Rooster was busy on Saturday.
It was his turn to wash dishes, and he had put it off for several days thanks to a cut he had on his hand…
Chicky said it took him a long time to wash what amounted to most of the dishes from my cabinets.
Poor boy. Apparently his New Year’s resolution wasn’t keeping up with the dirty dishes!
Filed under: This-n-That | 2 Comments »
Week 20 was short, thank goodness. I think it was nice to ease back into the routine.
My juniors and seniors shifted gears this term. Instead of studying American literature, we will now be studying British literature. I decided to change it up because next year’s seniors will not take high school English, and I wanted them to get a taste of something different. Plus, I simply could not allow them to graduate from high school without studying some wonderful British prose.
After studying the state of Florida’s benchmarks, I realized that we needed to work on Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes. So, four of my classes will concentrate on them this term. I will work with my sixth graders on them next term.
Here’s what my first two class periods saw when they came in to class on Wednesday…
To make life a little easier, I decided to combine the preps for my ninth and tenth graders. Both classes will be reading and studying Romeo and Juliet.
My sixth graders will be reading stories and poems that correspond with the theme “What Makes You Who You Are.”
Thursday arrived, and I was ready…
I spent the majority of Wednesday and Thursday introducing British literature and the Dark Ages/Medieval times. It was actually very interesting (although my seniors were about to fall asleep in class…gotta love that 8am call time). This change is allowing me to entertain the history lover inside of me.
The ninth and tenth graders were getting a solid foundation in Shakespearean drama along with a synopsis of early British history. I’ve gotta tell you that I did not originally plan on making the four classes’ lessons go hand-in-hand like that. What a blessing!
My sixth graders read a story called “Eleven.” It was really cute, and I assigned them the task of making cartoon strips. They loved this! In fact, while they worked on them in class, it got too quiet, so I decided to turn on some music…very low. They perked up and asked me to turn up the volume. I told them that I didn’t want the other people (those outside the door) to think we were having fun.
The response? “But we are having fun!”
Priceless!
It made for a great day.
And then there was Friday…yay!
My juniors and seniors read a Time article that compared and contrasted each age’s idea of heroes. The article was interesting and offered a lot of discussion topics. I assigned my students the task of making time lines to help them visualize the different time periods and the differing philosophies.
I surprised the ninth and tenth graders with a pop quiz from the Prologue of Romeo and Juliet. Honestly, if they had been paying attention to the discussion the day before, they would have gotten all of the questions correct.
One fun thing I assigned these two classes was the making of family shields. I found an awesome idea online (wish I could take credit for it myself). Basically, I had the students pick from a handful of slips of paper. If they pulled a “C,” they would be in the Capulet family…vice versa for the Montague (pulling out an M).
I instructed each group to select two family colors for their shields. They had other required elements to add to their shields, which are due on Monday.
We’re going to treat this like a little rivalry. The groups will be in competition with each other during our study of the play. Groups can earn or lose points for various things such as good grades on assignments, turning in assignments late, bad behavior, and such. If a group gets to -5 points, the family can banish a family member – much as Romeo was banished after killing Tybalt.
The goal, by the end, is to have the least number of family members banished.
My ninth graders wanted to know what kind of reward they would get. I left it up to them.
They are desperate for a party. We haven’t had one yet. As you know, it’s my toughest class.
So, I agreed. A party it will be. The deal is that the losing group has to provide the food for the party.
One neat thing I also did was allow my tenth graders to participate in this game. There are only two students in that class, and there is not a lot of group work and projects I can do…especially because there is one girl and one guy, and co-mingling is not encouraged in Islam. So, one of the students became a Capulet, and the other became a Montague. This will help the other class as both of these kids are excellent students and never get in trouble (it’s kind of hard to when there’s only two of you).
And so Week 20 is in the books.
The rest of the year is going to be very, very interesting as I try to balance teaching with my certification classes.
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When Chicky came home for Christmas break, one of the first questions she asked me was if I’d like to do the Daniel Fast with her.
Never heard of this? Well, you can read about it on Susan Gregory’s blog or in her book, The Daniel Fast…
Basically, this is a 21-day fast based on what Daniel, a prophet in the Old Testament, ate during one of his fasts. During the fast, you are encouraged to stay away from all processed food and eat only a vegetarian diet. Dairy, sugar, and caffeine are strongly discouraged.
Is it any wonder that it appealed to me?
You know my history. I’ve been on two ten-day juice fasts in the past.
Plus, all of my daily runs to Starbucks were starting to catch up with me.
Chicky wanted to start before Christmas, but I advised her not too. The glorious food that would be set before us during the holiday would be too much to deal with emotionally.
So, we started as soon as we got home on the 27th.
Chicky made a long list of the food we would need, and off she went to the grocery store.
Thus began our journey.
In her book, Susan included quite a few recipes, along with daily devotions and other information.
As the days have progressed, my focus has shifted from something I originally set out to do for health reasons to the proper mindset of drawing nearer to God.
I have to admit that the first three days were very difficult. Although I expected this, having done fasts before, I was surprised at how strong the desire for sugar was.
However, I can honestly say that by day 5, I could walk past the box of chocolate covered cherries that Santa brought me and not even drool.
One of the biggest challenges has been the cooking aspect.
As you may have surmised, I do not enjoy cooking. The thought of coming up with meal ideas makes me want to run to a corner and cry.
Chicky took care of this chore for the first few days. I had immersed myself in lesson planning and had little time or interest. In fact, I’d just as soon go without food than cook.
Chalk it up to laziness. Honestly, I’m not super-needy in the food department.
However, Chicky does like to eat. Thus, she cooked.
One night, she made cabbage rolls, and oh my word. They were divine! Though she did not care much for the taste of the cabbage, I adored the dish. I grew up eating cabbage rolls (with meat though), so I have always loved the taste of this vegetable.
Another night, she made stuffed green peppers…
Oh my gosh, but they were sooooo yummy!!
One day, she declared that she was done cooking. She’d had enough. So, I took over.
One night I made cabbage soup, using the leftover cabbage from the rolls Chicky made…
I am a soup/stew kind of gal, so naturally my attention was also drawn to the Basic Black Soup recipe.
Now, I love Panera’s black bean soup, so I knew I had to try this recipe.
I don’t know if my cooking skills have improved or if the recipe is that good, but oh my goodness. The soup was heavenly!
It was one of those nights when I was multi-tasking…watching football…making lesson plans…and I could not resist the pull of that soup.
I kept going back for one more spoonful.
And another.
The longer that soup sat, the thicker and tastier it got.
There was just enough left for two servings, which I saved for Chicky and me to have the next day.
She cautiously tried it and, to her surprise, actually liked it. A lot. So much so that she asked me to make it again.
Folks, that is saying something.
So, last night, I made a double recipe. I had three college kids and one teenager (Rooster) in my house. Everyone except Rooster ate some (he’s very picky).
It was a huge hit.
Several people have asked me for the recipe, but I knew I could not share it because of copyright issues.
However, I left a message for Susan on her blog, and she quickly and graciously granted me permission to post the recipe here!
So, here it is…
Basic Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
1. Heat oil in saute pan over medium heat; add onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
2. Add celery and jalapeno pepper and sweat for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Place 1 can black beans and 1/2 diced tomatoes and all the water in a large saucepan (if using immersion blender) or blender. Puree until smooth.
4. Combine the puree, the remaining beans, and tomatoes with the onion, garlic, celery, and jalapeno in the large saucepan. Stir in cumin and then season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes as desired.
5. Cover pot and simmer over medium heat until well heated; reduce heat to low and adjust the lid to release steam while simmering for 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Makes 6 servings
Gregory, Susan. "Daniel Fast Recipes." The Daniel Fast. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2010. 130. Print.
A couple of my thoughts…
If you don’t know how to sweat vegetables, google it. That’s what I did. It’s very simple. All you basically do is add them to the pot, turn down the heat to the lowest setting you can, and let them sit there, barely sizzling, for the time prescribed in the recipe. Don’t put the lid on the pot. This will steam them. Sweating does something to the flavors of the vegetables…makes them better, from what I read.
Also, as I said before, this soup gets better the longer it sits. It really thickens up into a hearty soup, and by sitting, the flavors have time to really permeate throughout the soup.
There are a number of recipes on the Daniel Fast’s web site. Click here to check those out or just to read other information about it.
Chicky and I haven’t finished the fast yet. We’re starting day 13. She won’t be able to do all twenty one days because she has to return to college on Monday (boo). I’m not sure what she’s going to take away from this experience. Everyone fasts for different reasons or with different goals.
I’m still figuring out what I’m supposed to carry away from my experience.
One thing I have become aware of is that I am beginning to enjoy cooking again. I think I’m starting to chop my veggies using the same technique as TV chefs. How’s that for putting my TV viewing to good use, eh?
“Real” food actually tastes pretty good. Fruits have become sweeter now that I don’t have my taste buds trained to respond to processed sweeteners.
I’m really enjoying my waistline, which seems to be getting smaller. It probably hasn’t shrunken as much I think it has, but I feel better knowing I’m putting better stuff in my body. I can tell that my thighs aren’t as jiggly. My pants are fitting better, and this makes me happy. Those who know me in person would scoff at this, but when you’re petite, you feel every extra bit of fat you accumulate.
Mentally, I’m in a good place. God is drawing me nearer. I need this…especially right now as my life is about to get crazy with the advent of my teaching certification classes.
And so day 13 begins.
I wonder what’s for dinner tonight…
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: Daniel Fast | 3 Comments »
I got home from school on Wednesday and found this…
For years, Santa has brought Chicky new crayons and coloring books. The one year he didn’t, she complained mightily, so he resumed his tradition the next year.
I figured she was getting too old to color, so I didn’t tell Santa to include crayons this year.
I stand corrected.
This just goes to show that you’re never too old to color.
Filed under: children | Tagged: coloring | 3 Comments »
When I returned to school after the Christmas break, I found this in my room…
Not sure what you’re looking at?
Take a look at this…
Yep.
Cameras.
“Security” cameras.
They are in every classroom and the lunchroom. There is a big screen in one of the front offices where administrators can watch what’s going on in the rooms.
I will admit that I have very mixed feelings about this.
Visitors are always welcome in my classroom. In fact, I expect it as being evaluated is crucial to helping me become a better teacher.
However, I don’t really like the idea of my every action being monitored at will. I’m also concerned that it might put a damper on my carefree enthusiasm.
I am determined to just act myself.
Who knows…maybe this is God’s way of getting me used to cameras so when I go on Survivor, I won’t be bothered by them.
heehee
So, weigh in with your thoughts. How would you feel?
Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: surveillance, teaching | 9 Comments »
Yay! It’s time for Joyce’s Wednesday Hodgepodge!
1. What three words would you use to describe 2010?
Emotional – High points included watching Chicky’s high school team make it to the state final four playoffs, watching her graduate from high school, taking her to college, being rejected for several jobs, and finally landing my first teaching job. It was an emotional roller coaster!
Dramatic (see above)
Lesson-filled (compound word, sort-of) – God had a lot of lessons to teach me last year…trust, giving up control, the list could go on and on.
2. If fear was not an issue, what is something you’d like to try?
Ok…this one took a little thought. I think it would be neat to go hot air ballooning. When I was young, I used to enjoy watching them pass by…especially near the Rocky Mountains, which is where I lived before I moved to Alabama. It must be an incredible experience to see the world from that vantage point.
3. What do you add to your coffee or tea.
Nothing. I don’t drink coffee at all (I’ve never grown up). I guess when I make tea, you could say that I add sugar. But, aside from drinking it a lot when I had two teeth pulled last January, I only drink it occasionally.
4. Which historical sporting event would you like to witness?
My first thought was the gladiator games (I just love the Russell Crowe movie), but then again, seeing as how Christians were usually thrown into the arena, I don’t think I would have enjoyed them very much. So, going with the English literature theme that I’m teaching this semester, I’ll choose medieval tournaments/jousts. Wouldn’t it have been neat to see knights trying to win the hands of fair ladies?
5. What is one piece of advice you’d like to give your sixteen year old self?
Stay away from boys for a few more years! They are nothing but distractions. Besides that, they are quite immature until they are hmmmm hmmmm age.
6. Are you a planner or do you prefer to fly by the seat of your pants?
I am a total planner. I do not improvise very well, hence the reason why I have almost my entire nine weeks planned for all of my classes. I even have their vocabulary tests made out for the entire nine weeks. My life is very chaotic as is. I need as much order to my life as possible.
7. What is one thing you are looking forward to in 2011?
I am looking forward to finishing up the requirements needed for my permanent teaching certification.
8. Insert your random thought here.
So, on Monday night, I watched the first episode of the new season of the Bachelor.
I know, I know. Smut. And it is. But what has me intrigued is Brad Womack’s return. I watched the season when he rejected both ladies at the end, and I remember feeling sad for him. Although I haven’t watched the last few seasons, I couldn’t stop myself from tuning in this week.
At the beginning of the show, they talked to Brad. He’s had a lot of counseling over the last three years. It saddened me when he said that his father wasn’t around much…how he was supposed to show up for a weekend with the boys and never did…never called…for five years.
That is a story similar to my own, so I empathized with him.
Then the show highlighted a few of the girls’ backgrounds, and oh my gosh. Some of them were really touching. I was especially moved by the gal whose fiancee was killed in a plane crash and how she wanted to die but found out she was pregnant and, thus, given a reason to live.
What struck me as I listened is that every single person has a story. We so quickly make rash judgments about people — often without giving ourselves the chance to get to know them. Or, maybe we can’t because the person is on TV and we’re sitting at home on the couch.
I think that we should be a little bit more understanding of one another and realize that whether we know it or not, we might share the same stories as others.
Ok…so I got some deep insight into what can be a very superficial show. What can I say. Call it subliminal justification. I don’t know. Maybe it’s just that I’m getting a little more mature in my “middle-age” years.
Filed under: This-n-That | 8 Comments »
Wow! I cannot believe that we start back to school tomorrow!
Let me tell you…it took every bit of those two weeks to recover from grading finals. Grading is a TON of work…
Before I left, I had been treated to some lovely gifts, which I find amazing considering that most of them came from people who do not celebrate Christmas!
The school gifted teachers with Baklava!
Of course, I had left my classroom neat and tidy…
People often think that teachers are oh so lucky for getting summers. Christmases, and Spring Breaks off.
Yeah. Right.
Like we’re sitting around eating bon bons all day with not a care in the world.
Ha!
At least not first-year teachers!
I spent most of my break working on lesson plans. I also read this book, given to me by a friend…
It’s a wonderful little book! The chapters are short, making it a perfect bathroom reader if you’re pressed for time. 😉
Even though school doesn’t begin until tomorrow, I decided I better go in for “a couple of hours” to get some printing and copying done.
Yeah. Right. I was kidding myself.
I wound up spending a solid six hours at school, but it sure was worth it! I feel a little more prepared and ready to face my students.
They have no idea what’s in store for them…
The kids are in for a very special treat…
Yep! I think my painting inspired everyone! Thanks to some generous donations, the school is now getting a makeover!
Take a look at the lunchroom…
To fully appreciate the change, you must know that the walls were a pasty gray before. Total ick factor, if you ask me.
Here’s a close-up of the striping…
The gal who arranged everything (my dentist’s wife who happens to be the president of the PTO and a part-time teacher at the school) is a Gator fan, so naturally the walls reflect her loyalty.
It’s regrettable (War Eagle!) but forgivable because it is all in the name of making the kids happy.
So, I’m ready.
Kind of.
I don’t know that a teacher is ever fully ready to return after two weeks off.
But, I am growing eager to see my kids again and hear what they were up to while they were gone.
Term 3 – Bring it on!
Let’s kick some English butt!
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I have a fairy godmother.
Her name is Barbara.
Instead of wielding a magic wand, she waves around an Expo marker, which is held by a Sorrelli-draped hand.
I’ve mentioned her on my blog a time or two.
I don’t remember how much I’ve told you about her, so I’ll give you a quick run-down.
Barb and I met several years ago when our children were in middle school. She was the team mom for the middle school soccer team that Rooster played on and Chicky managed (the school wouldn’t let her play on the boys team, so she settled for practicing with them and being a manager).
It was around this time that her son, a very gifted soccer player, began playing on Rooster’s travel team, so we found ourselves spending hours each weekend watching the boys play.
If you have never been involved with travel sports, let me just tell you that there is no greater bonding experience than rising before the crack of dawn in frigid, rainy weather with other miserable parents…all for the sake of loving and supporting your children (and trying to help them get college scholarships).
The thing that drew me to Barbara…and draws others, I suspect…was her personality. She’s all of five foot nothing and full of fire.
Did I mention that she likes Sorrelli?
She calls it her crack, and I’m not talking butt cheeks here.
Not only is she a dedicated mom to her two children, but she’s also an incredible teacher. A few years ago, she was recognized as my district’s Teacher of the Year. She earned this distinction by teaching intensive reading classes. She is simply amazing.
I think what drew us closer was when I subbed for her one day. Apparently I did a good job because her paraprofessional bragged on me, and her students spoke well of me too. She often asked me fill in for her after that first time.
Barbara was one of my biggest cheerleaders during the two years I spent looking for a teaching position. She talked me up to everyone she knew.
She visited me when I painted my classroom this summer, and she even returned the week before classes started to give me goodies (did I really not blog about this…I really thought I had).
We’ve had a lot of fun watching our children play in the band together this year. She always has a smile on her face, and she’s always ready to listen to my latest teaching concerns. I believe she even shared a basket of fries with me one afternoon when I was very discouraged. Of course, I walked away from the conversation happy and focused again.
So it shouldn’t have surprised me when I got a text from her today (I hope she won’t mind the word-for-word quotes)…
“R u home? i have some clothes i am tooooo FAT to wear and thought ur skinny little self could fit in!”
See what I mean. Who wouldn’t love that humor (don’t ask her husband that question)!
My response: “I am sitting in the financial aid office of Podunk USA’s college with no hope of ever getting out….”
Five minutes later I get this:
“Im at ur neighboehood ill drop them at ur front door if thats ok”
See…always thinking of me. I had to wait in that office 45 minutes, but I smiled while I waited after receiving Barb’s text.
A few minutes later I get this message:
“Tell me the address am lost…”
heehee
So typical of her.
I couldn’t wait to get home to see what she had brought me…
I have been in desperate need of new tops!! Woo Hoo!
But there was more…
I had recently scoured Old Navy for new sweaters. The ones Barb brought me are really cute!! I am sure I will be wearing them this week when I start back to school!
I texted my thanks to Barb, and she assured me that there was more to come as she is cleaning out her closet. I cannot wait! It’s going to be like Christmas all over again!!
I am so grateful that Barb adopted me as her own. She is such a blessing to me.
Filed under: This-n-That | 5 Comments »
So, I’ve alluded to the fact that I will be returning to school soon. I figured it was about time that I explain myself a little bit.
You might remember that in the not-so-distant past, I went back to school and finished up that long-sought-after degree. I majored in Social Sciences and minored in History.
I knew all along that I would be using my degree to teach, but I couldn’t major in education because there was not a online program for education majors, and I needed the convenience of internet classes because of my hectic life.
The State of Florida will allow people with Bachelor’s degrees to teach under temporary certificates if said people have passed Subject Area Exams.
I passed the Social Sciences 6-12 and the English 6-12 exams, which is why I am allowed to teach English.
But, the stipulation is that degree holders must complete an alternative education certification program and pass the General Knowledge and Professional Education certification exams within three years of passing their subject area exams. If they don’t, they have to retake the exams, which cost upwards of $200 a pop.
Folks, those tests were h-a-r-d. Not only am I brain-dead, but I am also cheap. My Social Sciences certification expires in September. I do not want to study for it again, nor do I want to fork out $200.
I waited to enroll in the education program because it is somewhat costly, and I had no idea how long it would take me to find a job.
Well…the time is here. I cannot put it off any longer, so over the last few weeks, I have busied myself with ordering transcripts, paying application fees, and buying books.
On January 5th, classes will “officially” begin.
I even have a student parking sticker on my car, which Chicky laughed at.
Heck – I even got a student ID card. I might as well take advantage of student discounts at local businesses! I’m paying for it, after all.
I will be attending classes at my local community college. The classes are set up in a hybrid fashion, with most of the work done online. I will have to go in one Saturday a month to attend two-hour sessions per class.
The program I am completing is a nine-class, twenty-one credit deal. Students attend class during eight-week mini-terms, which makes life very crazy indeed. Here’s a breakdown of the classes:
| COURSES | ||
| # | EPI0001, Classroom Management | 3 |
| # | EPI0002, Instructional Strategies | 3 |
| # | EPI0003, Teaching & Technology | 3 |
| # | EPI0004, The Teaching & Learning Process | 3 |
| # | EPI0010, Foundations of Research-Based Practices in Reading | 3 |
| # | EPI0020, The Teaching Profession | 2 |
| #+ | EPI0940, The Teaching Profession/Field Exp | 1 |
| # | EPI0030, Diversity in the Classroom | 2 |
| #+ | EPI0945, Diversity in the Classroom/Field Exp | 1 |
| TOTAL CERTIFICATE HOURS | 2 | |
I decided to go the difficult route and try to get in all of my classes by June.
This means I will be taking three classes every eight weeks.
While teaching five grades.
Somehow, I will have to find time to study for the General Knowledge Test. The math will get me if I’m not careful.
I will also need to study for the Professional Ed test.
Both need to be taken before June.
In between January and June, I will have two sets of finals to prepare and grade…not to mention scores of tests and quizzes to give out as well.
Can you say stressed?
I’m working like crazy trying to get as much of my lesson planning done ahead of time. I feel badly for my students. I don’t want their education to suffer.
Balance and time management will be key.
I would really appreciate your prayers.
Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: certification, teaching | 2 Comments »
Can you believe that it’s 2011? Wow!
Molly spent the last few days of 2010 catching up on sleep…
She came back from the kennel where I had boarded her over Christmas not quite herself. I’m not sure if she picked up a doggy bug, was sick from eating their food, or was just emotionally drained. She’s a skittish dog. Her nerves are constantly on edge, and I don’t know why. Regardless, we’ve been giving her an extra amount of loving. I also gave her some canned pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie kind) in her food to help her go potty. I’m hoping this improves her disposition.
Anyhoo…
A couple of weeks ago, I found a Kohl’s gift card in my billfold. I found out that it still had a balance of $7. I felt like I’d won the lottery!
Yesterday, armed with a 20% coupon I found online, I headed to the store. I didn’t plan on coming home empty-handed.
When I got to the store, I found two pairs of shoes I liked. They were very different styles, so I had a hard time making up my mind which pair to get. I called Chicky and asked her to meet me at the store. She declined. She’s so kind, that one. I will have to remember this when her birthday rolls around at the end of the month.
So, what did I do?
I made friends with a lady who was sitting in the shoe department. She was dressed stylishly, so I figured she had good taste.
I asked her opinion, and she told me she liked the pair below…
I liked them too because they looked “teacher-y.” Plus, I figured I could wear them with my all favorite uniform…blue jeans!
The second pair was cute…in a different way…
They reminded me a bit of Mary Janes…a style I have fought against buying. But they were oh so comfortable and cute with my blue jeans too…
This pair was also very comfortable…extra cushioning inside.
What to do, what to do?
My new friend changed her mind and told me she liked the second pair better. Then, she brought over her daughter and granddaughter. The daughter liked the second pair. The teenage granddaughter liked the first pair. I figured Chicky would agree with the granddaughter’s opinion.
I got out my handy-dandy phone and did some figuring. These Croft & Barrow shoes, which are regularly priced at $54.99, were on sale for $20.99. With my 20% discount, I could get them for $16.59.
Plus, I had the $7 gift card, which meant less of an out-of-pocket expense for me!
So, I did what any woman would do.
I bought both.
Happy Dance time!
There is nothing like ringing int he new year with new shoes!
And glittery nail polish…
(and a little rain…)
Happy New Year all!!
Filed under: Saving Money, This-n-That | Tagged: kohl's, shopping | 3 Comments »
AuburnChick's Adventures 