and the lows

Lots of students have been asking me if I like being a teacher, and more often than not the not-so-silent-but-silent undertone of their question is "Why the hell would you choose this job?!" My answer is usually "most days," but lately I am feeling like it's about a 50/50 love/hate sort of situation.

I could sum up my frustration in one sentence: I HATE that students will do anything to avoid thinking. Being my 5th year teaching high school, I've seen many students trying to get around that aspect of their education. I get that not everyone is going to be a nerd like me and WANT to learn. I get that biology isn't the most exciting class for everyone. I get that slapping students upside the head with a ruler is wrong, and something I must avoid at all costs. But there are days. Sometimes weeks, lately. Days and weeks where I want to throw in the towel and pick up some job where I can escape my frustrations and NOT THINK! hmmmm...

BUT, thinking is important. And essential. And fun. I work so hard putting together fun activities, presenting information in many different ways, showing relevant film and articles, putting together thought-provoking and interactive webquests, crafting assignments and labs that make them think and are hands on...

What about their end of the deal? When will they take accountability? The wheels are spinning out in my brain trying to conjure up ways to get students to THINK, to teach them in a way where they are no longer leaving the analysis questions blank, to change their habits in a way where their first instinct is not to look to their neighbors' papers for the answers, to not be happy with barely passing with a D, to take pride in their work, to study in a way where they don't have to do eenie-minie-moe for the majority of the test questions, to not jump so quickly to google "examples of mutualism" after I just shared definitions in their notes and pointed out examples in articles they have in front of them, and to realize how stupid it is to turn in the same work as someone else ESPECIALLY when their answer to the question "Based on annual precipitation and temperature, what biome would you like to live in next March?" is DISNEYLAND. This has escalated in such a way where it's not just a handful of students throughout the day, or a few students in each class...it's the majority of the students I see day in and day out.

Where does this start? At home...in the community...in the media...technology is in your face with answers for everything. Thinking is lost. Ugh. I used to be a great speller. I got 2nd place in the 3rd grade spelling bee! (I botched it, intentionally leaving off an 'F' in giraffe to win the 2nd place prize of a microscope.) But my point is that I now suck at spelling. I rely on spellcheck. No thinking. Oh my goodness. I am tapping into something bigger than the rant/venting session that I had set out to indulge in. (AH! I JUST SPELLED IT ENDULGE!)

deep. breath.

There are just three more days until spring break. I can make it. I am in desperate need of relaxation and recharging my patience and energy levels. Balancing life as a teacher and a mom and a wife is hard stuff. I need to fly to Michigan and hug my mom. (She did an amazing job at this tricky balancing act!) I need time to brainstorm and ready myself for the homestretch of the semester. In three days I will be basking in the love of my family and friends in Michigan. I really can't wait!

Is this thing on?

Hello, my name is Emily and this is my blog. Remember me? It's almost been two months. Since Dec 12 (my last post), the hectic Christmas season came and gone, and then I was back at work. And that's exactly where I've been. Bouncing back and forth between work and home. From the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed, I am one busy lady. Not complaining, of course. I signed up for this. It's just quite an abrupt switch from days at home with Jack, unplanned afternoons, meeting up with friends, and taking naps with an adorable baby to...up at 6 and on the go until I go to bed at 10.

Surprisingly though, it's been quite a smooth transition. Dan loves his days with Jack, and work isn't even remotely as hellish as I was preparing myself for. I actually like what I do, so that helps. There are moments, believe me, when I catch myself buried in papers to grade and wishing I was at home watching every moment of Jack growing up. But coming home to a baby who beams when I walk in the door is always very nice. He is growing so fast. His first tooth is coming in, he is scooting all over the place, laughing and babbling all the time, and eating his fill of his first solid foods of sweet potatoes and squash.

My first endeavor of making his food was fun, even though I had a mild freak out that our blender wasn't making as smooth of a consistency I wanted. The end product was perfect and Jack bounces in his highchair when food is coming his way. I love all these new milestones and moments we get to share!

Now that nighttime is more of a routine and he's sleeping better, I'll be posting more frequently.

and poof! I'm 30 weeks and 3 days along!

Quite the absence from blogsville. My hopes and dreams of documenting this whole process have flown away. I will be better once school is done for the summer. It is nice knowing that I won't be back to work until January.

Our little guy is about the size of a squash and loves to move around. I have to say, I feel pretty lucky with this pregnancy so far. Everything is smooth and my pregnancy...symptoms? ailments?...are pretty manageable.

It's exciting as we get ready for this little ball of life. I wonder every day what he will look like, what he'll be interested in, what his personality will be like. Will he be stubborn like me? Will he look just like his dad? We're so eager to meet him!

It's been fun registering at Target and Babies-R-Us. Stepping in the baby section is overwhelming though...what exactly we need/want is all a guessing game and I keep changing my mind about which high chair we want, what dresser/changing table would work best, what size clothes we should be registering for, etc.

I like this one from Babies-R-Us:


People have begun to give us baby clothes, strollers, little bouncy chairs, etc. We're keeping everything on a shelf in our living room until we have baby furniture. I've taken everything out to look at and refolded it several times in the last week. I just stare at a pair of cute little pants for entirely too long, off in some day dream about how the little guy that's going to wear those pants will change our lives in so many remarkable ways.

We rearranged and cleaned our apartment, which meant trashing so much stuff that we both realized we don't need. We're such packrats! I'm much happier with the layout and it seems more baby friendly. Dan put together the crib...it's from pottery barn kids. Our friend who worked as a photo assistant just GAVE it to us! Amazing! I feel so lucky to be on the receiving end of such generous friends and family!!!!

Only a week of school left! Once school is out I am flying back to Michigan to enjoy time with friends and family at a lil baby shower my mom and sis are throwing. Michigan June 7 - 13! Come and see me!

CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER! My body is achy and I don't want to grade stuff!!!!

Lip syncin'

So, most of you know that I am a teacher. At the high school I work at we have a lot of fun rallies throughout the year. Our students are so spirited...after all we did win "Most Spirited School of the Bay" which the prize was a surprise concert from Flo Rida! haha

Our students aren't the only ones who are spirited! We have an annual "Lip Sync Rally" with a theme that's a class competition. Last year was Movie Soundtracks, and this year the theme was something like "Old/New" where you had to use a song that has been used in a new song. Not only do the students enjoy it, but the teachers get in on the fun too!

For last year's "Movie Soundtrack" theme the teachers did a lil' routine to "Stomp the Yard". !!! You can't really hear the music over the students going crazy! (hint: I'm the one who fixes the bottom of my pants somewhere in the middle!)



One this year we did a Punjabi/Jay-Z routine. You can't miss me. I'm in red with a preggo belly! My favorite part of this is when the student recording it says, "She's so cute! She's pregnant!" haha

after a long pause.

Hello.


It's January. Happy New Year! I went home in December to Michigan to visit family and friends. My dad came down with, what we thought was, food poisoning. Then. My mom got it. At that point I was staying with my sister, Elanor, but I couldn't outrun that nasty flu. New Year's Eve I was feeling a bit gross. I went to bed around 1, woke up around 3:30, and that's when the worst bout of the flu to ever invade my body truly hit. and hit. and hit. Hour upon hour from 3:30 to 10 am. My mom came and picked me up. I mean I guess if you're so sick you feel like you're going to die, then your mom is the best person to nurse you back to life. So, needless to say, the last 3 days my trip were terrible, painful, awful days of being sick. The flight back was rough. I am glad I went because I had a couple really good days seeing my family and old friends.

We just finished our first week back. Exhausting. I came home from work every day only to pass out on the couch, wake up, eat something, then fall asleep by 8 or 9. Yikes. But, it was a nice feeling sitting back at my desk, taking a deep breath, and realizing how much I do like my job. Most of my resolutions have to do with getting work back to students quicker, being more organized, finding more opportunities to grow professionally... And for my personal life, I've resolved to find a way to make millions of dollars this year. Cross your fingers and check back with me a year to see how that one goes.

happy halloween!

The science department was "Science Gone Wrong".

My Experiment blew up!

My biology class:

They were so proud they skateboarded to school like this:

And I wasn't too proud to go to City Hall and vote like this: