friday, september 24, 2010 was most definitely one of my favorite days everrrr!
i woke up early to go for a run in preparation for the 5K race that i have decided to take part in on december 4th...ahhhhh. the lasallian volunteers program participates in a marathon every year to help raise money to allow the program to continue sponsoring volunteers each year. soooooo...(insert shameless plug for money) if you want to help sponsor me in running and help support the lasallian volunteer program, you should go to https://lasallianvolunteers.myetap.org/fundraiser/lvsrunninginmemphis/individual.do?participationRef=4586.0.2022467 and help me out :)
i spent the rest of the morning over at the center do some catch up stuff. we met some people who may be potential benefactors for the center. they seemed really interested in the work we were doing, so hopefully they will be feeling extra generous the next time they want to give money away. and they will remember the center!
after work was done, we went to lunch at a new place that just opened. its called the soup and as you may have guess it serves only soup. the food was so delicious and we got to speak with the owner for a few minutes. she told us that she only uses locally grown produce and makes the soup fresh every morning! loveeeee
we walked around main street for a little while after and went to the HOPES center. it is an organization run by the dominican sisters and has three different purposes. the HOPES center has a fair trade goods store, a coffee shop with all fair trade coffee, teas, and hot chocolate, and an area that offers counseling and life coaching services. SOOO COOOLLLLL- google it! needless to say i loved it :)
we were able to speak with one of the sisters who works there and a woman who was so knowledgeable about everything fair trade. she told us that of all the places in wisconsin, racine is one of the most progressive! coming from ny, i wouldnt label racine as "progressive" but i completely understand what she meant.
there really are some very cool places that are doing "out of the box" stuff here. i have seen so many different organizations and establishments that recognize the green movement and fair trade and the importance of saving energy. there are entire buildings here made of recycled materials and that run entirely on solar energy. pretty awesome.
thennnn last night a woman named mary beth, who was the former principal of the school where the center is located and we have affectionately named our crazy aunt of racine, invited us to go to family fun night with my absolute favorites family of students that come to the center. and the theme last night was chemistry! I WAS SO EXCITEDDDD! my favorite kids and my favorite subject- what more could i ask for? :)
so we went over to that with the kids. it was basically a bunch of demonstrations by the chemistry majors of a local college of various experiments involving chemistry. the kids loved it! every time one of the college students did something the kids clapped and every time they asked a question the kids were jumping up and down trying to get picked to answer. it made me wonder if teaching (yikes!) may be in the future for me. i have always said that i dont think i would want to teach but who knows? maybe?
after the chemistry night we went over to the pumpkin farm and then back to mary beth's house to roast marshmallows. it felt so much like fall! such a great night :)
and after alllllll of that, we came back and decided to go out for beer with one of our other roommmates. we got a drink and then stopped at a pizzeria. i asked if they sold slices of pizza to which they replied yes. so i ordered one. naturally i expected this slice of pizza to be a large triangle shape and be ready in about 3 minutes, right? WRONGGG...it took about 15 minutes to get a circular personal pan pizza deliver to me. it was so weird to me haha and i wanted to share. whatever midwest...
i think thats it for now- catch you on the flipside!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
happy anniversary to me!
its official..i have been a resident of wisconsin for exactly one month! i cant believe that i have made it through 4 entire weeks of being back in the midwest- needless to say, i am pleased :)
at the center today, i worked a lottttt on reading with the students. it made me think about my own time in elementary and middle school and how lucky i was/am for having been able to be educated in the setting i was educated in. it is something that i have most definitely taken for granted and i am now just realizing how lucky i was to have teachers who wanted to see me succeed, an environment that promoted success, and parents that constantly supported whatever it was that i was pursuing.
the kids here struggle. they struggle at school with reading and writing and math, the same things that most kids their age struggle with. but they also struggle at home. they dont live in homes where they are told they can be anything they want to be, or with parents who have the time and energy to sit down with them and go over their homework, or in an area where they can play outside whenever they want and not have to worry about being safe.
part of me feels sad for the students that i work with because they are constantly working against the odds. and then i remind myself that this is all the more reason to invest myself in what i am doing here and really work to inspire and motivate these students to reach their full potential.
i am most definitely learning and growing and i can tell! and thats good news! so far i think its been a good first month- im excited to see what the future has in store!
at the center today, i worked a lottttt on reading with the students. it made me think about my own time in elementary and middle school and how lucky i was/am for having been able to be educated in the setting i was educated in. it is something that i have most definitely taken for granted and i am now just realizing how lucky i was to have teachers who wanted to see me succeed, an environment that promoted success, and parents that constantly supported whatever it was that i was pursuing.
the kids here struggle. they struggle at school with reading and writing and math, the same things that most kids their age struggle with. but they also struggle at home. they dont live in homes where they are told they can be anything they want to be, or with parents who have the time and energy to sit down with them and go over their homework, or in an area where they can play outside whenever they want and not have to worry about being safe.
part of me feels sad for the students that i work with because they are constantly working against the odds. and then i remind myself that this is all the more reason to invest myself in what i am doing here and really work to inspire and motivate these students to reach their full potential.
i am most definitely learning and growing and i can tell! and thats good news! so far i think its been a good first month- im excited to see what the future has in store!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
GTL...guide, translate, law enforcement
in honor of one of my current favorite shows on trash television, i have in fact entitled this entry GTL...wisconsin style of course
this afternoon i spent time GUIDING students with my excellent tutoring and mentoring skills :) we had a new group of students who came today...a family of 3 children, one in 8th grade, one in 3rd grade, and one in 2nd grade. they are such great kids! i really enjoyed working with them and seeing how enthusiastic they are about school and learning. the other students that i have been working with were also back this week, continuing to focus on math and social studies homework.
i really have found that each one of the children that i work with is so unique and i love that i can spend time with each one of them getting to know who they are, what they are interested in, and how they learn best. i am enjoying being a "teacher" much more than i thought i would and i dont think i am as bad of a teacher as i originally though i might be :)
this afternoon, i also had to TRANSLATE for a spanish speaking family who was meeting with a new mentor. and i was nervouss! it has been a long time since i have used my spanish speaking skills but i surprisingly did pretty well- everyone seemed to get what they needed to out of the meeting and while it was not perfect, i think i did a pretty good job!
the evening session had less students than the afternoon. i worked on spelling homework with one student, multiplying decimals with another student, and little mini "counseling" session with another student.
the end of the night came and it was time to stand outside with the students until their rides came. desiree and i were waiting with the students, two of which had an argument earlier in the evening. we tried to keep these two students separated from one another until their parents came to pick them up, but that clearly would not have been as fun as playing LAW ENFORCEMENT, which included, but was not limited to, shouting outside the center, following a student down the street, offering a student a paper towel to clean the blood off of his hand after he punched a brick wall, and seeing a mother behave like a teenager...
Thursday, September 9, 2010
operation "tricking people into thinking i am a real person" week 1
congratulations! today you get a 2-for-1 special from this fabulous blog that i know you all have been religiously following :) first, pictures of my cute little classroom...second, my priceless thoughts from my first few days of real work
the center officially opened on wednesday. not too many kids have been coming yet because they dont have too much school work and the weather is still somewhat nice, but there have been a few that i have seen twice now and some new students came for tonights session.
the center is open from 330-530 and 7-830 each night. the afternoon session is geared towards middle school students, which is my primary focus at the center, and the night session is geared toward high school students.
the past two days, i have spent the afternoon session with 2 students, one is in 6th grade and the other is in 7th grade. they are extreme opposites as far as work ethic and personality, but they are both so cute and i love working with both of them! we have been spending most of our time on math and some social studies. and i have been trying to get the kids to read and/or write in their free time. the 6th grade student, who is definitely the more bold and outspoken of the two, has been bargaining with me every day about what he has to do to get prizes from the incentive program, how he can earn extra attendance points, and today, he tried to convince me that he read a 50 page book in 15 minutes. an A for effort, but unfortunately for him, i am smarter than the average bear :)
last night, no high school students were in my room for the night session, but today i had one 7th grader who made up for the lack of students last night! she talked the entire hour and a half and told me that she "will be remembered"! we worked on some math and some geography homework, but she mostly shared her life story with me, including her opinion about each and every one of her family members, teachers, and everyone who works at the center- haha
the kids have really made this experience so much better already and i have only worked with them for 2 days! they are so smart and have so many skills and talents that just need the right environment to grow in. they are inquisitive and want to know about how the world works and i love that. but most of all they make me laugh and thats important! i am learning and having fun with them and i hope that they are having fun and learning from me as well.
tomorrow is just a day to catch up and do some administrative work because the center is closed on fridays. although i do see happy hour in my veryyyy near future...:)
the center officially opened on wednesday. not too many kids have been coming yet because they dont have too much school work and the weather is still somewhat nice, but there have been a few that i have seen twice now and some new students came for tonights session.
the center is open from 330-530 and 7-830 each night. the afternoon session is geared towards middle school students, which is my primary focus at the center, and the night session is geared toward high school students.
the past two days, i have spent the afternoon session with 2 students, one is in 6th grade and the other is in 7th grade. they are extreme opposites as far as work ethic and personality, but they are both so cute and i love working with both of them! we have been spending most of our time on math and some social studies. and i have been trying to get the kids to read and/or write in their free time. the 6th grade student, who is definitely the more bold and outspoken of the two, has been bargaining with me every day about what he has to do to get prizes from the incentive program, how he can earn extra attendance points, and today, he tried to convince me that he read a 50 page book in 15 minutes. an A for effort, but unfortunately for him, i am smarter than the average bear :)
last night, no high school students were in my room for the night session, but today i had one 7th grader who made up for the lack of students last night! she talked the entire hour and a half and told me that she "will be remembered"! we worked on some math and some geography homework, but she mostly shared her life story with me, including her opinion about each and every one of her family members, teachers, and everyone who works at the center- haha
the kids have really made this experience so much better already and i have only worked with them for 2 days! they are so smart and have so many skills and talents that just need the right environment to grow in. they are inquisitive and want to know about how the world works and i love that. but most of all they make me laugh and thats important! i am learning and having fun with them and i hope that they are having fun and learning from me as well.
tomorrow is just a day to catch up and do some administrative work because the center is closed on fridays. although i do see happy hour in my veryyyy near future...:)
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
just the ticket!
it looks like my pledge to drop my bad attitude and face this experience with a positive outlook has been just the thing i needed! since i last wrote, things have been getting better and i finally feel like myself here, which is a really good thing :)
i havent been doing anything too different work wise from the usual, but tomorrow the center opens and the kids start coming for tutoring. and i am so so so excited! this is why i am here and i cant wait to learn and grow from the kids and this experience. my classroom is all set up, all the bulletin boards are finished, and i even get my own desk! haha- very teacher-ish
so as i sit here writing and thinking about whats going on in wisconsin, i finally have no complaints :) and i love that! i feel like tomorrow is my first day of school again- hmmm...i wonder what i should wear...
i havent been doing anything too different work wise from the usual, but tomorrow the center opens and the kids start coming for tutoring. and i am so so so excited! this is why i am here and i cant wait to learn and grow from the kids and this experience. my classroom is all set up, all the bulletin boards are finished, and i even get my own desk! haha- very teacher-ish
so as i sit here writing and thinking about whats going on in wisconsin, i finally have no complaints :) and i love that! i feel like tomorrow is my first day of school again- hmmm...i wonder what i should wear...
Thursday, September 2, 2010
adios negative nancy...
soooo i feel like i have complained and whined so much since i moved. and i dont like it! its not who i am and i hate not feeling like myself- ITS TIME FOR A CHANGE!! tonight i say goodbye to negative nancy and hello to positive someone who's name begins with a p...
the reality is that i am here. and i signed on to do something that has the potential to change me and those that i interact with for the rest of our lives. i am lucky to have an opportunity that challenges me and pushes me to limits that i never knew i had. there is no doubt that i will grow from this experience and thats a good thing! it would unrealistic to say that i will love every minute of every day that i am part of this program but thats life. if i had a job or was continuing with school, it would be the same thing. and whats the worse that could happen? i step outside of my comfort zone for a year, try something new, and am one step closer to what i am supposed to be doing- either because i decide that this is not something that i want to continue or it is something that i love and want to pursue in the future. i am certain that when i am done, if nothing else, i will be able to say "im glad i did that" or "that changed me" or "i really learned something through this".
complaining all the time is not who i am and i dont want to begin a new experience with a bad attitude. i like to think that i am a positive person who is willing to try new things and make the best of whatever situation i am faced with, so thats what i am going to do!
soooo peace out negative nancy- its been real, but i think its best if we part ways
the reality is that i am here. and i signed on to do something that has the potential to change me and those that i interact with for the rest of our lives. i am lucky to have an opportunity that challenges me and pushes me to limits that i never knew i had. there is no doubt that i will grow from this experience and thats a good thing! it would unrealistic to say that i will love every minute of every day that i am part of this program but thats life. if i had a job or was continuing with school, it would be the same thing. and whats the worse that could happen? i step outside of my comfort zone for a year, try something new, and am one step closer to what i am supposed to be doing- either because i decide that this is not something that i want to continue or it is something that i love and want to pursue in the future. i am certain that when i am done, if nothing else, i will be able to say "im glad i did that" or "that changed me" or "i really learned something through this".
complaining all the time is not who i am and i dont want to begin a new experience with a bad attitude. i like to think that i am a positive person who is willing to try new things and make the best of whatever situation i am faced with, so thats what i am going to do!
soooo peace out negative nancy- its been real, but i think its best if we part ways
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
new york, i love you
tonight i miss everything about new york :(
we went out to some of the bars close to our house and its just not the same. when we were at the bar, one of the people i live with asked me what it is that i like the most about new york and what it is that i miss the most about new york. and i had no answer. i cant possibly choose ONLY one thing that new york has to offer that racine does not. i cant event articulate what it is about new york that i love so much, but its something that i have not yet found here.
tomorrow its back to work- making bulletin boards and getting my classroom organized. i cant wait until the students start coming next week. thats why i am here. i embarked on this journey to (hopefully) make a difference in the lives of the students that i am working with. and until i get that chance, i dont know that i will really find my "niche" here.
wednesday, september 8th, pleaseeee hurry!
we went out to some of the bars close to our house and its just not the same. when we were at the bar, one of the people i live with asked me what it is that i like the most about new york and what it is that i miss the most about new york. and i had no answer. i cant possibly choose ONLY one thing that new york has to offer that racine does not. i cant event articulate what it is about new york that i love so much, but its something that i have not yet found here.
tomorrow its back to work- making bulletin boards and getting my classroom organized. i cant wait until the students start coming next week. thats why i am here. i embarked on this journey to (hopefully) make a difference in the lives of the students that i am working with. and until i get that chance, i dont know that i will really find my "niche" here.
wednesday, september 8th, pleaseeee hurry!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)