I was teaching a lesson on figurative language and poetic devices. Every time I teach a poetry unit of any sort, I always use music because that's what kids know without realizing music is chock full of poetic elements. As an assignment, students were assigned to go home, listen to their own music, and find lyrics that contain figurative language of some sort. I told them that while I am very well aware that most songs these days have some type of inappropriate reference or language, that the portion of the lyrics turned in as their work must be clean of such things.
I then made the mistake of saying, "I know what music is like...I probably listen to a lot of the same music as you guys."
Laughter erupted.
Either I'm starting to look really old, or being a teacher automatically makes me an alien that doesn't do or like "normal" human things...
Friday, April 25, 2014
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Thank You
8 letters. 2 words. Within them, so much meaning.
"Thank You" can evoke powerful emotion within its two syllables, and yet, it sometimes just don't seem quite enough. From acts as small as a stranger holding the door open for you, to those of great valor like all those who serve in our military...regardless of the type of act that warrants gratitude, we still use the same two words.
I will say one thing, though. As a teacher, there are few greater moments in life than when a student says thank you.. Even better when that thank you is followed up with, "I really needed help on that, now I get it". Oh, be still my heart! Small moments. Big picture. Two small words. One giant feeling of happiness.
"Thank You" can evoke powerful emotion within its two syllables, and yet, it sometimes just don't seem quite enough. From acts as small as a stranger holding the door open for you, to those of great valor like all those who serve in our military...regardless of the type of act that warrants gratitude, we still use the same two words.
I will say one thing, though. As a teacher, there are few greater moments in life than when a student says thank you.. Even better when that thank you is followed up with, "I really needed help on that, now I get it". Oh, be still my heart! Small moments. Big picture. Two small words. One giant feeling of happiness.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Love Is All Around
I apologize for the lack of a more witty blog post title. I'm not even sure who I'm apologizing to since nobody reads this but me at the moment. Anyhow. I'm stealing from the movie "Love, Actually" because my brain's creative light has been dimmed down for the evening.
The school I now work at serves a very different demographic of students than my previous school. While I've worked with students who come from various backgrounds, this is my first time working with students where the majority of them have endured great trauma and tragedy in their short lives. This baggage is a part of who they are and they carry it with them into school every day. While this may seem as a challenge (and you're right, it is), it is also an incredible opportunity disguised by layers of unfortunate circumstances, lack of a foundation, and hardship. As their teachers, we have the meticulous job of peeling each layer and carefully revealing the real student underneath. The student who maybe has never had a positive role model, the student who maybe has never had a permanent place to call "home", the student who has been taught to keep people out rather than allow them in, the student who has always been made aware of every wrong-doing in his life, but not the good, the student who has been told that there wasn't much hope for them -- underneath the tough exterior, they are young, sensitive, and craving for structure and positive attention. What a special job we have.
In my short time at this school, I have already encountered situations and students that I would have never experienced at my previous school. In just observing them, these students have already taught me so much. I thought I was in tune with my surroundings and what was going on in my communities, but I have learned that I live in somewhat of a bubble. If I had been through what some of these kids have at their age, I'm not sure that school would have been a high priority in my life either. The sheer fact that they wake up every day and get to school is an achievement in and of itself, and for the ones who don't quite make it every single day...well, we're working on it.
I don't use this term loosely because I feel like society abuses it with overuse, but they really truly are inspiring. One of our seniors is 17 years old, has a 2 year old baby, and takes 2 public buses to get to school. She hasn't missed a day all year and will be graduating this May. She's been accepted to CSULB, where she will be attending in the Fall. Her attitude is empowering and makes me take a step back and evaluate my own attitude about life's short comings. She refuses to be a victim of circumstance, and I surely can take a thing or two away from her example.
So the title of this blog post...I guess what I really should say is that Inspiration is all around. We often look for the easy-to-spot kids who have tangible forms of achievement, and we label them as inspirational. Granted, those kids who have worked hard for their GPAs, awards, and scholarships all deserve their recognition as well, but we cannot forget about the ones who seem more reluctant or hostile...the "at-risk" kids that schools often try to bury underneath all their success by numbers. These kids also have so much to share, and they often come paired with an incredible story, and an openness that just needs a little TLC.
The school I now work at serves a very different demographic of students than my previous school. While I've worked with students who come from various backgrounds, this is my first time working with students where the majority of them have endured great trauma and tragedy in their short lives. This baggage is a part of who they are and they carry it with them into school every day. While this may seem as a challenge (and you're right, it is), it is also an incredible opportunity disguised by layers of unfortunate circumstances, lack of a foundation, and hardship. As their teachers, we have the meticulous job of peeling each layer and carefully revealing the real student underneath. The student who maybe has never had a positive role model, the student who maybe has never had a permanent place to call "home", the student who has been taught to keep people out rather than allow them in, the student who has always been made aware of every wrong-doing in his life, but not the good, the student who has been told that there wasn't much hope for them -- underneath the tough exterior, they are young, sensitive, and craving for structure and positive attention. What a special job we have.
In my short time at this school, I have already encountered situations and students that I would have never experienced at my previous school. In just observing them, these students have already taught me so much. I thought I was in tune with my surroundings and what was going on in my communities, but I have learned that I live in somewhat of a bubble. If I had been through what some of these kids have at their age, I'm not sure that school would have been a high priority in my life either. The sheer fact that they wake up every day and get to school is an achievement in and of itself, and for the ones who don't quite make it every single day...well, we're working on it.
I don't use this term loosely because I feel like society abuses it with overuse, but they really truly are inspiring. One of our seniors is 17 years old, has a 2 year old baby, and takes 2 public buses to get to school. She hasn't missed a day all year and will be graduating this May. She's been accepted to CSULB, where she will be attending in the Fall. Her attitude is empowering and makes me take a step back and evaluate my own attitude about life's short comings. She refuses to be a victim of circumstance, and I surely can take a thing or two away from her example.
So the title of this blog post...I guess what I really should say is that Inspiration is all around. We often look for the easy-to-spot kids who have tangible forms of achievement, and we label them as inspirational. Granted, those kids who have worked hard for their GPAs, awards, and scholarships all deserve their recognition as well, but we cannot forget about the ones who seem more reluctant or hostile...the "at-risk" kids that schools often try to bury underneath all their success by numbers. These kids also have so much to share, and they often come paired with an incredible story, and an openness that just needs a little TLC.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
First Page, Next Chapter
It finally happened.
I have a full time teaching position! Without delving into old wounds and making this happy occasion a reminder of some very low places I went to within myself, I will say that I feel as though a big burden has been lifted from me. It was an extend-my-arms-to-the-heavens-and-declare-"Hallelujah!"-moment. I may or may not have done a happy jig by myself in the car when Pharrell's "Happy" came on the radio moments after getting the call. Coincidence? I think not.
I know the challenge is only beginning, and there will be many a gray hair-inducing days ahead of me. And while the inevitable nerves have already started churning in my stomach, there is also a ferociously burning fire in my soul. I pray that I can be the effective teacher I imagine myself to be.
With that said, I have come across so many amazing teacher blogs over the past year or two, all them so fabulously cute, informative, and so..."Pinterest"...for lack of a better word. Some of these blogs are very focused in terms of its content, ranging from classroom organization and lesson plans to blogs dedicated to teacher wardrobes and outfit ideas. I'm not confident that I could focus on just ONE aspect of teaching in this blog, so I'll just say now that I hope to make it a hodgepodge of teacher-related "stuff". I hope to share the ups and downs of teaching high school, the hilarious anecdotes and student quotes that will inevitably follow, and whatever other teacher/education related things I find inspiring or hope to inspire with.
I am so looking forward to the personal and professional growth I will experience, and can't wait to meet my students!. Here's to the first page of the next chapter.
I have a full time teaching position! Without delving into old wounds and making this happy occasion a reminder of some very low places I went to within myself, I will say that I feel as though a big burden has been lifted from me. It was an extend-my-arms-to-the-heavens-and-declare-"Hallelujah!"-moment. I may or may not have done a happy jig by myself in the car when Pharrell's "Happy" came on the radio moments after getting the call. Coincidence? I think not.
I know the challenge is only beginning, and there will be many a gray hair-inducing days ahead of me. And while the inevitable nerves have already started churning in my stomach, there is also a ferociously burning fire in my soul. I pray that I can be the effective teacher I imagine myself to be.
With that said, I have come across so many amazing teacher blogs over the past year or two, all them so fabulously cute, informative, and so..."Pinterest"...for lack of a better word. Some of these blogs are very focused in terms of its content, ranging from classroom organization and lesson plans to blogs dedicated to teacher wardrobes and outfit ideas. I'm not confident that I could focus on just ONE aspect of teaching in this blog, so I'll just say now that I hope to make it a hodgepodge of teacher-related "stuff". I hope to share the ups and downs of teaching high school, the hilarious anecdotes and student quotes that will inevitably follow, and whatever other teacher/education related things I find inspiring or hope to inspire with.
I am so looking forward to the personal and professional growth I will experience, and can't wait to meet my students!. Here's to the first page of the next chapter.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Itsy Bitsy Spider
I was standing outside this evening, and the sight of an ominous looking yellow spider caught my eye. Half paralyzed in fear and half in intrigue, I stopped in my tracks and observed the ugly little creature for a few minutes. I watched the spider spin its web of intricately woven silk, diligently crawling up and down to create its masterpiece. It seemed like such a menial task and tedious task. The silk so thin and delicate, that if a person or anything other than an insect was to accidentally pass through it, all the spider’s meticulous and conscientious work would be immediately destroyed.
As I watched the spider repetitiously pull silk from post to post, I realized that although we usually view spider webs as an annoyance to our likeliness of the outdoors (don’t tell me you don’t go ape shit and flail your arms around like a maniac the moment you feel the slight stickiness of a spider web on you), the patience and painstaking work that a spider puts into its web is in all actuality, quite admirable. The dull task of weaving silk back and forth, to and fro, while uninspiring on the surface, is in fact the kind of humdrum work required to create the web. A small act for a much bigger picture.
I (almost) became completely absorbed in the spider’s work and then it dawned on me. We are all spiders. Itsy bitsy ones in this vast world, but nonetheless, spiders. We go through each day having to muster up the enthusiasm and energy to pull our own fragile strings of silk across the many facets that make up our life all the while knowing damn well that at any moment, our hard work may be interrupted or torn down. Sometimes the days become mundane, tasks lack excitement, and life tastes stale. What we should remember, as this spider reminded me tonight, is that there is a much bigger picture to all that we do. The hard work and diligence we exert now will create a masterpiece in the end. It may not be the masterpiece we envisioned with the first pull of our web, but it's the masterpiece intended for us all along. So long as we do our part, for our own individual lives and for the greater good of human kind.
“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” -Howard Zinn
As I watched the spider repetitiously pull silk from post to post, I realized that although we usually view spider webs as an annoyance to our likeliness of the outdoors (don’t tell me you don’t go ape shit and flail your arms around like a maniac the moment you feel the slight stickiness of a spider web on you), the patience and painstaking work that a spider puts into its web is in all actuality, quite admirable. The dull task of weaving silk back and forth, to and fro, while uninspiring on the surface, is in fact the kind of humdrum work required to create the web. A small act for a much bigger picture.
I (almost) became completely absorbed in the spider’s work and then it dawned on me. We are all spiders. Itsy bitsy ones in this vast world, but nonetheless, spiders. We go through each day having to muster up the enthusiasm and energy to pull our own fragile strings of silk across the many facets that make up our life all the while knowing damn well that at any moment, our hard work may be interrupted or torn down. Sometimes the days become mundane, tasks lack excitement, and life tastes stale. What we should remember, as this spider reminded me tonight, is that there is a much bigger picture to all that we do. The hard work and diligence we exert now will create a masterpiece in the end. It may not be the masterpiece we envisioned with the first pull of our web, but it's the masterpiece intended for us all along. So long as we do our part, for our own individual lives and for the greater good of human kind.
“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” -Howard Zinn
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Fuck Cancer
On World Cancer Day...
For my grandfather who lost his battle to cancer. And for my best friend who is fighting with a lightheartedness that most people struggle to find in their daily life, let alone when they are diagnosed with cancer.
For my grandfather who lost his battle to cancer. And for my best friend who is fighting with a lightheartedness that most people struggle to find in their daily life, let alone when they are diagnosed with cancer.
"What Cancer Cannot Do"
Cancer is so limited...
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the spirit"
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the spirit"
-Author Unknown
http://www.worldcancerday.org/
Monday, February 3, 2014
The Fear of Passion
Is it a risk not to have a Plan B? What if I've been so focused on Plan A, the thing I am most passionate about, that not reaching that goal was never an option? At what point do you say that enough is enough and it's time to move on? Is there such a thing as moving on if it's the one thing in your gut that you know you were meant to do?
A goal without a timeline is just a dream.
So how do I create a timeline? How am I supposed to put an expiration date on my goal? Would it be more brave for me to say "Ok, I tried. I have to move on" or to keep on keepin' on?
That is the fear of passion. And the worst part? No right answer.
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