The First Day of School

Remember the feeling of the first day of school? When you're super nervous but you walk into your classroom and are amazed at what you see? ...and your teacher is smiling and showing you where to put your things?

Well, what you may not have realized is that the first day of school, all teachers are exhausted...and most likely using caffeine in the form of coffee, soda, or tea to survive. We also rarely eat...or pee (oh yes, I'm being brutally honest and open here).

Let me walk you through what my first day of school this year (and essentially what the first days of school the past two years have looked like as well):
5:15 a.m. Wake up exhausted but excited--all the prep from the previous weeks is going to be put into play today! Try to make myself look nice even though I showered last night so I could sleep in a little today.
5:40 a.m. Leave for school, making sure I detour to Coffee Bean
6:15 a.m. Arrive at school with several cans of diet coke in a tote bag and an Ice Blended in hand. Prep my classroom, take deep breaths, and review my lesson plans once again. Check to make sure everything really is in place and ready to go. Review my lesson plans. Review my lesson plans. Oh, and review my lesson plans to make sure I'm ready.
7:00 a.m. Team Pow Wow--Getting ready for all our lovely kinders, the class of 2028, to arrive.
7:20 a.m. Slight panic attack accompanied by HYPER EXCITEMENT. My amazing students and their families will be here before I know it, and now I just can't wait to see their smiling facse and give them high fives and hugs!
7:25 a.m. Students will be starting to arrive...I'm even MORE excited!!!!!! Send them to me!!!
7:35 a.m. Students are let in for breakfast! WOOHOO!!!!!
7:50 a.m. Summer School Begins!!!! At this point I am talking, moving, and sweating (no joke. My face is probably super red, and I am unaware of how much my body hurts, because I just keep moving.). I am smiling until my cheeks hurt and making everything super exciting, because it is! I am forgetting all my stress and just having fun with my students, teaching them our routines and procedures, singing songs, and enjoying learning!
1:45 p.m. Students are dismissed. I am still smiling. Greeting parents. Answering questions. Saying "I'll see you tomorrow!" to my wonderful students.
2:15 p.m. Exhaustion hits. I may lie down on the carpet in my classroom and not move for several minutes.
2:30 p.m. All staff meeting
3:00 p.m. Set up and get ready to do all this again tomorrow...

I likely will not eat or pee the first day until 3 p.m. when I realize I've forgotten to do both. I'm not even kidding about this. I hope at least one teacher reads this and can comment that this is in fact true. Seeing as I've been eating horribly the past couple weeks as I've been preparing, it seems only fitting that I not eat for the first couple days of school. I will inevitably eat something terribly bad for me that first night when my hunger finally kicks in. In San Jose, there was this wonderful Chinese restaurant just down the road, and I would order some yummy greasy chicken fried rice. Most likely, I will gorge on a burrito this year since I've already been introduced to an amazing restaurant within walking distance from my school. One perk of being in LA is walking to places. In San Jose, there was phenomenal Mexican food...but I always had to drive a little.

So there you have it, life as a teacher the first day of school. It's wonderful. I love it. I wouldn't trade my job for the world...but I also am so glad I only have to have one first day a year. :)

It's nearly 9 p.m. on a Saturday night, which means it's my bedtime. We had our Back to School picnic today, and I met so many of my amazing students. I also had a home visit that lasted two hours, and I am stoked about my students and their families. My body is achy though from all the set-up and prep, and I need to make sure I'm sleeping enough to be the best teacher I can be, so it's time for some zzzz's for me.

Goodnight lovelies,
♥a

I think I can...I think I can...I know I can!

I ordered Rosetta Stone yesterday. Yes, I'm anxiously awaiting the following to arrive:

and yes, to arrive at Minda's, because I am still searching for somewhere to live. So, let me pause to tell you a little bit about my school and how this decision to get Rosetta Stone fits in with everything about it.

I love my school and staff. Seriously. LOVE. They are wonderful, and I am just impressed everyday and learning everyday at work. It's just a great feeling to be happy at school. There's so much to get done, but I don't feel overwhelmed by it all. We went on a retreat to Big Bear this week, and I had a wonderful time getting to know everyone.

My school is called KIPP Comienza Community Prep (KCCP). KIPP stands for the Knowledge Is Power Program. 

KSS 2011 Gala Video from KIPP Foundation on Vimeo.

KCCP, as the name suggests, is a community school. As our vision states:

KIPP Comienza Community Prep is built on the belief that great schools and strong relationships transform communities. Through rigorous standards-based instruction, character development, and learning experiences beyond school walls, our elementary students will become active leaders who take pride in their community and have access to choice and opportunity in order to ignite transformative change.

Ignite. I love that word. 

(My painting is on the left top, and it says, yes, you guessed it, "ignite.")

KCCP has no rules. Yup, no rules (trust me, this made me nervous at first). Reason being? We have values instead. Think about it: Rules can be broken, skirted around, and in general, are just very restrictive. There's always a way to get around a rule, and rules change constantly based on teachers, locations, and age (yes, we all know there are some rules that you have when you are 5 that you don't have when you are 25). However, values are universal--we use them all the time, and they translate over from school to home, from kindergarten to high school to post-college.

The four values of Comienza are:

Courage

Ganas

Honor

Reflection

Now I had no idea until this week what they really meant, and I'm still learning, but let me try to explain the values to you using Rosetta Stone as my example.

I showed courage by taking the first step in ordering Rosetta Stone to help me improve my Spanish. However, I can't just be courageous and order it...and then never use it. I need to show ganas by practicing and working regularly on my Spanish. I need to talk to parents and students--I need to keep going even though it won't be easy, and I need to keep going with ZEST! :) The reason I made this choice was to honor families and students, the community, of KCCP. I know that many of my parents speak Spanish, some only speak Spanish, and I want to show honor to them by trying to be able to communicate in the language with which they are most comfortable. ...and throughout it all, I will not just forge ahead without reflecting on why I am doing this and the impact it is having. If I find I am making mistakes or struggling, I will show courage and ask for help.

The staff I work with is inspiring--so inspiring that I ordered Rosetta Stone. No joke. I want to be the best teacher I can be, and while I know there are great teachers who not speak Spanish, I think it will help me be a better teacher. If I am able to communicate with my families and students more, then I can connect with them even more. It's a scary step to take--I get sooo nervous when I speak in Spanish, and I think I've been avoiding it for a while now, but I'm going to try!!

(My painting is on the left top, and it says, yes, you guessed it, "ignite.")

How Do You Learn Best?

It seems funny that I would attend a retreat this week with 14 other females...and as I think about much of what we've done, my BROTHER pops into my mind. For real, brother?

Chris has always maintained that he could learn anything if it were presented via movies. While I consider myself a fairly adept movie and TV show quoter, Chris puts me to shame. He can quote anything...at all...you name it, he will quote it. (I have to say that part of me attributes this to the fact that in general I often feel as if he has more time to watch TV than I do...and of course, he is brilliant. It's shocking that he's not a bajilionaire yet.)

So, allow me to share a few video clips from the past two days. I have loved getting to know the wonderful ladies of KCCP, and I will be sharing more about my experience with them and how I am growing, but for tonight, I just want to share some fun clips that make me happy.

Janice, I apologize to you if I don't seem real eager to jump into a forced awkward intimate situation that people like to call dating.

It's impossible not to love Toy Story 3.

He had this idea. It was kind of a virologist idea. He believed that you could cure racism and hate — literally cure it, by injecting music and love into people's lives.
One day he was scheduled to perform at a peace rally, gunmen came to his house and shot him down. Two days later, he walked out on that stage and sang.
Somebody asked him "why?". He said: "The people who are trying to make this world worse are not taking a day off — how can I?" — Light up the darkness.

♥a

Welcome to My Classroom! :)

Today was so nice and organized. We started promptly at 8:30 and ended just as promptly at 3:30. It was even amusing at the end of the day trying to explain what happened today at work; I realized I was just calm and relaxed--no stories to tell, nothing dramatic happened, and it was quite an odd feeling. What a nice way to feel at the end of the day.

Also, I really appreciated that the following movie clip was shared today during part of our professional development (start at about 3:15 in...):

...and this one too:

...and now take a peek in my classroom:

Week 1 in LA...so far...

Well I'm officially back in lovely southern California.

Let me fill you in on my trip down.

Friday I flew from Fort Myers to San Jose.
Estimated arrival time in San Jose: 9:22 p.m.
Actual arrival time: 11:37 p.m.
At 12:07 a.m. bags finally started coming around on the cool swirly bag thing.

...however, then my bag was lost.

So I did not arrive home to my apartment until 1:07 a.m. (mind you this is 4 a.m. in Florida).

My body was confused, tired, and achy...and not at all ready for a drive down to LA, so I postponed my trip to Sunday.

Saturday I took care of little odds and ends, you know, getting finger-printed, mailing boxes, packing my tiny little car till it could hold no more, and Sunday morning I left to make my drive to LA.

All went well on my drive, despite my being lonely without my lovely little puppy, and I arrived safe and sound in Malibu Sunday afternoon. I stayed with my wonderful little sis in my sorority (one of two amazing littles!), and I quickly took some migraine medicine and fell asleep.

Monday, I became a Big KIPPster. It's amazing to sit through a day of on-boarding that uses time so efficiently. I'm CPR-certified, received my work cell phone and laptop, and also met all the other new staff at my site.

By the way, could I have been any more excited when I discovered we were getting MACBOOKS? Thank goodness no more PCs!

Now I'm officially way too connected with two phones, two computers, two iPods, and a Kindle.

That said, I'm going to have to get used to this little phone for work:

KIPP teachers are required to be available to students and parents for homework help, etc. so we are given phones for those calls and text messages.

Plus, we all received copies of the following book:

Work Hard. Be Nice.: How Two Inspired Teachers Created the Most Promising Schools in America

If you want to learn more about how KIPP started and what its mission is, get a copy for yourself! I'm hoping, though I know free time will be quite sparse, that I will find some time in the near future to read it!

After I finished my time with KIPP on Monday I headed back to Santa Monica to pick up my lost bag which I sent to my big sis in Tri Delt..and to sleep on her couch. I could not be luckier to have a big like Minda as I would probably have cried more in the past two days than I already have. Don't worry, I really haven't cried much, just a couple times in brief moments of frustration and anxiety about where I'm living!

So now, Tuesday and Wednesday have brought apartment hunting, which is going pretty miserably. I've checked out a couple places, but I'm feeling a bit stressed with the start of work and the time it takes find a decent place.

However, I'm feeling better after today and lining up couches to sleep on for the next week. I hate hate hate being the person couch-hopping, but I know I will regret moving into a place and committing to a year lease if I am feeling iffy about it.

I also think part of my positive-thinking is a result of the extreme happy- and smiley-ness I experienced after watching this video:

(I really enjoy the fact that he is wearing goggles.)

Also, I mean worst case scenario, there are apparently all kinds of creepers on Craigslist who would be willing to have female roommates for free...or for very very low rent. I found my roommates last year on Craigslist, so goodness knows this is not reflective of all Craigslist posters and ads, but I can't help but wonder what some people are thinking!

For example: 

male looking for female to rent and find a place together... (central/coastal)

---

Just want to say first a sexual relationship is not required, yet not frowned upon... I am a guy after all. But I just prefer a female roommate in close quarters...

desperate times for desperate measures. Is anybody else in the situation of couch surfing. I have my bachelors degree.... I'm a veteran... and yet the only thing I could get is a $12 an hour job working in a warehouse. It makes me upset that half my paycheck will be going to rent. POOF! gone. I'd like to move in Los Angeles and think this is the best way to do that currently.

I like to hike, the beach, sleeping, eating out, road trips, vegas, texas holdem, and I can be kind of geeky sometimes... go through occasional times of completely healthy eating. Love to work out when not drained from completely manual labor related job(like a warehouse) . I have no cats or dogs but do like them. And what about you? 

FREE RENT PLUS AMENITIES IN EXCHANGE FOR GFE-FANTASTIC 2500 SQ FT HOME (SFV)

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Broken up and broken down about a girl I was totally in love with and I can't take living alone. Anyway, I'm looking for, searching for, hoping for, a young, pretty, female who is somewhat "normal" in shape, not insane; someone to dote on and care about, whom I can take care of, be with, maybe even fall in love with. If you think that I am placing this ad simply for the sake of having a sexual partner, you are mistaken. I want complete conpanionship and that includes emotional bonds. 

So, if you're stuck with no place to go and don't mind a creative, attractive male vs. a refrigerator carton as a companion, please email me

I'm a writer and artist. Daniel Day-Lewis looking. Intelligent, sane, in shape and considerate. I own thousands of books, thousands of DVDS, thousands of CDs (I have my own personal library) I'm educated, cultured, considerate and caring.

I'll pay all the rent, all the utilities, room and board (food, etc) and I will do special things for you (buy you flowers on occasion, write you poems) to make you feel wanted and needed.

Please send a photo and describe yourself. Tell me what you want/need... Please be serious and reliable. And be over your ex. In return, shall make you the most special person in my life.

$500 Loft to share with cute girls (Santa Monica)

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Ladies,

We are looking for 2 girls to share a loft in Santa Monica by the beach who are willing to share rooms and split expenses. Great living situation with 2 god dam good looking men. dont be scared to email head shots. we cant wait to see meet you. Aspiring actress/models welcome. This is the opportunity of a lifetime.

Brandon and Brandon

FACT 

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So here's hoping that no one responds to those ads or that perhaps maybe just maybe the person who wrote them actually does not have bad intentions just has no idea the implications of what he is posting. 

Now it's time for me to get to bed since tomorrow is my first day at KCCP! That crazy acronym, FYI, stands for KIPP Comienza Community Prep, my new school. I'm very excited to head there tomorrow and to learn more about the pretty awesome team I'll be working with this year. Feel free to read up on my school here: Welcome to KIPP Comienza Community Prep!

Goodnight lovely friends and family!

♥a