Wonderful Life

I am constantly at a loss for words to describe why I feel so content and at ease in New York. Generally speaking, the more you love something the more difficult (and, really, less necessary) it is to condense those sentiments into mere sentences. The events of the last 15 hours or so, however, come pretty darn close to crystallizing my relationship to my city...

Morning coffee is the best. Not so much for the caffeine, but I really like the taste of my half-coffee, half-soy milk blend. If I drink more than a half-cup, I get way fidgety. So I'm looking forward to the routine without the addiction.

First concert of the school year this morning, and everything was simply fantastic. Polished, energetic, musical performances from my students (PK-2), great parent turnout, gratifying teacher/administration feedback... Just good times.

Photos courtesy of Wilmer, 5th grade

Then I had 3 periods of nothing. I reset the auditorium for the next round (grades 3-5), which involved transporting boxes of instruments and 3 xylophones over 4 flights of stairs. I didn't even get tired. It was weird. And fabulous, because I am 100% set for the rest of the week. I just have to walk in tomorrow morning and boss people around.

My school afternoon finished with 3 teaching periods, all with classes of middling general behavior, all of whom ROCKED IT OUT today. I think the energy of their impending (2 days!) concert is finally sinking in; it's great to glimpse tangible progress and success after weeks and weeks of figurative tooth-pulling.

I was able to leave school at 3:30 (relatively early for me!) and hit up a number of New York's holiday markets to do some Christmas shopping. I doubted the soundness of my marathon-day ambitions... but I got most of my shopping DONE and got to enjoy a heaping dose of the lovely holiday atmosphere of the city in the process. And I did some light grocery shopping at the Union Square Greenmarket, aka my favorite place in all five boroughs.

Bryant Park Tree (Holiday Market not pictured)

A leisurely, free (thanks, Mom!) dinner at Starbucks was followed by a choir rehearsal at St. Patrick's Cathedral (yes, THAT St. Patrick's Cathedral). Oh wait, I was 20 minutes early for it, so I wandered the vicinity of Rockefeller Center long enough to snap some touristy pictures of the tree and ice skating rink.

I am thrilled that my newest camera has the ability to take beautiful nighttime shots--a first in my history of camera ownership.

Then I caught the laser-timed-with-music show on the facade of Bloomingdale's. Then I went and rehearsed a bunch of festive Christmas carols in St. Patrick's Cathedral, which means I got to stand on the altar (and loop around the back), a perspective not afforded to many visitors. It was also neat to rehearse in front of all the unsuspecting tourists... I am tickled by the idea that our choir is now part of hundreds of vacation stories. Pretty neat.

To top it off, with all the commuting I logged today, I was able to take on a formidable chunk of my latest read, Skinny Legs and All (Tom Robbins). Whimsy, philosophy, religion, art, hilarity... Only a third through, but I highly recommend it!

So there you have it: my version of a perfect day in all it's coffee-flavored, concert-singing, xylophone-toting, progress-making, gift-finding, electric-lit, cathedral-performing, literarily-satisfying goodness.

Love. Love. Love.
KP =)

I only post on holidays now

(Though last entry had nothing to do with Halloween...)

Since I have a half hour to fritter away before traveling to a Thanksgiving celebration of work friends, I figured I could revisit the tried and true November school writing prompt:

I am thankful for:

*6th graders who come back to visit PS 43. The best so far has been one boy who, despite having a lot of emotional/behavioral issues last year, was one of my favorites--a SMART kid who really wanted to succeed but couldn't always control his responses to his world... I asked him how middle school was going; he smiled with an expression of peace and answered with a genuine "Really well, Ms. Phillips." Cue tears of pride.

*An extremely successful inaugural service outing with the young adults of my church. Great turnout and all goals accomplished at the site! Love love love being engaged in a leadership role completely separate from school.

*Surprise packages and letters! Highlights from the past week include coloring book pages from Ellen's "best buddy" Maria (ELLEN-can I get an address to write her a thank you??) and frickin' BEAUTY AND THE BEAST on DVD from the fam. So. Excited. Also, did you know that the new Rapunzel movie is an Alan Menken-composed musical??? Why hasn't this been advertised? Poor marketing choice, Disney.

*A collective holiday of gratefulness that anyone and everyone can observe--it is warming in a small but significant way that I can wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all my teachers and friends and not have to guess whether or not they celebrate it. True, most people I know wouldn't be offended in the least by "Merry Christmas" (I received many of them last year), but somehow this one is different.

*Mariah Carey's "Merry Christmas" album. I am choosing to reject the reality of her "updated" holiday release. Only the original, please.

*Generous friends hosting a Thanksgiving gathering that is likely a little too numerous in guests for their space... Bring on the coziness and feasting and laughter!

*The ability to completely avoid the Macy's Parade and the 3.5 million people who attend it. That's more than New Year's, folks.

*Staying connected with friends and family around the country as they celebrate with friends and family of their own!

*Grandma pie. The celebration I will be attending is set on desserts (as if that's a thing), but I made one for myself just the same. If you can make the trip in the next week, you're welcome to have some too! =)

Have a safe and restful and warm-fuzzy Thanksgiving, friends!

Love, love, love.
K

The best I can do...

Every time I check blogs and cringe at the ever-widening period of time since my last update, I am more and more daunted by the prospect of a catch-up entry. So here's what I did today, because really that's all I am mentally capable of communicating at this moment:

10:00am: A viewing of "Waiting for 'Superman'" with teacher/social work friends.
The documentary explores the broken state of our schools and the various pressures and factors preventing the current public school system from effectively educating our children. I have been reading articles about the film for weeks--content aside, it is really wonderful how this movie is bringing education into the public forum! It is less biased toward charter schools than I imagined but still does not quite present the most well-rounded depiction of public schools... Audiences unfamiliar with the workings of the education system will likely walk away believing ANY charter school produces superior results to ANY public school, which is simply untrue (recent reports actually find public schools slightly ahead of charter schools on average in terms of achievement!). The personal stories were moving, though, and it was great to discuss the film and the education world in general with a group of knowledgeable professionals! And the group included church and teaching friends--worlds collide!

2:30pm: Planning meeting for an upcoming church young adults group service outing
I am super excited (and possibly starting to be spread too thin?) to be co-coordinating the newly minted service and outreach team through the young adults group at my church (ASYA, or All Souls Young Adults, from here on out). Today's meeting was in preparation for our kickoff event, an all-day service effort cleaning/painting/organizing a nearby church that hosts a slew of programs for the community, including Girl Scouts and various afterschool groups. The plan is to make these outings a monthly happening, each instance exploring a different need in the community. The prep is a lot of work--touring the building, compiling supplies/to-do lists, communicating with organizers, promoting to ASYA members--but already rewarding!

6:00pm: Bulletin board assembly
Oh, right, and I have a weekday job too. Between a steady social calendar of events, the service initiative, occasional babysitting, staying in touch with friends and family, choir, exercise (depressingly low on the priority list lately), and regular chores and errands, schoolwork sometimes feels like something I squeeze in when I can. Good thing concert season is approaching, that's not much work at all...

10:00pm: Completion of blog entry that probably should have been foregone in favor of sleep or lesson prep
When's Thanksgiving?

Love, Hugs, and Airborne to combat sleep-deprived immune system deterioration!
KP =)

Recipe for a Perfect Weekend

-2 full days of blue skies after a week of rain and clouds (and before another similar week)

-1 perplexingly legit bar 6 blocks from my school in the Bronx that fills up with teachers on Friday afternoons for phenomenal happy hour and karaoke fun. Let sit for 6 hours with 4 other ETM music teachers (plus the 50 other ones already in the know about this place) and arrive home by 11pm.

-5 apples, 1 eggplant, 1 onion, 1 large bunch broccoli, and 1 carrot for $6 at the local Greenmarket. Cheap, healthy, and delicious is my favorite.

-3 hours of marathon apartment cleaning. Annoying, but always incredibly calming and mentally cleansing afterward.

-2 hours paid babysitting. Layer lesson planning and tasty ravioli over the top.

-1 long-awaited sermon on the necessity of outreach and service (and a commitment to new, real initiatives) from the pulpit of my regular church. Follow up with several conversations on the need to jump on board these initiatives and the general wave of intent. Finally!

-1 tall pumpkin spice latte and 1 multi-grain bagel, toasted, with cream cheese. Leisurely consume over the entry of 450 names into the gradebook.

-6 miles of energized (perhaps due to the aforementioned latte) running. Combine with crisp fall temperatures and a random Renaissance Faire. (What, Inwood?)

Et voila! It was quite the productive and enjoyable weekend. And then...

It was going to be a great Monday. I baked pumpkin bread for my new school. I had all my lesson plans and materials set the night before. It didn't even rain over my morning commute! Then my traveling teacher cart ran into a corner, projectile-flipping my water bottle onto the floor, the result of which materialized in said bottle leaking, unbeknownst to me, over my cart and phone which normally wouldn't have been there but I kept out to make sure my visiting field supervisor would find me in the school (she never came) and now the keypad is becoming increasingly temperamental so it's sitting in a tub of rice. Also, since the clouds held in their fury over my afternoon commute as well, I didn't notice when I left my umbrella bag, umbrella inside, on my first of two buses and failed to realize the oversight until I was off the second. I then learned that Target umbrellas are (unreasonably?) expensive but now I have an umbrella. Whatever. And my library said it had a book I planned lessons around this week but in fact did not so I had to go to the one in the next neighborhood which proved a longer and more frustrating and wetter excursion than I had anticipated. Then I got free pizza from my gym. That was handy.

I'm not sure to which side of karma the last three days have delivered me, but I would like to call it even. I would also like to call from my phone in the near future. C'mon, rice...

Love, Hugs, and a case of the Mondays,
KP =)


UPDATE: Phone is in full working order. Brown rice + vacuum = one less item off my plate. =)

Just the Way I Left It, Part II

A few more for the file of the familiar...

I ran in Central Park for the first time in months on Saturday... I've developed such a routine with my glorious neighborhood parks that I forgot about the Park that started it all. The loop was fantastically calming and just as picturesque as I remember. Never mind that I wove in and out of a random 4K race for something... Fortunately the teeming masses only ran through part of my route... As a sidenote, I'm fairly confident competitive running is not for me. I run for leisure, not for a time or a t-shirt.

Later Saturday I pulled out my college vocal repertoire binders to recover a copy of a well-rehearsed aria for my upcoming choir audition. I sang through it (still memorized!) and then another piece as a backup... And then the entirety of my senior vocal recital. I could not believe how much muscle memory I've retained from last March's performance, particularly as I have sung NONE of it since then! Even the 7-page, diarrhea-of-the-mouth Russian piece it took months to memorize flowed more easily than I expected (unsurprisingly, however, this one did not prove as memorized).

As a parting gift, I will share a gorgeous panorama (several pictures cropped together, in fact) of my classroom last spring, just the way I left it... Before taking everything down and putting it in boxes. =) Click through for full size!

Photo by Chris Marolf, ETM program staff member and picture-taker extraordinaire!

Love, Hugs, and Happy School Year!
KP

Just the Way I Left It

When I was little I had a dollhouse in my room—the snazzy Playmobil Victorian home with rooms and furniture whose beauty were not nearly matched by its figures (seriously, a dollhouse with ugly dolls?). I meticulously arranged every room’s scene and I knew the house backward and forward. Every time Grandma visited she would alter one thing in the dollhouse and I would have to sleuth out the difference. From reshelved flatwear to bathroom towels to flower gardens, I was always able to return the house to its original state. There’s a comfort in the order of “the way things were”.

I’m happy to report post-vacation New York is largely the way it was pre-vacation, summer-city smells, Dominican music, and all. I had the opportunity to enjoy it in higher doses when my computer succumbed to the evils of malware and spent a stint with the Geek Squad. For the minor inconveniences five days without regular computer and Internet access bring, I quite appreciated the silence and imperative to fill my time with activities that don’t start with an inbox or a Netflix search.

Much money and concern later, I received my computer back, free of viruses AND completely reloaded with all of my files and settings. Considering I had spent the repair period collecting software CDs to reinstall and compiling settings and passwords I would have to reprogram, this came as welcome—downright glorious--news.

Last week brought the first ETM training day of the year, complete with smiling faces, friendly conversation, and a lovely rooftop barbecue. If the pay weren’t so lousy, I would work with them forever. Seriously.

Last week also brought me back into my classroom at PS 43. If you recall, my first glimpse of the same room last summer included roughly 20 extra desks, 50 extra chairs, and 4 broken iMacs. Oof. This year, I unlocked the door expecting a similar scene… And the room looked like this:

What. A. Difference. And they had not locked my instruments (or keyboards!) in storage. I had everything I needed and no more (even the 2 remaining dud iMacs were removed by this week!). Cleaning and furniture consolidation aside, the room was just the way I left it at the end of last year. I nearly cried tears of elation. Pictures of the reconstructed—and slightly redesigned—classroom to come!

In the short-lived spirit of restlessly empty late summer, I have decided to audition for that choir… The actual audition is next week but I participated in their first rehearsal last night. Sight-reading “real” (read: “intended for ages above 11”) choral music requires cognitive muscles that are a little stiff after a year and a half hiatus, but it was so great to SING again. And, truthfully, to use those “muscles” again. Like the first run after an elliptical winter, the technique is a little rusty but the energy is through the roof. Now I just have to dust off an old aria for the audition… Eep.

Lesson planning, a full week of training, then a new school year! Ah, the 5am alarm… Good to know that the view out my window at the crack of dawn is also just how I left it:

Love & Hugs!

Kate =)

Timing

I finally (after a year of cursing the New York City skies and streets every rain) purchase a pair of rain boots on Saturday. On Sunday my errands are accompanied by torrential rainfall. Yay boots!

I carry wine and regular glasses aaaaaall the way from Brooklyn IKEA, through 2 hours of bus and train and aforementioned torrential rain. I place the boxes on my kitchen counter and one slips, resulting in 2 broken wine glasses. Boo irony. (4 survived, thankfully)

I spend a significant part of Saturday afternoon revisiting Wartburg Choir music along with a nostalgic tribute notebook reading. On Sunday the girl sitting next to me in church invites me to audition for a legit city choir. No member fees, Wednesday evening rehearsals, decent sound (pay no attention to the non-synced video)... I'm outsourcing this one--what do you think??

Also on the topic of timing but a little less specifically anecdotal, two weeks is the perfect length for a summer vacation, particularly when that time is split between two locations. South Carolina possessed all the calm and warmth (temperately and personally) and space I remembered, and I am very pleased with the copious friendship rejuvenations that took place back in the Midwest. It is so, SO comforting to reconnect beyond the limits of phone and Skype sessions. Additionally, the Anderson family (of ", Stephanie Pippi" fame) IS a wedding reception. Prepackaged. =)

And I suppose a well-timed sermon fits into this theme... Guest minister on the topic of salvation in the context of Unitarian Universalism. I'll post it when the link goes up, but it very adeptly frames the issue in a way that strongly aspires to reconcile "traditional" and "liberal" religion and/or faith, an aspiration that has been on my mind more than usual lately.

Last but not least, I replaced the battery in my kitchen clock so it keeps time as well as it did back in June. =)

KP

Productivity

40 minutes to kill before I leave for vacation...

I wish I had mornings off all year--I get SO much done between 6 and 10! This week, for example, I used my mornings to exercise, clean the apartment, pack (TWO DAYS ahead of time--new record), lower my Internet bill, work out a 5th day job placement... and paint toenails. It's been a good week.

5 days in wooded, lakeside, isolated South Carolina country followed by 8 days in sparkly, standardized, homey North Shore? Yes, please. =) I am ready for a brief sojourn away from the relentless pace and density of my beloved city, and spending quality time with family and (COLLEGE) friends only sweetens the deal!

And you read correctly... I'll be working 5 days a week come fall--a first in my adult life! Tentatively, my additional day will be at P.S. 484 (Van Nest Academy) in Central Bronx. The gig may or may not require an hour-plus, multiple-bus commute and lacks a classroom (my very first cart!), but I'm nonetheless excited to step into a school with a "fresh start" as it were. It's K-2 so I'll be teaching my favorite (and easiest) ages--a definite plus. And I think a cart might be freeing in some ways... Although I'm grateful I'll only have to use it for 20% of my week. =)

Recommended Reading: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (Barbara Kingsolver)
Two years ago I would have tossed aside a book about the benefits of organic, local food culture, citing irrelevance and/or boredom. Not now--this book is a revelation. Between my newfound love of cooking and the copious farmers' markets in NYC, I can apply so much of the new information I'm absorbing directly to my purchasing and consuming habits... Homemade cheese, anyone?

Love, Hugs, and Summer Vacation!!!!
KP

Community

Has it really been over a year in New York City?? This Saturday will mark my one-year anniversary at 75 Thayer, 4F. Ironically and/or poetically, this Saturday will also mark the commencement of my a two-week vaction this Saturday--AWAY from the city to reconnect with family, friends, and open landscape. Skimming the trajectory of this blog from its inception last summer, I can outline trails of whimsy, stress, accomplishment, personal growth... and community.

Like any recent college graduate, I've struggled to build community. Though my locale has a few million people more than, say, rural Iowa, the challenges of fostering a network of genuine support remain the same. Maybe moreso--many of those who have lived here for a while already have extensive and sufficient networks of their own and aren't readily seeking new bonds. Yet somehow I can count relatively close relations I've established in the past year on more than one hand.

It's happened so gradually, but taking a step back in reflection I stand in awe of the satisfying community I have built in year one. In just the last month, I celebrated my birthday with friends from high school and college, visited a teaching friend at her apartment, hosted a young adult event at the church, and attended a really fabulous and laid-back house party of church people... Obviously there are always "next steps". I hope to expand and deepen these relationships and new ones. But I leave New York for the brief hiatus a much more personalized city than it was upon gaining my address a year ago.

In Libertyville August 12-20... With an epic wedding/college friendship experience the 13th-14th. Let me know if I should be seeing you!!!

Kate =)

Tides of the Season

Passing: the days of summer as the calendar devolves into a relic of the working year

Still: palpably saturated, oppressive air refusing motion and insulating heavy heat

Passing by one another on the morning sidewalk, two school-aged boys share a moment's handshake and knowing nods.

Still remain the friendships of former years--high school, college--enough to sustain full weekends of reminiscing and talk of present and future.

Passing gradually as a "real" teacher, I feel infinitely more competent and prepared for summer school instruction...

Still, I miss the comfort of "my" school, students, and teachers and await with enthusiasm a non-inaugural year after

passing the remaining weeks of summer at "surrogate" school, then in gloriously un-urbanized South Carolina, and finally in Illinois among the familiarity of locale, family, and the best of friends.

Still: a weekend of relative, welcome calm amidst eastern seaboard roaming, action-packed visits (brother shortly!), and anticipated vacations.

Passing: the mellifluence of an (over)ambitious conceptual entry...

=) KP

You know it's summer when...

-Greenmarket produce is actually cheaper (and much more delicious) than the grocery variety.

-Someone pops a fire hydrant. The function I observed was more car wash and less kid sprinkler, but still.

-You get flashbacks (heat stroke?) to the barely bearable heat of my very first month in this 4th floor, non-cross-ventilated apartment.

-You have time for volunteering and babysitting and actually hanging out with friends... So much that you kind of forget this is "vacation".

-You can truly wish teachers and administrators a happy summer and thank them for a fantastic year because your 5th graders have graduated and you will not be returning to the school until September!!!! A note on these 5th graders: Throughout a good portion of the year I found this grade the toughest to engage and relate to, in part because of their bigger class sizes (28 compared to around 20 in every other grade), in part because of my difficulty in lesson/unit planning for older grades. Between a really successful spring concert and a half-dozen graduation rehearsals, I complete the year feeling most bonded to these soon-to-be-middle-schoolers. They stepped up their game for these ceremony songs (and all other procedures for that matter) in a way unseen in the rest of the year. They delivered each piece in strong, clear, projected head voice with expression and pride. Witnessing Miguel and Ashli and Eric (what a voice--who knew!) and others get so INTO the songs in their faces and performances... Mind-blowing. I'm in the right profession. =)

A few long-overdue pictures...

PS 43's auditorium, "decorated" for spring concerts

This is what it looks like when a kitchen self-destructs.

No more pesky cabinet! Or usable drinking glasses for that matter.

Gorgeous Wave Hill (of septuagenarian-oriented Mozart concert fame)

A few of my proud, deserving 5th grade graduates

PS 43 in all its stately, UNOBSTRUCTED (just in literal time for graduation) glory!!!!!

The happy feel-good moments are becoming a bit cumbersome to the flow of the blog... Consider them integrated (i.e., Greenmarkets, fire hydrants, 5th grade pride, unobstructed schools) unless otherwise noted from here on out in your readership.

Love, Hugs, & SUMMER!!!
Ms. Phillips, with pride

Fresh Start

PS (As in pre-script): Here's the sermon I referenced last blog. If you can make it through the extended exposition on the migration patterns of geese it really does all tie together. =)

Inspired by the blog of Miss Emily DeLong, I decided to switch up the design a bit... Like just about everything else in my life (particularly shoes and coats), I wish I could draw what I wanted it to look like and then magically have it appear that way, but alas, I'm not savvy enough to venture beyond templates and colors. Still, a change is refreshing.

Speaking of refreshing change, I need some. Though I've been foot-busy (as opposed to brain-busy) in my first week of summer vacation, I feel a little restless funk sprouting within me... I'm definitely ready for some new projects. These might include:

*Starting curriculum planning for next year

*Collaborating to jumpstart and lead social justice initiatives within my church's young adult group--I'm leading a "Food & Fellowship" (our bimonthly get-togethers centered around a discussion topic) in July on service and volunteering as well as participating in a joint committee between the young adults and the church-affiliated (though confoundingly not directly supported by the church) community outreach organization that funds the efforts of a variety of services and programs for underserved groups in New York City, I'm very excited about the opportunities that await me in the coming months.

*With all the service-/volunteer-related talk, I figured I should actually get back into volunteering, something I've let slide over the course of the school year. I have a few food pantry/soup kitchen type projects I'm looking forward to in the next few weeks, so that will be energizing. I have yet to find a volunteer-ready organization in my neighborhood, however... If I could find one that didn't require an hour of travel I think I'd be more likely to continue participating come fall.

*Painting and/or redecorating--In all likelihood, the latter half of this initiative probably won't happen. I only have so much space and furniture can only fit in a room so many ways. But with the very likely prospect of remaining in my apartment another year, I think a multi-wall paint job could be a fun way to rejuvenate the space and make it more my own. Details to follow...

*Running--The weather of late has been weird and unpredictable... Combined with my train hopping to graduation rehearsals and babysitting gigs and summer fun activities, I have not been running as frequently as I would like. That's changing--I know from experience that a large part of this spirit restlessness could be fixed with some consistent aerobic activity.

*New and delicious recipes--ideas, please!!


Happy Feel Good Moments

*Free half-pizza from Planet Fitness, my gym. Irony never tasted so delicious.

*Wave Hill Park--Free Mozart concert (of whose attendees I was the youngest by roughly 40 years), beautiful gardens, exploring a completely new part of the city... This is what summer's about, kids.

*I get to play "good cop" at the 5th grade graduation rehearsals, which is awesome.

*A subway guitarist interrupted his regularly-scheduled Latin music to play "Old McDonald" for an enthused toddler.

*FIGMENT Art Festival--a free, gigantic collection of participatory art exhibits/installations/performances. Most unique and thought-provoking attraction: Unseen Dances.



Love, Hugs, & Links!
Kate

PS: I have lived in this city for over a year. Over. A. Year.

PPS (or is it PSS?): A tangent of the FIGMENT experience--reintroduction to the wonder of Dippin' Dots.

PPPS: I sang at a piano bar for the first time. "On My Own," for simplicity's sake. Fun stuff...

Summertime...

And the living is indeed easy! I have just experienced my first weekend since August without any lesson planning or bulletin board making hanging over my head... It's awesome. I completed a massive apartment clean-through on Saturday, hosted a get-together Saturday evening, attended church (with a marvelous, this-is-why-I-choose-this-church-as-homebase type of sermon; link to come but enjoy an equally as pleasing one from last week here) and brunch, and then made an afternoon out of unplanned clothes shopping with a friend from church. H&M is dangerously inexpensive, btw.

For the moment, June has remembered it's not August and temperatures in the 90s have subsided to pleasant summer 70s, so the outside is much more fun. Ran this morning, walking to the Bronx tomorrow for a free Mozart strings concert, enjoying a packed Wednesday of school stuff, lunch with Meghan (Hey, Meghan, I'm coming for lunch Wednesday), Buddhist meditation in the evening... I. Love. Summer.

Happy Feel-Goodery of the Week:

*A successful and lightly bittersweet last week of classes included several of my most non-participatory students fully engaged--singing, volunteering answers, the whole shebang. I do not know what happened.

*There's a conductor on the A who makes additons like, "Have a beautiful day and a very pleasant evening," and "Each and every one of you is beautiful. Thank you so much for choosing to ride with us," to her standard/mandated announcements. Great way to end the day!

*After sharing her summer travel plans involving Honduras and Peru, Yasmine is beyond impressed that I get to spend part of my summer in... South Carolina!!!!!!

*I received flowers and the cutest-ever book of "Thank You/I love you and music" notes from one of my first grade classes... And then more flowers and a card from a fourth grade class. If that's bribery, I'm eatin' it up. =)

*All three Kindergarten classes chose to listen/dance to African Children's Choir over a previously grooved-to funk song... and then they all sang along to the Swahili the best they could. My work here is done.

It's June, kids--ENJOY IT!!!
KP =)

Memorial Day: Remembering my glassware...

Every summer I've been in New York, I've suffered at least one glass casualty... this summer the tally climbs by 11... So my kitchen cabinet fell off the wall. Yep. Just fell down. Also, I was in front of it. Good thing it was the one with... all the glasses... After a brief few minutes of shock, checking for injuries (minor knuckle grazes thankfully the extent), and bewildered staring, I was able to clean up all the remains (and the busted cabinet) with surprising rationality. Then my super came and remedied the issue by drilling in screws of appropriate length in appropriate studs--two measures that the last super had failed to account for. He continues to drill (and nail gun!) as I blog. Love my super. And the fact that I have a super whose pre-paid job it is to fix things like this... Yet another reason to leave "home ownership" off the lifelong to-do list.

An eventful finale to an eventful few weeks--my concerts are done!! They went well although the upper grades suddenly decided they wanted to try stage fright... With some post-dress rehearsal discussions and my feverish attempts to look like a goof while conducting, they got past it and delivered a solid concert. The littl'uns--ease breeze. They don't know the meaning of stage fright. Love it.

Overnight at Meghan's, followed by a refreshing church service and summery walk through Central Park, finished grades, CRASH!, glass/etc. cleanup, caprese-and-blogging-as-mental-distraction... Maybe dinner as well. And cookie baking! For my teachers. And me. And possibly my super because he's awesome.

Full disclosure: my happy feel-good journal has not received its deserved attention in the last week. Concert exhaustion wipe away a lot of memory capacity at the end of a day. So know that I experienced much happiness, it just wasn't all recorded. A few that made the cut:

*Someone has moved a real piano into an apartment on the 2nd floor and has been playing, at least on one occasion, beautiful repertoire. All the more reason to continue taking the stairs!!

*Celebrated the end of the first dress rehearsal day by dedicating 4+ hours to the Lost finale and related reading/viewing. Worth. It.

*One of the 1st grade song involves sign language on the refrain; when they finished the piece in dress rehearsal one of the 2nd grade classes watching gave sign language applause. Neat.

*We had to run 100 more program copies for the lower grades concert--And we started with 50!!

*One year after graduating (this weekend!), and I walk the halls of my New York City public school after the final concert of the year sporting post-concert flats, a shirt tucked into a skirt, and a lanyard keychain ("I <3 Music", of course) around my neck. From student to full teacher in 365 days. Wow.

(Exact quote)
*"I am able to recover from and appropriately clean up after a cabinet full of glass decides to detach itself from the wall. No signs of concisssion yet. Except I just wrote 'concussion' like that..."
(Really, I'm ok.)

Love, Hugs, and Cheap, Replaceable Glassware,
KP =)

Rain Day!

Yep, they cancel school for wetness here... Oh, how I wish that was true. No, due to a teacher meeting/prep issue that I don't entirely understand, my Tuesday classes this week are moved to Friday, giving me a peculiar "second weekend" to recover from a grueling... one day of teaching. Actually, I'm digging it--I have a lot to catch up on for school and life and today is the perfect day to get things accomplished (she boldly asserts at 9am). It's rainy, so I won't be tempted to play outside, and it's Tuesday, so I'm not Friday-exhausted. And I don't have shows to watch this early in the week. This no-TV thing is not quite working as well as I'd imagined for productivity... I keep finding new and fabulous shows to watch on Hulu or Netflix...

Things that need to happen today:
*Programs (this one's almost done, I just have to enter in the Spanish translations that one of my teachers so graciously provided. So that's another one--*Write a thank you note.)
*Drawing little stage diagrams on teachers' dress rehearsal/concert cheat sheets with class blocking and entrances and exits and such
*Cleeeeeeeaning... Maybe this should be first so my brain will feel cleaner too
*Tackle a chunk of assessment entry (as in, I've already collected the data, I just need to enter it into a spreadsheet, which takes much longer than one would care to think). Teaching would be a lot easier without this learning accountability thing...
*Exercise. Less appealing with the weather, but Idol performance night at the gym sounds adequately motivating...

Happy Feel-Good Moments (Something else I need to stay on top of... The current trend involves approximating memories after realizing I haven't written anything for several days)

*For a while I didn't have an iPod (the story involves a forgetful music teacher, shady construction workers, and the school reimbursing me for a stolen iPod), but I still needed to enjoy the weather and run outside... I actually now prefer running without music. Quite enjoyable.

*My music theatre club loves Pippin, which is great because I love Pippin.
Jennifer (out of breath from a full "Magic to Do" run-through): "That was FUN!"

*I have had two students in the last two weeks share original songs (more like lyrics but it's a start) with me. Way cool.

*Between helping to decorate/cook for a young adults event at church and feeling more and more like a "veteran" at coffee hour and brunch, I'm really starting to feel substantial connections to my church community.

*When you feel like no grade is going to be prepared for the concert, all you need is one class of rockstars to turn your thinking around.

*The highway trombonist returns... this time practicing riffs much more complex than the octaves he was drilling last I jogged in on rehearsal. Great improvement, sir!

*At my request, the professor who leads Wartburg's May term NYC trip (who sadly is leaving Wartburg next year!!) came to meet with my principal about including PS 43 as a partner school for field experience... It was surreal to have Dr. Fiene and Dr. Delucchi (my principal) in the same room sharing laughs and setting up logistics that will very likely lead to Wartburg students being in my school this time next year... Awesome.

*With the arrival of my high school friend Tim to the "neighborhood" (15 minutes on the train), I realized I have quite a few close friends in the area... interesting as many New Yorkers label anything above Central Park as the "boonies" of Manhattan. Seriously, I don't really know anyone who lives BELOW 110th...

Love, Hugs, and Productivity!
Kate =)

Blog=Metaphor for Life?

This update is roughly 3 weeks overdue, will surely leave out important life happenings, and may not be entirely coherent or well-structured. Welcome to concert season.

I feel as though I should just plan the year's programs up-front, in the summer, and avoid all the unproductive stress and vague sense of foreboding that swing in about a month prior to these relatively inconsequential (in the grand scheme of things) concerts. I experienced the same anxiety around Thanksgiving, so I should know that all will be memorized, the kids will pull off a professional showing, and the parents and teachers will just be thrilled that there's a music program in the first place. But with three weeks to go and so much more to rehearse and organize...

Maybe I should start interspersing the Happy Feel-Good Moments now...

[Angel, age 4, has been fervently trying to communicate something to me, first by calling out my name incessantly then by waving his hand until it looks as though it will fall off]
"YES, Angel--what is your question?"
"I didn't have a question."
"Ok, what did you want to tell me?"
(Long pause; he clearly has lost all memory of original intent)
"...Rainbows..."

Mmm much better on the stress levels... =)

So my parents visited, and it was awesome. I love love love showing people around the city (hint hint hint...), especially when they have no interest in the touristy stuff. Yes, we went to a show--Next to Normal--fantastic--but other than that brief glimpse of Times Square we dwelt among the locals, wining and dining our way through Manhattan. Way fun, and a great respite from the chaos of... well, you know. =) We won't mention that part of life any more.

Another HFGM for your reading pleasure

A few weeks ago a very well-mannered and poised 5th grader from PS 75 (one of the schools at which I have subbed) approached me on a weekend train to say hi and tell me he missed me. This after a 2-week subbing stint in January. I. Love. Teaching.

In other news, I really feel like I'm beginning my role as "active participant" at my church. Between steady attendance at young adult events (and services for that matter) and a few opportunities for minor leadership, I finally am comfortable taking a little ownership in this community. In general, I tend to take a little while to warm up to a new atmosphere, but once I feel I can put my personality out there my involvement snowballs and suddenly I can't remember that time I was too timid to speak more than a few words. Let's hope this follows suit...

And rounding off the HFGMs of the last... MONTH (seriously, another one on Saturday??):

I scored free Columbian rice at a street fair by being discerning and maybe a little adorable. Mm, the sweet taste of handouts.

I've been taking to running along the Hudson River for the gorgeous views and relatively light traffic... Part of the route runs next to the highway, where I recently encountered a fledgling trombonist practicing his scales. On the side of the highway.

Apparently Tork and I should simply plan our "dates" at the 190th A train station, where we randomly encountered one another for the SECOND time in 6 months despite neither of us actually claiming the stop as our own.

And last but certainly not least, this quote:
"I want someone who will be monogamous and nice to his mother. And I want someone who likes musicals but knows to just shut his mouth while I'm watching Lost. And I want someone who thinks being really into cars is lame and strip clubs are gross. I want someone who will actually empty the dishwasher instead of just taking out forks as needed, like I do. I want someone with clean hands and feet and beefy forearms like a damn Disney prince. And I want him to genuinely like me, even when I'm old. And that's what I want."
Watch out Liz Lemon, we're after the same dude.

Love, Hugs, and ...Rainbows...
=) Kate

Where to begin...

The problem with having so much fun in over two weeks that you forget to blog is you have a lot to blog about after those two weeks... If crunched for time, I suggest reading one section a sitting. =)

Waverly: Rejuvenation. Comfort. Perspective.
And to think, I wasn't planning on visiting until summer... now I'm trying to organize my summer so I can visit again in a few months! The weird part of being back on campus is that it didn't feel weird at all... It's as if I had just returned from a break; no flooding nostalgia, no conspicuous changes... Wartburg remains pretty much how I left it, minus my graduating class. But really I got to see a lot of them too, and what a treat! It was refreshing to chat at length in the Res and Kdit with friends I had spent the last four years getting to know and love--those 4-hour fishbowl-style conversations just don't happen as often after college. It was exciting to hear stories of jobs and grad school and future plans and the general transition to being adults (are we there yet?). Also, $3 beer outside of happy hour. All in all, a highly successful trip. =)

Libertyville: Respite. Expanse. Cleanliness.
After my Iowa road trip, I spent the remainder of my break back "home" (I'm trying to condition myself to say "Libertyville" instead of "home" these days), enjoying the suburban oasis in my year of urban living. Whether I was jogging the neatly arranged neighborhoods or enjoying the warm night air over fire and wine (that's how we do "roughing it"), I was struck by the contrast of environment. Waverly didn't throw me because the population is so small; North Shore boasts a high population more (but not exactly) comparable to a city, so the differences are more acute. I experienced strong Tanzania flashbacks the whole week... At first I thought it was merely the smells of suburbanites lighting up their barbecues to celebrate the weather--in the villages everything is cooked over fire--but in discussing the nostalgia with my mom I discovered it was simply the space. I could more or less see a horizon in any given spot in town. Buildings are spread out, trees are more homogenously dispersed. Not quite Africa, but certainly not New York either.

New York: Energy. Ease. GREEN.
Yes, everything is green and blossoming here, seemingly overnight!! I left New York with bare trees and pale green grass patches; I return to find the city in the midst of a spring revolution. I am always, always, always in a better mood when the weather is beautiful, so thanks, New York, for making spring concert season much more bearable. By the way, the second time through the concert machine is a LOT easier than the first. Although still stressful and time-sensitive, I feel slightly more confident this time around. Slightly. On a teaching-related note (pretend I'm not a music teacher so that doesn't have to be a pun), I learned on a visit to my organization's office that my boss is trying to negotiate me a full-time, Department of Education teaching position at MY school next year! And if not that, then "definitely" (his words) the following year. He's a highly idealistic kind of kid so I'm not banking my future on it, but it's still an unexpected surprise! That revelation added to a pretty successful interview for a summer job earlier in the week (I'll know just how successful it was in the next two weeks), and I'm generally feeling good about being back.


Happy Feel Good Moments of the past 17 days (Oof.)

*It's hard to stay mad at a naughty fourth grader when he breaks into the Queen of the Night aria.

*Girl on the street to her little brother marching determinedly to a beat in his own head: "Do you realize you're the only one stomping like an idiot??"

*I saw Manhattan from the air for the first time in two years--I've had a knack for flying on overcast days I guess. But good news: I can locate my school, apartment building, and former Staten Island sublet from hundreds of feet above.

*You know you're driving in small town Iowa when you pass a man riding a tractor on the sidewalk and a giant inflatable Easter bunny on the lawn.

*They just don't make vocal harmony like the Wartburg Choir in elementary school... =)

*Pad Woon Sen: the new Pad See Ew.

*Eggs blowing up on the stovetop is always a good time.

*The nectarine I had accidentally left on my kitchen counter for the duration of break was not, in fact, moldy and bug-infested upon my return as I had imagined. So I ate it.

*One has not enjoyed life to the fullest until one witnesses 20 kindergarteners grooving to a funk version of "This Land is Your Land".


Aaaaand, debt to blog: paid in full.
KP =)

Done (Almost)

But really, I checked out this weekend. So did the kids, so ultimately things are ok, but I am so ready for a break from the city. Last week's weather was GORGEOUS (70!!) and involved much time outside; this week is back to rainy and people on the streets seem angry or maybe I'm projecting my restlessness or the fact that my ear did that thing again where it temporarily shuts down function (at least I hope it's another temporary deal) or my general disdain for concert season... Anyway, winter weather or not, I'm adequately (read: extremely) prepared to visit the Midwest and more importantly all the lovely PEOPLE who live there!!

I leave Friday morning, and before then I need to:
*Do laundry (Status: In Progress)
*Finish preparing materials for the remainder of the week's lessons
*Pack
*Exercise once more (Outside? C'mon, weather...)
*Make a packing list (this might be helpful to complete before packing)
*Mail things like rent and the Census
*Sweep and vacuum
*Clean out the fridge for things I won't want to smell upon my return
*Regain hearing in my left ear (at least it's a different one this time; talking on the phone is much easier)
*Attend a book club (The Red Tent, Anita Diamant)

Happy Feel-Good Moments of the Week

*Music Instinct--fantastic documentary about the biological evolution and argument for music. Reignited high-minded aspirations regarding my career in music education... (If you have Netflix it's free to stream)

*Great outdoor runs in shorts, around my neighborhood, etc... Summer is just around the corner, right?

*Piecing together student siblings on conference day is way fun and rather enlightening.

*Japhel: "Ms. Phillips, how do you KNOW so much about music??"

*I watched Lost (via Hulu) on my fire escape.

*Our school librarian REALLY gets into holiday costuming... For St. Patrick's day she wore a green boa and streaked her hair kelly green!

*Sometimes it's nice to walk through Times Square (without stopping) simply to appreciate everything that is not Times Square.

*I garnered an interview for a music teacher position at a summer school program downtown with a fabulous schedule and very decent pay... Fingers crossed!!

*Paul Torkelson is on Facebook, which is awesome. Maybe we'll finally set up another dinner...

Love, Hugs, and IOWA ON SATURDAY!!!!
=) KP

The Cost of Spring

Lest we take for granted the gorgeous weathers of spring and summer, nature likes to remind us around this time of year that we must pay our dues... In the form of random cold spikes and multi-day marathons of raaaaaain (worse than "rain"). It has been raining non-stop since Friday, and the memory of last week's blue skies and jacketless temperatures quickly fade into "Oh yeah, it's still March". But sun and 50s soon...

This week saw a number of "firsts", mostly positive. A photographic log:

First unobstructed view of Manhattan from my classroom!!!! Though it remains on the other sides of the building, the construction netting and scaffolding has disappeared from my side, just in time for a beautiful week of weather (that would be last week, not this one yet).

First umbrella put to rest. 25 mph winds'll do that. Please note the bent handle, protruding spoke, and general deflation of the once curved rain shield.

First hockey game. I know, right? Meghan had free box seats at Madison Square Garden for the NY Rangers game from her agency. It was not as painful as I remember sporting events being when I was younger, yet I'm still decidedly a performing arts girl.

Also--first RUN of the year in Central Park last week! Unfortunately, I did not bring along a camera to document the occasion, but the proof is in the outdoor running high that just recently wore off =)

Happy Feel Good Moments:

*Aforementioned Central Park run (high of 59 that day!!)

*I fully completed a New York magazine crossword puzzle. Sense of accomplishment: fulfilled.

*One of the second grade classes wrote 100 "acts of love" for Valentine's Day/100th Day of School. I am the proud owner of a delightful card from Leah. =)

*Luis: "Whoa--Ms. Phillips, how do you know who Sonic is?!?" [Answer: Andrew Dougherty Phillips.]

*When "What a Wonderful World" drifts into the subway tunnels from someone's boombox, you just can't help but smile.

*15 out of 17 concert pieces selected--way ahead of last concert's curve. Themes are proving essential to ease of concert planning.

*My naughty 3rd grade class gave me some truly first-rate singing today. Too often I forget I should be deliberately working on molding these kids into highly competent performers, not just filling their minds.

Love love love!
Kate =)

So Far So Good

I've been doing rather well on the goals I set forth for March...

Concert music is 80% selected (now I just have to track down all that sheet music...)

More art--check. I'm sketchin' on subways and pickin' away at the guitar in my free time, and it feels great to be doing creative stuff again that has nothing to do with school children!

Smiling on subways... Working on it. I'd say 30% success so far.

Love love LOVE recording the happy feel-good moments (or HFGM) of my day!! Not only am I a happier girl at the end of the day, but I also find myself looking for great moments to record--heightening my consciousness of the beautiful little things that happen all around. Highlights from the week:

*Nyshia: "Ms. Phillips, can I use this picture of President Obama and Ms. Michelle to represent Marriage of Figaro on the Mozart collage?"
[So many things to love here: The fact we're making Mozart collages, her recognition of a now iconic photo--slow dance at the Inauguration--even when intentionally blurry, her use of "Ms. Michelle" to address the first lady...]

*I made a pretty delicious broccoli-egg-ricotta souffle.

*On Thursday I miraculously encountered the elusive no-wait commute--in BOTH directions.

*Later in the day I had a subway car all to myself for an unprecedented four stops. So I sang loudly.

*I found a variety pack of construction paper that included purple. More difficult than one would think.

*Drunk girl at bar: "Hey, guy, the bathroom is behind" (Sober translation: "Excuse me, sir, the line for the bathroom starts behind us") Cue a comical conversation among the rest of us in line on how to properly address a stranger in a bar.

*There are some quality programs out there to aid urban educators. Thank you, Project Cicero, for facilitating the near-tripling of my music book library!!

*Indian spring, the psychological effects of which are somewhat regrettable in late March, is a welcome phenomenon in early March. And by Indian spring I mean the converse of Indian fall.

*Today I cut out pictures for my next bulletin board on the subway. I hope it looked as awesome as I imagine it did.

As for the goal of holding off Waverly excitement... 4 out of 5 goals isn't bad. =)

KP

March Goals

If I post them, accountability is likely to improve...

Select concert music
Lower Grades Theme: Land, Sea, and Sky
Upper Grades Theme: Composer Spotlight

More art
Drawing, songwriting, instrumental improv, photography, etc.

Pleasant disposition on public transportation
I've noticed my "neutral" face is a frown... And that needs to change, for my own sake and the sake of those around me.

Recording the positives
Though I tend to maintain a pretty positive/optimistic attitude as a general rule, I'm interested to see the stories I can compile by writing down one smile-inspiring moment each day. Greatest hits to be posted...

Consistently diverse lessons
Movement, listening, and performing every week. Tall order, but I think I'm finally to the point in the year where this one is attainable...

Holding my anticipation for Midwest week to a manageable level
Perhaps the most difficult of all. March 27-30: Waverly. March 30-April 5: Libertyville. Let me know if I should be seeing you!!

=) KP

So summer is when?

As anyone who has ever lived in a climate of seasonal change knows, February is the worst. Dull, cold, snowy/slushy, and no festive street decorations or holiday cheer to break up the monotony. That is precisely why I believe NYC schools are genius in establishing this "midwinter recess" for the third week in February... This is time off so greatly needed by teachers and students alike, and I think it'll make March much more productive than it often tends to be. The chance to step away from the "trenches" for a week allows for some perspective not easily attained amidst the bustle of Christmas break.

That said, I haven't really accomplished much of what I had mentally designated for this break... No concert rep selection, no in-depth unit planning for the remainder of the year... I'm not even done with lesson plans for next week yet! I suppose I still have the weekend. =)

But the break has not been totally wasted. I've been able to catch up with a lot of friends and remind myself that there is, in fact, a lot of city that exists beyond the route of my school commute.

Highlights:

Night Out with Meghan & Friends
Brewery tour, free pizza, quality time at a favorite West Village piano bar.

Lots of Babysitting
Extra cash and the opportunity to hang out in types of apartments I'll never be able to afford...

First (and likely Last) Cabaret Experience
At least I got to see my friend Tim perform two songs for the price of a cover and two ridiculously expensive drinks. Emcee was tragically untalented, staff was rude, and Tim even had to pay to participate. A lesson learned for all involved. =P

Teacher Talk
It's both comforting and slightly stressful to chat with other music teachers... Though students and environments differ vastly between schools, I can't help but compare my program to others'--for better or worse. In some areas I'm very confident in my curriculum and methods, some I'm not and panic that I'm letting my students and school and organization down. I'm really looking forward to a whole summer off where I can really revamp my whole-year plan and organize units and strategies into a unified blueprint. Despite week-long breaks and the gradual amassing of resources and ideas, I feel like I'm struggling to meet my own expectations/standards for my teaching this year for every grade. But then I realize I essentially plan nine lessons a week. Nine distinct trajectories of content and objectives spread out across seven grades. I need to find a way to consolidate units to apply to 2-3 grade levels while still teaching unique lessons to each grade. That's the summer plan. I hope.

Field Trip!
Yesterday I spent the afternoon at Meghan's agency in East Harlem. For those of you who don't have her blog on your reading list, her organization basically provides any family-related service you could possibly imagine for a set of zip codes in East Harlem. Since she works in nearly every department for at least a few hours a week, I was able to talk with a wide array of knowledgeable individuals about the various programs Little Sisters of the Assumption provides for the neighborhood, including (but not limited to) a food pantry, environmental (molds/pests/etc.) home visits, tutoring, nursing, language classes, immigration aid, child advocacy, family advocacy... It's amazing to see such a thorough and comprehensive approach toward serving and empowering a community, especially as the East Harlem neighborhood it serves resembles closely my school's surrounding area in terms of population and socioeconomic status. I'll definitely be looking into similar organizations (supposedly the Dominican Sisters have something running) that serve my students.

Outside Time
Between a snowy wonderland up in the Cloisters (pictures to come) on Tuesday and a springlike air (40s!) today, I've appreciated a number of simple and relaxing walks through the version of nature that presents itself around these parts. I miss the ability to simply enjoy the outdoors in this beautiful city. Spring and summer cannot come soon enough.

I suppose I should put an end to work-related procrastination and just deal with the reality of a return to the ol' routine on Monday. Once again (and this will be a regular reminder in this blog for the next few posts), I WILL BE IN WAVERLY MARCH 27-30!!!! Please be there? =)

KP

For Your Consideration

Not much of interest going on this week... So allow me to take this lull in activity to offer some various recommendations in the realm of media and beyond

Film

Google Me
Another great Hulu find. Amateur documentarian sets out to meet every man in the world sharing his name through Google searches. Six agree to meet and be interviewed, and what ensues is an amusing and often thought-provoking series of human profiles. From priest to adult swinger, each man tells his unique story... The filmmaker is actually the least engaging of all of them, but the documentary on the whole focuses on the rest of them so it's not a problem. =)
http://www.hulu.com/watch/119970/google-me

Hotel Rwanda
One of those that's been on the "I should see that sometime" list practically since it was first made. I'm glad I viewed it after Tanzania; I'm better equipped to place the events and locale in context than I would have been without the experience. I do, however, recommend it even if you have not been to the African continent.

Literature

The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
Similarly, my enjoyment and understanding of the content was greatly supported by my May Term sojourn in Africa, particularly as this novel relates the saga of a family called to serve as Christian missionaries in the Congo. I glimpsed bits of Pastor Hafermann and the other missionaries we met--both positive and negative--in the various narratives. Again, obviously still to be enjoyed by those unfamiliar with the Christian movement in Africa, but this one I would HIGHLY recommend to anyone who has been on the trip.

"A White Teacher Speaks Out"
Meghan passed this gem along to me. You so desperately want to applaud what appears to be a vicious satire on racism in education and cultural relations incompetence... And then you realize the truth could not be further from the appearance. This is a real person, living and spreading these ugly ideologies in 2010. Sick.
http://www.amren.com/ar/2009/07/index.html

Television

Lost
Duh.

Culinary Arts

Greek Eggplant Panini
Baked and seasoned eggplant with feta, sundried tomatoes, and hummus on a buttered and pan-fried pita.

Raw Broccoli and Bleu Cheese
I'm really into snacks now...

Spaghetti Primavera
Whole wheat pasta with olive oil-sauteed mushrooms, artichokes, carrots, and zucchini. Actually, that sounds like dinner tonight.

Break in a week! When I first looked at the 2010 calendar, I thought, "Psh, why do we need a week-long break 5 weeks into school?" And then I had to make five behavior-related calls home this week. Bring on the vacation.

=) KP

Do Re MOUSE!

Yep, that's how my afternoon 5th grade class commenced on Thursday. Having observant students is a mixed blessing. Great when they're into the lesson, less desirable when all their focus shoots directly to the mouse scurrying behind me. Also less than desirable: the fact that there was a mouse in my classroom. One custodian, several sticky paper traps, and a backward classroom later--trapped mouse. And a room full of 5th graders captivated by its demise. So glad this all coincided with my boss's first (surprise) visit of the year to my classroom... He did dispose of the mouse, though. That's a plus.

Combine that with a classroom fistfight (albeit ultimately harmless) on Monday, and you've got a great week for the memory books. The kids are ok, and I now know how to file an incident report. Oh, paperwork...

So it's been fun. Between a "regular" Friday subbing job until March, a boom in babysitter demand, and not much opportunity to spend my money in these winter months, money's a little looser (as opposed to tighter) than it has been, although I still wouldn't rate my income as much above livable. Whatevs, I'm in New York. New. York. Concrete jungle where dreams are made of... Damn you, "Empire State of Mind" and your uncanny suitability for both my 5th grade hip hop AND notation AND NYC music units. PS, "where dreams are made of" does not make sense. It doesn't.

I'm a little busier these days what with these five day work weeks and TWO day weekends (What??), but chats always welcome!

Love & Hugs,
Kate

Woosh...

That's how January seems to be going thus far... These full work weeks (I subbed both last and this Friday) really make the days fly by, even with MLKJ Day squeezed in there! As I'm too impatient with myself to organize by topic, I'm going with a chronological rundown of life since last blog.

Friday I (See II after "Thursday")
First time subbing ever!! What a strange and delightful experience. Working with a totally new group of students for the first time in 5 or so months provides much insight on my progress so far as a teacher. It took a while to settle into the rhythm; my class knows my routines and pace and I know their personalities (and names!) and abilities... Though both part of the NYC public school system, my school (PS 43) and the other one (PS 75) are run very differently. At 43 we have uniforms, very structured hallway procedures, school-wide rules to reference... 75 doesn't seem to have any of those. Obviously different populations require different educational atmospheres, but I'm pretty confident in saying my school is better than their school. =) Hard to succinctly communicate the comparisons here, so as always, I'd be happy to provide further details upon request!

Saturday
Marathon friendships! Lunch with a teacher friend formerly of ETM (she recently was offered and accepted a full-time position in NJ... actually makes her commute shorter!), coffee with a friend from high school (Timmy!), and dinner with Meghan at Sally's. Goodness I love sustained human contact. =)

Sunday
More enjoyment of people at the monthly (free!) bagel brunch at church. For the first time I really felt part of the group, like I was contributing to conversation and general atmosphere as opposed to being the new kid that everyone's nice to because she's the new kid.

Monday
Laundry, lesson plans, Laura Skype, Lincoln Center concert. "L" day. The concert was pretty sweet, particularly insomuch as I haven't really done any cultural things in the city since about summer. Meghan got free tickets to the otherwise moderately pricey event from her agency and invited me. The performance consisted of two hour-long choral works with orchestra and soloists and loosely thematic video clips... All in all an intriguing multimedia display. I discovered I had never before witnessed a full choral work--orchestra, band, sure, but extended choral compositions? That's a first. Thanks, Little Sisters of the Assumption in East Harlem!

Tuesday
Professional Development. SOOOOO nice to actually be friends with teachers now!! Not surprisingly, the sessions didn't so much pertain to me, but I love a good puzzle, so I always have fun coming up with connections to the music classroom. Expect more writing and reading comprehension activities to find their way into music lessons from here on out. That is, if you visit my classroom. (Takers??)

Wednesday
Supervisor visit (all good), crazy testing schedule switching, and probably my best lesson ever with my most difficult class. Some days I feel like I have this teaching thing down...

Thursday
...And sometimes not. No epic fails, just less engaging lessons than I anticipated. There's always next week.

Friday II
Another day subbing at PS 75. Sat in on a lesson from one of the position's candidates... Let's just say some people click better with middle school & high school and some with elementary in terms of style and content goals. We'll see how she pans out...

Aaaaand scene. Three weeks until another break (what?) and I'm feeling energized about my lesson arcs for that duration. And my developing social life in the city. And my cooking skills and products. Life is good. =)

KP

A New Chapter

As of approximately 8:40 pm on Tuesday, January 13, 2010, I am over American Idol.

I suppose it's been coming more or less for about 8 years... I've grown increasingly impatient with various aspects of the show--emphasis on appearance, lack of technical critique, predictable and often low-flying banter and punchlines, aggrandized sense of self-importance--but 10 minutes into the viewing and the joys of a knockout performance or a particularly witty Simonism just couldn't provide enough counterbalance any longer. I noticed headlines regarding an earthquake in Haiti on the neighboring screen (no, I have not increased my TV ownership from 0 to 2; I was watching whilst ellipticizing), and with a flip of the channel I was listening to coverage of a devastating natural disaster in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Probably one of the starker contrasts of programming one could imagine, right? The situation just shot squarely into perspective what an ill fit American Idol has become in my current, ever-evolving worldview. Natural living, service-oriented vocation, substance over style... Of course, I'll still tune in occasionally if there's nothing better to watch on a Tuesday exercise night; right now that's not a problem because of the witty, under-watched (like, Quick--WATCH THIS SHOW before it experiences an untimely demise ala Arrested Development), brilliantly written Better Off Ted. But I have no problem missing out. In the wise words of Meghan Smith, "Sometimes it's easier to let go of old skins we've already nearly shed with a little nudge." Or an earthquake. =P

Onto material a little less self-serious...

Things That Are Awesome (An Ongoing Series)

Elementary school assemblies
I find myself perpetually beaming with pride over my students, both in and outside of my classroom. Reading poems and short paragraphs--and RAPS--on Martin Luther King, Jr. wasn't on the whole the most riveting piece of programming I'll ever see, but it's so fascinating to witness my students' performance in areas other than music. So. Proud.

Fruit that ripens after cut open
That was an oops on my part; I misjudged the readiness of the avocado. But 3 days in tupperware, slice off the browned flesh, and voila! Guacamole.

Meeting friendly neighbors

Mastering the art of cooking eggplant so it tastes like something

Garnering my first subbing job...
Filling in for another ETM teacher tomorrow. Actually, we'll find out if this is awesome or not. But I have high hopes.

Sally
More free dinners, more babysitting jobs. Love this woman.

Three day weekends followed by a professional development day
2-day teaching week!

March 27-30 in Waverly
Plan accordingly. =)

Responsibly assembled lists of organizations working to provide relief to all involved in the Haitian earthquake... Please consider offering your support!
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/

Love & Hugs!
KP =)

One Up on New York

I know I occasionally come down hard on the Midwest and especially the state of Iowa for all sorts of perceived deficiencies in the realms of culture, transportation, open-mindedness... But seriously, y'all are winter champions. In this winter of mid-20s and 30s defined by local newspapers as an "unusually frigid cold spell", I salute to the Iowans and often Illinoisans who brave weeks of frozen eyelashes and perpetually chapped lips and apocalyptic winds for what seems to be the entirety of January. And sometimes February. New Yorkers may have their museums and ethnically rich neighborhoods and superb (if not infallible) public transportation system... but they are wimps when it comes to cold weather. Kudos, Midwest. Kudos.

Back to school and getting back into the rhythm with surprising swiftness. I actually started writing next week's lesson plans at school this week--a new method I hope can become a semester trend... makes weekends a lot less stressful! I can't help but stand in awe at the contrast between my first week teaching in 2009 and that of 2010... I feel like a totally different teacher: confident in my lesson plans and discipline strategies; familiar with the names, personalities, and abilities of my students; friendly and talkative with teachers... I like not being the new kid. =)

Things I am looking forward to in the next few weeks and months despite the inevitable winter blahs:
-Developing my repertoire of delicious/healthy/vegetarian recipes
-Music lessons totally free of concert preparation
-American Idol. To be sure, my enthusiasm has waned significantly since college and the departure of Ms. Abdul, but you can bet I'll be on an elliptical for the season premiere!
-TWO week-long breaks before April, the second of which will include a visit to both my childhood AND collegiate homes... Yessss.
-Surreptitious giggles at the habits of literal fair-weather New Yorkers

Love, Hugs, and Mild Winters!
Kate =)

Oh Hey, Blog

Happy New Year, kids! 2010... That's a weird one.
1) It seems like one of those years everyone has always referenced as "The Future"--like, "In 2010, we'll all be riding hover cars".
2) The last-two-number abbreviation is not multisyllabic.
3) We've gone back to saying years in terms of two-digit numbers. Twenty ten.
4) It's one year past 2009, a year beyond which I had no need to fathom for the duration of my school years.
So yeah, it's weird.

It was GREAT to be home, although it definitely feels more like "home" than home. My home is my apartment, and my old room is now a redecorated guest room (stepping into which was the weirdest moment of my LIFE, btw). I feel I've moved on, literally and figuratively, so while it's great to have a break and spend time with my family, I don't cling to it the way I did in college.

Other musings from the past week or so...

I missed walking everywhere. Seriously.

I drove a car for the first time in over 6 months--in snow, no less. Just like riding a bicycle. With four wheels and an engine.

You know you're a grownup when a vacuum and a blender are among the most exciting gifts of Christmas.

Old apartment building boilers are designed to literally roast tenants. At least that's what it feels like--even with both windows wide open. Jose, my super (read Super Jose), says the settings cannot be altered, so currently my at-home wardrobe consists of tank tops and shorts. If only I had bags of sand and an inflatable pool...

Christmas letters next year.

Roof=Best possible location to countdown a new year.

I'm partway vegetarian now... I've cut out purchasing meat from the grocery store and ordering it at restaurants (with the exception of sushi--sorry, eels). Delicious recipes welcome!

I should probably start preparing for that teaching thing that starts up again Monday... Or watch Pirates. Or both...

KP =)