If you are wearing a watch while reading this, stop for a moment and put it on your other wrist.
If your wrists are void of a timepiece, try operating your mouse or touch screen with your non-dominant hand.
Or, simply interlock your fingers with both hands. Now, continue reading this post but stagger your digits in the other direction (if your rights ended up on top of your lefts, switch your grip so that the lefts are on top).
Feel weird? Uncomfortable? Maybe even annoying?
Being creatures of habit and routine, we do not like it when the world we had once come to expect and accept is thrown off (even with something as trivial as the writs on which we wear our watches).
However, it is the nature of all education that old knowledge is surpassed by new. The familiar is disregarded for the foreign. The comfortable forsaken for the uncharted. All new knowledge is the product of putting our once held beliefs to the test and either retaining or adjusting them.
Education depends on this state of instability.
I see it every day in Elizabeth. New discoveries. New talents. New noises. Her world is in a constant state of flux.
Imagine education from this perspective. We take our prior knowledge and to it either add new knowledge or change our former way of thinking based on this new phenomenon. Not all four legged animals are dogs? Some things, like apples, are to be eaten, while others, like blocks and toes, shouldn't go in my mouth? In math, we are going to solve for a letter that's on the wrong side of the equal sign? America wasn't always the greatest and most powerful country in the world? Bad things can happen to good people? The Earth isn't flat? It's not the center of the universe either?
Imagine how basic and elementary our lives would be if we were unwilling to live in this state of discomfort in order to grow to new knowledge.
So, the saying you can't teach an old dog new tricks has more to do with attitude than aptitude. At some point in our lives, many of us grow tired of changing and feeling uncomfortable. The ever changing world of our childhood settles down, becomes a bit more predictable and we become set in our ways. When it comes to "old dogs", it's not that we can't learn something new, it's that we don't want to.
As Catholic educators, the current Easter season should teach us a bit about the educational process. Call it the greatest twist ever- the apostles find the tomb empty.
What?
Even for Jesus' closest companions, this was a hard lesson to learn. While I'm sure they were completely overjoyed because Jesus rose from the dead, they were most likely in various states of disbelief. Imagine their unease, their anxiousness, their discomfort. Even for people who had witnessed all sorts of miracles, including Lazarus coming back from the dead, walking, talking, eating, and being with a "Resurrected" person must have been unnerving.
Someone must have stolen the body. Maybe we have the wrong tomb. Someone is playing a trick on us. We're hallucinating. Dreaming. Dead ourselves.
Jesus is dead (old knowledge). Correction: Jesus was dead (new knowledge).
Talk about a paradigm shift. Thomas offers the greatest insight into this unrest caused by the Resurrection. Show me your wounds. Let me touch them. Prove to me that it is You, Jesus. Is Thomas that different from a student grappling with a new concept? Explain it to me again. Give me another example. Let me try it myself. I'm willing to accept that what you're teaching me is true, but I need to experience it for myself.
There is a discomfort involved with education. There is also an element of risk.
Let us keep our comfort with being uncomfortable. In turn, let us keep this fire alive in our students. Let us continue to give them the confidence to do that which they don't think is possible-- perform in a talent show, learn algebra, try out for a team, stand up for what is right, become the person God created them to be.
If we nurture this spirit in our students, we must keep own candles burning. Let it never be said of Catholic educators of any age that we're too old, or too unwilling, to learn new tricks.
Expect to be surprised. Be open and willing to change. Try something new. Learn something new. Become the educator that God created you to be.
There would be no Church if the disciples were unwilling to accept that a dead Man could defeat death. Similarly, there can be no education unless we have a comfort level with being uncomfortable.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thank God for this Friday
No event in the history of the world makes a stronger argument for the connection among our minds, bodies and souls than Jesus' Way of the Cross, commemorated today on Good Friday.
His excruciating walk up to the top of Golgatha to be crucified after what was a long and painful night and morning of whipping, hitting, mockery, scourging, and abuse was somewhat common for the brutal, vicious, and volience-oriented society in which Jesus lived.
Uncommon was Jesus' physical strength to make it all the way to the top of the hill, endure the nails piercing his hands and feet and the time he spent hanging from the cross. This wasn't the death of Superman, with the ability to fly, heat vision and cold breath. Jesus was not superhuman; He was fully human. Therefore, His ability to endure this amount of pain and torture was the product of an intimate and most perfectly balanced connection among His mind, body and soul.
Scientists speculate that many would have been so weakened after His brutal torture that they would have been unable to carry their cross. Jesus Himself falls three times on His way up and Simon of Cyrene is pressed into helping Jesus carry the cross. But He makes it.
Furthermore, the intensity of the nails piercing His skin, especially in the places where they were supposedly driven (think about how sensitive your hands and feet are) would have been another instance where most humans would have either passed out or passed into death. Jesus, however, endures.
Finally, though, His body does succumb to death.
But, this Via Dolorosa gives us insight on how to overcome both the desires and weakness of our flesh and the tricks and lies of our minds: faith. Jesus believed He was following God's will. Similar to when an athlete, beyond the point of exhaustion, manages to find the endurance to sprint across the finish line, allowing our spirit to break through both our minds and our bodies can allow for the spirit to enter the world and in doing so, allow for the miraculous.
A soldier facing an enemy to ensure freedom. A student standing up to a bully to fight for a classmate being picked on. A surgeon working for hours to save a patient. A janitor brightening more than just the floors and bathrooms to include people's days. A woman in labor giving birth to her newborn child. All of these entail the spirit breaking through both the mind and body in such a way that something miraculous occurs.
When we follow our purpose, and focus on it with a spiritual hunger, we can overcome our physical limitations ("I'm just one person, what can I do?"), or our mental ones ("Everyone will think I'm crazy," "I'll be made fun of," "I'm so afraid of what will happen to me," etc.).
We call Jesus, "The Way," because He Himself said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6). And we call Him this because He came to show us the way-- to live, to die, to, if we follow Him all the way up to the cross, conquer death.
"Follow me," He says (Mark 1:17 and Matthew 4:19). Not just during the miracles. Not just during the good times. Not just during your triumphs, joys and successes. I can't promise that this life with Me will be easy, just worth it.
Jesus, we thank you for giving us this example of how to balance our minds, bodies and souls. We thank you for loving us to the point of death. We thank you for this Friday.
For, without this Friday, Sunday would be just another day of the week and our lives would be nothing more than time spent here on Earth.
Thank you, Jesus.
His excruciating walk up to the top of Golgatha to be crucified after what was a long and painful night and morning of whipping, hitting, mockery, scourging, and abuse was somewhat common for the brutal, vicious, and volience-oriented society in which Jesus lived.
Uncommon was Jesus' physical strength to make it all the way to the top of the hill, endure the nails piercing his hands and feet and the time he spent hanging from the cross. This wasn't the death of Superman, with the ability to fly, heat vision and cold breath. Jesus was not superhuman; He was fully human. Therefore, His ability to endure this amount of pain and torture was the product of an intimate and most perfectly balanced connection among His mind, body and soul.
Scientists speculate that many would have been so weakened after His brutal torture that they would have been unable to carry their cross. Jesus Himself falls three times on His way up and Simon of Cyrene is pressed into helping Jesus carry the cross. But He makes it.
Furthermore, the intensity of the nails piercing His skin, especially in the places where they were supposedly driven (think about how sensitive your hands and feet are) would have been another instance where most humans would have either passed out or passed into death. Jesus, however, endures.
Finally, though, His body does succumb to death.
But, this Via Dolorosa gives us insight on how to overcome both the desires and weakness of our flesh and the tricks and lies of our minds: faith. Jesus believed He was following God's will. Similar to when an athlete, beyond the point of exhaustion, manages to find the endurance to sprint across the finish line, allowing our spirit to break through both our minds and our bodies can allow for the spirit to enter the world and in doing so, allow for the miraculous.
A soldier facing an enemy to ensure freedom. A student standing up to a bully to fight for a classmate being picked on. A surgeon working for hours to save a patient. A janitor brightening more than just the floors and bathrooms to include people's days. A woman in labor giving birth to her newborn child. All of these entail the spirit breaking through both the mind and body in such a way that something miraculous occurs.
When we follow our purpose, and focus on it with a spiritual hunger, we can overcome our physical limitations ("I'm just one person, what can I do?"), or our mental ones ("Everyone will think I'm crazy," "I'll be made fun of," "I'm so afraid of what will happen to me," etc.).
We call Jesus, "The Way," because He Himself said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6). And we call Him this because He came to show us the way-- to live, to die, to, if we follow Him all the way up to the cross, conquer death.
"Follow me," He says (Mark 1:17 and Matthew 4:19). Not just during the miracles. Not just during the good times. Not just during your triumphs, joys and successes. I can't promise that this life with Me will be easy, just worth it.
Jesus, we thank you for giving us this example of how to balance our minds, bodies and souls. We thank you for loving us to the point of death. We thank you for this Friday.
For, without this Friday, Sunday would be just another day of the week and our lives would be nothing more than time spent here on Earth.
Thank you, Jesus.
Monday, April 18, 2011
The Heart of the Matter
"If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:1 - 3).
To continue with my topic (don't worry, I won't bore you to sleep by talking about...) of the connection among our minds, bodies and souls, I thought a good place to start was with this famous passage from Paul's letter to the Corinthians. Oftentimes, our minds can work better when we've taken care of our bodies. But, without the concurrent development of our souls/spirits, we run the risk of being vain and/or arrogant. Become too healthy and vanity and pride can consume us. Become too intelligent and arrogance and superiority can overrun us.
To paraphrase St. Paul, "If I am beyond smart and know all there is to know about everything, but have not grown spiritually, I am just a bunch of hot air. Likewise, if I can bench press any object and move my body in any direction at any moment, but have not taken care of my spirit, than I am as useful as a solar powered flashlight."
Our spirit/soul/heart must be the starting point. It must be the focus. Start with the spiritual, or at least allow it to rule the other two aspects of our being, and our minds and bodies become tools, implements, instruments, weapons for the good and not our own selfish gain.
Not all are called to a cloistered life. Similarly, most of us are not mystics. Too much of an emphasis on the spiritual life can lead to zealous righteousness or contemplative bliss. While a lifestyle completely wrapped in prayer has its merit, most of us are called to live out our faith intelligently. In other words, we must act. We must act because of love. We must act out of love in effective, efficient, and intelligent ways.
Therefore, we must take care of the bodies given to us as spirit vessels. Likewise, we must develop our minds so that we can do the most good for the most possible. Finally, we must grow in faith so that we can come to understand God's will for us and carry it out to the best of our abilities.
All three parts working together. Dependent and reliant upon each other. Interconnected and intertwined. Inseparable.
Three parts in one person.
Made, intelligently and with great love, in the image and likeness of our Creator.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Hit the Snooze: Sleep, Continued
My recent obsession with and lack of sleep continues. This reached an all-time new height this past weekend, when Emily and I got a good chuckle...okay, a belly aching laugh, out of a passage from Richard Ferber's (M.D.) famous book, "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems". Talking about the dangers of negative sleep associations (such as being rocked to sleep or held and then, once asleep, placed in a crib), Dr. Ferber writes:
Not very happy, indeed, but extremely funny.
Right?
Right?
And, on top of having a 5 month old who we are trying to teach how to fall asleep on her own, the NCAA Championship game starts at 9:23 p.m. EST.
Snooze button users of the world, unite.
Go ahead, and hit it. Not only will you get a few precious moments of shut eye, you'll also have a sense of control over the dreaded wake-up call, "You can't tell me it's time to get up, Alarm Clock, you vile fiend!"
But, snoozing, unless it's for a significant amount of time in between snoozes, does little to help us feel more well rested.
Before proceeding, a confession: I use/abuse (is there a difference for snoozers?) the snooze button. And, as mentioned in a previous blog, I do not get enough sleep. This is not necessarily a result of becoming a parent, though. I've always been a lousy sleeper. Elizabeth has merely compounded, not caused, my sleep deficiency.
Another point of clarification before proceeding: Despite my posturing last blog, I fully understand and appreciate the importance of sleep, not just for a newborn, infant, toddler, child, teenager, or adult but every person. What's more is that Elizabeth does get a good amount of sleep throughout the course of the day; it just doesn't all come at night. Her trouble sleeping at night and "through the night" are things that Emily and I are very concerned about, for our own sakes if not just for hers.
As a self-professed "athlete" (even though I don't regularly participate in competitive sports anymore), I firmly understand the connection between our bodies and our minds and among those two and our souls. Our minds don't function well when we've filled our bodies with too much sugar, fat, caffeine, or when we deprive our bodies of certain vitamins and minerals, water or sleep. Our minds function even more poorly when with additions or subtractions that are even worse than those listed above.
I must confess again (Lent is a penitential season, after all): even though I watch what I eat, I strive for moderation as opposed to obsession. Therefore, my diet is not void of sweets, fried food or an overabundance of peanuts, peanut butter and cereal. I love to eat; I just try to moderate my intake and maintain a healthy balance of different types of foods.
The 2004 documentary, "Supersize Me", brought to our country's and world's attention the dangers of unhealthy eating. Attempting to eat nothing but McDonald's fare for 3 meals a day for 30 days, Morgan Spurlock, the movie's director and guinea pig, (SPOILER ALERT) is advised by day 21 to stop the diet due to the health complications it caused.
Knowing the importance to our overall health, Catholic Schools should pay attention to what students are eating- not only in the cafeteria but also in the classrooms during class parties and celebrations. As an administrator, it is frustrating to deal with disciplinary problems that result from a school provided sugar-high and subsequent crash (the interruption to instructional time is another issue/frustration).
I believe that if students ate healthier, more well balanced diets, their performance in school would increase.
Likewise, I believe that exercise is another key ingredient in this recipe for academic and behavioral success. Play 60 is a campaign by the frozen NFL encouraging kids to get a total of at least 60 minutes of moderate exercise every day. Just as with eating, the benefits to such a lifestyle are not limited to children.
Finally, getting adequate sleep is another staple in this formula. Growing up, my grandmother would always say that my brother, sister and I (and all children) grow while we sleep. I'm uncertain as to whether this hypothesis was ever validated or not, but it makes sense that we'd function with greater efficiency if we were more well rested. I know I'm a better husband, father, principal, friend and man when I get more than 6 hours of sleep at night.
While it may seem overly holistic and simplistic, I wonder how many academic and behavioral problems could be avoided and/or corrected if we watched our diets, got regular exercise and even acquired the recommended allotment of sleep.
I also wonder if it's okay if we start all of these things tomorrow?
Call it a day-long snooze.
Now imagine this person, instead of just taking your pillow, actually moves you from your bed to another room, without waking you. Every night you go to sleep in your bed with everything just as you like it, only to wake after your first sleep cycle on, say the floor of the living room. Unless you're an exceptionally tolerant sleeper, you won't even try to go back to sleep right there; you will get up and head back to your bedroom...Once you calm down, you will fall back asleep-- but some ninety minutes later you'll wake up again on the living room floor and again locked out of your bedroom...Soon you might be resisting sleep in hopes of identifying the person who keeps moving you; in other words, you might have trouble falling asleep even in your own bed because you know that you'll be moved once you fall asleep. If that happened to you every night, you would not be very happy. (Ferber 66-67)
Not very happy, indeed, but extremely funny.
Right?
Right?
And, on top of having a 5 month old who we are trying to teach how to fall asleep on her own, the NCAA Championship game starts at 9:23 p.m. EST.
Snooze button users of the world, unite.
Go ahead, and hit it. Not only will you get a few precious moments of shut eye, you'll also have a sense of control over the dreaded wake-up call, "You can't tell me it's time to get up, Alarm Clock, you vile fiend!"
But, snoozing, unless it's for a significant amount of time in between snoozes, does little to help us feel more well rested.
Before proceeding, a confession: I use/abuse (is there a difference for snoozers?) the snooze button. And, as mentioned in a previous blog, I do not get enough sleep. This is not necessarily a result of becoming a parent, though. I've always been a lousy sleeper. Elizabeth has merely compounded, not caused, my sleep deficiency.
Another point of clarification before proceeding: Despite my posturing last blog, I fully understand and appreciate the importance of sleep, not just for a newborn, infant, toddler, child, teenager, or adult but every person. What's more is that Elizabeth does get a good amount of sleep throughout the course of the day; it just doesn't all come at night. Her trouble sleeping at night and "through the night" are things that Emily and I are very concerned about, for our own sakes if not just for hers.
As a self-professed "athlete" (even though I don't regularly participate in competitive sports anymore), I firmly understand the connection between our bodies and our minds and among those two and our souls. Our minds don't function well when we've filled our bodies with too much sugar, fat, caffeine, or when we deprive our bodies of certain vitamins and minerals, water or sleep. Our minds function even more poorly when with additions or subtractions that are even worse than those listed above.
I must confess again (Lent is a penitential season, after all): even though I watch what I eat, I strive for moderation as opposed to obsession. Therefore, my diet is not void of sweets, fried food or an overabundance of peanuts, peanut butter and cereal. I love to eat; I just try to moderate my intake and maintain a healthy balance of different types of foods.
The 2004 documentary, "Supersize Me", brought to our country's and world's attention the dangers of unhealthy eating. Attempting to eat nothing but McDonald's fare for 3 meals a day for 30 days, Morgan Spurlock, the movie's director and guinea pig, (SPOILER ALERT) is advised by day 21 to stop the diet due to the health complications it caused.
Knowing the importance to our overall health, Catholic Schools should pay attention to what students are eating- not only in the cafeteria but also in the classrooms during class parties and celebrations. As an administrator, it is frustrating to deal with disciplinary problems that result from a school provided sugar-high and subsequent crash (the interruption to instructional time is another issue/frustration).
I believe that if students ate healthier, more well balanced diets, their performance in school would increase.
Likewise, I believe that exercise is another key ingredient in this recipe for academic and behavioral success. Play 60 is a campaign by the frozen NFL encouraging kids to get a total of at least 60 minutes of moderate exercise every day. Just as with eating, the benefits to such a lifestyle are not limited to children.
Finally, getting adequate sleep is another staple in this formula. Growing up, my grandmother would always say that my brother, sister and I (and all children) grow while we sleep. I'm uncertain as to whether this hypothesis was ever validated or not, but it makes sense that we'd function with greater efficiency if we were more well rested. I know I'm a better husband, father, principal, friend and man when I get more than 6 hours of sleep at night.
While it may seem overly holistic and simplistic, I wonder how many academic and behavioral problems could be avoided and/or corrected if we watched our diets, got regular exercise and even acquired the recommended allotment of sleep.
I also wonder if it's okay if we start all of these things tomorrow?
Call it a day-long snooze.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Sleeping Through the Night
The topic of sleep is abundant throughout Lent. The disciples sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane while Jesus prayed for the strength to carry out His Father's will for Him, and my habit of going to bed early on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday to stave off hunger pangs are two examples.
Okay...they may be the only two examples.
But, as I have mentioned in a previous blog, I have come to accept sleep as a luxury instead of a necessity. I think about the disciples falling asleep and deserting Jesus in His moment of need and I come to realize that maybe sleep is overrated. I also come to realize that my lack of sleep has made me somewhat obsessed with it as a topic.
And why shouldn't I? To my daughter, Elizabeth, sleep is just about the most important part of her life-- and not because she's a good sleeper. No, the reality of the importance of sleep is made evident by the question most frequently asked to parents of a 4 and 1/2 month old:
"Is she sleeping through the night?"
This question is followed by what may be the 2nd and 3rd most common questions asked to new parents:
"How many naps does she take?" and "Is she a good sleeper?"
Sadly, my answers to these three sleep-centered questions would be: no, many but for extremely short durations, and no. In my estimation, whoever coined the phrase "sleeping like a baby" was a fool. I've never walked on so many pins and needles in my life.
I realize that my honesty with Elizabeth's inability to get quality, night-long sleep will bring a plethora of sound, proven advice on the many remedies at mine and Emily's disposal. Let her cry. Feed her food. Give her water. Don't let her sleep during the day. Don't give her a pacifier. Give her a pacifier. Establish a routine. Keep her room warm. Keep her room cold. Keep her room dark. Keep her room bright. Play music. Play static noise. Be silent. Rock her. Leave her. Cover her up. Swaddle her.
Basically, there are as many ways to get a baby to sleep as there are babies.
On the other hand, I am the proud parent of a baby who doesn't "sleep like a baby." She's already displaying her exceptional nature.
Nothing seems as much of a rite of passage/measuring stick of not only Elizabeth's journey from newborn to night-sleeper but our abilities as parents as this "sleeping through the night" phenomenon. Elizabeth is somewhere in infant cyber-sleep on this continuum. Emily and I must similarly be lost in sleep.
To all who ask this question of new parents, I politely retort (and vow never to ask this of new parents):
1. How many hours constitute the night?
2. What is one's definition of sleep?
3. Does "through" involve a potty break/change, early morning (er, I mean late "night") snack or merely the completion of one sleep cycle?
It seems that until more definition is given to this vague requirement of sleeping through the night, a below average score for either Elizabeth or Emily and I is unfair.
The world of education calls this listing of requirements/criteria by which one is evaluated a rubric and it is an essential yet, sadly, rarely used part of the educational process. Too often students receive assignments and eventually grades without any idea as to what is expected (see my retort above) or how they'll be graded (i.e. 4 straight hours of sleep = 10 points; 3 hours = 5 points; less than 3 = 0 points).
In addition, a rubric should reflect the important concepts/objectives behind the assignment. For example, what does "sleeping through the night" have to do with child development? Of course it is an important facet of Elizabeth's growth and progress (it has to be, right?) but why is it given more merit than rolling over, holding up her head, following noises, making noises or grabbing things with her hands (all things Elizabeth can do, by the way). So, not only should a rubric help to identify point values it should also identify areas of importance based on those values.
If you have a worksheet with 10 items and assign it a value of 10 points and yet deduct a point for each item that is spelled incorrectly, you've actually just given a spelling grade instead of the subject or concept behind the misspelled words. Things like neatness and spelling have merit and should be given weight, but the concepts behind such attention to detail should be given more and be heavier. Otherwise, the grade that is assigned is for something other than the skill being addressed.
Sleep is important, but should it be given a heftier point value than focused gazes, following and mimicking sounds or fine motor skills?
As Catholic educators we must ensure we are doing more than just getting our students to sleep through the night. We must get them to define night, compare it to day, articulate the connotation and relationship between night and darkness, list out the stages of the cycle of sleep, summarize the benefits of sleep, classify behaviors during sleep into the different stages of the sleep cycle, and even evaluate the conditions conducive to sleeping.
As you can see, teachers must first identify the objectives behind classroom activities before telling students to complete an assignment. If these objectives are specific, student-centered and measurable, they can help to form the rubric by which the students will be assessed.
Teachers must be purposeful in not only their planning and instruction but also their assessment/evaluation. Answering the question "how" when it comes to an assignment is powerful. Answering the question "why", though, is magical. Both are vitally important when it comes to evaluation.
Strategies abound for how to get Elizabeth to sleep. Less evident is why such shut-eye through the night, whatever that means, is important.
Teachers, it's time to wake up and no longer keep our students in the dark when it comes to how and why we'll assess them.
Even if darkness is conducive to sleeping.
Okay...they may be the only two examples.
But, as I have mentioned in a previous blog, I have come to accept sleep as a luxury instead of a necessity. I think about the disciples falling asleep and deserting Jesus in His moment of need and I come to realize that maybe sleep is overrated. I also come to realize that my lack of sleep has made me somewhat obsessed with it as a topic.
And why shouldn't I? To my daughter, Elizabeth, sleep is just about the most important part of her life-- and not because she's a good sleeper. No, the reality of the importance of sleep is made evident by the question most frequently asked to parents of a 4 and 1/2 month old:
"Is she sleeping through the night?"
This question is followed by what may be the 2nd and 3rd most common questions asked to new parents:
"How many naps does she take?" and "Is she a good sleeper?"
Sadly, my answers to these three sleep-centered questions would be: no, many but for extremely short durations, and no. In my estimation, whoever coined the phrase "sleeping like a baby" was a fool. I've never walked on so many pins and needles in my life.
I realize that my honesty with Elizabeth's inability to get quality, night-long sleep will bring a plethora of sound, proven advice on the many remedies at mine and Emily's disposal. Let her cry. Feed her food. Give her water. Don't let her sleep during the day. Don't give her a pacifier. Give her a pacifier. Establish a routine. Keep her room warm. Keep her room cold. Keep her room dark. Keep her room bright. Play music. Play static noise. Be silent. Rock her. Leave her. Cover her up. Swaddle her.
Basically, there are as many ways to get a baby to sleep as there are babies.
On the other hand, I am the proud parent of a baby who doesn't "sleep like a baby." She's already displaying her exceptional nature.
Nothing seems as much of a rite of passage/measuring stick of not only Elizabeth's journey from newborn to night-sleeper but our abilities as parents as this "sleeping through the night" phenomenon. Elizabeth is somewhere in infant cyber-sleep on this continuum. Emily and I must similarly be lost in sleep.
To all who ask this question of new parents, I politely retort (and vow never to ask this of new parents):
1. How many hours constitute the night?
2. What is one's definition of sleep?
3. Does "through" involve a potty break/change, early morning (er, I mean late "night") snack or merely the completion of one sleep cycle?
It seems that until more definition is given to this vague requirement of sleeping through the night, a below average score for either Elizabeth or Emily and I is unfair.
The world of education calls this listing of requirements/criteria by which one is evaluated a rubric and it is an essential yet, sadly, rarely used part of the educational process. Too often students receive assignments and eventually grades without any idea as to what is expected (see my retort above) or how they'll be graded (i.e. 4 straight hours of sleep = 10 points; 3 hours = 5 points; less than 3 = 0 points).
In addition, a rubric should reflect the important concepts/objectives behind the assignment. For example, what does "sleeping through the night" have to do with child development? Of course it is an important facet of Elizabeth's growth and progress (it has to be, right?) but why is it given more merit than rolling over, holding up her head, following noises, making noises or grabbing things with her hands (all things Elizabeth can do, by the way). So, not only should a rubric help to identify point values it should also identify areas of importance based on those values.
If you have a worksheet with 10 items and assign it a value of 10 points and yet deduct a point for each item that is spelled incorrectly, you've actually just given a spelling grade instead of the subject or concept behind the misspelled words. Things like neatness and spelling have merit and should be given weight, but the concepts behind such attention to detail should be given more and be heavier. Otherwise, the grade that is assigned is for something other than the skill being addressed.
Sleep is important, but should it be given a heftier point value than focused gazes, following and mimicking sounds or fine motor skills?
As Catholic educators we must ensure we are doing more than just getting our students to sleep through the night. We must get them to define night, compare it to day, articulate the connotation and relationship between night and darkness, list out the stages of the cycle of sleep, summarize the benefits of sleep, classify behaviors during sleep into the different stages of the sleep cycle, and even evaluate the conditions conducive to sleeping.
As you can see, teachers must first identify the objectives behind classroom activities before telling students to complete an assignment. If these objectives are specific, student-centered and measurable, they can help to form the rubric by which the students will be assessed.
Teachers must be purposeful in not only their planning and instruction but also their assessment/evaluation. Answering the question "how" when it comes to an assignment is powerful. Answering the question "why", though, is magical. Both are vitally important when it comes to evaluation.
Strategies abound for how to get Elizabeth to sleep. Less evident is why such shut-eye through the night, whatever that means, is important.
Teachers, it's time to wake up and no longer keep our students in the dark when it comes to how and why we'll assess them.
Even if darkness is conducive to sleeping.
Friday, March 11, 2011
The Sound of Silence
One of my football coaches in college, Kirk Doll, would constantly say to our linebacker group, "It doesn't matter how you start, it's how you finish that matters." Coach Doll would say this to emphasize that no matter how well we may have started during a particular play or game, was not nearly as important as where or how we ended up on a particular play.
Examples of this abound in the world of athletics. Michael Phelps came from behind to claim gold from Milorad Cavic in the 100m butterfly during the 2008 Olympics. Behind for the entire race, Phelps out touched Cavic by 1/100 of a second.
Leon Lett went down in sports' infamy when in the 1993 Superbowl a hustling Don Beebe stripped the ball from Lett's hands moments before what should have been an easy fumble return for a touchdown.
During the 1995 NBA Playoffs, Reggie Miller single handedly score 8 points in the closing 16.4 seconds of a game for a victory over the Knicks.
The same thing is true in life, too. A baby chick is so much more attractive than an egg; a butterfly more visually stunning and graceful than a caterpillar; riding a two wheel bicycle is so much more liberating that a tricycle.
There is truth to this in the spiritual realm as well. Consider the examples of Peter and Paul. Peter, a liar and a coward, and Paul, a mercenary killing members of the very group that he would later join and lead, were used by Jesus to establish the Church after Jesus' Ascension into Heaven.
Truly, it doesn't matter how you start, it's how you finish that matters.
Even take Jesus as another example. Prior to spending 40 days in the desert, the time observed during Lent, Jesus was reluctant to fulfill the prophecies claiming His Royal Priesthood. After this 40 day fast and spiritual wrestling match with the devil, Jesus emerges prepared to be the Messiah-- teaching, preaching, performing miracles, saving us from our sins.
This liturgical season of Lent is a time for Christians to literally "turn" back to Jesus. Receiving ashes on our foreheads during the Celebration of the Eucharist on Ash Wednesday, we are told to, "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel." Jesus hopes that through the season of Lent we will be better on Easter than we were on Ash Wednesday.
Jesus is telling us, "It doesn't matter how you may have started, it's how you finish that matters."
Lent is a time to strip away some or all of the distractions that keep us from Christ. It is a time to simplify our lives. It is a time to go hungry, as Jesus did, so that we can recognize our spiritual hunger for God.
It is a time for us to enter our own desert. Some place where it is just God and us. Some time when and some place where nothing else is happening, except listening to God’s voice.
There will be many desert experiences throughout our lives. Some, like each Lenten journey, will be self-imposed through an increase on our own parts in prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Others, like the death of a loved one, or a disappointment in trying out for a team and being cut, or not getting a job, or having our affection for another rejected will transpire unexpectedly.
But, it is precisely during these desert experiences that God is speaking loudest to us. C.S. Lewis writes, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."
God will use those desert experiences, if we let him, to speak to us. It will be His opportunity to shout to us- to hit us over the head with what we should be doing and how we should be acting. But, He lets us make the first move. He’s waiting for us in the desert. He went there and met the devil. We enter our deserts and meet Christ.
He’s there ready to speak to us; are we silent enough to listen?
Examples of this abound in the world of athletics. Michael Phelps came from behind to claim gold from Milorad Cavic in the 100m butterfly during the 2008 Olympics. Behind for the entire race, Phelps out touched Cavic by 1/100 of a second.
Leon Lett went down in sports' infamy when in the 1993 Superbowl a hustling Don Beebe stripped the ball from Lett's hands moments before what should have been an easy fumble return for a touchdown.
During the 1995 NBA Playoffs, Reggie Miller single handedly score 8 points in the closing 16.4 seconds of a game for a victory over the Knicks.
The same thing is true in life, too. A baby chick is so much more attractive than an egg; a butterfly more visually stunning and graceful than a caterpillar; riding a two wheel bicycle is so much more liberating that a tricycle.
There is truth to this in the spiritual realm as well. Consider the examples of Peter and Paul. Peter, a liar and a coward, and Paul, a mercenary killing members of the very group that he would later join and lead, were used by Jesus to establish the Church after Jesus' Ascension into Heaven.
Truly, it doesn't matter how you start, it's how you finish that matters.
Even take Jesus as another example. Prior to spending 40 days in the desert, the time observed during Lent, Jesus was reluctant to fulfill the prophecies claiming His Royal Priesthood. After this 40 day fast and spiritual wrestling match with the devil, Jesus emerges prepared to be the Messiah-- teaching, preaching, performing miracles, saving us from our sins.
This liturgical season of Lent is a time for Christians to literally "turn" back to Jesus. Receiving ashes on our foreheads during the Celebration of the Eucharist on Ash Wednesday, we are told to, "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel." Jesus hopes that through the season of Lent we will be better on Easter than we were on Ash Wednesday.
Jesus is telling us, "It doesn't matter how you may have started, it's how you finish that matters."
Lent is a time to strip away some or all of the distractions that keep us from Christ. It is a time to simplify our lives. It is a time to go hungry, as Jesus did, so that we can recognize our spiritual hunger for God.
It is a time for us to enter our own desert. Some place where it is just God and us. Some time when and some place where nothing else is happening, except listening to God’s voice.
There will be many desert experiences throughout our lives. Some, like each Lenten journey, will be self-imposed through an increase on our own parts in prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Others, like the death of a loved one, or a disappointment in trying out for a team and being cut, or not getting a job, or having our affection for another rejected will transpire unexpectedly.
But, it is precisely during these desert experiences that God is speaking loudest to us. C.S. Lewis writes, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."
God will use those desert experiences, if we let him, to speak to us. It will be His opportunity to shout to us- to hit us over the head with what we should be doing and how we should be acting. But, He lets us make the first move. He’s waiting for us in the desert. He went there and met the devil. We enter our deserts and meet Christ.
He’s there ready to speak to us; are we silent enough to listen?
Monday, March 7, 2011
Family Matters
I draft this blog thousands of feet in the air traveling from Cleveland back to Tampa. Last night, Sunday March 6, my aforementioned brother, Joe (the one who is tattooed for Jesus) was inducted into the Cleveland Benedictine High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Arriving in Cleveland late Saturday night, that night and Sunday night were the first nights spent away from my daughter Elizabeth and the first nights spent away from my wife Emily since the birth of our child.
To say that I wasn't excited about the prospect of sleeping uninterrupted through the night would be a lie. Equally false would be if I said that I actually got such sweet slumber. In her four short months of life, Elizabeth has changed my sleeping patterns-- I was up every two or three hours anyways. On top of my inability to sleep through the night, I missed both Emily and Elizabeth fiercely.
But, this ceremony honoring my brother and a handful of other Benedictine alums, despite the personal and financial sacrifice, was not an event I was willing to miss.
Because to the Zelenkas, family matters.
In fact, in his acceptance speech, Joe linked the importance and connection between the Benedictine family and that of our own. First, my brother thanked our Mom and Dad; Mary, our sister; his wife and kids, Rebekah, Ben and Grace; our Uncle Dave (our Father's brother); and me. Citing the love and support offered to him throughout his life by these close family members, Joe recognized the important role his family has played in his many successes.
Second, Joe highlighted the fact that five Zelenka men have walked the hallways of Benedictine. Our father, Robert; his older brother, Joe; and his younger brother, Dave, all attended Benedictine prior to our 2nd generation attendance in '94 (Joe) and '97 (me). In addition to our attendance as students, our Uncle Dave worked for many years in the school and the adjoining St. Andrew Abbey as its Cafeteria Manager and Caterer.
Our family's many layered connection to Benedictine is not an exception to this historic school. Many students bear the legacies of their fathers, grandfathers, and I'm sure even great- or great-great- grandfathers. Multiple Men of Benedictine return to their Alma Mater to teach, coach and work in Administration at the place they called home for the years of their high school careers. The Benedictine Monks of St. Andrew Abbey bridge many of these generational gaps and offer an institutional history and stability akin to the familial pillars provided by our forefathers and mothers. My father and I had at least one teacher in common. I know that my he and my brother shared a few more. Again, to be connected to Benedictine in multiple ways is the norm, not the exception.
Because to the Men of Benedictine, family matters.
But, this atmosphere of family is possible because of more than just Benedictine High School's age. There is a spirit, an aura, a palpable soul at Benedictine made manifest by the charism of St. Benedict, the founder of the order: Ora et Labora, translated as Prayer and Work.
Every day, every class, every lunch period and even every practice begins with a prayer. Mass is celebrated as a school and by teams before every sporting event. The Rosary is prayed on the bus to away games. Players visit the campus's grotto before and after games and practices.
This reliance on prayer is coupled with an emphasis on hard work. Whether it be studies, extra-curriculars, or spiritual growth, a strong work ethic is modeled, encouraged and honored.
This coupling leads to the cultivation of a community. Our prayer is by nature communal. Our work is more fruitful when done in communion with others. Praying with others before beginning the work in which we will all partake is the leavening agent needed to rise from a school to a community and from a community into the heights of a family.
Any Catholic School worth its salt will have combined ingredients in a similar way so as to create its own unique, family atmosphere. Combining its traditions with prayer and hard work focuses the efforts of the whole in a unified direction. The school community then begins to love and support each other (students, teachers, parents-- everyone) in the same way that a family does.
It is said that a family that prays together stays together. I'd venture to add to this cliche and put it in terms of Catholic Education: the school community that prays together can become a family and the school family that prays for each other can come to realize that what truly matters is each other.
To say that I wasn't excited about the prospect of sleeping uninterrupted through the night would be a lie. Equally false would be if I said that I actually got such sweet slumber. In her four short months of life, Elizabeth has changed my sleeping patterns-- I was up every two or three hours anyways. On top of my inability to sleep through the night, I missed both Emily and Elizabeth fiercely.
But, this ceremony honoring my brother and a handful of other Benedictine alums, despite the personal and financial sacrifice, was not an event I was willing to miss.
Because to the Zelenkas, family matters.
In fact, in his acceptance speech, Joe linked the importance and connection between the Benedictine family and that of our own. First, my brother thanked our Mom and Dad; Mary, our sister; his wife and kids, Rebekah, Ben and Grace; our Uncle Dave (our Father's brother); and me. Citing the love and support offered to him throughout his life by these close family members, Joe recognized the important role his family has played in his many successes.
Second, Joe highlighted the fact that five Zelenka men have walked the hallways of Benedictine. Our father, Robert; his older brother, Joe; and his younger brother, Dave, all attended Benedictine prior to our 2nd generation attendance in '94 (Joe) and '97 (me). In addition to our attendance as students, our Uncle Dave worked for many years in the school and the adjoining St. Andrew Abbey as its Cafeteria Manager and Caterer.
Our family's many layered connection to Benedictine is not an exception to this historic school. Many students bear the legacies of their fathers, grandfathers, and I'm sure even great- or great-great- grandfathers. Multiple Men of Benedictine return to their Alma Mater to teach, coach and work in Administration at the place they called home for the years of their high school careers. The Benedictine Monks of St. Andrew Abbey bridge many of these generational gaps and offer an institutional history and stability akin to the familial pillars provided by our forefathers and mothers. My father and I had at least one teacher in common. I know that my he and my brother shared a few more. Again, to be connected to Benedictine in multiple ways is the norm, not the exception.
Because to the Men of Benedictine, family matters.
But, this atmosphere of family is possible because of more than just Benedictine High School's age. There is a spirit, an aura, a palpable soul at Benedictine made manifest by the charism of St. Benedict, the founder of the order: Ora et Labora, translated as Prayer and Work.
Every day, every class, every lunch period and even every practice begins with a prayer. Mass is celebrated as a school and by teams before every sporting event. The Rosary is prayed on the bus to away games. Players visit the campus's grotto before and after games and practices.
This reliance on prayer is coupled with an emphasis on hard work. Whether it be studies, extra-curriculars, or spiritual growth, a strong work ethic is modeled, encouraged and honored.
This coupling leads to the cultivation of a community. Our prayer is by nature communal. Our work is more fruitful when done in communion with others. Praying with others before beginning the work in which we will all partake is the leavening agent needed to rise from a school to a community and from a community into the heights of a family.
Any Catholic School worth its salt will have combined ingredients in a similar way so as to create its own unique, family atmosphere. Combining its traditions with prayer and hard work focuses the efforts of the whole in a unified direction. The school community then begins to love and support each other (students, teachers, parents-- everyone) in the same way that a family does.
It is said that a family that prays together stays together. I'd venture to add to this cliche and put it in terms of Catholic Education: the school community that prays together can become a family and the school family that prays for each other can come to realize that what truly matters is each other.
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