Friday 5 - Catching Up

Today I'm going Eat Pray Run DC for the Friday 5 linkup!

1. Work: Today is the last day of school with kids, which means for me it's my last day with classes...maybe ever. I'm not sure I made a formal announcement here yet, but you guys may remember I've been training to be a CRT this year. Well, the position opened up at my school (one of our current CRTs is being promoted to assistant principal at another school), and I'll be taking her place! It's bittersweet, really.

I love being in the classroom with students; seeing the lightbulb moments, watching them connect to literature, expanding their global awareness and social understanding...I mean, I live for that. But I'm ready for a change, and I'm excited to mentor other teachers and help them create the same kind of atmosphere in their classrooms.

2. Mental health: I can't seem to focus this week. I'm just running on fumes. I think my exhaustion is making me emotional. I've been thinking about Archie a lot and I keep feeling the inexplicable urge to lock myself in the bathroom and cry for no reason. Wednesday I was at school for 15 hours because graduation was at 6pm, and the 8th grade dance followed until 9pm. The dance was fun and it was awesome to see the kids let loose, but I'm just exhausted. I just want to sit down, unwind, and let some of these emotions out. But I can't quite yet...I need to hold on another day.

3. Physical health: That exhaustion has translated into crappy eating. I've been eating way too much; I'm not necessarily hungry, but I'm an emotional eater so I'm definitely comfort eating. Of course, that makes me more tired and sluggish. I'm getting my workouts in, but this week I've just felt totally uninspired and unmotivated. I need to break the cycle.

4. Running: I still can't decide if I like my new Kayanos. I got the 22s in an 8.5 (like I usually do for the 21s) and they were super long in the toe box, but narrow. I tried the 8s and they were WAY too narrow! Then I tried them in the wide size. While that's better, it's not great.

Our "gym" on Tuesday.

I do think my feet have a little too much room to slip around, and I hate to tighten the laces too much because they'll pinch. I'm going to be trying a couple new shoes in the next few weeks to find a good replacement. I wrote a strongly-worded complaint and got a form-letter back. We'll see if they fix the issue of the narrowness in the 23s.

5. Weird and Random: I've been getting a lot of compliments lately from my student about...my eyebrows. What an odd thing for them to notice, and even odder for them to comment on!

I don't know...they're well-groomed, I guess?

On a less weird note, I've gotten a couple wonderful comments from the kids about class this year. They appreciate that I let them voice their opinions and that I've helped them explore new and challenging real-life topics via the literature we read. I'm so glad I made an impact on them, and I hope the spark I've helped to ignite in them continues to burn as they enter high school.

This has been a wonderful year to cap off my dedicated classroom time. My kids have been socially conscious, engaged, interested and interesting, bright, compassionate, and kind. Today I say goodbye to them...and my little kingdom in room 307.

How is your week going?
Does fatigue play tricks on your emotions?

ABK

Clean Slate

I know I'm late, seeing as April started twelve days ago, but I'm calling this week a fresh start. Things were hard; they're steadily getting better.

My kids are starting their research unit, which is simultaneously my favorite and least favorite time of year. I love watching them delve into a topic of their choice. It's a chance for them to genuinely enjoy exploring their curiosity and learning new things; I hate the micromanaging that has to happen in order to get them all to the finished product without plagiarizing or giving up.

It's a stressful unit for all of us.

My students are so used to being told what to lookup and what to learn that brainstorming and thinking up their own ideas is the hardest part. Once they get started, they actually usually enjoy the research process! It's really gratifying to see.

So far some the topics I've seen are: Olympic figure skaters, serial killers, various genres of music, martial arts, video games, and heart surgery.

Elizabeth and I have been motivating each other into a little overhaul of our habits this week. I don't have a car at the moment (another reason for my stress these past couple weeks), so I'm dependent on her for rides to and from school...which means that if she holds me hostage after work to do a T25 workout, then I'm obliged to stay.

Feeling some good endorphins after T25 in Elizabeth's classroom.

It also means I can't drive to a starting place of my choice to run, but tonight I finally looked that excuse in the eye and went out our back door to the golf course for the first time in months.

Keeping each other accountable.

Also new this week: I finished a really good book (Blood Song by Anthony Ryan. The sequel was okay and I'm not sure I'll read the concluding novel, but the first was seriously amazing) and I've been listening to Halsey's "Gasoline" nonstop.

I also replenished my wardrobe with some new Skirt Sports gear, so I'm excited to have a chance to wear it. Nothing motivates me to workout like new clothes.

I got two Lioness skirts (in Free Love and Safari), a Peek-a-Boo skirt in Safari, a Take Five tank in Gray Stardust and an Eclipse tank (in Free Love - I'm wearing it in Safari in the T25 pic above). I'm totally set for summer running!

Finally, I want to say thanks for your kind words on my last post. The worst has (hopefully) passed regarding the school issues. I'm finally feeling a little more normal; I was feeling pretty hollow and distant there for awhile. Like it was taking all my energy just to exist. I do think I've turned a corner. Now it's just about working to stay on the right path.

What have you been listening to lately?
What was/is your favorite project in school?
Are you getting any new gear for summer running?

ABK

Real Life

This week was emotionally just...so hard.

It's not something I want to or can go into, but this week our school family has been dealing with some really hard stuff. I've had to put a lot of myself into work to support our students and my colleagues (and myself), so in my free time I've withdrawn into myself a little to help me get through it. I know I've been absent from the blog scene this week...but I had to step back and take care of myself. I needed the quiet time.

I've been resting.

I'm not sure how to get back to a place where running and exercise will be life-giving instead of a burden, where interacting with others is a joy. But I guess this post is a good step forward.

ASCD this past weekend was good. I picked up a lot of information and tools for my classes. We also got to listen to Manny Scott, one of the students whose story was featured in Freedom Writers. His story was unbelievably moving and his delivery was fantastic. It's probably the most memorable moment from the conference.

The convention was good, but the funniest part was that our hotel was hosting the annual furry convention. I listen to Dan Savage so these people in animal costumes weren't a mystery to me, but my colleagues were freaked out, entertained, and really interested. We spent all weekend scoping them out and finally worked up the nerve to meet some of them.

As with most things that are strange and new, any preconceived notions dissipated once we'd spent a little time around them. As usual, exposure is fatal to prejudice.

I hope you're all doing well. I've been reading, even if I haven't been commenting. I hope to be around more soon.

ABK

Perspective & Recovery

I had this same conversation with multiple students throughout the day Tuesday, after I'd returned to school.

Student: How was your marathon?
Me: (still not sure how to answer this in one sentence) It was really hard, but it was good.
Student: How far was it?
Me: A marathon is always 26.2 miles.
Student: (aghast) You ran 26.2 miles Sunday and you're at school today?! How long did it take you?
Me: Five hours and fifty-one minutes. (Getting ready to explore a teachable moment wherein we talk about missing our goals but still learning from and enjoying our experience.)
Student: Wow! I can barely run a mile! Aren't you sore?
Me: A little. That's why I took Monday off. But I feel pretty good today.
Student: (amazed) Wow.

And then I realized...marathoners may know my time isn't stellar, and I may know I missed my goals, but I'm not trying to impress anyone. I'm just trying to be true to myself; my students often remind me that it takes courage even to begin, let alone to finish, no matter the result.

Finishing 26.2 miles is an accomplishment, no matter how long it takes, and I've done it twice.

Speaking of the kids, I've received some very sweet gifts this year, some handmade!, but my favorite may be the Hanukkah gelt. The boy who gave it to me kind of snuck it into my hand and said, "Happy belated Hanukkah, Mrs. Kearney." So thoughtful!

Recovery this week has meant enjoying some TLC. I had a massage Monday, courtesy of Kristin! It was just what I needed and super luxurious...Truth be told, I felt pretty intimidated, but next time I'll be brave and try out the sauna and steam-room.

Mmm, the spa had comfy robes and everything!

I've been enjoying my Wicked Good Cupcakes all week, too. (My mom got me four so I'm eating about half a jar a day. Admittedly, I ate one Friday before the race! I couldn't resist!)

I got chocolate-chocolate, vanilla, salted caramel, and chocolate-vanilla. Yum!

I'm taking time this week to stretch and foam roll, and I'm also pampering my skin! I finished the race with some weird calf-sleeve tan lines, but they're nothing compared to this T. Knowing my skin, this'll last for months. (I still have a weird tan anomaly from Kristin's beach birthday back in August.)

Yes, I got this tan line in December. DECEMBER!

In other news, the cold I usually get during taper was kind enough to wait until after race day to kick in, luckily. I'm officially losing my voice and getting all kinds of sinus headaches. I only have one day left until winter break, so I know I can make it.

I'm also absolutely exhausted. My legs feel so ready to run this week, but my body is in total recovery mode. I've gone to bed super early every night this week, and I honestly can't wait to sleep  all I want on Saturday; maybe I'll have a little run Saturday or Sunday evening. I feel ready for it!

(I'm also contemplating something insane but more on that later. I need to take stock of myself first.)

So that's it. I'm lying low, relaxing as best I can, and chipping away at school stuff (lots of grades and parent meetings before break). Break is so close I can taste it!

How do you celebrate/recover after a big race?
What's the most thoughtful gift you've ever gotten from a student or friend?

ABK

There's Something About Going Back to School...

...that makes you feel like you're finally enjoying vacation.

Last week I officially went back to work. Well, kind of. Thursday was our first day back and the majority of the day was housekeeping/welcoming stuff. Friday I spent some time getting my room organized. Over the summer we got Smartboards, so I had to try a new setup for my desks because of where my whiteboards now hang. That's okay; change is good.

Year seven is underway! My classroom is by no means finished in this photo.

This weekend, Matt and I drove to Manasota Key, where Kristin had rented a house for her birthday weekend. We had a great time with her friends and family. We even fit in a nice morning run.

We spent the weekend pretty much just relaxing on the beach...it was just what I needed.

I need to pause here to extol one of Kristin's more singular virtues. Because her whole family eats gluten free, she often gives me foods they've tried and enjoyed, like teriyaki sauce or donuts. This week, we've been really excited to have finally found gluten free Cheerios. When I successfully discovered the honey nut flavor, I bought her a box. When she found the regular, she got me one.

I found them in Publix and literally texted this picture to Kristin and my sister while I was still standing in the cereal aisle. I ate a bowl as soon as I got home.

Monday, Kristin surprised me with this:

We have both been sifting through EVERY box on the shelf to see if any GF ones are hidden in the back. (I left my pillow at the beach house, so she was going to drop it in my car in the morning.)

Our obsession makes a lot of sense if you've ever been forced to abstain from eating foods that carry some emotional or cultural connotation. Matt says I'm an easy friend because I can be wooed by a box of cereal, but I'm not the only one. Kristin's husband joked that he was nearly moved to tears because the Cheerios brought back memories of his childhood.

One of the highlights of last week was receiving a special surprise from an old student I keep in touch with. While out of town for art camp, she came across a book in a used bookstore that reminded her of me, and she got it and dropped it off at work for me.

So thoughtful!

The oddest thing is that I literally put What I Talk About When I Talk About Running on my wish list not five days before she gave it to me! How did she know?! I can't wait to dive into this one; I've heard great things.

This week begins marathon training for real. I'll be battling the exhaustion that comes with suddenly being thrown into a super early, day-long work schedule after time off, but I'm determined to start training on the right foot.

You've gotta love a fitness enthusiast teacher who will text you in the morning to make sure you're awake to work out!

Is there a particular food you could eat non-stop and never get sick of it?
What's the most random act of kindness a friend has done for you?

ABK

A School Trip

There are a lot of things I like about being an 8th grade teacher; one of the many perks is the annual trip to Washington, DC. I've attended this trip as a chaperone quite a few times now. It never fails to be totally exhausting and totally worth it.

Here's a breakdown of our trip.

The grand total of students and teachers in our group ended up being 95. We had two charter buses to take us around the city.

The comments on this cracked me up. Our kids are generally really well-behaved on the plane and in public. There was some confusion regarding bags and boarding, but we were in the air by 6am and ready to start our tours by 9.

We did most of our walking on Wednesday. (One student tracked it on a pedometer and the final result was over 7 miles.)

I love Arlington and was happy to see it on the first day. Throughout the day, I found myself repeating, "This is one of my favorite memorials" and had to laugh. Apparently I just love the art and symbolism of them all!

The MLK Memorial.

The changing of the guard at Arlington's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Walking down from the farm animals to Washington's crypt at Mt. Vernon.

Needless to say, after the first day the kids were complaining a bit about their tired legs. Before the trip, we make it pretty clear that they'll be walking a lot, but they never seem to believe us!

Day two was set at a more comfortable pace. We took our time at the memorials and a few students found names of their parents' Viet Nam comrades on the wall. We didn't do the entire USHM (although I wanted to) and instead looked at the "They Were Neighbors" exhibit. The highlight for many students came after, when our guides surprised us with a trip to the zoo to see the pandas. They were awake and active! I think ending the evening on a light note was a great plan.

The WWII Memorial.

The Washington Monument.

The Supreme Court

Some of the teachers at the WWII Memorial.

Bao Bao was very active when we went to see the pandas!

By Friday morning, I was in desperate need of some alone time. Luckily, our hotel had a rooftop fitness center and pool. (I would have run outside but we actually stay outside of DC on this trip and I didn't know the area well enough.) Despite walking about 7 miles a day, I really needed a run, and it was glorious.

The view from the hotel roof.

I had the gym all to myself...I needed that!

After my run, I did some arm and core work, then headed back to my room to pack.

This trip had a few new things thrown in, including the National Portrait Gallery. It was fun to see the presidential portraits, but I was most excited to see the female Supreme Court Justices.

My students were curious about my love for RBG; I enjoyed having the chance to educate them about such a strong, fearless woman.

A highlight of our return trip was that, on our way to our gate, we heard clapping and cheers. An honor flight of WWII veterans was disembarking and people were applauding their walk down the concourse. It was a wonderful final moment in DC.

Words can't really express how exhausted I was after this whirlwind. I got home and was in bed by midnight Friday, slept until 11, woke up for breakfast, and then napped again from 2pm to 5pm. I'm still not functioning fully. 

The rest of my weekend will be dedicated to final grades and comments for the year. This last week is going to be insane...I've got blinders on for one more week, and then hopefully I'll transform back into a normal person again.

Have you been to DC? What's your favorite thing to do there?

 ABK

Looking Ahead

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, based on the infrequency of my posts lately, that I have officially  entered the time of year when I need to buckle down and focus in order to survive! Okay, that's probably a little dramatic, but you fellow teachers out there definitely know what I mean.

Let's just round up to 3000 and call it a day.

Right now I'm absolutely bone tired, and some of the biggest and most difficult (and rewarding) days of the year are on the horizon. Here are some things that I'll be looking forward to over the next couple weeks:

Getting all my finals graded! I was able to grade all of my students' research papers, their writing finals, and other small papers this week. But their reading final still needs to be graded.

Our Trashion Show! This event is totally scripted and performed by the students. They are tasked with making outfits out of recyclable materials. It's a great event but it definitely takes a lot of planning and stress.

Me as a Trashion Show Thanksgiving Meal! This year our theme is countries, so I get to be Parisian.

The DC trip! I honestly can't wait to go to DC this year, even though it means 24 hour days of very little rest.

When we return from DC, the eighth-graders have their graduation ceremony. This is one of the most rewarding events of the year. It's so nice to give the students their diplomas and recognize their hard efforts all year, and we have a big dance with them afterwards. We also have school the next day, so the entire eighth grade team is usually exhausted after chaperoning and cleaning up the dance. (We're often at school until about 11pm that night.)

The last teacher day is June 8. I'm a little bit stressed about getting my entire room packed up, and I'm in charge of one of the skits we'll be performing. So that's adding another layer to my stress-ball-madness.

As far as non-school things go, I'm looking forward to quite a bit! I have Meredith's wedding coming up very soon - she's my oldest friend and it's crazy to think she's getting married. Finally, Matt and I are planning our trip for our 5th wedding anniversary this summer. 

Meredith and I on the first day of school. I think this is 3rd grade for me and 2nd for her; I remember that outfit fondly.

So while I may be incommunicado for the next couple days or weeks, it's not for lack of trying! I'm just trying to stay afloat until June when things start to settle down again.

How's your May rounding out?

ABK

On My Mind

On my mind lately, and in no particular order...

Does everybody's hunger feel the same? How do people seem to assuage hunger with something as small as yogurt?!

I've been enjoying using Matt's Indo Board lately. I fell off once and skinned my elbow, but it's a nice little full-body workout if you do it right!

This is harder than it looks, I swear!

I could seriously watch Forensic Files and Dr. G: Medical Examiner for hours straight. Thanks, HLN.

At what point do TV shows cross the line from adorably/ironically corny to totally lame?

I'm looking at you, Bones. (I like that David Boreanaz is totally like, what us?, in this pic.)

I've signed up for paperless billing and statements; why do I still get so much mail from my credit card and insurance companies?!

How the heck did we have a cold front on May 1st?! No, no...don't look a gift horse in the mouth here. 

I hope this lasts until tomorrow morning and I can enjoy my first "long run" in cool weather!

I wonder if those teens from last weekend got found out...I wonder what their blog post about the incident would look like?

Is it better to count down to summer including or excluding weekends?

There are this many days left. That's all I know.

Why does my internet work for every device in the house except my laptop? (I am constantly using my hot spot to get online!)

I do not "meal plan" but this week I did a great job making extra food so we could have leftovers all week. Go me!

Salmon, shrimp, peas, and yellow rice. Yum! I also made a week's worth of chicken on Sunday night.

I know that changing your mindset is the first step in getting healthier, but how do I get my taste-buds on board with that theory?

Oh this is dangerous...I can buy things off Amazon using accumulated credit card points?! That makes it FREE!

Running is clearly the fountain of youth!

Have you tried this robot yet? It guesses your age...I've gotten everything from 27 to 37! I apparently looked really rough after my marathon and while we were camping.

I'm trying to figure out how to download Instagram videos to my computer so I can make a playlist of fun at-home workouts.

Full Body Blast! 💪 double tap & tag your partner 👫 perform 10 reps each exercise for a total of 4 sets! @alexajeanbrown

A video posted by Alexa Jean Brown (@alexajeanfitness) on Apr 16, 2015 at 6:01pm PDT

Finally, I don't realize how much I'm not myself leading up to my TPE/follow-up meeting, and then when it's over, I feel totally weightless! I suddenly feel so happy in my classroom again!
Aaah, that brain dump felt good!

What's on your mind lately?

ABK

Where Have I Been?!

It's been a hot second since my last update. Apparently after my half, my legs weren't the only part of me that needed a break.

I took most of the week off from running, so here's a different kind of post. I spent the weekend in Houston, TX with my administrative and curriculum teams for the annual Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) conference. It was a great opportunity to soak in some serious PD while bonding with the leaders of curriculum at my school.

The ladies at the assembly hall...

Education conferences are seriously like race expos on steroids.

We arrived in Houston late Friday after a full day of work. Saturday was our first day at the conference. Six of us attended and there were dozens of sessions to choose from, so we made sure to divide and conquer.

Teachers in their natural habitat...despite traveling from all over the world, we all seem to speak the same language.

3D art by Don't Let Them Drop.

What my day looked like.

 The keynote speaker on Sunday, Nicholas Negroponte at the One Laptop Per Child Foundation, talked about connectivity as a human right and providing laptops and tablets to every child in the world, no matter where they are. The photos he showed from the work he has done were really moving.

Needless to say, our days were packed. I was able to see four or five sessions each day, but it was hard to choose which to go to!

I obviously overbooked myself.

We finished each long day of note-taking (and honestly, I miss being a student sometimes, so it's fun to hear about new strategies and rewarding to hear that the strategies I already use are effective) with dinner and debriefing.

It was Elisa's first time at a hibachi grill!

I really wanted to run in Houston but our hotel wasn't in a very good spot for outdoor running. Monday morning I ran on the treadmill for the first time in about a year. I also did some squats and lunges, planks, and push-ups. It was a nice little workout.

I forgot how much I hate the treadmill. Even with Burn Notice and Law & Order: SVU I was bored out of my mind.

After one last session Monday, we all packed into our ginormous car (not to sound like an advertisement, but if you ever need to fit six adults and six huge suitcases in one car, the Suburban is the way to go) and headed to the airport.

Tomorrow it's business as usual as we return to school for the last couple days before spring break. I'm excited to begin implementing some of the new things I learned, and I'm really looking forward to planning some bigger new projects over the summer!

Do you attend professional conferences for your profession?

Have you ever been to Texas?

How do you fit working out into your work-travel schedule?

ABK