The New Normal

We ride our bikes. All. The. Time...

Life Before COVID-19

It really wasn't that long ago when life was, relatively speaking, normal or was it?

It's Just the Little Things

Sometimes don't you find that it's just the little unexpected things that make you happy?

I do.

Like this morning, for example. Waking up to cloudy skies with the threat of an incoming storm forced me to slow down, stay indoors, and just take it easy! Slowing down is good.

Because I was able to slow down, I got a chance to wrap a birthday present for a special friend. Yes, it's way easier to put a present in a gift bag with some tissue paper when you're in a rush.  But.  I find it way more special to take the time to wrap a present and put a bow on it! That makes me happy.

And then I received a special delivery! I had been expecting it, and I knew it was on the way, but it still made me just a teeny bit happy to get it. The story all started here, and I can't wait to get immersed in this group and start reading our first book!

Looking forward to more of life's "little things" and blessings that make one's journey that more purposeful.

Happy Friday!

Day 5 of Being Grateful

Happy Friday!

Today is my last post on being grateful...at least for now.

First, I am so thankful it's Friday. That means two days to recharge from a long week. Second, because it's Friday, that means it's jeans day at my school. There's just something about wearing jeans to work that makes it so special and comfortable, don't you think? And third, I'm grateful for this teacher pictured here with me. Her name is Ms. Zamora, and she is our art teacher extraordinaire.  Every Friday, she greets the kids in the hallway with this silly, yet infectious, song and dance. I'm calling it her Friday song. She sings it out loud, and you can hear her sweet voice down the seventh grade hallway. She sings, "It's Friday, it's Friday..." You can't help but smile. It just makes you a little bit happier.

And here's something else to smile about. Check out these before and after photos of some colleagues of mine who took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge after school.

Whatever your plans are for the weekend, have a great one!

Day 4 of Being Grateful

It all started with this plate and several others like it.

And then the conversation got really deep and really interesting, really fast.

You see tonight is the first night I, along with several other teachers at my school, met for an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) certification class. This class will last the duration of the school year, and it involves meeting every other Thursday from 4:30 til 8 p.m.  There is a lot of reading, assignments, and discussions involved in this course.  The majority of the population at my school is Hispanic. Thus, taking this course is a good idea and it will help me become a better teacher and help me serve my students more.

We were instructed to take a simple paper plate and divide it into portions or slices (such as occupation, religion, age, race, etc. etc.) that best represent our culture and help to explain what makes us who we are. Then we each had to present our plates to the whole group.

First up was my colleague and a diabetic, Mr. Potter.  He shared a recent personal story of how he got into a car accident due to complications from his diabetes. When a police officer arrived on the scene, he just assumed that because Mr. Potter is Black, he must have been drunk or high on drugs. Because of his assumption, paramedics were directed to assist the other White victim involved in the accident. Luckily, Mr. Potter regained consciousness and was able to tell someone he is a diabetic and then he was looked after by emergency personnel. Mr. Potter shared this story with us because being "Black" is a huge part of who he is and affects how he is treated. He also told us that the officer admitted to his very wrong assessment of the accident.

Wow! You hear of stuff like this on the news, but it certainly hits home when someone you know becomes a victim of such racism. Mr. Potter is a professional. He comes to work every day in a shirt and tie, and yet this happened.

When it was my time to present, I told everyone how grateful I was to be part of this conversation. Here we were, some of us, okay all of us, dreading being stuck in a room until 8 p.m. but then appreciating the frank and rich discussions we were having about race and culture. I then asked everyone in the room to take a look at me and guess my race. Of course I heard the usual, "Asian, Hispanic." No one ever thinks Jamaican! I shared with them that I am Jamaican and I never had to think of race until I moved here, to the United States. Since moving here, I have had to put myself in a category, check a box, on every application I have filled out, and always never finding the "right" box to check.

Anyways our conversations continued with the group growing really comfortable and having some really good discussions about race, ethnicity, cultures and stereotypes. I knew right then and there that day four of being grateful would be centered around this.

First, I'm grateful to be a student again in this ESOL course. Being among other interesting people from every different background imaginable is, no doubt, the real lesson. Second, even though I've added yet another "thing" to my plate, and I won't be getting home until 8 p.m. every other Thursday, I am thankful for this opportunity to learn and grow, and become a better teacher for the huge ESOL population at my school. And third, I was so thankful that after a long day, The Hubs had takeout Chinese for dinner...waiting at home.

Day 3 of Being Grateful

Today I got to do something I LOVE!!! I got to leave my classroom for four hours, visit another middle school, and observe other teachers in action. Gosh, I learned so much today, and I can't wait to start using some of the strategies I saw from other educators. So...day three of being grateful is, no surprise here, all about education!

First, I'm so thankful for my career as a teacher. I get to work with students every day and try to make an impact on their lives. It is a huge responsibility! One I take very seriously, and I'm always looking for ways to improve and get better.

Second, I'm grateful that my students, every day, help me to work on my patience. I have said before that this is no easy job, and I'm sorry, but I'll say it again...this is no easy job!!! Ha! My kids stretch my "patience" muscles every day. Every day! But it's a good thing. I need patience.

And finally, I'm thankful that I took a chance and said YES to my new role at school. It has been opening up so many doors for me.  And that makes me grateful!

Day 2 of Being Grateful

Image credits: Reuters

I shared this photo with my students today. It was taken in Lebak, Indonesia and it shows the treacherous journey some students take around the world just to go to school.  As a teacher at an International Baccalaureate (IB) school, we try to expose our students to the world, allowing them to make connections to places outside their home, city, state, and country...to far away places across the globe.  We have weekly "Images of the Week" that we share with students to give them a peek inside what's going on in the world around them.  Seeing this image of the week this morning, prompted me to focus on education for day two of being grateful.

First, while some may argue that public schools aren't perfect, I am grateful we have them.  Second, I'm thankful that students have safe (relatively speaking) transportation to and from school every day. And finally, I'm thankful we live in a country where education is valued, and where every one has access to it and can use their knowledge to make a better future for themselves.

For more incredulous photos and to read about more of the dangerous journeys some students are taking to get to school, click here.  After news of the above photo spread, it's important to note that a new bridge was built so that students could safely get to school.

This truly makes me appreciate what we sometimes take for granted.

Day 1 of Being Grateful

I've been issued a challenge by my BFSF. It's called Five Days of Gratefulness. That means for the next five days, I have to list three things that I'm grateful or thankful for. So here are my three things for day one.