International Festival 2023
Serve
Today’s Cheerleaders
The Girl's varsity team played a big rival tonight. The rumor is, one of the girls on the team is the next Journee, the powerhouse hitter we had last year who was number one in the state and number eleven in the nation. They already beat a team that beat us at a tournament this year, so it was going to be a tight match.
The first two sets, though, we won handily: 25-20 both sets. The third set we jumped out to a big lead only to lose it. The fourth set we jumped out to a big head only to lose it again, but we managed to regain it and win 25-23.
Among those cheering were the girls that came to Mauldin's summer volleyball camp. They were there to cheer on their instructors/mentors, and boy did they cheer.
The Response
Absent
If any of my colleagues ever suggested -- or simply thought (then how would I know?) -- that they were more productive a given day because I wasn't there, I would feel such shame that it might be difficult to show my face again among those folks. I would reflect on my behavior, on what I'd always considered my contributions, and I would likely realize that I shouldn't have simply been second-guessing myself; I would realize I'd had a completely false self-image.
Today, several students were absent, with most of them were suspended. The types that are likely to get suspended are the types that are likely to disrupt class, and so today, two classes that generally leave me wondering about my decision to stay in education were absolute pleasures. They were productive, polite, focused. They were unlike they'd been in a long time, if ever. (Is it really only September? Are we really only in the second half of the first quarter?! I feel so tired of it all that everything in me screams that it must be March.)
What if I tell these students that? How would that conversation go? I think we all know: they would be indifferent. At least one of the students admitted openly that he is disruptive because he knows it annoys other students, and he likes to annoy other students.
Several of them will be back tomorrow -- will it be business as usual? No. I've seen what we can accomplish: if they are unwilling to cooperate, I will do what is necessary to protect the education of all the other students.
The Reality of Teaching
Conestee Sunday
"Let's go for a walk at Conestee this afternoon," K suggested after lunch. She and the Boy had gone to church while I stayed home and did school work and the Girl headed off to work, so we hadn't spent any time together as a family. Yet as is often the case these days, "time with the family" really only means K and I with the Boy.
The Girl, almost 17 now, has her own life: she hangs out with friends, meets them at football games, goes to dances with them, drives them here and there. She has volleyball and work along with her heavy load of AP classes (all four classes she's taking this semester), which means when she's home, she's usually doing homework. Or sleeping.
Soccer
Changed His Mind
At Work
