Why There’s Ice Cream in My Coffee

(This is an updated version of a post that appeared on a previous blog of mine “Beyond Four Walls” in June 2013.)

Defining moments . . .you never quite know when they will occur.  Curiously enough, one of mine occurred in the middle of an interview.

Having recently been laid off, I was packing my room when I received the call from another district principal with an offer to join a new, experimental high school program.  I jumped at the chance, hopeful this meant that I didn’t have to start a job search.

I knew nothing about the program other than it was based on a new type of school in the UK.  I showed up for the interview more curious than anything.  I found myself sitting on a kid-sized chair in a vacated elementary classroom conference-calling with some British teens.  This wasn’t your average interview team.  They asked some standard questions, but others were completely unexpected.  “If I could have any super power, what would I choose?” ” What made me cool?”  And then, finally, “What was my favorite kind of ice cream?”

Most of these questions required a thoughtful pause, but when it comes to ice cream I don’t have to think twice about my favorite.

“Eddy’s French Silk,” I blurted.

The two directors looked puzzled. Apparently, they’d never heard of this flavor. Clarifying questions were asked and I waxed eloquent about the cappuccino flavor, the chocolate chunks and the low fat goodness that is French Silk.

“It’s great by itself, but especially in coffee,” I heard myself saying.  I could hear my students whispering “TMI” in my ear.  I made a mental note to watch the over-sharing.

If they had looked puzzled before, now their eyebrows hit the roof.  The interview paused and we had what I can only assume was the world’s first international discussion about  the plausibility of ice cream in coffee.

I’ve never outlived that comment.  Years later, as I sit on interview panels, facilitate trainings or meet new team members the fact that I love ice cream in my coffee is still mentioned.  I’ve come to realize that the reason people still joke about it is that besides being an interesting fact, it’s a great snapshot of who I am

I am an ice-cream-in-my-coffee kind of person.  

How does this ice-cream-in-my-coffee-ness manifest itself?  As Elizabeth Barrett Browning would say, “Oh let me count the ways.”

This strange descriptor makes sense of my current situation both personally and professionally.  Looking at my demographic information a person might reason that they know me pretty well.  They might think that they understand a lot about a 30-year-old, white, female teacher with a husband, two kids and a dog.  And for awhile they probably would guess spot on.  But, every so often, one finds ice cream in my coffee.

You’ll find that . . .

. . .I grew up in inner city Detroit . . .on purpose.  That is to say, my parents were not trying to flee.  They intentionally moved and intentionally stayed with the goal of improving things.  In turn, I moved back after college, bought a house and started a family in the city that makes headlines for all the wrong reasons.

. . .there’s a back woods side to this city girl, stemming from a love of nature grown into me during summers in the Mississippi woods, programs at a local nature center and lots of family camping trips.

. . .although I’m a part of the majority in America, I’m more comfortable being a minority and highly sensitive to injustice, prejudice and my own white privilege.  This strange circumstance developed, I suppose, from going to school with mostly African-Americans, growing up in a largely Arab Muslim neighborhood and going to church in Detroit’s “Mexican-town.”  The closest description of my experience can be found in the term “third culture kid” (minus the airplanes). Needless to say, I had a strange experience of culture shock when I arrived to MSU as a freshman.

. . .I’ve been driven toward a career as an educator for years, yet I was thrilled to get married at nineteen and I’ve taken a more supportive role in my current organization since the recent birth of my children.  This is partially based on my belief that parents are the most influential teachers of their children in the long run.  As I work from home, I enjoy the ability to impact my two toddlers toward a lifetime love of learning, exploration and critical thinking.

. . .I’m a teacher, yet I don’t have a classroom and I don’t teach classes.  I don’t give homework or tests or assignments or grades. . .at least not in the traditional sense.  I don’t have a dress code or bell schedule or even the same students every day.  Instead I create teen-friendly learning experiences based on state standards and get to work one-on-one with students through them.

Yeah . . .there’s quite a bit of ice cream floating in my coffee.  And as you can probably guess, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I am especially thankful for the organization that welcomes these quirks of my. W-A-Y is actually an ice-cream-in-my-coffee kind of organization so I suppose that makes sense.  Based firmly in a constructivist, project-based learning pedagogy, it’s great to work with people who practice what they preach. Our team of educators, administrators, technicians and programers engage in a constructivist approach to curriculum design, instruction, feedback and evaluation themselves.  The process is ever-changing, ever-improving, and while that can be a bit unsettling at times, it has pushed us all higher.  (Take 5 minutes to watch what I do and why I love it here.)

I am increasingly aware of the changes in thinking this freedom at W-A-Y has afforded me.  I am excited by the innovation and problem-solving that has been added to my own teaching.  The melding of authentic relationships, real-world experiences and rigorous academics is, I’m happy to say, my comfort zone.  I am confident in my own ability to reach any kid with any information, something I didn’t feel in a traditional classroom.

I am excited about what new challenges await me as I pursue my MATC at MSU.  I hope to be  inspired to build a teaching practice that increasingly pushes my students beyond the four walls of a classroom and into a life of learning.  I hope you find inspiration, too.

Thanks for stopping by!     -Anna