more than others), the holidays, and the chill necessary for renewal.  Spring brings buds, and blooms, and the promise that, no matter what dormancy we've seen, life goes on.  

And then there's summer.  I must say, it is my favorite.  It contains my birthday, the hubs' birthday, our anniversary, the Fourth of July, and usually some much needed "recharging."  I get to mainly be a wife and mom, with some professional development sprinkled here and there.  We also have time to take extended trips and spend quality time together as a family.

Usually, I feel like summer flies by.  But, in reality, summer has roughly the same amount of days every year.  This summer, I was intentional and consistent about documenting my days in Project Life scrapbook layouts.  If you click on the link, you can see them on my sscrapbooking blog.  I am currently working on my Disney weeks.  They should be up in the next few days. 

You know what?  It makes summer seem quite long and entirely enjoyable.  I not only enjoy making the pages, but also I enjoy looking at them and seeing a really full, delightful summer.   I think my doing a photo-a-day concept has allowed me to appreciate the days that go by.  I am glad to have documented them, and maybe slowed the passage of time just a bit to savor moments like this one:

 

Summertime!

Summer is upon us at the Plato household. Memorial Day is Monday, and Ignatius has two more school days this week before he is officially sprung. Max and I are both done with our obligations of school... Max finished up ECE at Colene Hoose on May 21, and his last day at Little Jewels was Thursday. I completed my tenth year in District 87 and my nineteenth year of teaching in total. Feels weird typing that!

On Friday, Max and I spent our afternoon in the backyard at our friend, Krystal's, house. She just got an in-ground pool installed this spring, and the kids were loving it (OK, the adults were loving it as well). Here is a photo of Max exploring one of the many areas on the side of the pool.

We also met with April, our PLAY consultant, on Thursday. This session consisted of "meeting" Max where he was in play and using techniques from the program to get more out of his communication experiences. Our previous goals remain the same, and now we will be building on them:
1. use "taffy pulling:" stretch the interactions and keep them going by gently teasing or making funny sounds; this engages him and makes fertile ground for his use of language to fulfill his needs
2. use affect in voice in play; continue with simple words, no more than three words at a time; no questioning; use voice intonation to "create" a question
3. use a sense of humor, suspense, and surprise; find ways to make him laugh (pretend you are sleeping and wake suddenly when he gets close; use slapstick humor)

It really requires conscious effort to remember to incorporate this, but there are many times throughout his day that lend themselves nicely to these. Some of these are things that many parents use with much younger children. When he was "of age" for the crazy affect in voice (akin to when you play peek-a-boo with an infant), he was not engaging. So, to a degree, we are backtracking to meet him where he is and guide him forward.

The idea of using only a few words has proven very powerful, and, to those who know me, this is the MOST difficult part for me. :) I have been finding that the most frustrating times involve those moments when I am using way too many words.

April videotaped parts of my interactions with Max and will be sending me the DVD and transcript. She also gave me a DVD of our "baseline" play-based interactions from the first session. She also indicated that, from the looks of how he was engaging in problem solving, she was seeing definite cognitive strength, and she thought he might not have a struggle with the academic part of school based on what she was seeing. That was unexpected, and quite frankly, a relief. We shall see how that transpires over the next few years. She was really impressed with his problem solving ability. We spent a great deal of time at our gate in the back yard. We did "taffy pulling" to get him to express what he wanted (help with opening the gate). When we were not being particularly helpful to him, he found a nearby stick in the yard to help him in his goal. While he didn't completely open the gate by himself, he showed a LOT of efforts in trying to communicate his needs without a whole lot of screaming going on.

I realized that I was getting really good at Max's "language." However, responding to him based on what I knew he was conveying is not enough. I will not always be there to interpret for him, and he must start using words more to assist in allowing others to know his needs. As a family, we have become enablers to a degree... I think that was based on survival.

So, onward we go with our many summertime pursuits. We will be starting the summer reading program at the local library this week. I have plenty of things to keep the boys (and me) very busy!