No school tomorrow. Code A- the worst it can be. Meaning even the teachers don't have to come in.
As much as I like to make fun of these Southern winters, it is probably a good move. The one plow I did see on the roads didn't seem to really know what to do and there's still a ton of ice and slush everywhere... apparently it will be turning to black ice overnight because it's supposed to get cold later on.
Even so, the forecast for tomorrow is mostly sunny and a high of 46. It makes me giggle. I'll take the day off without complaints though.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Winter Wonderland or the Apocolypse?
The view of the back parking lot of my apartment complex, as seen from my bedroom window.
My embarrassing Twitter update from Thursday night (visible in the right sidebar of the blog) and the one after it should tip you off on the fact that it has snowed here in Charlotte. Yes, it has snowed in North Carolina. A lot of people in my corps hail from the deep southern states- Texas, Florida, Georgia- and seem as giddy as some of my kids at the idea of snow.
I was not quite as giddy. There's a reason people move to the south, and usually it's to escape the mornings where news anchors excitedly report that the windchill will be above 0 degrees. "No need to start your car an hour before you have to leave for work!" they exclaim. "No need to wear tights and leggings underneath your pants!"
While these optimistic, shining-star college grads are gleefully clapping your hands and sending pictures to their friends and family at home, the rest of Charlotte exhibits quite a different emotion. Panic.
I know I've poked a lot of fun at the North Carolina concept of winter weather, but the way people react to snow, or even the possibility of snow (no matter how unlikely), still surprises me. A big reason is that there aren't actually that many people in Charlotte that are natives (side note: is it Charlottians? Charlottens? Charlotters? I'll have to find that out). Most of the people I've met down here have moved here from the miserable winters of Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Albany. Half the people from my school are from Buffalo. We're the ones that remain unfazed by the frantic forecasts, wondering whether real meteorologists will ever move to the south. The only we're really worried about is how to drive home with the white-knuckled drivers that can't seem to grasp how to drive with a quarter of a centimeter of rapidly melting flurries. Or the frenzied shoppers in Harris Teeter, buying enough bread and eggs to survive in an underground bunker for six weeks.
It's even funnier when you talk to these people, the ones who complain about "the coldest winter they've seen in years," temperatures dipping as low as 33 (in the middle of the night). I told some parents that my family was from Buffalo and they backed away, hands in the air, eyes steady but scared, as if they might catch frostbite or pneumonia just from being too close to me. "Buffalo?" they ask, stepping away slowly. "That's nice..." Then they turn and run for the parking lot, screeching off to the Food Lion for more groceries.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Funny Little Anecdote
I started DRA testing my kids today for Teach For America's midyear data requirement. My little ESL kid from Russia has been doing really well, especially for only speaking English for about 13 months. He was going for a picture walk in his book today, telling me what he saw as I pored over the rubric, checking things off in my head. Amidst his very literal interpretations in his cute little accent, he said,
"Blank pieces of paper."
Because, hello, he had gotten to the end of the book where there were no more pictures. I looked up confused and saw this little smirk on his face while he looked at the back cover. Clearly, he was very pleased with himself. I won't lie, I was pretty pleased with him too. Funny little kid.
"Blank pieces of paper."
Because, hello, he had gotten to the end of the book where there were no more pictures. I looked up confused and saw this little smirk on his face while he looked at the back cover. Clearly, he was very pleased with himself. I won't lie, I was pretty pleased with him too. Funny little kid.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Love Languages
My roommate mentioned this to me a while ago, probably on one of our frequent trips to Target and Original Pancake House. There are five different "languages of love" (as cheesy as that sounds), at least according to this guy Gary Chapman, and people generally prefer to communicate and/or be communicated to in one of these five languages. It's nothing groundbreaking- most people who take these things probably aren't very surprised by the results. But it's still kind of fun to take the quiz and see where you land.
That quiz is set up to tell you how you like your significant other to show love. My highest was words of affirmation. Or, rather, I like to be worshiped. And in first typing that word it got the red underline, meaning I've been spelling it incorrectly for about 20 years. Damn you Microsoft Word auto-correct. It's the reason I couldn't spell embarrassed until I got to college. That's an entirely separate post, though. Got a little sidetracked. Anyway, quality time and physical touch ranked pretty highly for me too. I guess I'm not so much the kind of person who wants to receive gifts or be the recipient of acts of service. (By the way, see how I've bolded them to make it clear what the five languages of love are? High five to me for strategic formatting.)
I think it's interesting to look at it from the other side though- how you yourself show it- because it's not always the same. A corny post, I know, but I still think it's kind of cool.
*This is really just a sneaky way of telling all my fans to keep complimenting me via Facebook. Thanks.
That quiz is set up to tell you how you like your significant other to show love. My highest was words of affirmation. Or, rather, I like to be worshiped. And in first typing that word it got the red underline, meaning I've been spelling it incorrectly for about 20 years. Damn you Microsoft Word auto-correct. It's the reason I couldn't spell embarrassed until I got to college. That's an entirely separate post, though. Got a little sidetracked. Anyway, quality time and physical touch ranked pretty highly for me too. I guess I'm not so much the kind of person who wants to receive gifts or be the recipient of acts of service. (By the way, see how I've bolded them to make it clear what the five languages of love are? High five to me for strategic formatting.)
I think it's interesting to look at it from the other side though- how you yourself show it- because it's not always the same. A corny post, I know, but I still think it's kind of cool.
*This is really just a sneaky way of telling all my fans to keep complimenting me via Facebook. Thanks.
Monday, January 25, 2010
There's Always Something
Today was one of the most glorious days ever conceived of in the brain of humans- a teacher workday. There's a different vibe in the school on those days, mainly due to the fact that there are no kiddies in there and that the teachers are noticeably happier. Something about being able to laminate and staple things all day really puts us in the mood to work. Anyway, we all waltz in with our jeans and crew neck sweatshirts (or maybe that's just me) and get to work on the to-do list we've created for the day. Usually, this to-do list begins with something like "Finish math plans for the week" and ends with something like "Rebuild the Presidential Palace in Haiti." So, inevitably, by the end of your day, no matter how much you have done (I mean you could have graded a five foot stack of papers, reorganized your classroom library, and laminated every piece of paper in your room), you STILL would not have finished all the tasks you set out to do.
If teaching (and life) has taught me anything, it's that there's always something. There's always something you didn't do that you could have done, always something you did that you shouldn't have done. There are mistakes. There are character flaws. There are things you want to change but don't have the time to. Don't have the energy to. There are days when you want to do more- when you should do more- but you can't. And just as often, there are days when we finally feel happy for what we've accomplished, only to wish that it had been just a little more. Just that little extra inch. We're left thinking, "If only...", dreaming about how it could be better, forgetting that it already is pretty good.
It can be really tempting to fall into that trap of forgetting to be grateful for the things you have right in front of you, the blessings you hold in your hands. It's easy to look ahead to tomorrow and want something different than what you already have. I'm not really one to tell people, "Just be happy with what you've got!" because I think ambition and drive are things that are really important. Not only are they important, but they're natural. It's natural to evolve, to improve, to step forward. But at the same time, I think no matter what- no matter how much we believe that that ONE thing is the only thing between us and contentment- there will always be something. And once that something is gone, it will be something else. It's that elusive "something" that keeps us from being thankful or happy or just done. And that's the same whether you're a teacher, a lover, a friend, or a person (or all of the above).
For tonight, I'm throwing out all those "somethings" and trying to be happy with the surprisingly productive day that I had. I mean, come on- I even managed to get in a blog post.
If teaching (and life) has taught me anything, it's that there's always something. There's always something you didn't do that you could have done, always something you did that you shouldn't have done. There are mistakes. There are character flaws. There are things you want to change but don't have the time to. Don't have the energy to. There are days when you want to do more- when you should do more- but you can't. And just as often, there are days when we finally feel happy for what we've accomplished, only to wish that it had been just a little more. Just that little extra inch. We're left thinking, "If only...", dreaming about how it could be better, forgetting that it already is pretty good.
It can be really tempting to fall into that trap of forgetting to be grateful for the things you have right in front of you, the blessings you hold in your hands. It's easy to look ahead to tomorrow and want something different than what you already have. I'm not really one to tell people, "Just be happy with what you've got!" because I think ambition and drive are things that are really important. Not only are they important, but they're natural. It's natural to evolve, to improve, to step forward. But at the same time, I think no matter what- no matter how much we believe that that ONE thing is the only thing between us and contentment- there will always be something. And once that something is gone, it will be something else. It's that elusive "something" that keeps us from being thankful or happy or just done. And that's the same whether you're a teacher, a lover, a friend, or a person (or all of the above).
For tonight, I'm throwing out all those "somethings" and trying to be happy with the surprisingly productive day that I had. I mean, come on- I even managed to get in a blog post.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
"Just Let the Love Love Love Begin"
A cheery little gem I found while listening to Pandora and emptying the dishwasher on this lovely little Sunday morning. I guess I'm feeling love? Enjoy :)
Saturday, January 23, 2010
How the First Year of Teaching is like Pigeon Pose in Yoga
They both suck.
Okay, I'll be a little bit more specific and articulate. I thought about this while in pigeon today during yoga, one of my methods of coping with my hatred for this pose. In case you didn't know what pigeon is, see below (I chose this for the randomness of an Asian lady in legwarmers doing yoga in her house and posting pictures on the internet).
1) They both suck (this must be said). When you think about them in theory, these two seem like a good idea. I know some of you are looking at the picture thinking "Come on! I love that stretch!" in the same way a lot of people think of teaching- "Come on! It's just hanging out with a bunch of kids all day!" But in reality, it plays out differently. Much differently. After a minute and a half of pigeon (or teaching), you begin to think "Alright, this is starting to get kind of hard. Can I get out of it already?" And then when you're still doing it five minutes later, it becomes pure torture.
2) They get easier with time. Bullet number one is talking more about the FIRST time you teach or the FIRST time you do pigeon. Admittedly, it does get less difficult as you become accustomed to it. Or maybe you just get better at tuning out the difficulties.
3) Just when you think they're easier, they're not. It sucks again. In teaching, just as you think it's getting better, you realize there's something more you can do. There are more resources, more testing, more laminating, more everything. In pigeon, just as you think it's getting better, your yoga instructor comes by and rips your hip out of its socket, making it feel like every tendon in your body is going to snap like a cut rubber band.
4) The pain is somehow rewarding. No matter how much I want to snipe down my instructor after shoving my body further into the personal hell that pigeon is, I come out of it (very, very slowly I might add) and feel better. Even though seconds before I was ready to scream "NOOOOO", my body (for some reason) thanks me after. For teaching, as much as you complain and cry and wish the work would end, there are always those moments (usually in the calm of a three day weekend or after the rare "good day") where you appreciate all the miserable work you put into it.
Okay, I'll be a little bit more specific and articulate. I thought about this while in pigeon today during yoga, one of my methods of coping with my hatred for this pose. In case you didn't know what pigeon is, see below (I chose this for the randomness of an Asian lady in legwarmers doing yoga in her house and posting pictures on the internet).
1) They both suck (this must be said). When you think about them in theory, these two seem like a good idea. I know some of you are looking at the picture thinking "Come on! I love that stretch!" in the same way a lot of people think of teaching- "Come on! It's just hanging out with a bunch of kids all day!" But in reality, it plays out differently. Much differently. After a minute and a half of pigeon (or teaching), you begin to think "Alright, this is starting to get kind of hard. Can I get out of it already?" And then when you're still doing it five minutes later, it becomes pure torture.
2) They get easier with time. Bullet number one is talking more about the FIRST time you teach or the FIRST time you do pigeon. Admittedly, it does get less difficult as you become accustomed to it. Or maybe you just get better at tuning out the difficulties.
3) Just when you think they're easier, they're not. It sucks again. In teaching, just as you think it's getting better, you realize there's something more you can do. There are more resources, more testing, more laminating, more everything. In pigeon, just as you think it's getting better, your yoga instructor comes by and rips your hip out of its socket, making it feel like every tendon in your body is going to snap like a cut rubber band.
4) The pain is somehow rewarding. No matter how much I want to snipe down my instructor after shoving my body further into the personal hell that pigeon is, I come out of it (very, very slowly I might add) and feel better. Even though seconds before I was ready to scream "NOOOOO", my body (for some reason) thanks me after. For teaching, as much as you complain and cry and wish the work would end, there are always those moments (usually in the calm of a three day weekend or after the rare "good day") where you appreciate all the miserable work you put into it.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The Most Amusing Part of Teaching
My note to Miss fiorillo
Dear Miss fiorillo i love you so much. and you are the best teacher ever. some times you yell but your still sweet. and one more thing can i please please be the Bag holder. and when is it summer. and i want to give you a hug.
...Awesome.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The New Mrs. Coach
As my numerous fans and readers probably know, I blog about my family pretty frequently. I do so assuming that the people following me are familiar with their subtle personality quirks and weird behaviors and, because of that familiarity, can fully enjoy my random stories and reflections. After all, my drunk Nana is not someone you can give full justice with a few carefully chosen anecdotes (just ask my boyfriend).
That being said, most people have probably noticed that my beautiful older sister has recently gotten engaged. I have known since November but have been forbidden to talk, Facebook, Tweet, or blog about it... until now. So with that, here it goes.
Kristin has long been the butt of jokes in my family. She makes it easy, really. Not knowing that they spoke Italian in Rome, trying to mail a package on the Fourth of July... I mean, come on. I remember in high school my dad equated all of us to country songs- Jon was Brad Paisley's "I'm Gonna Miss Her", I was "Whiskey Girl". Kristin was Sara Evans "Suds in the Bucket."
Little did we know...
She met Ryan in July when he hired her as his assistant volleyball coach. Word on the street is that it was between her and some tiny Asian man (and by word on the street I mean I made that part up in my head). Clearly, she was the more qualified/hotter choice. During the summer, Ryan asked my dad to make him a work out that would "get him a girlfriend." Apparently it worked. Maybe you should put that in your informational brochure, Dad.
I won't lie, I was quite skeptical. Maybe it's because they've known each other all of six months. I remember the day she called me to tell me her previous boyfriend broke up with her in a text message (let's hope Ryan's not so quick with his thumbs). I was picking up a side table for my apartment at IKEA. I have a weird memory like that- knowing exactly what I was wearing when I met someone, what song was playing when something happened, the time when I found something important out. Anyway, last night I was trying to fall asleep, thinking about how I would write this post, looking at my glowing phone on that same table I bought the day she was dumped about five months ago (sorry, no nice way to put it). And I thought- wow... so this is what Kristin feels like when she goes to bed with Ryan at night.
Okay, that was my one jab. I know what my sister's saying now- hah hah we haven't been dating for that long... HILARIOUS. And yes, I know she's getting a lot of flak from other people, behind her back if it's not to her face. But I think those people might change their minds if they knew what I know about Kristin.
"I could hold a microphone," she would probably reply. And then NBC would give her a lifetime contract.
Because of that, I believe that she could meet someone and have it just POOF- magically work out. Look at her- in June she was unemployed, single, and living in our basement, my dad building a chinchilla mansion in her closet to try to drive her out. Now? She's house-hunting with "the one," staying at bed and breakfasts where they randomly get asked to be promotional models and commercial actors (...but seriously, that happened).
The second part, at first, sounds like a diss. But hear me out. Coming from a self-proclaimed overthinker, I would give anything to be able to NOT think like Kristin. She doesn't worry. She just... lets it happen. Which is probably why she's so lucky. Nothing bad could happen because I don't think she even conceives bad thoughts in her mind. I wonder sometimes what it's like inside her head. I imagine it's kind of like a car commercial, with pretty scenery whizzing by and fast music playing. At times when I would be weighing pros and cons, she's doing S curves on an iceberg in a family-friendly SUV. Or playing "Row Row Row Your Boat" on the rumble strips of a straightaway somewhere in the desert.
The truth is, as easy as it is to be uncertain about it, I really have no choice but to be happy for her. I've never seen her this content, which is saying a lot for someone who can be amused by a rock for at least a day. I've seen her date a lot of different people, people I've really liked and people I've really hated. But she's never acted this way with any of them before- not with the wanna-be white boy rapper or that guy from Buffalo who wore the ugly old man sweater the first time I met him. In the end, that's something more profound than how many dating anniversaries you've had or the amount of time since you first met.
I do have one complaint- the fact that I haven't met Ryan. I think he's afraid of me. I could probably destroy his career if I gave him a bad review on my blog (I know the administration at the college they work at are huge fans), which must be why he sent me cupcakes on my birthday. Oh well. He can't hide forever... muahahah.
The other complaint I have is the fact that they are going to end up just like my mom and dad. Coach and Mrs. Coach, Jr. Ugh. That's just what I need, another pair of people fighting over who gets to blow the whistle at practice. On the bright side, I already have their wedding gift... bring on the matching his and hers windsuits.
Congratulations, you two. I hope I wasn't too hard on you. And I only hope it's the same happy ending for me and my table.
That being said, most people have probably noticed that my beautiful older sister has recently gotten engaged. I have known since November but have been forbidden to talk, Facebook, Tweet, or blog about it... until now. So with that, here it goes.
Kristin has long been the butt of jokes in my family. She makes it easy, really. Not knowing that they spoke Italian in Rome, trying to mail a package on the Fourth of July... I mean, come on. I remember in high school my dad equated all of us to country songs- Jon was Brad Paisley's "I'm Gonna Miss Her", I was "Whiskey Girl". Kristin was Sara Evans "Suds in the Bucket."
Little did we know...
She met Ryan in July when he hired her as his assistant volleyball coach. Word on the street is that it was between her and some tiny Asian man (and by word on the street I mean I made that part up in my head). Clearly, she was the more qualified/hotter choice. During the summer, Ryan asked my dad to make him a work out that would "get him a girlfriend." Apparently it worked. Maybe you should put that in your informational brochure, Dad.
I won't lie, I was quite skeptical. Maybe it's because they've known each other all of six months. I remember the day she called me to tell me her previous boyfriend broke up with her in a text message (let's hope Ryan's not so quick with his thumbs). I was picking up a side table for my apartment at IKEA. I have a weird memory like that- knowing exactly what I was wearing when I met someone, what song was playing when something happened, the time when I found something important out. Anyway, last night I was trying to fall asleep, thinking about how I would write this post, looking at my glowing phone on that same table I bought the day she was dumped about five months ago (sorry, no nice way to put it). And I thought- wow... so this is what Kristin feels like when she goes to bed with Ryan at night.
Okay, that was my one jab. I know what my sister's saying now- hah hah we haven't been dating for that long... HILARIOUS. And yes, I know she's getting a lot of flak from other people, behind her back if it's not to her face. But I think those people might change their minds if they knew what I know about Kristin.
- She's really, really lucky.
- She doesn't think.
"I could hold a microphone," she would probably reply. And then NBC would give her a lifetime contract.
Because of that, I believe that she could meet someone and have it just POOF- magically work out. Look at her- in June she was unemployed, single, and living in our basement, my dad building a chinchilla mansion in her closet to try to drive her out. Now? She's house-hunting with "the one," staying at bed and breakfasts where they randomly get asked to be promotional models and commercial actors (...but seriously, that happened).
The second part, at first, sounds like a diss. But hear me out. Coming from a self-proclaimed overthinker, I would give anything to be able to NOT think like Kristin. She doesn't worry. She just... lets it happen. Which is probably why she's so lucky. Nothing bad could happen because I don't think she even conceives bad thoughts in her mind. I wonder sometimes what it's like inside her head. I imagine it's kind of like a car commercial, with pretty scenery whizzing by and fast music playing. At times when I would be weighing pros and cons, she's doing S curves on an iceberg in a family-friendly SUV. Or playing "Row Row Row Your Boat" on the rumble strips of a straightaway somewhere in the desert.
The truth is, as easy as it is to be uncertain about it, I really have no choice but to be happy for her. I've never seen her this content, which is saying a lot for someone who can be amused by a rock for at least a day. I've seen her date a lot of different people, people I've really liked and people I've really hated. But she's never acted this way with any of them before- not with the wanna-be white boy rapper or that guy from Buffalo who wore the ugly old man sweater the first time I met him. In the end, that's something more profound than how many dating anniversaries you've had or the amount of time since you first met.
I do have one complaint- the fact that I haven't met Ryan. I think he's afraid of me. I could probably destroy his career if I gave him a bad review on my blog (I know the administration at the college they work at are huge fans), which must be why he sent me cupcakes on my birthday. Oh well. He can't hide forever... muahahah.
The other complaint I have is the fact that they are going to end up just like my mom and dad. Coach and Mrs. Coach, Jr. Ugh. That's just what I need, another pair of people fighting over who gets to blow the whistle at practice. On the bright side, I already have their wedding gift... bring on the matching his and hers windsuits.
Congratulations, you two. I hope I wasn't too hard on you. And I only hope it's the same happy ending for me and my table.
Apparently Someone REALLY Didn't Like the Fluency Station
Security breach in my school via a boulder through my classroom window. Okay, maybe it wasn't a BOULDER. Thankfully nothing was missing or vandalized, but we did have to do our practice lock down with a giant piece of plywood covering my window... Really safe feeling. It was probably just some bored kids wanting to do something stupid... unless, as my title suggests, one of my students is not loving the way I'm making the class develop reading fluency.
Too tired from the day (an unannounced observation in the midst of glass shards!) and 110 degree yoga to elaborate my opinion on the matter, though, so check back for it later.
Monday, January 18, 2010
My New Favorite Fruit
rIt would be an understatement to say I am obsessed. I got a new Blackberry last Tuesday, and since then have found little use for my outdated laptop (dying a slow death driven by its now-pathetic battery life and tendency to freeze only when I am Facebooking people I shouldn't be). I understand that I'm late in joining this craze, that people who have Blackberries are reading this thinking about how pathetic I am. And I am pathetic. It's funny when stupid things make you feel like your coolness factor has skyrocketed, when the only place it has moved is in your mind.
"Look at me," I think as I drive home from work. "I'm at a stoplight checking my e-mail. What are YOU doing? Changing the radio station? Hah, well I can get my OWN radio on Pandora. Wow, you're practically a caveman moving that tuning dial. I should take a picture of you on my 3.2 megapixel camera so I can upload it to my blog at the next stoplight and make fun of you to the whole world (or the 45 people that read my blog*)."
*Update number based on new hit counter in left toolbar that I am padding, another way to make myself appear cooler*
Keep in mind that I drive a 1998 Jeep Cherokee that is on the verge of dropping its transmission whenever I do a U-turn and makes a weird whistling noise only when the "heat" (aka stale, lukewarm air) is on Level 3 before 6 am. It has no overhead interior light, only a mangled space where my brother tore it out for his subwoofer wires (or something). I'm saying this to people in cars that are much nicer than mine, and I'm usually saying it out loud to myself. Clearly, not as cool as I picture myself to be in my mind.
Still, I think the connectivity is making me feel like a much more together person. It's an OCD person's dream- everything right their in a little pink silicone protector, and if I ever feel like I don't have everything... BOOP. Spreadsheet on the go to make a list of pros and cons to ease my stressed out mind.
When I first wanted to get one, my dad wasted no time in heckling me.
"What the **** do you need a Blackberry for? Are your kids gonna e-mail you during the weekend to ask you urgent questions? They can't even read. They don't even know how to use a computer. They can barely use the bathroom correctly."
Valid point, Dad. BUT what about when I really want Mom's banana bread recipe and I don't feel like getting off the couch to check my email? She can't operate T9 well enough to text it to me in any sort of readable fashion (she frequently texts me about how much she likes my "clog" and wonders how "lack" is doing). Point for Blackberry.
And what about when I'm playing Scattergories and we don't know whether horseradish is an actual vegetable? Point for Blackberry.
And what about when I lock my keys in my car at the gas station? I could be stuck watching the Ultimate Cage Fighting Championships on a TV from 1996... OR I could be looking up my yoga schedule online. BAM. Another point for Blackberry.
So there's my rave review for my new toy that is really not new at all. Not even a little bit. Arguably, it has made me LESS cool because of my obnoxious showiness of a pretty typical piece of technology. I've been sucked into a Blackberry haze, not talking to anyone unless the mode of communication is included in the huge bubble of functions granted to me by this glorious little electronic fruit. Oh well. If you don't understand, it's because you don't have one. Which means I'm cooler than you.
"Look at me," I think as I drive home from work. "I'm at a stoplight checking my e-mail. What are YOU doing? Changing the radio station? Hah, well I can get my OWN radio on Pandora. Wow, you're practically a caveman moving that tuning dial. I should take a picture of you on my 3.2 megapixel camera so I can upload it to my blog at the next stoplight and make fun of you to the whole world (or the 45 people that read my blog*)."
*Update number based on new hit counter in left toolbar that I am padding, another way to make myself appear cooler*
Keep in mind that I drive a 1998 Jeep Cherokee that is on the verge of dropping its transmission whenever I do a U-turn and makes a weird whistling noise only when the "heat" (aka stale, lukewarm air) is on Level 3 before 6 am. It has no overhead interior light, only a mangled space where my brother tore it out for his subwoofer wires (or something). I'm saying this to people in cars that are much nicer than mine, and I'm usually saying it out loud to myself. Clearly, not as cool as I picture myself to be in my mind.
Still, I think the connectivity is making me feel like a much more together person. It's an OCD person's dream- everything right their in a little pink silicone protector, and if I ever feel like I don't have everything... BOOP. Spreadsheet on the go to make a list of pros and cons to ease my stressed out mind.
When I first wanted to get one, my dad wasted no time in heckling me.
"What the **** do you need a Blackberry for? Are your kids gonna e-mail you during the weekend to ask you urgent questions? They can't even read. They don't even know how to use a computer. They can barely use the bathroom correctly."
Valid point, Dad. BUT what about when I really want Mom's banana bread recipe and I don't feel like getting off the couch to check my email? She can't operate T9 well enough to text it to me in any sort of readable fashion (she frequently texts me about how much she likes my "clog" and wonders how "lack" is doing). Point for Blackberry.
And what about when I'm playing Scattergories and we don't know whether horseradish is an actual vegetable? Point for Blackberry.
And what about when I lock my keys in my car at the gas station? I could be stuck watching the Ultimate Cage Fighting Championships on a TV from 1996... OR I could be looking up my yoga schedule online. BAM. Another point for Blackberry.
So there's my rave review for my new toy that is really not new at all. Not even a little bit. Arguably, it has made me LESS cool because of my obnoxious showiness of a pretty typical piece of technology. I've been sucked into a Blackberry haze, not talking to anyone unless the mode of communication is included in the huge bubble of functions granted to me by this glorious little electronic fruit. Oh well. If you don't understand, it's because you don't have one. Which means I'm cooler than you.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Wasted Space
Know the lyrics? Me too.
Listening to radio stations that tout themselves as "the best of the 80's, 90's, and today" always leaves me with the same scary question in my mind- how much room in my brain is occupied by lyrics to the Backstreet Boys and Madonna?
Thinking of all the useless information I keep filed away- birthdays, phone numbers, terrible jokes- gets me wondering how much more I could learn or know if I just purged it from my mind. Sure, I wouldn't be able to sing along with MMMBop on the rare occasions that it comes on in WalMart, but I might be able to be more knowledgeable on other, more pertinent things. I don't quite know what that would be, but there has to be something more pertinent than boy band lyrics. There has to be.
We all waste space somewhere in our lives. I think of the basement in my parents' house, of my sister's closet, of the minds of college boys on Sundays (another direct jab at my boyfriend and his friends... how many different kinds of sports percentages does one person need to know?). Perhaps it's time to get rid of those empty space-takers and start filling ourselves with more meaning.
It's funny how those cheesy pop lyrics bring up this same, rather deep thought every time I hear them. Maybe they do serve a purpose then- to get us to appreciate the things that DO matter, the things in our brains and basements that hold meaning and importance. Because if everything was important, maybe nothing would be (kind of stole that from The Incredibles... whoops!).
Just a thought.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Competition
Oh, it's on. My boyfriend has created a sports blog, sparking a bitter fight for the readers and fans from our small network of friends and acquaintances.
Maybe it's not quite that serious, or serious at all, but he puts me to shame with his ability to post pretty much any time of day (ah, the joys of college winter break). Plus he can add all sorts of cool pictures and videos. I don't think it's as feasible for me- after all, how would I get a picture of me having a self reflective epiphany doing a headstand in yoga? And who's missing out by NOT seeing that?
One thing I wanted to do more of this year was blogging, but I don't want it to become the boring rambling of a tired teacher. So I'm waiting until I have something both hilarious and insightful to share with the world. In the meantime, while you're waiting on pins and needles for my incredible musings, you can pass the time with http://jackdoessports.blogspot.com. Just remember- not everyone can be as good as me.
Maybe it's not quite that serious, or serious at all, but he puts me to shame with his ability to post pretty much any time of day (ah, the joys of college winter break). Plus he can add all sorts of cool pictures and videos. I don't think it's as feasible for me- after all, how would I get a picture of me having a self reflective epiphany doing a headstand in yoga? And who's missing out by NOT seeing that?
One thing I wanted to do more of this year was blogging, but I don't want it to become the boring rambling of a tired teacher. So I'm waiting until I have something both hilarious and insightful to share with the world. In the meantime, while you're waiting on pins and needles for my incredible musings, you can pass the time with http://jackdoessports.blogspot.com. Just remember- not everyone can be as good as me.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Blomit
AKA blog vomit. Occasionally I get on here and realize that my blog post looks more like someone cut and pasted random sections of the encyclopedia than a coherent idea. It happens, and today is one of those days. Try to keep up...
1) Arctic blast: on Wednesday, my principal came on the morning announcements and told the school that there was an urgent form being sent home that must be returned by the next day- the inclement weather form (basically, how kids are supposed to get home if school is let out early because of bad weather). Everyone was worried about the "arctic blast" coming through, bringing with it snow, sleet, and ice (or so they said). When I checked the weather, I remembered the warnings I'd gotten about the ridiculousness of the South when "bad" weather hits- high of 46, 30% chance of precipitation... at 4 pm. Makes me feel tough that I can scoff at all the news stories about how to survive the coming apocalypse.
2) Some funny moments of the week:
3) I'm purposely embedding this thought I had within a post because I realize how much it makes me sound like a crazy hippy-ish granola-y person. Anyway, I'm fully expecting flak from people for verbalizing what I thought of during yoga the other day. We were in Savasana, which is the part where you just get to lay there and think about nothing (the best part of my day). I was planning out what I was going to blog about when my instructor started talking about how we should be communicating with our bodies, asking ourselves what we need. I realized- what the hell? It's my one time to talk to myself and I talk about what I'm going to blog when I get home? I feel like everyone has all these modes of communication now that there is never a time when you are only thinking about communicating with yourself. Our journals have websites, our thoughts are linked by subject and date, our moods are updated and listed on a live feed. Maybe that's not everyone, maybe it's more the Twitter/Facebook/blogging freaks (like me), but I think we all do it more than we realize. We're more apt to share over hyperlinks and wall posts than to take any real time for self-reflection. I feel like self-reflection isn't exactly the coolest thing to admit to doing these days. But even if you believe in it (which I do), the fact that my self-reflection time is spent drafting blog entries is a little disturbing to me. The fact that I'm STILL blogging about it even after that realization is even more disturbing.
I'm justifying it by it by telling myself that people look to me for wisdom and things to quote in their profiles (so lying to myself). And maybe, on another level, we find things out about ourselves by the way we choose to talk to other people. How we want to be seen by those that know us well and those that don't know us that well can tell us a lot about our needs at the time. After all, part of being in our generation is about being connected and available. Time to yourself barely exists anymore because we spend that time creeping on everyone else. Maybe that's another New Years resolution to add to my ever-growing list.
1) Arctic blast: on Wednesday, my principal came on the morning announcements and told the school that there was an urgent form being sent home that must be returned by the next day- the inclement weather form (basically, how kids are supposed to get home if school is let out early because of bad weather). Everyone was worried about the "arctic blast" coming through, bringing with it snow, sleet, and ice (or so they said). When I checked the weather, I remembered the warnings I'd gotten about the ridiculousness of the South when "bad" weather hits- high of 46, 30% chance of precipitation... at 4 pm. Makes me feel tough that I can scoff at all the news stories about how to survive the coming apocalypse.
2) Some funny moments of the week:
- When one of my kids said "CAN YOU TELL TAYLOR SWIFT TO MOVE OVER?!" Yes, her name is Taylor and yes, her last name begins with an S, but no, her name is not Taylor Swift.
- We're working on surveys and graphs in math and the class got in a fight over whether I counted as a girl or not... "She's a LADY, people!"
- A six-year-old using Caucasian as an adjective to expand her sight word sentence. Every other kid in my class was scratching their head.
3) I'm purposely embedding this thought I had within a post because I realize how much it makes me sound like a crazy hippy-ish granola-y person. Anyway, I'm fully expecting flak from people for verbalizing what I thought of during yoga the other day. We were in Savasana, which is the part where you just get to lay there and think about nothing (the best part of my day). I was planning out what I was going to blog about when my instructor started talking about how we should be communicating with our bodies, asking ourselves what we need. I realized- what the hell? It's my one time to talk to myself and I talk about what I'm going to blog when I get home? I feel like everyone has all these modes of communication now that there is never a time when you are only thinking about communicating with yourself. Our journals have websites, our thoughts are linked by subject and date, our moods are updated and listed on a live feed. Maybe that's not everyone, maybe it's more the Twitter/Facebook/blogging freaks (like me), but I think we all do it more than we realize. We're more apt to share over hyperlinks and wall posts than to take any real time for self-reflection. I feel like self-reflection isn't exactly the coolest thing to admit to doing these days. But even if you believe in it (which I do), the fact that my self-reflection time is spent drafting blog entries is a little disturbing to me. The fact that I'm STILL blogging about it even after that realization is even more disturbing.
I'm justifying it by it by telling myself that people look to me for wisdom and things to quote in their profiles (so lying to myself). And maybe, on another level, we find things out about ourselves by the way we choose to talk to other people. How we want to be seen by those that know us well and those that don't know us that well can tell us a lot about our needs at the time. After all, part of being in our generation is about being connected and available. Time to yourself barely exists anymore because we spend that time creeping on everyone else. Maybe that's another New Years resolution to add to my ever-growing list.
Monday, January 4, 2010
First Day of School, Take 2
Except much, much better. Kids were calm today, almost kind of tired, but it was starting to wear off by the end of the day. I'm sure they'll be wired again tomorrow.
It's amazing how different I feel, even though I did NOTHING teaching-related over break. I did nothing life-related actually, because it seems like I'm returning from some horribly distant planet. Summing up my vacation in a few words is easy- Jack, family, cards, bacon. Notice that "yoga" and "working out" are not in there. That's probably why a slightly chubbier (five pounds to be exact) Miss Fiorillo was calmly escorting her class around school. I'm trying this thing where I talk quieter so they have to be quieter to hear me. The only problem is that I have to be saying something interesting at least 75% of the time or else they don't really care. Sometimes if they're really not paying attention I'll mix in some of those key words that make their eyes shoot back up at me- words like "sticker", "surprise", and "special treat." Usually I just mean I'll give them a high five or let them sit next to me at lunch, but they haven't caught on yet. Or maybe they really think I'm that cool...
Little kids amaze me in that way. The littlest things matter so much to them- things like a smile (I'm not saying that to be cheesy, I literally have had students look like they won the lottery after I smiled at them while addressing the whole class). Plus you can just tell them to do something and they do it. Clearly I'm not talking about basic directions here because that's a different story. But the moment you get a new student and you tell one of your kids to be a good friend and talk to the newbie (except I don't actually use the word newbie), they just bounce off without any reservations. A minute later and they're talking about Nintendo or trampolines or something and then before you know it they're inseparable, giggling and pinching each other in line. At that point you wonder why in the world you would ever want all your students to be friends in the first place.
Most adults don't think that way, probably because over the years we've become cynical about the idea of instant connections. It makes me change my mind, though, seeing them do that. It makes me want to befriend some stranger on the street, although the possibility of identity theft and swine flu still holds me back.
Just some random thoughts before bed. I'm sure I won't be quite so serene after tomorrow, when those cutie pies are whistling and farting and poking each other just like they did in 2009. Why can't first graders make New Years resolutions to do EXACTLY what their teacher tells them?
It's amazing how different I feel, even though I did NOTHING teaching-related over break. I did nothing life-related actually, because it seems like I'm returning from some horribly distant planet. Summing up my vacation in a few words is easy- Jack, family, cards, bacon. Notice that "yoga" and "working out" are not in there. That's probably why a slightly chubbier (five pounds to be exact) Miss Fiorillo was calmly escorting her class around school. I'm trying this thing where I talk quieter so they have to be quieter to hear me. The only problem is that I have to be saying something interesting at least 75% of the time or else they don't really care. Sometimes if they're really not paying attention I'll mix in some of those key words that make their eyes shoot back up at me- words like "sticker", "surprise", and "special treat." Usually I just mean I'll give them a high five or let them sit next to me at lunch, but they haven't caught on yet. Or maybe they really think I'm that cool...
Little kids amaze me in that way. The littlest things matter so much to them- things like a smile (I'm not saying that to be cheesy, I literally have had students look like they won the lottery after I smiled at them while addressing the whole class). Plus you can just tell them to do something and they do it. Clearly I'm not talking about basic directions here because that's a different story. But the moment you get a new student and you tell one of your kids to be a good friend and talk to the newbie (except I don't actually use the word newbie), they just bounce off without any reservations. A minute later and they're talking about Nintendo or trampolines or something and then before you know it they're inseparable, giggling and pinching each other in line. At that point you wonder why in the world you would ever want all your students to be friends in the first place.
Most adults don't think that way, probably because over the years we've become cynical about the idea of instant connections. It makes me change my mind, though, seeing them do that. It makes me want to befriend some stranger on the street, although the possibility of identity theft and swine flu still holds me back.
Just some random thoughts before bed. I'm sure I won't be quite so serene after tomorrow, when those cutie pies are whistling and farting and poking each other just like they did in 2009. Why can't first graders make New Years resolutions to do EXACTLY what their teacher tells them?
Sunday, January 3, 2010
A Really Cheesy Resolution
When my roommate got back from break, bubbly and well-rested, she shared with me her New Year's resolution. Part I was EXACTLY in line with part of mine- floss every day (I laughed for about ten minutes when she told me this). Part II was a cheesy and slightly hippy-ish thing to strive for. As much as I wanted to make fun of her for jumping off a Hallmark card to deliver her resolution, I have to say that it is one that makes sense for any person, whether you care to buy into its wholesome goodness or not.
Find happiness in every day.
Laugh about it a little bit, but then think about it. How often do you go through the day without acknowledging the million small things that are pretty great? I'm not going as far as to start a "Joy Journal" or anything like that, but I think the idea deserves a shot.
Today's happiness? She made homemade lasagna. Almost forgot to cook the noodles first (minor detail), but in the end it was still delicious. And I flossed after.
Find happiness in every day.
Laugh about it a little bit, but then think about it. How often do you go through the day without acknowledging the million small things that are pretty great? I'm not going as far as to start a "Joy Journal" or anything like that, but I think the idea deserves a shot.
Today's happiness? She made homemade lasagna. Almost forgot to cook the noodles first (minor detail), but in the end it was still delicious. And I flossed after.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
New Beginnings
I've never been big on New Years resolutions, probably because I tend to make them at the beginning of every week. This is more than likely the reason I got into TFA, with my "big goals" and psychotic habit of making lists for everything I do. I plan out workouts and meals, I prioritize my to-do lists, I block out my time. Naturally, I'm exhausted by the time my winter vacation comes along, and New Years is more important as a day of rest and recovery than as a day of creating new beginnings.
There is one resolution I make, one I make any time I set any goals or make any lists- floss more. I don't think there is any person on the planet that flosses enough. Ever. Even if you floss religiously, twice a day, I'm sure at yearly cleaning dentists still tell you, "You should probably floss more." And I hate flossing. It's always on my list because I hate it so much. Even my Teach for America BIG GOAL for my classroom had it in the fine print (Grow a year and a half in reading, master 80% of math objectives, floss every morning). I don't count it because I very rarely can stick to it for more than a week.
This year, though, thanks to the long car ride back from my Nana's Florida condo, I've had a lot of time to think about the kind of things I'd like to change in 2010. My change of heart has a lot to do with the big changes I've gone through this year and the new structure that life falls into after college. I've never had to make priorities or goals because they've always been made for me. I had schoolwork. I had volleyball workouts. When I wasn't doing those things, I was having fun. Who needs resolutions when things are laid out already? Now it's different. Not only is there nothing forcing me to work out, but I have to pay for and plan for it entirely on my own. My comfortable ebb and flow of semesters, of midterms and finals, is gone. I'm left with the endless to-do list from work, something more difficult to prioritize because it is impossible to ever finish.
So I'm thinking maybe resolutions are the way to go. But which ones? Too often we make the mistake of choosing the broad and vague categories of "eating better," "not wasting time," "being a better person." As a well-trained and well-disciplined TFA-er, I know that vague goals are about as useful as no goals at all. I've decided to look at things in a different way, a way of balancing things out. Every day, we make choices. We choose to watch HGTV instead of going to the gym. We choose to silence our friends calling because of our tired bodies and minds. We buy cinnamon rolls on an impulse, and eat them all on another five impulses. What if, instead of letting these things happen idly, without thought, I became proactive in making the better decision? Be a little better every day, whether it's as big as working out for an hour or as small as making my bed. Something better, every day. MORE of the good stuff, LESS of the bad and lazy. Below is my list of these more and less categories, things that require a little less commitment than those resolutions I first mentioned.
There is one resolution I make, one I make any time I set any goals or make any lists- floss more. I don't think there is any person on the planet that flosses enough. Ever. Even if you floss religiously, twice a day, I'm sure at yearly cleaning dentists still tell you, "You should probably floss more." And I hate flossing. It's always on my list because I hate it so much. Even my Teach for America BIG GOAL for my classroom had it in the fine print (Grow a year and a half in reading, master 80% of math objectives, floss every morning). I don't count it because I very rarely can stick to it for more than a week.
This year, though, thanks to the long car ride back from my Nana's Florida condo, I've had a lot of time to think about the kind of things I'd like to change in 2010. My change of heart has a lot to do with the big changes I've gone through this year and the new structure that life falls into after college. I've never had to make priorities or goals because they've always been made for me. I had schoolwork. I had volleyball workouts. When I wasn't doing those things, I was having fun. Who needs resolutions when things are laid out already? Now it's different. Not only is there nothing forcing me to work out, but I have to pay for and plan for it entirely on my own. My comfortable ebb and flow of semesters, of midterms and finals, is gone. I'm left with the endless to-do list from work, something more difficult to prioritize because it is impossible to ever finish.
So I'm thinking maybe resolutions are the way to go. But which ones? Too often we make the mistake of choosing the broad and vague categories of "eating better," "not wasting time," "being a better person." As a well-trained and well-disciplined TFA-er, I know that vague goals are about as useful as no goals at all. I've decided to look at things in a different way, a way of balancing things out. Every day, we make choices. We choose to watch HGTV instead of going to the gym. We choose to silence our friends calling because of our tired bodies and minds. We buy cinnamon rolls on an impulse, and eat them all on another five impulses. What if, instead of letting these things happen idly, without thought, I became proactive in making the better decision? Be a little better every day, whether it's as big as working out for an hour or as small as making my bed. Something better, every day. MORE of the good stuff, LESS of the bad and lazy. Below is my list of these more and less categories, things that require a little less commitment than those resolutions I first mentioned.
- MORE blogging and writing, LESS Facebook creeping
- MORE vegetables, LESS Poptarts (if you saw how well-stocked my school's vending machine is, you would have the same problem)
- MORE yoga, LESS couch time
- MORE phone calls, LESS feeling sorry for myself
- MORE love, LESS judgment
- MORE gratefulness, LESS complaining
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)