Had a really great day yesterday with my Mom and Dad. First we went out to breakfast at Cracker Barrel. I noticed a sign that said “We offer our menu in Spanish.” So, I asked for one and kept it. It’s pretty neat. We had a hearty breakfast and talked a lot. Very relaxing, and good to catch up.

After breakfast, we went to Sam’s and bought some staples in large quantities. Always good. We haven’t been there in a while. Then we stopped in at Party City to see if they have any bags of little toys (like party favors or piñata stuffers). They had a few things, but we really didn’t have time to sort them out. I’m going to use them for “El Cofre del Tesoro” (The Treasure Chest). It’s a reward system idea for next semester that I had after watching Pirates of the Caribbean 2. It’s kinda similar to the box of goodies that a doctor or dentist has for kids. I want to fill it with an assortment of candy and little toys. If anyone who reads this has any spare toys lying around that they would like to donate for education…:) ).

After that we went to Guen’s to get a TV she isn’t using anymore. Then we went home and took a nap! It was a nice day.

I can’t believe it’s finally here–winter vacation!

Betsy started my vacation off so nicely by buying me an end-of-semester present. When I got home, she had made a treasure hunt, with clues that lead to the present. The clues were pretty hard actually! But, it was a lot of fun. She said that her family used to do that when they had their anniversary. I thought it was pretty neat. The presents were two prints of Gustave Doré’s Quijote drawings. They look gorgeous. And they mean a lot to me too, because I worked so hard on that Quijote project this year. Thank you, Betsy! Now we’ve just got to get a frame for them.

This morning Betsy made me up some Starbuck’s coffee, a gift from a student. Mmmm….. I got a handful of gifts, but I particularly liked the notes. One student said, “Remember to trust and believe in your ability as a teacher. You’re one of the only teachers I’ve ever had that truly wanted to listen to their students’ opinions and understand why we feel the way we do.” That really made me feel great! Thank you so much, my students! (if you happen to read this, drop me a comment)

For the first couple days of break, I have asked Betsy and everyone else for a couple of days of pure nothingness. I hope I can use those days for rest and rejuvenation. Then we’ll start to do stuff, see people, and go places. So, today I’m just drinking great coffee, watching movies, and writing a well-needed update to my blog!

S1E8

I always show my students how to dance salsa, merengue, and bachata in class. Yesterday, a few students said they wanted to show me a dance. So, they taught me how to “Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It.” All the kids immediately whipped out their cell phones and took videos of us. By the time third block rolled around, the videos had been distributed and shown to what seemed like the entire school! People I didn’t even know were saying, “I saw that video of you dancing!” It was a blast!

I have the hugest “thing” for Nigella Lawson. Most people who know me probably know this already, so no news there. I first became hooked on both her recipes and her sometime while dating Betsy. The recipes were among the most sensual to both cook and eat, especially with Nigella’s commentary running throughout the book. So, I loved to cook for Betsy using those recipes during our courtship.

Sorry, I got distracted there for a minute! Haha. The point of this post is not that I love Nigella (though I do). It is this complete poser that seems to be trying to rip off the same level of food-sensuality that Nigella has—Rachel Ray. I can’t stand Rachel Ray. All of her promotional shots are all just too saccharine for my taste. And what is more is that I can’t shop at Kroger without seeing pictures of her at every turn! I don’t want “cuteness” with my food. Underlying sensuality, yes, but not cuteness.

No more Rachel Ray in Kroger! I’m trying to shop, not get a toothache.

To compare, just read this quote about Nigella from a recent interview:

“She looks like the voluptuous star of a Fellini film who has come unstuck in time and found herself transplanted from Rome circa 1960 to present-day Shepherd’s Bush; a statuesque, olive-skinned, doe-eyed, pouty-mouthed bella signora with long, dark, straggly hair and English teeth, beamed across time and space to entrance us with her upper-crust stove-side manner and alluring looks.”
(Q Magazine January 2001)

Nigella Lawson, Rachel Ray, Kroger

This semester is wrapping up very nicely! Looking back over this semester, I have had a lot of success in my teaching. I must admit that I was a bit nervous about transitioning back to highschool after having taught in college for the past 2 or so years. But, the kids have just been great.

I’ve had fairly good classroom management. That was one of the things I worried about–could I keep a younger audience captivated, yet managed at the same time? Not that everyday has been perfect. Sometimes we got a little out of control; and sometimes they weren’t engaged. But I do feel a lot more comfortable with regards to classroom management. I suppose that the confidence comes from experience.

In addition to just managing the classroom, though, I have caused real impact. This has been the most satisfying. Many students (without having been solicited to do) have written me letters explaining what impact I have made on them. I’ve kept them to remind me. I read over them on the days that I feel ineffective, just to remind me.

We only have about 2 weeks left, and I miss the kids already!