MCN Billing and Technical Sales

My assignment as Nina, Billing and Technical Sales at the Mendocino Community Network (MCN), was perhaps my most unique to date.  I am pretty confident that we are the only school district in California to own an internet service provider.  As a school Superintendent, it has provided some new and interesting learning experiences.  I rely heavily on Sage, our manager at MCN to run the business.

Nina was substituting that day as our Office Manager, and I was glad she saved a difficult job for me to do.  She provided a list of customers who had been late on their payment and had already been contacted about making their payment.  My job was to call them and give them a “courtesy reminder” that their bill was overdue and for them to pay by next Tuesday to avoid disruption in their service.

Nina had written out a script for me, and Sage was monitoring my calls so I had a safety net.  I was nervous as I dialed for my first call.  The customer was gracious and asked if I could change her credit card number and to make it a monthly transaction.  I fumbled my way through it, but thanks to Sage’s guidance, it was a success.  The rest of the calls that day were much easier!

At MCN, we pride ourselves on our local, friendly customer service.  Our customers know that and appreciate that, which I think made my job much easier that day.  Chalk it up as another great learning opportunity that I would most likely not have experienced if it wasn’t for this project.

Photo by Sage Statham

K-8 School Admin Assistant

This past week I covered for Jeanne, one of our admin assistants at the K-8 School.  Jeanne and Tracy (our other admin assistant) have been working together for quite some time at the K-8 School.  Jeanne and Tracy are as smooth as Tinker to Evers, Concepcion to Morgan, and even Trammell to Whitaker.  Go ahead, Google them – and if you know Jeanne and Tracy, you won’t disagree with me.  I knew I couldn’t replace Jeanne in that double play combo, but I was excited to drink a cup of coffee, sit next to Tracy, and watch her work her magic in the morning.

At about 8:15, the phones started ringing, students and parents came in with various requests, and staff members came in to say hello…it was a crazy morning!  On one occasion, I answered the phone and there was another conversation in the background and I felt like I had to ask the caller to repeat their information about 5 times.  It was hard for me to handle one phone call with commotion.

Around 9:00, Tracy gave me some sobering information – that morning had been the slowest morning of the year!

Kindergarten/First Grade Teacher

I went back into the classroom for my latest assignment – this time covering for Margaret as a kindergarten/first grade teacher.  I’m not sure why, but the night before I was particularly nervous about being a kindergarten teacher.  I have always enjoyed visiting kindergarten classrooms and interacting with the children, but I could not imagine myself ever being a kindergarten teacher.  The ability to explain concepts to 5-year olds, the organization, the patience…it sounds so overwhelming! My experience as a classroom teacher is in 3^rd and 4^th grade – not too much older, but then again, light years older!

After greeting the children as they came into the classroom, we met on the floor in the front of the room.  We started with some calendar activities and a discussion of the fact that it was the 80^th day of school.  Margaret asked me to have them come up with some equations that equal 80.  The students were excited to come up with some very thoughtful and creative equations!

After I almost got a 100% on a name quiz, we split up into grade levels for math.  Kathleen, the instructional assistant took the 1^st graders and I worked with kindergarten students. After about 20 minutes we switched grade levels.  Students were eager to play a math game in partners.  Our new math program, Bridges, involves a lot of manipulatives and math games to teach and reinforce concepts.  As of now, the program is getting good reviews from our teachers.

As the clock neared 9:30 (and Margaret’s return), the energy and noise level of the students was increasing and increasing and I was honestly felt like I was starting to lose them.  I was wondering if having a new teacher for an hour and a break in their morning routine would throw them off for the rest of the day.  Not a problem for Margaret, however.  In her calm, quiet way, she asked the children to clean up and meet her back on the rug.  She started to skip count with a few of the students and soon enough, she had the attention of the entire class as they skip counted with her and she proceeded with further directions and lessons.

Kindergarten/First Grade Instructional Assistant

Last week I covered for Kathleen, one of our kindergarten/first grade instructional assistants.  For my hour of work she assigned me to library and lunch duty.  My first task was to help the students check out books from the library, and of course, to keep the peace and order.  I did the classic library “Shhhh!” a few times and talked with the students about the books they chose.

It was soon off to lunch where I helped the students through the cafeteria line and at the salad bar.  Some of the students had to stand on their tip toes to get that rogue carrot or cucumber with the tongs, but they managed it.  Mostly, I had to remind them to get their required full serving of vegetables – at least 6 carrots or cucumbers.  Our District recently went through a cafeteria audit with the California Department of Education so I know more than I ever thought I would know about our food service program and requirements.

I worked with Carol, the other instructional assistant in the K/1 classes to monitor the students while they ate their lunches.  Carol had this assignment down pat – she was organized, knew how to get the attention of all the students, effectively brought the noise level down when needed, and did it all in a very positive way.  I just watched Carol and tried to do what she did.

When lunch was over I made like a mother hen, and in a single file line, I led all of the chicks to the school bus for dismissal.

9th Grade Health

Most recently, I covered for Emily, our 9^th grade health teacher.  Emily teaches a few classes for us at Mendocino High School, Mendocino Community High School, and Mendocino Alternative School (our independent study program).  You might be noticing a theme here – that we have many staff members who “do it all”.  Maybe it is because of the small size of our district or the fact that we have such talented staff members, but either way, the fact that we are lucky to have them is not lost on me.

The current class of 9^th graders were 4^th graders when I started in Mendocino Unified as the K-8 School principal, so except for a couple of new students, I knew them all very well.  I took role and we started off with an alias worksheet – a fun worksheet that we all did together simply to get to know each other a little better and to open the class with some fun.  I appreciated Emily’s idea to break the ice a bit.

The bulk of the lesson was a discussion of nutrition labels on foods.  We looked at a variety of labels and talked about serving sizes and hidden dangers in some foods that are hidden quite well within the nutrition label.  Kamala, the MCHS admin assistant, was kind enough to print out a few examples of the new nutrition labels that are scheduled to be in place soon.

Overall, the students enjoyed the discussion and they were engaged.  There were two boys however, that were not engaged and still not engaged after I used all of my tricks of the trade to try to engage them.  Later, as the class was working, I pulled one of them aside and simply talked with him.  I asked him what was going on, why he was disinterested, and what our school and district could do differently to better engage him.  He said he was having a bad day; that his day was already shot based on an incident earlier in the day when he was disciplined.  I encouraged him to start over and to treat each class period as a fresh start to the day, but I know that’s easier said than done.

Very generally, the struggle with engaging our male students is real in our district.  We have made it a goal to look at ways to increase student engagement.  We believe that academic and social development and success is a direct product of the level of student engagement.  I believe that we can’t force our students into a box, and that we need to continuously be searching for strategies that work on an individual basis.  At Mendocino High School, our staff and administration take a lot of pride in truly getting to know our students and offering those individual supports.  We are a small enough school district to make that a reality, and we are well on our way.

District Business Manager

My most recent assignment was covering for Cynthia, our district business manager.  It would typically be a difficult position to cover for, but she had a good idea.  She asked if I could do the annual Albion School lunch monitoring and inspection.  I accompanied our food service director, Diane, on monitoring trips to Albion and Comptche last year so I already knew how to do it.  We are required to complete this annual inspection of the storage of food and whether we have required public notices and policies posted.  In addition, the lunch service is monitored to insure students are getting the correct servings.

I made the winding fifteen minute drive south along the coast and then headed inland for about three miles.  I arrived a little early, during math instruction.  I spent about five minutes at each table (students were separated into grade levels).  I introduced myself to the students and got to know them a bit, connecting many dots to older siblings in the district.  After math the students had about ten minutes of choice time and I talked my way into a game of Candyland with three students.  I would like to say I showed them a thing or two, but in fact I was losing when time was up.

After recess the students filed in for lunch and I took my spot with my clipboard.  Chicken, watermelon, salad, and rice were on the menu.  I am pleased to report the Albion School passed the inspection and monitoring with zero findings.  Before I left, the students quizzed me one last time on all of their names and I also passed with a 100%.

School of Natural Resources Teacher

I covered for Doug, our “do it all” teacher at Mendocino High School.  He teaches in our continuation high school, runs the improv club, teaches theater tech and literature, and perhaps most importantly is the head of our staff Star Trek Club.  I can’t do it all, and I definitely can’t make that Star Trek sign with my fingers, so he asked me to just do one of his jobs – School of Natural Resources (SONAR) teacher.  Doug teaches SONAR with another science teacher, Tyler.

Although the website is a bit outdated, I thought the MHS Student Council website entry from 2009 described the SONAR class very well – Sonar is a school-within-a-school concept which incorporates scientific and artistic inquiry into our local ecosystems: coastal marine, redwood, and riparian. Working with natural resource agencies, such as Fish and Game, local watershed awareness groups, and Parks and Recreation, students will be trained to collect and present information in a scientific way about the conditions of local streams and marine habitat.

The plan for the day was to head to the Mendocino Woodlands and my assignment was to help measure trees and shrubs along a section of Big River (where Big River is a small stream).  This was a “mock final” for the students – one last opportunity to practice the protocols before they are assessed.  I met Tyler and the students at MHS and they gathered the waders and other tools for collection and measurement.

After a 30-minute drive we arrived at our site deep in the redwoods.  It was a cold, rainy day but I was prepared for the weather.  We headed to the stream and split into two groups.  Without much direction at all, students began setting up equipment and measuring boundaries for the section to sample.  The two students I worked with were also great teachers.  They took their time to explain how, what, and why they were doing what they were doing.  Essentially our job was to identify trees and shrubs, measure the diameter of the trunk at chest height, note the location of the tree as compared to the center of the section of stream we had identified, and to use a compass to note the direction as compared to the center of the stream.  I measured, recorded, and did everything I was told to do.  These students were good teachers and even better at delegating!

As I drove the van back to the school with the students, I thought about the field work and the unique experiences our students are getting in the SONAR program.  My first degree out of college was a wildlife biology degree so this assignment was right up my alley.  Our students are fortunate to have this opportunity.  I would have loved this class when I was in high school.  I know that the SONAR class has sparked an interest in many students going on to major in forestry or environmental science.

Two things really stood out to me.  First, as I mentioned, it was a cold, rainy day.  I was impressed with our students – they didn’t complain and they took the time to make detailed measurements and observations.  It would have been easy to have the urge to get the job done quickly in order to get back to the warm van, but that was not the case.  Second, I was impressed with Tyler and his questioning of the students.  Naturally, the students had questions and they would ask Tyler.  He always answered their questions with a prompting question, forcing them to determine the answer on their own.

I will be keeping a close eye and ear on the SONAR plans for the rest of the year.  Maybe I can get in on some snorkeling or a boat trip up Big River!

                      

Librarian

Whether you are having a great day or a “down in the dump” day, the best thing to brighten any day is reading a story to 25 kindergarten and 1^st grade students.  I wasn’t necessarily having a bad day when I covered for our librarian, Tiffany, this morning, but I was certainly having a better day when I was finished with my hour.

It was a pretty straightforward assignment – read a picture book, discuss it with the children, and let them browse the books for a book checkout.  I consulted my second grade daughter before I left the house this morning and she recommended that I read “Too Many Toys” by David Shannon to the students.  It was one of her favorite books so I knew I couldn’t lose.

The story is about a boy named Spencer who has too many toys.  Dinosaurs, trains, stuffed animals, puzzles, wooden pull-toys, and noisy electronic toys clutter his room and spill out into the living room.  Finally, his parents have enough and demand that he get rid of some of the older, seldom used toys.  After much discussion and debate, Spencer agrees to put some older toys into a box destined for the dump.  In the end however, Spencer discovers perhaps the greatest toy of all time was right under his nose – the cardboard box, which he promptly converts into a spaceship.

When the story was finished, each and every student seemed to have a story about a box that they once converted into a fort, robot, or a car.  I was so happy that the students were able to connect the story to their own life experiences.  They could have told me story after story for a couple of hours, but eventually I had to cut them off so they could check out a book.

Parents should probably be thanking me soon because I think I successfully convinced the students to simply ask for a box in December for the holidays.  I think that’s what we will be getting our kids.

   

Photos: Michelle Kossivas

High School Integrative Aide

Last Friday I subbed for Amy, an integrative aide at the high school.  I walked into the high school office to check in and was promptly given a binder of notes and a geometry book about three inches thick.  I made a note to myself to look into digital textbooks again.

I met briefly with our two special educators to get my assignment and to learn what was expected of me.  My job was to assist a couple of students in geometry class and take detailed, organized notes.  I leafed through the binder and found that Amy had set the bar pretty high in that regard.

Class was just starting as I walked into Geometry, but Mary took the time to give me some direction and to get me settled in.  Students were taking a unit test in groups and my job (using the answer key) was to listen in and provide some prompting questions to keep them on track.  They hardly needed me.  I enjoyed seeing the students working together and actively reviewing the notes they had taken to complete the problems.

After the test, students worked on some classwork problems.  Mary circulated around the class the entire time assisting students (and me).  Her explanations jogged my memory and the rules and formulas of geometry started to return.

Thinking back to when I was in high school, I definitely enjoyed geometry more than algebra.  I liked working with shapes, angles, and using formulas to solve equations.  For some reason, using the Pythagorean Theorem to find the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle gave me great satisfaction.  After 25+ years, I was so pleased to discover that finding the length of a hypotenuse still gave me that math “high”.  Okay, okay…I might be exaggerating a little, but Pythagoras actually might be one of those famous people in history that I would invite to dinner if I had the chance.

2nd and 3rd Grade Teacher

I was a tad nervous about my next assignment – covering for Hannah, our 2^nd and 3^rd grade teacher the morning after Halloween.  I was expecting the students to either have a lethargic candy hangover or to still be on a sugar rush.  I arrived at 9:00 and found neither of the above.  Instead, the 3^rd grade students were working on a math warmup with Hannah and the 2^nd grade students were working on their own warmup with Taylor, the instructional assistant, in the back of the room.

Hannah slipped out the door and I took over – a seamless transition.  I started the math lesson, which involved using arrays to solve various multiplication problems.  In general, the students already had a good grasp for what multiplication meant so I just filled in the gaps.  A few students were behind in the assignment and I was immediately impressed with two students who quickly went over to lend a hand.  These two students didn’t just give them the answer, they were teaching them!

Halfway through the hour the 2^nd graders came up to the front of the room and the 3^rd graders went to work with Taylor.  We had a good lesson on estimating, packaging bundles of popsicle sticks into groups of ten and one hundred, and counting them.  These 2^nd graders…so eager to learn!

This is the 3^rd year in a row that all of our classrooms at the K-8 School have an instructional aide for part of the day.  This is no longer seen as a luxury at the K-8, it’s a necessity.  Having highly qualified instructional aides allows our multi-grade classrooms to function efficiently, especially when there is continuity, as with Hannah and Taylor.

It took a bit of an effort to clean the room and put things back in order before the students were dismissed for recess, but such is the life in an active, hands-on learning environment.  I am looking forward to my return to Hannah’s classroom when I cover for Taylor.