A little of this and a little of that

Last night I started reading The Book Thief. My friend loaned it to me and raved about it. She said she stayed up really late trying to finish it because it was so good. I started reading it on the bike in the gym and was really excited to get in bed early and read for awhile because hubby was out at a soccer game and I knew he wouldn't be home until long after I was asleep. I would feel bad reading in bed if he were home, but since he was out, I was good to go! To me, reading in bed for a long time sounds like an ideal way to end the day!

Much to my disappointment, I could not stay awake! I kept dozing off in the middle of a page. I had no idea I was so tired, but I decided to just go to sleep. At 9:15. I have not been asleep that early in a LONG time, but it felt so good!

10 hours of sleep on a school night = happy teacher.

Today was one of my longer work days. I was physically at school for the entire day, but I only taught 6 periods, so I had 2 45-minute periods plus a 45-minute lunch off during that time. I really wanted to read my book, but I felt like I shouldn't. My supervisor said that my off time is my time and I can even leave the school, but I kind of just roamed and chatted with various teachers and friends. I still do not have a desk, so for the time being, I don't really have a space to be during my "prep" or off periods. Once I have my own desk and computer I think I will feel more comfortable during those times of day.

I worked for an hour and a half with my new high school friend and I loved it. He is really shy, but very sweet and he speaks up about not understanding which I think is very helpful since I want to help him understand better. I can see why math support is needed because some of the math teachers move very quickly and don't take time to explain certain parts of problems. When I worked 1:1 with this student, he did very well and understood what to do. It is so funny doing Algebra again, but I actually like it! I will take Algebra over Physics any day!

So far the new position has been great. My Thursday schedule is pretty light (4 classes and done at 11:45) so I am feeling pretty good right now!

Today is my big TV day because I watch The Biggest Loser, 90210, and Melrose Place which all recorded last night. That is 4 hours of TV minus the commercials since they are recorded. Sometimes I fast forward over certain segments of TBL as well because I can only watch them workout so much. Anyone else into the new 90210 and Melrose?? My mom and I always used to watch the original shows together when I was younger and I like the new ones. Not my favorite shows out there, but enjoyable. I may not get to all 3 of those shows now that I have a "real" job. hehe.

So far I am 2 days strong on my Shred challenge and have gone 2 days without diet soda. I read this article that said the artificial sweeteners used in diet sodas can be carcinogenic. I never thought diet coke was good for me, but carcinogenic???

"a carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide or radiation that is an agent directly involved in the exacerbation of cancer."

No thanks!

At this point, I have ingested a lot more diet soda than I ever should have, but I always felt like it was my only vice. I have never smoked. I have never done any kind of drug. I rarely drink alcohol. I figured it was okay to have one bad habit. Never did I really think that bad habit was just as bad for my body as smoking or doing drugs! Yikes.

I have tried, unsuccessfully, in the past to stop drinking diet soda. Since November seems to be all about setting goals, I figure I will give it another go. Doesn't mean I will never drink it again, but not everyday and not as much as I have been drinking lately.

Hope everyone is having a happy Wednesday!

30 Day Challenge

If the NaBloPoMo wasn't enough, I am throwing an additional challenge into the mix. When I dedicated myself to posting everyday throughout the month of November, I mentioned that I wanted to keep it interesting and post about a variety of topics.

Fitness is not something entirely new, but there's a new spin to it because it's

a fitness challenge!

I know many of my bloggy buddies are familiar with Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred workout program.

We love her right?

Well, in the true "30 Days" fashion (are you familiar with the show that came out after Super Size me? Where "a person takes on a new identity for 30 days in order to see the world through a radically different perspective and to illustrate the complexities of a social issue".....), I am going to do a little experiment with Miss Jillian's program. Ok, so maybe my experiment is not really going to reveal the complexities of a social issue, but I plan to do major shredding and take notes on the process.

I know... it's gonna be fabulous.

Here's the deal. I've got 30 days and 3 levels. Normally, I like to mix it up and I don't do the levels in order, but this time, I will.

Here's how I'm gonna break it down:

10 days of level 1

10 days of level 2

10 days of level 3

equals 30 days!

I am wondering if the name of the program, the 30 Day Shred, has any validity. If I consistently do her routines for 30 consecutive days, will I be shredded?

I am curious to see if the routines become really boring since the same workout is repeated over and over before moving on to the next level.

I am curious to see if the workouts really do get easier if done consistently. (I have yet to complete one without feeling like it completely kicked my butt!)

I am curious to see if I can ever get beyond baby weights for the side lunge anterior raise exercise in the third circuit!

I am curious to see if devout daily Jillian worshipping changes my body and truly results in a shredded physique ala Britney in the 2000 VMA's when she tore off her tuxedo outfit to reveal a nude sparkly outfit and a slamming body...

just in case you need a reminder or a little motivation to hit the gym....

Anywho...

I will say that I am not only going to do the Shred because I would like to incorporate some biking as well, but the goal is to shred daily for 30 consecutive days in addition to some other (light) cardio. I am not making any changes in my diet (except trying ::sigh:: to give up Cola Light), so any changes should reflect the results of her program.

I took my measurements tonight (waist, hips, thighs) and I will measure again at the end of the month. I also weighed in this morning and will see if any lbs are missing a month from now.

I know for sure that I am going to need some major encouragement because I have owned his workout DVD for over a year and have never stuck it out for an entire 30 days.

When I am dying to skip a day, to give up, or to result to easy cardio instead of shredding I am turning to you, my bloggy buddies, for support! So bring on the 30 day challenge LOVE!!

I would like to post a weekly update to let you know how I'm doing and I would love for someone, anyone, to join me for the challenge!

First Day times 2

Today was my first day back at work after fall break and my first day in my new position! I was a little worried about what would take place today because I didn't have a schedule, or a caseload, or any information on the students I will be working with. Luckily, we got that all figured out today.

First I will share the two best parts of the position:

1. I get Fridays off. Every weekend is a three day weekend (in Europe). Life.Is.Good!

2. I am a specialist which means I work with students in elementary, middle, and high school, which means I get to partake in treat/goodies in all three of the staff work rooms. Whoopee!

Most of the students I will be working with are in middle school. Go figure. I never thought I would ever teach middle schoolers, but I am actually really looking forward to it. 5th graders are also considered to be in middle school which is funny to me because I always think of 5th grade as being the big fish in elementary school. I will push in or pull out of 5th grade English & Math, 6th grade Math, and 7th grade English.

I will also work with some 3rd and 4th graders in behavior modification, Reading, Writing, and Math.

Then I also have one high school boy to work with. He is taking an 8th grade Algebra class, so technically the material is still middle school, but he is a 9th grader. I can already tell he is going to have a special place in my heart. I got a short rundown of some of the issues that he is dealing with, but my co-worker/supervisor said that when she introduced him to me and let him know I would be working with him, he seemed excited and smiled (which is big for him) so that is good.

Monday is the busiest day with 5 consecutive 45-minute blocks before lunch, but the other 3 days have some off periods in between lessons, which will be nice. It will also be helpful to have Fridays off so I can stay on top of my doctoral stuff. So, now that I have some logistical info, I feel much better and I am ready to start teaching! Tomorrow I get to do some observing/helping to get a feel for some of the classrooms that I have not been in yet so this week gives me some time to ease into the new position. I am also happy that I will be working with some teachers that I already know (friends!) and some students I already know which definitely helps to make the new job seems a bit less daunting.

It is pouring rain out today, so I feel like hibernating in my apartment until hubby comes home. What a good night for soup or some kind of hot stew. Too bad I really need to hit up the grocery store because we are out of food! That happens to us a lot here because the fridge is so tiny. I definitely do not feel like walking to the store in the rain, so maybe "room service" is in order tonight. Thank goodness for pizza delivery!

NaBloPoMo & A little Christmas on Halloween

I am joining up with Jen and participating in National Blog Posting Month!

I post a lot, maybe not daily though, but I think this is a fun challenge nonetheless. Maybe I will find some new blogs to read and maybe some new readers will find me!

I think this would be a good time to open up my topic list and bring in some different material/subjects. I don't want to change the focus of my blog during the challenge, but I want to include a lot of variety.

I am thinking of incorporating a few familiar themes:

teaching

the new job

fitness

exercise

With a few new/different themes:

more on food

recipes

inspirations

goal setting

poetry

travel

maybe even a vlog (video blog!)

Just throwing some ideas out there as I want to keep my audience interested!

Enough of the housekeeping and on to the real "post"

Yesterday hubby and I visited Rothenburg, Germany, which is one of the best preserved medieval cities in the region, also known for it's year round Christmas spirit. Sure, around the holidays, the local store owners surely kick up the volume on the Christmasy atmosphere, but even in October, it was alive with the holiday spirit.

I had a ball visiting all the little shops which were wall to wall explosions of ornaments, Nutcrackers, hand carved wooden nativity sets, decorations, candies, toys and much more. I seriously got a high off the stuff. So fun! Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos inside the stores. I really wanted to share the beautiful holiday tree and toy displays, but I am not a rule breaker. I think hubby snapped a few shots with his camera phone, but I haven't seen them yet.

Here are some of my favorite pics:

I could move into this store...seriously

For some reason I love German doors. They have such character.

Hugging the Teddy outside the Teddy Bear shop!

Have you see that new camera that has an LCD display on the front so when you take a photo of yourselves you can see what it will look like before snapping? We SO need one of those!

But then a nice girl offered to take a picture for us, so this one looks normal!

Check out these views!

Don't forget to leave lots of comment love to keep me going this month!

For the love of Ikea

Hubby and I made yet another trip to Ikea today to get some artwork for our walls. Ikea is a staple in Germany not only for furniture, but all kinds of home decor, bedding, and kitchen supplies. It is close, not too expensive, and has tons of stuff to offer. Considering this is a temporary home for the next 3 years or so, I feel like I get to care a little less and have a little more fun with our choices. Here are some of the pieces we got today to brighten up the place and make it look a little more "decorated."

This will go above our bed in our "master" bedroom. I put master in quotes because it's not all that big and does not have a bathroom directly attached to it, but Germans don't really do the whole master bedroom thing. They are all just bedrooms, or zimmers. Our sheets are light green as is the quilt that I have draped over the bed, so I thought this print would look nice and coordinate with the green in the bedding.

This one will go above our couch in the living room. We have mostly neutral colors in there, chocolate brown leather sofa, dark wood TV stand etc, but we both liked it (which is rare) and it reminds me of CT where I grew up.

This photo did not come out that great because of the glass in the frame, but this one is going in the hallway over a small shelf (which will house some of hubby's shoes). I am hoping to set up an entryway table of sorts where we can leave keys so the hallway is not entirely long and empty.

It is a series of pen and ink animal prints done by Picasso. I like the simplicity and it reminds me of kid art, which I like.

Here are a few close ups of the animals.

I wish I had decorating "skills," but I really don't. I definitely like everything to be organized and because of that I don't have too many decorative items out and about in the rooms. I think I need to fix that, but like I said, I don't really have to much of an eye for what looks good, goes well together, or makes a profound statement of style.

Any tips for making a place look homey but not cluttered?

It's a good thing I heart reading!

It's also a good thing I have this week off for fall break because I have been getting lots of work done for my courses. Yes, I am the quintessential overachiever and I am getting some work done ahead of time, but considering I am starting a new job next week, which is no longer only 3 hours a day, and time is flying by as always, I don't want to be freaking out come the end of the quarter when all my papers/assignments are due. One of the great things about this whole "independent study" doctoral stuff is that I have one big assignment for each course due at the end of the term. I am expected to keep up with readings, a lot of reading, which is why I say it's a good thing I heart reading, but as far as actual "assignments" they are not weekly. I check in via skype with my advisor once every other week and I join certain segments of his classes via skype as well, but I am on my own for the rest.

I am following the syllabi (is that the correct plural of syllabus?) for the weekly readings, but there are no weekly assignments gradually building to the final paper. Nothing to assist me in keeping on schedule, yet considering I often have to read an entire book or 3-4 long chapters from a text in a single week plus a short novel for Global Literature, it is very easy to neglect the larger written assignments! I am completely responsible for my own success or failure in this endeavor because at this level, it is expected that I can figure it out and take care of business! I think I am doing fine, but the point is I am really happy to find that everything I have to read is really interesting to me, so it doesn't feel tedious and I am really thankful to have had the last few days to really crack down on moving forward with my long projects.

I have to write a 20 page cultural autobiography (I am 9 pages in and it has been really fun to write so far because it's basically a narrative in my own voice, not an "academic voice" about my life. Who doesn't like to talk/write about themself?!) and I have to write a 20 page paper on an issue in education as well as put together an annotated bibliography of my sources which means I have to critically evaluate/explain each source rather than just listing it. Fun times!

I want to share a piece of what I read last night. A little background is that I am studying a lot about multicultural education which will probably be the general area of study for my dissertation. This is an excerp from Affirming Diversity by Sonia Nieto & Patty Bode.

"The lesson for teachers and schools is that contrary to conventional wisdom and practice, it is not students and their familes who must always do the accommodating. The misguided belief in one-way accommodation explains the tendency among educators to view unsuccessful students as either genetically inferior or culturally deprived. When students do not automatically accommodate to the school (or other) system, their intelligence or ability or that of their families or communities is questioned. The perspective of mutual accommodation allows schools and teachers to use the resources all students already have to work toward academic success. In this model, neither the students nor the teacher expects complete accommodation. Rather they work together, using the best strategies at the disposition of each. In the process of mutual accommodation, teachers and students are equally enriched. Using students' languages, identities, and experiences as the basis for student learning might mean that teachers have to expand their own repertoires of teaching. Doing so is an advantage for everyone."

Everything that I am reading seems to be woven together, but this really ties into the idea of critical pedagogy that I have been reading about in Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed. The relationship between the student and the teacher should reflect a reciprocity in which the teacher learns from the student in addition to helping the student learn.

Seems ideal, of course, that we can use students' backgrounds to help them learn, yet with research based, "canned," curriculums that many of us have to use, this become a bigger challenge! I have been thinking lately how frustrating it is that we cannot just teach. Just plan our own lessons rather than getting a script from a manual. I get lost in this world of fantasy about what my ideal classroom would be like, but then I get frustrated because there are constraints on what creativity and innovation we can bring to the classroom depending on expectations for fidelity in implementing programs. I am also reading Black Ants and Buddhists, written by a first/second grade teacher, which is about how she weaves cultural awareness and critical thinking into amazing units for her students. She mentions community volunteers speaking to her students, amazing field trips, letter writing activities and a mixture of innovative and creative lessons, but I can't help but wonder when she does all this. This year is a bit different, but in my previous three years teaching first grade, there was no extra time to go above and beyond the adopted programs and we were expected to follow the programs.

rock.hard place.hello

Would love to hear your thoughts!