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
Friday, January 29, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
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
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
Thursday, January 14, 2010
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 =)
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 =)
Saturday, January 9, 2010
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 =)
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 =)
Friday, January 1, 2010
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 =)
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 =)
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