The Power of Desks

Last week on Friday our school received four shipments of desks.  Brand spanking new desks. The teachers that had requested these quickly traded out the old, beat up, dilapidated desks.  These desks sat in the hallway all day and I continually eyed them.  

See, I have this unique class that creates a constant "hum".... for whatever reason I have within my small box of a classroom, a large number of students who need to make noise constantly.  I am not even exaggerating on the constant part. It probably doesn't help that they are crammed around two rectangle tables and one small circle table. All sit within an arms length of at least two or more students.  There are times when they are practically sitting on top of each other. And the talking, oh the talking never stops. I feel that for the most part I am a pretty patient person, but there are days where I long for a roll of bubble wrap that I can stab with a sharp object.  So after an incredibly long and noisy day, I had the idea to go scavenging for desks.  

With the help of my paraprofessional, who has much stronger muscles than I, we located 14 of the more attractive old desks and hauled them across the school.  Because the desks came from all over, they were sitting at various heights.  The next task was to find the necessary tools and then recruit Micah to spend an hour lower desks.  

Because I have such a small room, I continually obsess over the space and how I can best use it. I quickly arranged desks and left for the weekend....and all weekend wondered if this was the right thing to do. I strongly believe in community, not just in my personal life, but within my classroom as well.  There was a part of me that felt like I was betraying our classroom community by ditching the tables, and bringing in desks, which can feel so traditional and cold at times. 

So this morning I showed up to work early to make last minute changes and tidy up a bit.  I held my breath as the students came into the classroom, worrying that they would be disappointed or that this would pose a much greater challenge than the tables, and I would regret my decision.  When the students walked into the classroom, what they saw was not old dilapidated desks taking away from their community, but a new piece of furniture that brought as much excitement as a Christmas present.  They were "ooing" and "aahing" over and over as they viewed their personal desk and then the desks of their friends.  

We spent a good chunk of time discussing what it looks like for us to sit in our desks and be respectful, responsible, and safe to those around us.  They were so excited to prove to me that they deserved this opportunity.  One of them even made a comment that they must be pretty special to be the only first grade class with desks, only "big" kids get desks.  They were so purposeful as they moved their materials, arranging things into neat piles within their desks. 

All day I waited for the initial excitement to wear off and the "hum" to return, but it didn't! The students were attentive and listening, working hard to not distract those around them.  As the students were leaving for the day, many commented on how excited they were to tell others about their desk.  One girl even said, "I can't wait to tell my family about the new desks.  I have been waiting a long time for my own work space." At the end of the day I was almost in shock. I couldn't believe how much their behavior had changed and the difference of feeling in my voice and my energy level... all because of desks. Let's hope these desks are just as powerful tomorrow. 

A Trip to Germany

We are lucky enough to work in a school district that has a week long Spring Break built in to the academic year.  We decided to spend this week traveling abroad in Germany to visit Micah's younger sister, eat great food and drink tasty drinks. 
In the process of planning our trip some dear friends of ours expressed interest in going with us.  We were excited to have some traveling companions since we would be traveling without the majority of Micah's family.  This was Aaron and Nichole's first time to Europe and we could not have been luckier to travel with them. We endured a lot together in one week and shared many, many fun moments. We were truly blessed to have shared this experience with them.  

Micah and Aaron attempting to stuff our luggage, all 6 pieces, into a luggage locker in Hamburg so we wouldn't have to carry it around with us.  We all held our breath as they closed the door, locked it up and pulled out the key. And the good news is, IT WORKED!

During our week abroad we were able to travel to many different areas of Germany.  After spending some time in Cologne and Oldenburg, where Jessie currently lives, we traveled to Hamburg for a day trip.  While in Hamburg we visited a church, the St. Nikolai church, that had been bombed during World War II. Rather than rebuilding, they have turned the church into a memorial. There were several memorial sculptures - all of which had an impact on us.  The one shown above is Earth Angels. The inscription said, "Take my hand and let me lead you back to yourself." The sculpture below is titled Examination.  With the statement by D. Bonhoeffer "No person in the whole world can change the truth. You can only search, and they find it.  The truth is in every place."
We left Hamburg on an overnight train and arrived in Munich, where we stayed for several days.  During our time in Munich we traveled to the Dachau Concentration Camp.  This was the first concentration camp established in Germany.  Each prisoner arrived and would have to walk through the gate shown below.  The words listed on the gate translate to say, "Work shall set you free." Much like the church memorial, this proved to be a powerful and reflective moment within our trip. We took another day trip while staying in Munich and traveled to Fussen.  The purpose of this trip was to visit the famous castles of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein.  The Neuschwanstein castle is shown below (you could probably find better pictures on the web).  This is what the Walt Disney castle is modeled after.  We were overwhelmed with the "innards" of this castle, a beautiful concert hall, a fake cave, a bed that took 9 years to build. King Ludwig II was a very interesting fella.  

The famous Glockenspiel clock in Munich.

Aaron and Micah enjoying a Hofbrau Original from the Hofbrauhaus.  

From Munich you can ride a train out to the small town of Herrsching.  Nestled within the town of Herrsching between two lakes is a beautiful little monastery.  The Andechs monastery is also know for having some of the best beer in the region, which was once brewed by the monks.  Once again Micah and Aaron were able to enjoy some regional beer and of course it wouldn't be complete without some huge pretzels.  The monastery had an elaborate chapel and a beautiful view of the Bavarian region.  We were grateful to experience Andechs since it is a little off the beaten path. 

We ended our trip by traveling to the Mosel Valley and spending some time in Cochem.  Cochem is located in the wine region, nestled along the Mosel River.  It was a gorgeous area and we all commented many times how much we enjoyed being here. SaraJane was happy to be in an area where wine was a little more prevalent... but don't worry there was still plenty of beer to be found.  It seemed as if there were castles sprinkled along the Mosel River, providing one for each town that we passed.  How the locals must long to see a bungalow!

The town of Cochem

The castle found within the town of Cochem.

We were sad to end our time in Germany, but happy to get home to our own beds and finish living out of a backpack.  We enjoyed experiencing the German culture, seeing the sights, eating good food, and attempting to communicate in another language. We were the most grateful to see Jessie and spend a few days with Jon.  We have missed Jessie a great deal and look forward to her return home. 

SaraJane, Jessie, Micah, and Jon in Hamburg along a water channel.