early morning lesson planning.

I woke up this morning and started unit planning.  My summer thus far has been blissfully work-free.  I've really enjoyed doing absolutely nothing, getting fat, playing with my dog, and drinking in the middle of the afternoons.  I have little over a month left of my summer break and it's frightening how much I enjoy doing nothing.  I have the rumblings of a story coming together in my head, which I'm excited to work on, I'm doing some freelance writing for a lifestyle magazine, and I'm currently in the middle of packing up my little studio for a one bedroom in the Upper West Side.  4 days and counting.  Life's good.  Why pollute it with work?

But I guess after a month of slothfulness my brain is kind of itching to get back to work.  To help pay for the bills I've taken on a part-time position at a summer program teaching test prep to fourth and fifth graders for 4 days.  It's good money and it's giving me the opportunity to see what life is like for the elementary school teachers that I sometimes look at with contempt and jealously I spend hours grading essays or reading/researching topics that I will ultimately only give 10% of to my students.  

This summer has me re-evaluate my situation in a more fair light.  I'm not wrapped up in my own emotions or frustrations.  Teaching is a wonderful career because it gives me options. I can teach pre-school, elementary, middle or high school.  Heck why not even college.  I can teach in public or private schools, rural, suburban, or city...

I woke up this morning lesson planning because it's ultimately what I love to do.  I'm excited for the fall to come so I can meet my new 9th and 10th grade students.  I want to form the relationships with my students that I don't believe being a first year teacher allows for.  I'm looking forward to reading Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart with them.  

There were a couple of times (or more) this summer that I woke up from terrible nightmares.  I kept reliving my horrible first year experience in my dreams and it was late late night tv that helped get me through those nights.  I would eventually pass out at around 4 in the morning with the tv still on, but finally in la la land.  

God, I just hope this next year will be just a little bit better.  

A Facebook Teaching Moment

From the recent NY Times Magazine:  A Facebook Teaching Moment

tak bok gi recipe

I woke up at 11 AM today!  I was woken up by a door-to-door evangelist wanting to share the love of the Lord with me.  I'm a Christian, but when I tell "these people" this they never seem to believe me.  It's almost like they have to test me to find out where on the spectrum I sit.  Have I gone on a mission trip?  When did I accept Jesus into my heart?  Where do I go to church?  How many Christian cds, t-shirts, pens, necklaces, and Bibles do I own?  Good grief.  

Anyway, slight rabbit trail.  

Today was a great day.  After a lazy morning the BF and I ate breakfast across the street with Stella.  When Stella was younger eating outside/sitting still was such a challenge.  She still manages to tie my feet up under the table, but she's a lot calmer now.  As a city dog she needs to learn the ends and outs of outdoor eaterys and behave like she got some home training.  After breakfast all of us walked up to the northern part of Harlem to hangout on CCNY's campus.  It's a beautiful campus built in the 1800s with gothic artictecture and green green grass.  Living in a concrete jungle any patch of grass is cherished.  

Stella ran herself to sleep, I came home, watched Oprah, and am now making dinner.

During the school year my diet consists of bagels, espressos, Chinese, Smart Meals, and pasta.  This summer, I want to stretch my cooking skills and learn more of the dishes that I grew up on.  I miss my Korean community back at home and I really miss Korean food.  So today, I called my mom and asked her for the recipe to one of my favourite dishes.  If you like Asian food, namely Korean food and love chicken then you'll enjoy this dish.  I don't have exact measurements and the recipe will need some tweating on your behalf depending what flavours you like more of, but here's how I made my dish:

Supplies:

-  Skinless chicken legs, breasts, and or thighs 

- 1/2 cup (just enough to cover the chicken) Soy Sauce

- garlic (mine was minced) some ppl don't like garlic but add as little or as much as you like

- ginger (optional & and same note as above) 

- black pepper (a dash or two)

- white sugar (2 spoonfuls)

- red pepper flakes (a dash or two; i like spicy food so this is optional especially if you're adding the jalapeno)

- bowl to fit all of the above in, what you're creating is a marinade to soak the chicken in for 20-30 minutes (i do longer because I like loads of flavour; refrigerate)

-- go ahead and cut up everything listed below and add in later when cooking--

* 1 small - med. sized jalapeno 

* 1- 1 1/2 onion

* 3 small potatoes

* 1 cup mixed veggies (frozen kind works fine if you're pressed for time)

* and add in any other kind of veggies that you like as well, green onions, green peppers

Cooking Time:

- Through everything into a pot, add a little bit of water and stir.  You're done once all the potatoes and chicken are cooked well.  

- I add a side of rice to the dish and with the left over meat I add to salad with no dressing.  

Summer Break TDL

Ever wonder what a teacher does during the 2 month break in the summer?  Well, listed below are my summer teacherly obligations, but other than that my life right now is likened to that of a retiree (and I love it).  

TDL:

1. Clean & Organize new classroom
   
2. Create 9th grade curriculum
3. Write college recommendation letters for raising seniors
4. Read:  Ten Little Indians, Things Fall Apart, 1984, Night, Persepolis, Othello (and that's only for 10th grade... I'm not sure about 9th grade yet... see #2

I think this is everything... it's definitely enough for now.  I'll occasionally update this blog throughout the summer, but for the most part I will be at the park with my dog drinking wine.  

Have a great summer everyone

must read summer reading: The Color Purple

Ever since I finished The Reader earlier this year I've been on the hunt for a real page turner.  There are a few books that I can name that have had me miss subway stops, lose track of time, and be incredibly sad when the last page in the novel finally arrives.  Some of them are:  Catcher in the Rye, Love That Dog, Shadow of the Wind, and now it's The Color Purple.  Alice Walker has me absolutely mesmerized by the story of a powerless black woman living in the South in the early 20th century.  The story is told through letters from Celie to God.  It's her childlike expressions and point of view matched with an old soul's wisdom and perspective that makes this story haunting.  

I feel like I know and love these characters.  The Color Purple is a must read.  

Let me know what you think of the text as you read, after you read, or if you've already read it!

"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it" 

if google ran the DOE

One of my best friends was in town this past week visiting me and helping me break into the summer.  She works for Google in Amsterdam and as she was describing to me the perks of being part of the Google family I couldn't help but wonder, "what if Google rand the DOE (dept. of education)?"  As a Google employee you're given free range of the offices breakfast and lunch buffets and snack bar.  Also it offers incentives to its employees that are struck with the travel bug... the company allows you to essentially do a job swap with any other employee anywhere around the world that also works for Google.  Can you imagine living in New York, but always wanting to live in California or Amsterdam for a year or two, but not wanting to lose your job and start completely over?

Well, Google is perfect for the young professional still infected with wander lust.  Google in one to something with the way in which they treat their employees and run their business.  I would not only be at work on time everyday, but I would be early if my school even offered free coffee in the mornings.  I would stay in the office more if I didn't have to run out to get lunch everyday (which eats up half my lunch time).  And, one of the best perks is that I would no longer be stuck with a crappy DOE given email address that holds only about 10 emails and that can't be forwarded to any other (preferred) email provider.  

*sigh* If only Google ran the DOE.

retirement

Around this time last year I was done with student teaching and my classes, so I spent most of my days sleeping in, lunching, and apartment hunting.  My roommate on the other hand wasn't done with student teaching, and was busy getting ready for summer school, so everyday when she got back home she'd ask:  "How's retirement?"

I'm in a very similar situation currently.  Classes are done, I go to work every day and play Scrabble, ping pong, and Taboo with the other teachers as we lazily move our stuff from one classroom to our new one.  It feels very weird not to come home, get on the computer and start the next day's lesson plans, or grade a bunch of James Joyce essays, or read for the next unit of study.  Now my afternoons consist of Oprah and Tyra, a walk around the neighborhood with the dog, and dinners out with the BF.  I feel like I should be doing something, but what?  Looking for a summer job?  Working out?  Looking for a new apartment?

I've never been a lazy person, but it has sure felt really good to do absolutely nothing and to just play with the rest of the staff at work.  What a great way to end the year.  Today I received the sweetest email from a parent of one of my students.  I usually get emails that criticize my teaching, me, or something that I've come up short on, so you can imagine how emotional I got when I read the kind words.  I'm not too old to admit that I need a pat on the back and a "good job" every once and awhile.  Imagine what the world would be like if people heard on a daily basis what they were doing right and well versus always hearing one's mistakes.  I venture to bet that the world we be a lot more gracious and understanding if we all treated each other in such a manner.