About mid-morning last Wednesday, I thought to myself, I don't think I have the energy to be Mary Poppins.
My voice was strained. The kids were in a constant state of distracted. Nothing seemed to be going according to plan. I was starting to wonder if this was going to become the norm. I had yet to eat lunch that week, was staying up late every night trying to get caught up and prepared for the next day. Lord knows what else was going on outside of my classroom. Why is the flag at half mast? Search me; I haven't seen the news in two weeks.
For the smallest second, panic and self doubt were starting to creep in. I was me in my first year of teaching all over again, thinking holy shit...what did I get myself into?
In a blur of activity I survived the rest of the morning.
And then the most amazing thing happened.
My afternoon class walked in like professional kindergartners. They came in, put their stuff away, started their work, all without prompting or redirecting. I sat and watched and my heart swelled with pride, and relief. Ok, maybe I do know what I'm doing. Maybe it's going to be ok.
That's the beauty of teaching kindergarten. 11:00 is the start of a whole new day.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
I almost forgot...
to give my final reaction to the SYTYCD finale!
Ok, so first of all, I'm pleased with the results. By the last few weeks Jeanine had really begun to stand out for me- especially during the solos- and I think she is amazing. My hubby thinks Brandon was robbed and my friend Danielle turned off the show once Kayla was awarded 4th place, but I really think that Jeanine is was given the well deserved winning spot.
Some final pieces I have to throw up that aired the during the last few shows:
Some oldies but Emmy-award-nominated/winning-goodies...
The bench piece choreographed by Mia Michaels, danced by Travis Wall and Heidi. Absolutely beautiful.
And of course, Ramalama, choreographed by Wade Robson. My favorite piece ever.
And also, I fell in love with the contemporary piece danced by Kayla and Brandon in one of the last weeks (sorry this is a long version of the video, but it's the best quality). It is choreographed by Stacey Tookey and is a perfect duet. Kayla + Brandon + contemporary = amazing!
Till fall...
Ok, so first of all, I'm pleased with the results. By the last few weeks Jeanine had really begun to stand out for me- especially during the solos- and I think she is amazing. My hubby thinks Brandon was robbed and my friend Danielle turned off the show once Kayla was awarded 4th place, but I really think that Jeanine is was given the well deserved winning spot.
Some final pieces I have to throw up that aired the during the last few shows:
Some oldies but Emmy-award-nominated/winning-goodies...
The bench piece choreographed by Mia Michaels, danced by Travis Wall and Heidi. Absolutely beautiful.
And of course, Ramalama, choreographed by Wade Robson. My favorite piece ever.
And also, I fell in love with the contemporary piece danced by Kayla and Brandon in one of the last weeks (sorry this is a long version of the video, but it's the best quality). It is choreographed by Stacey Tookey and is a perfect duet. Kayla + Brandon + contemporary = amazing!
Till fall...
A spoonful of sugar
I used to love Mary Poppins. Actually I still do.
She's fabulous. Efficient. Organized. Kind, yet strict. And her ability to accessorize is totally unbelievable. Let's talk about the bottomless carpet bag, as well as the umbrella, that not only has a flying function, but a pet talking parrot built into the handle.
She would make a great kindergarten teacher. I've been thinking about her as I've been setting up my room and starting school. Having a song for every situation makes the rowdy bunch much more manageable. Five-year-olds love to sing. They will drop everything to sing about getting into line. It's pretty amazing.
I'm considering making my new slogan WWMPD? (you know, what would Mary Poppins do?). I think I could definitely pull off channeling her. After all, I am well accessorized and eccentric in my own right.
Kindergarten is totally a trip. It is an absolute whirlwind. And really fun.
I've added a gadget to the right side of the page: Overheard in Mrs. Cox's kindergarten classroom. Keep your eye on that one. I already have material for days!
She's fabulous. Efficient. Organized. Kind, yet strict. And her ability to accessorize is totally unbelievable. Let's talk about the bottomless carpet bag, as well as the umbrella, that not only has a flying function, but a pet talking parrot built into the handle.
She would make a great kindergarten teacher. I've been thinking about her as I've been setting up my room and starting school. Having a song for every situation makes the rowdy bunch much more manageable. Five-year-olds love to sing. They will drop everything to sing about getting into line. It's pretty amazing.
I'm considering making my new slogan WWMPD? (you know, what would Mary Poppins do?). I think I could definitely pull off channeling her. After all, I am well accessorized and eccentric in my own right.
Kindergarten is totally a trip. It is an absolute whirlwind. And really fun.
I've added a gadget to the right side of the page: Overheard in Mrs. Cox's kindergarten classroom. Keep your eye on that one. I already have material for days!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Crazy Americans
I just turned my computer on for the first time in over 3 weeks. Pretty amazing, eh? I've been resisting the urge to, because I knew that once I did I wouldn't resurface for several hours. My list of things to do on my computer is two pages long. But, as I said, I've been resisting. After nearly passing out with a panic attack at the Dallas airport the day I left the meditation course, I decided easing myself back into my life was the way to go. The lines, people, screaming babies, plastic baggies with liquids of no more than three ounces, shoes off through security-they must go on the belt, not in the tubs!- ID in hand, loud foreign accents, Wolf Blitzer blabbing on about Obama's health care plan piped in over the whole freaking place for your listening pleasure, proved to be a little much for me after 10 days of peace and silence.
At lunch in Dallas a couple of days before my course, my Aunt Tina made the comment, "you can't live in America and not be busy." Only someone who spends 3 months of the year in India could have that perspective, I suppose. Of course we all know we're "busy." There are different grades of busy, of course, ranging from the low-end-of-normal to the average to the awe-inspiring-uber-organized-phenom busy. We are actually impressed with people who accomplish more in one day than most people do in 3. And if you know anyone who often has "free time" it's almost as if they need to justify it to not appear, dare I say...lazy.
On my 4th day at the course I was walking the grounds of the center as the brand new sun rose overhead. Being in a rural area outside of Dallas, I was able to stop and admire some cows that were grazing on the other side of the barbed wire. Such lucky cows, I thought, as not many cows born today get to roam freely, eating grass, their natural-sized utters used only to raise their own babies. Kind of like the odds and good fortune of children born in America, I though to myself.
I walked further and knelt down to admire a leopard spotted frog. What a wonderful day, I thought as I tiptoed past him. I was feeling so good I wondered to myself, I think I would have enjoyed living in the country, with a slower pace, more nature... And then my aunt's comment, "you can't live in America and not be busy," resurfaced. It suddenly really made sense. Yeah, nature is all well and good, but standing around to admire it isn't the American way. We are a culture of faster, stronger, louder, better, richer. While Europeans take weeks off "on holiday" in the summer, everyone I talk to can't imagine giving up 10 vacation days to go sit and meditate. The English have afternoon teas, and many Latin cultures siesta midday. But while they were relaxing, Americans just made another $50.
As a person who clearly is drawn to a more meditative lifestyle, I'm still an efficient American through and through. We, like those cows, were fortunate enough to land where we did. We have the choice and opportunity to make of our life what we want. And most of us pack in as much as we can fit. Fully aware of the madness that lay ahead, as school starts next week, I've made the choice to ease back in. But, I turned on my computer this afternoon and Skyped into Lilly's first birthday party. And bottom line is, I love it. The madness, the tight schedule, accomplishing 3 days worth of things in one- after all, I'm going back to the classroom because I've been pulling my hair out in boredom the last few years.
I more than enjoyed- I needed- my 10+ days of zen. And I will try to maintain traces of it by meditating each morning.
But I'm back. Bring on the crazy!
At lunch in Dallas a couple of days before my course, my Aunt Tina made the comment, "you can't live in America and not be busy." Only someone who spends 3 months of the year in India could have that perspective, I suppose. Of course we all know we're "busy." There are different grades of busy, of course, ranging from the low-end-of-normal to the average to the awe-inspiring-uber-organized-phenom busy. We are actually impressed with people who accomplish more in one day than most people do in 3. And if you know anyone who often has "free time" it's almost as if they need to justify it to not appear, dare I say...lazy.
On my 4th day at the course I was walking the grounds of the center as the brand new sun rose overhead. Being in a rural area outside of Dallas, I was able to stop and admire some cows that were grazing on the other side of the barbed wire. Such lucky cows, I thought, as not many cows born today get to roam freely, eating grass, their natural-sized utters used only to raise their own babies. Kind of like the odds and good fortune of children born in America, I though to myself.
I walked further and knelt down to admire a leopard spotted frog. What a wonderful day, I thought as I tiptoed past him. I was feeling so good I wondered to myself, I think I would have enjoyed living in the country, with a slower pace, more nature... And then my aunt's comment, "you can't live in America and not be busy," resurfaced. It suddenly really made sense. Yeah, nature is all well and good, but standing around to admire it isn't the American way. We are a culture of faster, stronger, louder, better, richer. While Europeans take weeks off "on holiday" in the summer, everyone I talk to can't imagine giving up 10 vacation days to go sit and meditate. The English have afternoon teas, and many Latin cultures siesta midday. But while they were relaxing, Americans just made another $50.
As a person who clearly is drawn to a more meditative lifestyle, I'm still an efficient American through and through. We, like those cows, were fortunate enough to land where we did. We have the choice and opportunity to make of our life what we want. And most of us pack in as much as we can fit. Fully aware of the madness that lay ahead, as school starts next week, I've made the choice to ease back in. But, I turned on my computer this afternoon and Skyped into Lilly's first birthday party. And bottom line is, I love it. The madness, the tight schedule, accomplishing 3 days worth of things in one- after all, I'm going back to the classroom because I've been pulling my hair out in boredom the last few years.
I more than enjoyed- I needed- my 10+ days of zen. And I will try to maintain traces of it by meditating each morning.
But I'm back. Bring on the crazy!
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