A Night at the Opera

I am not a regular opera goer. I am a musician. Before I became a 4th grade teacher, I got two degrees in music. My husband and I attend symphony concerts regularly. But the opera has been an occasional experience for us. But last Friday night we went to Lyric Opera of Chicago to see Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss. There was a great deal on tickets and we both love the music in Rosenkavalier, so we got tickets.

Der Rosenkavalier, or the Cavalier of the Rose, is both a romance and a comedy. The Marschallin and her much younger lover, Octavian, are very much in love, but the Marschallin knows that eventually he will leave her for a younger woman. She chooses him to present the silver rose to Sophie, the fiancee of her cousin (hence the title of the opera). When Octavian and Sophie meet, they fall instantly in love (of course - it's an opera). Baron von Ochs, who is supposed to marry Sophie, turns out to be quite a boorish oaf, mostly interested in her money. He's also quite the womanizer. The opera alternates between the comedic, featuring Baron von Ochs, and the romantic. Through a clever scheme, Ochs is exposed for what he is, and Octavian and Sophie can marry. The last scene includes a touching trio with the Marschallin, Octavian, and Sophie, as each expresses their feelings. Octovain is torn between the two women, feeling love for both and loyalty to the Marschellin. The Marschellin sings about the cruelty of time as she ages, and Sophie wonders who Octavian really loves. He chooses Sophie. The Marschellin goes gracefully off.

My husband and I had seen the opera before at Indiana University when our daughter was a student there. Indiana has an excellent opera department. We loved the music, but the opera felt jarring as it went back and forth between the melancholy love story and the blunt comedy of Ochs.

The experience at Lyric Opera was different. The pathos of the Marschellin facing the loss of Octavian and getting older always makes me teary. In Lyric's production though, while Ochs was still an unprincipled skirt chaser, he was softer somehow, and I actually felt a little sorry for him when the Marschallin told him to leave, meaning he didn't get Sophie and her money. I've also kept thinking about the opera since Friday night. This version of it has made a strong impression on me.

As I said, I'm not a regular opera goer, but now I understand why opera fans go to the same opera over and over. Different productions, different singers and directors, make a huge difference. I don't know why it took me so long to realize all this.

Shopping for fancy clothes

Today I went shopping for something to wear to my school's auction next Saturday. The auction is the biggest fundraiser of the year and it's a fancy evening with a sit-down dinner, silent auction and live auction. Teachers are expected to help at this event by doing various jobs. We also get the same lovely dinner that the guests get.

My life is mostly pretty casual. When I do go to an evening event in Chicago, it's winter and more important to stay warm and to not slip and fall than it is to wear evening dress. So after looking in my closet, I decided I needed to go to the mall to buy something that would raise my wardrobe into the fancy dinner category. Palazzo pants and a nice top, maybe sparkly.

The first stop was Macy's. I found the fancy evening wear section. It was mobbed by high school girls. What event could be coming up in March? Turn-about is in February and prom isn't until May.

In a few minutes of searching through the racks of clothes, I found palazzo pants. Looking some more, I found several sparkly tops. Off to the dressing rooms, where there were long lines and lots of giggling from the high school crowd. Finally in a room, I tried everything on, looking in the mirror, and decided on a pair of the palazzo pants and a two-piece top that included a black velvet tank and a black and gold sparkly jacket. Then off to stand in line to pay, behind someone with a fistful of coupons, having alooong discussion with the saleslady about which ones she could use. Finally finished, I went to find my husband and left the crowded mall.

Once home, I found that the saleslady hadn't removed the theft device from the pants. Grrrrr!!!! A trip back to the mall is in my future.

The Search for Historical Novels

Last week at school I was bemoaning because I haven't been able to find the perfect historical novel about the American Revolution to read aloud to my 4th grade class. One of the middle school language arts teachers started suggesting books to me. "Johnny Tremain? My Brother Sam is Dead?" I wasn't sure if my class could sit through Johnny Tremain, as much as I enjoy it, and I couldn't remember what My Brother Sam is Dead is about. Then she whipped out her phone and pulled up a list of Newbery nominated historical novels about the American Revolution. Technology is amazing.

I later looked carefully through the list, checked the closest public library, and made a trip. I was able to take out five novels from the children's section to preview. The next time I saw my middle school colleague in the teachers' lunchroom, I excitedly exclaimed, "I went to the library and got a stack of books!" A couple other teachers laughed, and one remarked, "Isn't that what you do at the library?" Yeah, it is. It was a pretty nerdy remark I made.

My problem in finding the "perfect" novel to read to my class is that I'm looking for an engaging story that works as a read-aloud and is historically accurate. In the past we have had students read Mr. Revere and I, in which Paul Revere's horse, a stuck up filly who came to the colonies as a British army horse, tells Revere's story and in the process changes her mind about the colonial yokels. The horse uses an awful lot of really big words, and of course, with a horse narrating, it's not historically accurate. We've also had students read The Fighting Ground by Avi, the story of a young boy who runs off to join a ragtag Continental Army group. The whole novel takes place within one day. I don't find that it lends itself to reading aloud. It works better when you see it on the page.

There are other novels, of course. My partner reads Spy, a novel about Nathan Hale. I read it a few years ago and didn't like it, though I can't remember why now. I love Johnny Tremain, but wonder if it's too long. My middle school colleague encouraged me to consider it. Of the books from the library I have so far read Five 4ths of July, which is a really good book, but for teens, not 4th graders. It is the story of a teenager who ends up on a British prison ship. It is well-researched and also follows the coming of age under brutal circumstances of the main character.

I'm also going to read Chains, about a 13-year-old slave girl who becomes an American spy in New York City, and Sophie's War, by Avi, about another girl who becomes a spy. I'm sure there are lots more choices waiting to be discovered.

Sunday Supper

In the teachers' lunch room today we had a conversation about family dinners. One of us said that family dinners during the week were pretty impossible because of sports and her husband's work schedule, but Sunday dinnertime was sacred -- the whole family would always be there, without other guests.

I think today many of us have to make those choices, even if we'd rather have family dinners every day, with home-cooked meals. The conversation reminded me of the Sunday suppers my family had when I was growing up. We did eat dinner together nearly every night of the week, but Sunday evening was special because my mom put out sandwich makings, chips, and hot chocolate. We each made what we wanted and took our plates downstairs to the rec room to eat and watch TV.

Of course, watching television during dinner is much frowned on, but my parents made this into a special family event each week. We watched Lassie, Mr. Ed, the Wonderful World of Disney, and we talked about the shows. I remember those Sunday nights very fondly, especially now that my family is scattered among four states.

The Viennese Connection - Trying New Things

We live in a suburban area where there's a lot of pressure on kids and parents regarding achievement in high school and what colleges kids get into. Somewhere along the way, before my kids entered high school, I realized that this was a culture that was fostering this type of thinking and the atmosphere that went with it, and that I didn't have to buy into it. It was quite liberating.

So we told our children that high school is a time for trying new things. There were other parents pushing AP classes and comparing GPAs and so on. We felt a bit like outliers. Our son took four years of art in high school and then went to art college. Our daughter went out for basketball and track, played in band and orchestra, and also took some AP classes, though not as many as she could have taken.

The band program at our high school has an exchange program with a high school, or gymnasium, in Vienna, Austria. Every three years the band goes to Austria and while they're in Vienna, the students stay with families from the gymnasium. Jamie went and had a wonderful, fun, enriching trip, including her stay with a lovely family who carefully accommodated her diet and took her on outings. Every fall, a group of high school students from Vienna visit our area for about 10 days, staying with band families.

The next time the Viennese were coming to Illinois, Jamie asked if we could host a student, and we agreed. It was not a successful exchange. The girl who stayed with us was primarily interested in shopping - the exchange rate was extremely favorable for Europeans at the time. She wasn't interested in spending any time with us.

So the next year when the band again asked for host families, I told my daughter no. She really wanted to try again and what she said to me was, "You said that high school is a time for trying new things. I really want to try this again." She was convincing, we agreed to another exchange student. We had a lovely visit with Sarah from Vienna, and she and Jamie stayed in touch for several years after the visit.

Try new things, sometimes more than once.

The Princess Bride

I'm going to say right up front, I'm a cat person. I like dogs fine, but I love my cats. This story is about a cat. And a movie.

I had never watched the movie "The Princess Bride." My children bought a VHS tape of it years ago, but I never watched it. Occasionally it would come up in conversation with someone, and they would say, "You've never seen it?" Apparently it's a thing with some people.

Then a friend posted a photo of an adorable black kitten on Facebook along with the story of how he and his wife came to adopt it. She went out one Saturday morning to buy cat food for their two cats, and came home with this kitten. He (the kitten) had an unusually large head, so, my friend said, they named him Fezzik.

I thought the story was funny, and so I repeated it to my family. My son thought the name Fezzik was a wonderful and hilarious name. It didn't mean anything to me, so I asked if it came from somewhere. Yes, he said, Fezzik is the giant in "The Princess Bride." "Oh," I replied. "This kitten has a really large head." My son laughed even more. I resolved to watch this movie, which was attaining mythic status in my mind.

One Saturday afternoon, I sat down to watch the old VHS tape. There was Andre the Giant playing Fezzik. It was an entertaining movie, a kind of tongue-cheek swashbuckling fairy tale. And now I can say that I have seen "The Princess Bride."

Meanwhile Fezzik has grown to match his head.

Stories in report cards

I have been writing the narratives for reports cards. Assessment is not my favorite part of teaching, and to sum up a trimester of learning and growing... I have to write about 150 words about each of my students. When I sit down to write, I think about each child in turn. What to write? How to tell parents about their child's successes and challenges and also capture that special individuality of each child?

The little girl who loves to write and also to laugh with her friends. The boy who just wants to do well. His desire is almost a tangible part of him. The new boy who is trying so hard to fit in. The absent-minded one, lost in his own world. Each one is so alive and individual. Each one has his or her own stories.

I give a lot of thought to each child, and also look over their grades. Who is excelling in math, who finds the interesting insights in books, who helps everyone get along together?

This reflection and writing on my part often gives me new insight into my students, so I guess that's an additional benefit of writing report cards. I am so busy day to day, teaching, planning lessons, grading papers, that forcing me to stop and think about each one of my students turns out to be a positive activity. And it reminds me of what delightful children I have in my class.