Welcome Warmth

I am so content. Content is the word. I've never truly known the meaning of it until the last few days.

It began when I was driving home... Thursday? Friday? I don't remember. I just remember walking outside, turning my head towards the sun, closing my eyes, letting the warm breeze hit me and...

Perfection.


Was last spring/summer such a sweet relief? I don't remember. I can't think that far back. This winter was so long, so cold, so grey, so miserable. So much snow. So much wet. So many shivers.

Early spring was just as bad. I don't remember last year, or the year before, but I am pretty sure it didn't include this much misery. Day after April day I came home and crawled under the covers because it was still uncomfortably cold in my apartment. Day after day I froze because I refused to wear a coat. Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that. My favorite coat was stolen, and my two second favorites had buttons fall off, so I just said, "F-this" and wore my bulky H&M sweaters as coats for the remainder of the winter.

I love the heat. I love the warmth.

Thank God.

Multigenre Project Reflections: as of Monday 5/23/11

Overall goals: All year, students choose what they write, but I choose the genres. This time around, they choose both. They choose a topic, and they choose multiple genres in which to explore that topic.

First of all, I wish I’d started with the movie. I also wish I’d given them more choice in what genres to write in all year. I do believe in mainly genre-based units, but I could have embedded more genre freedom into some assignments, especially my less structured “Polish a Piece” assignments.

I also think I’m going to make a movie documenting my students’ journeys making these projects. That way, I can show next year’s students, and it will be that much closer to them.

One thing I’m noticing is that they are increasingly more confident in being confused and overwhelmed. While feeling in over your head isn’t the goal, it is a valuable part of the writing process, especially the way we teach it, as writing to discover. In the beginning of the year they panicked. It was clear they were used to being told what to do. Now, many of them have the attitude of, “I have no idea where I’m going with this, but I’ll explore and figure it out.” Yes. Go writer’s workshop model!

Obviously, it will be easier next year when I have more student exemplars to work off of. Although interestingly enough, less than a week into the unit, one student in each class has a full draft project done. They took me by surprise today. It was the classic situation. I saw a student talking instead of writing, so I walked over and asked, “What have you been working on, dear student?” Each student produced a thick packet of work. It’s not necessarily the students you’d expect, either. Well, one is. J

I also did some research about multigenre topics, because despite our students being very familiar with the “Explore, explore, explore, eventually decide what to develop into a draft” process, we don’t have enough time to do it fully. We have maybe 4 weeks, minus a couple of days. So in my googling, I came across a 7^th grade unit where the students all did multigenre autobiographies. I then changed the requirements of the project. Students have three choices: Multigenre Autobiography, Multigenre Project on 7^th Grade (or 8^th Grade), or more specific Multigenre project. I told them the truth, which is that I’m going to just write, and if I realize I’m writing a lot about my brother, then I’ll take the project in that direction. As they write, many of them are narrowing their focuses. I think giving the option of a broad autobiography takes the pressure off so they’re free to explore.

This teacher in the unit I found required students to choose 10 genres, which I think is overkill. It’s not that students aren’t capable of it. Rather, I don’t want to set unnecessary restrictions on them. This whole year I’ve never once told them how long something should be. I’ve just said, “this is what you need to focus on, make it as long as it needs to be. Make it wonderful.” Plus, I’m still figuring out my official requirements, but I’m keeping them simple. It will be something along the lines of, “Mark two places where you write about your topic in depth. Mark two places where you show your emotions.” Etc.

The topics are fantastic. I’m so excited.

Updates to come!

An Open Letter to The Container Store

I received a catalog today from the Container Store with the following title: "Been Dreaming of a Dream Closet?"

First of all I want to clarify that this will not be one of those blogs where I mock people who dream about home improvement. I find no fault with that. In fact, sometimes, in my (nonexistent) free time, I research shoe trees online. If you have a spare moment, I recommend doing the same. You'd never guess how many kinds of shoe trees exist. I'm still debating which one to buy. The point is, dream about whatever you want, even if it includes home organization.

With that said, Container Store, I looked in your catalog and I'm extremely disappointed.

When you send out a mailing about dreaming of a dream closet, I assume that a) You recently fired your copywriter and are using an unpaid intern and b) the material in the catalog is the organizational heaven that dreams are made of. I expected the best. You did not deliver.

What, pray ask, is the best? Well, some of you probably already figured it out. There is one dream closet that no closet system from Ikea, Container Store, or any other retail outlet can match. One closet stands above the rest. One closet prevails. It is the closet we grew up dreaming of, the fantasy closet from our childhoods. It is, simply put, the stuff dreams are made of.

It is...

Cher's closet in the movie Clueless.

I know. It's cruel to even put your little box store in the same category as the wondrous, automated, rotating, computer-controlled closet from that gem of a movie. There's no way you'd measure up. Nothing can top the scene in which Cher pouts at the touch screen when it tells her, "NOT A MATCH!" until she combines that yellow plaid jacket and skirt.

It's only fair, thought, to show you what you were up against. Now you know why I was so disappointed. When you imply that the contents of a catalog are the stuff closet dreams are made of, that is what we are hoping for.

So cut the false advertising.

BLIND ITEM

Dear You Know Who You Are,

Thank you for your support. You always know just how to make me feel better, and just how to make me see reason. Even the most ridiculous things make sense when I talk them over with you.

I love you,

--Me

Take Shape For Life / Medifast update

This diet is definitely weird.

It works. Clearly. I have lost 14 pounds in 3-ish weeks. I am mostly un-hungry, despite eating under 1000 calories a day. It is scientifically sound. The purpose is to keep me just above that line where my body says, "Uh-oh, I'm on a deserted island, let's conserve body fat so I don't starve."

There is a whole online following devoted to making these medifast meals interesting by doctoring them slightly, and while I'm tempted, I can't bring myself to try with any kind of real dedication because a) the meals aren't bad at all as they are, and b) I don't think I'll be on the 5 medifast meals a day plan for that long. I hope I'm right about that.

For the first time in my life, HOLY SHIT shopping was fun. I mean, I love shopping always, but this was one of those glorious "Oh snap, that fits, no armpit fat hanging out!" events.

There are definitely moments when I crave food. Just food in general, not "OMG FRENCH FRIES PLEASE." Most of the time, I want an additional crunch bar. I'll have to figure that out, I guess. Clearly my blood sugar is low, and clearly it got that way for some reason. I think this summer I'm going to try to eat literally 8 times a day, instead of 6. I might even try this now. Each lean'and'green meal I eat I'll split into three portions and eat every half hour. I will have to study blood sugar more.

GOOD NEWS! I tried on my size 2 Abercrombie jeans from high school and they almost fit. I must, however, give a disclaimer: Those exact jeans, same dimensions, would probably not still be a size 2 at Abercrombie due to size inflation. My mom has been telling me to get rid of them for years. She's been saying that yes, I will lose the weight, but by that time I won't like them and they'll be taking up space in my closet. To that, I have one thing to say:

I'M SO GLAD I DIDN'T THROW THEM AWAY. They truly don't make denim like this anymore. I own 3 pairs of skinnies (1 denim, 2 cords), and I adore them truly, but there is something so sexy about perfectly-constructed flares that are slightly too long, so they fit perfectly when you wear them with 3-inch heels. I doubt I'd buy jeans like that anymore, but they are gorgeous. They look dressy in comparison to all these skinnies that now populate the streets. They are so hot.

Speaking of skinny corderoys, (I am NOT changing the spelling of that word, I will never know how to spell it, TOUGH SHIT), I bought them from Gap several months ago, size 8, and I adore them. All I wear to teach. They fit almost perfectly when I bought them (micromuffintop), and then they got uncomfortably small, as in "wear them with one button undone." Now, they fit. :)