grateful

It's been a month to the day since our profile has "officially" been released for viewing. Y'all, this is tough. We've spent so much time in prayer over this birth mother that will choose us and this precious baby that will one day be ours. We have entrusted our hearts and our plans to God, but nothing can really prepare you for the waiting. The waiting has indeed been blessed, as we've gotten to do things that are "just" us. But it's also really really - really - tough. 

It's difficult to actually put that faith and trust into action. It's tough knowing that with the holidays approaching, we will be faced with numerous questions of, "When are we getting a baby?" and having to answer, "We have no idea." It's tough being Captain Type-A and not being able to plan even the next month because of the unknown. It's tough being told that this birth mother was a no. It's trying to pretend to keep it all together. And maybe I don't have to have it all together. I don't have to have all of the answers. Sometimes it's tough to admit that.

I was telling one of my dearest friends about the latest "no" we received, and he quickly reminded me of all of the things I have to be grateful for: a home with space for this baby, a wife who loves Jesus first and foremost, jobs with which we can support this baby, a close-knit group of friends who will support us on this journey, the sheer amount of fundraising we've been able to do in the past 15 months. He reminded me of Psalm 126:3, "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Woah - that one hit me right in the teeth. 

You see, I have so very much for which to be grateful - the fact that two birth mothers have chosen life in their circumstances; the greatest support system I could even dream of; a social worker who prays for us daily and updates us constantly of the progress; the sheer number of people who have invested their finances, time, and prayers into us; a nursery that we could literally use tonight if we had to. I could go on for days of the things for which I am grateful within our adoption.

Outside of our adoption, my list is just as long. I am grateful for truly the greatest school district in the country, a group of coworkers there who have my back in all things and can't wait to meet the newest member of our little math-nerd family, the same scenario in my wife's school, two families who love us and our future child beyond my wildest imagination, friends who speak truth into my life when I need it the most, a God who blesses me beyond what I deserve. And I am thankful that each "no" is just a stepping stone on the path to His best "yes." Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

silly shonda

Dearest Shonda Rhimes,

Last night, you lost a fan. And not just a fan but a super fan. A fan who had seen every single episode of Scandal and could hold a rousing discussion on the merits of this move by Olivia over that move. A fan who begged for the return of Jake as Olivia's man over Fitz. A fan who remembers watching the very first episode (which was so poorly shot and wardrobed by comparison) in the hotel room with his dad the night before his own wedding. A fan who would binge watch old episodes just for fun. A fan who is currently writing this blog from the future nursery of the baby that he and his wife have prayed for fervently for years and are currently waiting to adopt. And he has had enough.

You see, I sat by for too long without speaking out about the atrocities of some of the content of his beloved show because I just wanted to keep up with the times and be able to have those aforementioned conversations with my friends and family members. I endured the torrid love affairs of famous-fixer-Olivia on a weekly basis. I stood by and watched as all the characters seemed to show no evidence of possessing a moral compass. I cheered every time Papa Pope's plans were foiled. I acted as if these characters were real people whom I knew - and that's probably going too far on my behalf. All in the name of entertainment. And for that, I only have myself to blame. 

I stayed up late (an accomplishment in itself) for the touted winter finale. I enjoyed my Thursday ironing rituals as I prepared myself for what was surely to be a life-changing episode. And truth be told, it did change my life. But not in the way that I expected. I sat on the couch beside my wife who has been tirelessly working her book business to help raise funds to bring home this baby we have been praying and dreaming of. And then the unthinkable happened. I mean, we all know that you are always on the forefront of the social issues of the day, so I guess it really isn't that unthinkable. 

As Mellie filibustered for days and days just to keep her Planned Parenthood funding around (and let's be honest, I didn't need another reason to despise her fried-chicken-eating crazy self), I never dreamed you would take your stance one step further. What happened in that doctor's office sickened me to a new level. I instantly felt my face flush and my blood pressure rise. In that instant, Olivia Pope became a statistic - joining more 700,000 US women who have not chosen life (latest statistics only are available through 2011). Edited to add: Black women are nearly 4 times as likely (they make up 13% of the population, yet account for 37% of all abortions) to abort than non-hispanic white women. Considering the fact that many young girls, especially African-American  ones, view Olivia as a role model, this is particularly troubling. And my lovely wife grabbed the remote, pressed stop, and then erased the recording. 

You see, we drew a line in the sand last night. I can't continue to support something that sickens me to the core all in the name of entertainment. How convenient for you to choose to promote how lives matter when you wanted to pull from the police-shoot-innocent-boy headlines. But strange how this unborn child didn't matter enough to warrant a chance to become something. Shonda, you are indeed a gifted storyteller, and I can only imagine the great story you would've woven from this birth - fast forward 30 years and imagine what he or she really could've done for the world. But nope, that wouldn't have advanced your leftist agenda. And heaven surely forbid we don't provide these contraceptive services to women "in need." And let's be honest, as wealthy as Olivia is, she could have afforded some good birth control (it's the only way this hasn't happened in the first 4.5 seasons as much as she gets around). 

When you go through the trials of infertility, any one who would willingly end the life of a child instantly affects you. You think of all the things you could have said to her to change her mind. You wonder if you could have done anything at all to influence her decision. When you are waiting to be chosen by a birth mother, these feelings are amplified. I can't help but think of what a fantastic story adoption would have made. Why didn't that become an option (since apparently Olivia actually birthing the President's baby wasn't even on the table)? Abby has really gotten her life together (in my oh so humble opinion) and would have made a fantastic mother. Or some random couple from somewhere in America - not even a series regular. Adoption paints such a beautiful portrait of the Gospel and redemption in Christ. It isn't a "final" option or last resort, but it should have been the only option in this case. Life matters. From conception to death. End of story. 

You see, Shonda, had you chosen to weave in an adoption story, you would have had at least 2 even-more-devoted fans in this household. We would have shouted your praises from the rooftops and pointed to the ways that adoption is finally becoming part of the mainstream conversation. (And don't try to use Cyrus and James' adoption so many seasons ago as a valid reason of your doing that. It was merely convenient for you considering their status and circumstance.) In no way am I trying to vilify or indemnify you. I just want to express my deep hurt over this choice. In any way was it necessary? Did it move the plot (that has been centered on Olitz for far-too-long anyway, while we're at it) forward in any way? My answer is certainly and unequivocally no. And I am sad to say, my obsession with Scandal has ended. But hey, at least I can go to bed earlier on Thursdays now.

Sincerely,
Future Father

we wait

I remember the day we told our pastor we had just filed our adoption papers and that he should be expecting a reference request from the agency. He quickly responded, "Air out your issues now, because a baby will quickly change that" as he prayed for us. In all honesty, I thought it was that generic marriage advice that everyone gives you right before you marry ("never go to bed angry," "communicate," "love each other," etc. etc. etc.). Standing on the other side of the filing, I can say he was spot on and his advice was far from generic. RAHD and I have always thought we had a strong relationship - we are honest with each other, we spend time with each other, and we are in general a good team.

Wow, were we jaded. If you truly want to test the strength of your marriage, try adding a few life changes to the mix. Might I suggest a few of the following - leaving a job, starting a new job, working to promote in an independent consulting business, adopting a baby. Let's compound all of this into a 6-month period. Seriously, this has been our life since April. No wonder we were recommended for counseling as we entered this adoption process.

If you've followed the journey on fb, you know that we spent the majority of the summer not in the home study interviews but on marriage counseling. I'm not gonna lie - I HATED the idea of our needing it at first. Maybe it was my pride stepping in the way of what needed to be done for our relationship. I almost felt vindicated in my beliefs when our friends were shocked that we had to enter counseling. But how much do they really know aside from the high points we share on the social medias? Please don't take this as an outcry for more honesty in the things we share on facebook, instagram, and the like - it's more of a plea to be honest with ourselves, y'all. We have GOT to stop believing that the things we post (a) validate us, (b) make us better than someone else on our friend list, and (c) are the only truth about our lives. {Is it possible to step on your own toes, because I'm pretty sure I just did?}

We were paired with the most fantastic counselor this summer who walked us through what attachment looks like in secure versus insecure adults, the need for more communication within our marriage, and our own issues with avoidance. She challenged us to work on our relationship and really pour into each other. I mean, if we are preparing to welcome a child into our home and if we are already empty, there is no way we could effectively pour into this child and raise him the right way. Two months - a lot of homework and prayer, and more tissues than I can count - later, we were given the clearing to formally enter the home study process. We are eternally grateful for an agency who believes in the strength of marriage while also preparing families for adoption. 

The home study process for us actually lasted about 10-12 weeks from the first home visit to the final interview. We answered question after question about our lives and backgrounds, our feelings on birth parent ministry and trans-racial adoption, and attachment and relationships. Because of all our counseling work over the summer, the questions were truthfully not overwhelming since we had already discussed most of them and needed to put our answers in writing. After our third interview, we were told to begin working on our profile book (what a friend of mine referred to, fittingly, as the "parent catalog") to show to birth mothers. Observations: compartmentalizing your life into "about me," "marriage," "home," and "nursery plans" while being mindful of choosing the "right" pictures and speaking of yourself exclusively in third person is exhausting. And a tad bit weird. {Real talk moment here - we fought over this book. And not just over things like fonts and backgrounds. We had a major argument over my own stubbornness and starting the book without seeking help. I was prideful in my own digital scrapbooking abilities if we're being real, and I didn't want to ask for help or seek assistance on a book that is to represent our marriage and our life - ouch. After some tears and some time to vent into my journal, we came together to work on the book and were able to complete it and send it to our social worker for approval.} She made some suggestions about which photo would be best on the cover, an appropriate ending, and other things to make it better. We finally settled on an appropriate cover photo that was actually the very first wedding photo we saw from our photographer's first round of edits. God is in the details. Our social worker said over and over "I saw you and heard you throughout this book," which is exactly what we wanted. 

Our final interview was yesterday, and we actually had a chance to speak with our counselor from this summer and catch her up on what God is doing in our marriage and in our adoption. It was such a sweet reunion. In our interview, we talked about what the process will look like from here, and frankly, it is a lot of waiting. And I mean a lot. We will wait an additional 2-3 weeks for our home study document to be finalized and approved before our profile book can be shown to potential birth mothers. Then we wait for her to read several profiles at one time before choosing. And we wait to hear from our social worker on a yes or a no. And we wait for another round of viewing if it's a no. And we wait for delivery if it's a yes. And we wait for relinquishment of rights. And we wait for ICPC clearance if it's an out-of-state birth mother. And we wait for adoption day at the agency where we sign papers and get legal documents. And we wait for our day in court when we will stand before a judge with our family there, promising to care for this child. 

And we wait for this child to have his first tooth, his first day of school, his first friend, his first heartbreak, and so many other milestones. We wait for the first time we hold this precious gift. There is peace in the waiting. As our social worker prayed over us at the end of our interview, she prayed "bless the waiting," and it hit me {as I wept for the umpteenth time on that couch} that this doesn't have to be a stressful time. This is a time for RAHD and I to savor each other and enjoy the things about each other than make us tic. This is a time for us to pray evermore for our birth mother and future child. So many of you have bathed us in prayer, and we can never adequately express our gratitude to you. 

Several people have asked for specific things to pray, so here it goes. Pray that God uses this time to teach us about himself and about each other, that we would savor the last of our "just us" days, and that we would earnestly seek his will when we view information on a potential birth mother. Pray that all of the birth mothers who read our profile are affirmed in their decision to choose life. Pray for the safety of our birth mother and child, for openness and peace, for her future - her goals and dreams, her family - her salvation, her strong support system, and that she be in the right place at the right time. Above all, pray that God be glorified in every step of this journey. Thank you for all you've done and continue to do for us. We love each of you. 

renewal

Y'all, it's been 6 weeks since I last blogged. My, how different our lives looked then - sleeping in, running at a leisurely pace, watching The Golden Girls with breakfast. Then - BAM - back to school hits. When both you and your spouse are teachers, back to school season tends to look like this. Early mornings, exhausted nights, breakfasts eaten in a hurry, in bed before 8:30 (who am I kidding, we did that during the summer too). 
There's certainly very little free time to read - much less time to blog about what I've read. I'm in a new school district these days, and my car rides to work might last 10 minutes, so an audiobook would be not really be worth my time lately. Most of my reading time has been in the early morning hours on a weekend in which I inexplicably could not sleep in. In that time, I actually managed to finish Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince. Every thing that could be said about the magnificent series has already been said, so I will not blog about that one except to say, even on a re-read, that Jo manages to grab hold of me and make me think. 
In the weeks since school has started, I have stretched myself and grown beyond my wildest dreams. I have found an incredible set of colleagues who have quickly taken me under their wings and treated me like family. I have gone to dinner with my math nerds by myself - as in, no RAHD. I have connected with my students and fallen back in love with what I do. I have begun getting my students out of their seats (ground breaking, I know) on a regular basis and helped them become owners of their own learning. They have really responded well to the things I've tried. This has been so out of the norm for me, but I have grown a lot in changing the way I do things in my classroom. 
We are still working through the home study portion of our adoption, and as of this week, that portion will be 3/4 completed. We've had to answer questions about how we will attach to a child who may not be biologically ours as well as think about how we will respond to development delays that could be caused by substance abuse. Can we say overwhelming? But these are things that every parent must consider, and it is not something that should be entered into lightly.
In the mean time, I've run two half marathons in the past two weeks. The first was the Area 13.1 Half Marathon in Roswell, GA. The basic premise of this race was to outrun an alien invasion, so the gun time was 7:00 pm - very atypical for me and my training style. I knew fueling would be something I would have to carefully consider moreso than in other races, since I would have to eat a meal before. I thought a bread bowl of soup a couple hours in advance would be ok. Boy, was I wrong. Running on a full stomach - especially a half  - will not be counted as one of my greatest life decisions. I spent most of the race searching for a portapotty and turned in my worst half time to date - as in 2:18:20. Lesson learned - night races just aren't for me. But on the plus side, we got to have a small getaway together and loved our Hyatt Place hotel - seriously, if you are near Atlanta, check them out.

I mean, how cool is this suite area? Totally worth every penny.

This was an interesting race experience to say the least. Thankful for my #1 fan, but wow, I would not run this one again. Plus side: the alien head medal glows in the dark. A little freaky sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night, but it's super cool!

My most recent race was Labor Day weekend in the big city of Tupelo, MS. The Tupelo Marathon is unique in so many ways - 5:00 am gun time, total field of 700 between the half and full, and an ending inside the local arena. Sometimes, we as runners have those days when every single thing seems to go right. September 6 was that day for me. I slept pretty well for a hotel stay, awoke refreshed, had only my banana to eat this time, followed all "cleansing" rituals to a t, and enjoyed absolutely perfect pre-dawn weather - low 70s at gun time.

My boo & me right before gun time. How much fun is this Hippie Runner headband? There are options galore and if you use my link, you get a discount & I get loyalty points! I'm a bit of a headband snob, and this one stayed in place for the entire race and didn't slip at all while keeping my mop of hair back. You will want to expand your collection once you start to shop. 

I was feeling it during this race - I was cutting a sub-9:00 mile and had already passed 7 miles at the 1:00 mark. I only had a minor issue at one aid station when a volunteer didn't see me and I didn't get to take some water at that one - and I wasn't about to break stride when I was just feeling the potential for a race like this. The Tupelo course is simply stunning - rolling hills through historic neighborhoods and flatter sections through the business district of town. Near mile 11, I had to slow my pace a bit and do my Oprah Winfrey power walk

for about 2/10 of a mile before getting back to pace - but even then, my pace stayed well below 10:00/mile. I was nearing the arena when my watch was showing a 1:58:00 time (in all honesty, I just wanted a sub-2:00), so I was getting excited. The finish chute may be my favorite part, because I always keep just enough in my tank to sprint the end (poo poo on those who say this isn't good etiquette; it's just plain fun!). I crossed the finish line at 1:58:35, a new PR by 5 seconds! I was ecstatic after the tumultuous last two weeks of training. When we got home, I looked at the results and found out that I actually won my age division. Me, former Beefy T XXL boy, managed to beat other people under the age of 30 to capture the division! I didn't stay for awards, because never in my life have I even come close to winning. I've emailed the race director in hopes that they can ship my award - even if it's just an ink pen, dadgummit - to me. Tupelo is a fantastic race, and it is one I would do again in a heartbeat. Here's to moving to a new age division next year and maybe impressing myself a bit more.

And we're off! There's something weirdly refreshing about running before the sun comes up and watching it illuminate the day as the race progresses.

Almost there!

Final push!

Hands up for a great finish line photo, y'all! PR praise hands!

How cool is this medal?? It's a bottle opener on the bottom. Though I have no idea for what I would use that. ;)

hootnanny

I love collections of humor essays because sometimes I just need a laugh. The wife has been away for a girls' beach weekend, so I need an extra laugh - especially after cutting lamination for 4.5 hours (not a dramatization). Celia Rivenbark is the master of guffaw-inducing material about life in the south. If you enjoy her work, you should enjoy my newest read. I'm always up for a new book of essays, so I was thrilled to see a new one on the featured shelf at the library. Hence how I stumbled upon People I want to Punch in the Throat. One of my great friends and former colleagues often speaks of punching people in the throat, so I was instantly intrigued. (Shoutout to my favorite MoWa DeLois!)
Jen Mann, author of a blog by the same title, presents a collection of short essays on everything from meeting her now-husband on AOL Chat and wearing overalls (shoutout to my beloved & Shalla who are trying to bring them back!) on their first "not a date" to the horror of a middle-aged woman asking for a dressing room at her garage sale so she could try on some $1 brassieres. The main people she seems to want to punch are the moms at her children's school - the ones who want her to employ "systems" for organization, create the most original crafts, and are disappointed in the lack of healthy offerings at the school carnival. In short, she would want to punch me in the throat. I laughed a good bit and finished it rather quickly, but I don't think Jen & I would be good friends.

3 (of 4) dusty book jackets. 

swan song

You probably know by now that Gone Girl is my all-time favorite novel, followed by the classic To Kill a Mockingbird. For years and years and years TKAM held the post, and I never thought I would change that; my reasons for replacing it are not for this post. I remember the magic of reading TKAM as a high-school junior, finding the movie marvelous, and rediscovering the book in college. Harper Lee managed to capture all the things we love and love to hate about growing up in the south and does so in a marvelous manner. If you're at all familiar with the scandal behind it, you know that since it was her only novel for so long and because she was friends with Truman Capote, there are rumors that she did not, in fact, write TKAM herself. I am not one of those people. I grew up less than 100 miles from her hometown and residence, so there was always an added appeal to the book growing up in the #251. Rebekah and I recently discussed my extreme love for all things Harper Lee (which may or may not be the inspiration of one of the #babydoop names on our list, but I digress), and she brought up that it was not as hallowed in her hometown near B'ham. I realized that this work is revered back home not only for its quality but also for the mystery and mystique behind Lee. Growing up in the stomping grounds of the book made it that much more real to us. 

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know by now that Lee recently released Go Set a Watchman, which some saw as a follow-up to the sacred TKAM. Ms. Lee is currently in an assisted-living facility and her lawyer appears to be the driving force behind its release, so plenty of people were crying foul. As it turns out, GSAW was Lee's first draft and looked at Jean Louise Finch, who we all knew as Scout, as a 26-year-old returning to Maycomb, Alabama, from New York for her annual trip home. Her editors thought she could do better and wanted more insight into the childhood of JLF, so TKAM is what we got. And it is lovely - Scout is pretentious and stubborn, Atticus is the noble father she adores, and her town is full of crazy people. Her mastery of Southern culture and language is evident throughout, and I'm not here to blog about that because there's not much more I can add to the discussion. Before attacking GSAW I read TKAM again to get a fresher take on the collected work.

There are plenty of people who have expressed opinions that GSAW does not portray the characters in the same light, that the language isn't the same, or that it just isn't as rich as TKAM. I am not one of those people. Please understand that I'm very much of the opinion that you determine your opinion about things, and that if you are expecting to hate something you very likely will. I was determined to not be one of those people. I began looking at TKAM through a new lens for the purpose of supporting what I thought I would find in GSAW. I'm not going to give any plot points away, because I know a lot of you (my beloved included) don't want it spoiled but want a review of what I experienced. I will attempt to address the main "strikes" as I see them based on what I've read from others & their experiences. (Sorry not sorry for the longest introduction in history of blogging.)

I have to agree that the language in GSAW isn't as rich as it is in TKAM, but who's first draft ever is? I have a BS degree for a reason, and I was the master of flowery language when necessary. The descriptions in GSAW are admittedly not as vivid as they are in TKAM, but they are adequate. Think about your favorite recording artist. Does their first album sound as good as their latest project? If they are doing their job right, they got better with time. So. Did. Harper, y'all. We have to almost flip a switch in our brains because what we know as her second work takes place first chronologically. There are a few paragraphs that appear verbatim in both works (which, yes, could've been plagiarized / ghost written, but it wasn't enough to make me think that was the case). It was a bit troublesome that the narrative was inconsistently first-person only in bouts; in all honesty, I wanted JLF's view throughout the entire work.

The biggest complaint I have read from others who have read both is that they simply don't hear the characters' voices in the same way. I beg to differ. Jean Louise is still bull-headed as ever. If you don't think so, I refer you to the entirety of chapter 17 in GSAW. Scout was a vocal 7-year-old, one who wasn't afraid to march up to Mr. Cunningham/Coningham in the town square and talk about his son eating at her house one day while he had every intention of causing trouble for Atticus. Jean Louise is equally vocal, "in no sense of the word an easy person," and not at all afraid to give Atticus a piece of her mind when he has disappointed her. Aunt Alexandra is consistently portrayed as a tireless prude who is only concerned with her stupid corsets and how "the family" looks in the eyes of the community. News flash, Zandra, no. one. cares. There was a heavier dose of her influence in GSAW for reasons that you will find apparent when (not if) you read it. 

Cal & Atticus have been the two biggest problems for many readers, mainly because the viewpoints are drastically different across the two works. There are flashback scenes in GSAW in which Cal is shown through a caring, loving lens, but if you've read it, you know there is that one scene that causes the reader to wonder what happened to skew the relationship. I have to admit that I wondered as well, but I remember that Cal was out of her element in working for the Finches, and Scout even admitted that she lived a "separate existence outside our household." Atticus is probably the toughest character to dissect (insert every facebook article you saw about Atticus jumping off the popular name list in Alabama...and a healthy eye roll from yours truly). I will admit that he is portrayed as a bit of a bigot in GSAW, a role that no one would've ever guessed after TKAM and his constant care of Helen Robinson and her family after Tom is shot (seriously, that can't be a spoiler for you at this point), not to mention the general way that he preached social consciousness to Scout & Jem. JLF is indignant about the new Atticus as she sees him, but thankfully, Uncle Jack points out that "men like me and my brother are obsolete and we've got to go, but it's a pity we'll carry with us the meaningful things of this society - there were some good things in it." Essentially he changed with the times because he HAD to. Jean Louise finds it more shocking because she's not around the goings-on of Maycomb, the racial tension of the civil rights movement, and her father's practice on a daily basis anymore. Even if she doesn't agree with his stance, perhaps she understood why it had to happen. And for those who say that she was so enamored with Atticus in TKAM, which made the viewpoint in GSAW more shocking, I have to argue that, while she did admire his stand for justice, there were times she merely tolerated him, referring to him as "satisfactory" in the opening pages in TKAM. I noted several instances throughout TKAM in which she seems downright disgruntled with him; she's not the daddy's girl we all made her out to be for the past 50 years. Also, consider your viewpoint on any individual who you revered during your childhood. Did your attitude toward that person ever change over a period of 20 years? We are all human, and our experiences shape us and the way we look at others; shouldn't the same be true for Scout and Atticus' relationship? Uncle Jack summed it up well near the end of GSAW: "Remember this also: it's always easy to look back and see what we were, yesterday, ten years ago. It is hard to see what we are." 

On its own, Go Set a Watchman was a nice look at life in small town Alabama, even if it wasn't as deep as many readers would have liked. I walked away from it grateful that it was published, because in all honesty, who didn't wonder what happened to adult Scout? The differences in characterization I feel are mainly due to changing viewpoints at other parts of life. When considered with To Kill a Mockingbird (NOT as a sequel, but as an extension), we may finally have a complete take of childhood and early adulthood in the segregation-era south. The magic lives on.

4 (of 4) dusty book jackets.

hogwarts in high school

     Back-to-school is my second favorite time of year, only behind Christmas. I'm obsessed with school supplies, planners (please do yourself a favor and buy Plum Paper; it will change your life), every aspect of a new school year. This is my 8th year in the classroom (how is that even possible?), and I will be in a new school system much closer to home. I feel that a teacher's classroom should be an extension of himself and that he must be comfortable in it if the year is to be successful. One thing my students say about my class is that it's always organized; I have been diagnosed as obsessive compulsive, so it certainly makes sense. In my career, I've had a road sign theme, red & black, a beach (someone in her infinite wisdom had painted the walls to resemble sand and sky, I kid you not), but I wanted something quintessentially me this year, so I decided to do a Harry Potter theme. Something else you should know is that if I'm going to go, I'm going to go all out. I'm very much a details man, so I had to include all of the smallest specifics in my scheme. Also creds to my awesome wife for this blog title today! #alliterationalways She also gets creds for suggesting an HP theme.

     One of the first things I did was download some HP fonts (book cover and chapter titles) for making some signs. I love labels for everything (and I mean everything), so I downloaded some HP-themed logos like the deathly hallows, the lightning bolt, the snitch, the sorting hat, character likenesses, etc. to use as my backdrops for the signs. I will be teaching 3 preps, so color coding is key. Everything relating to Algebra A is red, Algebra 1 is blue, & Geometry is green for clarity. 

Learning Targets, Bell Ringers, Homework, Assessments for each class.

I downloaded a fabulous HP sign kit from Printyca at etsy to use as signs around the room just for fun. I also found some fun Potter-related quotes to hang up. 

These signs were such high-quality & worth every penny!

I even made my rules resemble the educational decrees found in HP & Order of Phoenix - down to the minutiae at the bottom. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't make some of these on your own - seriously this was all in MS Word.

I think Delores would be pleased.

     I'm an organizational fanatic. Some things that I've found helpful are having a definite make-up work system in place - somewhere where your students know exactly where to look to find out what they missed and don't have to ask you "Did I miss anything yesterday?" (Insert angry cat stare.) Eat Write Teach has an excellent template that I've adapted for the day-to-day information from class - objectives, bell ringers, homework, etc. - with an entire week using 1 sheet of paper. I used the template last year and was very pleased; I tweaked it a bit more to make it better suit my needs for the next year, and I think that I will like it more. I also employ a partial-credit-for-late-work system in my classroom to allow students to still recover points if they forget an assignment or were just overwhelmed a couple of times during the semester. Again, EWT has a handy form to use for this purpose. If a student does not have an assignment when I call for it, he must complete this form and turn it in to me; he then has up to 2 days to turn it in for partial credit (-20% each day for me). When I collect these, I immediately highlight that square in my gradebook and enter a 0 in the computer; I will change this when I get the completed assignment. For the naysayers (of whom I was one for the first six years of my career), I saw a marked increase in homework completion by using this system. I also have a tardy book in which students sign in if they do not report to class on time; I include a classroom management profile and parent contact log on the back of each student's record for convenience. I keep all of these items on a table right upon entering my classroom so students have the major things as soon as they walk in the door. 

The make-up folder is an edited History of Magic cover (so proud!) and the tardy binder is the Time Turner Tardy Log. The tissues are covering a hole in the table! The partial credit forms are in the yellow folder.

     My desk area is my haven. Every year, I tell my students that I don't go pilfering in their lockers, so they don't pilfer in my desk. A healthy dose of evil eye accentuates this point. My computer is right by my desk so on the rare occasions that I am able to enter in a grade or respond to an email, my back isn't to the students. My filing cabinet is in the same corner.

Desk area looking from student desks. Yes, It is catty wompus this year! I had a revelation!

Desk area looking from back of room.

Desk organizer from Staples. I bought this while I was still in college because I was that obsessed with it. It will change your life!

My desk organizer is essentially how I stay sane. It has everything I would need throughout the day - hall passes, tardy book forms, make-up book forms, completed yellow sheets, that random page of information that I was handed at the faculty meeting that someone will invariably ask me for next week. Sometimes I just look at it and weep tears of joy. I also have a teaching podium / center in the opposite back corner where my document camera goes and where I will do demonstration from; the hookup to my projector is on that side, and I like the idea of having my main view coming from the back of the room.

My fantastic FIL made me this podium, complete with chalkboard painted sides with an updated Quote of the Week. And my unofficially official hashtag!

     No HP room is complete without a House Cup in my humble opinion. So I devised a system in which my students can earn points for the entire house by not having tardies, making B or higher on an assessment, asking good questions, etc. They can also lose points based on the number of missed homeworks within their house for the week, having a certain number of tardies, discipline infractions, etc. On day 1, students will be sorted (via M&M's in a brown bag), and they will stay in that house throughout the year. They will compete across all 6 of my classes for a to-be-determined prize. I found some superhero masks at the teacher supply store that I will put below each house on the wall and write the students' names on so that they know who they are competing with and against.

House Cup & points system.

Characteristics of each house & crest.

Another view. There is a dry-erase board with each house for tallying points. The masks will be below each house description.

I found the house descriptions here, and I am obsessed with the bold, easy graphic quality of them. For the crests, I just google searched and found a set that I liked. Cutting them twice (yay lamination!) was more fun than a root canal.

     I recently discovered the fun and joy of QR codes in my classroom, and I can't believe it's taken me this long to start using them. Anyone with a QR reader app on a smartphone can save my contact information, sign up for Remind text alerts, or join my Schoology group. I added the codes for these directly in my syllabus that will go home to students & parents in addition to making posters with them to hang in my classroom. I love that I could create a contact card with one and students can send the remind text with another. These are also life-changing.

Each QR code is of course color coded, and the Schoology is a different font than the Remind.

     My beloved is also a teacher, and we love having summers together. I am fortunate enough that she helps me set up my classroom each year. She brings the creativity that I sometimes lack and is my sounding board for "Is this bulletin board too much?" We were able to get my entire classroom set up and organized today, and I know she is happy to finally have her sewing room back now that my school goods are out of there! I pretty much have to run copies, hang the curtains that we washed tonight, and get my rosters together and I am ready to go. 

My closet (complete with a filing cabinet that I'm hoping someone will claim so it can be taken from my inventory & clear up more closet space). 

House Rules bulletin board with the calendar posted. 

I always post a tutoring schedule for the week so I don't have to answer the question "Are you having tutoring this afternoon?" The contact info QR code is below it. Both of these are right inside the classroom.

Themed paper heading posted above my board so I don't have to answer "What do you want our heading to look like?" 8 zillion times.

I used some Target Dollar Spot washi-esque tape to divide each subject area into its area on the board. The topper has the subject (with glasses & lightning bolt logo), and each area has the Learning Targets (deathly hallows), Bell Ringer (lightning), & Homework (sorting hat).

Golden snitch assessment markers to add to the calendar. I used mahvalous tape so I could easily move them. The stuff lives up to its name.

I'm going to use this cool mirror as a dry erase area in some way. I printed a Mirror of Erised quote to hang on it & will put it on an easel once I get it from my MIL; apparently the life-span on an easel is 7 years. RIP Easel.

Student supply area with red pens (Ron), Expo marker (Hermione), & Expo board (Harry) labels. I found an illustration of the characters that I really liked and did a screen grab of the individual characters to make the labels. Ron got the red pens because ginger!

Math posters on the back wall because apparently I'm supposed to teach something beyond witchcraft.

     If I didn't post a link to something that you see and want a copy of my MS Word file that you can edit (you'll need to have one of the fonts I mentioned earlier), just shoot me an email and I'll be happy to pass that along. I pray that each of you has a fantastic school year! I'm ready for the GREATEST school year yet. It's a great day to be a Warrior! 

     P.S. I couldn't add captions to the next photo set...maybe blogger was getting tired of me? I've included some of the signs that I posted, my student tutoring / supply area, my favorite "Our house elves are on strike. You will have to clean up your own mess until further notice." sign, a Platform 9 3/4 label above my room number, and some wide shots of the classroom (sneaked one of my hottie helper!).

nifty knockoff

Sometimes during the summer, you just need a book of fluff. You know the ones that make you think about nothing deep or moving, are usually somewhat-poorly written, but they are somehow oddly addicting. Recently I stumbled upon The Knockoff by Lucy Sykes & Jo Piazza, which was just that. Full disclosure: I'm quite certain I saw the cover while perusing B&N for new titles to add to my library hold list (#teacherbudget), and thought "Oooh, shiny! Let's give this one a try." Whoever coined the phrase that you can't judge a book by its cover never went book shopping with me; I am much more drawn to artsy or graphic covers and can usually determine if a book is worth my time simply by the jacket cover. 
Much in the grain of The Devil Wears Prada (confession: Miranda Priestly is one of my spirit animals...ok ok, Meryl Streep is what does it for me), The Knockoff explores the not-so-nice side of the print fashion industry. We find Imogen, an "aging" (and by aging, I mean 40) editor-in-chief of a major fashion magazine in NYC who has recently returned to work from a six-month medical leave after a double mastectomy. She returns to find her former assistant - and recent Harvard B-school grad - Eve attempting to upend her and change the beloved magazine into an app which would allow readers to buy anything in the magazine with the tap of the screen (Hey GQ, how about making that a thing?), and Imogen is about as tech-savvy as your great aunt Martha. Eve attempts to rule the roost, despite holding a position beneath Imogen, and begins to run the office like a task master, forcing juice cleanses on those whom she deems too plump to sit on the front row of her wedding. Did I mention that her husband-to-be is Imogen's ex-boyfriend and nearly 25-years Eve's senior? 
In the midst of this, Imogen is facing battles with her 10-year-old daughter Annabelle's self-confidence at home, most of which is caused by a mysterious commenter on her YouTube channel who is known only as Candy Cool (if you don't see this "twist" coming, we can't be literary friends). At the heart of the book, I believe there is an intended message of "mean girls never win" and "stay true to yourself, even when facing bullies," but it was difficult to get that underneath all of the candy-coated fashion industry names and what not. There were several prominent fashion icons whose identities were changed, likely for the sake of a copyright law or just a lawsuit in general, throughout the book, which for me, seemed like the book itself was a knockoff. Was this a fun read? Yes. Did I gain anything besides another entry in my summer reading log (because prizes)? Probably not.

2.5 (of 4) dusty book jackets. 

run the race

Ron Clark, of the Atlanta-based prep school baring his name, has long been education's "it" boy. He just seems to get the mission of education and gives 100% every day. If I had $800 to spare, I would attend his educator training in a heartbeat. He teaches with passion, creativity, and vigor, and he is a true inspiration; all of his books that I have read have been phenomenal. His newest read, Move Your Bus, offers some great advice for anyone looking to bring about change in an organization. While MYB is directed more at the business world, there are things that educators can take away from the book.
According to Clark, every business, school, non-profit organization, etc. contains people who fall into one of 5 categories: Drivers, Runners, Joggers, Walkers, and Riders. The Driver is the leader, the Runner is the go-getter who gives 100% all of the time, the Jogger moves quickly and does a good job (but not extraordinary work) regularly, the Walker may occasionally have one burst of goodness during the year, and the Rider is just showing up to work. I think we all know coworkers who fit into each category, and sometimes it can be frustrating to see the way the Driver handles them. The great part about this book is that Clark gives tips to the leaders of an organization (how to handle Riders, how much energy to focus on Runners, etc.) as well as the other people on the bus (how to run every day, how to handle those who aren't giving their best effort). He also makes you search deep into yourself and figure out what bus member you are. As much as I wish (as I hope all teachers do) I were a Runner, I don't think that's the reality of my situation. It turns out I'm a Jogger (the irony of my current running pace isn't lost on me either) - attentive to detail, prompt, well-planned and dressed, but not knock-your-socks off. My mission this school year is to be a Runner - be the best version of myself I can be every single day. Plan engaging activities, go beyond what's expected, and give the students in my classroom my best every day. Because if I'm not giving my kids my best, I have truly failed for the day. Regardless of your profession, there is something you can take away from this quick read.

3.5 (of 4) dusty book covers.

rumor rundown

The blasted rumor mill. We've all been part of it at some point in our existence - either a victim or a customer. As much as we would like to stay away from it, it's out there. I'll never forget my worst experience with it. About four years ago, I had recently begun dating my now-wife, and we were heading out of town to her parents' house for a weekend of birthday celebrations and my meet and greet with the family - as in the first time I met any of them. Before we hit the road, Rebekah had a Dr. appointment, but not just any appointment - the lady doctor. Our plan was to hit the road right after the appointment, so I went with her and waited in the lobby. Low and behold, a parent (whose two younger children were former students of mine) at my school walks in with her oldest daughter for a pregnancy visit. You should also understand that I used to teach at a VERY conservative Christian school, the same one I attended for 13 years and basically knew everyone. So you can imagine (a) the awkwardness that ensued and (b) the flack I had to field when school began. Add to that the fact that we had just announced our engagement when school was starting back! Fun times, I tell you. I'm sure everyone reading this has a story about his or her worst experience with the rumor milll; I would love to hear them all, simply because the truth is usually so far from what everyone else hears these days that it's comical. 
Y'all know that Elin Hilderbrand is one of my favorite authors right now. She has a knack for a (slightly-trashy) beach read that always offers real characters who are believable and relatable. I've read most of her work, and I'm rarely disappointed. Her newest release, The Rumor, was written while she was battling breast cancer, so I was really excited to tackle it - so excited, in fact that the day it was released I got on the waiting list at the library for it and was shocked and excited when my name came up just a couple weeks later. I dove in Monday night, didn't read much Tuesday because I was working on my new classroom decorations (I'll blog about it when I'm all moved in), and then had all but 70 pages read when I went to bed Wednesday night. I would've stayed up to finish it, but PawPaw doesn't stay up late very often (and by late, I mean 9:00). After my run this morning, I finished it within about an hour and a half. I simply couldn't put this one down. 
Like all of Elin's reads, the entire book takes place on Nantucket Island, where she is actually a resident. Many of her major characters have recurring roles in minor ways in other books, including here. The central plot line of the book revolves around two married couples, Madeleine & Trevor King and Grace & Eddie Pancik, who are long-time best friends. They must grapple with how the public perception of things can shift the relationship dynamics simply because of "did ya hear?" I won't go into the details, because they are essentially the backbone of the book, but there are a lot of hurt feelings, scarred relationships, and of course a heavy dose of scandal. Will things be reconciled in the end? Will this finally be one of those "not happily ever after" reads? Elin often writes from an omniscient point-of-view that focuses on someone new each chapter, and in this one she even makes Nantucket itself one of those viewpoints, which is really what drives the rumor along. That viewpoint was strikingly different and beautiful. At the heart of the novel is a message of "can you believe everything that you hear?" and Elin manages to make the reader delve into his own experiences with this without being judgy or preachy. I loved this one from start to finish. Hilderbrand is the master of the summer novel.

4 (of 4) dusty book jackets.

For real, I want your rumor experiences in the comments!