(photo credit, Thanks! Anonymous Lawson Middle School student, 2008)

The simple act

of checking in with members of this community is very uplifting and makes me feel more connected and aware in class. I had some good talks with fellow students tonight just about the program in general and how we are doing with it. Also, commenting in class is important for our collective sense of belonging and ownership, and not simply being receptors of information. This is a very important lesson for understanding the classroom. We need to create an environment where we are at first inspired to share ideas; past people's, our peers, and also our own. I think I am understanding this as my initial anxiety for returning to the classroom. I had personally never achieved this in a classroom through college and naturally had this view returning. It is for the teacher to create an environment that allows the student to open to it because it makes them feel good and more whole to participate in the sharing of ideas and feelings, thoughts and theories, about all aspects of life and living.

This week started what most people knowledgeable about the weather think is going to be a long spat of rain! I almost wish I hadn't wasted all the water planting everything last summer, but this rain will pretty much assure that everything is going to take successfully without any water this year! I sat outside for a while the other day during the heaviest rain and just watched the rain gutter work. It never got more full than in this picture, even with a good gallon a minute(atleast) pouring out of the gutter that you can see at the top of this picture. I am wondering how long it will take for it to silt up. My guess is several years at least, but for now it's working like a charm and we are making use of so much water that would otherwise collect where it isn't needed.
I also made a make-shift rain catchment with a 35 gallon garbage can on wheels on a down spout in the backyard that I have emptied twice in 4 days! The other down spout in the backward was easily redirected to the base of our orange tree, which is probably really loving the water right now.
This is a low tech solution to things like water shortages, and run-off issues that everyone can do. It's super fun to problem solve, and ultimately it saves money, water, and our wetlands(run-off issues).