Great Expectations: Summer Travel Edition

I love to travel – it lights me up inside.  I love the journey.  I love the destination.  I love experiencing new adventures and finding comfort in familiar places.

I also love traveling because I learn so much about myself.

When we were in Myrtle Beach, I learned that despite all my focus on self-awareness, I still keep secrets from myself.

And expectations are my best-kept secrets from myself.

Unbeknownst to me, I expected to relax and play while we were at Myrtle Beach.

I (unexpectedly) expected everyone, especially the kids, would be happy.  In fact, I expected them to be so happy that they would spontaneously forget about their devices since they were so happy to be at the beach.

Clearly, these expectations were too great.  Yes, we had fun. 

Every time Thomas says he hates Myrtle Beach, I will show him this photo
so he remembers how much fun he really did have.

One of my most favorite days ever.

But the battle of getting ready to go to the beach and unplugging from devices, and the battle with food  - it wore me down a bit.

Maybe if I just lowered my expectations to ensuring everyone stayed hydrated I would have had a better time.

Ironically, the Oprah magazine that I brought with me had a piece by Brene Brown about vacations and expectations.  She talked about how she had zero expectations for her family trip to Disney World – or so she thought.  When she talked to her husband about how she was looking forward to reading and napping and having a magical time, she realized that she had some secret expectations.

I tried to remember these insights when our next adventure took me and the kids with my mom to New Jersey to visit family.

I thought I was doing pretty well when I expected a horrible 12 hour road trip, and they were fantastic. 

Road Trip Warriors.

I was also not sure what to expect from them in terms of their behavior as houseguests, but my manners boot camp seemed to pay off.

Look at them - sharing a chair and being all cozy.  I wonder how I can get them to
use their houseguest behavior in our own home.

What I didn’t expect was to be so damn tired.  I was with them almost every single moment since they required me to sleep with them in the same room.  It was super cozy, though.  How could it not, sharing a twin bed with an 8 year old and another child in the other twin right next to you.

Yes, I had my own bed in another room.  No, I didn't sleep in it.
Mom guilt is strong with these kids.

I was also caught off guard by the sharp twinge of nostalgia.  There is nothing quite like going to a place you went every summer as a kid and then share that experience with your own children.  I usually like to bask in the warmth of nostalgia, but this time I felt more sadness than fondness. 

I think being in a place that looks and feels just like it did when I was five highlighted the fact that I am The Caregiver now.  And as much as I love my role as The Caregiver to my children, I miss the safe feeling of knowing that someone else has the wheel.

Me and my brother - New Jersey circa 1981

Thomas and Marie - New Jersey 2014

I realized when we were in Myrtle Beach that traveling gave me a way to connect with my kids that is hard to due to the daily grind, but this road trip to New Jersey helped me to connect with myself in a way that I haven’t done in quite awhile.

Have you traveled this summer?  Did you have fun?  Did you learn anything new about yourself?

Circuit Math in Metro Detroit

As a teacher, I am passionate about learning.  So I was really excited to get an opportunity to check out Circuit Math with Marie.  The program is focused on the foundations of math and is individualized for each student with the goal to help kids in grades 3^rd – 9^th to make progress in math in fun, relevant ways.

The session starts with Marie finding her name tag. Maggie, Co-Founder of Circuit Math, took some time to get to know Marie by asking her about her interests.  I have to admit, when Marie learned she was going to have to do math at this outing, she was not happy.  But when Maggie showed her in a very casual way how math is used in swim, I saw Marie’s eyes light up. This was a first, since she usually has a negative attitude about anything concerning math. 

After Maggie and Marie chatted, Marie then signed in and went to the first station.  Here she sat at a laptop and completed the initial evaluation called a COW (Competency of the Week). I love that they do not use the word a test or a quiz since that can make students nervous.  The COW evaluated her skills in very specific areas, such as multiplying by 0.  She needed a little work in this area, so she did an interactive virtual workshop with polls to keep her engaged.

All of this color-coded information (green for pass, yellow or red indicating they need to work on this area) was available to her via her dashboard.  She then had access to the playlist of activities (not called tasks or assignments which is awesome) and practiced her skills.

After twenty minutes at station one, she moved to the circuit part of the session where she could apply what she learned in real-life situations.  She chose the restaurant station.  Ms. Katie played the waitress (although another student will play this part).  Marie got to order whatever she wanted and practiced her multiplication and adding.

She then moved on to the sports circuit where she played darts and beanbag toss and practiced adding numbers up in different ways.  There is also a basketball circuit and a golf circuit to practice measurement and average.  I love this concept, especially for people who learn best when they are in motion.

At the end, since Marie mastered her skills, she received a COW.  Students can choose to use their COWS to get a small prize, like a pencil or stickers.  Students can also choose to save their cows for a bigger prize, like a ball or fun duct tape.

None of the prizes are candy because they value active lifestyle and do not want students on a sugar high.  I love this concept!

Although I didn’t spend a lot of time in the middle school room, I loved that the students designed it themselves.  They even participated in a project that helped them to figure how much paint they needed to paint the floor and work within a budget.  Having taught junior high, I know how easy it is to let homework become a wedge in the parent/child relationship. At Math Circuit, the teachers can help students with math and alleviate the frustrations that come with helping with homework.

So what do parents do while they are waiting for their kids?  They wait here and enjoy complimentary coffee and water.  And since it is an open floor plan, they can watch their kids, too.

Places like Math Circuit need to exist especially in regards to Common Core Standards (which the certified teachers are aware of and make sure the foundational skills and real-life applications compliment these standards).  Also, Math Circuit teachers have the time and resources to individualize the education experience whether a student needs extra help, more challenges, or additional practice.

If you are interested in learning more about Circuit Math, be sure to check out their website.  They have morning sessions available during the summer and will have afternoon sessions once school starts.

How do you get your kids excited about math?

*I was compensated to write this promoted post, but all of the opinions are my own.