 KENT KRIEGSHAUSER/The Register-MailChurchill Junior High School math teacher Deane Hoehn, center, spent part of her summer vacation participating in Western Illinois Universiy's Ag in the Classroom program. 'What I did on my summer vacation' Saturday, August 19, 2006 It's the classic first-day-of-school assignment.The teacher tells you to get out a fresh piece of paper and a sharpened pencil and write an essay on the topic of "What I Did on My Summer Vacation." This year, The Register-Mail turned things around. We gave area teachers a back-to-school homework assignment: Tell us what you did on your summer vacation. Their responses show that teachers work hard even when they are not in front of a classroom but manage to sneak in some relaxation, travel and time with friends and family over the summer as well.
BY DEANNE HOEHN I would like to give readers a look at how one overpaid, underworked (ha, ha) teacher spent this past summer. School officially ended June 1. From June 5 to 13, several Lombard and Churchill math teachers, including myself, worked on math curriculum to align with Illinois Learning Standards and Standards Aligned Classroom, which we worked on during the school year. Gardening was in full swing by this time as well as lawn mowing. For six days in July, several teachers and I participated in Ag in the Classroom through Western Illinois University. I did find some time to get caught up with routine doctor and dentist visits, as well as mammogram and bone density tests. As August approached, time was spent volunteering for the Knox County Fair and preparing goods to be shown at the fair. As the start of school quickly approaches, I must get my classroom ready for another year. P.S. I also found some quality family time, reading to my grandson.
BY MONIE HAYES Naturally, I spent part of it working. It's customary here on the Monmouth College campus to plan collaboratively for the coming year. I did that with colleagues from the various departments who teach our interdisciplinary freshman course offering, Introduction to the Liberal Arts. And I sat down several times with colleagues in the education department to discuss our shared goals for newly adopted or redesigned courses and to look at revising some of our departmental documents, such as aiding assessment forms. I read things I might want to use in other classes. I also read just to read, just because the texts are worthwhile - something I think is vital to one's intellect and civic and literary awareness, and something I don't make nearly enough time to do during the academic year (one reason I'm grateful to select interesting readings for my classes). Right now I'm reading "Strange Piece of Paradise," and I also read, for the first time, "The Interpreter of Maladies," and a number of other short stories. I taught a College for Kids class in which the students published their own magazines, or 'zines, and was reaffirmed in my belief in the power and potential of middle-grades students. These kids were sharp, creative, industrious and resourceful. I traveled a little bit. My older daughter accompanied me to the wedding of a former student near Dubuque, Iowa, and to the King Tut exhibit in Chicago. I took my younger daughter to an anime convention in Cedar Rapids. And along with my family, I cleaned out closets. We're still working on the basement, and I suspect the remaining stages of that project may be postponed until next year.
BY SANDY ODELL Shortly after the end of "real" school, I started teaching summer school: reading and writing with fourteen second graders. I have helpfully offered suggestions long distance to help plan my daughter's upcoming nuptials (somehow I've gotten smarter as my daughter has gotten older and she actually is considering some of my suggestions). I've attended two bridal showers for her this summer and pondered the unanswerable question posed by my, um, more mature friends, "Why doesn't someone give us older folks showers? We could really use some new towels." In my free time, I have tended my flower gardens, been conscripted as an incredibly inept carpenter's assistant in a house building-project with my husband (estimated time of completion: the year after we enter a nursing home), and I've been a foster mother to 14 baby pheasants and one young rooster and his modest but loyal harem (see husband and conscription note above; apply here also). Summer school ended July 27; I am counting the days until "real" school begins. Anything to give up my hammer and those noisy ungrateful avian children!
BY LOUISA S. HULETT I spent much of my summer writing a paper called "The Culture War, The Evangelical and Politics." I delivered the paper at the National Faculty Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. in late June. While in Washington, I attended several seminars on religion and politics and on American foreign policy. I later submitted a revised version of my paper to the American Political Research journal for possible publication. In early August I participated in a Knox-sponsored seminar on writing. In late August I will attend the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association in Philadelphia and participate in the Pi Sigma Alpha (national political science honor society) Biennial Business Meeting. Other activities included reviewing two book manuscripts, meeting with prospective Knox students, serving on the Knox Track Renovation committee, advising students for the Knox Washington Semester, and playing tennis as frequently as possible.
BY MARY ANN HALE Traveled to Las Vegas with girlfriends. Worked in my yard, gardening. Celebrated 30 years of marriage. Went to my 35th high school class reunion. Exercised. Went to the pool. Had a small reunion with college friends. Worked at school, unpacking my classroom and getting ready for my students. Took my daughter to college and helped her move into her first apartment. Did volunteer work. Had a great time with family and friends.
BY WILLIAM URBAN This was an odd summer. Because my parents have not been in good health, I chose not to teach in Europe, but to tend my garden and write. As it turned out, my parents are doing well. Not as well as my roses, but they live too far away to get daily personal attention. Only the evening phone call. As for the writing, that's been good, too. First of all the weekly essay for the Daily Review Atlas, usually a book review. Summarizing contents is an excellent way to make sure that they have been mastered. Then there was the revised edition of the "Samogitian Crusade." Only an author fully understands how much work remains when a book is "finished." In this case, the Lithuanian translation had come out last fall. My London publisher sends me daily messages about "Medieval Mercenaries: The Business of War." I also sent in "Bayonets for Hire: The Business of War, 1550-1763." We are already discussing illustrations. For fun I work on a murder mystery, "The Dean Is Dead," and its sequels. Alas, it's easier to write than to find readers. Publication is unlikely - everyone envisions himself a novelist, and it's too low-key for readers like my wife, who likes the bloodiest stuff imaginable. We have young grandchildren in town now who enjoy our two big dogs and the large yard and their parents need an occasional hand and a relaxing meal. Did I mention that we occasionally have people over? The deck is comfortable, the pond is lovely and the company great.
BY JEFF TYRRELL I have a nine-month-a-year job! I know the extra hours I put in average out over the year to a 12-month-a-year job, but I have summers off! Right? The summer does give me time to do some extra work to supplement my salary. This year offered plenty of carpentry and repair work because of the violent storms of spring (I live in Alexis). I did allow for a six-day fishing trip to Golconda in southern Illinois for enjoyment during late June. The first part of July I attended the NEA Convention in Orlando as a state delegate. This was my tenth convention, but I feel committed to at least attempt to keep teachers focused on educational matters rather than using the convention for all kinds of special interest bullets. The convention is very exciting and regenerative in a pure form but also very dull and depressing in actuality. The days are from 7 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. for six days which means a lot of seat time. On July 23, I began a pre-engineering class in Chicago, a wonderful offering for our students at Abingdon but two weeks of intense training for an old teacher. Class started daily at 8 a.m. and concluded at 5 p.m., with lunch brought in. We generally took an hour for dinner and most of us had homework until 10 or 11 p.m. The thrust of the class was applied physics - or the application of theoretical math into structures and engineering. These are typical of the things most teachers do in the summer to become better at their jobs. Summer! What Summer? Let's go back to school.
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