It's Been Well Over a Year...Maybe Even 13 Years Since I Had a Do-Nothing, No-Nothing, Roll-with-It Day. I Needed It.

I got up in the morning at 7 a.m. and started the typical grind, but then realized I just wanted to watch the Olympics and veg all day. Outside was too hot, low tide was rolling in at 2 (I hate when that happens), and there's not much shopping that goes on for entertainment in this household. When Abu woke up with a migraine and we watched U.S. soccer against Japan, I realized he was going to bed and I could really veg all day. I simply played games on my phone, caught up on a couple of shows, and stared into space. 

Okay, that is not true. I also organized all the materials brought home from the literacy labs, then did a bookshelf purge to make room for the books always arriving. I also made lunch, talked to family, and went to Pam's to pick up Karal's leash. But I did little else. Posted the last week of Ubuntu onto Facebook and then went back to playing games.

I'm late, but I got addicted to Wordle while Dave was here. I'm not playing previous months a like the challenge. I love Connections even more, but they only give you a game a day.

I grilled steak and onions for dinner, and we proceeded to watch more English Language Learner sitcom from Britain in 1978. How Abu found Mind Your Language, is unknown, but the characters and humor are still funny today, as learning English with multicultural classrooms is always brilliant with language play (English is NOT easy).

I ma hoping for another lazy day, but if Abu is up and about, I'm sure he'll want to do something to forget about his Saturday. The good news is we now have migraine medicine in the house for him.

And With That It is a Wrap: 25 Teacher, 193 Youth, Five Weeks, Buses, Recording, All of Us Together Writing for Publication, with Only a Couple Minor Incidences.

Phew. I have a teacher conference to lead next week, but I can officially say the summer programs are ending (they ended). With the incredible crew I had with me to finish it out, we had the space cleaned out by 30 minutes and all the materials are in my dining room. Yes, the CWP office was taken from me. Granted, it was replaced, but because of mold, temperatures, smells, and no facility shelves or desks, those offices are abandoned. The spaces given to many of us are simply ignored. We work from hom. 

I am super proud of Max Limric, Jalen Johnson, Mateo Planas, and Abu Bility for being my right hand men these past few weeks. They stepped up physically, mentally, and academically. They helped to maintain the summer programs.

Always a pleasure to finish the year out with Jess and Will, also recognizing their bigger events for summer are in a couple of weeks. 

I came home from work, picked up Karal, ate leftovers, watched Olympic highlights, then went to bed. The heat is rough and it doesn't cease until next week, and then it simply turns to Fall, which is stupid. I want summer.

At least I have four days next week to catch up before the Friday conference. I remain without words, however, about the wonderful work I'm fortunate to do and the lack of support from the space where I do it.

As we departed in the parking lot today with hugs and handshakes, we all noted that the happiness of all the kids over the last few weeks, and the admiration of teachers who joined us to see what we were doing is a reason for why it's done. Still, we're also honest with one another and question how sustainable the dedication and devotion of a few can be when up against the systems and bureaucracies that can care less.

I suppose this is the teaching life and when put in systems of higher education and their privileges...there's just no winning. 

Because In Crandall Land, It's Easy to Create Crandall Olympics, Solving Word Puzzles with Chopsticks and Magnets. This is Ubuntu

Abu had his doubts. The night before I discussed my plan for a day of language Olympics, he doubted the final round - one where I would challenge the kids to perform to Somebody I Used to Know by Gotye. "These kids are shy, Crandall. They won't do it. They'll be too scared."

Wrong. I don't have the video to show you here, but they nailed it. The joy, celebration, hilarity, and awe of the performance was brilliant. We laughed, clapped, sat with our mouths open, and enjoyed every second. A week ago, the kids were too shy to lift their heads from the tables to talk to one another. Yesterday, they spelled out words using chopsticks, wrote scrips, drew, played numerous games, asked questions of an international literacy superstar in secondary language acquisition, and enjoyed every second of it.

This is why we do what we do.

Spanish. Portuguese. French/Creole. Bengali. English. It's the language of the parts of the world united to build literacy, leadership, and hope in American schools. Year 11 of Ubuntu Academy and the brilliance of the teachers and our college kids who support the literacy work are irreplaceable. I'm simply in awe.

And today ends the 5th week...no more kids next week and just a writing conference for 75 educators hosted by those of us who love teaching writing the most. 

They call us writers. This is Ubuntu. If only more communities operated as we do in the summer months.

Rifting on Old Skin...or the Way We Pack Up Our Spaces Each Night with Respect to Having the Space to Do the Magic That We Do

We know that CWP-Fairfield is fortunate to work in the summer location that we do, and that the Dolan School of Business kindly shares its room with us in the summer months. This year, we communed with the Academic Immersion programs, as well as Bellarmine, and it was wonderful to celebrate the diversity, the investment in academic standards, and the possibilities for a better tomorrow. I've said this from the beginning of my time at Fairfield...the summer months look very different than the winter ones. 

Every night, the literacy leaders back up our goods and cover it in two table cloths simply to inform others this is important stuff. I know there is no one else assigned to our spaces in the evening, but we clean up every room each night out of respect for the location, including wiping tables, picking up the floor, and making sure the rooms are as nice as when we arrive. 

Leaving yesterday, I thought of the 2016 Flanagan show (can you tell I'm still writing with Alice Hays, the WGI, Literacy scholar from California?). There show was "Old Skin," and although it is clunky at times, I like the music and the idea of layers of skin at times in our lives, only to be shed at later times. Nice concept, and since I'm into storytelling of 'sport of the arts' I'm thinking about the ways we cover up our work each night, only to resurrect it in the morning. I think this behavior comes from the fact that over the years I've seen how other camps at Fairfield University completely disrespect the spaces given to them. The kids are out of control and the counselors do nothing about it. That's not our style, though. We are there to excel and achieve, so we'll skin up our goods each night only to return to them in the morning. It's a matter of respect. 

Anyway, we'll shed our skin from the summer's programs after Friday, hosting a teacher one-day conference a week later, and that will be a wrap for the 2024 season (now back to professional development in schools). 

Old skin. New skin. Sunburned skin. Peeling skin. Skin in the game while we have it. I simply look at all the materials we place under our tablecloth skin, and I think, "I am so fortunate to work with the CWP miracle workers that I do."

Dang! It's August?

Then the Moose Got Down on One Knee to Ask the Unicorn to Marry Him. She Wouldn't Say Yes, However, Until She Could Count on the Frogs Four Fingers

Just another day at CWP summer programs, this time introducing script-writing, performance, language-play, and theatrics to what the learners of English language learners might contribute to POW! Power of Words. It is amazing what humor, great teaching, tremendous support, and a 11-year history can do to really empower newly arrived youth from immigrant and refugee backgrounds. In two weeks, the collective moves mountains and it makes me proud each and every year. I wish we had a facility and support for 180 days.

And just like that it is humpday. Glad to see it arrive, but now have to think about cleanup and departure, thankful that 25 teachers and almost 200 kids made it through our summer programs successful (and with absolute joy). I love getting the emails from parents saying the week changed their kids life and they are now writing every day....I wonder, though, when they say, "we'll be back next year," because I just don't know how finances will be or if the University will kick me to the curb or force me out. It's great work that gets more difficult every year. 

For those who want to know, the Unicorn does say yes to the Moose and accepts the marriage proposal. I officiate the real wedding in a couple of weeks in Monroe, Connecticut...my second of the summer. Love that Abu's dressed as a frog in toad-attire.

And with that....time to hit the road because he just signaled he's ready to go. 

Ribbit Ribbit. 

They Call Us Writers - Thrilled to Once Again Feature YA Texts to Enhance Literacy Skills with 36 English Language Learners at Fairfield University

We learned early on, via the incredible Kwame Alexander, that poetic verse is a phenomenal way to go with students learning English as their additional language. Our goal is to build confidence with reading, writing, speaking, and being good to one another. We recognize how important their leadership is when they return to school after summer, but also how much we should invest in confidence. We found the perfect books from David Bowles. They Call Me Guëro is superb for the needs we have this summer.

Yesterday, we split the kids amongst the young adult literacy leaders (kids in college) and they had small reading groups around campus. I'm proud to say they made it to page 30 in a little over 45 minutes. They discussed each poem, too, and took a jab at reading fluency. The support was there and from what I could tell, there was 100% investment.

I said to William and Jessica, it would simply be wonderful to be financed to begin our own school - one that cares and guides kids towards a better tomorrow...one that celebrates diversity and global realities, teaching critical thinking, the arts, and the power of words. We'd simply love to make safe spaces available to the kids 180 days a year, but we also know the power of mixing zip codes and bringing young people into conversation with each other.

I need to recreate my own Brown School. It is the only solution. And just like that, it is Tuesday, I'm on for today, and I need to drive to campus. 

We're getting there one day at a time. I wish others had the opportunity to witness the magic of what is accomplished in our programs during the summer. It makes me proud. I have the best teachers who recruit the most amazing kids.

And Just Like That, The Dispersion Occurs Once Again. Great to Host the Sealy-Wooley-Johnsons Over the Weekend.

It won't because long before their frequency in Stratford will dissipate. I'll take advantage of it, however, as they remain in transition. It makes for interesting seating arrangements to watch the Olympics and to drive Karal nuts, "Where's my space? You're sitting in my space!"

Sunday was a casual day...they celebrated Ishy's birthday, I walked the dog and did yard work, as well as worked on syllabi for the Fall semester. I needed a day of quiet to work from behind the screen.

Abu and I watched more Olympics at night and ate some of the cake left before they trekked out West. 

Today is day one of the last week with kids, so I'm heading to campus to absorb it all. We have a solid team of educators this week, so I will have more flexibility to direct the program and do the countless paper work it takes to finalize the summer that just was. 

They're calling for rain for three days, so here's to the gray and dreary. It's Monday, after all, so it seems appropriate.