Dear Giant Corporate Competitors,

I had a 30 minute telephone conversation with a prospective client today, and at it's conclusion this parent made a comment that was something of a revelation to me.  "I'm looking forward to starting.  Just talking to you has made me feel so much better.  It wasn't like this after talking to *Big Name Company*.  Thank you."

I suddenly realized that it's not my ridiculously low prices that make parents decide to come to my tiny little business.  The majority of parents are going to do what it takes to get help their child, and if that means paying $50/hr, so be it.  It's not the advertising we do or our semi-successful attempts at looking like professionals, either.  Parents trust the recommendations of friends and teachers over fancy fliers and color coordinated furniture sets.  It can't be our experience or academic knowledge that does it, although we have plenty of both.  I know you have the budget to hire as many qualified teachers as you can get your hands on.  There is one thing, and one thing alone, that makes us stand out from the crowd.

When parents call to us, they are treated as one-of-a-kind rather than one-in-a-million.  When I answer my phone, I am 100% focused on what they need and how I can help them get it.  I listen to their situations, and I validate their emotions.  They hang up knowing that their fears and frustrations have been heard and that they have a new ally in the fight to overcome them.   In short, I give my concerned parents the same personalized attention that I plan on giving their kids.

It is amazing how immediately parents respond to this.  Our entire relationship is built on the foundation laid in that first interaction.  From that point on, my parents know that I am going to do my best for their children.  They know they can trust me to treat their children with respect and understanding.  This relationship of trust means that I can raise the level of expectation.  Even when I'm asking them to make difficult changes or try challenging new things, my families trust me.  They know that my praise is honest and my concerns are legitimate.  We all work harder for each other and my kids progress faster as a result.

I am grateful for your business-oriented environments and your factory model approach to teaching because it makes my little company look even better by comparison.  I would have to work much harder to stand out if the rest of you were to realize that parents aren't looking for more of the same old thing.  They need something different, and thanks to you, I'm one of the few providing it.

Some day, Escuela del Sol will be a household name.  And on that day, I will remember the phone conversation I had today, and I will continue to make every single family feel as if they are my only clients. 

Sincerely,
Sol

More Goals...

Work Goal #2 - Productivity
Baseline - I enjoy being at Escuela del Sol and doing business related things, but I waste a lot of time there. I get distracted by personal things: doing my nails, watching TV, or knitting.
Goal - I will create a work schedule and limit myself to work related activities during work times.
Sub-goal A – I will stick to the following work schedule: M – 12 - 8 pm, T – 8 am - 7:30 pm, W – 12 - 8 pm, Th – 12 - 8 pm, F – 12 - 5 pm
Sub-goal B - I will refrain from FB, Netflix, and Twitter during work hours except for my official breaks.
Sub-goal C - I will take a one hour break each day from 12:30 to 1:30 pm, during which I can entertain myself however I like.

Health Goal #1 - Exercise
Baseline – I currently do a few laps with the dogs a couple times a week, as well as rarely using the elliptical and occasionally doing some stretches. Exercise happens randomly based on my motivation, schedule, and awareness.
Goal – I will create a regular exercise routine.
Sub-goal A – I will complete at least 5 laps with the dogs at least 3 times a week.
Sub-goal B – I will walk on the elliptical instead of sitting on the couch for the first 30 minutes of reading or TV watching time each day.
Sub-goal C – I will do 10 push-ups and 30 sit-ups each day.

Health Goal #2 - Diet
Baseline – Although I enjoy healthy foods such as fruits and veggies, I eat way too much of everything, especially carbohydrates and fried foods. I currently weigh [mssg redacted] lbs.
Goal – I will reduce my weight to [mssg redacted] lbs.
Sub-goal A – I will record my weight and caloric intake at least 6 days of each week.
Sub-goal B – I will limit my caloric intake to 1,400 cal/day.
Sub-goal C – I will refrain from buying chips and candy as snacks when shopping.

To Do

Things I have to get done this week:

- finish online traffic school
- finish final exam for Curriculum Eval course
- write Escuela del Sol introduction letter
- update EdS flier
- gather names/addresses of psychologists, counselors, principals, etc in district
- make 2 scarves - one red/blue, one pink/purple
- finish grading
- work on planning for last 10 weeks of school
- sweep/mop all floors in house

Hmm. School is back in session now. I guess the rest will have to wait until June? Let's hope not.

Oh! I get it!

I have this one dream that always seems to pop up during times of stress. I am in a classroom or school of some kind, responsible for a large number of students, and none of them will listen to me. Often I am late for something important, missing vital materials necessary for instruction, or just simply unable to manage behaviors. This dream usually ends with me completely losing my cool in a way that would get my ass fired in a real life situation, causing me to wake up in a cold sweat. I have always interpreted these dreams as manifestations of my inner fears.
"I won't know what to do."
"They won't like me."
"I won't do a good job."
"I won't be able to control my temper."

This morning I awoke from the same dream (unusual for this early in a vacation - typically it rears its ugly head a day or two before I go back to work) with a completely different take on the dream. It started out as the same old thing. I had a class I didn't know. I was hazy on the rules of the school I was in. There was something scheduled that I didn't know about. I couldn't get my kids to follow simple directions. It was chaos and no one was learning anything. My first waking thought:
"I can't teach in this setting."

OH. Well. For the first time ever, I woke from that dream knowing exactly how I could fix the situation. And the best part is - I am already well on my way to doing so. It felt good to realize that (at least in this particular version of the dream) the fault wasn't with ME, but instead with the SYSTEM. It was a very clear statement of what I have been feeling for some time. I am not able to do the work I was meant to do in the environment in which I am currently working.

Don't get me wrong. I am doing good. My students make progress. That progress is even comparable to the progress made by other students in other classes. The problem is this: I KNOW I could be helping students more. I KNOW I have the ability to get them further (or is it farther? I always have trouble with these two) than I am currently doing. I KNOW that I have a gift for reaching troubled, struggling children. And I KNOW that I am meant to do more than doggy-paddle my way through the muck of the public school system in its current incarnation, barely keeping my heart above water and struggling every day with the same decision. Do I do what I know is expected of me according to the rules of this environment so that I can keep my job, my health insurance, and my limited ability to influence the future? Or do I do what I know is necessary for the healthy development of this group of children so they can be the best they can be? This is NOT a decision I should have to be making. I should not have to be compromising between the two.

Since opening Escuela del Sol, I have only become more aware of the division. I can barely get through each 7 hour day at school. I am exhausted when the bell rings at the end of each day (and often a good 30 minutes before that!). It would be easy to say that this is because of the new routine, the new school, the challenging students, the details of teaching, but in reality those are the things I usually thrive on. They are why I love teaching. In truth, I am exhausted from fighting a constant battle in my brain between what I have to do and what I want to do. I know that this because I can leave school, exhausted, at 4:00, spend the next 3 hours working with struggling students at Escuela, and head home feeing rejuvenated. I feel the physical exhaustion that comes from working a 12 hour day, but the emotional exhaustion has melted away.

So, waking up from my regular stress dream with the thought, "I can't work in this setting." is a big switch from waking up to the thought, "I can't do this." I have been pushing pretty hard this year, but it is all with one thought in mind. By the year 2010 (probably sooner) I will have developed Escuela del Sol to the point where I can leave the public school environment that is so stifling me and focus on what I was put here to do - connecting with students and helping them reach their full potential. Or, as the Escuela del Sol logo promises, "Helping Kids Shine". I suffer no delusions that all stress dreams will vanish at that point. I'm a little too high strung for that luxury. But at least I will know that I am in a setting where I can reach MY potential. And isn't that the point?

*My cousin Raya's most recent blog post touches on this same topic from her perspective as a mom. Her comment regarding rules to understand the rules hits it right on the head. Go check it out.

Bookkeeping

I don't hate bookkeeping itself. The practice of recording and balancing actually appeals to my anal-retentive, obsessive-compulsive side. But trying to catch up on 3 months of back logs is the pits. My partner is great about documenting things, but her notes are often written in her own special code that I cannot decipher on my own. Since my brain is like a sieve, I don't remember what was happening a month or more ago. Which means I have spent the last 3 hours sorting through invoices, attendance logs, and payment receipts trying to figure out if we billed the correct number of hours and if the payments received covered the bills. Add on top of that the incredible number of illness related absences we've had lately (which we credit if given enough notice) and this has all been one big super puzzle. I will enjoy it much more when I am tutoring full time and have the ability to keep my bookkeeping current.

Is Anyone Here?

I bet you thought I was gone for good this time. But I'm not. It's just that with my full-time school job and my part-time tutoring job I don't have much time left over for anything else: breathing, sleeping, blogging...

So, what am I up to these days?

1. Teaching - I'm having a great year, albeit a busy one. I have 30 students, each with their own abilities, challenges, and personality quirks. Despite my certainty on the first day that I was never going to get comfortable, I am actually getting to know them pretty well. They are a very helpful, sweet, TALKATIVE group. Some days it's hard for me to get a word in edgewise! There is no hope of getting them to stop. I can only hope that they will learn to focus and direct their conversation a little. As usual, the day to day workings of fifth grade keep me hopping. I am also part of the Student Success Team (extra support for struggling students) and the Caught Building Character (we rode scooters at our Friday Flag Salute last week!) program. Oh! And I am the library liaison for my grade level. I am getting to know the members of my team, and I get the feeling that we're going to work well together (lots of different personalities, all fun).

2. Tutoring - I am pleased to be able to say that we are starting the month of October with enough clients to pay the rent each month. Woohoo! I currently work 3 hours and my partner is working a bunch more. We are covering a wide range of ages (7 - 12 years old) and topics (reading, writing, math, study skills). We're having a lot of fun, and I am looking forward to business picking up enough for me to revisit my need for other employment. :)

3. Dieting - The doctor put me on a low-carb diet in an effort to control my cholesterol. Turns out I might be part of a small percentage of the human population who can eat all the cholesterol they want as long as I keep the carbs down. Just another of the fun genetic twists I inherited! I am doing better on this diet than I thought I would. If you know me, you know that I am a total Carb Queen. Mike has been working hard to keep me fed with interesting low-carb foods (he's a great cook!) and I have been exercising a great amount of restraint. There are 2 things about this diet that are helping me keep on track. First, I have very few cravings. If I smell something really great like french fries or toast, it's a struggle, but for the most part I don't really feel a NEED for carbs. Secondly, I have lost nearly 10 pounds. In the past, I have busted my butt, dieting and exercising like a maniac, without losing a pound. This time, the pounds are just melting off me. Not only have I lost the weight, but I can actually SEE the difference. My stomach, which has been distinctly un-flat since the kidney transplant, is on its way to my pre-college days. Fun!

Okay. There is lots more to tell you, but I'm not sure what it is. I will try to come back again soon. But I wouldn't recommend holding your breath. :)

it's the little things that give me away

If you were to sit and have lunch with me today we would probably talk at length about the two exciting things that are soon occuring in my life: starting a new school year at a new school, opening a new business. I would seem calm and confident, exuding enthusiasm for both projects equally. You would later tell someone how impressed you are with my ability to take on such challenges and still remain so relaxed and energetic.

That is because I wouldn't mention how hard it is for me to fall asleep these days. Or how I look for any excuse to keep sleeping in the morning. I won't tell you how much hair I find in the drain after a shower in the morning. You wouldn't notice how I avoid moving my right arm too often or too quickly due to that pain that just won't go away.

I am very excited about my new classroom. I can't wait to meet my new team and my new students. I am thrilled that I am making an attempt at a dream I have had for some time. I am just as enthusiastic as I seem, but I am in no way as confident as I look. I am terrified by both of these new things, and it's the little things that give me away.

Escuela update

We are a business in everything but actual work now. We have our location (accessible on the 15th), we have our name, license, tax ID, and bank account. Everything is ready for us to actually get started. Now we just need to...get started. Some upcoming goals...
Aug. 20 - Flyers ready to go out to schools (want them out there by the 23rd so we hit back to school night!)
Sept. 5 - Open House (need to have our sign, brochures, sign up paperwork, materials and environment all set by then)

Yikes!

Yikes!

It's done. We signed the lease papers for Escuela del Sol today. We get to pick up the keys on Aug. 15th and we will hopefully be doing business by Sept. 1.

I own a business.

Hehe.