Sunday, June 14, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Stick a fork in me...I'm done.
Last day of school...I was definitely not as sad as I thought I'd be. I gave them journals and candy and hugs, but I was really ready for the end.
This afternoon, I felt completely drained. It was like I had nothing left to give.
I sat on my couch for a while. We went to Joel's parents' house for dinner and his mom gave me an old copy of The Sun and a Target gift card for trip supplies. I ate yummy falaffel and a bite of baklava. It was a good way to end the year.
This afternoon, I felt completely drained. It was like I had nothing left to give.
I sat on my couch for a while. We went to Joel's parents' house for dinner and his mom gave me an old copy of The Sun and a Target gift card for trip supplies. I ate yummy falaffel and a bite of baklava. It was a good way to end the year.
Monday, June 08, 2009
I am thankful for...
Girls night, driving home at 10:15 (too late for a workday)-beautiful moonlight-coming home to my husband who is making fried green tomatoes. It spells like Spain. I think it's the olive oil and the night air. 2 more days of school. Turkey-you're a month away!
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Sunday thoughts
-I woke up with two thoughts in my head this morning:
1) The creepy urban legends Joel and I were trading last night. I'm WAY sensitive about scary movies, stories, etc. but for some reason we started telling them. Joel was very good and didn't try to scare me at home (which would have been extremely easy). I just have a crazy imagination. Well, we woke up and the sound was on on our TV...creeptastic. We figured the power surged but it was still really spooky.
2) Praying that I have joy next year about going to school. This one is still consuming my thoughts today, so here goes:
As I look back on the year, I can't help but end with extremely mixed emotions.
I feel like there are some things I did well. I sought a lot of advice and assistance (maybe too much). I took initiative in some aspects of teaching. I do feel like I taught my kids to look at the greater world through reading lots of books and often using GoogleEarth. We talked about misconceptions and stereotypes often. I think I did show them how to think about other cultures and desire to learn more about them. We also spent a lot of time discussing bullying and how to defend victims.
I gave choices in my class and made it clear to students that their behavior dictates the activities we do in class. Sometimes I'd even give two choices: 1) Using math manipulatives, playing games, using technology to explore different things, etc. or 2) worksheets, textbooks, etc. If a student kept messing around, I would take away whatever engaging thing we were working on and give a boring worksheet.
I had a really interesting class with some high achievers, independent thinkers, and yes, some class clowns. I do thank the Lord for the privilege of teaching them. I also had some fabulous parents in the room.
However, there are so many things I want to change about next year. I regret a lot of ways I dealt with behavior at the beginning of the year. I overreacted a lot and underestimated the behavior issues I'd have. I want to have more calm conversations with my students and less power struggles. I want to be able to prioritize issues better.
I want to be far more organized and better planned. I want to differentiate my instruction a lot more as I think it would have helped some of the behavior issues I had in my room. I want to leave more at school and take less home. I want to change my classroom set-up. I want to give many more choices and hold students more responsbible for their behavior. I feel like I wasn't as "with-it" this year as I needed to be, and I did get walked all over at times. I want to have better communication with parents and document things more. I want to amp up my reading instruction and have more assessment guided instruction.
I want to be less forgetful, more intentional, and take more initiative. I want to integrate objectives in order to give more meaningful and richer instruction. I want to use technology more but teach how to use it responsibly so it's not a pain in my neck.
But more than anything, I want to receive the Fruits of the Spirit daily, I want to show the Lord's love and mercy and kindness to everyone around me. As I look back on the year, I see so many ways in which I have fallen short of that. I doubt I really was a loving teacher and coworker this year.
I am humbled as I look back and thankful for the Lord's kindness in letting me have another year to teach these students. I know that I cannot be the perfect teacher, but I do know that I tried this year. I know that I grew as a person and professional and I am very thankful that the Lord hasn't given up on me yet.
In other news: exactly one month until we leave for Istanbul!
1) The creepy urban legends Joel and I were trading last night. I'm WAY sensitive about scary movies, stories, etc. but for some reason we started telling them. Joel was very good and didn't try to scare me at home (which would have been extremely easy). I just have a crazy imagination. Well, we woke up and the sound was on on our TV...creeptastic. We figured the power surged but it was still really spooky.
2) Praying that I have joy next year about going to school. This one is still consuming my thoughts today, so here goes:
As I look back on the year, I can't help but end with extremely mixed emotions.
I feel like there are some things I did well. I sought a lot of advice and assistance (maybe too much). I took initiative in some aspects of teaching. I do feel like I taught my kids to look at the greater world through reading lots of books and often using GoogleEarth. We talked about misconceptions and stereotypes often. I think I did show them how to think about other cultures and desire to learn more about them. We also spent a lot of time discussing bullying and how to defend victims.
I gave choices in my class and made it clear to students that their behavior dictates the activities we do in class. Sometimes I'd even give two choices: 1) Using math manipulatives, playing games, using technology to explore different things, etc. or 2) worksheets, textbooks, etc. If a student kept messing around, I would take away whatever engaging thing we were working on and give a boring worksheet.
I had a really interesting class with some high achievers, independent thinkers, and yes, some class clowns. I do thank the Lord for the privilege of teaching them. I also had some fabulous parents in the room.
However, there are so many things I want to change about next year. I regret a lot of ways I dealt with behavior at the beginning of the year. I overreacted a lot and underestimated the behavior issues I'd have. I want to have more calm conversations with my students and less power struggles. I want to be able to prioritize issues better.
I want to be far more organized and better planned. I want to differentiate my instruction a lot more as I think it would have helped some of the behavior issues I had in my room. I want to leave more at school and take less home. I want to change my classroom set-up. I want to give many more choices and hold students more responsbible for their behavior. I feel like I wasn't as "with-it" this year as I needed to be, and I did get walked all over at times. I want to have better communication with parents and document things more. I want to amp up my reading instruction and have more assessment guided instruction.
I want to be less forgetful, more intentional, and take more initiative. I want to integrate objectives in order to give more meaningful and richer instruction. I want to use technology more but teach how to use it responsibly so it's not a pain in my neck.
But more than anything, I want to receive the Fruits of the Spirit daily, I want to show the Lord's love and mercy and kindness to everyone around me. As I look back on the year, I see so many ways in which I have fallen short of that. I doubt I really was a loving teacher and coworker this year.
I am humbled as I look back and thankful for the Lord's kindness in letting me have another year to teach these students. I know that I cannot be the perfect teacher, but I do know that I tried this year. I know that I grew as a person and professional and I am very thankful that the Lord hasn't given up on me yet.
In other news: exactly one month until we leave for Istanbul!
Thursday, June 04, 2009
End of year survey
I decided to take another teacher's idea and ask my kids to write some answers to these questions:
1) What was your favorite activity this year?
2) What advice or warning would you give to next year's third graders?
3) What was your least favorite activity this year?
4) What do you think you learned this year?
Here are some of the responses to the advice/warning question:
-Don't be afraid of the EOGs because if you take your time it is easy. Enjoy what you can and listen really well!!!
-I would tell the new third graders not to freak out on tests. (This was written by a student with text anxiety).
-I would say that you will learn a lot and that you are going to act like you went to Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd you can't be lazy on anything you have to work very hard and then after all that you go to EOGs but dont wory you can do it.
-Get ready to have quizzes all the time.
-There are EOGs but they are not too hard. If you listen all year you will do fine. If you do not pay attention you may not do too well. But they should be stuff you know. Do your best on them. -Try hard.
-My advice is Don't talk back to the teachers because you will go to the office if you do.
-Don't have an attitude or talk back to the teacher or you will get in trouble. Trust me. I know. (She sure does!)
-Do not act up!!!
-Have a good time while in third grade.
I am thankful for the endearing answers. They remind me that they're just a bunch of kids. Sometimes, it's easy to forget that.
1) What was your favorite activity this year?
2) What advice or warning would you give to next year's third graders?
3) What was your least favorite activity this year?
4) What do you think you learned this year?
Here are some of the responses to the advice/warning question:
-Don't be afraid of the EOGs because if you take your time it is easy. Enjoy what you can and listen really well!!!
-I would tell the new third graders not to freak out on tests. (This was written by a student with text anxiety).
-I would say that you will learn a lot and that you are going to act like you went to Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd you can't be lazy on anything you have to work very hard and then after all that you go to EOGs but dont wory you can do it.
-Get ready to have quizzes all the time.
-There are EOGs but they are not too hard. If you listen all year you will do fine. If you do not pay attention you may not do too well. But they should be stuff you know. Do your best on them. -Try hard.
-My advice is Don't talk back to the teachers because you will go to the office if you do.
-Don't have an attitude or talk back to the teacher or you will get in trouble. Trust me. I know. (She sure does!)
-Do not act up!!!
-Have a good time while in third grade.
I am thankful for the endearing answers. They remind me that they're just a bunch of kids. Sometimes, it's easy to forget that.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Parents are coming over!
So I'm making desserts and coffee.
This recipe is just one point per serving! It is a Weight Watchers recipe and absolutely delicious.
Lemon tarlets:
1 package of mini-phyllo dough tarts (15)
1/3 cup of lemon curd
2 tbsp white chocolate chips
1 large egg yolk
Dash of cream of tartar
2 tbsp sugar
1) Bake phyllo dough for about 3 min. at 350.
2) Microwave the lemon curd and white chocolate for about 45 sec.
3) Stir the mixture and spoon into the phyllo dough.
4) Beat egg and cream of tartar on high until foamy.
5) Beat in sugar one tbsp at a time and beat until stiff peaks appear.
6) Spoon mixture onto the tops of the tarts.
7) Bake until the meringue is golden brown (about 13 minutes).
I wish I could say that WW is going well...I am totally sticking to the program, but I am losing weight really slowly! I have been exercising a lot so I'm hoping that has something to do with it. Oh well..
There are only 8 more days of school left!
This recipe is just one point per serving! It is a Weight Watchers recipe and absolutely delicious.
Lemon tarlets:
1 package of mini-phyllo dough tarts (15)
1/3 cup of lemon curd
2 tbsp white chocolate chips
1 large egg yolk
Dash of cream of tartar
2 tbsp sugar
1) Bake phyllo dough for about 3 min. at 350.
2) Microwave the lemon curd and white chocolate for about 45 sec.
3) Stir the mixture and spoon into the phyllo dough.
4) Beat egg and cream of tartar on high until foamy.
5) Beat in sugar one tbsp at a time and beat until stiff peaks appear.
6) Spoon mixture onto the tops of the tarts.
7) Bake until the meringue is golden brown (about 13 minutes).
I wish I could say that WW is going well...I am totally sticking to the program, but I am losing weight really slowly! I have been exercising a lot so I'm hoping that has something to do with it. Oh well..
There are only 8 more days of school left!
And...I just sent in my passport application. I had to get it renewed because, you know, I got muuurried. At this point, Joel and I are seriously planning a trip to Turkey! We are SO excited.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
When you can't travel quite yet, you find other ways to satisfy the bug...
For me, this means lots of trips to Whole Foods. Our meals today:
Lunch:
Panko crusted tilapia with a potato casserole (with yucca, purple potatoes, olives, a yams)-made by my awesome brother. It was his take on a Peruvian dish (papa a la huancaina). This was waaay too many points but delicious.
This isn't what our dish looked like, but you've got to try the real thing. It's amazing.
Our dinner was amazing (and only 6 points!)
Chicken and Coconut Curry
Chicken, light coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, red peppers, scallions, carrots, coriander and cumin....mmm.....delicious!
Joel is currently enjoying Manchego cheese (from Spain...I convinced him to buy it) and bread. He didn't love the curry so much.
For now, it's making me not as heartsick. I'm not trying to be dramatic but I might cry for months if we don't go somewhere soon. Kidding. I had no intentions of eating such pretentious food today, but don't worry. Tomorrow we'll be back to our normal American fare. For today, however, I'll allow myself this bit of snobbishness.
ce' magnifique
Lunch:
Panko crusted tilapia with a potato casserole (with yucca, purple potatoes, olives, a yams)-made by my awesome brother. It was his take on a Peruvian dish (papa a la huancaina). This was waaay too many points but delicious.
This isn't what our dish looked like, but you've got to try the real thing. It's amazing.
Our dinner was amazing (and only 6 points!)
Chicken and Coconut Curry
Chicken, light coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, red peppers, scallions, carrots, coriander and cumin....mmm.....delicious!
Joel is currently enjoying Manchego cheese (from Spain...I convinced him to buy it) and bread. He didn't love the curry so much.
For now, it's making me not as heartsick. I'm not trying to be dramatic but I might cry for months if we don't go somewhere soon. Kidding. I had no intentions of eating such pretentious food today, but don't worry. Tomorrow we'll be back to our normal American fare. For today, however, I'll allow myself this bit of snobbishness.
ce' magnifique
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