Off The Hook!

Earlier this summer I went to a taping of the new Food Network show, Guy Off the Hook. In this show Guy Fieri cooks in front of a live audience.

The two shows that were taped, Far East, Far Out & Seoul Food, are being showed during the month of October on the 5th and 19th respectively. For the latter show, my friend and I sat stage left and got to taste the delicious s'more egg rolls (mmmmm!). Check your Food Network listings!

Take Off!

The Discovery Channel is showing When We Left Earth: NASA Missions on TV. I caught it this afternoon and I found myself mesmerized.

When I visited the Johnson Space Center Museum in Houston, Texas, I took in each and every possible exhibit and demonstration. I loved looking at the NASA mission time line and seeing memorabilia from the Apollo missions, crew pictures including Ronald E. McNair (2nd African American in space, 1984) and Sharon Christa McAuliffe (the first teacher to fly to space) from the tragic Challenger Shuttle Mission in 1986 , and information on Columbia Shuttle Mission re-entry tragedy in 2003.

NASA tragedies aside, I love learning about space travel and astrology (sometimes). I love seeing the moon and stars! I am amazed by the intellect and physical strength that astronauts/mission specialists possess in order to train and then travel into space. Most have experience in the U.S. Navy or Air Force, which speaks towards their training.

Most importantly, the legacy that astronauts leave behind is insurmountable, especially if they live to talk about it. How do you describe telling your child "I was one of the people who put the Hubble Telescope into orbit"? How does your child feel knowing that, they may never surpass such an accomplishment. If you don't make it due to some unfortunate mission tragedy, your former schools can be renamed to pay tribute, significant buildings in your field may be named after your, and you can even have an asteroid named after you.

I don't think teaching would get me all of that. Well, not unless I'm a teacher that travels to space. Until that happens, I'm adding something to my to-do before I'm 30 list: See a space shuttle launch.

*Jas*

Disney Run: 2

I'm injured already!

My second week of training so far has been spent limping around with Neuroma.

It feels like I'm walking on a bunched up sock, but barefoot. The bottom of my foot seems swollen, but it appears to be the same size as the other. When I told my Team in Training mentor about the pain she inquired about my running shoes. Right now, I'm running in an old pair of Adidas outside and a newer pair of Nike running shoes with great stability and cushion at the gym.

She told me two important things:
1. I need more cushion at the ball of my foot. My foot was clearly telling me this.
2. I need a bigger running shoe. One that has approximately half an inch space between in front of my longest toe.

With that... I need to get new running shoes!

I haven't run all week and I'm hoping to run at Saturday's practice. Until I get those shoes, it's ice on the foot.

Make a donation to honor those battling blood cancers here.
*Jas*

Disney Run: 1

This week of training was fun, fulfilling, and very challenging.

I've never voluntarily run...EVER! Playing basketball, running up and down a court is nothing like running around a park or track. Good thing I like to people watch!

On Wednesdays and Saturdays I have team runs in Prospect Park. I've only been in this park three times, so these runs familiarize me with the park.

Our first run was a "fun run" where we ran 15 minutes out and 15 minutes in. I walked most of the path. I was in back! The very last person. When the group turned around one of the coaches helped me find my running pace and I went from walking most of the path or running most of the path.

I missed the Saturday run in Central Park, but I met back up with the group for a Wednesday run focusing on our arm swing. Awesome! We were to run 0.25 miles off (running regularly) and 0.25 miles on (focusing on form). I ran the first 0.25 miles at my own special pace :-) But I was still in back :-( It's okay! I'm improving at my own pace because I ran most of my treadmill workout the following day.

I finally made it to a Saturday run and I was very nervous. I thought that they were going to run us to death. To my surprise our run was to get us even more familiar with the park by running the entire loop, 3.3 miles! I started out with my special running pace and after 0.25 miles I was feeling fine so I kept running...and running...and running. Sixteen minutes later I exclaimed to my running partner "I just ran my first mile without stopping! I haven't done that since elementary school." Quite an accomplishment for me, the non-runner.

Stay tuned for the next week...

Help to improve a Leukemia patient's quality of life here.

Team in Training: Disney Marathon

On September 10th, I began raising funds for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and training for a marathon with their Team in Training program. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training^®, provides participants with professional coaching and training for the world's major marathons, half marathons, triathlons or century (100-mile) bike rides. In January, I will compete in my first full marathon (26.2 miles) at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Some of you may be wondering why? Well... not only am I doing this for my God Mother's father who passed away from Leukemia a few years back, but I am also doing this for my students. Leukemia is the No. 1 disease killer of children! The money that I raise funds research and cures for all blood cancers, including leukemia, Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma or myeloma.

As I work to improve the quality of life of blood cancer patients, I am also working to improve my quality of life through fitness and health. I've been overweight for most of my life and for the past 3 years out of college, I've fallen into a state of being inactive. My energy levels have been low and my body is showing signs of stress. Completing this marathon shows my dedication to my personal fitness goals.

Visit my fundraising page to make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission.

Check back for training updates!

*Jas*

Emotional Pain In The...

You know that feeling in your throat that you get when you're fuming mad and hold whatever you want to say in. It's like a burning piece of coal in your throat that moves up your knock and into the back of your mouth. It now starts to sting as if you ate something that was knock-your-socks-off spicy or smack-your-momma sour. You then feel your body temperature rise, jaw locks, eyes water, behind the ears gets hot, and your head starts pounding.

I imagine this is how infuriated a fourth grade students was when he decided to yell, scream, and toss a chair in our classroom. Right?

I mean, why would you not be expected to sit down in a chair and not talk across the room?

Some educators think that this student needs strategies to deal with his anger. Eh, maybe. But wise ol' momma-Jas once told me, "When you cry and tantrum you're making the decision to not to use your words to express yourself. You're letting your emotions take over the power of your words." She always taught me that my words, opinion/voice are will get me further than tears and tantrums. I can't remember if it was a look or if I got my behind tore up for trying to tantrum. I do remember that I was ALWAYS able to question others and explain my feelings to adults if done respectfully and in a timely-manner.

Where has parenting gone? And so I pray...

*Jas*

Lunch Box vs. Academic/Social Behavior

Since last Friday, Roommate #2 and I have received phone calls from a parent every day after school.
No, not to ask about homework.
No, not to see if the student completes classwork.
No, definitely not to say hello and meet his new teachers.
No, not to discuss why he kicked another student.
He never talks back to adults or when the teacher is talking, so it wasn't to
discuss that.

It was to ask us about his dang on LUNCH BOX!!! I need to pray...

*Jas*

A sign of the future? I'm still for O'Biden...

Obama's platform for change resonates with many young activists and has generated a lot of excitement. Former Real World cast member and "hip-hop historian" Kevin Powell caught the political bug during this momentous time.

Powell sought to paint the congressman as an outdated, out-of-touch representative whom voters should retire after 13 terms. He also sought to position himself as part of a new generation of political activists, seizing on the excitement generated by Barack Obama's historic presidential bid.

I hope Powell continues to push ahead in politics, brining his momentum to local or state political arenas where NYC could use his fresh ideas and community roots. And so I pray...

*Jas*

Attachments

"EH isn't coming back this year!" roommate #2 exclaimed.

I sighed in relief and continued to my other task of keeping 21 fourth grade males engaged in their math activity. After passing EH's name tag at an empty seat several times that morning, the relief quickly turned to sadness. I was looking forward to EH's moodiness and charm. This student grew to be one of my favorites throughout my first year teaching and now I wondered if I would ever see him again.

Another favorite of mine from last year still comes up to the school to visit and I feel like I am seeing an old friend. Her smile still makes my day! I hope she and he stay sweet, where ever they go. And so I pray!

*Jas*

Let Me Introduce Roommates 1, 2, and 3.

Roommate 1: This is the roommate that I share my spacious 2.5 bedroom apartment with. She's a 23 year old female who is also from the mid-west. We went to college together. She'll be called... CN.

Roommate 2: This is the educator that I share my beautiful 4th grade classroom with. He's an older 20-something year old male who has been an assistant teacher for way too long (I'll get to that in a later post) and has been with this class since first grade, excluding second grade when they were with me. I teach with him in the morning and afternoon when I have my homeroom group. He'll be called... RC.

Roommate 3: This is the other educator that I share my classroom with. She is a recent college graduate who is entering her first year teaching. I teach with her for a few hours in the morning. She'll be called...BR.

These are my "living"arrangements for the next few months. I say few months because I'm not exactly sure where my heart is for this school year and if I'll make it. Come with me as I live and learn with these three others in my life. And so I pray...

*Jas*

New beginnings...

This year I'm teaching 4th grade! Yaaay!!! Or not...

If teaching at a charter school wasn't hard enough, NOW I get the opportunity to teach in a testing grade. And not just any testing grade, but the one that gets students into the city's best (or worst) middle schools. It's kind of cool that these are the same students that I had my first year teaching when they were in second grade. There's older, hopefully more mature, and so am I! I mean, isn't that why my school's leadership team put me in this position, because they knew I'd succeed? Or did they put me there to burn me out of teaching for good and serve me up on a silver platter? From the looks of today, I'd say the latter.

My first day was not only filled with endless technology mishaps, but I had the pleasure of meeting with the a group of people that disregarded my previous experience with this group of students and the fact that most behaviors were magnified from it being the first day of school!

I'm not liking it... not one bit! However, I do believe that everything happens for a reason and there is usually a lesson in such unfortunate circumstances. And so I pray...

*Jas*