This past Wednesday was the last day of school. Even though I had already spent quite a bit of time going through file cabinets and bookshelves, it still took me almost two days to sort through my belongings and pack up my room. You can only imagine how difficult it is to go through a decade’s worth of teaching material. Plus, I do not yet know what I will be teaching (or if I’ll be teaching) when I move, so of course I don’t want to get rid of anything. I did put together a couple of boxes that I am donating to new teachers, but everything else is now sitting in the corner of one of the portables on campus until I actually move at the end of July. This is also the first summer ever that I have not taught summer school. So now I find myself with 8 weeks to alternate my time between the beach and getting ready for my move. I have some really great plans: spending time with my family and friends before I leave them, reading all the books that were neglected during the school year, continue job hunting, and training for another half- marathon. The first one that I ran post-injury was in March. While I accomplished my primary goal of completing the race, my body definitely wasn’t anywhere as strong as I would’ve liked it to be. Shortly after that race, I recommitted to my yoga practice. I will say it has helped tremendously. I am excited to see how this race compares to the one I ran in March. I’ll keep you posted. 🙂
Category: Uncategorized
Graduation
Last night was graduation for the high school where I teach. It was a very emotional evening for me. Not only was my own son graduating, but also a group of seniors who have been very special to me. I’ve written a lot about my baby boy, and I will continue to write a lot more about him in the posts to come (much to his chagrin). So, this post is dedicated to the other seniors that graduated last night. As a high school teacher, graduation is always a special time. It is the culmination of all the hard work we, as teachers, have invested in our students. However, last night was more than that for me. This year, I taught an English IV Honors class for the first time ever. I enjoy teaching freshmen, and that has always been my niche. Four years ago, I volunteered to teach an English I Honors class for our school’s Art Academy. I loved every minute of it so much that, when they needed a teacher for the same students for their sophomore year, I willingly volunteered. During that year, I kept telling them that they were going to have to move on to a different teacher come junior year. They disagreed. Several of their parents even wrote to the principal and guidance counselor requesting that I stay with them their junior year. So I did. By the end of that year, I knew that I wasn’t going to give them up. Therefore, for a handful of those students, I was their only English teacher for all their years of high school. For the remaining students, almost all of them had been with me once before, and many of them at least twice. As if that wasn’t enough, many of the students in this senior class had ran either cross country or track with me throughout their high school careers. Talk about a flood of emotions! Watching my students and athletes walk across that stage filled my heart with pride. I have poured my heart into those students and am so proud of the young adults they have become. I have been blessed to have them in my life and am so excited to see what new adventures are in store for them. Congratulations, Class of 2013 and God Bless!
I am a Tiger Mom
I was raised by a tiger mom. In turn, I myself am a tiger mom. I have no qualms admitting this fact. My mother was born and raised in the Philippines. She was sent to America to attend college so she could eventually support her parents and eight siblings back home. Which is exactly what she did. My mom knew that the world was a tough place, so as a child growing up, she prepared me for that. She taught me to be competitive, because let’s face it – the best jobs go to the best candidates. She taught me to persevere no matter what obstacles came at me, because she knew I would face many. She taught me to be disciplined, because who wants a world full of spoiled children and adults who are only concerned with getting their own way? She taught me a strong work ethic, something for which my employers are all grateful. My mom might not have been sentimental, but there has never, ever been a doubt in my mind that she loved me and wanted the best for me. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have cared enough to fight me so hard and instill these values in me. So, when I had my children, I did the same. I was “that mom.” The mom who made sure she knew all her kids’ friends, their parents, and had physically seen their homes before ever letting my children go to them. I was the mom who wouldn’t let my daughter wear make-up, heels, and mature clothing when she was only ten years old – no matter how much she argued that all her friends were doing it. My son is 18 years old and has never owned a Grand Theft Auto game. My kids understood at an early age that the rules were different for them than many of their friends. Now, I will admit that I am much more touchy-feely with my kids than my mom was with me, but it doesn’t change the fact that they will tell all their friends I am the most strict parent they have ever known. Yet, every day, they hug me, kiss me, tell me they love me. They thank me for caring enough about them to be so invested in their well-being. They have grown up to be amazing young adults, known for their honesty, responsibility, and good hearts. They both have goals and plans and are working to achieve them. So while every family and culture is different, go ahead and call me a tiger mom. It won’t offend me in the least.
Those Who Can, Teach
Today I read a Washington Post article titled, “What if Finland’s Great Teachers Taught in U.S. schools?” For those of you unfamiliar with Finland’s educational system, it is consistently ranked one of the best in the world. It wasn’t always that way. In fact, Finland’s surge to the top of international educational rankings has caused many nations (America included) to take notice. Everyone wants to know what is Finland’s secret to success. Well, I will tell you that it is not their standardized testing systems for students. Quality education comes from having quality teachers, and that is where Finland has focused its efforts. However, they have not focused their efforts by tying teacher evaluations to students’ standardized test scores, like our current political forces are attempting to do here. Instead, Finland has focused its attention on how teachers get into the classroom, versus what they do once they are in one. To become a teacher in Finland is a rigorous process. Instead of hundreds of varieties of teacher preparation programs, there is only one. This is true for many countries where there are students who outperform American students on international testing. There is no fast-track to becoming a teacher in these countries. For example, all teachers in Finland complete the same coursework and earn master’s degrees from research universities. The competition for entering into one of these programs is on par with a student attempting to get into law school or study medicine. Therefore, the teachers in Finland ultimately earn the same degree of respect as lawyers and doctors. While Finland has shunned standardization in schools, it embraces standardization when preparing its teachers. Thus assured that only the the best and brightest are entering the profession, these same teachers are then given the freedom to practice their craft once they have secured a teaching position. In contrast, here in the United States, the common belief is that anyone can be a teacher. Even more damaging to the profession is the underlying thought that teachers are individuals who were not able to be successful in their first career choice. We’ve all heard the saying, “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” What an awful statement to make about men and women who have chosen to spend their lives educating the youth of this country. However, perhaps if there was more quality control on the front-end, people would have more confidence in the teaching profession. If getting accepted into an education program was as difficult as being accepted into law school or a med program, maybe there would be more credibility and respect for the teaching profession as a whole. Then, maybe we would be trusted to know what’s best for our students instead of having outside sources-who have absolutely no teaching experience whatsoever- tell us what we should be doing for them. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/05/15/what-if-finlands-great-teachers-taught-in-u-s-schools-not-what-you-think/
Spinning Plates
My son is graduating from high school in six days, my daughter is halfway through college, I’ve turned in my letter of resignation, and am trying to pack both a classroom and a house in order to move across the country in less than three months. My brothers will be here in two days, and I have not yet cleaned my house (partially because I’m trying to pack it!) I have a graduation party to host, along with my track team’s annual awards picnic. (Did I mention I am the head coach?) Wow. That’s a lot for one person to absorb. Oh, did I mention that I don’t have a job lined up yet when I arrive back home to the Windy City? The funny thing is that, since I am dual certified to teach both English grades 6-12 and Special Education K-12, that whole job thing is the least of my worries. However, everything else? A little overwhelming. My mind feels like it’s racing continuously. I have so many to-do lists, they are on the verge of being counterproductive. I feel like the entertainer who spins plates for a living, constantly running from one plate to another to make sure that none of them come crashing down. Today, I actually almost fell asleep for real in yoga class as we were in our relaxation pose! Afterwards, I was briefly tempted to skip my run because I knew there was so much to do. But, I didn’t. I laced up my shoes and hit the road, and thank goodness I did. As I inhaled the cool evening air, I could feel my load get a little lighter. As I ran, I began plotting out a course of action – what to do, when to do it, etc. By the time I finished those three miles, the world was conquered, and I was at peace. This is why I run. Because even when my life is jumbled, my running declares that I am still here. I am alive. I am strong.
The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.-John Bingham
Mother’s Day Musings
It is that time of year again – Mother’s Day. Having worked in the restaurant business for 20 years, I can assure you it is the busiest day of the year. So, on behalf of all my fellow service industry workers, here are three things to remember:
1) We understand that you want Mom to have the best dining experience possible. So do the hundreds of other people in the restaurant with you. Please be patient and courteous. There’s no need to reduce the hostess to tears with your meanness.
2) Today is not the day to be a stingy tipper (nor any day, really). I guarantee that your server is working harder today than any other day of the year. There are going to be delays. Mistakes might even be made, but that is the nature of the business. Unless your server was rude and absolutely ignored you, then please honor their work with a respectable tip. Also, most restaurants take 3% of a server’s sales to give to a tip pool for the bussers and hostesses. So that 15% tip you left? Only 12% goes into their pockets.
3) Please remember while you are enjoying your day with your mom and/or children, our children and/or moms are enjoying this day with someone else.
In closing, I want to wish all you moms out there a Happy Mother’s Day, especially mine. Til next time, my friends.
Whose Child?
There is a popular cartoon that has made it’s way around social media for awhile now. In it, there are two halves with almost the exact same picture. There are two parents, a child, and a teacher. It is evident that this is a parent teacher conference. The captions are, “Then,” and, “Now.” In the picture for Then, the parents are demanding the student explain why he has such bad grades. In the Now picture, the parents are demanding the teacher explain why their child has bad grades. As a teacher and parent, I have seen both situations occur in my class. I will be the first to say that my kids have had some phenomenal teachers….and some not-so-phenomenal teachers. I will also say that, just as in any profession, there will always be the handful of teachers who you wish would choose a different career path. However, the good teachers far outweigh the bad ones. For every one negative or unproductive teacher I have come across, whether as a parent or a co-worker, there are a multitude of great ones. Those are the teachers who get to work an hour early and stay an hour late, plus lug even more work home with them. These teachers spend their non-working hours finding ways to perfect their craft by attending classes, workshops, conferences, and the like. They spend their summers designing the units they will teach the upcoming year. Their smartphones and tablets are filled with educational apps as they try to find new and exciting ways to reach their students. These teachers dedicate their lives to helping their students achieve their full potential. Yet, for all the amazing things educators do for your kids, the reality is that they are your kids. Your children, and their education, is your responsibility – just like my children’s education was mine. When I have parents upset with me that their child failed a course when the reason for the F was that he had more missing assignments than completed ones, I just want to ask them, “Where have you been all semester? Where were you when we had our Open House? Where were you when interims and report cards were sent out? What about parent teacher conference night? Where were you every week, as your child’s grades were uploaded to the district posting site, and you received an email telling you what your child’s grade was at that very moment?” I don’t ask these questions, but I should. Then, when the parent tried to make excuses for their lack of involvement in their child’s education, I would inform them that their excuses don’t hold any weight with me. I was a single parent for the majority of my children’s K-12 educational career. I have worked two jobs for over a decade to make ends meet. I even completed grad school during this same time. Yet, at any second of any day, I could tell you exactly what my children’s grades were in every single class they were taking. Why? Because more than anything else, being their parent was my first priority. As such, being involved in their education was always a given. End of story. No excuses. As this school year comes to a close, may we all share that same belief.
Passionate for Public Education
This school year marks a full decade that I have been teaching. I love being a teacher. I love being in my classroom. I love the opportunity I have to be a positive influence in my students’ lives. It’s the whole reason I became a teacher. Ironic, then, that teaching was not my first choice as a profession. In my Intro to Education class, our professor had us write a short essay on why we wanted to be teachers. We then had to share them with the class. Time after time, each student stood before the class explaining that he or she had “always wanted to be a teacher.” I was close to the end, and imagine everyone’s surprise when the first line of my essay was, “I never wanted to be a teacher.” It’s true. As a child, I dreamed of being a corporate lawyer. I wanted to travel all around the globe and make a lot of money. However, as a teenager, I endured some pretty turbulent times. Going through the negative circumstances that I did caused me to re-think my career path. I decided to pursue a degree in social work, then become lawyer working in the juvenile courts. When I received my AA degree, I had completed all the prerequisites for the social work program. However, I had graduated in December, and the social work program only accepted new students in the summer or fall terms. That left me with an entire semester off from school. During this same time, I continued to substitute teach at local schools. I had been subbing for at least a year or more for extra income and to build my resume. The semester break I had from school left me with quite a bit of time to sub. I did most of my subbing at one middle school, so I became very familiar to the students. They would ask me why I wasn’t a “real” teacher and comment that I would make a good one. I began evaluating my time in the classroom and realized I really enjoyed it. I loved the relationships I built with the students, even though I was “just a sub.” By the end of that school year, I had decided to enter the education program instead of social work. I spent that summer completing four of the five prerequisites needed to be accepted into the College of Education. I had to get special permission to complete the fifth class the first semester of my acceptance. I did all that, and the rest – as they say- is history. I have never regretted that decision. I love being a public school teacher. I firmly believe that education is the great equalizer, and every student deserves a high quality education. Various sources have stated that public education is the foundation of our democracy, and I believe them. That is why I will continue to be an advocate for quality public education- accessible by all. But, more on that another day because I just realized how late it is. Facing 120 freshman students on a Monday morning with inadequate sleep is not fun. Til next time, my friends. Be sure to thank a teacher for your ability to read and comprehend this entry.
I am a Runner
It is fitting that my first blog about running is being written tonight. Tomorrow morning, I am running our local art festival’s 5k race. Seven years ago, this is the race that started it all. I have ran at various times in my life. I was on my middle school track team; I ran for fun during high school (too bad my tiny private school didn’t have a track team); I ran for fitness. However, that first 5k is when I became a runner. I loved the camaraderie, the challenge, and then the thrill of finishing. I was hooked. Later that same year, my marriage began to fall apart as I found out that my now ex-husband was seeing another woman. It crushed my spirit. Even though this was my second marriage, I had poured myself into making this family work so my children could have the stability of a two-parent home. Their biological father had all but vanished from their lives due to his struggles with mental illness and addiction. My son didn’t even remember him and considered his step-father to be his “dad.” I thought, although we had our struggles, overall we were a happy family. Imagine my shock to find out this wasn’t the case. In the middle of this heartbreak, I turned to running. Out on the open road, it was just me and God. As I ran, I would pray, reminisce, sort through my thoughts, meditate, and just be. My runs were a respite from the circumstances in my life I couldn’t control. I could control every aspect of my runs- how far, how fast, how frequent. A year later, I ran that same art fest 5k. This time, there wasn’t anyone waiting for me at the finish line. But I ran it quite a bit faster than I had the year before 🙂 And I felt like a load had been lifted off me as I crossed that finish line. I knew I was strong. I knew I could overcome. I knew I wanted more. So I signed up for my first half-marathon seven months later. Training for that first half gave me so much strength, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. So of course, when I completed that one, I a) signed up for another and b) signed up for my first marathon. Running my first marathon was an experience that deserves its own entry, but suffice to say for now that it was one of the crowning achievements in my life. And here I am, seven years later….still running. There have been obstacles along the way – a fractured foot, ruptured discs, grad school. Yet, I always return to running. A happy life requires balance. My family fuels my heart, my faith fuels my spirit, but running fuels my soul.
The Almost-Empty Nest
Of all the hats I wear, being a mom is the most important one. My children are my everything. They are the reasons behind everything I do, every decision I make. I was married at 18 and had my daughter soon afterward. My son came along two years and four months later, just as we planned it. Contrary to what many people thought at the time, my kids weren’t “oops” babies. Their births were planned precisely, much to my mother’s chagrin. I was young, in love, and knew that I had a list of goals a mile long that I wanted to accomplish. I was worried if I didn’t have children early, I would get so caught up in pursuing those goals that I would “forget” to have kids. I can honestly say, even though we were really poor for a really long time, it was the best decision I ever made. Furthermore, I have met each goal I created by the milestones I had predetermined oh, so long ago. I take pride in my accomplishments but am even more proud of the young adults my children have grown to be. I now find myself at the verge of having an empty nest. My daughter is finishing her second year of college, so she has one foot in the nest and the other one on the branch. She is poised to fly, and I realize it more each day. My son is graduating in less than a month. He is going into the Air Force, and I just found out that he earned an ASVAB score high enough to guarantee him pretty much any job he would like. As if all this growing up wasn’t enough, I will be celebrating my 40th birthday later this year. I really just want to stop the clock and have some time to savor this moment because everything is happening so fast. When my daughter went off to school, I was hit with the realization that our relationship would change drastically- that although she technically still called our family house her home, it would never be the same. I understand that a little deeper each time she’s home on a break from school. The house is a little cleaner, special menu items are cooked, my regular schedule is interrupted (and I am sometimes a little aggravated by it). These are the types of issues that should occur when house guests arrive, or out-of-town relatives, not my own kid. But then, I remember. My kid IS an out-of-town relative. As if that’s not mind-boggling enough, now my son is about to join her. My son, who at his birth I knew would be my last baby. My son, who grew up being told that he would always be my baby (a statement that now causes him to grimace). His exit from the nest will be much more severe. Not only is there not another child still at home for me to focus all my attention on, but he will be at the beck and call of the Armed Forces. There will be the added stress and worry of where he gets sent and what will face him when he gets there. I want to stop time. Since I can’t, I will treasure every second I possibly can while I have them. My daughter is halfway through college, my son is about to leave home, and I’m on the brink of 40. Thank goodness running is cheaper than therapy…but we’ll talk about that next time.
Words from the Long Run 