Pleasant Surprises

Reading alter your world

2009-04-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

Chairs... who cares.
Students, are they mutants?
Frustration.. I wish I were Haitian.
My head pounds and all I hear are hounds.

What a week. The week behind in retrospect couldn't have even been scripted, my "langweil". My extreem "Kopfschmerzten" and the "kinder und Eltern" who got on my "nerven". First, the flu hit. He gusted in like a sneaky old spy, stayed a long while until Penicillin shewed him away. My weekend was a long somber slumber. I nursed away the realities of the day. I remembered those skills from long ago, moved by the illnesses.

Arbeit is far from bright. The goal is worth the pain, the solitude is motivating my outlet to write, write, write. The students I teach reflect my vision, my goal, my personal legend "that every student will read, and go to college". My personal legacy is to invoke a light within my students that reading opens a new wondrous world of opportunities and possibilities. Literacy determines your life. I know and have seen the realities of illiteracies. Illiteracy leads to ignorance, inviting expensive experiences.

The world is full of ignorant people who make decisions concerning unreal realities. The world if full of caring, helpful, and engaged people who generally do good. The world is full of beauty and misery. The world is made up of whatever we choose to see; yet reading can alter our realities, can lend a path to a brighter future. Change our reality, almost change how we engage, talk, and speak. Critical thinking comes through engagement in reading and reading that magically enlightens, informs, and allows one to enter and alter their world. Reading changes your world.

top reasons I am at loss for words...

2009-03-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

Inside my domain...
I often feel things are upside down. Yet, when I go to put my finger on something, I am at loss for words. I wonder if kids are what they learn. Or, can they learn what I want them to learn. What do I do to help them learn what they need to learn. My room only has 4 simple rules; better than the golden few. Yet, my realm, my space, and my world seems to be somewhat upside down by the end of our time together. I find myself breathless from repeating the rule "be safe". "Was that safe?" Wow, I loose my air, my breath, and my voice from what I see happening. Though it seems it is only for the moment, for some. When I turn again, it is back to being toppsy truvey. Yet, for others I know the repitition creats in their minds the thoughts " her she goes again"... Yet, I remind myself to stop. I praise the good I see, hoping to reverse to what the thorns I see looking past these behaviors to aspire to see their positive in hopes it will over weigh all else. I turn my back, take a breath. And there it goes again, what I do not see affects me, should it? Kids do well after they learn the rules. But how do they learn? Kids are selective like all adults in hearing an agenda, a learning moment. From themselves, all kids can learn. Naturally kids are affectionate, friendly, kind, worried about others, eager to share their comments all the time. Kids naturally want to be heard, get attention, and be loved.

Yet, what do you do when behind the scenes there is mayhem? I turn a back and wow, I don't know how things could turn inside out and upside down. Human interactions move and change the situation. Kids one-on-one but one-on-twenty one is a different story. Kids have character, kids have spunk, and are curious. Kids are silly, make me laugh. Kids are bright like a light. Kids are fascinating, their connections are real, pertinent.

They are in the moment. They vaguely remember details of yesterday but can recall, write, and read like encyclopedias. Kids want to learn to be full from learning, they thirst, and are hungry to listen to how a story will end. Kids
Yet, some kids make me really really think, what is going on in society. What are they seeing, hearing, and doing outside my space my Kids picking up other kids. Kids dropping kids. Kids kicking, bonking then someones else's teeth bleeding. Kids blaming, than eating pencil erasers, Yummy, you must have been hungry. Kids chatting. Kids farting... laughing, kicking, poking each other. Kids learning all about verbs... the ones they regularly do, from A to Z. Kids stick little beans in their ears, Kids pocket little items; not to mention parents oblivion to returning them. Kids ask questions until they get an answer. Kids are amazing.

Weather, Editing & my VW!

2008-03-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

Weather, Editing & my Volkswagen!
All three have kept me busy the last few weeks.

Our local weather has warmed up where it felt like spring had finally sprung, but as all good books don't end happily ever after so is our weather. Yes, we received snow this morning. I like to ski so this past week I took have a day and hit the slopes for a few hours, burned some calories. A few other things I have done with the nice weather is drive VW with the moon roof open feeling the previous weeks warm breeze and the illusion that I am enjoying nature in some form.

Editing, Editing, Editing! The more that I write the more that I have to edit! In the past two weeks I have spent at least five nights so out of 15. I learned last Sunday that I needed a power point presentation for my defense on Tuesday, do you think that happened in a day? No, it took much of two days and a long night where I burned the midnight candle writing and editing. Wow, now that I thought I was ahead I have more edits. I am through the first half of them and the more I sit and edit the more inspiration I have and more time I need to get the edits off my plate and on to my professors plate. I sort of feel like the weather is influencing my edits as the idiom: editing my paper while I am still developing it "is like shoveling snow while it is still snowing".

1/3 of my nights have been sleeplessly devoted to editing, prohibiting me from enjoying the weather and of course taking care of my little German Jetta! My VW didn't let me get away with my neglect, although last week I attended to low oil in my motor, I didn't expect that my battery would give totally out. Last week while driving with loud music as the warm sun glared in my face I forgot to turn off my headlights. The negligence on my part meant "lights out" my battery was out, and wouldn't budge even with several jumps. Therefore, my girlfriends boyfriend offered to tow me to the dealership! Wow! Add a few sleepless nights on top of being towed through the town in my little German Jetta! Ya, I freaked out!

All in all the past few weeks have been full of weather changes, multiple edits, and managing to attend to the needs and changes to my car!

Aleignment

2008-03-01T13:54:00.000-08:00

There are moments in my life when I surprise myself. This experience is my reminder that life naturally holds an element of surprise. I surprise myself about how sensitive my outlook towards life shifts when such pleasant elements arise. For a great while I really didn't care to be surprised or have something unpredictable occur. I can see that during unpleasant moments that when I would think that such elements my life would be followed by some type of change. Natural change is to be expected, I enjoy changes in the seasons, weather and climate. Also I enjoy changes in scenery and my environment now and then, however there are elements of change which bring shock I think those are the real violent changes that gave me a sour taste for surprises. In looking into a topic I was curious about I was pleasantly reminded when the information basically fell into my lap that having this information is more than coincidental, probably serendipitous and pure luck. It was my answer by letting me know that I am in alignment! Wow! I surprised myself, even I asked my mom who reminded me of times when this wasn't the case. Therefore, I have a renewed sense of excitement that I am living my life in alignment and harmony!

A Villian Ladybug

2008-02-28T16:37:00.000-08:00

It never ceases to amaze me how creative young minds can be. I was pleasantly surprised this morning when routinely talking about the letters of the alphabet while saying letter names, sounds and a word for each letter. I observed while the letter "L's" action was preformed by a group of five year olds whom used their fingers to create an imaginary ladybugs. One child who had his fingers moving rapidly in motion across and around his open faced hand stating "teacher, this ladybug is a villian"! Wow, there you have it, we have a villian among us. For a moment I thought, isn't that so true in life. I thought about villian ladybugs and I wondered could this be a metaphor for other things in our lives? Creative young minds are some of the most pleasant surprises.

Human Behavior

2008-02-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

Humans fascinate me, let me tell you why. First, children don't have the same kind reasoning like a adults. Yet they but they go ahead and try to make sense of other kids. Whereas adults often act like children using no reason and are often times unnecessary. This is what fascinates me about humans. Let me share a few experiences.

First, I have this conversation with a five and six year old child.
Six year old: "teacher, my uncle Nick was borned by wuves"
Ms. Mindy: Wow, your uncle was raised by Wolves?
Six year old: "ya, so my mom said that my grandma was in the forest and heard a peep... Then they picked him up to bring him home".
Ms. Mindy: Oh' really! (in amazement)
Six year old: "Really teacher he was borned by the wuves".
Me: Let me get this right the wolf gave birth to your Uncle Nick
Six year old: "Yep, that's what my mom said, just go ask her!"
Five year old: My mom said "I was raised by wolves too"!
Six year old: "See teacher".

Amazing little child making sense of the idiomatic phrase that his uncle was "raised by wolves". On the one side this could be a rather scary thought at least for a child. Yet, he doesn't have the reasoning to see that his mom is talking about the character rather than the actual act. It is fascinating the childlike innocence making sense of this rather scary idea. Children fill in the blank for what they may not understand with their minds. Adults who have the gift of reason need to use it! In talking to my mom about this idea, she said it is rather common for parents to say to children "you came from the cabbage patch" or "the stork brought you". I must have been spared of these rather scary ideas as a child or was in my dreamy state of oblivion.

Adults using reasoning isn't as easy done as said. My wild observations of adult behavior continue to fascinate me. For example, as a civil servant in public education I feel it is in the best interest of our entire community to have a protocol with rules, consequences and rewards. To observe adults who react rather than using their head and heart but rather act childlike is fascinating. For example, I set a time and after that time the protocol must be followed. It was much to my surprise how childlike some adults act. I actually had an adult in front of her child and slammed the door in my face. All I could think was "wow, look what you are teaching your child"! If you teach your child to disregard, ignore and devalue adults who enforce boundaries and who follow protocol it is just another lost case of fascinating human behavior. Sadly, adults who act like children around other adults aren't using their full potential. Some adults have a very wonderful human gift called "reasoning". While others are stuck in childish behavior when someone says "no" or gives them a kind reminders about the rules I am left to think "were they raised by wolves...?"

Adults need to value, safeguard this as if it were a gift because otherwise, it creates fascinating material to vent over and leave little room to wonder why children
Therefore, I just chuckled to myself about the fascinating human behavior I get to observe moment by moment during my day.

The Icing on the Cake

2008-02-24T22:28:00.001-08:00

The cake before we cut it to share!

This was a special order from SAMS club filled with Strawberry filling and decorated with lots of love! It had Hello Kitty rings for the fine ladies on the outside and on the inside were patterned birthday balloons.

My fridge nearly didn't fit the left over cake, so if you'd like to come over for tea I would love to share some cake with you.
See you soon for the icing on the cake, your friendship would be the nicest surprise.

Birthday hats too!

2008-02-24T21:54:00.001-08:00

The picture says it all! And the smile is from ear to ear. One of my birthday traditions is to always thank my great parents for bringing me to the world, it is actually a party for them too!

My amazing friends from the University! Left to Right: Jerin, Kon, D- Hernan, Me & Kesia! What a bright group!

A few festive party goers. Yes, we are wearing party hats, it was our ticket to getting pizza! As you can see the pizza pan is empty! We ordered 8 pizzas and nearly ate it all! Looks like I had a healthy gathering of friends! I love them!

Kesia showing off my birthday plates, I think were both so cute in our hats! Helene is in the background sneaking a cup of lemonade for her precious little girls.

The Birthday Party

2008-02-24T21:36:00.001-08:00

The Braza Grill

2008-02-24T21:17:00.001-08:00

Kesia and Hernan let the entire Brazilian Churrasco staff know that it was my 27th Birthday and they all sang "Feliz Aniversrio" in Portagese language.

Kesia G. is full of fun smiles as we looked at the yummy chocolate cake with one candle on top!

It is my birthday and I couldn't tell what they put on top of my head. I just felt goofy like what the hat says "goofy". It was fun for a picture!

Happy after the yummy surprise birthday lunch. Kesia has been talking about the restaurant to me, it was a great opportunity to meet and enjoy the Brazilian style barbecue meat. Yes for my birthday many good looking men came around with kabobs squires of meat asking which one we would like. It was all we could eat. Kesia is amazingly sincere and kind to all she meets. She was talking with the cook while we were at the buffet. Kesia sang beautiful love songs in Portuguese and was a lot of fun to spend time with on my brithday.

Hernan full of smiles!

A fire hot Valentines Day

2008-02-17T16:05:00.000-08:00

Es war lange heir das ich so Wohl gefulllen habe. Valentines Tag war Wunderschoen.

Valentines day was eventful day full of surprises to say the least! First the power was off upon arriving at school... Unexpectedly several teacher and I directed cars and traffic during drop off in the SNOW... We started school at 11:00, so as a surprise gift for Valentines day we had a few unexpected hours of preparations until students arrived. I hadn't anticipated that nearly all of our students would return even though we had to postpone our holiday party... Then without any further a due the school day didn't end without an unexpected fire alarm drill five minutes after returning from lunch recess. When I mean this was unexpected, it was one surprise after another. We had the opportunity to lead the school during this wild event. As a first year teacher I hadn't known what to expect with the Valentine exchange. Next year, I will have to set aside a week of bringing in Valentine cards to exchange and also we will set the boxes in Alphabetic order to lessen the amazingly wild card exchange full of surprises. All I could say at the end of the week was I can't wait to see what will happen next week at school!

Wow, I have new ideas and am continuing to learn and grow throughout this year of surprises. Thus my blog is more my way for me come to terms with all the unexpected changes and keeping my attitude upbeat about these things in my life.

The first Blog entry

2007-03-03T14:31:00.000-08:00

Although I registered for my blog over a year ago. It has taken my this long enter my first entry! This appears to be a wonderful place share my thoughts, and juicy life events with my friends and family. So, now that I am officially apart of the rest of the blogging computer world. I write my first blog!
MLL