The Work I Do

So I know I have written in here many times about how exhausting it is to work full time at two different schools and raise two young children at the same time. It was a bit of a leap this year when I agreed to take on the second position. In fact, I think I have written about this a lot. Often times it feels downright impossible to do it all very well. On the worst days I want a maid, a landscaper, a nanny, a personal chef and of course a secretary. Oh, and sometimes I really need a fashion consultant!

However, in spite of the exhaustion I often feel, the work that I do is remarkable. I am an art educator in a high school, which I totally love, and I am also an arts coach at a very local public elementary school, which I also totally love. Having been in education for so long and having had plenty of amazing experiences and mentors to shape my vision, the thrill I feel about this position of arts coach is hard to describe. The school is in the middle of a transformation process, with the focus obviously being on the arts. It is fascinating to be a part of this process. I work with some very bright, very passionate educators and I feel enlivened to be at this visioning stage with them. We are sending Anders there next year and this combination of the things I feel most passionate about, education and my children, is a combination that thrills me.

These photo's are of a recent field trip - an integrated arts unit with a group of first graders studying the five senses in science. We got to touch, see, smell, hear and imagine tasting all at a local art museum. The museum photographer happened to be taking photo's and I thought I'd post them here. I just love them. It is pretty amazing work.