How many of us feel this way?

Teenagers, so desperate to be mature, try on new styles, trends, and personas in their attempts at growing up quickly.  Watching my middle school students evolve over the course of a school year crystallizes my belief that it’s all part of the process of life.

I remember one of my 8th grade students who was typically a nice, ‘normal’ type of kid- not a trouble maker, well liked,  quiet in class.  Over the course of a week he started acting out – being a bit disruptive, more aggressive, and walked with a bit of swagger.  My teaching partner and I started noticing and became concerned.  When we approached him, he smiled and said, “Oh, no worries – I’m just trying something new.”  And sure enough, after a few weeks he was back to his old self.

I wonder what happens to this urgency when we hit adulthood.  The desperation seems to be replaced with fear, the excitement with sadness, the hopefulness with complacency.  When adults ‘try something new’ we often are accused of having a mid-life crisis; it’s no wonder that so many retreat back into their old habits, more content with the familiar than the unknown.  Where is the creativity that so absolutely bursts out of a child, only to be smothered by so many logical plans in adulthood?  Does it get buried deep in our souls, or does it simply evaporate in our quest for the ‘American dream’?

But in those quiet minutes before we start each day, how many of us consider this: are we growing slowly or simply standing still?  Are we reaching deep for that lost self that intuitively knew to go out into the world and try?  Where is the tipping point where we dip our toe into an unfamiliar location, wade into a new experience, or dive into a new part of ourselves?  Are we really too old to grow?

Where are you today?  What are you afraid of?

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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For me, gardening is a respite from the stresses of every day.  I love having a big, open garden to spend hours in, but have often wodnered what I would do if I had to move to a space without all this dirt to dig!  Today’s guest blogger, Jolissa, answers some of my questions with her thoughts on rooftop gardens – enjoy!

In today’s world, a lot of us are concerned about being green. We do what we can to be a little bit more Earth-friendly, and we support those who are helping us to lessen our carbon footprints. One of the ways that people enjoy being Earth-friendly is gardening. There are many ways that gardens benefit our planet, and they can be fun!

There’s only one problem with gardening: cities. City folks like gardening, but it’s often impossible. Cities often have many green areas or parks, but you can’t exactly go start a garden in one of them. So, what can green-thumbed city dwellers do? Beyond planting small plants in pots and setting them by windows, a new answer has started popping up in cities everywhere: Put gardens on roofs!

A Myriad of Purposes

Rooftop gardens are sometimes a perfect solution for those who would love to garden but live in the city. They’re popping up everywhere in cities like Minneapolis, MN and Chicago, IL. They come in all sizes, and they’re used for different purposes. Some are just grass, tress, and small shrubs or flowers, and are used as a sort of rooftop park. Others function like vegetable gardens, and edible things are grown. Still others are flower gardens, with stone paths through beautiful flower bushes and shrubs. No matter their makeup, they’re all meant to be oases in the city, and they all provide some environmentally pleasing benefits.

A Positive Impact

Beyond lifting the spirits of those walking in them, rooftop gardens make several positive impacts on the environment.

1. Air fresheners – Trees and plants take in carbon dioxide, filter it, and release it as oxygen. While you may think that just one green area in a couple square miles of city doesn’t do much, every little bit counts!
2. Heat island reducers – Cities are often a couple degrees hotter than the surrounding countryside, because of the amount of paved (dark) space that attracts the sun’s rays. Adding parks and rooftop gardens wherever possible helps reduce this effect, as they reflect some of the heat while using some of it as energy. At the same time, they help cool the space around them via evaporation and shading.
3. Building energy efficiency – Putting a garden on a rooftop can increase the energy efficiency of the building itself. During the summer, the garden will reflect sunlight and shade the roof, keeping the inside of the building from getting as warm and needing as much air conditioning. During the winter, the garden can act as insulation, keeping heating costs down.
4. Clean water – Rooftop gardens will absorb some rainwater, keeping it from running over the dirty roof and becoming polluted before falling into the sewers. When the dirt can’t hold any more water, the water will begin filtering through and becoming clean. The clean runoff could be collected and used for later watering or cleaning inside the building.
5. Good eating – Vegetables, herbs, and some fruits can all be grown in rooftop gardens. Especially if there’s a restaurant or kitchen within the building, this can be incredibly useful. Or, if it’s an apartment building, residents could share what they grow together. There are also plenty of charities that would love some fresh veggies!

How do I begin?

Not every roof is suitable for a rooftop garden. Not only does it need to be flat and have easy access, but it needs to be able to stand the weight of adding dirt, vegetation, and people. For instructions and tips for creating a rooftop garden, search the web for rooftop garden advice and professionals near you. You’ll need to chat with a contractor or architect before constructing a garden, to make sure your roof is structurally suitable.

Citations:

• Photo Courtesy of digitizedchaos via Flickr

Jolissa D. writes for Shingobee Builders, a nationally recognized commercial construction company that uses green initiatives to create energy-efficient solutions for buildings.

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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A few weeks ago I wrote a post about teens and texting – did you miss it?

It’s an ongoing battle in our house – especially since our daughter has been away at ski camp in Mt. Hood, Oregon, for the last four weeks.  Our conversation has dwindled to a few scattered texts every other day or so – unless she needs something, of course.

Texting definitely has its advantages – it does allow for some type of communication with the surly teens in our lives.  It surely can leave parents frustrated, ill-informed and longing for the good old days of email – forget about phone calls, right?

BlogHer enjoyed my post so much they decided to feature it in their Tech section – please click over and check out “Teens and Texting: Two Can Play at That Game” on BlogHer today!

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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Lucky for me, amidst the craziness of planning for my trip to Indonesia, last week my husband and I were able to cash in a Christmas present gift certificate to Hanford House in Sutter Creek, California.  Two nights at a bed and breakfast was certainly a great way to slow it down and take some time to relax!

Fortunately for us, the ‘Blue Room’ was located just adjacent to the parlor. We were pleasantly surprised to enter the serene guest room, complete with charming blue and yellow toile bedding.  Although the room was equipped with a flat screen TV and DVD player hiding in a pine armoire, we sunk into the queen sized bed and slept peacefully.

Finding most of the shops closed this early in the morning, we detoured off Main Street to explore the surrounding hills.  I loved that we could go from ‘city’ to ‘country’ in a few short blocks!

We made it home in time to select some movies from their large, up-to-date selection, and settled down for another fine treat – cheese, fruit, crackers and glasses of lovely local wine.

North Coast on Dwellable

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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Last month I found an overwhelming amount of education issues to write about – many centering on the theme of change.  As budgets are passed, classrooms are shut down for the summer and teachers take a much deserved rest, people are talking about changes to come in the upcoming year.

I wonder how seriously people are thinking about education, instead of just reacting to what is put before them.  If we really think about how these changes are going to effect our children, maybe we can move forward and make progress.

From test scores to class sizes, athletic privledges to charter schools, bullying and the achievement gap, teacher rankings and critical thinking, I’m interested to hear what you think.  For the full text of each article, please click on the links below:

Large Class Sizes Mean 60 seconds or Less Per Student

Special “Bill of Rights” For Athletes


For student athletes at USC, UCLA, UC Berkeley and Stanford, Senate Bill 1525 may change their futures. The bill, scheduled for the Assembly on June 27, is nicknamed the “studentbill of rights” because it seeks to allow athletes to keep scholarships even if injured, to provide life skills, health insurance and financial workshops. It would also allow student athletes to transfer schools, keeping their scholarships with them. At this time, other schools would only be affected if their media revenue exceeds $10 million.

Charter Schools Discriminate Against Students With Disabilities

Practical Parenting Tips for the SAT

Parenting can often seem like a series of tests, some more critical than others. For college-bound teens and their parents, however, the SATs are some of the most challenging. If you’re a first time parent of a teenager, navigating the college admissions process can be a series of frustration. By following a few tips, you can help your child have a successful SAT experience.

Texas Against Teaching Critical Thinking

The Texas Republican Party has released their 2012 platform, and it illustrates why so many of the state’s students are leaving high school uneducated. Their main target seems to be the state’s education system, which, if the document is put into effect, will authorize teachers to utilize corporal punishment, will deny undocumented immigrants to enter school, and will deny children mandatory pre-school and kindergarten. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the really amazing part is their assertion that schools no longer teach higher-level critical thinking skills.

School Bus Monitor Bullying

I spend a good part of my life defending teenagers. Daily, I see the supreme good that they embody, despite their negative portrayal in movies, music and media. I sympathize with the angst of puberty, middle school, and the pressure of growing up. But after watching the YouTube video of bus monitor Karen Klein being harassed and bullied, I am disgusted.

Educational Philosophies and the Achievement Gap

 Teachers in the United States know about competing philosophies in education. We call it the “swing of the pendulum” as one strategy, philosophy or system after another enters our school districts and purports to be the best way to reach kids and raise test scores. According to The Huffington Post, competing philosophies are not working to bridge the achievement gap for our country’s poorest students.

New York Teacher Rankings to be Publicized?

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants all fourth through eighth-grade parents to know about their child’s teacher — not just their name, educational background and classroom rules, but their test score ranks, too.

illustration via Pinterest

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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