Whitworth--a University with Soul!

Whitworth University is a University with a soul—they know who they are and what they want to be. Their President, Bill Robinson (or “B-Rob” to the students) says in his book, Leading from the Middle, Whitworth was endowed “with a fierce embrace of both Christian conviction and intellectual curiosity;” this ‘rare alchemy of conviction and curiosity’ left him the task of transforming ‘the way Whitworth College thought about itself, its mission and its potential.’ Because of this clarity of vision by the President and his efforts, the University has an almost palpable sense of its value!

The School of Education (SOE) has a Conceptual Framework that is the foundation of the School. They are [to be] Scholars, Community Members, Effective Practitioners, Visionary Leaders, and Guardians. The students are screened upon entry into the program, at the end of the initial ‘block’ set of courses and prior to student teaching and included or excluded at each of those times from the teacher education program. Each student must demonstrate their fulfillment of the Conceptual Framework as well as maintaining a 3.0 GPA, -so they know they’re good!!! Competence and confidence in equal measures! (After each class, there were 2 students that stayed after class to fill me in on ‘the way things are here.’) The students want everything to be clear so they can do their very best at all times. I was told that the students expect to make ‘A’s’—no slackers. So teaching is both complicated and simplified by the dialogue regarding my expectations and theirs.

I learned to take long lunches in the SOE faculty lounge just to chat with whoever was there or passing through. I felt like a sponge, soaking up everything I could. The informal communications were indicative of the high level of decision-making and leadership development that guaranteed continuous improvement. They discussed their Accreditation reports and feedback from students; they discussed their areas of expertise: Gifted & Talented, Autism, Adult Learners. (The one critique I will share with them is their overdone work-ethic! I had to tell one Director that there was no law to prevent him from eating while sitting down!)

From Mom's Pastor Steve's Blog...

AND SPEAKING OF LOOKING FORWARD.....I'm hoping that a dear friend of mine will be sitting in the pews at our Killam Worship service this coming Sunday. Michal Rosenburger, originally from Wimberley Texas but temporarily from Spokane Washington, has decided that she will make the drive from Camrose this weekend, weather and time schedules permitting, to meet my own and our Killam church family. Michal is one of Barbara Christenson's (lovely) daughters and, along with her sister Trisha Verdal, is someone whom I've often found visiting her mom and her brother Ben at the Louise Jensen Centre in Camrose. Michal is a professor at Concordia University, on sabbatical in Spokane, and has spent a lifetime "teaching teachers how to teach!" Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday, Micky....and maybe even picking up some pointers on improving my preaching....! :-)

Spring Break Part I !

Tomorrow I fly to Canada to visit my Mother and Brother Benjamin in Camrose, Alberta where they are being well cared-for at the Louise Jensen Care Center. I'll have to introduce myself to my Mother ('me mum') every day, but Benjamin is anxiously awaiting my arrival. Though he is losing mobility with an impaired leg, his mind is active and he keeps his music library organized and well-played. Most of his thousands of CD's and all of his records are in a storage unit, so we will 'go shopping' there to exchange some CD's for his Wagner collection and bring some of his beloved records to his room. I will visit the church in Killam where Mom's favorite Pastor Steve will be preaching on Sunday.

Grandparent's Day at Waldorf

So, Tim asks, “What did the Grandparents and Special Friends do while they were visiting today?”
“They just clapped whenever we did something,” says Sarah Rosenberger!
And we did,--we clapped and clapped! We clapped when they spelled! We clapped when they danced! And we even clapped when they did math!
The "Grandparents and Special Friends" were as spellbound as the students when their teacher, Karol White, told a story about the Dragon capturing Misty Minus. After the story, they took their bags of gemstones and grouped the stones according to the events of the story! The stones were grouped by tens in fancy bags so the students could show how many ‘gems’ the characters added or lost as the dragon carried them away. (Now, both of Sarah’s grandmas are teachers, so although we knew that the story was the ‘anticipatory set’ for the base ten math lesson, never had we seen students having so much fun learning subtraction!) We could not imagine a more dramatic math lesson! Even learning to count by 6’s (multiplication tables to the rest of the world) was done with circles and stars.

My favorite part of the entire morning, however, was when the class recited and signed the Rune of St. Patrick:
“At Tara today in this fateful hour
I place all Heaven with its power,
And the sun with its brightness,
And the snow with its whiteness,
And fire with all the strength it hath,
And lightning with its rapid wrath,
And the winds with their swiftness along their path,
And the sea with its deepness,And the rocks with their steepness,
And the earth with its starkness
All these I place,By God’s almighty help and grace,
Between myself and the powers of darkness.”

All the Grandparents and Special Friends enjoyed the enthusiasm and energy displayed by the students throughout the morning of this special day and were even more pleased to know that even though it was a special event for us, it was a typical school day for the students of Whidbey Island's Waldorf School.
So, yes, Sarah, we clapped, but know that even though we were applauding the students’ skills, knowledge and interactions, it is the entire team of teachers that we applaud!http://www.wiws.org/

Oh, No! SNOW!!!

Oh, well. So much for Spring! Its been snowing hard all day and any attempts to shovel walks are negated by fresh snow. So put down that snow shovel and lets build a snowman, why don't we???
I broke the news to my students that I'll be on Mt. St. Helens while they're demonstrating their accumulated wisdom of our Democracy, Leadership and Schooling class that I'm teaching here at Whitworth. They are relaxing more with me, so we're having more fun! They are so diligent, compliant and hard-working that it seems whatever needs to be done gets done with no complaints! I'm getting spoiled!
I still can't figure out how much of the culture here is related to the NorthWest, the selection process of Whitworth or Presbyterian vs. Lutheran issues. Though I suspect that folk here in Spokane have become a community because they have a common enemy: The Weather!!!

Whitworth University, Spokane Washington

You may see this beautiful campus for yourself at www.whitworth.edu
Of course it has been covered with snow since I arrived, but the rain and warmer weather is aiding the melting process, and the students, faculty and staff are ready for it to go!!!

I saw a student last week in her sweatshirt, shorts, and flip-flops (!) kicking at a melting pile! "Oh, for a camera," I said, "to send this to Texas!" " I'm from California," she replied! They'd enjoy it as well!"

That's another part of the 'magic' around here! People don't take themselves too seriously--their work, yes, but themselves, No!

There's a sense of quality and authenticity that's almost palpable. The students know the standards are high and strive to meet them. But they have expectations of their professors and will let you know when their expectations aren't met, as well. They feel free to speak up, to hold themselves and others accountable. This healthy learning environment seems to be modeled, not taught.

The students tell me that they are heard! When they object to a flawed assignment or a faculty candidate, the administration responds! No wonder they feel empowered! They create leaders every day!

A Fine Weekend!

What a weekend! A glorious massage, Bobby McFerrin and about a dozen other jazz greats at the U of Idaho Jazz Festival, delicious meals prepared by Chef Larry and quality time with my wonderful sister, Trisha Verdal. I made them watch my now favorite movie: August Rush! All about a young man in an orphange who finds his parents through music! It was a fine complement to the night before where hundreds of young people were in the Kibbie Dome having spent the day playing and singing and celebrating their own kind of music! Music really has a way of bringing all of us together!