Eat Teach Blog

The interview yesterday went really, really well! I think it reaffirmed that teaching in an urban school is what I really want to do and what I’m really passionate about. I ended up only having to work with three students (the 4th was absent). They were so respectful and polite and quiet (possibly because the principal and the dean were in the room observing). But I think they seemed to enjoy the adding/subtracting integers game that I created.

Some more pictures with the actual game board:

I think the best part about the interview is that they allowed me to reflect on my lesson before they gave me any feedback. So I got to talk about the activity’s strengths and I got to tell them where I think I could have improved. I really appreciated that because I think that gave me the opportunity to show them that I was aware of what areas needed to be tweaked and targeted. Rather than them just attacking me with what went wrong with the lesson. It seemed like a great school, a great staff, and really supportive administrators. We’ll see what happens!

After the interview, I went to stop by to visit one of my former campers, Jackie (camp name: Spidey). Camper turned volunteer Really hard to think that – makes me feel so OLD!

And then met up with Roxana/Star to grab dinner. She’s moving to Chicago in less than two weeks for Teach for America! So proud of her…she’s been doing City Year   in downtown LA for almost a year and I think she’s going to be a wonderful teacher! We had a really interesting conversation about paraprofessionals in the classroom. It seems like (1) a majority of paraprofessionals and 1:1 aides don’t really have a background or formal training in education and (2) teachers don’t utilize their TA’s or paraprofessionals in the best possible way. It seems like teachers don’t know how (or aren’t willing to) utilize paraprofessionals in their daily lesson plans. Instead, these paraprofessionals (who may often times be really qualified, educated individuals) are off making copies or sitting in the back of the room until something needs to get done. I feel like an effective educator should utilize the extra support and figure out how it would best benefit the students. Perhaps breaking the students off into centers so that they’re all getting more individualized attention? Or having the paraprofessional teach a lesson so the teacher can walk around and assess for understanding. There’s so many advantages to having that extra pair of hands in the classroom – it’s just on the teachers to figure out how to utilize them.

So. among our intense discussion, we also got to enjoy some great appetizers, sushi, and of course sake (peach-flavored apparently). A great night with great company! =)

It was a hard day at work…

I wouldn’t touch that….I’m not a shrimp girl.

California Roll – more my style

Simple concept, right? But how do you stay away from a 200+ calorie, carb-filled bagel while still getting the same satisfaction of a Noah’s Bagels egg sandwich? 

Here is a wonderful recipe that’ll only cost you 5 WW points!

The Simple-Egg White Bagel Sandwich

Ingredients: 

One Thomas’ Bagel Thin (only 110 calories!)

3 Egg Whites 

One Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge 

Ketchup/Sriracha Mix (that’s just my preference!)

Any veggies you want to include

And voila – you’ve got yourself an amazing, filling, healthy sandwich for breakfast. This sure beats the oatmeal I’ve been eating. 

I didn’t use any veggies in my sandwich, but I think that’d be a great addition. Whether mixed in with the omelette or even adding spinach or lettuce and tomato to make a complete sandwich! 

Okay, so here’s what lesson I’ve decided to do for my lesson demo. And let me just quickly explain why. A lot of kids KNOW how to add and subtract integers. But they don’t even realize that they’re doing it. SO when it comes to doing integer problems in math, they can’t conceptualize adding and subtracting with making gains or losses. Let’s take football, for example. So many of my students understand that by having an 8-yard loss in the first down and then making a 20-yard gain in the second down, the team is still up by 12 yards. But if you ask them to solve: -8 + 20, you’ll often get 28 as an answer.

This standard is not something that should be covered abstractly. Kids need number lines to fully conceptualize why integers add up the way they do. So, I took it one step further and made my kids a football field.

USC vs. UCLA. Classic

Now, if you look carefully (and if you’re a huge football fan), I’m sure you’ve already noticed that it’s not accurate. There’s no 50-yard line in the middle. In fact, it doesn’t even have a 50-yard line. That, my friends, is because my kids are learning math. So we’ve gotta tweak the field a bit.

So, I’ve taken this wonderful creation and sent it to Kinko’s to blow it up so it’s a humongous-poster game-board. The kids will set up their respective helmets on the 0-yard line (yes, that’s where we start in Integer Math). Obviously, the kids that choose to be Bruins will be my favorites. 

This is a temporary picture until I get to Kinko’s to pick up the actual board, but just so you can see the helmets. I’m using the game pieces from a UCLA-USC Checkers Game I had back in college.

Aren’t they the cutest?

Students will then draw from each stack (two numbers and an operation):

The operations will go in the bag (either – or +). Only because you can see through to the other side because I was dumb and used a Sharpie.

I’m going to have my students record their individual problems on their worksheet. Since I’ll only be working with 4 students, it’ll be pretty easy to observe whether they understand it or not. But, it’d be a great tool to use if you use this as a center activity in your classroom!

I find it useful to draw in the lines and boxes for the students instead of giving them lined paper. It forces them to keep everything organized!

And I, the referee, will be wearing two hats. Because I am unbiased and will not favor my UCLA Bruins (that’s a lie).

Don’t mind the messy hair.

This freebie (my first one ever!) is available for downloading at TPT: PLAY BALL!!!!

It’s the first thing I’ve posted, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Also, feel free to contact me if you need any clarification on how to run the activity.

Go BRUINS!

A big thank you to all those who serve/have served our country. I think that, with a lot of holidays (Memorial Day, Veterans Day, etc.), people get caught up in the “day off” syndrome. Holidays like this lose their sentiment and, instead, get masked with alcohol, 50% off sales, an excuse to be lazy….which is all fine and wonderful. But I just hope that people take a few moments today to truly honor the people who sacrificed their lives for our country.

When I do have a classroom of my own, I really want to make a conscious effort in acknowledging and celebrating holidays like this. And making sure my students understand why they have a 3-day weekend and what the significance of  each holiday is.  I want them to read books, take part in parades and community events, watch movies about our nation’s service men and women. I want them to realize that people sacrificed their lives for the love of our country and for the vision of so much more. 

Hoping everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend. The weather here was beautiful! =)

How To Make a 4 Point Salad (Weight Watchers)

Create a bed of spinach or lettuce of your choice. Use lots of colorful veggies (I also included cucumbers and tomatoes):

Bellpeppers of all colors (yellow is my favorite!), cabbage, and onions

Grill a Jennie-O Lean Turkey Patty.

Add some seasoning salt – it really makes all the difference!

Put everything in a ziploc bag. Pour some of this lovely mixture on top (yes, it’s calorie-free, but don’t get crazy!)

Walden Farms Thousand Island mixed with Sriracha

Shake it up real good. And you’ve got yourself an amazing, filling, 4-point salad.

Amazing. It seems pretty ridiculous that this is 4 points. But the majority of this salad is vegetables (I know – what a concept). And because fiber isn’t absorbed by the body, Weight Watchers doesn’t allot any points to vegetables (excluding a few like corn, peas, and avocado). Once again, have some portion control and don’t get crazy. But don’t hesitate to fill up on the veggies. It’s delicious and filling! =)

Happy Saturday! =)

Woke up really early this morning to make sure I got a nice breakfast in before the WW meeting. Peanut butter and toast – a nice 10 point breakfast. I could have made a wiser decision by having eggs and veggies for 3 points. But sometimes, I just really crave the PB.

Went to the meeting and found out those lovely 2 pounds jumped right back onto my body. It was definitely the wine…and the “skinny margarita” (the name is so deceiving…) and the chips and salsa. Gotta make healthier choices this week and not tap into the extra 49 points they give us. Mom lost 3 pounds – without even trying. Lovely. She also won a prize today – MINT. The prizes were baggies of herbs we could use in our salads. Mom chose mint. And then the team leader asked her what she was going to do with her mint and she said she was going to make chutney. Which obviously got everyone interested, so they all asked her for the recipe. And my seemingly outgoing mother was so SO shy. Her face turned red and she was so quiet and nervous to talk in front a group of people. I loved it (only cause I rarely ever see that side of her).

Came home and made some oven-roasted cauliflower for 0 WW points – it was DELICIOUS. There are several ways to roast cauliflower – some people use breadcrumbs or Parmesan cheese. But I wanted to stray away from anything that would add points to my snack, so I stuck with simple spices.

Spicy Oven-Roasted Cauliflower

1) PAM Spray a cookie-sheet. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2) In a large mixing bowl, mix cauliflower florets with garlic salt, paprika, red pepper, and lemon pepper.

3) Spread onto the cookie sheet in an even layer. Put in the oven for 35-40 minutes.

The end result is this perfectly seasoned, moist cauliflower snack that is so addicting and guilt-free! The picture does not do justice…

Oven-Roasted Cauliflower (0 WW Points)

So the Irvine Weight Watchers Saturday crew has a 5K monthly walk they do around the Irvine Lake. I dragged Sister with me and we met up with a few of the members. It was an absolutely gorgeous day outside and I’m so glad we did it. It’s just really nice to be around people who are going after the same goal – to live a happier, healthier life. There were lifetime members who showed up (members who have already reached their goal weight) and new members – but everyone was just there, enjoying each others company while getting a good workout in. It was super. And so pretty.

Irvine Lake

I got hissed at.

At the end of the walk, we all got this really super cool 5K charm. OK, I know I’m crazy, but I really think I need to be treated like one of my students. I reinforce my students when they’re exhibiting positive behaviors and ignore their more challenging behaviors. I used a token economy in my class and once the kids filled up their individual charts, they were allowed to choose from the prize box. I am my students. I need to be praised, I need to be rewarded, I need a sticker that says GOOD JOB. Because even though it’s a sticker or a cheap-o charm, it makes me feel like I can continue being good, I can continue working hard, and I can reach my overall goal.

Then, Sister and I went to the gym and did a mini-workout. And then went to Bev-Mo to buy some stuff for Hema’s POST-GMAT Celebration! And I ended up with………………….

….MARGARITA POPS. Or Tequila sticks. Or Margarita in a Tube. Or JOSE Suckers. Whatever you wanna call it, it’s amazing. We were at the checkout line and then Sister had finished paying for the bottle of champagne (cause she’s way classier than I am) and the cashier said, “Can I interest you in a Margarita in a Tube?” And Sissy started saying no. But I’m clearly easily convinced. So we went back in line to buy 3. These things are not cheap (2.99 a pop!) – do not be fooled by the flimsy plastic tubing. But I needed to invest in some Tequila Poppers.

THEN, after our wonderful trip to BevMo, we needed to eat (I did. I think Sissy could have lasted another few hours). So we went to Panda Express (no, not to eat) and got Diet Pepsi. And then to Subway for the usual (Subway only has Diet Coke. So we have to go to Panda Express or Taco Bell or KFC for our D-Peps cravings).

Now Ive gotta hurry up and shower so we can start heading to LA. Tequila sticks are in the freezer, ready to go. Don’t even worry ’bout it.

Just got home from What To Expect When You’re Expecting. It was cute. My mom was dying the entire time – clearly she can relate to some of those pregnancy pains (literally).

What I was more interested in was this new, fancy, modern-y Coke machine they have in the theatres. I’ve seen a few of these before (most recently at Freshii), but WHAT?! It’s everywhere now. Not that I’m complaining – I love self-serve everything (from fro-yo to sandwiches to my fountain drinks). Only downfall is that with unlimited refills, I’m sure the bathroom lines can get rather long

So many choices!

Also, signed myself up for some tweeting. Finally. It’s something that I’ve considered for a while, but never fully took on because I honestly feel like I don’t have enough thoughts to constantly be tweeting. But I’ll just be one of those less-active Tweeters and hope that I’ll get some followers along the way!

Alright, calling it a night. Gotta wake up early to get my passports made! Super good luck vibes being sent to my twinny tonight for her GMAT tomorrow! <3

So luckily I didn’t have to kick myself in the face because I haven’t heard back about the job in Palo Alto (despite me checking my e-mail every 5 minutes on the drive down to L.A.). But I still wish I were up north.

Anyway, here’s the last two days in a nutshell:

Got to LA and went to dinner with Dani and Josh at Kay and Dave’s in Culver City. The food’s alright – nothing too wonderful. But the drinks are nice and strong. I ordered a skinny Margarita and a vodka-Diet Coke (notice the “skinniness” of my orders. I like to think that I’m making good choices, even though I know my drink still has mucho calories). Needless to say, I was a little bit tipsy for the UniCamp meeting. Oh well! It was really interesting being back in that kind of environment…all of the volunteers are so young. But I’m not going to let it get to me. There’s only a few more training meetings and it’s really about the week with the kids anyway. I met my new COs – I like them a LOT. It’ll be a fun week, I’m sure of it =) But after the meeting, we went over to DDubs place to bond over a bottle of wine (ended up being 3 bottles and a bottle of champagne). I swear I’m not an alcoholic.

Daily Double, The Beav, Dimples, Rexy. Session 3 CORPS!

Stayed over at Josh’s and then drove back to Orange County in the morning. I was supposed to go to a Boot Camp training session at 9:45AM, but the traffic sucked and I knew I wasn’t going to make it on time. So I rescheduled for today morning at 6:30AM (also didn’t end up making that because I woke up too late. I fail).

I spent the rest of the day applying for jobs and studying for my life-insurance licensing exam. Sister and I went to Target and Yogurtland in the evening. Yogurtland order – the same as usual!

Plain Tart with: Oreos, Mochi, Almonds, Sprinkles, Granola, Strawberries

Got home and videochatted with Jen. She came up with a new dance for her kids. To “Waka Waka” by Shakira and wanted to show me. Favorite part is when Juan jumps in in the background. I had to sneak in a picture or two. I wish I could post the video, but I know Jen would kill me =)

Love them.

Today, I just went to the gym, took my licensing exam (I passed!) and am now gluing my butt to my chair and applying to more jobs. I’ve been slacking for the last few days. Wish me luck! =)

Good morning! I wanted to update last night, but my eyes were so heavy and I was so comfortable that the idea of getting up to find my computer wasn’t the slightest bit appealing. So, brief rundown of the day yesterday:

Spent the whole day with Jen at Rocketship – Si Se Puede! Can’t believe that their school day goes from 8AM-4PM. No wonder she doesn’t get home til 8PM most days. I’m so glad I was able to spend an entire day there. It was a really valuable learning experience. She’s really great at what she does.

Things I loved about her classroom management and instruction:

Differentiation. She does it. Wonderfully (I mean, all teachers should. But I haven’t really seen that up til now unless I’m in a special education class). She accounts for all of her student’s individual abilities, learning styles, and needs and develops her instruction off that. Within each individual center, she further differentiates based on her lower performing, middle performing, and higher performing students. (Can I just stop to mention that Jen has 60 students?!)

The kids are so well-versed in the classroom procedures. It’s so common to see teachers try to implement certain rules and procedures at the beginning of the year, only to let them slip away toward the middle and the end. But Jen’s really consistent about maintaining them and holding the kids accountable.

Positive Narrative –> Narrative. Instead of saying, “Wow, I really like the way Sarah is sitting so quietly,” it’s simply, “Sarah’s sitting quietly.” She narrates what the students are doing. All day. She is not praising them for doing something that is expected of them. She’s simply letting them know she’s aware of it. And it works. Because she holds these expectations of her “Bruins” and “Spartans,” they rise to the occasion. They want to do well. They want to succeed. And it’s an intrinsic desire – not something that they are doing because they want the praise for it.

Yesterday she was asking for critique and feedback, but I honestly can’t think of a thing I would change. She is really a great teacher – her kids love her. But more importantly, they respect her. She sees tremendous growth with each of her students – even her students that just moved here from Mexico only months ago. It really brings me so much joy watching her teach. Because I can see how much love she has for her students and how hard she’s willing to work for them.

After work, we met Juan and went to Willow Street again. This time, I got a picture of the infamous bread. Wasn’t as fresh this time, but still pretty unbeatable.

Now, I’m debating whether or not I should leave…The car’s packed, I’m basically ready to go…

But I just don’t want to leave! What if I’m halfway to L.A. and then get a phone call from some school in San Jose saying they want to interview me? I’ll kick myself in the face for leaving. I also just want to have more time observing Jen. I feel like I could really benefit from being here another week! So TORN.

So…I don’t think the interview went that well. Reasons being:

1) Nobody on the panel smiled. How intimidating.

2) It lasted for 20 minutes. I mean, I know they have a lot of applicants, but 20 minutes?! Really??

3) 5 minutes into the interview, one of the guys on the panel stopped writing notes. Like, as if to say, “yea, I’m pretty certain we’re not going to go with you, so I’ll just save myself the trouble of writing down the shit that’s coming out of your mouth.” Ouch. Although – that was just my interpretation of the situation. But I’m usually pretty accurate with this kind of stuff…

4) I felt rushed the entire time. This could also be my crazy mind at work, but I just felt like they wanted me to hurry up with my answers. So, I felt like I was not explaining things to the best of my ability because they just wanted to hurry and get on to the next applicant.

Oh well – what’s done is done. And if nothing else, this was a good opportunity to practice my interviewing skills (I need LOTS of practice…). Next interview scheduled is May 30th in L.A.

After the interview, I decided to skip out on visiting Stanford (I don’t want to fall in love with the place just yet….) and went straight back to Jen’s to change out of my interview clothes. Then jumped back in the car to go to the local Farmer’s Market (read: Farmer’s market but in actuality, it’s a cute little shop that’s available to Saratog-ians EVERY DAY!). Bought some lovely, fresh ingredients for dinner:

$50 = Bellpeppers, Raspberries, Blackberries, Spices, Tomatoes, Brussel Sprouts, 2 Fruit and Nut Bars, Pineapple, 3 Avocados, Carrots, Turkey Jerky, Cauliflower, Feta Cheese, Tofu, Nectarines, Asparagus, Lettuce.
Not a bad deal….

Had some tofu stir-fry on top of salad. No need for dressing – the feta was so fresh tasting, it added so much flavor! Didn’t get an actual picture of the salad – we devoured it. Also devoured the oven-roasted brussel sprouts and cauliflower, so no picture of that either. But here’s a picture of the stir-fry – SO MUCH COLOR! I love when I eat in color.

Bellpeppers and Asparagus

Now, I’m off to bed. Early morning tomorrow – going with Jen to work. It’ll be great to be able to spend an entire day helping her out and watching how her centers play out. 6:45 AM – STARBS RUN!