Summer Plans

I think this goes without saying, but I am so excited for summer! I enjoy the much-needed mental break from academics, as well as the chance to improve my own life by traveling and taking time for myself.

Some of my travel plans for this summer include:
- Detroit, MI to visit Chris when he's working there
- New York, NY for a vacation with Chris
- Philadelphia, PA-- a quick trip to learn some American history!
- Washington D.C. for a few summer institutes to learn more American history!
- Eagle River, WI to spend a week up at the family cottage on the water
- Kansas City, MO to visit Chris when he is home

Those are my big plans for this summer! I don't include too many Wisconsin plans/trips, but I'm sure there will be a few day and weekend trips in places around the state (I'd really love to go to Door County and Lake Superior this year!). I am so excited to stay busy by traveling and experiencing more of what our great country has to offer.

When I'm not traveling this summer, I hope to do several things around my apartment and to improve myself.
- Start listing some of my lesson plans and worksheets on Teachers Pay Teachers
- Organize all of the bins full of stuff in my closet
- Purge my place of all of the stuff I don't need (my apartment is small, and I really need to start living more minimally)
- Decorate my living space into something that fits my style
- Read at least a few of the books that have been on my summer reading lists over the years
- Plan a few units of my courses, including my new AP class
- Get-- and ride-- a bike around the city!!

And those are some of the "improvement" things I hope to accomplish this summer! Looking forward to a relaxing and productive summer!

Monday Inspiration #2

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Tomorrow my school is getting teachers pizza for lunch, and I am very excited! It's definitely the little things in life sometimes.

I enjoyed some of my own "appreciation" time this weekend in northern Wisconsin with my family and friends. Our cabin for the weekend was right on the rushing river, and in the middle of the woods-- such an amazing weekend getaway. Though the weather was cool, we rafted down the Peshtigo River, which was exhilarating. I'd only gone rafting once before, so I was a little bit nervous this time. However, it was amazing! It also gave me a greater appreciation for my state. Though Wisconsin doesn't seem interesting, it is so full of hidden gems and natural beauty that sometimes I can't imagine ever leaving.

I pretty much made this face the entire time...

My motivation for today is to enjoy the simpler things in life-- a weekend away with the people you love, a nice glass of wine with dinner, stopping at a local cheese shop to get a few treats. This weekend truly made me appreciate all of the great things and people I have in my life, even if I don't always value them as much as I should.

One way to discover what your state has to offer is to go to the website "Only In Your State." I like to look at potential destinations, activities and restaurants here.

Monday Inspiration #1

I think I was probably the last person to discover TED Talks on the internet. But I love watching them. Sometimes I'll put on a TED Talk and then another, and then another... until my whole evening is gone! I watch TED Talks to learn about topics on which I know little, and on topics I want to broaden knowledge I already have. I highly recommend watching TED Talks that interest you.

I've decided that on Mondays I'm going to post something that inspired me from the week before. I hope that by sharing my "Monday Inspiration" you will be inspired to learn more about a topic that you're passionate about.

Today's Inspiration is a TED Talk that I found about the longest study on happiness, by Robert Waldinger. The study began in 1938 (he is not a founder of the study...), and follows the subjects' lives for 75 years.

- The first lesson of the survey is that loneliness is toxic-- and fostering connection leads to longer lives.
- The second lesson is that the quality of your relationships does matter. Having good relationships has a major positive impact. "The people who were most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest at age 80." Wow.
- Finally the third lesson is that good relationships protect our brains. Being in a secure relationship with someone you trust leads to stronger brains and greater brain health.

Sure, these results aren't that groundbreaking, but they're proven to be true. While fame and wealth are what we strive for, building our relationships leads to strong positive results that chasing money does not.

This TED Talk inspired me to continue working at the relationships I have with my family and friends, since it will lead to a better life and greater happiness as I get older. It reminded me of what's important in life-- not money, not fame, but happiness and positive relationships.

How One Nice Comment Changed My Day

Thursday marked the fourth day back from spring break. I love teaching school in spring because the weather is so nice, and it really puts everyone in a good mood, I think. One challenge about teaching school in the spring is that students are just itching to get out of the classroom-- the weather is nice, summer break is within reach. I can't blame them, though. I, too, am looking forward to some time off to read for fun, and prepare for next year :)

Anyway, my students have been a little squirrely this week, so keeping them focused has been a challenge. I've worked to pack each hour full from bell to bell in order to keep the kids focused on a task. Overall, it went pretty well.

One student, though, said something very nice about me on Thursday during class, that I haven't forgotten (and it's now Sunday night). He was talking to another student about the assignment we were working on-- a DBQ and argumentative paragraph about the effects of the Industrial Revolution. He said to the classmate, "This assignment is easy because I know how to do it. Ms. G's been showing us how to do this all year. I wish more teachers would be like her. She's the best."

My heart burst! I don't think the student knows I heard him say it, and it really turned around my day for the better. I'm always working to be the best teacher I can be, and I often question my teaching methods, wondering if there is a better way to teach something. Well, I can now rest assured that with that particular student I am doing the right thing. And it feels really good.

I will never again underestimate the impact a positive comment can have on someone.

3 Good Things About Wednesday

Today was my first full day back in the classroom after spring break. I have to say, I was a little bit nervous. We're so close to the end of the year, and the weather was pretty nice today... I was concerned that my students would be in full on summer mode and completely disengage from school.

Yeah, I'm happy to admit my fears were mostly unrealized. Today was a pretty good day, and I feel excited to come back tomorrow and continue the final push to summer break.

1. Given the choice, most of my students would rather be in school than working full time right now. When I posed this question last year, I received the opposite feedback. It was pretty heartwarming to hear that overall, my students feel positive about school, and that though it is a challenge, getting a high school diploma and going to college is an important goal for them.

2. We have an educational consultant work with us monthly to observe and critique our teaching. I always get a tad bit nervous when someone comes into my classroom to observe, but ultimately I always have confidence in my lessons. I work hard to try to challenge and engage my students in world and U.S. history. Today she watched my class and gave me some very good feedback! She thought my lesson was great, felt that I pushed my students to do higher level thinking (and own their learning!), and gave me some good ideas to help elevate future lessons. 

I have a feeling I'll learn a bit more about this man this summer!

3. I am going back to Washington D.C. this summer!! I found out this week that I was accepted to Ford's Theatre's Summer Institute for teachers, and am currently on Cloud Nine. I will get to spend a week in Washington D.C. learning about Lincoln's legacy, the Civil War Era, and Reconstruction. I am passionate about these topics, and can't wait to learn more from experts in the field, research primary and secondary sources to use in class instruction, and spend more time with teachers who love history like me!

AVID Showcase Day

Today I attended an AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) Showcase at Madison East High School. First and foremost, it was incredible! I didn't have much in terms of expectations, because I didn't really know what and AVID showcase was, but this FAR exceeded them!

An AVID Showcase is basically full day of immersion into another school's AVID program. AVID Demo schools have incorporated both the AVID elective and the AVID strategies into content area classes. They work hard to be a "model" for new/young AVID schools to learn from and be inspired by.

We first got an overview of AVID, which was helpful, since I hadn't received a "proper" overview of AVID from an AVID employee yet. AVID's main tenets are Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization and Reading, and it encourages growth historically underserved students, and their futures in college. Then we moved into the school specific AVID plan, goals and data. I was so surprised to see the growth in Madison East since the implementation of AVID strategies in content classrooms.

As if that wasn't enough to hook me, we then toured Madison East and observed five or six classes, ranging from Spanish to AVID to Math. I really enjoyed this part because we got to see how AVID strategies are implemented in classrooms on a daily and basis. It reinforced that AVID practices are really best practices that apply to all disciplines. Walking the halls was amazing too, because it gave me so much inspiration. Teachers actually post work that students do in the halls, and there are tons of posters urging academic excellence and college readiness. I loved seeing the commitment to learning, and the expansion of education beyond the classroom.

We ended the day with a student panel and then a Site Team panel. Overall, I had an AMAZING day, and it inspired me to implement more AVID strategies in my classroom (and in the halls!). I learned that AVID's strategies aren't difficult to implement, per se, because many teachers already use their techniques. I want to do more to help my students strive for excellence both in and outside of my classroom!

My Spring Break Trip to Washington D.C.

White House

I fortunately was able to go on a trip of a lifetime (for me) over spring break-- Washington D.C. I had never been there before, and as a huge fan of American history, I knew it was going to be one of the best trips of my life. And it definitely did not disappoint!

I did so many things on this trip, like walk Arlington National Cemetery, tour the White House, and visit the House and Senate Chambers of the capitol. I ate my way through the city, also, dining at Georgetown Cupcakes, Old Ebbitt Grill, and Good Stuff Eatery (best burger ever!).

This trip was packed full of new experiences, sights and knowledge for me, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I walked more than 40 miles in five days, and learned how to navigate the Metro like a local. Because my boyfriend Chris had to go back to work part of the way into the trip, I was also able to spend a bit of solo time exploring, which I appreciated as well.

Selfie at the Lincoln Memorial

Probably shouldn't be smiling about this place, but I was just so excited to do more Lincoln stuff

Georgetown was so cool

Museums I visited

- National Archives Museum

- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

- National Museum of African American History and Culture

- Air and Space Museum

- National Portrait Gallery

- Smithsonian American Art Museum

- Museum of Natural History

- National Museum of American History

- Library of Congress

Tours I took

- White House (!!!)

- Pentagon

- Capitol Rotunda/Crypt

- House and Senate Chambers

- Arlington National Cemetery

- Ford's Theatre

Major Landmarks I saw

- Lincoln Memorial

- Washington Monument

- Jefferson Memorial

- FDR Memorial

- MLK, Jr. Memorial

- JFK Gravesite

- Arlington House

- Capitol Building

- Supreme Court 

- Library of Congress

Food!

- Luke's Lobster

- GCDC (Grilled Cheese DC)

- Good Stuff Eatery

- Shake Shack

- District Taco

- Georgetown Cupcake

- Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken

- Old Ebbitt Grill

- Farmers Fishers Bakers

Library of Congress

Tidal Basin