A Walk in The Woods by Bill Bryson

If you are taking AP English next year the required summer reading (as you already know) is the book A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. You are in for a treat. This a funny book with points of wisdom and common sense. Even if you are not in AP this coming year this is a wonderful read.

Quote from author Bill Bryson: “I have long known that it is part of God's plan for me to spend a little time with each of the most stupid people on earth.”

My own shopping experiences at REI rang familiar as he was describing his camping gear search. I know how he feels with everyone in the entire store more fit, more knowledgeable and watching your every move. I. Think those stores should hire people like bill and me for entertainment purposes. I know that in the REI employee break room there are still clerks sharing stories about some of my inquiries.

Find time to add this to your summer list. I have to check out other Bryson books. He is a journalist and a wit. If you are a hiker I think you will relate to some of his adventures. If you are an armchair walker you will get a taste of the wild. Reading is better than getting chased by bears.

Great advice for the new teacher

Do you know someone in your family or a friend about to graduate and take that first plunge into the world of teaching?

Well, one of our own wrote a great book that is the perfect gift and possibly one that will enable her/him to make it through that first year. English teacher Michael Kennedy wrote a treasure piece entitle-- Teacher to Teacher. It is filled with a kind and tender narrative about teaching and making it through the tough days. It is a book about the love of teaching and the horrors of being a teacher.

For that first year person this is the book. It is the toolkit, the saving bible and a place to return to time and again and claim that Kennedy was writing about your experiences today.

It is available through amazon.com and other online book sellers. Ask your local book store to see if they have copies for sale.

Your new teacher friend will thank you many times in the years to come.

Responsibility

This past school year we talked a bunch about responsibility. Responsibility to self and to others. We talked about accepting responsibility and being in positions to take responsibility. Southwest is a large educational community within several larger, geographically, communities, neighbors and then city. Being a responsible community member is logical but takes effort and purposeful actions.

We want to move another step forward this coming year and think about the responsibility we have to others. The most obvious it that of leaders. Are you a captain of a sports team or president of your club or student leader in an organization? What are your responsibilities to the other team members or club members? What is your responsibility to the team or club or organization? As a captain or leader what is my role in setting the tone or being a model for others and younger members of the team? How do I display my responsibilities for and to others?

As a member of a team, club or organization, what are your responsibilities to the health and week-being of other members and the organization? How do you support one another? Do you look out for one another and try to be helpful? What if another team member was in danger? What would or should you do? How do you help your club members if they are having difficulties in school or in the neighborhood?

As a member of the Southwest community we all are responsible for the tone and atmosphere of the school, hourly, daily. How do we model behavior that is supportive of one another? What do we do help one another.

The bully is a problem in our country, state, neighborhood and, yes regretfully, our schools. There are persons who like to wield power over those they believe to be weaker or inferior. If one person attempts to intimidate another, that person is a bully. The act does not have to be physical - pushing someone in a locker or dumping in a trash can. Those are the typical portrayals but words can be intimidating, in person or left messages or emails or tweets. Gossip is probably the most frequently use tool of the bully. Telling half truths or misinformation about another person can be very intimidating.

All students deserve the right to be safe and to have a feeling of worth and value. It is amazing how many groups are together with a few members wielding fear of rejection from the group over others. One or two strong arms in the group should not dictate for the others and "pick" on select members as the mood may strike.

We need to actively and openly disapprove of and discourage bullying in all its forms. No one or no group should be allowed to be the target or a victim. We must be responsible for our own actions and then responsible to the safety of others. Our friends, teammates, class mates should not be victims of harassment and bullying. Together we can resist the urge to make fun of or to torment someone.

Take a Hike

Why not hike a Minneapolis hiking trail each week. II side the city are miles and miles of beautiful bike, skate and walking trails. Many include trails around a lake or along the creek.

If you are a 10th grader this could be a great personal project. There is. Web site of all the city trails - www.tripleblaze.com - you can post pictures and reviews of your experience. Great time, wonderful activity and a community service.

Theodore Wirth Park Trails are just an example. Named after the father of our city parks and lakes, it is a beautiful treasure right here in Minneapolis.

Directions

55 and Theodore Wirth Parkway. From Hwy 100, go East on 55 to Theodore Wirth Parkway. From Int 94 go West on 55 to Theodore Wirth Parkway. Trail entrance is on the North West corner with a Kiosk and map. You can't park there, so you must go South on Theodore Wirth Parkway until you get to Glennwood. Take a Left (East) on Glennwood and you will see a lake and parking lot to your left. Park there and follow the way you came back to the trail head. There are paved bicycle trails along Theodore Wirth Parkway on the west side, so you can take those back to the entrance and kiosk at 55 and Theodore Wirth Parkway.

Science Museum of Minnesota

The Science Museum of Minnesota is open. A great summer visit if it is too rainy for the pool or parks. Don't tell anyone but it is highly educational.

The big exhibit currently is King Tut. Go to the Science Museum web site www.smm.org and get advance ticket information, directions, best visit times and much more. There is a good video about the exhibit worth your time even if you are not going to the Museum. More information and videos are available at the official exhibit web site-- www.kingtut.org

Tickets are not cheap. For an adult the member rate is $24. And for non-members the tickets re $38 for week days and $43 for weekend dates. There are discounts for children under 12 and senior citizens.

Unfortunately the Minnesota History Center is closed due to state shut down.

The Lacuna (P.S). -- excellent read

First, I believe language is very powerful. Second, I have respect for the wordsmiths - those writers who know how to use the language and put words and phrases together well. S you know my bias.

The Lacuna (P.S) by Barbara Kingsolver is one I recommend. She has written several notable novels and received numerous literary awards. It is about the writing and the process of writing from a writer's perspective. Turn of the century U.S. And Mexico is the setting. Spans about 50 years with most of the focus on the 30's and 40's. This is a book of fiction with real people, places and historical events mixed in as backdrops to the struggle of a young man facing a confusing world.

As in many books, the first thing is to remove parental influences, make sure there are minimal strong relatives and take away familiar places and locations. Sounds almost like a Harry Potter introduction. But the book takes on some of the characteristics of Forrest Gump with real people and events adding to the plot and definitely adding to the theme of the book.

The Lacuna includes Mexico history and some U.S. History frequently omitted from history books. A good read and is one of Kingsolver's books that will be around for a while. Some school children are going to find this on the required reading list soon.

If you enjoy The Lacuna you might also enjoy The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield. Another fine mystery about a writer and her writing process.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett is popular now both as a book and film. Again, a young woman wanting to be a writer and the plot is her research process.

Do you have a favorite? How about sharing? Email me the title and short summary.

Don't forget to drop me an email about your summer trips. Where did you go and why did you discover?

Holiday weekend - Summer away from school & state shut down

Hopefully you summer holiday weekend did not include a state park. Maybe long distance driving in the state was a chore unless you have relatives every few hours. There is plenty of sun and generally some of the best weather and summer days so far.

Reading the Sunday New York Times is an interesting weekend break. This morning's was full of interesting juxtapositions -- top executives salaries increases way over those of everyone else's averages, Minnesota state government shut down, unemployment remains about 9% and the wars (plural) continue.

I know our students are continuing their studies and trying to make sense out of the news. I have to admit I am pleased that the judge decides that schools are part of the "essential" services. The Twins can seem to find an answer to winning baseball games. But it might be good to notice that total team salaries does not predict series winner or playoff contenders according to this morning's NYT. Fashions still seem to be a total mess. I just can't image young people bouncing around in some of those color combinations unless they were working for the circus. But to each his/her own.

The world -- the country -- the state -- our neighborhoods -- might be a good weekend to search for the common good or what do we think is worth the time and effort. Have a safe holiday weekend!