I don't seem to be in the mood for anything but sleeping right now... Not school work, cleaning, exercise, DINNER... So maybe a blog will help get the mopies out of my system?
School Update:
Good news bears--I'm back in my classroom!
Bored news bears--I've gotta come up with new ways to present the concert songs or I am going to drive the kids and myself insane... All over in 17 days!
Thanksgiving:
GREAT day! Meghan came over here in the morning to cook, and then she and I brought our respective dishes (green bean casserole, apple pie) to Sally's for an all-around delicious meal. And evening for that matter. Thanksgiving from now on will not be complete without an all-guest instrument jam led by a baby. Good food, good friends, good wine, good self-made music... And to top it off, we ran into none other than Dr. Paul Torkelson as we entered the subway station on our way home. Impressive.
Since then...
Not really anything to report. Definitely feeling the end of the year slump/exhaustion/lack of motivation kicking in. I'm more tired, the weather is generally dull, concert preparation is sometimes like waiting for water to boil (and sometimes not--the preschool teachers have actually been practicing the songs with their kids and they knew soooo many more words than I expected of them today!!), and I'm basically ready to be home, even if it is for a whirlwind 7 days. During which I kind of have to plan 5 more months of music curriculum... Oh well, February break is right around the corner, right?
I suppose I should feed myself something. They say eating is good for you. Any suggestions on kicking myself back into gear are much appreciated =)
KP
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Penguin slippers, Pie, and Police Investigations
Got your attention! But first, DC...
What a WONDERFUL and overdue weekend away from the city--my first since June!! I think my commuting or European choir tours or something has made me immune to bus bore; The 4.5 hour rides there and back didn't feel like any labor, especially with a ton of Hulu courtesy of free wifi (Megabus has it now too!) on the way there.
Friday and Saturday were full of adventure and activity... And LOTS of walking! We estimate 10 miles on Saturday. That's including a 3-mile walk for the DC Metro Area homeless, but still. 7 is a pretty good amount of trekking as well. Lots of great restaurants and enough site-seeing (They emptied the reflection pond! We walked in it!) filled Friday night and Saturday during the day. Then we (Meghan, Fraz, Cheeks, and I) had some good ol' Gato and mostly passed out from exhaustion and wine sleepies for the rest of the visit. Meghan somehow mustered up the energy to stay out 'til the wee hours of the morning though... Power to ya.
So the weekend was the perfect balance of fun and relaxation. Epic success.
Still plodding along with concert prep. Generally it's going well, despite occasional snags such as not having access to my classroom for an entire day of classes due to an overnight break-in at the school. I was informed by the police that my classroom was a crime scene and I couldn't touch anything, take anything from it, or teach in it all day. Nothing was stolen from my room (still have yet to hear the school-wide report), but it's suspected my 3rd floor, construction-obstructed window was compromised to provide an entry point into the school. That's effort right there. So I traveled the school as a musical hobo, complete with winter coat, cumbersome bag, and useless lesson plans. Got stuff done though, could have been worse. Seriously, I'm not sure if the appropriate response to the whole situation is anxious paranoia or naive amusement. For the sake of my psychological well-being, I'm going to go with amusement...
But now I'm in penguin slippers listening to Christmas music (screw you, day after Thanksgiving), having recently put into the oven my very first solo attempt at the famed Grandma Pie for Thursday. Meghan and I are going over to Sally's for dining and hopefully some wining as well... Though she's lived here with her fellow New Zealander husband for 6 years, they've never celebrated Thanksgiving. She's starting this year out of curiosity and has a lot of cute questions, among them, "So, what day do you folks do the eating?" Basically, way pumped.
To take a page from the Thanksgiving assemblies at my school this week, I will conclude with a list of that which I am thankful for this T-giving:
-Restful and joy-filled weekends with college friends
-A cultural background involving Christmas to appreciate the season of widespread holiday-themed decorations and grocery store music
-Generous, established friends with the ability to host a full-out Thanksgving meal
-The ignorance of burglars in the area of Orff instrument market value
-Penguin slippers after a day of hiking up and down stairs and across town in some of the less comfortable heels I own
-Grandma Pie.
-Conversation of all kinds
-A lovely family
-The promise of being with said lovely family in LESS THAN A MONTH!
-You. Cliche? Whatevs, it's true.
=) K
What a WONDERFUL and overdue weekend away from the city--my first since June!! I think my commuting or European choir tours or something has made me immune to bus bore; The 4.5 hour rides there and back didn't feel like any labor, especially with a ton of Hulu courtesy of free wifi (Megabus has it now too!) on the way there.
Friday and Saturday were full of adventure and activity... And LOTS of walking! We estimate 10 miles on Saturday. That's including a 3-mile walk for the DC Metro Area homeless, but still. 7 is a pretty good amount of trekking as well. Lots of great restaurants and enough site-seeing (They emptied the reflection pond! We walked in it!) filled Friday night and Saturday during the day. Then we (Meghan, Fraz, Cheeks, and I) had some good ol' Gato and mostly passed out from exhaustion and wine sleepies for the rest of the visit. Meghan somehow mustered up the energy to stay out 'til the wee hours of the morning though... Power to ya.
So the weekend was the perfect balance of fun and relaxation. Epic success.
Still plodding along with concert prep. Generally it's going well, despite occasional snags such as not having access to my classroom for an entire day of classes due to an overnight break-in at the school. I was informed by the police that my classroom was a crime scene and I couldn't touch anything, take anything from it, or teach in it all day. Nothing was stolen from my room (still have yet to hear the school-wide report), but it's suspected my 3rd floor, construction-obstructed window was compromised to provide an entry point into the school. That's effort right there. So I traveled the school as a musical hobo, complete with winter coat, cumbersome bag, and useless lesson plans. Got stuff done though, could have been worse. Seriously, I'm not sure if the appropriate response to the whole situation is anxious paranoia or naive amusement. For the sake of my psychological well-being, I'm going to go with amusement...
But now I'm in penguin slippers listening to Christmas music (screw you, day after Thanksgiving), having recently put into the oven my very first solo attempt at the famed Grandma Pie for Thursday. Meghan and I are going over to Sally's for dining and hopefully some wining as well... Though she's lived here with her fellow New Zealander husband for 6 years, they've never celebrated Thanksgiving. She's starting this year out of curiosity and has a lot of cute questions, among them, "So, what day do you folks do the eating?" Basically, way pumped.
To take a page from the Thanksgiving assemblies at my school this week, I will conclude with a list of that which I am thankful for this T-giving:
-Restful and joy-filled weekends with college friends
-A cultural background involving Christmas to appreciate the season of widespread holiday-themed decorations and grocery store music
-Generous, established friends with the ability to host a full-out Thanksgving meal
-The ignorance of burglars in the area of Orff instrument market value
-Penguin slippers after a day of hiking up and down stairs and across town in some of the less comfortable heels I own
-Grandma Pie.
-Conversation of all kinds
-A lovely family
-The promise of being with said lovely family in LESS THAN A MONTH!
-You. Cliche? Whatevs, it's true.
=) K
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Things I've learned this week
Gym membership makes for some amusing anecdotes.
1) I saw a guy walk backwards on a treadmill. Like, I was in the row behind him and he was facing me. That's a first.
2) Bones is always on TNT. There is never any other show on that network. All hours of evening, weekends, Friday mornings... Always.
3) The CW has some negligent and/or genius editors. When the actors-on-greenscreen juxtapose with the title of its newest Twilight-inspired series in such a way that the viewer reads "VAMPIRE DIAPIES"... No wait, that actually sounds like an intriguing show. Much moreso than "Vampire Diaries". Touche, CW, touche.
I should be an opera singer.
On hoarse voice, singing a song entitled "No School Tomorrow (If It Snows)". Please see Stephanie for a reference letter.
Never, ever, ever lay down on any surface at 7pm.
Ever.
Dominican establishments make good Dominican food. That's it.
Pudin de Pan dessert = Success
Egg rolls = Fail
The makers of Sudafed deserve awards upon awards.
Seriously.
There is something in the water at PS 43.
ALL of my classes were on best of best behavior today. Even the self-contained BD class. Whatever has gone wrong, I hope it continues.
NYC's giant Christmas tree is in Rockefeller Center in Times Square in Brooklyn.
One out of three isn't bad... at least they knew the city.
In DC this weekend to visit Fraz and (surprise!) Cheeks with Meghan--way excited!
=) KP
1) I saw a guy walk backwards on a treadmill. Like, I was in the row behind him and he was facing me. That's a first.
2) Bones is always on TNT. There is never any other show on that network. All hours of evening, weekends, Friday mornings... Always.
3) The CW has some negligent and/or genius editors. When the actors-on-greenscreen juxtapose with the title of its newest Twilight-inspired series in such a way that the viewer reads "VAMPIRE DIAPIES"... No wait, that actually sounds like an intriguing show. Much moreso than "Vampire Diaries". Touche, CW, touche.
I should be an opera singer.
On hoarse voice, singing a song entitled "No School Tomorrow (If It Snows)". Please see Stephanie for a reference letter.
Never, ever, ever lay down on any surface at 7pm.
Ever.
Dominican establishments make good Dominican food. That's it.
Pudin de Pan dessert = Success
Egg rolls = Fail
The makers of Sudafed deserve awards upon awards.
Seriously.
There is something in the water at PS 43.
ALL of my classes were on best of best behavior today. Even the self-contained BD class. Whatever has gone wrong, I hope it continues.
NYC's giant Christmas tree is in Rockefeller Center in Times Square in Brooklyn.
One out of three isn't bad... at least they knew the city.
In DC this weekend to visit Fraz and (surprise!) Cheeks with Meghan--way excited!
=) KP
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Sometimes life doesn't lend itself to organized paragraphs
My fifth graders learned a modified kick line today. Awesome.
The Office is back to its old self again! Congrats, PLEASE keep up the good work! 30 Rock, you also performed well tonight. Good work. (Also, am I the only one rooting for Jack and Liz as more than business partners...??)
Older kids learn music faster than expected. Younger kids not so much.
The bakery around the corner is the best and most dangerous neighborhood resource. I got something called Pudin de Pan today. It involved raisins and dense cake and sweet goo and I don't know what it's really supposed to be but it was a dollar and it made me full. Also, empanadas.
If I saw a purple and yellow sign in a foreign language covering up the display panel of an exercise machine, I probably wouldn't use that machine. Lady, it's ok that you don't speak English, but perhaps the reason your machine won't light up is 1) because it's out of order, and 2) because there's a large purple and yellow sign with some kind of message on it covering up the display so people know not to use it. Maybe.
Conferences were this week... Only had to stay for the ones during the normal school day but apparently a lot of teachers were surprised with the turnout--really promising news for our population!!
Steven Tyler has left Aerosmith. What.
Lesson plans are so much easier and quicker to plan--and more smoothly executed--when song-centered. Good to know, even after concert season. With my extra weekend time, I have decided to engage in much-needed creative activities. Drawing. Composing. Jamming. Blogging? =)
Love me some PJ's Wine store. Apparently one of the top ten wine warehouses in the nation, and I can walk there in about 8 minutes. Ask me about Gato Negro sometime... Best. Value. Ever.
I like babies. Other people's babies. And money earned from hanging out with other people's babies. But mostly the babies.
Sesame Street. So many fond memories, so many classic video clips resurfacing for the show's 40th anniversary. Love it.
Probs forgetting other things worthy of mention... Meh.
=) Kate
The Office is back to its old self again! Congrats, PLEASE keep up the good work! 30 Rock, you also performed well tonight. Good work. (Also, am I the only one rooting for Jack and Liz as more than business partners...??)
Older kids learn music faster than expected. Younger kids not so much.
The bakery around the corner is the best and most dangerous neighborhood resource. I got something called Pudin de Pan today. It involved raisins and dense cake and sweet goo and I don't know what it's really supposed to be but it was a dollar and it made me full. Also, empanadas.
If I saw a purple and yellow sign in a foreign language covering up the display panel of an exercise machine, I probably wouldn't use that machine. Lady, it's ok that you don't speak English, but perhaps the reason your machine won't light up is 1) because it's out of order, and 2) because there's a large purple and yellow sign with some kind of message on it covering up the display so people know not to use it. Maybe.
Conferences were this week... Only had to stay for the ones during the normal school day but apparently a lot of teachers were surprised with the turnout--really promising news for our population!!
Steven Tyler has left Aerosmith. What.
Lesson plans are so much easier and quicker to plan--and more smoothly executed--when song-centered. Good to know, even after concert season. With my extra weekend time, I have decided to engage in much-needed creative activities. Drawing. Composing. Jamming. Blogging? =)
Love me some PJ's Wine store. Apparently one of the top ten wine warehouses in the nation, and I can walk there in about 8 minutes. Ask me about Gato Negro sometime... Best. Value. Ever.
I like babies. Other people's babies. And money earned from hanging out with other people's babies. But mostly the babies.
Sesame Street. So many fond memories, so many classic video clips resurfacing for the show's 40th anniversary. Love it.
Probs forgetting other things worthy of mention... Meh.
=) Kate
Friday, November 6, 2009
Is it December 23 yet?
Let's break this week down...
Friday: Sick. So sick.
Saturday: Sick, but not as sick as Friday. Lesson plans done. Didn't leave the apartment.
Sunday: Sick, but on the upswing. Bulletin board decorations done... enough... Free wine and meal with the Catholics, got a music teacher's business card. And a reminder that Sudafed and wine are probs not the best combination...
Monday: Sick (seeing a pattern?) but I almost forgot whilst plowing through the day. Kids still squirrely from Halloween candy.
Tuesday needs its own space.
Professional development day... which should have been ease breeze compared to a teaching day but definitely was one of the more stressful days I've had this year... The content of the PD (educators love acronyms) was not specifically relevant to me, of course, but the experience was perhaps the most relevant I could ask for at this point in the year. PS 43 is preparing for a Quality Review by the Dept of Ed, so we discussed all day the current state of the school, its students, and what we could for both. It's disheartening to hear stories of endless and varied attempts to get parents involved and then only one shows up to end-of-the-year conferences. I found myself frantically designing plans in my head to use my program to support the goals of the school. Latin-themed concerts? Music room open house? Student-written invitations to concerts? When I have a lot of ideas but no immediate way to test them out or even bring them to fruition, the stress and tension tend to build up. I need to remember that this is my VERY FIRST YEAR TEACHING and I can't expect myself--now or ever--to save the world or school. Since Tuesday I've been able to take a step back and focus on a few little initiatives I can start next semester... It'll be a process and inevitably an evolution, and I'm grateful to have had the PD to kickstart the journey.
On a more readily positive note, I was able to connect with teachers on a personal level, observe teacher-teacher and teacher-administrator dynamics, learn something about my school and its student population (HUGELY helpful!), listen to staff assess the school and curriculum against a number of standards... Though I stayed until sunset to finish my bulletin boards, having multiple teachers tell me it was pleasantly surprising to see me at the PD makes it all worth it. Basically I feel much more a part of the community now and much better equipped to center my instruction--in technique and content--around the needs of my students next semester.
Also on Tuesday, I learned that my grades were allegedly due on Monday. Like, the day before Tuesday. So that made for a long evening of computing and printing, especially after that sunset departure. But I got them done, and most teachers didn't even know music was supposed to be on the report cards. So they saw it as a bonus. Win-win. Win.
Oh right, and sick. But tea was provided throughout the day.
Wednesday: Less sick... Had a VERY successful teaching day accompanied by a super positive observation session by my mentor. Kids learn music fast. Great news bears. The Yankees won the World Series, an occurrence I came to discover upon waking up at midnight to a stream of cheers, car horns, lasers (no kidding), and that grating Jay-Z/Alicia Keys song out my window. I get it, Inwood, you like baseball.
Thursday: A little more sick... Not as successful of a teaching day when you have lost 95% use of your voice by the third class. Which happens to be a self-contained behavior disorder class with half of the 10 students experiencing very bad mood days resulting in multiple physical fights. Verbal ones too. They recently learned the vocabulary word "veto" and were taking advantage of it. Ah, the empowerment of education... Then I left my stress at school and spent the evening with Meghan eating Wendy's and watching shows live on something called a television, thus reliving the good ol' days... Except in the good ol' days, a chicken sandwich combo did NOT cost $7.17. Ripoff.
Friday: Sickish, mostly because I have no voice. Laying low, cleaning, lesson planning, concert prep (I just realized I gave my only Hanukkah song of the concert to the only grade in the school with a Jewish teacher. At least I think he's Jewish. Go, Wiki, go!), and babysitting for Sally--more appropriately, her daughter Isabella--later tonight. And grocery shopping. And obtaining a copy of Beauty and the Beast from Midtown. What am I doing writing this blog...
Love, Hugs, and Honey Lemon Tea!
Kate =)
Friday: Sick. So sick.
Saturday: Sick, but not as sick as Friday. Lesson plans done. Didn't leave the apartment.
Sunday: Sick, but on the upswing. Bulletin board decorations done... enough... Free wine and meal with the Catholics, got a music teacher's business card. And a reminder that Sudafed and wine are probs not the best combination...
Monday: Sick (seeing a pattern?) but I almost forgot whilst plowing through the day. Kids still squirrely from Halloween candy.
Tuesday needs its own space.
Professional development day... which should have been ease breeze compared to a teaching day but definitely was one of the more stressful days I've had this year... The content of the PD (educators love acronyms) was not specifically relevant to me, of course, but the experience was perhaps the most relevant I could ask for at this point in the year. PS 43 is preparing for a Quality Review by the Dept of Ed, so we discussed all day the current state of the school, its students, and what we could for both. It's disheartening to hear stories of endless and varied attempts to get parents involved and then only one shows up to end-of-the-year conferences. I found myself frantically designing plans in my head to use my program to support the goals of the school. Latin-themed concerts? Music room open house? Student-written invitations to concerts? When I have a lot of ideas but no immediate way to test them out or even bring them to fruition, the stress and tension tend to build up. I need to remember that this is my VERY FIRST YEAR TEACHING and I can't expect myself--now or ever--to save the world or school. Since Tuesday I've been able to take a step back and focus on a few little initiatives I can start next semester... It'll be a process and inevitably an evolution, and I'm grateful to have had the PD to kickstart the journey.
On a more readily positive note, I was able to connect with teachers on a personal level, observe teacher-teacher and teacher-administrator dynamics, learn something about my school and its student population (HUGELY helpful!), listen to staff assess the school and curriculum against a number of standards... Though I stayed until sunset to finish my bulletin boards, having multiple teachers tell me it was pleasantly surprising to see me at the PD makes it all worth it. Basically I feel much more a part of the community now and much better equipped to center my instruction--in technique and content--around the needs of my students next semester.
Also on Tuesday, I learned that my grades were allegedly due on Monday. Like, the day before Tuesday. So that made for a long evening of computing and printing, especially after that sunset departure. But I got them done, and most teachers didn't even know music was supposed to be on the report cards. So they saw it as a bonus. Win-win. Win.
Oh right, and sick. But tea was provided throughout the day.
Wednesday: Less sick... Had a VERY successful teaching day accompanied by a super positive observation session by my mentor. Kids learn music fast. Great news bears. The Yankees won the World Series, an occurrence I came to discover upon waking up at midnight to a stream of cheers, car horns, lasers (no kidding), and that grating Jay-Z/Alicia Keys song out my window. I get it, Inwood, you like baseball.
Thursday: A little more sick... Not as successful of a teaching day when you have lost 95% use of your voice by the third class. Which happens to be a self-contained behavior disorder class with half of the 10 students experiencing very bad mood days resulting in multiple physical fights. Verbal ones too. They recently learned the vocabulary word "veto" and were taking advantage of it. Ah, the empowerment of education... Then I left my stress at school and spent the evening with Meghan eating Wendy's and watching shows live on something called a television, thus reliving the good ol' days... Except in the good ol' days, a chicken sandwich combo did NOT cost $7.17. Ripoff.
Friday: Sickish, mostly because I have no voice. Laying low, cleaning, lesson planning, concert prep (I just realized I gave my only Hanukkah song of the concert to the only grade in the school with a Jewish teacher. At least I think he's Jewish. Go, Wiki, go!), and babysitting for Sally--more appropriately, her daughter Isabella--later tonight. And grocery shopping. And obtaining a copy of Beauty and the Beast from Midtown. What am I doing writing this blog...
Love, Hugs, and Honey Lemon Tea!
Kate =)
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