Bubble Eye Rescued

Whenever I do the multiple intelligence inventory, I am always off the charts on naturalistic learning. I just love to be outside with all of the flora and fauna. So when we moved to our new house in Gluckstadt last December, I immediately started planning and planting the outside. I like to think of it as the Gluckstadt Nature Preserve.

One of the ongoing projects was digging and designing a pond area.

When I left Velma Jackson (see previous blog), I knew the eleven goldfish would not survive the summer and even if they did I did not know if the next teacher would love them like I do. The pond in part was a way for them to have a new home. I introduced them to their new home a few at a time until all eleven liked their new aquatic residence. Somehow three fish did not make it early on. Then one day I noticed Bubble Eye turned up missing for the morning and evening feedings. This went on for about a week and I had given up hope of seeing her again.

Then with the ideal breeding conditions in the warm summer weather, the pond got so full of algae that the fish spout became a drool. I had to take out the filter and clean it (if you decide to have a pond be prepared for constant maintenance). When I opened it up, there was Bubble Eye flopping around and stuck. I quickly rescued her and threw her into the pond. (Unfortunately I was too late for one of the black moors who made it to the compost.)

Now Bubble Eye pops up happily for feeding and only has a character stripe to show for her time stuck in the filter.

For the last eight years I have taught in three very challenging schools. All were very similar. I was a minority amidst minority students. Leadership was woefully lacking or inconsistent, and parental involvement minimal. Students had not yet experienced an ongoing culture of learning and academic achievement - it was only sporadic with fits and starts depending on which motivated teachers managed to pass through from time to time.

I gave these students and schools my best efforts but I never felt like I thrived. I was at a point in my career when I thought these kinds of schools were my calling and when for whatever reason I would serve them until retirement and then I got a call from my now new principal. I answered the call. Like Bubble Eye I have some character stripes from the experiences at Ray Brooks (Benoit), East Side (Cleveland) and Velma Jackson (Camden). Also like Bubble Eye, someone recycled me from one kind of school to another. This fall I will be tossed into a new school and a new challenge.

Bubble Eye told me just the other day thank you. She also whispered, "you are going to thrive."