Reflection 1One person's mistake is another one's stepping stone.Even in a crowd, one can be quite alone.One team's win is another team's loss.One person's aide is another person's boss.One person's strength is another person's weakness.All the horses can't win in the Preakness.One person's tall is another person's short.One neighbor's snow bank is another youth's fort.We live in a world of opposites.Contradictions abound in our composites.We are some and we are many.We are none and we can be any.

Be content with who you are'Cause our one sun is just someone's else's star.

Communitas EST“One candle in the

midst of a circle represents the gift

each one of us brings to others in a circle of support – a

circle of friends”

The theme of this issue is on Reflections as well as a recognition of three leaders who helped pave the way for the ability of individuals with disabilities to live empowered lives with greater interdependence in their communities. Much of the content from this newsletter can also be found among my blog entries: http://www2.ccsu.edu/faculty/PancsofarE?p=1

Ernie PancsofarCentral Connecticut State University

VOLUME 11, No. 4 – Winter, 2017

Pat Beeman • George G. Ducharme: Co-Directors

Happiness to me is to find that pathThat speaks to each of us - it could even be Math.But, it could also be reading about historyOr painting, or music or exploring a mystery.Individualize the way each person can learn.Be creative and help each student yearnFor what no one else may want to seek.Each student is a wonder - each student is unique.How do we get there? When can we seeThat learning should be joyful for you and for me?

All students you seeShould have their very own IEP!My own Individualized Ernie PlanCould lay out my dream and goals that I canBe supported to achieve and growAs only I can know.School is not about memorizing facts.School is a place to have fun and relaxAnd learn to find what we need to shareWith others - our gifts - so that we dareTo expand ourselves in a separate, unique way;No two students have the same needs each day.

Reflection 2

Thank you for taking the time to review my

reflections in this newsletter.

Communitas EST– Volume11,No. 4– Winter,2017Page2

Burton, Gunnar and Bob

Has anybody here, seen my good friend Burton?Can you tell me where he’s gone?He helped us see a lot of people as our equals in this life.He went into institutions and told us of their strife.He saw people sitting naked living in great filth.Because of these situations, he said we share some guilt.So close down these awful places!Look for community spaces.He said we must expose this great mess;So with photos and words went to press About individuals who were living in purgatory. -But each one had a storyAnd their legacyResulted in advocacyBy many people who, like Burton, sawThe need for their protection under the law.

Has anybody here, seen my good friend Gunnar?Can you tell me where he’s gone?With Rosemary often by his side,He travelled locally and also worldwideTo spread the news about the worth of us all;Especially those whose voices would callOut in frustration because of their label.To Gunnar everyone should be ableTo fight for their right to be free and be heard.Empowerment he thought should be a wordThat defined their ability to speak their mind.He was a giant of men, a one-of-a-kind.The People First movement will miss his presence.He was goodness down to its bare essence.(continued on the next page)

Gunnar Dybwad

Burton Blatt

Reflection 3What you learn may not be as important as why you learn.What you say may not be as important as having your say.What you aspire to may not be as important as that you do aspire to something.What you earn may not be as important as that you yearn.What you do may not be as important as for whom you do it.Who you know may not be as important as who knows you.Where you go today may not be as important as why you go there.To be is just as important as to do.

Communitas EST– Volume11,No.4 – Winter,2017Page3

Has anybody here, seen my good friend Bob?Can you tell me where he’s gone?He was gentle in manner, but forceful with pen.He wrote about risk in the lives of women and menWho were protected some say for their very own good,But Bob saw it differently from the places where he stoodAnd in order to live a life full of qualityThe community must be a sought for localityWhere people experience both joys and strifeIn order to live a more meaningful life.Bob was a friend to many in needIn the jails and prisons he would leadCircles of friends to fight for the rightsOf people there whose trials and plightsMight be forgotten in a faulty legal gameTo meet with others who felt the sameAnd they never gave up - - - no matter how long -Bob is missed – but his legacy lives on.

Who will pick up the mantle?Who will fight the next battle?Their lives will not be in vainIf each of us take up the reinFrom where we are right nowTo carry on their work somehowAs we commit ourselves to the jobLeft to us by Burton, Gunnar and Bob.

Reflection 4When is the time to do what's right?How do I know what's in my sightIs worth my effort, my direction and focus?Who lets me know? Where is my locusof control - influence - guidance and pullTo let me know when my dream is fullOf wonder, at any age, for me to seeWhat's looming right straight in front of me?Usually, our paths take us from there to hereAnd all that we need is standing quite nearFor what to do next. What plan does existFor our energies to flow and even persistIn what we next need to do and say.This pause was a welcome one as I continue my day.

Bob Perske

Communitas EST– Volume11,No.4 – Winter,2017Page4

Reflection 5Who gets to decide what is most important to know?Who can predict in what direction you should grow?What facts will go in and out of vogue?What do we do with the rogueStudents who have a different need?Is it your job to help sow the seedTo explore more of what might interest them?But, it's not on the agenda - Ahem -Isn't the process of learning what is most important;Asking questions and to be a proponentOf searching and wondering and spreading your wingsAnd learning about many wonderful thingsThat aren't in the curriculum - What can we do?I search for some answers and I wish I just knewWhat to tell the future teachers in front of me.You can make the difference in the students that you see.Do what you're told some of the timeBut, let your students find their own rhymes.

Reflection 7Sometimes, I wonder

if I’ve given you enoughResources that emerge

from my piles and piles of stuff.

Then I realize that there’s always more that I could give

About the ways to teach and help the students learn to live

And use their strengths and gifts and talents more

And help them with their struggles so that they can explore

And meet their daily challenges from what our teaching brings

To help them find their rightful place within the scheme of things.

Reflection 6What's it going to take to survive?In 50 years I won't be aliveBut loved ones will still exist.It's for them that we must insistThat growth begins with an inward journeyWhich can't be measured by fame or money.Breathing in and breathing out-That's what life should be all about.Nothing more - Nothing lessGet us out of the killing stressThat rules most of us by night and day.Don't we have anything to sayOr do that can turn this earthAround so that each new birthOf boys and girls will have a peaceful placeNo matter their country - no matter their race?It's hard to know just what to do.It's hard to know how to be true;To live a life of meaningAnd not of leaningToward destruction, but to build anew.It starts with me. It starts with you.

Communitas EST– Volume11,No.4– Winter,2017Page5

(continued on p. 6)

The High Stakes Tests are Gonna Fall

Oh, where have you been, my walking man?Oh, where have you been, out walking the land?

I’ve walked in my home state – yes, from the Northeast;10 miles at a time in the rain and the heat.I’ve been in the country and I’ve been in many a town.My steps take me up and they also bring me down.I’ve stepped on the sidewalk and I’ve stepped in the street.I’ve walked alone and with many people I meet. Each day’s a new dawn with the friends that I make. Their spirit is with me every step that I take.

And I’ll walk, yes I’ll walk, yes I’ll walk - - - for us allFor the High Stakes Tests - - - are Gonna Fall.

Oh, what did you see, my walking man?Oh, what did you see, out walking the land?

I saw young and old and black and white.I saw love and honor in the day and the night.I saw signs and posters after walking many miles.I saw hope on their faces and was met with huge smiles.I saw defiance and grit and not backing down.That’s what I saw as I went town by town.

And I’ll walk, yes I’ll walk, yes I’ll walk - - - for us allFor the High Stakes Tests - - - are Gonna Fall.

Oh, what did you hear, my walking man?Oh, what did you hear, out walking the land?

I heard teachers & students & parents all pleading,Get rid of those TESTS – our hearts are a’bleeding!I heard shouts of anguish and long drawn out sighing.I heard heart-wrenching screams amid all the crying.I heard laughter from the people who make all their moneyOff the backs of the students who don’t think it’s that funny.I heard critics who say we all can do better.I heard from hundreds of parents who sent me their letters.

And I’ll walk, yes I’ll walk, yes I’ll walk - - - for us allFor the High Stakes Tests - - - are Gonna Fall.

Communitas EST– Volume11,No.4– Winter,2017Page6

Oh, who did you meet, my walking man?Oh, who did you meet, out walking the land?

I met the eyes of the students in all types of schools.I met our next senators – the future makers of new rules.I met parents who just want what’s right and what’s just.They all are behind me – Washington DC or bust!I met people who offered me food and a drink.I met people who wanted to hear what I think.I met hard working people who will not give up hope.I met love & faith – two great ways we can cope.

And I’ll walk, yes I’ll walk, yes I’ll walk - - - for us allFor the High Stakes Tests - - - are Gonna Fall.

Oh, what will you do now, my walking man?Oh, what will you do now, out walking the land?

I’ll talk to all people who know things are not right.I’ll share all the stories and help them shed some light.I’ll work with our teachers for better ways to assess.I’ll help make real plans to get us out of this mess.I’ll dedicate my life to the students I meetIn the literacy center – when they come once a week.I’ll never back down from the high stakes test liesFrom the people who deceive and pull the wool over our eyes.

And I’ll walk, yes I’ll walk, yes I’ll walk - - - for us allFor the High Stakes Tests - - - are Gonna Fall.

This poem has its roots in Dylan’s A Hard Rain’s A GonnaFall. My colleague and friend, Jesse Turner, walked from Connecticut to Washington DC on two occasions to protest the harm done to children by the high-stakes assessment culture that pervades our schools. I applaud Jesse’s dedication and advocacy on behalf of all children.

Communitas EST– Volume11,No.4– Winter,2017Page7

I don’t know how you think things wentFrom your own point of view - - -I just know I enjoyed my timeLearning and teaching with you.The summer is a time to reflect now & thenAnd see how things are going - - -Thank you for being part of that time andTo keep my learning growing.Every time I teach this courseIt keeps on getting betterBecause I meet people like you - - -The readers of this letter.

We are more alike than we are different.We use our strengths and skills.We meet ourselves at different levels -Our hearts, our minds and our wills.

I teach so I can hear myself think -I once heard a wise man say.Thank you for being part of that timeAs we met along the way . . .

Reflection 9

In order to get better at what you do,Discomfort and doubt will follow youInto each experience – into each classAnd into every job in which you pass.

If you are feeling a little unease,Welcome to the club, but pleaseDon’t give up – go with the flow;You’ll be surprised at what you know.There are supports available hereTo help make the muddy much more clear.Already, the unexpected happened to meSomeone brought me a cup of coffee!So, bear with me as I plod on anewAnd before you know it, after a fewweeks go by – you’ll see the lightAs we meet once again on a Monday night.

Reflection 10

Some days when I get writers' blockIt takes a little while to try and unlockSome wisdom that in my mind will hideBehind an invisible wall on either sideOf a brain that is just now waking upAnd coffee steams up from my daily cupTo quicken my pace and think anewAbout what to write and what to doThis fine day in the month of September.Quite some time ago I seem to rememberThe birth of a daughter on this very dayAnd this is an important time to sayJust put the words down as thoughts emergeAnd words on your paper will soon surgeAnd eventually your lines will rhymeAnd fondly look back on this very timeWhen a writer's block formed in your mindAnd you wrote a poem of one-of-a-kind.

To advance forwardTo be better than we were beforeThat was the purpose of these five weeksTo build up from a solid core . . .Of values, strategies andTo meet people of inspirationSo we can find that inner voiceThat leads to our celebration . . .And we move onMaybe never to meet again - - -But, your presenceWill not be forgotten – when . . .

I plan the agendaFor each future lessonI will remember this groupFrom this past summer session.

Reflection 8

Communitas EST– Volume11,No.4– Winter,2017Page8

Reflection 11

Mistakes will come and mistakes will goBut lasting learning comes real slow.But stay with me as I journey onThere are many more verses to my song.You were part of verse 103Thanks for coming along with me.

Maybe we’ll hook up againIn verse 1,210.Every day builds on the last.Every day is a little of the past.

There is no answer for everyoneThe search for truth is never done.We are all somewhere on our personal journeyCrossing my path, you just met Ernie.

We’re each writing our own personal bookAbout our life and how we look …At our values and truths every day.

Reflection 12Am I just where I need to beWriting in my blog at four thirty-three?My inner voice says, "Yes, stay here.All you need is quite near.Why get up and take that walk.Get a glass of water and talkTo yourself, you've got 10 minutes to spareRelax and breathe and become more awareOf the peaceful sound of the portable fanAnd write about nothing - you canTake a few more minutes then you'll knowIt's time to go - - - “On With the Show!”

In Search of the Perfect LessonI once visited a kiln in Maine and a potter was describing his passion for his craft. If I remember correctly, he said, “I am seeking to make the perfect plate. I never have nor probably never will … but I have come close a few times.” What keeps me going as I teach the same course for 20+ years? Why do I never tire of editing and refining what and how I teach certain concepts? Why do I continually enjoy reading student input on what I have produced for their review? I think I am seeking the perfect “Session 3.” I hope to never get there because I thoroughly enjoy my attempts to get there. There is a line from a song by The Nields. When your dream come true, you’re out one dream! Dreaming is what is important, not acquiring that dream. Another song enters my mind that I believe was sung by Bette Midler, Is That All There Is? All of these rambling thoughts come together. I hear a voice, “Stay on your journey, Ernie! There is no end in sight. There never was and there never will be. An end is an illusion. The reality is right now - - as I write these words. Mindfulness is both the process and the product. Living a good life is experiencing a good life.” It’s funny. The sound of my inner voice doesn’t age - - - it just grows wiser.

Communitas EST– Volume11,No.4– Winter,2017Page9

Reflection 13I have a list of things to do.It grows and grows to 42And I realize it doesn't really matterWhat I choose next but ratherThe act of paying attention to each specific oneWhether it ever really gets doneIs not the point - I have come to realize,But how I engage and synthesizeMy attitude and demeanor through each taskAnd when I'm through I get to askHow did this contribute to my overall well being?How am I getting closer to seeingTruths that all around me resideIn the little things that I take in strideAs part of my daily routine?A quality of life results when I cleanMy head of must do this - must do that,So I'll write some verse to find where I'm at!

Reflection 14What's the important stuff on which to dwell?What wisdom for my students can I tellWhat's important to impart today?What will my students take from what I have to say?What difference does it make?What worth will they takeFrom all that I knowAnd sift that down to showThem to be guides for learning howTo be respectful, kind, honest and true?That's what's important to know and do.Help each student find and shareTheir gifts for all so that their teacher can careEnough for each person to shineAnd discover how each one can be a one of a kind.

Please leave your worries at the doorOr drop them quietly on the floor.It’s time to focus on what really matters.As your thoughts and ideas begin to gather,Be mindful and engage in the lesson.Welcome to a brand new session.

A recommended greeting when

students enter the classroom.

Communitas EST– Volume11,No.4– Winter,2017Page10

Communitas EST– Volume11,No.4– Winter,2017Page11

My past is out of orderin a chronology of time.

The phases of these faceslead to my current rhyme.

Dylan captures this paradoxin Tangled up in Blue.

I’m shaped by my impressionsof this personal picture stew

My reflection of my twentiesis influenced by what I know

Of life when I was forty.It’s a blur as my age does grow.

Am I the sum of all my past;Is now all there is for me?

I think I remember – No, I just forgota part of what used to be.

Why Can’t School Be More Like Camp? During the summer months many school-age students are attending summer camps throughout the country. Memories from these summer traditions remain many years later often with fond positive feelings. Activities include swimming, crafts, horseback riding, various sports, theater, camp fire stories / singing, among many other experiences. I often wonder, “Why can’t school be more like camp?” There are some – certainly not enough – schools with an arts enhanced curriculum. STEM has evolved into STEAM with positive feedback from many articles that cross my desk. “Learning should be fun!” to quote from Albert Cullum, a teacher whose philosophy and life work was captured in the documentary,A Touch of Greatness, one of the most memorable such films I have viewed. How one engages in the learning process is equally important, in my opinion, than what one actually learns. What one learns is subject to change over time and our “learning years” never end. Developing a love of learning supersedes an accumulation of minutia of information / facts.

Communitas EST– Volume11,No.4– Winter,2017Page12

You are at the beginningI am near the endOf a career of being a teacherThis message to you I send.

Welcome all the challengesYou’ll meet with every day.Welcome all the hearts & mindsThe students bring your way.

Welcome all their strugglesTheir joys and happiness.Welcome all their questionsTheir sadness and their bliss.

Welcome to the strengthsEach student brings to you.Welcome to their challengesAnd each weakness too.

Welcome to my classroomEach and everyoneI’m pleased to be your learning guideNow let’s have some fun!

Reflection 15

Many thanks for reading my reflections and other content

in this newsletter.

What Are You Getting Into?• One of the best jobs in which to influence the direction students take in their lives;• A career in which your creative powers will be challenged;• A line of work that makes you a better person;• A chance to practice over and over again and hope you never get it exactly right;• An opportunity to self-reflect on your own values and beliefs;• A network of peers who help each other become better at what they do;• An exciting job in which no two days are ever alike;• Working on teams in which people bring their collective wisdom to improve

the lives of students;• A challenging atmosphere to do what's right - - - not what's easiest;• A profession in which reinforcement might come 10 years later from a student

who tells you just how much you have influences his/her life.

Direct all inquiries regarding the content of this edition of Communitas EST to

Communitas, Inc.P.O. Box 358

Manchester, CT 06045860-512-2789

communitasest@cox.net