Yesterday morning my gym was closed so I ended up simply doing lunges in my courtyard on a Sunday morning. Note to self- never do lunges again! My legs were burning all day :(
Another reason they might have been burning is I finally got my Timbs! They weight a ton on my feet but I have a little secret- I LOVE WEARING THEM! The saying, "Boots on the ground", to describe City Year corp members working in the schools, sends chills up my spine. Pounding down the hallways in my boots made me feel wonderful and like I could really make an impact.
Today we did more shadowing and I went to some really interesting class that gave me a better view of SJ Davis. I shadowed a Special Ed Math class in which there were students of all grades, a 7th grade art class, a 6th grade social studies class and then some other 6th grade classes. It was interesting seeing other classes that really make up a lot of the school, I also found some very awesome classroom spaces that have a lot of potential as after school club locations.
A 6th grade English teachers asked the students today: "What has changed for you in the last year?"
My answer (that I kept to myself):
1. Moved to Texas
2. Moved out of my parent's home
3. Have to now pay bills
4. Cut my hair short
5. Graduated high school
6. Got better at yoga/swimming/empathizing
Some student answers:
-I have to change classes
-More sophisticated
-Got a journal... got darker... got sexier
And on that note.
Daily Hero:
Julie Marie Billingsley
Monday, August 29, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Raining raining, stay a while, please
It rained in beautiful beautiful San Antonio today. This was one of the highlights of my day. I have been (kind of) embracing the heat, but it was nice having some variety. I had an amazing lunch. Hand packing my lunch is like such an awesome thing to do. I know I've done it in high school, but doing it now is different.
I buy my own food, pack my own lunch, drive my own car to training, which I buy my own gas for. It's all just very independent. I was reading today in "The Current" (which is a free weekly local paper in San Antonio with listings of events and cool stuff) about going off to college gives you a fake paid for type of freedom and to enjoy it. I feel that one of the most beneficial things I am gaining from City Year is true independence. Yes my parents do own the car and they will be paying for me to fly home for Thanksgiving and winter break, but otherwise it's all me. This feeling of pure satisfaction at what I have managed to provide for myself is amazing. It will also make me appreciate college A LOT when a meal plan is included, but this sudden gaining of independence and all the woes and joys which come along with it is sort of awesome. I feel like a grown up. When I tell people my age here I usually here something along the lines of "No way!". And that is probably because at the moment and for the next ten months filled with moments, I have to act much older than a typical 18 year old has to act.
We learned today about math tutoring and I feel now I am super super ready to get in the schools! These couple days of training have been rough because I've tasted the sweet fruit of being in the schools and actually helping and I want to be THERE! Not in more training. But this is useful, so I understand.
A cool relaxing float in the pool was a wonderful way to end the evening.
Daily Hero: My TLs who take everything I need back to the CY office which means one less trip for me, so very convenient and very not part of their job description- but they do it anyway and I love them.
I buy my own food, pack my own lunch, drive my own car to training, which I buy my own gas for. It's all just very independent. I was reading today in "The Current" (which is a free weekly local paper in San Antonio with listings of events and cool stuff) about going off to college gives you a fake paid for type of freedom and to enjoy it. I feel that one of the most beneficial things I am gaining from City Year is true independence. Yes my parents do own the car and they will be paying for me to fly home for Thanksgiving and winter break, but otherwise it's all me. This feeling of pure satisfaction at what I have managed to provide for myself is amazing. It will also make me appreciate college A LOT when a meal plan is included, but this sudden gaining of independence and all the woes and joys which come along with it is sort of awesome. I feel like a grown up. When I tell people my age here I usually here something along the lines of "No way!". And that is probably because at the moment and for the next ten months filled with moments, I have to act much older than a typical 18 year old has to act.
We learned today about math tutoring and I feel now I am super super ready to get in the schools! These couple days of training have been rough because I've tasted the sweet fruit of being in the schools and actually helping and I want to be THERE! Not in more training. But this is useful, so I understand.
A cool relaxing float in the pool was a wonderful way to end the evening.
Daily Hero: My TLs who take everything I need back to the CY office which means one less trip for me, so very convenient and very not part of their job description- but they do it anyway and I love them.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Jamba Juice!
Today we had some really cool training at this place called Region 20, which trains teachers how to teach and educators how to educate and so on and so forth. Our day was led by a fantastic woman who I totally want to be my role model/mentor. She was so honest and although most of her stuff was supposed to be focused on reading, she managed to pack enough life lessons in there to make me really appreciate her lesson and the fact that other teachers also exist like her. She imparted us with some major lessons for the year, my faves are listed below:
Ask students, "What do you need from me to be successful?". And mean it. And then do whatever they need to be successful. As long as you care enough to make it work, it'll work.
A students main homework every night is to get home safely and then get back to school safely the next day.
Treat others like this might be the last interaction they ever have with another human being.
Look at every side of a person, and you'll find at least one side to connect with.
You don't have to value me, I'll value you, and we'll find a middle ground.
She read us a lot of children books and one in particular she read was called "The Big Box" by Toni Morrison. I love, love, love Toni Morrison, so I knew even before she started that I would fall in love with this books. It was all about what would happen if freedom was taken away from kids. It was so intense and dramatic and thought provoking and twisted, classic Toni Morrison that I know and love.
At the end of the session I felt so appreciative and was thankful for all the awesome readers in my life who had infused me with this passion. I also started recalling important times of my life, in my early reading years.
In kindergarten I so vividly remember reading aloud to my class from "Brown Bear, Brown Bear", and I was so incredibly proud that I could hold up the book and turn the pages and read fluently all at the same time to my whole class. That pride was so immensely powerful, and that is what probably motivated me to join speech team almost 10 years later during my junior year. I was ashamed to read in front of my class, and I hated having that feeling. I remembered being confident in my skills and I am so glad that I regained the ability to talk in front of a class and in front of people, be it reading or top of my head thinking. That time in my life where I lacked that ability, is something that I think will help me be a better tutor. I've been through the cycle of pride, shame, and then pride. And I know how good the feeling is when it is not shame and embarrassment.
When we got home after some gym time, skype time and food time, my room mates and I went to Borders which is having the huge blow out sale, and spent...too much money on books. But how often is a major major book store going out of business and having a more that 50% off sale on most things??!
I got a memoir about a polygamist, a cross dresser, a stripper, and an Iranian prisoner. Then a book filled with creative non-fiction essays. A book about hoarders. And finally, a fictional book about an admissions officer at Princeton. No one is going to tell me I don't have a wide reading love.
Daily Hero: Those who are passionate about what they do. Chefs, educators, or anyone in between, I am inspired by 'em all.
Ask students, "What do you need from me to be successful?". And mean it. And then do whatever they need to be successful. As long as you care enough to make it work, it'll work.
A students main homework every night is to get home safely and then get back to school safely the next day.
Treat others like this might be the last interaction they ever have with another human being.
Look at every side of a person, and you'll find at least one side to connect with.
You don't have to value me, I'll value you, and we'll find a middle ground.
She read us a lot of children books and one in particular she read was called "The Big Box" by Toni Morrison. I love, love, love Toni Morrison, so I knew even before she started that I would fall in love with this books. It was all about what would happen if freedom was taken away from kids. It was so intense and dramatic and thought provoking and twisted, classic Toni Morrison that I know and love.
At the end of the session I felt so appreciative and was thankful for all the awesome readers in my life who had infused me with this passion. I also started recalling important times of my life, in my early reading years.
In kindergarten I so vividly remember reading aloud to my class from "Brown Bear, Brown Bear", and I was so incredibly proud that I could hold up the book and turn the pages and read fluently all at the same time to my whole class. That pride was so immensely powerful, and that is what probably motivated me to join speech team almost 10 years later during my junior year. I was ashamed to read in front of my class, and I hated having that feeling. I remembered being confident in my skills and I am so glad that I regained the ability to talk in front of a class and in front of people, be it reading or top of my head thinking. That time in my life where I lacked that ability, is something that I think will help me be a better tutor. I've been through the cycle of pride, shame, and then pride. And I know how good the feeling is when it is not shame and embarrassment.
When we got home after some gym time, skype time and food time, my room mates and I went to Borders which is having the huge blow out sale, and spent...too much money on books. But how often is a major major book store going out of business and having a more that 50% off sale on most things??!
I got a memoir about a polygamist, a cross dresser, a stripper, and an Iranian prisoner. Then a book filled with creative non-fiction essays. A book about hoarders. And finally, a fictional book about an admissions officer at Princeton. No one is going to tell me I don't have a wide reading love.
Daily Hero: Those who are passionate about what they do. Chefs, educators, or anyone in between, I am inspired by 'em all.
Monday, August 22, 2011
First Day Ja-jitters (words)
We had a crazy 45 minute power greet that pumped us all up! All the kids walked in and we seemed to give them some positive energy.
Davis is incredibly strict about rules so all day the kids were hailed with negatives and yelled at about rules, I think CY is going to be awesome with bringing some fierce positive energy in.
I shadowed one math teacher who was absolutely amazing and engaging. She brought all of the kids to her level and really tried to make a personal connection with all of the students. I shadowed on of her regular classes and her Pre AP-GT (gifted and talented) class. It was so interesting how they all shy away from being smart, one kid said "Oh yeah, well I got the answer right, but it's not a big deal." Being smart is the anti-cool. I told them that nerds rule the world and one student said, "No, Obama rules the world". I then told them that Obama is a nerd, he went to Harvard. Then another student asked me if Harvard actually existed. There was one student in the Pre AP-GT class who spent most of the time tagging. It made me think that I would love to start a mural club! Because tagging is one step away from grafitti and then grafitti is one step away from being a mural! Since murals are a little more socially acceptable than tagging (and more creative), then maybe we could channel all that negative self expression to something that could actually benefit the community.
The lunch room was very interesting. The tables are long like tables you see in movies featuring prison. The mentality is very get your food, get out, no socializing necessary. It's kind of a harsh environment, but I know the school means really well, they just are forgetting that these kids are well, kids. I had to step in in a bullying occurrence because the lunch room attendants seemed more concerned about the students being in straight lines than how they were behaving.
All in all a really good and interesting first day. I took a lot of notes, a lot of lot of notes. And I'm starting on the in-kinding, trying to get school supplies, spare belts (to be worn at the waist- no sagging at Davis), books and bookshelves for the CY classroom. I'm skipping the gym tonight, I need to just kind of hold a debrief session in my mind about my day. No exercise, no thank you, power greeting in 100+ degree heat was enough for me.
Daily Hero: All the middle school teachers who are great. They outshine the ones who are not so great, tenfold!
Davis is incredibly strict about rules so all day the kids were hailed with negatives and yelled at about rules, I think CY is going to be awesome with bringing some fierce positive energy in.
I shadowed one math teacher who was absolutely amazing and engaging. She brought all of the kids to her level and really tried to make a personal connection with all of the students. I shadowed on of her regular classes and her Pre AP-GT (gifted and talented) class. It was so interesting how they all shy away from being smart, one kid said "Oh yeah, well I got the answer right, but it's not a big deal." Being smart is the anti-cool. I told them that nerds rule the world and one student said, "No, Obama rules the world". I then told them that Obama is a nerd, he went to Harvard. Then another student asked me if Harvard actually existed. There was one student in the Pre AP-GT class who spent most of the time tagging. It made me think that I would love to start a mural club! Because tagging is one step away from grafitti and then grafitti is one step away from being a mural! Since murals are a little more socially acceptable than tagging (and more creative), then maybe we could channel all that negative self expression to something that could actually benefit the community.
The lunch room was very interesting. The tables are long like tables you see in movies featuring prison. The mentality is very get your food, get out, no socializing necessary. It's kind of a harsh environment, but I know the school means really well, they just are forgetting that these kids are well, kids. I had to step in in a bullying occurrence because the lunch room attendants seemed more concerned about the students being in straight lines than how they were behaving.
All in all a really good and interesting first day. I took a lot of notes, a lot of lot of notes. And I'm starting on the in-kinding, trying to get school supplies, spare belts (to be worn at the waist- no sagging at Davis), books and bookshelves for the CY classroom. I'm skipping the gym tonight, I need to just kind of hold a debrief session in my mind about my day. No exercise, no thank you, power greeting in 100+ degree heat was enough for me.
Daily Hero: All the middle school teachers who are great. They outshine the ones who are not so great, tenfold!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Sunday, and the livin' is easy
I ended up crashing on the living room floor, so I could sleep under the cool breeze of the fan. I woke up around 10ish and forgot about breakfast and just went to the gym. I did a grueling 45 minute eliptical work out while watching Jersey Shore and was exhausted after I had finished because of my forgetful eating habits.
I came home showered and called the parents. They told me about how you can register to attend a Ted Talk conference! But the price is 3,750-12,000. Real expensive to sit in the audience when I can just watch online for free! There is something where you can email and request a price drop if you work in a non-profit or in education (ding ding, me!), but the application is super complex and I am incredibly intimidated. My mom is also flying in to visit me for opening day which will be so fun and I know she is glad that she will get to see me before Thanksgiving.
Then we went grocery shopping and bought food for the potluck BBQ and I got to use my food stamps. When I realized I hadn't spent any of MY actual money for the beautiful produce I had purchased, I literally raised my hands in victory. It was amazing feeling, and a huge huge weight was lifted from my shoulders.
We hosted a BBQ tonight as I said earlier, we invited the whole corps but only about 15 showed up, it was SO much fun! I made burgers, typical Camp Echo sizzle burger styles, and someone brought wings, and we had desserts and salads and yum. It was such a wonderful feeling, each of us bringing something to the table and sharing good food and great discussions together. After we had finished chowing down we played in the pool for what seemed like two hours and did PT in the pool! We kept doing CY chants and callbacks and it was so silly and fun. CY really is like camp for older kids, and I am addicted to all the ridiculous components that make up the CY spirit. We also made a friend at the pool whose daughter was interested in doing something with Americorps, so we told her all about CY and the mom said she would definitely tell her daughter! It would be so amazing if her daughter joined all because of some silly pool PT.
Tomorrow is the first day we will meet the students. We are getting there early because SJ Davis is having lots of local businesses come to greet the students and enforce the fact that it really is a new day at Davis. I am so super excited and not really nervous, just pumped for the amazing next 10ish months I have heading my way.
Daily Hero: Food Stamps, for sure. As frustrated as I am with a system that is so obviously flawed, it is a gymongo weight off my shoulders and now I will be able to provide snacks for my after school program without being stressed about, ya know, buying food for my own lunch!
I came home showered and called the parents. They told me about how you can register to attend a Ted Talk conference! But the price is 3,750-12,000. Real expensive to sit in the audience when I can just watch online for free! There is something where you can email and request a price drop if you work in a non-profit or in education (ding ding, me!), but the application is super complex and I am incredibly intimidated. My mom is also flying in to visit me for opening day which will be so fun and I know she is glad that she will get to see me before Thanksgiving.
Then we went grocery shopping and bought food for the potluck BBQ and I got to use my food stamps. When I realized I hadn't spent any of MY actual money for the beautiful produce I had purchased, I literally raised my hands in victory. It was amazing feeling, and a huge huge weight was lifted from my shoulders.
We hosted a BBQ tonight as I said earlier, we invited the whole corps but only about 15 showed up, it was SO much fun! I made burgers, typical Camp Echo sizzle burger styles, and someone brought wings, and we had desserts and salads and yum. It was such a wonderful feeling, each of us bringing something to the table and sharing good food and great discussions together. After we had finished chowing down we played in the pool for what seemed like two hours and did PT in the pool! We kept doing CY chants and callbacks and it was so silly and fun. CY really is like camp for older kids, and I am addicted to all the ridiculous components that make up the CY spirit. We also made a friend at the pool whose daughter was interested in doing something with Americorps, so we told her all about CY and the mom said she would definitely tell her daughter! It would be so amazing if her daughter joined all because of some silly pool PT.
Tomorrow is the first day we will meet the students. We are getting there early because SJ Davis is having lots of local businesses come to greet the students and enforce the fact that it really is a new day at Davis. I am so super excited and not really nervous, just pumped for the amazing next 10ish months I have heading my way.
Daily Hero: Food Stamps, for sure. As frustrated as I am with a system that is so obviously flawed, it is a gymongo weight off my shoulders and now I will be able to provide snacks for my after school program without being stressed about, ya know, buying food for my own lunch!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Runners high, sweaters high, same diff.
Today was amazing. Saturdayyyy.
I got up kind of early for a Saturday at the end of 6 or beginning of 7 and went and painted the side of a wall for a battered women shelter with my roomie Katie and some other CY folks. It wasn't the YWCA type of place that is just one room, it was a huge complex for women and their children. It was amazing. I sweated so much and was so dirty and got paint all over me! I sweated so much being out in the hot sun, and I was lifting ladders and walking through the brambles and getting all cut up. It was a mess, but it was amazing! I was thinking the whole time, can I do this forever?? I would love to do a year of Habitat for Humanity service after college, but then I will be kind of old when I get to the real world but psh who needs a job? Hahah parents, just kidding! But really, doing outdoor working physical service is my love. So I was there from 8ish-12ish and drank a million water bottles and painted the trim of this wall.
Then we picked up another CY gal and went to get lunch. We went to Tito's, this amazing Mexican food place that the guy at Spectrum Gym had recommended. It was super good and since I hadn't had breakfast, I feasted and got a solid food baby. We were in a super cool part of town, Southtown holler. I picked up a free newspaper and saw that there were a list of events going on in the city (note to self- ALWAYS pick up free newspapers) and saw that Avenue Q was playing at a nearby theater. I have listened to the Avenue Q soundtrack since back in the day and I loved it. So I had to had to go. More on this later...
Then we went over to this place called Madhatters which had super cool artwork and little tea parties. I really want to visit there with my mother, it is her type of joint. It was a sweet vibe, we were also in this really interesting historical district of San An, where I definitely had never been and I love me some 'splorin!
I went to the library and got my library card! Yay!!! It is attached to my key ring, so now my key ring is very San Antonio. Library card, gym card, apartment key! Hooray! Then I also rented some DVDs which was cool because it was totally free and I have them for a whole week. Suck it regular DVD stores, that is way to be, go library go library go, go library go library go.
Then we all went to the pool, yay not getting burnt, and chilled there for a long time. It was so nice and this was a wonderful substitute for a shower since I was very gross from painting still.
We next went to Souper! Salad, a delicious all you can eat buffet. It's beautiful. So many bread products and veggies and fruit and wonderful beautiful food items.
I GOT FOOD STAMPS! Frustratingly so, because I still haven't turned in all of my stuff, so why did I go through all of the hassles of everything, argh the system is a fool.
Next Sarah Minshon and I ventured to Avenue Q, it was an awesome play. Puppets doing inappropriate things was awesome. It was cool because I remembered all of the songs and I had always wanted to see the show, so seeing it off Broadway was an awesome experience. I also talked to somebody about maybe working construction for the next show- ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. It's all volunteer based, and it fit in perfect with my morning of service and construction. I would be volunteering- serving, and constructing. When I told the woman I liked working on power tools, she was like "YES!". They said they are always looking for helping hands, because they really need volunteers all the time since they are a relatively new theater (5 years). It would also gain me free access to the shows! I love free things... Oh and another positive thing would be I could make friends outside of CY, which is something all the TLs recommend doing.
I am ending my evening with Napoleon Dynamite, an old classic.
Daily Hero: Free newspapers that help facilitate and build community <3
I got up kind of early for a Saturday at the end of 6 or beginning of 7 and went and painted the side of a wall for a battered women shelter with my roomie Katie and some other CY folks. It wasn't the YWCA type of place that is just one room, it was a huge complex for women and their children. It was amazing. I sweated so much and was so dirty and got paint all over me! I sweated so much being out in the hot sun, and I was lifting ladders and walking through the brambles and getting all cut up. It was a mess, but it was amazing! I was thinking the whole time, can I do this forever?? I would love to do a year of Habitat for Humanity service after college, but then I will be kind of old when I get to the real world but psh who needs a job? Hahah parents, just kidding! But really, doing outdoor working physical service is my love. So I was there from 8ish-12ish and drank a million water bottles and painted the trim of this wall.
Then we picked up another CY gal and went to get lunch. We went to Tito's, this amazing Mexican food place that the guy at Spectrum Gym had recommended. It was super good and since I hadn't had breakfast, I feasted and got a solid food baby. We were in a super cool part of town, Southtown holler. I picked up a free newspaper and saw that there were a list of events going on in the city (note to self- ALWAYS pick up free newspapers) and saw that Avenue Q was playing at a nearby theater. I have listened to the Avenue Q soundtrack since back in the day and I loved it. So I had to had to go. More on this later...
Then we went over to this place called Madhatters which had super cool artwork and little tea parties. I really want to visit there with my mother, it is her type of joint. It was a sweet vibe, we were also in this really interesting historical district of San An, where I definitely had never been and I love me some 'splorin!
I went to the library and got my library card! Yay!!! It is attached to my key ring, so now my key ring is very San Antonio. Library card, gym card, apartment key! Hooray! Then I also rented some DVDs which was cool because it was totally free and I have them for a whole week. Suck it regular DVD stores, that is way to be, go library go library go, go library go library go.
Then we all went to the pool, yay not getting burnt, and chilled there for a long time. It was so nice and this was a wonderful substitute for a shower since I was very gross from painting still.
We next went to Souper! Salad, a delicious all you can eat buffet. It's beautiful. So many bread products and veggies and fruit and wonderful beautiful food items.
I GOT FOOD STAMPS! Frustratingly so, because I still haven't turned in all of my stuff, so why did I go through all of the hassles of everything, argh the system is a fool.
Next Sarah Minshon and I ventured to Avenue Q, it was an awesome play. Puppets doing inappropriate things was awesome. It was cool because I remembered all of the songs and I had always wanted to see the show, so seeing it off Broadway was an awesome experience. I also talked to somebody about maybe working construction for the next show- ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. It's all volunteer based, and it fit in perfect with my morning of service and construction. I would be volunteering- serving, and constructing. When I told the woman I liked working on power tools, she was like "YES!". They said they are always looking for helping hands, because they really need volunteers all the time since they are a relatively new theater (5 years). It would also gain me free access to the shows! I love free things... Oh and another positive thing would be I could make friends outside of CY, which is something all the TLs recommend doing.
I am ending my evening with Napoleon Dynamite, an old classic.
Daily Hero: Free newspapers that help facilitate and build community <3
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