To NY and Back Again

It's been a busy two weeks: I've had guests then hopped on a plane and flew to New York, flew back and promptly developed a case of tonsillitis. Awesomesauce. That's what I get for not taking any Airborne before I hopped on the plane. (I know it technically doesn't work, but makes me feel better.) Meds have been procured, the throat is feeling better, and Miss Phyllis is dealing quite well with having a cranky owner who basically lies in his bed all day, watching the entirety of As Told By Ginger.

 

She is fine, actually. It's funny how she is not excitable. At. All. Upon returning from my four days away, she gave me a look that said something along the lines of "Oh, you're home. Cool." and trots away. That kind of thing. In the back of my head, I'm screaming "MISS ME! WHY DIDN'T YOU MISS ME?!?!" It's just not in her nature, I've decided. We are not prone to outward shows of emotion. I don't judge myself for it and I need to make sure I'm not judging my dog for it. Also: Four weeks. Crikey. When did that happen? 

 

Oh, NY. I was there for the CELT Rejuve Conference, which was pretty amazing all in all. Hilary Janks, for those of you familiar with your literacy research, was there and worked pretty intensely with all parties involved. There are no photos of this work because we were... well... working. There are photos of our one excursion outside of the Inn we stayed at, venturing in Margaret's rental car to the Long Island Sound. (I should probably have mentioned the conference was three hours by public transit outside of the city. Three hours. As in a ride on AirTran, two LIRR jaunts, and a taxi ride. Almost as long as I spent in the air. But I digress...) The Sound was amazing. The weather was cool and it was overcast and after spending most of the day inside, was just what was needed.

 

Beach. The only beach I've been on all summer.

My friend Lenny and I took the opportunity to make a 20-hour trip into NYC after the conference wrapped up, staying at Pod39, which seems to be a place where young hipsters gather. While small, the room was fine once Lenny and I got used to the glass door to the bathroom and lack of space. Who goes to NYC to stay in their hotel room anyway? There were things to do!

 

Though we didn't get many of them done. 20 hours may seem like a lot but when you factor in sleeping, running into participants from the conference, and time spent on public transit, there just isn't time to hit up Orla Kiely or Purl Soho. Next time. I'll see you next time. But the Chrysler Building? I love you. You're my favorite. The Empire State can suck it.

 

I did have a chance to go to Wicked with Lenny at the Gershwin, which was awesome because (1) I love Wicked, (2) Lenny had never seen it before so it was like seeing it again for the first time, and (3) it was in NYC and my first show on Broadway. It was a great show, though I always suspected there was a little something extra about a Broadway show that I just wasn't getting when I saw plays on tour. This being my first Broadway show, I realized that beyond the magic of New York City (and that place is magical!), there really isn't any difference.

 

And now home. With my antibiotics and plenty of clear liquids. And a dwindling sense of the summer. My class wraps up in two and a half weeks and new classes begin on the 19th of August. Since when is August right around the corner? 

 

One Week In

... well, almost two. Phyllis and I are settling into a rhythm. Mostly her chewing on things, me chasing after her to stop. But, all in all, Phyllis and I are settling in well.

Photos by Mark Regester. Check him out. He's amazing.

Phyllis Lindstrom

Phyllis says, "hello." 

I finally did it, after years of saying that I would. I got a dog. I'd been thinking about it for a while and when a friend of a friend said she was having Boston Terrier puppies, I jumped at the chance, particularly after attempting to go through a rescue failed. I tried, I really did. The entire process became too frustrating and I had to walk away, which is just as well because here's Phyllis. And she's great. 

She's nine weeks old, fits in the palm of my hand, and howls like a tornado siren when in her kennel. I've purchased gift certificates for ice cream for all my neighbors in appreciation of their patience. She's funny and smart and spends most of the day by my side. As I write this, she's sleeping on my toe. Thankfully, she's not biting my toe. She has a habit. 

We're figuring out how we live together and I think it's going to be good as long as I can keep the floors clean enough and get her outside fast enough to save my poor rugs. She does love to pee on the rugs. 

She's a keeper. 

The Interactive Learning Journal

 

That? That right there? That's one of the reasons my semester has been insane. Lee Ferguson has been using Interactive Learning Journals in her high school AP/IB science courses with a fair amount of success,  often posting about them in her Facebook timeline. I've known Lee for at least a decade, though we've never actually met in person. She was highly active in a teaching community back in the days I was addicted to LiveJournal. Lee's an amazing educator, so if she's singing the praises of something, it has to be good. 

So I've been using the Interactive Learning Journals as a conduit between the flipped lectures I've been uploading and our class sessions. Flipped classrooms invert the traditional approach to classroom teaching, with students listening to lectures before coming to class. This has allowed me to really focus the lectures on theoretical and content knowledge; a quick check-in at the beginning of class and we're off to spend our time on applications of the knowledge. In other words, now that they know all this "stuff," what can they do with it in classrooms?

 
(My students are required to take Cornell Notes for each and every podcast - I regularly check their ILJs for these.)

To say I'm happy with this semester is an understatement. Prior to the break, I met with each and every one of my students and they know more, have more ideas about how to apply their learning in classrooms, and were overwhelmingly positive about their experiences. Some had even started using ILJs in their current educational spaces, whether they be tutoring or after-school programs. One of my goals at the end of last semester was to figure out how to more fully merge the theoretical, content knowledge, and pragmatic application together; while I'm not using this completely, this is definitely a step in the right direction. 

 

Personally, I like that my students can experience firsthand how taking up an approach such as this shapes the ways learning happens in a space. The materials I ask them to include in their ILJs attempt to capitalize on connections between concepts, prepping them for application. For example: early childhood theorists. Important for understanding the baggage that accompanies the many approaches to early childhood education, this foldable helps students think through the differences between the theorists. During our class time, my students will be working in small group activities like this as I walk around and check for understanding.

These are all pictures from my master ILJ - I work to keep pace with the students as we add pages, but I don't have all the notes, drawings, and other things my students do. They aren't just filling out pages they glue in their notebook, I swear. It just happens to be what's in my journal.

So, yeah. Teaching. Takes up a hella amount of time, but I think it'll be a stronger class moving forward. I've been slowly but surely building a collection of Podcasts I can modify semester-to-semester and can link the ILJ to them. Now to make sure I get to teach this class for perpetuity... 

Snowed In, Spring Break Edition

 

I'm supposed to be driving to Baton Rouge right now. Instead, I'm sitting in a coffee shop in Michigan, crossing things off of my to-do list. Which is fine, but I would much rather be driving to Baton Rouge. Because it's Spring Break and this semester has been hard and I am in need of a Candice fix. The weather, unfortunately, had other ideas, leaving Michigan unscathed but creating ridiculous travel conditions to the south of me. I raise a fist to you, Virgil! 

So, instead, I'm sitting here, drinking coffee and writing. Now, writing to you. But damn, I wish I was on the road. 

Also: this maple syrup? Ah-mazing. Spent a little time this weekend learning how such beauty is made. These are samples of all the batches of syrup the Maple Valley Lions Club has made this season. I love how the colors change from batch to batch. Even more, I love it drizzled on pancakes. If you're in mid-Michigan the last weekend of April, head to the Vermontville Maple Syrup Festival. Wear your big pants. They'll fit by the time you leave. 

Scenes from a Weekend

February, where have you gone and why aren't more things ticked off my To Do list?

One of the besties was here this weekend. So good to see her. Played tourist, which is always a fun time. We wandered through the Old St. Louis Courthouse, where the Dred Scott case was tried. Beautiful museum, gorgeous building, and, all in all, a good time.

 

Also: new glasses. Cause I'm old.* 

* I was very cocky when the eye exam began. "My prescription hasn't changed in a decade." And now I'm being punished. But punished in stylish (maybe?) Nike frames.  

Attempts at Being Efficient

 

I was really stringent last semester in terms of making sure I was in my office for at least a few hours each day, more to be seen in the department than anything. Great strategy for visibility but not so efficient when it comes down to getting actual work done. I've cut back, working from home whenever I can. On my work at home days, I keep the coffee pot active and spread my day's work over my dining room table. I've been at this for three weeks now and I'm actually pretty impressed with what I'm able to get done, though it never seems enough.

 

I need to remember to take a walk on those days I'm home so today I took a quick jaunt across Tower Grove Park to mail off some packages, some of which may have been really really late holiday gifts. Valentine's Day's a holiday, right? Don't judge.

 

Tower Grove Park is one of those hidden treasures in the city. A hop, skip, and a jump (or about ten minutes walking) away from my apartment, it's the second largest park in the city, the first being Forest Park, home of the 1904 World's Fair, in the much trendier (and pricier) CWE neighborhood. While it doesn't have a Zoo or any of the grandeur of those remaining structures from the Fair, it's a really lovely walk, filled with joggers, people walking their animals, and some really amazing pavilions. Eleven, apparently, though I don't remember where that number came from, but it's in my head.

 

So: A lot of work, a bit of a walk, and back to work. It seems like it's a fairly good rhythm. Now if only I were able to locate about eight extra hours in the day. 

Lists. Many of them.

 

Life Things 

I have joined the masses who have laundry in their apartments. A lot of debating, a lot of hand wringing, and a lot of intense duct work (love old apartments!) I now can wash and dry clothing whenever I want. I have named the washer Laverne and the dryer Shirley. Don't judge.

Conversation in the midst of the purchase between my grandmother and I: 
Me: It's so much money! Wanna vomit. *Rocking back and forth, mobile clutched to my ear.*
Gram: Wait, are you emptying your bank account for these things? What are you buying, a gold-plated washer and diamond encrusted dryer?
Me: No, just regular-type. White. Expensive enough. Ugh. *vomity sounds here*
Gram: Let me get this correct: You're complaining about buying a washer and dryer that will not only allow you more flexibility in your scheduling and won't empty out your bank account?
Me: Yeah?
Gram: What a privileged little rainbow saltine cracker we are.
Me: GRAM! 

Gram: Hey, I can be logical and political sometimes.

I've hit that part of moving to a new city in which loneliness has begun to fester. I don't like it. Thankfully, friends are parading through my life throughout the month: last weekend, Sarah and fam were here; I'm in Columbus, OH next weekend for a conference and will slumber party it up with Jules; and Anne of the HoW is arriving the following weekend for Book of Mormon, STL goodness, and a little bit of work time. Goals for March: find knitters, learn to make cheese, join a gym. 

I've been seriously considering a pooch. My Wednesdays, however, kill any hope this semester. My days begin at 8:00am and end at 10:00pm. This summer, perhaps?

Also: pic of me and a really cute kiddo. Cause cute kiddos are cute. 

Work Things

I flipped my early childhood literacy class this semester and am loving it, though it's taking a lot of time to actually create what I need to in order for the model to work. I think it's going to be a solid model going forward. 

I wrote a new course. Two of them, actually. And they both were approved. And they're going to kick ass. I'm a bit proud, not going to lie. 

Work is stressful, but this isn't anything new. I did just get proofs for a book I'm in, though. Awesomesauce. 

Things I Like

Anything by Neal Shusterman at the moment. If you haven't had the chance to read Unwind, I highly recommend it. Also: The Schwa Was Here is a bit of genius. 

I love Hillary and will miss her. Primarily because she does stuff like this. 2016, yes? 

Also: Libraries are awesome. I'm a bit smitten with mine, not going to lie.

And now: More work. YES.(?)

And there are days...

... you feel you suck at playing adult and would much rather gather up your toys and go home.

And you do, realizing you'll be back at it, playing adult in the morning.

Washington, DC

 

Hard to believe I started this week in Washington, DC. It was my first time in the city and I did embarrassingly little research in anticipation. The timing was a bit crazy: I literally drove home from Michigan the day before I flew out, arriving home around 9:00pm, unpacking my car, and at the airport by 4:30am. Amidst all the Christmas crazy, there just wasn't time. 

 

I knew I had to see Abe. Strange how I know so much about him, his life, and yet I'd never been to the Lincoln Memorial. This is perhaps as close to church as I get. 

 

I had a chance to meet up with my friend Natalie - who I hadn't seen in six years! - and she took me around to her favorite spots, including Kramers. If the Lincoln Memorial is as close to a church as I get, Kramers was as close to Heaven I dare believe possible. Books and food? Yes, yes, yes. 

 

Also: check out that beard. That is what three weeks of no shaving looks like. Weird.  

Edna, Who Resonates

Was it for this I uttered prayers,
And sobbed and cursed and kicked the stairs,
That now, domestic as a plate,
I should retire at half-past eight? 

Grown Up, Edna St.Vincent Millay, 1920

 

It's been a long two and a half weeks. I've been home, to the aunt and uncle's, to one of my best friends in the world's, to Washington, D.C., and home again. Jiggity jig, or something like that. 

I am so fortunate to have so many people who are willing to put up with me (and even encourage my presence!) over the break, but if I am to be honest, I am exhausted. But a good kind of exhausted. The kind of exhausted that comes from little brothers who insist on being complete tornadoes while they sleep and on sharing the bed. The kind that is fostered by late night games of cards or gatherings of good friends, old and new, into the wee hours of night. It's a good kind of exhausted: I need to remind myself of this often as I attempt to regain some rhythm. 

Scene from a Wal-Mart

My little brother and I braved the Wal-Mart crowds this morning. Dave decided he would do some Christmas shopping (with my money - a typical tween) while we were out. We wandered throughout the store, negotiating via text what gifts would be bought and for whom. Dave's on the autistic spectrum and while his ability to read and comprehend is high, he chooses not to use his verbal skills. Hence, the texting.

He managed to find a book for Craig, a set of board books and some toy cars for Steven, and another small set of cars for his cousin before arriving in the toy aisle and focusing in on Spiderman action figure sets. He quickly shoved two of them in the cart.

Who are these for? I typed into my phone. Dave read and quickly typed back, People.

Which people? I volleyed back.

It's a gift for me. GIFT FOR ME.

Emphasis in original.

Happiest of holiday wishes, peeps.

A Love Letter to the Library

My local library saved my life. In the midst of the tsunami that was my parents' divorce, it was a safe haven. I would walk to the library after school, commandeer a table, and work on my homework until the library closed at seven, after which I would make the hour walk home. At the time, my mom had decided to move in with my now stepfather (who I adore nowadays) and we shared his small house, four kids sharing one room. With no room to move in our personal things, the house never felt like home. The library was where I healed, where I wrote college entrance essays, where I lost myself in the words of Cheever and Ferber and Fitzgerald. 

It seems fortuitous, then, that STL's Central Library made its' debut just as I arrived here. And by debut, I mean how it looks after quite a bit of cosmetic surgery. At one hundred years old, the building was apparently showing its' age. Nearly two years of renovations and it's now open to the public as of the 9th of December. I only had time to run in, return a book and an audio book, snap a few pictures, and leave, but man. It's a beautiful building. There were goosebumps. I think there would be goosebumps even if you weren't a book nerd. The attention to detail is amazing - the people of this city obviously love their library to finance such an undertaking. Now if only I could convince them to send out emails two days before my books are due... so many late fees. Let's not talk about it, shall we? 

I may have, out of habit, found my way to the poetry section where I located Edna. There's something about Edna being wherever I am that is... I don't know... settling, even in the strangest of new contexts. See? Book nerd. 

So, yeah. New old library. This is a good town. 

 

St. Louis Public Library 2012 Grand Reopening Video from TOKY on Vimeo.

At the Close

I've survived my first semester. Grades are in, my classes are wrapped up, and my first semester as an assistant prof is done. It was far from perfect, but not a complete mess either. It was, as they say, what it was. Next semester, it will be better.

I'm normally a flurry of activity at the close of the semester, shuffling off to guest rooms of my friends and family for the holidays, but I've lingered a bit longer this year. It's been really lovely, a chance to breath, decompress, take in the city at Christmastime. And St. Louis loves Christmas. On the way home last night, I wandered through City Garden, all lit up for the season. It's an impressive collection of art, though I honestly cared less about the art than the lights. Short attention span, sparkly things. You know the drill. 

See? Lights. Lots of them. People can say a lot of things about this city, but they put on a good show. After four months here, I'm not surprised, quite honestly. It's proven itself to be a good place to live, despite all the bad press it gets. 

Still lots of things left to do before I head home for the holidays. Papers to be written, things to be organized, but it's nice to have the time and space to do just that. Not that I don't wish I were sitting at Clara's table, drinking peppermint tea; in fact, I'd like to take permanent residence there. Rather, I know I will be there soon enough. 

Also: I've been underwhelmed with new holiday music this season, though this song has lodged itself inside my head. Given the events of recent days, it takes on new meaning. 

Oh! And a GIF! Globes from the Garden, by far the most awesome thing there.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

 

Seventy degrees? Seriously, St. Louis? In December? I'm going to kindly request that you stop. It's silly. 

It's the last week of classes! I have, in other words, almost survived! There's a lot of grading and a final to give next week, but LAST WEEK OF CLASSES. (So excited.) 

In celebration, I spent a good deal of my evening yesterday at the mall, attempting to holiday shop... three hours later, I had enjoyed a cup fo TeaVana youthberry-orange somethingorother, a baked good from Panera, and had looped the mall twice. On all three levels. Without a single gift purchased. 

I've forgotten how to holiday shop. 

And I'm strangely okay with it. 

It is, however, problematic and the holiday is coming. The goose is getting fat. Yadda, yadda, yadda. 

The new plan: books. I'm going to head to my local independent and buy some of my favorite reads from the past year and that will comprise my gift giving this year. What that list is, I'm unsure. Thinking, thinking, thinking. 

And off to work. 

In sixty degree weather. Seriously? 

At the Close (of Thanksgiving)

 

Note to self: when there are only two of you, chances are you don't need to cook an entire bird. However, while we are on the subject, the bird was pretty freaking amazing. Just saying.

It's the first Thanksgiving I've done on my own and while it was a ton of work, it was workable. Granted, no one is knocking down my door to take photos of my feast, but the food was tasty, the conversation lovely, and my mother's stuffing recipe, pictured above, put to good use.

The tree, it is up. The mantle, it is bestockinged. (If that isn't a word, I totally want it to be.) I have two weeks of classes before finals begin and then on to the holidays. My first semester as a prof - it's almost a wrap. Crazy.

A few of my favorite moments this weekend:

 

St. Louis loves a parade. This is my favorite float, put forth by the German Musical Society (or something along those lines). There was a tuba, a stuffed deer, and a red nose on said deer. Brillz.

 

 
And that last one? On the observation deck of the Gateway Arch. I've been up the blasted thing twice now and each time I find myself in a bit of awe at the crazy, amazing things people can do.  

I will survive the next two weeks. There will be a little crazy, a little amazing, but dang, this weekend has been good. Hope life was good on your end.