100 Ties that Bind

 Before I ReTIrE

When I was deciding to become a teacher I was given some advice…"while getting dressed for work, always dress for the position you desire rather than the position you currently hold".  At that time, many years ago, I was an after-school daycare supervisor.  My attire usually fit my job…jeans, t-shirt, gym shoes, etc.  When that advice was imparted to me and I began my education in education I started wearing more “professional” type clothing.  In doing so I was searching for a role model.  Men are few and far between in the field of education--as a consequence--the school I was working at in Oak Park didn’t offer anyone I could emulate. This dilemma brought me to reach back into my high school days.  I had plenty of male teachers at OPRFHS.  One of them was my Geometry/Trigonometry teacher, Mr. Chirko.

Mr. Chirko was one of those people who always had a slight smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.  He sported a “buzz-cut” and the hair on his head was white, although he didn’t seem that advanced in years.  When he spoke his smile remained and his voice seemed to resonate with a calm command.  He knew his subject area well and taught it even better.  Mr. Chirko also wore ties.  Yet they weren’t just any old ties, they were "exciting” ties.  They had characters on them; wild designs, and seemed to be themed.  It is from this man that I fashioned my “work fashion” while not only seeking to be a teacher, but as a teacher.

Right before I landed my first, and current, job as a teacher here at Lincoln I began buying myself some ties…but I shopped for the kind of ties Mr. Chirko had.  In a short while I had a tie for each day of the week.

Over the course of 15 years I have collected a multitude of ties.  All kinds of ties…Disney ties, Looney Tunes ties, holiday ties, family inspired ties, sports ties, formal ties, animal ties, Winnie-the-Pooh ties, birthday ties, general cartoon ties, and more.  I decided to set a goal for myself:  collect enough ties so I can wear a different one for each day of the school year…176 ties is what I would need. 

Up until today I really had no idea how many I had in my collection.  So I decided to use our Math class as a place to find out while also teaching my students about Tally Charts and Math Landmarks (maximum, minimum, range, mode, and median).  We categorized my ties and generated a tally chart and then analyzed the data (see below)…

Type of Tie	Tally	Total
Disney Characters	IIII	5
Looney Tunes Characters	IIII IIII	9
Holiday	IIII IIII III	13
Family	IIII	4
Sports	IIII	5
Formal	IIII  IIII  IIII  IIII        IIII  IIII III	33
Animal	III	3
Other (miscellaneous)	IIII   IIII   IIII   IIII	19
Winnie-the-Pooh	IIII	5
Birthday	I	1
Cartoons	III	3
DATA LANDMARKS:	TOTAL	100
	MAXIMUM	33
	MINIMUM	1
	RANGE	32
	MODE	5
	MEDIAN	5

I now have 100 ties.  And how fitting, as one student pointed out, that it just happens to be the 100^th year anniversary for Lincoln School!  Well, in 15 years I’ve amassed 100 ties…only 76 ties to go.  Which will come first—retirement or reaching my goal of one tie for every day of the school year?

Mr. Casten

Sept 18, 2015

All written material is property of Michael C. Casten

Spontaneous Routine

Whether a seasoned teacher or one “fresh out of the box” the idea that establishing a routine for your students is highly valued.

Kids are spontaneous.  We can hear this in their laughter.  We can see this in their actions. We can feel this through their emotions.  Spontaneity carries with it positives and negatives; both contributing to the endeavor of an education within a school day.  It can serve to help or hinder.

Each class a teacher gets from one year to the next has its own “pulse”.  There is a level of spontaneity that must be sought in order to capitalize on it for positive outcomes.  Routines are a way of seeking that level.  Within the routine of a typical day one can gauge the level of spontaneity a class possesses.  As students intertwine within the parameters set forth from the moment they enter the school to the instant they leave for home, much is shared between student and teacher.  Roles become clearly defined and expectations are set.  Fulfillment of both ensues.

Spontaneity finds its way into those routines & expectations.  And with that entrance each participant in the classroom must figure out how to hold fast to the idea of spontaneity while still maintaining some sense of routine.  Knowing that the routine is established helps all to know that spontaneity is acceptable.  It’s the routine that allows spontaneity to flourish in a way that is beneficial. 

Often we think that routine is the path to order.  Might I suggest that spontaneity plays an equally important role?  The allowance of breaking out of a routine safely builds character, toughens the skin, and permits the exploration of just more than reading, writing and ‘rithmetic.

Learning can be messy.  Learning can be loud.  Learning can be quiet. Learning can be challenging.  And, yes…learning can be spontaneous.

Each year I look forward to the tender relationship between spontaneity and routine, balanced with each other in efforts to bring about learning…with each other and from each other.