Fwhump! is the sound of poo-poo hitting the fan.

Sorry for being such a lame-butt. Although, not as big a lame-butt as someone else I know. Things have been hectic this weekend. I may have even uttered the words: "This is the worst it's ever been" on Friday.

In all my four years at Williams -- including those countless all-nighters, crunch study sessions, and even the yearbook deadlines -- I have never encountered such a huge hole of shit that I had dug myself into until this weekend. I'm telling you people...it's bad.

However...with great need (and lots of caffeine) comes great accomplishments. By early Saturday evening I finished the entire week's worth of lesson plans (that's 30 lesson plans) complete with fun worksheets, charts, and tests. Come this morning, I completed my Synectics project and my Assessment Analysis project. This evening I finished gathering and analyzing the data I will use for my final project in my Curriculum and Strategies class. Now all I have to do is write 10+ page book review (for the book I haven't started) and then do the final project 10+ page write-up. This is all due on Wednesday. Did I mention that this is all for ONE CLASS? I won't even bother studying for the final.

For another JHU class I just need to complete my SWEEPS assignment -- somewhere in the ballpark of another 10+ pager? -- and then do some tweaking on my electronic portfolio. Thankfully, I'm all done with the third class' assignments.

Honestly, one is not meant to teach and go to graduate school at the same time. At least not during the first year of teaching. Let's hope the kids don't kill me this week. Something about it being so close to the holidays tells me not to get my hopes up.

Bah-humbug.

Would You Like Some Cheese With that Whine?

Today I had a gut-wrenching realization: there are people out there who go home after work and do not think about work from 5-10 when they go to bed. These are the same people who can go to work at 9am. They can also have lives outside of their jobs -- ones where they can go out to a bar and fraternize with friends who are not work-related!

I would like to be one of these people right about now.

I hate having finals -- damn you, Hopkins! Don't you get that we're first year teachers and our first priority is SURVIVING?? I hate working so hard for 36 kids who do not get that I am working so hard for them and decide to throw away their precious time by spending it in the office sitting on their butts instead of in my classroom. I hate not sleeping -- that kind of insomnia is not meant for life after college (or maybe, life after 22). I hate that we're too poor to be able to afford basic cable. I want to go see a friend or two on a weekend! I want to watch a movie guiltfree!

Whinewhinewhinebitchbitchbitchmoanmoanmoan.

In reality, it's not all that bad. Jamie is entertaining. Especially when he wears my crazy rainbow socks.


Yay for socks!

Also, I realized that I hadn't posted any Thanksgiving photos yet. So here you go. I'll let you contemplate the uncanny similarities in peace.


Thanksgiving Crew.

P.S. That's Mary in the middle!

The Girl with No Patience.

I suck at waiting. I am one of the more impatient people on the planet. Ask anybody who really knows me.

Exhibit A: I have already given Jamie his birthday, anniversary, and part of his Christmas present. None of these momentous events have happened yet -- they occur on the 19th, the 22nd, and the 25th respectively. I simply am unable to wait. Ever. I am holding out to the smaller part of Jamie's Christmas present. My goal is to wait until the 17th to give it to him. The one saving grace is that I will not actually be with Jamie for any of the events so we would have to celebrate them a little early anyway.

Exhibit B: I have already watched three episodes of The O.C. after having gotten the boxed set of the first season for my birthday (seriously the most awesome. gift. ever. Thanks, D!) Holy crap! I just linked that to Amazon and saw how expensive it is...reminding me why I didn't get it before. [Runs back to buy D more presents for Christmas].

Anyway, I watched these three episodes pretty much straight through without getting up. That's two and half hours of teen soap drama, people. I also have a mountain of work to do. But I couldn't wait to watch this show.

After having seen the beginning of the season (which I had never seen before), I must say that I finally get it. I can now understand why so many people told me to watch the show because I would like it. I like it.

Exhibit C: Jamie finally caved in to the whole cat debate and has promised to adopt one with me at the beginning of next year. I had to use every ounce of resistance not to run out to PetSmart now and buy stuff for our non-existent cat.

Pet name ideas?

Brrrrrrrr.

The temperature in my apartment right now is in the 50s. That's as cold as it would get in L.A. ever and would cause Los Angelenos to don their hats and scarves. Brrrrrr. Thankfully, Jamie finally caved an turned on the heat for a little bit. I really wish we had a fireplace.

Yesterday, I was running late for work when I hopped in my car and realized that there was a thick layer of frost. No problem, I'll just run back to the apartment and grab our scraper. Except we don't have a scraper. Hooray for ignorant West Coasters. Maybe it's time to get one of those.

So, yesterday was pretty great! I'm used to having my birthday in the most inconvenient of times with finals and all. This time wasn't really any exception -- still have finals for my Hopkins classes and on top of that all the teaching. But it was so nice to be with my kids. They threw me a surprise party and gave me teacher gifts (you know, used mugs and picture frames) and wrote cards. Had tons of cake.

It was also the second birthday that I've ever actually been with Jamie for...so he was able to spoil me with dinner out on the town (Burmese) and a movie (because I'm too tired for anything beyond that). We saw Closer which was a fine film. A little depressing but good. The weird thing was that people were laughing hysterically in the theater at the most depressing parts. "HAHA! He told her to fuck off!"

Funnily enough, one of the previews for a new movie started off with a scene of one my classmates from high school getting coke splashed in his face (he overacted). Apparently he is in a Will Smith movie. It actually looks kind of funny -- if you're in the kind of mood for that kind of movie. I freaked out in the theater when I saw it and I'm sure everybody thought I was weird.

Hooray for surprises.

Over the Hump?

So everyone said that once we got to Thanksgiving, teaching would be cake. I don't know if that's true.

But I can say that things have been so much better. Honestly, I can safely say that I have my management down for the most part. Or, at least I'd like to think so. Now I got to focus on the whole learning thing.

On the not-so-good note, I had all the money stolen out of my wallet the other day. I'm assuming it was one of my students since they are the only ones who know where I keep my purse (at the top shelf of a closet in the back of my room). It could have been so much worse as they did not take the entire wallet (and thereby burgle me of my credit cards and license), nor did they take my phone or my ipod (!!!) which I usually don't bring into the building except for on days when I have to stay late for class. Honestly, if someone stole my iPod I would be devastated.

So I gave my whole class the spiel of how they shouldn't bring anything of value to school and to stay vigilant for their friends and peers. So many of my kids broke down crying when they heard that someone took my money and then I felt bad.

Today (a full two days later), one of my students was in his reading group in another class. They were studying cause and effect. Apparently his was "Cause: someone was really mean, Effect: my teacher had her money stolen". So cute. And...suspicious. Just kidding.

Please, someone, get me through tomorrow.

And I Was Doing So Well...

...on blogging consistently that is.

The truth is I got deathly sick. Okay, not so much deathly, just sick. But the thought of sitting upright when I could be laying down wasn't kosher with me. Sorry 'bout that. At some point in my illness I was delirious. Jamie alleges (since I don't remember) that I was scared of the "blue men trying to sit on my head and suffocate me" and that when Jamie told me there were no blue men, I was convinced that he was tryin to kill me and started crying.

Weird. I wish I remembered that.

Anyway, I'm all better now. Thanksgiving break makes it even better. We had a successful night last night -- Jamie's brother and his girlfriend are here for the week and I attempted my first Thanksgiving dinner. All in all it was a success! Yummy turkey, (tofurky for Jamie), stuffing and gravy, sweet potatoes, corn bread, cranberry sauce, stuffed mushrooms, brie and brown sugar, candied walnut and apple salad, and of course pumpkin pie. And no disasters. Sweet.

Also, the kiddies were AMAZING on Wednesday. I was bracing myself for the worst -- supposedly the day before break is always the worst -- but they were incredible. They were respectful. There were times when you could hear a pin drop in my classroom because they were so busy working on a creative writing. All around lovely.

Now, I must try and survive the mountains of work that piled up when I was sick from school for two days. Boo.

Will post again soon.

The Other Shoe.

Of course, the day after I have the "I-love-my-job" moment, I have the worst day yet. Honestly, everything was chaos today.

The guest reader showed up twenty minutes late -- two seconds after I decided that the reader would not be showing up and therefore had began my lesson.

Alexis.

I got called out of my class to attend an IEP meeting (for a special ed kid) -- right as I sit down to read our comprehension story to my kids. We are already behind two days in reading comp. As I walk down the hall, I pass my Johns Hopkins advisor who did not get my message about said meeting and was on her way in to do my official observation. She was not pleased.

Came in all flustered because the meeting was chaotic. Did not know where to pick up with my kids who had been left in the hands of a substitute. Botched the rest of my observation.

Missed my lunch because I was busy lecturing children about respect. Made three students burst out crying when I told the class that "it hurt my heart that they could be so disrespectful to each other and to me after I work so hard for them". Missed my planning period because I was busy holding resource detention and calling parents. Am hungry. One grandparent comes to my classroom and proceeds to beat his grandson's ass in the boys bathroom across the hall. I finally shed a tear on schoolgrounds.

I now have no voice whatsoever and a fever. Any pipe dreams of skipping work tomorrow are out the window as another teacher just walked out of her classroom today and quit. We had no substitutes before...we have negative substitutes now. Those kids are going to be dispersed among different classrooms until we get one. Not looking forward to having 1st graders sitting in the back of my classroom tomorrow.

I have to redo several report cards now.

P.S. Isn't it funny how I assumed I would be too busy to post on this, the day of my blog's birthday, a few days ago. I have no faith. Happy birthday blog.

What is This? A Freshman Dorm??

There is the slight possibility that I have strep throat...and I am not happy about it. For serious.

I have decided that I really like teaching science. I really wish we had more than a 20-minute period to teach it. Also, it kind of gets shit on for being the last 20 minutes of the day.

Today wasn't a particularly good day -- but it wasn't a bad day either. On the way to a meeting for TFA...I actually stopped and thought to myself: I really love what I'm doing. I love being a teacher. I love being one of the most important adults in the lives of my students right now (aside from family of course). I love that a smile from me, or a pat on the head from me can make their faces light up. The job that I have right now is a really good one.

It's too bad it's kicking my ass most of the time.

Munday.

This is going to be a pretty crap week. I'll post if I survive it.

On today's agenda:

-Turning in Report Cards
-Being Observed by the Assistant Principal
-Visit from the Superintendent and the State Senator
-Meetings until 8pm
-My students bouncing off the walls and fighting

Goody.

Happy Birthday.

Officially, I know it hasn't been a year. But I also know that come the 16th, I will be so busy with planning and what-have-you, that I will not have the time to give a proper post. Therefore, I would like to commemorate the 1st birthday of this blog a couple days early.

So, to prepare for this post, I checked out some of my first posts ever. I can say that I am sufficiently embarrassed. If this were a paper journal I would have impulsively ripped out and burned those pages (at least that's what precedent would suggest). But, I will grin and bear it.

It's pretty great to see how much things have changed in a single year. A year ago, I was complaining about a 5-minute mini lesson that I would have to give in front of 12 "students". Now, I have 8 hours of that every. single. day. And in front of 20 bipolaresque hooligans.

It's also nice to see how my life hasn't changed. I still cannot sit down and do work without a little bit of procrastination. Seriously. I need help. And I'm still pretty fond of:


...this guy.

Anyway, that guy just came into remind me that I have to figure out and record 20 report cards for tomorrow (of which I have not officially graded a single thing -- all year) and that I should procrastinate no further. Boo.

P.S. Happy Real Birthday to Scott: the best little brother I never had.

What Happens When You Have...

...two recent college grads, living in an apartment together, one of whom goes to law school full-time, and the other who makes a meager living by being an elementary school teacher at an area 3 school, over a week's (more like three) worth of laundry, and washing and drying machines that cost $1.50 per load (I know, ludicrous)?

You get this:


Laundry Explosion!

In My Thoughts.

Today I learned that a friend of mine lost her arm in a bus accident yesterday and it gave me another one of those "life is so fragile" feelings. She is a beautiful and strong human being and I know that she will survive this with so much grace and positivity, but I cannot help but be so angry at how unfair life can be.

Fridays are so good.

The quarter is up. I cannot believe how fast it went! Although I feel like I have been teaching forever...every minute in the classroom is on fast forward, and every week speeds by. Report cards are due and I feel like I'm just now getting the hang of things. Sad.

I do think this bodes well for the rest of the school year. I've been told that the first stretch of school is the hardest and that if you can survive through Thanksgiving you're in the clear. Let's hope this next week doesn't completely crush me.

P.S. I'm taking the camera to school with me tomorrow -- you should be seeing some lovely picture of the classroom (sans kids, of course).

Hotness in a Pink Jumpsuit.

I know I promised (or at least implied) a bunch of pictures from this weekend. Sadly, I am a pooface and forgot to bring my camera to each and every outing. I remembered to pack it in my bag and took it with me to Massachusetts, mind you...I just never took it out that last mile from the hotel in which I stayed to Williams. Lame, I know.

BUT, I did have a great time seeing my friends -- it was incredible to me to see just how many '04 alum actually came back! I managed to see most everyone that I had aimed to see, but since I was only there for a little over a day (arrived late on Friday and left early Sunday) I didn't really get to see anybody as much as I would have liked. It felt so rushed. Still it was great (and surreal) to see what everyone was up to.

If anything it made me realize that I need to do a better job keeping in touch with people...

New Strong Bad. I mention it because it has an awesome homage to a childhood pasttime of mine. Actually, more of a childhood pasttime for my brothers -- I was always the lame little sibling who watched the big kids play video games rather than actually play them. I'm including it because I know Dave will appreciate it. (Wait 'til the paper comes down and then click on "Strong Bad"...it's awesome).

On the Ups...

Today would have been a great day if it weren't for the last five minutes of class. My students were learning, they were quiet and well-behaved. They were respectful and all around lovely.

Then, Alexis decided to leave school early and shit hit the fan. It ended with her mother calling the assistant principal some bad bad words. Wah.

The good news is that tomorrow I will be heading to Williamstown for the much awaited Zero Year Reunion and Homecoming...and more importantly, to see my beloved friends who I miss dearly. Many good stories (I'm sure) and pictures to come! For now I must de-snot my nose and lesson plan. Oh and pack for the trip!

UNLESS

Not feeling the Johns Hopkins love tonight. Head is full of snot and is also pounding. Not happy that I just got home and that I have five lesson plans to write. Boo.

Also not feeling America right now. Seriously, if I am going to be spending my time teaching it...

So this morning I woke up with half a voice. I decided to tough it out at school and pleaded pathetically to my children to not make Ms. U raise her voice. They were sweet and caring for the first 25 minutes of school. Then all hell broke loose. I realized that if I do lose my voice what I end up with is a horrible wheezy, raspy, animal-like, screeching noise that actually does a good job of getting their attention. I have to make a note of that.

Snot Monster.

I am seriously checking the polls every two seconds. My stomach is in knots. (Help!)

Today was a pretty unproductive day (of course). I did little to advance myself along in my lesson planning. Instead I sat around feeling sorry for myself and blowing my nose. I am playing with the idea of taking a sick day tomorrow -- but I am of the "boy-who-cried-wolf" paranoids who thinks that if I take a sick day tomorrow, next week I will be stricken with a severe case of almost death and will lack the chutzpah and the sick days to take a day off.

Plus, I'm thinking of taking a half-day on Friday so that I might be able to take off at a reasonable hour for the 7-hour road trip to Williamstown. Homecoming! Friends! Nostalgia!

Therefore, I must grin and bear it. Hopefully, my kids will take pity on my non-voice and runny nose. Unlikely, I know.

Democrats Vote on Tuesday. Republicans Vote on Wednesday.

My throat is so sore. With each swallow I am dying a little bit inside. Luckily, I have tomorrow off so I get to sleep in and basically feel sorry for myself allllllll day. Oh...and maybe some lesson planning.

My stomach is in knots about this whole election business. Although, after living with Jamie (who's life has been almost completely consumed by the elections) I feel like I've been relatively blase about the whole thing. Right now, he's driving to Philly to help protect voter's rights -- like the good little citizen that he is. I, on the other hand, am just watching movie after movie and drinking hot tea. Oh, and I'm really hoping that Kerry will win.

Kerry would want me to be healthy.

More Time for Procrastination.

How wonderful is it that we get an extra hour of work time today? I love daylight savings. I am also pleased at the thought that it will be light by the time I get to work tomorrow morning. Something about getting to work when it is still pitch black outside is seriously depressing.

You know what else is seriously depressing? The thought of my students coming in tomorrow sleep deprived and pepped up on sugar. Boo on Halloween.

Speaking of which: the other day I was driving to JHU for class and I was stopped at a stoplight. The house on the corner had a huge picture of Michael Jackson hanging outside the top floor windows. I thought it was nice that Michael J still had fans to support him in this time when he is the butt of so many jokes and so much speculation. Then, as I was making the left hand I actually gasped in fear and surprise because there was a lifesized picture of him standing at the window on the porch. Then I realized: Halloween decorations.

A Complaint.

I need to start updating more frequently. At various points throughout my day, I will think to myself: "That would be something nice to share" or "I bet so-and-so would enjoy reading about that"...and then I run out of time to post. I have decided that I will attempt to post something -- anything -- on my blog each night. Or more realistically, every other night.

At this point I don't think anyone is really reading this -- so it'll be more so that I can look back at it later and smile (or cringe). After all, this is a journal of sorts.

Probably the most eventful thing that happened last week is that my kiddies and I took a field trip to the Baltimore Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. I was so overwhelmed by how well my students behaved (for the most part -- there was one fistfight, but that didn't happen until the end of the trip while we were on the way back to the buses). It was truly wonderful to be able to let down my guard a little on the bus and let the kids see that I am actually a pretty nice person.

It was a wake up call though. Probably my biggest reason for doing Teach For America was to provide a context for my future. I know that I want to work with education policy and whatnot...and teaching was supposed to provide me with some insight into what is actually wrong with the system that we have now. TFA has done what I hoped it would do...it has given me a lot of motivation to change things.

When we went on the field trip I could see how huge the disparity in education for children can be based on where they are born and what they are born into. The Meyerhoff had opened its doors to 900 children from various schools throughout Baltimore. I watched as the white, uniformed children were escorted through the front doors and into the front rows of the auditorium. Each child was accompanied by an adult chaperone -- one per every two children. Meanwhile, I had five students clinging to each arm and about four holding onto other parts of my body (legs and butt included) as we were escorted through the back door to the nosebleed sections.

It was incredible to see -- it was as if I was in a segregated courtroom in the 1930s...all the black children up in the mezzanine and a sea of white faces and blonde hair on the ground level. I started to tear up a little when one of my students reasoned that they had to sit on the hard wood chairs because they were black and had behavior problems. Outside, chaperones warned their children not to stare at my students as they passed us on the sidewalks (sadly, I'm not even exagerrating).

I wonder if the children in their schools have problems like ours...lead-filled water, children throwing bricks at each other and breaking each others arms, biting, screaming, naked men that wander through school halls...

P.S. Happy Halloween.

Starved for Entertainment.

I am close to caving on the cable front. Jamie and I have survived quite blissfully without cable for the past three months. Sure, it kind of sucked to not be able to watch the Olympics. And maybe it wasn't the best thing to have to watch the political debates through a thick cloud of static (through which -- one should note -- George W. still looked like a monkey). But then came America's Next Top Model...and all of the sudden, the extra money may be worth it.

Now, it should be noted, that I have actually only watched two episodes of this show. The last two episodes of last season...but seriously, it was high quality television.

I'm pulling for Tocarra or Norelle. The former actually seems to have a shot, and the latter is just so hilarious to watch (even if only in the clips they put online). Anyone want to pay for my cable?

A Walk in the Woods

Jamie and I took a walk in the neighborhood this morning -- a nice opportunity to take in the beautiful day and enjoy some of the fall foilage. I figured I would share some of it with the few of you who still might check this sorry blog.

I'm thinking about a makeover (for the website). Anything to keep me from having to start actually thinking about lesson plans...

Kick in the Rear.

In order to entice me to finally finish knitting his sweater, Jamie posed with the scraps.


Finish this sweater or else...

Right now I have the back completely done, and most of the front (just doing the shoulder). But the thought of sleeves makes me want to leave it as a vest. Then I think of Jamie in a sweater vest and I vow that this sweater will be done by the boy's birthday on December 19th. Or maybe our anniversary on the 22nd. Or maybe Christmas...whatever, it'll get done. (right??)

UGH. School tomorrow.

Brain Indigestion.

So I have forgotten to bring my wallet with me to work four days in a row. That is a four days worth of driving to and from Baltimore during which I could have needed my driver's license. Four days in which I might have needed some spare change for a meter or a soda. Four days in which I might have wanted to have some form of I.D.

Seriously, I think I'm losing my mind. With all of the knowledge that comes with teaching and going to Johns Hopkins, I am losing basic survival skills...like walking. I damn near sprained my ankle again when I totally bit it while walking my kids out at the end of the day. They were all laughing at me without the tiniest ounce of sympathy...those little conniving...poofaces.

Actually. This week was still good. The kids were good. I'm getting better each day. Yesterday, Alexis was sooooooo good the entire day. It was amazing. I had to keep on praising her...stickers, notes home, lunch with me, hugs...but seriously, it made my day. Yes, I am aware of the fact that it will be back to the same old fighting, punching, name-calling, pouting, screaming, running, back-talking, chin-kicking Alexis when we get back on Monday but still...

Rapture.

I am in love with our postman. Today he let me in when I had my hands too full to open the door. Then, he delivered me the 4th season of Dawson's Creek. I gave him a freshly baked (well...last night) blondie in return. Whenever we bump into each other it's always the day after I bake something so he always gets some. He better love me too.

Those blondies are good.

Today teaching was amazing. My kids learned stuff -- lots of stuff! We talked more about segregation and about discrimination. We mastered place value and the expanded form. They told me about the various stages of the life cycle. It was a dream. Except for the fact that I had to send two students to the office. Oh, and the fight. Oh, and all the yelling I had to do to get them to sit quietly. BUT. THEY. DID.

I'm giddy.

Driving Along in My Automobile...

...when some a-hole decides to rear-end me and then tear off. Bastard got away. But I did get to meet some of the kind staff of the Maryland State Troopers.

Aside from that my days have been pretty good. I'm horrendously overworked and stressed, but other than that? Good. I think I may be breaking out in some serious acne for the first time in ever, and my stomach does drop at the thought of actually doing my Johns Hopkins work. But, working with the kids is fun -- in a often painful sort of way.

It has its highs: the discussion my class had this afternoon about segregation and racial apathy (one of our newest vocab words!)when one of my students likened Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Jesus and started said comparison with, "I would like to make a connection..."
When James (my most challenging student) gave me a drawing of himself so that he could come home with me.

Unfortunately, at this point I think the bad outnumbers the good: so much yelling. I watched another teacher (the computer teacher) actually punch two of my kids for talking out of turn. She prefaced it with: "Ms. U, turn around so you don't have to see this". The fact that my kids get into fistfights every. two. minutes. Or maybe the fact that I have three students (in THIRD GRADE) who cannot read or write above 1st grade level. One of my kids got suspended for 3 days because he brought a cigarette to school and lit it. Or the fact that I still waste so much time having my kids sit in the dark trying to be quiet and still for one minute (it is inevitable that the first five minutes are spent trying to get them to sit still for five seconds).

Bah. Teaching. I want a break.

Dry Spell.

You thought I'd forgotten...I haven't. I have guiltily been allowing the days to pass without posting, for that I am sorry. There are many stories to be shared -- the difficulty lays in how to cut them all down so that they fit in a readable post and a good night's rest for a sleep-deprived 3rd grade teacher. Let me sum up:

1. I just pulled a BUG that had embedded itself into my flesh out of my big toe. I noticed it as an egg about a week ago, but didn't think it was an egg until it hatched today. Gross. Also, no more open-toed shoes at school for me.

2. I just moved into a new classroom because they are knocking my old one down. You don't know SUCKY until you have to see 3 weeks of hard work go down the drain as you have to move as much as you can to a room half the size and down a big flight of stairs in the span of an afternoon while still teaching a class of rowdy 3rd graders.

3. I am a bad teacher.

4. The parents are coming to scope out the pad this week! EEP!

5. My kids are hilarious. I never knew it was possible to simultaneously love and want to scream at 19 children all at once.

6. Jamie made a really good eggplant frittata the other day. He's the greatest. He is also the only thing keeping me sane at this point.

7. I rule at Madden 2004. (Disclaimer: Madden 2004 only happens on Fridays and Saturday mornings in the Long/Umezaki hovel).

8. I don't think an MAT is worth the pain and suffering they are making me go through...

9. I cannot believe that I have to pay that much in taxes when I make that little in salary. Holycrap. And...

10. I am so, incredibly, without-a-doubt, thankful that I decided not to do the CNN thing. I cannot even fathom how awful it would be to have my failed attempts at teaching captured on television for all the Dan Rather fans to see...

More later?

Mmmm...Slanty.

Conversation with a colleague at school. As a sidenote, it took her a while to warm up to me.

Colleague: So, what are you? You're Chinese, right?
Me: Well...no...but -
C: - but you're ORIENTAL.
Me: I guess you could say that. My parents are actually from Peru.
C: Is that in China?
Me: No, it's a country in South America...
C:...but, you're ORIENTAL.
Me: My grandparents migrated from Japan to Peru...
C: ...so that's why your slant-eyed [pulls the edges of her eyes outward to make slanty eyes].
Me: Ya. [eep.]
C: But Chinese and Japanese are the same thing, right? Like, you could say that you're Chinese. You're just from a different part of China.
Me: No, actually, my grandparents came from Japan...but that's a whole other country than China.
C: But you all look the same! Would you be insulted if I called you Chinese?
Me: Personally, no. But it would be like me saying that Jamaicans and Africans are the same.
C: [angry teacher stare]...no they're not!!
Me: ...
C: ...
C: Do you speak perunesey?

It was later decided that I had to bring dumplings to our potluck because obviously I know how to make Chinese dumplings. How I love being the only Asian person anywhere near this school.

Update on the teaching: yesterday was the worst day yet. Today was the best one. Go figure. Have yet to cry...although it did cross my mind twice this week. Can I just say that I love my kids. The other day I just wanted to stop being their mean ol' teacher and HUG THEM ALL.

P.S. The idea that a TEACHER WHO HAS BEEN TEACHING FOR 30 YEARS didn't know that Peru was a country -- much less, knew that China and Japan were different countries -- is frightening.

P.P.S. The fact that I have to go to class for four hours on a Saturday morning after having taught 3rd graders all week makes me want to die. DIE. It has crossed my mind more than once that this whole "getting my Masters while teaching 3rd grade" thing was a very bad idea.

[Don't] Tell Me Box.

Somebody please tell me why my kids cannot spell "school" but have no problem spelling "dick lips". Please.

Today I introduced the "Tell Me" box, so that my lovely little angels would simply exert their tattletale tendencies on paper rather than in the middle of my lessons. This morning, the box was empty, and when I picked it up after school I actually dropped it because of the weight of the little slips of paper stuffed into it (granted, I wasn't expecting it to be heavy at all and therefore did not really try to get a good grip on it).

Among my favorites?

"ronald was cousen. Love, Dorian"

"ronald sed the b word."

And a nice little series from Sae'Quan:

"Alexis be making up stuff about people. From Sa'Quan" (this was the most spelling accurate -- sigh -- note I received. The only word he mispelled was his own name).

"Davan [Davon] hit Jawel [Jewel]. From Sae'Quan."

"Micaiah said I like Jewel. From Sae'Quan".

Oh boy, how happy I am to return to 3rd grade...

For the most part, the kiddies were ANGELS today and I am in love with them. I'm definitely not a good teacher yet. If I had to say what these kids learned today I would be hardpressed to find ONE thing. But, I am surviving and the kids are warming up to the thought of learning. I need to find a way to get through the afternoon unscathed (the mornings are great). I'm thinking of making them run laps after resource...

I called a parent last night, and this morning she sat in my class for the first twenty minutes and proceeded to yell at her son every two minutes. "WHERE IS YOUR NOTEBOOK??" "PAY ATTENTION TO THE TEACHER!!" "WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU??"

It was distracting to say the least and as soon as she left, her son completely shut down and would not respond to a single thing I said for the next hour and a half.

Please make tomorrow a better day for him.

Getting It Together.

If I can pull my life together during the weekdays, I will be able to post more often. Last week...not so much.

I don't think I had ever gone a week with so little consecutive hours of sleep. Not even trying to get the yearbook done (which it is!) made me as sleep-deprived. Getting to bed around 1 only to get up around 5, and then having to chase 3rd graders around all day made me a sleepy girl. Apparently, I was almost sleep-walking on Wednesday night (after going to my 4 and a half hours of Johns Hopkins directly after school and getting home at 10. Jamie found me in the kitchen throwing celery on the ground and wielding a giant knife muttering about making my lunch...at 2am.

Boy howdy did I ever sleep so well this weekend. I also cleaned up the office and am planning to lesson plan all day today and get my homework for JHU done. Mark my words...I will sleep more than four hours a night this week.

Teaching is going pretty well! I still love my kids. I'm definitely coming off firmer than I ever thought I could. I am beginning to worry that I'm just plain mean. However, I did manage to get my class to go to the bathroom, get a drink of water, and reenter the room in a straight line and without making a sound in under 5 minutes. I was timing them with my stopwatch. I am a drill instructor.

I have so many stories to tell. I will get around to tell them...but right now, I must get started on the planning. Updates soon.

You Can Call Me Ms. U.

Lesson plans? Check.
Night of little sleep? Check.
First day of school complete? Check.
The sorest calves on the planet? CHECK.

So, after going over how to pronounce my name (I busted out the phonemes) for at least three minutes, one of my students whined: "Can't we just come up with a nickname?????" which was followed by whiny agreement from the rest of the class. I am now, "Ms. U". Also, "Ms. Umezoo.....Ms. U"

The day is done...and I must say it wasn't so painful. In fact, I would venture to say that it was pretty good. My kids are great -- the total opposite of the kids that I had over the summer...not that they weren't great, but rather that these kids actually like to participate and learn.

Today went relatively smoothly. The only thing is: the impending doom. Even though today went well...I could see the potential for disaster in the upcoming week. These kids are talkers and keeping them in check grew progressively more difficult. Add on to that, the fact that we have class straight through from 7:45am to 12:15 before their first break (!) This is a recipe for disaster.

But I have to say I love my kids so far. I got a bunch of "I Love You" cards (don't you love how little kids are able to decide they love you so quickly?) and hugs...and I was trying to be as mean as possible. I was worried that I was being too nice and friendly, but then I overheard one of my students telling a sibling that I was really strict. That made me smile until I started to think that I might be too hard...I definitely had two different kids on the verge of tears today. 3rd graders are babies.

The best part of my day came at the end when I sent a kid to the time out corner to fill out a reflection sheet. He refused, so I gave him another consequence at which point he got real mad. He spent the rest of the day (all of five minutes) scowling in the corner. I pulled him aside after class and explained why I did what I did (it just doesn't make sense for me to have to repeatedly tell him to be quiet and face forward) and he actually got it! He promised me to make tomorrow a "good choice day" and agreed that I was being fair (his words!!!) and gave me a hug.

Seriously though...I can forsee me wanting to pull my hair out in the near future. With the way the class was going towards the end of the day...I give myself until tomorrow afternoon.

The Schoolhouse Jibblies.

First day of school today. Hold me.

Also, please tell me I won't have to get up at this ungodly hour every day...

A Room: Transformed.

All week we've been having school orientation...meaning that we teacher's have been in meetings in the mornings with a little time in the afternoon to prep our classrooms for the kiddies that arrive on Tuesday. We hadn't had much time to prep, but this was all fine and good since most of Thursday and Friday was left open for classroom prep.

Unless, of course, you're me.

OF COURSE, I am told yesterday that I must go to an all-day workshop on Thursday (today) AND Friday. The administration fought it...but the school system is so messed up that they happened to overlook the fact that they hadn't run this workshop yet and picked random people out of a hat to attend. As I stared at my hardly-started room on Wednesday morning I felt an overwhelming sense of doom. My kids would be miserable and unstimulated and it would be my fault.

But...as we all know...I don't work well unless I am under a deadline...I was determined to get my room finished in the two hours I had after all our meetings. This is how far I got:

The room at the start of the day:







Later:






And of course, the hokey (but hopefully inspiring) expecations:


The only reason I got as far as I did was because my school is wonderful. I had two teachers in my room who had sacrificed their class prep time helping me. I [heart] my school.

I still have a lot of work to do, but I'll try to get it all done at my apartment and get to school really early on Tuesday so that I have time to throw everything on the walls. I did manage to get to school today after my workshop and I met the parent of one of my new students (just transfered into my room).

I felt so young and so Asian.

Another IKEA Showroom.

I had been planning to wait until I actually had time to clean the apartment before taking pictures of it for the blog...then I realized that that day would never come. Therefore, I will give you pictures now...even though the apartment is kind of a mess. Please forgive. But for now...be content with these:


Jamie (playing the part of "Law Student")in our IKEA living room.


View from our couch and our very lovely $30 "we-may-be-too-poor-to-buy-cable-but-that-doesn't-mean-we-can't-find-other-(expensive)-means-of-entertainment" entertainment center. Also, we are not uncultured, but rather, we have three big boxes of books being shipped our way via media mail. I swear.


Jamie gazing fondly at our massive CD collection. After six years, we decided it was time to consolidate. It was like a union of two great countries -- although his was much more substantial than mine. Believe me when I say that there are many more CDs in this apartment.


Our ugly-70s-wood-paneled kitchen. Although I have grown to like it more and more... Also, you may spot "Crush" our pet plant.


Where the magic happens. I tried to get a better picture of our study, but really, the room isn't that interesting yet. Not much studying going on around here.


The $100 bed that I love. IKEA is what dreams are made of.


A better lit picture of our bedroom. Ten points if you can identify yourself in any of those pictures.

And finally...last, but not least:


The shower curtain that I love and that Jamie hates. Now you know who is the boss of this house.

(Me).

Chomping at the Bit.

No, I still haven't started teaching. I start next Tuesday (after Labor Day). But, I am doing my morning commute tomorrow -- setting the alarm for 5:45am and getting to school at 7am. So begins my life as a sleep-deprived teacher...

I have more training this week at my school -- getting to know the people and the neighborhood. I'm really excited about that and I'm even more excited about getting the room ready for my kids. I have the class roster in my hand right now...18 (!) lovely scholars. Of those names, I can actually pronounce 7. I'm thinking of making their locker and desk tags tonight! Wee! Artsy!

Apparently, my school has been burglarized every weekend for the past six weeks. Tomorrow will be the moment of truth to see whether or not it is going to be seven weeks in a row. The officials suspect kids...I do too, if only because they stole all of the candy out of the vending machine in the Teacher's Lounge. It is interesting to note that they left the Almond Joys. Nobody likes those. The police said something about only kids being small enough to fit through the ventilation shafts (which is how they think they got in -- ha!).

My room has been doing okay...I only lost one of my two computers which I think wasn't functioning anyway. A colleague of mine lost her stereo, a BIG television, and two computers. The burglars took the time to search the cabinets in all the classrooms for anything of value.

It's sad when a school that has so little gets robbed of what it has. All the equipment that was stolen had just been donated...

The Great Escape...

...from California. I finally got around to transfering the pictures from my digital camera to the computer. It's still faster than going to the photo store and getting them printed there. Sort of.

Anyway, below you may find pictures of my trip with Jamie across this grand country. You may also notice that the locales are suspiciously all on the West Coast. Two reasons for that: one is that the middle part is really flat and isn't particularly photogenic from a car. Not to say that it isn't lovely in its flatness, but that it would have just looked like highway. Second (and probably 90% of the reason) is that my camera got buried under the mountains of crap that accumulated in the car as the days passed.


The trip began where I had started: New York. Sort of. Our first destination was the New York hotel in Las Vegas which was graciously paid for by my parents. No luck on the slots.

The next day we hit the road and made it to the base of the Rockies...

Jamie was proud of himself because he caught the reflection of the road in my sunglasses. We both know it was an accident.



A good night's rest and a morning later, Jamie and I made a pit stop at Devil's Canyon and took some shots of the view. Here's one of Jamie looking particularly goofy.


Our next stop was the Betty Ford Alpine Garden in Aspen, Colorado. I must add that it is quite the lovely mountain town.





I know this is a picture of a flower. While, I often make fun of people who take pictures of flowers (mostly because they look stupid while taking the picture), I actually liked the way this one came out.


Same goes for the daisies.

Have you ever seen the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland (of course of you have). You know the part where she is all small and is lost in the garden and the flowers talk to her. At first they are all nice and welcoming, but then they a fearful when they find out she is not a flower and that soon turns to hate as they run her out of the garden and into the big, bad forest? Yeah...this picture reminds me of the head snooty flower because she had those big droopy petals that looked like a floppy hat...but maybe it was supposed to be hair?


No more pictures of flowers...but I have to say in my defense that it was a flower garden. I have plenty more pictures of Jamie looking goofy though...


And a hummingbird.

And of course...the alpine meadow.

Check back tomorrow and you may find some pictures of our final destination -- the apartment. It's not really all that exciting yet -- bare walls and floors. But soon friends...

Fuzzy Olympics.

On Saturday Jamie and I invested in rabbit ears for our cable-less television with the faint hope that we may be able to catch some of the Olympics without having to shell out 50+ (!) dollars a month. After having watched the women's beach volleyball semifinal and individual gymnastics everything is fuzzy with purple dots. This can't be good for my new eyes...but the Olympics is good for the soul.

Still haven't started teaching. It's soon though -- next week -- and my room is a total mess. It's HUGE -- seriously, I think it may be larger in square footage than my two bedroom apartment. AND, I only have 18 students! I feel as though everything is working out for me, but that sort of makes anything short of success completely and totally my fault: I have a small class, a supportive principal, so many support systems, a lovely school, and plenty of space. It's all about the teaching now.

Today we started our Baltimore City new teacher orientation. It wasn't anything new, really, but we did get another tote bag and several more packets of reading that I will never get around to reading. I also joined the Baltimore Teacher's Union. Heh...I'm part of AFL-CIO now. First perk? Yet another tote bag, bring today's total up to two bags in two minutes. I will never need another plastic grocery bag again.

Aside from the totes, we did get spoken to by the mayor of Baltimore. There were all these news casters there, like, talking over his speech! I felt as though that should be considered bad form...although maybe it just seemed loud to me since I was sitting right under their cameras. If you catch the story -- which you won't unless you happen to be watching local news in Baltimore during the 10-second segment -- you may just see me since the camera guy was all up in my face. It's strange to pretend like you don't notice the huge 30-pound camera pointing directly at you when it's less than a foot away.

In other news (no pun intended), apartment is now fully settled. Today Jamie bought the final piece to our living room -- the coffee table. Now I am content. Pictures as soon as I clean this place up a little -- I promise.

For the One Person Who Is Still Checking My Blog.

Whew! After a long hiatus -- maybe my longest one yet? -- I'm back. While I have had access to the internet (my nerdy-internet-dependency led me to schedule the installation weeks in advance for the day after Jamie and I were scheduled to arrive in Baltimore), all free time has been sucked into getting the apartment tolerable for inhabiting and getting otherwise situated to my new life.

What this has consisted of has been: IKEA. I had four glorious days of IKEA since it is very nearby to our apartment (a few minutes). In that time I have grown to love the store even more -- even though most things are still out of my budget. Suffice to say, Jamie and I were able to put together a pretty swank apartment. Come by and look! (Or maybe I will post pictures soon...if I'm feeling generous).

Our furniture is minimalistic...but I like it that way. I feel as though our best bargains were our brand new queen-sized bed for $129, our dining set (which included four chairs) for the same price, and our fine entertainment center for a whopping $30. The last one wasn't from IKEA, but rather a friend of mine from TFA. I feel so grown up and our apartment smells like plywood....mmmmmmmm.

After several trips back and forth carrying huge boxes and assembling many pieces of furniture, I think we are moved in for the most part. We just have to unpack said boxes and organize it. Now that I have started TFA post-induction this process will be much slower. But it'll get done.

Too much money has been spent. I'd rather not think about that: moving on.

To update on the NBC thing: I'm not doing it. *HUGE sigh of relief*. I'm a bit surprised, though, at the twinge of regret that I feel for a lost opportunity to possibly affect more change on a grander scale. This will surely pass when I want to jump out a window in October and it crosses my mind how much happier I am that there will not be a camera crew to capture my student-induced hysteria.

For now, I have to get back to doing all of those papers that I was supposed to be doing over the summer for my Johns Hopkins courses. Five 10 page papers...due tomorrow. I have done one -- rather hastily, too. Ahhh....it feels like Williams again.

On the Road.

Have lots of pictures...but no means of putting them online yet. You'll have to wait for those. But in the meantime: "Heeeeellllllllllo from Hays, Kansas!" Jamie and I are halfway across the country after spending an evening in Las Vegas and Grand Junction, Colorado. Tomorrow, we're going to stop by the Long family farm in Kansas City! Exciting.

On Friday night, Jamie and I got to see the Cirque Du Soleil show which was amazing. I cannot get over how much money they spend on the set...truly amazing. Afterwards, we went to a pretty amazing dinner at Nobu. So delicious. So expensivee. So glad that my dad loves me.

Anyway, I have to go, but I just wanted to check in...expect more updates in the near future...

Voyage

Today is my last day in Los Angeles for a while. Tomorrow morning -- bright and early -- Jamie and I will be starting our voyage back across the country to our new apartment. Tomorrow's destination: Las Vegas. So it's a short leg of the trip, but we figured it was worth it as my parents would be able to come with us (and pay for our hotel and buy us one last nice dinner) and we could meet up with the brother and sister-in-law. We are also going to see another Cirque Du Soleil show...and Jamie will not be put in a box. I think I'm going to drug him beforehand so he won't be quite so perky and volunteer-worthy.

I'm probably not going to be able to post as often...but stay tuned anyway for pictures of our wacky cross-country adventure!

Now I See.

The surgery was a success! Definitely not all that painful (except for one or two “pinches”), more along the uncomfortable side. Since I was pretty much blind without my glasses, I must say that the whole process was definitely worth it for me. I still don’t have my full vision back, but I’m almost 20/20 right now. Cool.

The actual procedure was really quick. I was in the operating room for maybe ten minutes at the most. My only qualm about the whole thing is that I probably wouldn’t want to know exactly what he was doing before I walked in there. Sure, it’s good to know what all those tools are for…but I would have been just fine with: “this won’t hurt a bit”. What was the most uncomfortable about the whole process was knowing that that little squeeze of pressure on my eyeball was them lopping off my lens. Since I they were operating on my eye, I could actually see them coming at me with their eyeball tools. This wreaked havoc on my thinking:

Melissa’s Inner Monologue: This is very Clockwork Orange. What if I make a superhuman blink and I bust off the clamps on my eyelids?? Oh my God what is that thing?? He must be getting ready to open my cornea. WhatamIdoingherewhatamIdoinghere?? Oh! That wasn’t very painful at all…look there it goes and now everything is really extra blurry. So now I have to watch the yellow light…ack! There’s the laser! It smells like burning…that’s my cornea burning. Gross. Ooh! There’s a green light too! I wanna look at that light too…No! I can’t because then that laser’ll totally burn a hole in the wrong part of my eye. Don’t look at the green light don’t look at the green light don’t look at the green light. But it’s so shiny.

Anyway, the process continued like that. I feel that had I not known exactly what was going on it would have been more like “look at all those lights”!

Butterflies.

So I'm heading into the operating room real soon. I'm a little nervous but also excited. If all goes well, I'll be able to crush those disguting glasses that I've had since I was 12. Actually...maybe I will crush them anyway.

Still haven't come to a final decision about the NBC thing. I called the lady and left a message but didn't give a definitive answer. Thanks to all who sent me emails and words of advice...right now, I'm leaning towards doing it. That can all change very quickly though.

Okay. Now I'm going to go have my eyes cut open. Cross your fingers for me!

Goodbye Glasses.

I got back home on Saturday and spent my first night at the beach house. On Sunday morning, there were so many dolphins playing in the water just off the beach in front of my house. They were doing flips and splashing around for hours. Or so I'm told: I was there...I could see the blurry little flashes of gray and frothy splashes of white, but I couldn't see the dolphins clearly. It was sad and I was bitter at the oohs and ahhs of Jamie and my parents who could see them clearly.

It's okay though, because tomorrow (technically today) at noon I will be going under the laser. That's right...my eye surgery. I had my consultation with the doctor today -- apparently I'm blind. I'm also so blind that I'm not eligible for Lasik surgery. Luckily, my eyes are healthy enough and my cornea is thick enough, that I'm good to go. The only drawback is that I may not be able to get all the way to 20/20 to stay. Meaning...somewhere down the road, I might need to get glasses again...but they would be for minor corrections and not the thick lenses I have now. Also, I would be perfectly functional without them...I would just need them if I were going to a theater and wanted to see the action from the back row or driving long distances at night.

Wish me luck! I will let you know how it goes!

I Need a Show of Hands.

This morning at 7am I got a phone call from TFA: apparently they have chosen me to be the subject of a NBC Dateline story about TFA. This would require me to be followed by a camera crew for my entire first-year of teaching. Luckily, I wouldn't be filmed every day -- they are aiming for once a week, but it is more likely that it would something along the lines of once a month. To make up for the times that a camera crew couldn't be in my classroom, I would be given a handheld camera with which to document my classroom antics.

This is a great opportunity. I am terrified.

I need advice! I need suggestions! I need someone to tell me what to do. So far, the overwhelming response has been YES. All day, I have been dreading it for several reasons. Let us weigh the pros and cons:

Cons:

- Having a camera crew in the back of my classroom would be distracting to both me and my students. Although, from my experience thus far, I don't think my teaching would be affected all that much. I tend to zone everything else out while I'm teaching. Over the summer, I would finish up a lesson plan and realize that there had been five people observing me the whole time. I have also been assured that my kids wouldn't be too distracted by the cameras...since most kids tend to have short attention spans, they would quickly forget that they were there at all. Last, teachers are videotaped all the time anyway -- mostly for their own professional development or to give the principal a chance to check up on your work.

- The added stress on the first day. It is challenging enough -- adding a camera crew and the stress of appearing professional on the first day is something that would just up the ante. Blech.

- I am squeamish about seeing myself on t.v. I can barely stomach rereading some of these blog posts -- I can't imagine what it would be like to have to watch myself on television. Seriously...I cannot watch home videos with me in them.

- Time. I'm not sure how much time the whole thing will take...probably not that much at all. Still, it will be my first year teaching, I will be getting my masters at Johns Hopkins, and I live a good distance away from my school. Time will be something I lack.

- The very good chance that I will fail and bring embarrassment and shame to the Umezaki name. My teaching could be a total and utter failure next year. My classroom may not jibe with me, I could completely break down, and it will all be captured on film and broadcast throughout the U.S.

Pros:

- The opportunity. They don't come very often, and when they do come, I hear you're supposed to seize them. Also, it is kind of an honor and it might be bratty for me to turn it down.

- Affecting Change. So, if the whole reason that I got involved with Teach For America was to try and make some positive change in a child's life, wouldn't this documentary be another avenue for me to make even greater changes. Before, I would be able to work with my students and their familes within our little classroom bubble. Maybe this video is the opportunity for me to reach outside that bubble and into the lives of other people. If I could inspire one more person to consider and apply for TFA, than I might be positively affecting their lives and those of their future students. If I'm really true to the TFA mission than this pro should trump all cons -- especially the con about my insecurities. Of course, there is the risk that I will be so crappy that I will actually disuade people from applying...

- I'd be helping TFA. And we all know that I'm fond of TFA.

- It's a good opportunity for me to grow as a person and as a teacher. What better way to learn from my mistakes than to have them documented on film for me to review?

- I would have an incredible collection of memories for my first year.

So...should I do it? Comment and let me know...I'm supposed to tell the lady today...I'm scared.

Saying Goodbye.

Today was my last day teaching at PS 53. It was so hard to say goodbye to my kids...especially because most of them were crying when they walked out the room at the end of the day. It’s amazing how attached I got to these children after teaching them for just a few short weeks (some of them didn’t come into our classroom until last week)! I can’t even beging to fathom what it will be like to say goodbye to my children at the end of the school year in June.

But now I’m getting ahead of myself.


…and instead of doing that, let’s go on a quick photo tour of my class…


Welcome to Our Classroom.


View of the front


The Fabo Collabo – Maria, Danielle, and Diamond this morning before our last day. Bright, shiny faces…


…and of course: all my lovelies.

Want more?

Hard at work.


Khaliq.


Friends.











And I will end with an excerpt from a paper that Jarolis wrote today:
“I know that sometimes I peeve my teachers, especially Ms. Robles, but I am glad they didn’t give up.” She aced her math exam today…

Troubleshooting.

I just spent a good ten minutes erasing my phone...literally, with a pencil eraser. Apparently, that is what you are supposed to do when your phone spontaneously stops working.

This morning, when I woke up my phone hadn't been charging. In fact, it was saying that my battery was invalid. I futzed around with it for a while and ended up writing an email to Motorola to see what the deal was. I had not dropped it, I knew that the chance that both batteries would stop working all of the sudden was small...Their response? Erase the contact points for the battery and the phone with a pencil eraser. So I did. Still didn't work. But, while I was erasing, I did notice that two of the sticky-outy parts of the contacts weren't so sticky-out. I poked and prodded until they stuck out again...now my phone works.

The nine hours without my phone made me realize how dependent I am on this thing. Seriously...it was scary.

Okay. Now for the official good news: I have a job! This time for real! It's the same school I mentioned before, but it's not so sketchy anymore. I spoke to the principal who was awesome and she immediately offered me the position. The catch? I had to be back in Baltimore on the 2nd (next Tuesday) to get trained for a special reading program to be taught in my classroom. They'd pay me...but then I'd lose my one chance to get home this summer. Also, I already bought a ticket to fly home. Also, I'm having eye surgery. Also, my dad gave me expensive tickets to see Cirque De Soliel in Vegas on Saturday....really expensive. Also, I want to drive across the country with Jamie.

So. I told her all this, but I also told her I would see what I could do. All day I fretted over what to do...here was this opportunity to teach 3rd grade (which is what I would really want), at a school that has a really good relationship with TFA. What if I blew it by being stubborn. In the end, I told her no -- I wanted the eye surgery. She was awesome and gave me the position anyway...in fact, I'll still be getting paid to go! I'll just be doing it late August!

So: this is my school! After further research, I realized that this is the best placement in Baltimore for me. I know the teacher I am replacing -- her 3rd graders came to speak to the corps during pre-institute induction about what it was like having a TFA teacher, and she and I had a nice conversation afterwards because I had recognized her from the TFA promotional video that I had to watch so many times. Also, she's such a good teacher that they have shown videos of her in the classroom all throughout training.

She is awesome and offered to help me get set up in the classroom and offer pointers and tips for teaching at Belmont. The only downside of all this is that she is a hard act to follow. Still...I'm really excited. Trying not to get my hopes up, since nothing has been cleared by Human Resources yet...but according to the program director my position at Belmont is "rock solid". Cross your fingers kids.

As Promised...

...I present to you: Devil Squirrel.



So the other day, I was walking back from a meeting at Fordham and I hear this weird noise. It's a loud crunch sound and then a bunch of rustling, followed by squeaking...repeat. It's weird to me because it sounds so nearby, but I can't see anyone in the near vicnity. That's when I see Devil Squirrel. He climbed to the top of the fence (squeaking)...then leaped into a pile of garbage at the bottom (loud crunch)...then rolled around in it (rustling)...then scurried back up the fence (squeak). This he did a number of times before I decided to document it with my digital camera. Then he just sat on the fence and growled at me.

I’m telling you…EVIL. Notice the ratlikeness and the bright orange tail.

My Calves are Bleating.

So what if I haven't updated in a while; life has been somewhat hectic. Here's a quick update for your blogging pleasure.

Today I finally got to teach for the entire day. It actually went really well -- the kids were ANGELS -- but, I have to say that I had nothing to do with their incredible behavior. When I told them to do something, they did it. When I asked for silence, they gave it to me. When I ask for suggestions or volunteers all hands went up. Life is good.

However, I must reflect on me. I wasn't completely pleased with how things went today. I find myself being a pretty big softie. While the kids didn't take advantage of this today -- they could have. Towards the end of the day -- as they got more restless -- I started to worry that they might sense my weakness and exploit it. Luckily, they didn't. I think that this wussiness will not be as big an issue next fall when I have my own class. When I have to work with the kids everyday for 8 hours, I feel like I will be able to be much firmer with my rules and procedures. As it is, I only get them for an hour or two (although today I got them for five) so I don't feel as comfortable being super firm. Also, these kids are in SUMMER SCHOOL. I remember how crappy that was...

My other complaint about today is that my calves. are. SORE. Walking around in three inch heels all day? Not a good idea. I did not sit or lean for four and a half hours in these horrible shoes...surprisingly my feet don't hurt...just my calves. Funny...except not.

In other news, I finally got a phone call from a principal who wants me to teach at her school. I worry though because I think this may be on the downlow. Suspicious. I went ahead and got as much information as I could about the school...so hopefully when I speak to her tomorrow I will have a better idea of what I'm getting into. It seems as though the school needs a lot of help...it hasn't met any goals since 1997 and it is currently 25% below state level in all test results at best.

Also, something interesting to note, looking at the demographics I found that the student body is 100% African-American and href="http://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins! I am now, officially a grad student and on my way to a Masters for Teaching. Sadly, upon receiving my schedule I find that I will no longer be able to watch The OC as I will be in class and won't get home 'til after 10pm. Oh well. So ends my love affair with Seth Cohen.

You know? After getting the link to The OC website I see that they actually moved! Hello Seth Cohen!

To top off this pretty amazing day: Li'l Brudder.

Warm Fuzzies.

Today Elmer,one of my students, told me I was the best teacher he had ever had. It made me blush. Still, one of the things that I've learned this summer is that kids can toss around statements such as this one pretty easily.  Let's just see if he still likes me when I teach all day on Monday...

I'm beginning to come around on Math.  Seriously, the most rewarding thing about teaching is watching a student have their epiphany.  With math, it's just so concrete and tangible when they finally understand an objective.  They either get the problem right and can explain every step to you, or they can't.

This was the case with Ramon today.  His normal math group teacher had to leave early so he joined my group.  Unfortunately, he was still struggling with adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators while my students had already mastered it.  As we kept working on problems -- and he kept on making the same mistakes -- he grew more and more frustrated with himself.  Lighting up whenever he thought he got it and then darkening each time I had to correct his work.

After working through so many problems and bringing out manipulatives and drawing diagrams he finally got it in the 11th hour.  He was so proud of himself (and I was proud of him too) that he asked me for homework problems for practice.  Several high fives later, I sent him to his literacy group center.  Apparently, once he got there he kept on talking about his success in math and he asked if there were any books he could read on fractions.

It was a good day in the classroom today.

Pictures.

I got around to posting those pictures now.  So...


The glasses as modeled by bookworm: professional chic.


The dormroom in the Bronx. It's cozy.


The desk. You may notice: the book on "Reptiles" I plan on reading to my class next time I teach. The massive TFA binder. The floorplan of the apartment Jamie and I were considering (we ended up upgrading to a 2 bedroom version of that floorplan), and the lovely free printer. Bookworm is updating my log for me.