Finally!  With all of our instruction about George Washington's early life, we have arrived at a mystery - whether or not a 16-year-old George, while doing some early surveying, explored and defaced the wall of a cave in what is now West Virginia.

There is some evidence that suggests that he was nearby during this time, and a letter from a friend, along with George's response - discusses a particular cave.  Some believe this to be the cave that is now known as George Washington's Masonic Cave.

The class studied the primary source of Washington's letter to Andrew Burnaby in 1761 before delving into the depths of karst topography and speleology.

The class is very excited to dig deeper into caves, including the rediscovery of our own Hoggatt Cave and an upcoming field trip to Bluff Dwellers Cavern in Noel, Missouri.

Today, we pause to consider the Liberty Bell.  This symbol of our nation is located in Philadelphia and has been celebrated throughout its years of existence.

What do the words above have in common?  What do the words mean when their different prefixes are added?

When Joseph Plumb Martin was writing his memoirs, he was not interested in recanting the same old historically-significant war accounts that make up our national story.  Instead, the reader learns about the daily life of a Revolutionary soldier.  These are the little details that make history full of little treasures.  Finding these "side" stories is akin to using a metal detector to find dropped coins on the beach.

If you know me, you realize that I am not a fan of domestic cats (Don't get me started.), so the little story in Chapter III caught my attention.  Martin and some others were "put into the houses for quarters during the night".  A dozen of so men were placed in a particular house Martin remembered as having a fireplace, a chair frame, and a quill wheel.  They located firewood for the fireplace and a thick board to lie across the chair and wheel to make a bench to sit on when a cat entered and walked under the bench "to partake of the bounty.  Martin relates that the board bent from the weight upon it.

I realize Martin did not record that to make me laugh, but I nearly L'd OL when I read it.  There is a kind of cartoony feel to the story - akin to a Tom and Jerry episode - though I'm quite certain it was grittier than the manner in which it comes across.  Don't get me wrong:  I don't take any joy from the suffering of a living creature, but the story took me by surprise and gave me a chuckle.

I've already written that Joseph Plumb Martin reminds me of my grandfather (Popo), but in this paragraph of an event that occurred in 1777, I hear my other grandfather (Grandpa) telling the story.  Grandpa had a low-key demeanor and once let something slip in conversation.  He was trying to remember the name of a small town where he grew up.  Turning to my grandmother, his wife, he asked her, "Honey, what was the name of that school I burned down?"  She told him the name, and he went on with what he was saying.  When he was finished with his unrelated story, we had to back him up to hear his not-a-big-deal story about burning down a little one-room schoolhouse where he was a student.  That's kind of the way JPM slipped in this story about a pancaked cat.

He was often frustrated with red tape and bureaucracy, but he always seems to have complied with it.  General Washington was not a fan of Congress' decisions regarding the recruitment of soldiers for the cause.  The delegates would only sign men for short, temporary stints, making discipline a constant problem.

Washington expressed his discontent many times.  He was constantly training new recruits in military etiquette and responsibility, and in December of 1776, he had finally had enough.  The commander-in-chief requested unprecedented authority.  He wanted to circumvent all political oversight; wrote Edward Lengel, "displacing Congress as the supreme arbiter of both military and civilian affairs within his army's zone of operations.  This man, who led and fought to be out from under the oppressive tyranny of England's crown, asked for unlimited power.  And on December 12, Congress gave him "full power to order and direct all things relative to the department, and to the operations of war" until such authority was revoked.

He insisted that he was not power hungry.  He was only backed up by acquaintances and friends because Washington had established such a high reputation for trustworthiness.  One such wrote to John Hancock, president of the Second Continental Congress, "...I can assure you that the General will not exceed his Powers altho' he may sacrifice the Cause.  There never was a man who might be more safely trusted nor a Time when there was a louder Call."

The general also wanted jurisdiction to prosecute and punish anyone who appeared "especially dangerous". Opines, Lengel in General George Washington, "Loosely interpreted, it could give Washington dominion over every man in America."  Just as in every generation, we often worry about our leaders piling up too much authority and power, turning into a dictator state.  It was exactly what the united colonies were trying to escape.

If wouldn't work with anyone lacking time-proven trust.  Oft times, leaders lust for power to the point that they will run over people to get it.  Once in hand, they abuse it.  That makes Washington's request and Congress' permission a dangerous precedence.  If Washington could have such authority, what keeps others from citing such as a reason to do the same?

This, too, has application in the fourth grade.  I don't normally assign roles for students when they work in their groups (We don't have time keepers, notetakers, etc.); I like to see natural leadership take shape instead. Sometimes that's a double-edged sword, but it's interesting to watch students test the waters of leadership and figure out how to bring others along with them, rather than leave others on the side of the river to perish.  There are these things to consider:
​

• How much can a person assert himself without pushing other people over the edge?  In other words, how does one "lead the sheep" without "driving the herd"?
• Does one person require a different leadership strategy from another person?  How does the leader manage such?
• A teacher must consider the same types of questions.  How much authority can a teacher give to a student without showing favoritism?
• A teacher must be cognizant of the authority granted to her in the classroom.  How much autonomy is a principal of other administrator willing to grant?
• Trust is something that must be earned over time.  True trust is not given until one is worthy of it.  Now do you get the meaning of the word?

May we all see to be accepted as being worthy of the trust of our peers, those in authority over us, and those who see us as adversaries!

Just when I thought I was through to the next level,
After making it to the DCI Airport safely with all of my luggage,
After successfully navigating through security,
After finding the correct terminal and gate a couple of hours early,

After landing early in the morning in OKC,
After being picked up and taken to my parents' house,
After a much needed and deserved shower,
I finally slept for two hours before driving four more hours to home.

The entire Mount Vernon experience officially came to a close,
With memories quite fresh and ideas flooding my mind,
With so much to talk about and so many photographs to look at,
With four professional development sessions to prevent, twice, over the next two days,
And just a few days before the beginning of a new school year,
Where Mount Vernon would play a central role.

What a return adventure!

The first round of 2018/9 NWEA testing is complete (for all but three students), and the results are in.  For the most part, the results for our class are positive.

The NWEA test class is expected to be a predictor of our state standardized test (Of course, this is difficult to say with any accuracy, this year, since we still have NO results from last year's state testing.)

In general, we will be looking for as many students as possible to score above 200 in Language and Reading and above 210 for Math.  With a little effort, perseverance, and desire, most of our class will succeed in scoring proficient in this year's Missouri Assessment Program (MAP).

Every teacher has had students who enjoy leaving the classroom regularly to take an added restroom break.

Every teacher has student who repeatedly request to see the school nurse.

Every teacher has faced the dilemma of establishing a restroom policy or trying to stave the issue of students leaving class during the school day.

After all, our job is to teach...and we can't do that as well when the student is not in the room.

I understand.

We take regular restroom breaks throughout the day, and when students take advantage of those times, it certainly helps with the problem.

But as they say, "When ya gotta go, ya gotta go."  I know what you mean, kid.  I try to hold it in, too, but sometimes we just need to use the restroom.

The teacher's note in the picture above certainly reflects the frustration that all teachers have with these chronic needs, excuses, and plots, but this teacher's approach is unnecessary.  Many of us find it hard to believe that Mrs. White couldn't rectify the situation with a policy that would be more tolerant and compassionate.  How could she not predict that this would cause a moral and legal problem for her and her school.  It is outrageous.

At the beginning of my career, I tried to limit students to using the restroom only during those regular break times - every hour to 90 minutes during the school day.  It seemed reasonable to me that if a child, by fourth grade, can sleep through the night without the need to empty a bladder, then he should also be able to go about his day in similar fashion.  But as adults, we know there are other factors at play.  Sometimes, the need comes more sporadically and visits to the restroom simply do not stay on schedule.

A teacher must understand, especially since we are expected to stay on a restroom schedule, as well, not being allowed to leave students unattended for hours at a time, which means sometimes we have to suffer.  There's almost a whole chapter about this in the teacher manual.  Well, not really, but it sounds like there could be.

So the dilemma is this:  is there ever a time when children should be made to wait a reasonable time to visit the restroom during the academic process (I think other departures muddy the conversation.)?  Is there room for balance or compromise on the restroom issue?

We try to use our regular breaks to deter other needs, but they don't always work.  When I am in a lesson, directly teaching the class, I have to ask myself several questions:

• Is this child trying to avoid working?
• Has this child been paying attention to the lesson?
• Has this child been actively disrupting the lesson?
• Does this child ask to leave on a regular basis?
• Does this child ask to leave at the same time every day?
• How long must this child wait until the direct lesson is complete and students are working independently?

I would suggest that there should a reasonable amount of time that I can ask a child to wait without an accident occurring.  Ten minutes seems a reasonable wait.  If she can't wait ten minutes, she should learn to feel the need sooner.  We've all been there - for me, more times than I care to remember - when we wondered if we were going to make it, and those ten minutes can be agonizing.  I understand.  But I must weigh the disruption with the need.

And oh how I despise making that judgment.  I don't know how the child feels.  He's just come off of summer vacation, where he had ultimate bathroom freedoms.  He could go in that little room any time he wanted, day of night.  But now, he's in my class, placed on a tight schedule, and expected to sit there in the room without messing his pants.  How can I possibly make a judgment call of whether he is being honest with me or not.

So if a kid can't wait ten minutes, she needs to let me know it's urgent.  And basically, I just have to take her word for it.  But it can't happen a lot.  And it can't always be an emergency.  I shouldn't enable the child without attempting to train her to go when she can, and then - just maybe - she won't have to go when she shouldn't.

As an educator working under the rules of a school board, I understand the reasons for not being allowed to leave students unattended, but that's exactly what I do every time I allow a child in the hallway without my supervision.  Although it's probably not an extreme danger, there is always the possibility that child will get into something or someone will get to them while I am not watching.  So I attempt to discourage unscheduled breaks.  That doesn't mean I won't let them go.

I don't know Mrs. White, the teacher who made the note above, but she must have had enough.  She limited her students to two unscheduled breaks a month, but did she have to approach it in this way?  The bottom of her note even acknowledges that "Mrs. White is petty."  To that we must agree.

While I was at George Washington's Mount Vernon, I was privileged to visit the library.  There I gazed upon an actual letter from George Washington to Lieutenant Robert Dinwiddie on March 7, 1754, signed in his own hand.

The text of the letter can be found on the Mount Vernon website.  Can you tell what Washington was concerned about?  Specifically, what did he request for his upcoming mission?  Why?

Is it strange to think of George Washington fought in the British military?  How do you think he performed as he rose in the ranks?  What do you think his duties were?  The truth is, Washington was often impatient and impulsive.  He made some major mistakes...and learned from them!

Washington received his marching orders from Governor Robert Dinwiddie:

As a leader in the British army, George Washington, as mentioned above, was impetuous.  Sometimes, the young soldier and leader jumped in with both feet, without considering the consequences.  How often do we do the same thing, not thinking about our choices, but assuming that the first thoughts that came into our minds are the right ones?

Read the following, graphic account from Military History Now:

At this point, you may not know much about George Washington, but how do you think he would have reacted to the Half King's actions?  The same article goes on to explain that "The massacre would return to haunt Washington."

The French sent that signed document back to their homeland where it was used as propaganda against the British cause.

A copy of the Journal can be browsed on the Mount Vernon website.  I myself breathed on the title page, of the rare copy displayed in the pictures (right).  This is a special part of the document collection at Mount Vernon.

There is no less incredible account of the making of George Washington than his experiences in the following year.  In 1755, Washington soldiered on in the French and Indian War (in England known as the Seven Years War), now under the leadership of Major General Edward Braddock. 

Washington, now a colonel, became sick and chose to remain on the side of the trail for some time before rejoining the unit.  Once he did, British Forces were confronted by the enemy in what is now known by many names:  the Battle of Monongahela, Battle of the Wilderness, and the Battle of Braddock's Field.  This last title assigned due to the events of the day.

Mount Vernon has an excellent visual presentation in the Orientation Center that highlights this portion of George Washington's life and career.  The film is titled We Fight to be Free, and really encapsulates the portion of his life during the French and Indian War.

The film features reenacted scenes from the Battle of Monongahela, in which Colonel Washington must take over for the injured Braddock.  Washington leaps into a commanding role, in spite of the shots that ring out all around him.  Watch it and read Mount Vernon's account of the battle for yourself and be amazed at how close he came to being killed himself.

Major General Braddock died of his injuries four days after the battle.  He was carried from the battlefield in his own burgundy-colored sash, so colored to indicate his rank.  More explanation about the sash can be discovered in the video below.

Make a prediction about how long and how wide you think the sash is.  What justifications do you have for your predictions?

As indicated, the sash was given to George Washington when Braddock died.  Today it is in the Mount Vernon artifact collection.

Even later, when Washington posed for a portrait, he insisted on wearing the sash of his former commanding officer in tribute.  What do you notice about the portrait (left)?  What do you wonder?

What are some reasons he felt compelled to wear Braddock's sash for his portrait?  Are there items in your own possession that remind you of loved or respected ones who are no longer in your life?  If so, are those items special to you?  Why are they special?  Write about one, including a description of your reasons.

I have these strange, panoramic photos that I took at Mount Vernon, last month.  Some are more distorted than others, especially those of nearby objects.  For example the second picture, below, is a shot of the piazza, which is decidedly straight in reality.  The third picture is of Washington's library, which is decidedly round in real life.

Before we did tests on the actual minerals, our class took some time to appreciate the beauty of minerals from around the world.

Then we pulled out the real things - 12 minerals upon which we conducted tests to determine hardness, cleavage, color, streak color, texture, luster, smell, and light.  Students used vocabulary such as translucent, transparent, and opaque.  The room became a little loud with confusion, conversation, and engagement in this first real hands-on activity of the sort.

Within the last month, I've attended a graveside service for an eight-day-old baby, preached at a memorial service for an 88-year-old man, visited a 92-year-old woman fighting for her life at the hospital, and witnessed the wedding of a young cousin and his fiancé.  It was my privilege to present myself at each of these events, whether to provide service of support for the families involved.

Yesterday, it was also my pleasure to visit with students and teachers at Benton Elementary School in Neosho, Missouri.  Benton is the site of last week's tragic accident that cost a kindergarten her life when she was struck by a car.  The Joplin School District supported our neighbors in Neosho by providing lunch for the teachers and covering many of their extra duties on their first day back since Wednesday.

We're a couple of weeks into the school year, and I'm finally getting around to posting some photos of our first days.  One of the most important part to starting the year, this year, was the inclusion of improvisation games.  I chose a few of the games that focus on focus.  I wanted to stress the idea that there are times to take attention and times to give attention to someone else.