Highs and Lows

Highs

• The kids were so sweet when we returned to school on Wednesday
• It was a three day work week!
• We went to Big Gay Ice Cream and it was fantastic…I’ll share more later
• I’m reading Sheryl Sandberg’s book, “Lean In” and I love it. Her TED talk is awesome too and definitely worth 15 minutes of your time
• One of my kids cleaned and organized my desk area, I was verrry appreciative
• We celebrated another birthday at the tackiest Indian restaurant in the city and as always, it was awesome!
• I finished my first 10k this morning!!
• It looks like it is going to be a beautiful weekend in the city!

Lows

• I saw a man walking through Central Park with a stroller…it was empty with the exception of a teddy bear…tell me that isn’t creepy
• I left a bottle of wine on the bus…whoops!

Highs and Lows

Highs

• The kids were oddly calm on Monday
• The Ducks are in the tourney! And, they won their first game!
• My older kids have really been loving my duck stamp lately. I’ve heard “quack, quack”, “I want a ducky”, and “where is señor la quack?”
• A bar right by my house has Ballast Point on tap…so crazy
• My observation is over, and it went well! Fingers crossed I’m almost done with formal observations for the year
• One of my students who is in the school’s culinary program brought me the most amazing pasta…so delicious
• It is SPRING BREAK!!! I cannot express the sheer joy I feel right now
• I fly to San Fran tonight! See you soon, Kayc!

Lows

• People are crazy
• I hate last minute meetings. Can’t a girl just ask for some warning?
• Rumor has it we are officially in Spring…so why is it still snowing?

Highs and Lows

Highs

• I had an awesome birthday! Thank you for making me feel so loved!
• I got an awesome happy birthday serenade from my kids that included a few soulful echoes
• Public transportation was on my side on Monday night
• Wednesday was a good, good day
• My third period was absolutely silent as they took their test today. I may have been in complete shock but I was absolutely thrilled
• I’m going to Jazz at Lincoln Center tonight!

Lows

• I spotted a mouse in my classroom…he was just poking around under my feet as I sat at my desk…gross. Why are mice everywhere?
• A student told me “snitches get stitches”…the comment wasn’t appreciated

Highs and Lows

Highs

• I got brunch with family friends that I hadn’t seen since I was a kid. It was so much fun!
• I went to my first NHL game. Despite the fact that the Rangers lost, it was awesome to see the game and check out Madison Square Garden
• My kids got into a debate over which of their teachers would be which member of Destiny’s Child…it was hilarious, and I got it on video!
• One if my craziest classes was oddly calm this week…it’s wild the difference a suspension can make
• My attempt to convince my kids that raw peppers taste good was anything but successful although it was pretty funny
• One of my most distracted kids had such a great day. He was calm, respectful, and even helped a peer
• My favorite nephew turns eight today and is celebrating with a Survivor Man birthday party! I got the chance to FaceTime with him this week and I can’t wait to hear all about his crazy party

Lows

• “You look different, that’s a good thing”…and that’s a backhanded compliment
• Teenage boys are smelly

Highs and Lows

Highs

• I love long weekends and short work weeks!
• Hanna and I got lunch in Brooklyn for President’s Day and we got to draw all over the table…we went a little nuts
• A student told me he likes that I greet people in the hallways and that I seem like a happy person. I’ll take the compliment
• My formal observation is over!
• I was basically out of pencils and one of my students magically found a box of them in my classroom…It’s pretty sad that a box of pencils made me so happy
• One of my students has a GIANT eraser that says “my bad”…I laugh every time she takes it out

Lows

• Despite the fact that I had a long weekend, and therefore a short week, it was a challenge to go back to work
• If I go crazy, you can blame my first period class…seriously, they will be the reason I go to the looney bin

Highs and Lows

Highs

• A student brought me a sweet little valentine’s day card and a stuffed bunny. I also got another valentine with a prayer. Kids can be so sweet!
• I had a wonderful Gal-entine’s Day with my roommate and a large amount of phenomenal italian food
• When I closed the door at the start of class on Monday one of my students immediately started my daily reminder to the class…”hats, hoods, and backpacks off”…they’ve really got me figured out
• My mom is coming to spend the weekend with me. And, I have Monday and Tuesday off!

Lows

• Kids can be cruel to one another. And, I am absolutely over hearing “yo mamma” jokes
• I don’t like mice

Highs and Lows

Highs

• Our Super Bowl spread was anything but disappointing…blue moon cupcakes, pizza, buffalo chicken dip, and kid dip…yum!
• Despite being bummed about the outcome of the Super Bowl, I loved the commercials (Taco Bell? GoDaddy? Oreo?) and Beyonce’s halftime show
• A student compared Julia, Mirelle, and I to Destiny’s Child. I couldn’t even pretend I wasn’t thrilled!
• I booked flights to celebrate DG’s centennial in Eugene with some of my favorite people! I cannot wait to be back in Eugene
• Attendance was less than stellar on Friday and the quiet day allowed me to get a lot of work done
• Hiding out from the snow with wine, games, cupcakes, and movies was pretty fun

Lows

• Two of my kids had some trouble using kind language this week…starting off my morning hearing “f#%*@$? white woman” isn’t ideal, nor is hearing “suck a frank”
• Food poisoning…yuck
• My friend Casey was supposed to be in the city for work but her plans were changed due to the storm…so sad!
• I was really hoping for my first snow day EVER on Friday, but, no dice

Highs and Lows

Highs

• I had PD in manhattan on Monday. Going to work just a mile from home? Don’t mind if I do!
• My new MetroCard is beautiful. Instead of being bright yellow or home to a tacky ad, my new card features a stunning picture of Grand Central Station. Speaking of, this week marks the 100th year of Grand Central
• I love this awesome article about why teachers are psychos
• Tragedy in first position. This silly little video kills me
• I signed up for a 5k and a 10k…I’m sharing this calendar update here so that I actually have to run them!
• There was some dancing to Ricky Martin in our apartment. Let’s be honest, that’s always fun
• It’s February! That’s nuts!

Lows

• My kids have been pretty frustrated this week because their state tests didn’t go as well as we had hoped
• There are times when I feel like I am losing my mind and it’s only the first period of the day…those are rough days
• I hate mice. Seriously, this mice thing is too much…

Highs and Lows

Highs

• I got a massage on Monday! It was an awesome way to start my day off
• The week was so short!
• I graded exams at a different school and this allowed me to sleep in a bit longer. I’ll take an extra forty five minutes of sleep any day!
• One of my friends happens to work in the building I was to report to for my grading assignment. Such a happy coincidence!
• The Starbucks man was so happy and he drew a lovely little smiley face on my cup. I like when strangers are nice
• I finally went to Katz’s Deli…I’ll share more later
• The snow was sparkly. I realize that sounds weird but I swear it it’s true

Lows

• “Miss, you have chalk all over the back of your pants”…she was right, thank goodness my regular classroom doesn’t have chalkboards or I would be a hot mess every school day
• Numerous kids forgot to bring pencils to use on their state tests…seriously?
• Grading the same three test questions all day was just a bit too monotonous
• With weather in the teens, I’m really getting an idea of what cold feels like. BRRR!

Highs and Lows

 

Highs

• I went to see a movie on a school night! I saw the documentary 56 Up and loved it. Plus, it was showing at a really cool indie theatre downtown
• Downton Abbey is phenomenal…I’m hooked
• I went on a run around the reservoir at dusk and I got to watch as the lights of the skyline turned on as the sky grew dark
• I read this awesome article on the fascination with being busy. I am going to focus on avoiding the busy trap
• A student stopped by my classroom with a marshmallow rose. So random but so very sweet
• We had an awesome Friday night at one of New York’s funkiest Indian restaurants
• This weekend is a long weekend and next week is Regents week! I am saying my prayers that my kids can stay calm and do their best work come test day

Lows

• I burnt Sunday night dinner…lets call it part of the learning process?
• Chip Kelly is leaving Oregon…it is just heartbreaking
• Two years ago, this weekend, I was in Canada with some of my favorite people in the world. Take me back!