My Service Site, NDMV-AmeriCorps Family, Other Volunteering, and Settling In
My Service Site:
After about 3 months at my service site, I've finally gotten the swing of things.. Well, sort of. It never ceases to amaze me how each day is so different from the last when you work with children.
I've been learning a lot about the many situations they have at home - parents going through divorce, living with grandparents, etc. and the effect they can have on the children's moods and behaviors. I always knew I was lucky to have a healthy home and family environment, but this experience is making sure I remember it.
I'm also learning a lot, but one thing that I have yet to figure out is why some children feel the need to lie a lot of the time. If I go back to school at the end of my year with AmeriCorps, I feel like I'll have a million questions like this one to ask of my future Early Childhood Development professor.
My elementary school (site) has had quite a few special, and memorable, days this year and I'd like to take a moment to reflect on them. One day, I assisted the school nurse on a 'field trip' of sorts to the Museum Center with about 15 students from all the grades (K-8). Earlier in the year, some people came to our school to do some preliminary eye exam to see if any students needed glasses. They determined that these 15 students needed glasses and we took them on this trip to get their eyes tested further and pick out some glasses. The most amazing part of this day was that everything was free for the students - from my school and several schools throughout the city - including the pair of glasses that they will be receiving shortly.
More recently, we took Preschool-4th grade to a local high school that had an entire day of Christmas fun planned out. There must have been hundreds of parents and volunteers there that day to make sure everything went smoothly, not to mention the students of that school! First, we had a Christmas Mass in the school's gym, where each younger student participated side-by-side with their big buddy from the high school, carrying a beautiful poinsettia plant up to the altar. Then, they provided pizza, drinks, and desserts for everyone! After lunch, everyone headed to another part of the building where a festival of games, face-painting, and other activities were. The kids even got to meet Santa with their big buddies and they received a personalized gift from Santa (and their big buddy). I've never seen so many smiling faces!!
I must say, seeing such a successful volunteer-run event like that really lifts my spirits.
My NDMV-AmeriCorps Family:
Each week I meet with the 18 Notre Dame Mission Volunteers-AmeriCorps members at a central location. The meetings really bring together the whole 'year-of-service' experience in the way that we have each other to lean on and ask advice of, etc. Not to mention the great things we learn from each other.
So far we have visited a couple service sites and met with some of the people that our fellow members work with and we will be visiting all the sites by the end of our year. Some meetings we get to know each other and ourselves better through presentations given by our fellow members on various subjects. We also take some time every month to have a piece of cake and celebrate the birthdays of our fellow members.
My Other Volunteering:
In order to ensure that I reach 1700 volunteering hours by the end of my year of service, I try to volunteer at places other than my service site when I can. I have helped out at a Power Inspires Progress Brunch, a day of Bingo Bonanza that raises money for my school, 2 health fairs put on by one of my fellow NDMVA member's service site, and even once a week at an art school for autistic individuals. If anything, I can say that this year's experiences are well-rounded.
Settling In:
I'm very happy to say that I can finally get around most of downtown and out to the southeastern suburbs without my GPS! I'm learning to love the local market and I go there when I can. It took about 3 months, but I finally went on my first hike with the Tri-State Hiking Club this week and I made a new friend.
Overall, I'm definitely feeling the tight budget, but I think I may be the happiest I've ever been. This experience is invaluable and I'm learning a lot about myself. :)
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Classic Classroom Moments
After a spelling test in first grade, the students are told to put their heads down on their desks and turn their paper over. The teacher picked up one girl's paper and it had a wet spot on it that ran down the paper when she picked it up.
Teacher: Why is your paper wet?
Student: It's from my mouth.
Teacher: Why is your paper wet?
Student: It's from my mouth.
My Year Of Service - #4
Well, it has definitely been an interesting couple of weeks. I meant to write sooner, but something unexpected happened. After only 3 days of working with the children at school, I started to feel sick. Sore throat, stuffy nose, etc. I bet I got it from the preschooler I played with during after school care that first week. It ended up getting the better of me that weekend and I missed 3 days during my second week. Luckily, some friends helped me find an Urgent Care to see a doctor and get an antibiotic.
I'm now feeling much better and I was able to complete my first whole week at the school. Here's what my schedule looks like, at least until October, when Big Sisters begins and I'll have to stay late on Tuesdays as well:
Monday: 7:00am-5:30pm (10.5 hours)
Tuesday: 7:00am-3:00pm (8 hours)
Wednesday: 7:00am-12:45pm (5.75 hours) + 1:00pm-4:00pm at the AmeriCorps In-Service Meeting (3 hours)
Thursday: 7:00am-3:00pm (8 hours)
Friday: 7:00am-5:30pm (10.5 hours)
That's about 44 hours per week, then there will be more starting in October. We don't get paid overtime, but we get the same paycheck every 2 weeks with the requirement of serving the whole 1700 hours by the end of our 11 months.
I missed a lot of hours during that second week, but I can make them up by volunteering at other events in the city or by staying late on a Thursday.
Since I work in a school, I have to take into account that school ends in spring, plus the teacher conference days and holidays and breaks. That is why I have to ensure that I put in as many hours as I can in the beginning so I'm not scrambling to make them up at the end of the school year.
As far as my relationship with the students goes, I can tell that I'm still establishing myself. Many of them do not listen to me when I am trying to settle them down or create order in the classroom. Apparently I don't sound mean enough like the cafeteria lady or the after school care lady.
I find myself wanting to be their friend and help them to succeed. I feel I do much better when I work one-on-one with them, especially one in particular.
There is one kindergartener that has never been to school before and doesn't do so well with following directions all the time. He is also a little mean to the other students, threatening to beat them, etc. even if they are bigger than him.
When he got his worksheets, he would grab some crayons and scribble all over them and not even try to follow the teacher's instructions.
Shortly after I started, the teacher and I added a new part of a routine to their day. We split them into 3 groups. One would work with the teacher on letters and worksheets, one would come to my table and we'd work on a handwriting worksheet, and the other would play in Centers (different stations around the room). Of course, the student I'm talking about would only push his paper away saying he didn't want to do it and that he wanted to go home. He might also just scribble on it and that would be it.
I am happy and proud to say that I have seen great improvement in this child. One day last week (when I was still pretty sick), I somehow got him to write the letters on the worksheet and he finished it all. I kept encouraging him and telling how great he was doing and he gave me the best smiles I have ever seen. We shared the news with his teacher and she allowed him to pick from the candy jar before lunch time.
This week, there were 3 days where he did a great job on my worksheets... Not without a fight though. One of the days this week, he refused to do it while he was sitting at the table with his group, so I took him out into the cafeteria and sat him down in the "bad" chair. I kneeled next to him and had a talk with him. He said he wanted to go home. I told him he was my friend and that I would miss him too much if he went home. I reminded him of his good work the week before and how he got rewarded. I told him I wanted to see his beautiful letters again and that he had a choice. He could either sit out in the cafeteria then and do the worksheet during recess or he could do it now with me and show me his beautiful letters. He chose to do the worksheet with me. I said thank you, showing him how happy I was that he made that choice, and gave him a hug. He did a great job on his worksheet and he was allowed to play at recess time. At the end of the day, I gave him another hug and reminded him of how good his day was. I really try to emphasize the positive with this one, he tends to get mostly negative attention all day from not following directions, and Lord knows what he gets at home.
I can't wait to see how his year goes.
I'm now feeling much better and I was able to complete my first whole week at the school. Here's what my schedule looks like, at least until October, when Big Sisters begins and I'll have to stay late on Tuesdays as well:
Monday: 7:00am-5:30pm (10.5 hours)
Tuesday: 7:00am-3:00pm (8 hours)
Wednesday: 7:00am-12:45pm (5.75 hours) + 1:00pm-4:00pm at the AmeriCorps In-Service Meeting (3 hours)
Thursday: 7:00am-3:00pm (8 hours)
Friday: 7:00am-5:30pm (10.5 hours)
That's about 44 hours per week, then there will be more starting in October. We don't get paid overtime, but we get the same paycheck every 2 weeks with the requirement of serving the whole 1700 hours by the end of our 11 months.
I missed a lot of hours during that second week, but I can make them up by volunteering at other events in the city or by staying late on a Thursday.
Since I work in a school, I have to take into account that school ends in spring, plus the teacher conference days and holidays and breaks. That is why I have to ensure that I put in as many hours as I can in the beginning so I'm not scrambling to make them up at the end of the school year.
As far as my relationship with the students goes, I can tell that I'm still establishing myself. Many of them do not listen to me when I am trying to settle them down or create order in the classroom. Apparently I don't sound mean enough like the cafeteria lady or the after school care lady.
I find myself wanting to be their friend and help them to succeed. I feel I do much better when I work one-on-one with them, especially one in particular.
There is one kindergartener that has never been to school before and doesn't do so well with following directions all the time. He is also a little mean to the other students, threatening to beat them, etc. even if they are bigger than him.
When he got his worksheets, he would grab some crayons and scribble all over them and not even try to follow the teacher's instructions.
Shortly after I started, the teacher and I added a new part of a routine to their day. We split them into 3 groups. One would work with the teacher on letters and worksheets, one would come to my table and we'd work on a handwriting worksheet, and the other would play in Centers (different stations around the room). Of course, the student I'm talking about would only push his paper away saying he didn't want to do it and that he wanted to go home. He might also just scribble on it and that would be it.
I am happy and proud to say that I have seen great improvement in this child. One day last week (when I was still pretty sick), I somehow got him to write the letters on the worksheet and he finished it all. I kept encouraging him and telling how great he was doing and he gave me the best smiles I have ever seen. We shared the news with his teacher and she allowed him to pick from the candy jar before lunch time.
This week, there were 3 days where he did a great job on my worksheets... Not without a fight though. One of the days this week, he refused to do it while he was sitting at the table with his group, so I took him out into the cafeteria and sat him down in the "bad" chair. I kneeled next to him and had a talk with him. He said he wanted to go home. I told him he was my friend and that I would miss him too much if he went home. I reminded him of his good work the week before and how he got rewarded. I told him I wanted to see his beautiful letters again and that he had a choice. He could either sit out in the cafeteria then and do the worksheet during recess or he could do it now with me and show me his beautiful letters. He chose to do the worksheet with me. I said thank you, showing him how happy I was that he made that choice, and gave him a hug. He did a great job on his worksheet and he was allowed to play at recess time. At the end of the day, I gave him another hug and reminded him of how good his day was. I really try to emphasize the positive with this one, he tends to get mostly negative attention all day from not following directions, and Lord knows what he gets at home.
I can't wait to see how his year goes.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Classic Classroom Moments
Setting: A tutor helping 2 Kindergarteners with a "ch" worksheet. i.e.: A picture of a chimp with the letters "imp" printed below it. The students need to fill in the letters "ch".
Kindergarten Student: I know what number 10 is!
(Note: #10 is a picture of an open box of chalk with pieces of chalk coming out of it.)
Tutor: What?
Kindergarten Student: It's chalk!
Tutor: Really? How do you know that?
Kindergarten Student: ...Well, I know it ain't cigarettes!
-----
I now have a favorite Preschooler that attends After School Care. He always plays catch with a basketball with me and he is the cutest thing. Here are a couple of funny things that have happened in the past few weeks.
Setting: I was pretending to disagree with him about something so he said to me:
Preschooler: Yes you is!
Me (trying to correct him): Yes you ARE.
Preschooler: No I ain't!
-----
Me: I'll be right back, I have to blow my nose.
Preschooler: I have to blow my toes too!
Kindergarten Student: I know what number 10 is!
(Note: #10 is a picture of an open box of chalk with pieces of chalk coming out of it.)
Tutor: What?
Kindergarten Student: It's chalk!
Tutor: Really? How do you know that?
Kindergarten Student: ...Well, I know it ain't cigarettes!
-----
I now have a favorite Preschooler that attends After School Care. He always plays catch with a basketball with me and he is the cutest thing. Here are a couple of funny things that have happened in the past few weeks.
Setting: I was pretending to disagree with him about something so he said to me:
Preschooler: Yes you is!
Me (trying to correct him): Yes you ARE.
Preschooler: No I ain't!
-----
Me: I'll be right back, I have to blow my nose.
Preschooler: I have to blow my toes too!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Getting Settled
If you know me, you know that I move a lot. Since I graduated high school in 2003, I have moved 11 times. If anyone can learn to adapt to different environments, it would be me. However, my most recent move to Cincinnati is a bit different from my previous moves and it has me a little discombobulated. Don't get me wrong; I am not complaining. Everything has been wonderful here so far! Just different from my previous experiences.
For starters, I have never owned a car until this summer. Every time I've moved to a new city (Miami, Columbus, DC), the first thing I had to learn was the public transportation system. When I lived in Miami, Florida, I hardly left campus unless I was in Trina's car or exploring downtown with James by bus. In Columbus, I had to plan where I lived and worked according to the bus routes. If you can believe it, I lived, went to school, and worked on High Street, just on different ends of town. In DC, I relied on walking, the subway, and buses to get to work every day. It is such a strange feeling to now have the convenience of a car. I can hop in at any time and go wherever I want, even if it is across town. And, get this, I don't have to make my only grocery runs on my way home from work and have to carry my groceries a mile to my apartment building from the subway station!
Another major difference is when I've moved before, I never knew anyone in the new town before arriving. There would be a few weeks or so of me living on my own, going to classes or work, watching tv, going on the internet, etc. and kind of developing a routine before I started making friends. This time, I've known about 20 wonderful people in the area for over a year before moving here, plus I met 18 more upon arrival through my AmeriCorps position. I've never been so social during my first 3 weeks in a new town before in my life. Heck, this is the most social I've been in a long time!
The last thing that has me all discombobulated is that as an AmeriCorps member, I have to keep track of all my hours spent at work, In-Service meetings, and other volunteer work I do. I have never been good at keeping track of my hours and my mother can attest to this. Not only do we have the paper time sheets to fill out (which, we were just informed, are now obsolete), we have to log our hours online, print out reports, get them signed by our Service Site Supervisor, and bring them to our weekly meetings. I'm working on creating a system that will work for me, and I'm sure I'll get better at it as time goes by.
That's it for now. I better get some rest because this is going to be another action-packed week, both in school with the Kindergarteners and after school with friends and meetings.
For starters, I have never owned a car until this summer. Every time I've moved to a new city (Miami, Columbus, DC), the first thing I had to learn was the public transportation system. When I lived in Miami, Florida, I hardly left campus unless I was in Trina's car or exploring downtown with James by bus. In Columbus, I had to plan where I lived and worked according to the bus routes. If you can believe it, I lived, went to school, and worked on High Street, just on different ends of town. In DC, I relied on walking, the subway, and buses to get to work every day. It is such a strange feeling to now have the convenience of a car. I can hop in at any time and go wherever I want, even if it is across town. And, get this, I don't have to make my only grocery runs on my way home from work and have to carry my groceries a mile to my apartment building from the subway station!
Another major difference is when I've moved before, I never knew anyone in the new town before arriving. There would be a few weeks or so of me living on my own, going to classes or work, watching tv, going on the internet, etc. and kind of developing a routine before I started making friends. This time, I've known about 20 wonderful people in the area for over a year before moving here, plus I met 18 more upon arrival through my AmeriCorps position. I've never been so social during my first 3 weeks in a new town before in my life. Heck, this is the most social I've been in a long time!
The last thing that has me all discombobulated is that as an AmeriCorps member, I have to keep track of all my hours spent at work, In-Service meetings, and other volunteer work I do. I have never been good at keeping track of my hours and my mother can attest to this. Not only do we have the paper time sheets to fill out (which, we were just informed, are now obsolete), we have to log our hours online, print out reports, get them signed by our Service Site Supervisor, and bring them to our weekly meetings. I'm working on creating a system that will work for me, and I'm sure I'll get better at it as time goes by.
That's it for now. I better get some rest because this is going to be another action-packed week, both in school with the Kindergarteners and after school with friends and meetings.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Classic Classroom Moments
The kids that can't remember my name either tap me on my belly or my arm or call me by an entirely different name that must have been their teacher last year. One (or more) of the kids have been referring to me as "Miss Pimpins" to the lunch lady. And another one today called me "Miss Punkin".
Classic Classroom Moments
There is a first time for everything when you start working at an elementary school. Today I was on Pants Patrol. There were 2 accidents (one #2 and one #1, in K and 1st, respectively) and one child tore the rear of his pants wide open while climbing a tree at recess. (That's not allowed!) We had to go to the office and get everyone changed into a spare pair of uniform pants (and undies for the accidents).
Never a dull day!
Never a dull day!
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
My Year of Service - #3
Yesterday was my first full day at my inner-city elementary school, and boy, was it different! I've never worked with a full class of kindergarteners or first-graders before, and I now get to work with both. I also help out in the lunchroom when the kindergarteners are seated and given their lunch tickets for the day.
My day is divided between the kindergarten and first grade classes, about 70% of it being spent with the younger group. I'm beginning to learn their names as they go through their daily routines of reciting the months of the year, days of the week, and numbers. During the day, I am one of their stations when they split into groups and rotate around the room. We do a worksheet that focuses on how to write the letter of the week: D and d. They are also learning to sort things, by size, color, etc.
Some of the kids are good listeners and others need to be told *much* more than once. I'm looking forward to mastering the "getting-the-kids'-attention" techniques the teachers use.
I am amazed at just how much my voice aches at the end of the day - and it's not even from yelling! There is so much talking involved when dealing with small children. Constant instruction, answering questions, etc.
With the first graders, I mostly help a couple kids at a time with an assignment in the back of the room. I make sure they follow directions and that they understand what they are doing. Now, in math, they are working on greater than ">", less than "<", and equal to "=". Remember that "Which number does the alligator always want to eat?" trick?
I am already getting hugs from a couple of students as soon as they see me in the morning and before they get on the bus in the afternoon. I know the job is going to be tough, but those little smiles and hugs really make it worth it! That and knowing there's a chance that my efforts may help them to achieve academic success in the future.
My day is divided between the kindergarten and first grade classes, about 70% of it being spent with the younger group. I'm beginning to learn their names as they go through their daily routines of reciting the months of the year, days of the week, and numbers. During the day, I am one of their stations when they split into groups and rotate around the room. We do a worksheet that focuses on how to write the letter of the week: D and d. They are also learning to sort things, by size, color, etc.
Some of the kids are good listeners and others need to be told *much* more than once. I'm looking forward to mastering the "getting-the-kids'-attention" techniques the teachers use.
I am amazed at just how much my voice aches at the end of the day - and it's not even from yelling! There is so much talking involved when dealing with small children. Constant instruction, answering questions, etc.
With the first graders, I mostly help a couple kids at a time with an assignment in the back of the room. I make sure they follow directions and that they understand what they are doing. Now, in math, they are working on greater than ">", less than "<", and equal to "=". Remember that "Which number does the alligator always want to eat?" trick?
I am already getting hugs from a couple of students as soon as they see me in the morning and before they get on the bus in the afternoon. I know the job is going to be tough, but those little smiles and hugs really make it worth it! That and knowing there's a chance that my efforts may help them to achieve academic success in the future.
Classic Classroom Moments
*One of my kindergarteners called me "Miss Pimpins" for a day.
*Two of my kindergarteners are from Ethiopia, and I know a few words in their native language (Amharic). I showed them how I can count to 5 in their language yesterday. Today one of them dragged his mother in by the hand so she could meet me, and so I could show her what I know how to say.
*Two of my kindergarteners are from Ethiopia, and I know a few words in their native language (Amharic). I showed them how I can count to 5 in their language yesterday. Today one of them dragged his mother in by the hand so she could meet me, and so I could show her what I know how to say.
Sunday, September 06, 2009
My Year of Service - #2
My first week with AmeriCorps was awesome!
The first day, I met the other 17 members at the Notre Dame Mission Volunteers-AmeriCorps (NDMVA) office and we got an overview of the week and the year. We then went to Mt. Notre Dame (a community of Notre Dame Sisters) and learned about the history of AmeriCorps and Notre Dame. You have probably heard about Sister Dorothy that was murdered in Brazil a few years ago. She was a Notre Dame Sister from Ohio and they have a whole room dedicated to her and artifacts from her life and death.
We also spent some time filling out paperwork, but one of the neatest things was that we got to meet a Sister and talk to her about her experiences living a life of service. I was paired up with Becky and Sister Betty Anne; boy was she spunky!
The second day, all of the members were to meet at a service site in a neighborhood that we have never seen. We met at a newly constructed house in Lockland that was built by Cincinnati Housing Partners for a low-income family. We did some major yard work, pulled weeks, cut down small trees, planted grass, painted the deck, etc. Some of us even got to use some major equipment! Amanda and Connie learned to use a chainsaw and Sarah, Katie and I learned to drive a Bobcat loader! We even took loades of dirt down the street to another lot where a house is being built.
The third day, we met back at the NDMVA office and learned a little more about each other. Then, at lunch time, we had lunch with some of the people with whom we will be working at our service sites. After lunch, we went to our service sites to learn a little more about our duties, etc. I went to my elementary school and got to meet my kindergarten and first grade teachers. Sister Marie took me and Stacey around to introduce us to the kids and I couldn't help but smile when the kids said in unison, "Good afternoon, Miss Pickens!"
The fourth and last day, we met at another location where we had an all-day team-building workshop. The man who worked with us is also a police officer in one of the worse areas of Cincinnati. We did several activities that got us to think and work together as a team. My favorite was called the "Power Walk" because I had never learned so much about my peers without speaking a word like that before. There was a line down the middle of the room. One side of the room stood for "agree" and the other "disagree". The farther away from the middle of the room that you stood meant the more you agree or disagree. We were asked questions like "Do you know where you are going?", "Do you practice religion?", "Are you afraid of death?", "Have you ever been in love?", "Do you have or want kids?", "Are you politically active?", along with some other loaded questions. At the end of each question we were reminded to look around the room to see how our peers answered the questions. I must say, it was a very powerful activity.
I'm really excited about the group of people I'll be working with through NDMVA. They seem like great people and I think we can learn a lot from each other. I can see some great friendships growing this year.
Now it's the weekend and I feel like I am more at home since I have groceries and a clean area to cook on. My first day working at the school is Tuesday because of the holiday weekend. I'm a little nervous, but excited too!
The first day, I met the other 17 members at the Notre Dame Mission Volunteers-AmeriCorps (NDMVA) office and we got an overview of the week and the year. We then went to Mt. Notre Dame (a community of Notre Dame Sisters) and learned about the history of AmeriCorps and Notre Dame. You have probably heard about Sister Dorothy that was murdered in Brazil a few years ago. She was a Notre Dame Sister from Ohio and they have a whole room dedicated to her and artifacts from her life and death.
We also spent some time filling out paperwork, but one of the neatest things was that we got to meet a Sister and talk to her about her experiences living a life of service. I was paired up with Becky and Sister Betty Anne; boy was she spunky!
The second day, all of the members were to meet at a service site in a neighborhood that we have never seen. We met at a newly constructed house in Lockland that was built by Cincinnati Housing Partners for a low-income family. We did some major yard work, pulled weeks, cut down small trees, planted grass, painted the deck, etc. Some of us even got to use some major equipment! Amanda and Connie learned to use a chainsaw and Sarah, Katie and I learned to drive a Bobcat loader! We even took loades of dirt down the street to another lot where a house is being built.
The third day, we met back at the NDMVA office and learned a little more about each other. Then, at lunch time, we had lunch with some of the people with whom we will be working at our service sites. After lunch, we went to our service sites to learn a little more about our duties, etc. I went to my elementary school and got to meet my kindergarten and first grade teachers. Sister Marie took me and Stacey around to introduce us to the kids and I couldn't help but smile when the kids said in unison, "Good afternoon, Miss Pickens!"
The fourth and last day, we met at another location where we had an all-day team-building workshop. The man who worked with us is also a police officer in one of the worse areas of Cincinnati. We did several activities that got us to think and work together as a team. My favorite was called the "Power Walk" because I had never learned so much about my peers without speaking a word like that before. There was a line down the middle of the room. One side of the room stood for "agree" and the other "disagree". The farther away from the middle of the room that you stood meant the more you agree or disagree. We were asked questions like "Do you know where you are going?", "Do you practice religion?", "Are you afraid of death?", "Have you ever been in love?", "Do you have or want kids?", "Are you politically active?", along with some other loaded questions. At the end of each question we were reminded to look around the room to see how our peers answered the questions. I must say, it was a very powerful activity.
I'm really excited about the group of people I'll be working with through NDMVA. They seem like great people and I think we can learn a lot from each other. I can see some great friendships growing this year.
Now it's the weekend and I feel like I am more at home since I have groceries and a clean area to cook on. My first day working at the school is Tuesday because of the holiday weekend. I'm a little nervous, but excited too!
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
My Year Of Service - #1
Following the suggestion of an old classmate and a friend of my parents, I applied for an AmeriCorps position in February of this year. After several essays and interviews, I got multiple acceptance letters in June and ultimately went with a program in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The AmeriCorps program that I'll be participating in this school year is run by Notre Dame Mission Volunteers-AmeriCorps and today is my first day of orientation. Today I'll be meeting with other NDMVA volunteers and learning about the service sites that each of us will be working in. My service site is an inner-city Catholic elementary school.
~
It has been quite a journey since the day I first submitted my application to AmeriCorps!
These last few weeks have been a bit of a challenge: packing, finding housing for my year of service, etc., but this last week was like finally getting that carrot on the end of a string.
I drove to Cincinnati from Chicago on Monday and stayed with a good friend. When I got to his house, my best friend from Illinois was sitting on his front steps to surprise me! The next day, the three of us visited what would be my apartment and then went sight-seeing for an entire day. We visited the Carew Tower, Fountain Square, Graeter's, the Purple People Bridge, and the Serpentine Wall.
After a long day in the sun, we went back to his house to find about 20 of his friends and family members waiting there to surprise-welcome me to Ohio. Not only that, but seconds after arriving, everyone in the room began to snap to a rhythm... And then my friend broke into song:
The party was fun and it was great to see so many familiar faces (and meet a couple new people as well!). I couldn't have asked for a more memorable first couple of days in Ohio. :)
The next day, I drove to Columbus and visited with my cousin and some former coworkers. Somehow, we managed to squeeze in a visit to the Columbus Zoo and see the baby elephant!
I hit the road again the next day, this time to eastern Ohio to visit family for a few days. It was nice to see them and I'm glad to be living a lot closer to them now (about 5 hours instead of 10, driving).
Sunday afternoon, I drove all the way back to my friend's house in Cincinnati and re-gathered my things. Monday morning we packed the cars and moved everything into my new apartment* (*rented room). Everything was done by 5pm!
Now I have merely one hour before my first day of AmeriCorps Orientation, and I am very excited! I'll get to meet the volunteers that I'll be serving and meeting with over the next 11 months and seeing the various service sites they will be working at.
I can't wait!
The AmeriCorps program that I'll be participating in this school year is run by Notre Dame Mission Volunteers-AmeriCorps and today is my first day of orientation. Today I'll be meeting with other NDMVA volunteers and learning about the service sites that each of us will be working in. My service site is an inner-city Catholic elementary school.
~
It has been quite a journey since the day I first submitted my application to AmeriCorps!
These last few weeks have been a bit of a challenge: packing, finding housing for my year of service, etc., but this last week was like finally getting that carrot on the end of a string.
I drove to Cincinnati from Chicago on Monday and stayed with a good friend. When I got to his house, my best friend from Illinois was sitting on his front steps to surprise me! The next day, the three of us visited what would be my apartment and then went sight-seeing for an entire day. We visited the Carew Tower, Fountain Square, Graeter's, the Purple People Bridge, and the Serpentine Wall.
After a long day in the sun, we went back to his house to find about 20 of his friends and family members waiting there to surprise-welcome me to Ohio. Not only that, but seconds after arriving, everyone in the room began to snap to a rhythm... And then my friend broke into song:
Josie Welcome to Cincinnati, girl
You'll be happily living in a world
Where we cheer on the Bengals and the Reds also Hello Ocho Cinco
Chili on hotdogs and fries
It is our speciality
So please have some pride
And if you do you'll see
The weather is nice at least sometimes
here's a hint : meteoroligists lie
if you like ice cream
there's nothing greater than Graeters
and Montgomery Inn's got the right flavor
i think that you'd agree to Skyline for lunch
and for dessert baby UDF caramel crunch
so Josie welcome to our metropolis
and actually, we call it Porkopolis
we wrote this ditty
to try to make you smile a little
Josie, Welcome to Cincinnati, girl
The party was fun and it was great to see so many familiar faces (and meet a couple new people as well!). I couldn't have asked for a more memorable first couple of days in Ohio. :)
The next day, I drove to Columbus and visited with my cousin and some former coworkers. Somehow, we managed to squeeze in a visit to the Columbus Zoo and see the baby elephant!
I hit the road again the next day, this time to eastern Ohio to visit family for a few days. It was nice to see them and I'm glad to be living a lot closer to them now (about 5 hours instead of 10, driving).
Sunday afternoon, I drove all the way back to my friend's house in Cincinnati and re-gathered my things. Monday morning we packed the cars and moved everything into my new apartment* (*rented room). Everything was done by 5pm!
Now I have merely one hour before my first day of AmeriCorps Orientation, and I am very excited! I'll get to meet the volunteers that I'll be serving and meeting with over the next 11 months and seeing the various service sites they will be working at.
I can't wait!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
My Eurotrip 2009: Day 12
The Return
Tuesday, May 12
Siena and I got up early and had breakfast with Maria again, and her daughter. We said our goodbyes to Maria and Paolo and then loaded up the taxi that came for us at 7am. We ended up getting to the airport too early to check in, so Siena and I sat on a bench and waited for a while, listening to her iPod.
Then it was time for goodbye, as I left for the States and Siena stayed behind in Italy to enjoy the last 7 weeks of her stay there.
I am so glad she was my tour guide - and I was very impressed by her Italian, too!
Tuesday, May 12
Siena and I got up early and had breakfast with Maria again, and her daughter. We said our goodbyes to Maria and Paolo and then loaded up the taxi that came for us at 7am. We ended up getting to the airport too early to check in, so Siena and I sat on a bench and waited for a while, listening to her iPod.
Then it was time for goodbye, as I left for the States and Siena stayed behind in Italy to enjoy the last 7 weeks of her stay there.
I am so glad she was my tour guide - and I was very impressed by her Italian, too!
My Eurotrip 2009: Day 11
Exploring Florence
Monday, May 11
Siena and I woke up early and had breakfast with Maria. We took a bus to a place just outside of Florence where we walked up a hill to a path that led us to a beautiful view of Florence, only this time: As Seen from the Countryside.
Then, we took another bus to an anthropology museum where they had costumes and items from several different cultures from around the world. They even had real shrunken heads! Just like at the other museum, the collection hasn't been touched in decades.
Later, we walked to a sandwich place and order a "#9", which means they get to pick what goes on the sandwich for you. We ate our sandwiches while sitting in the shade on a park bench, watching the pigeons and people walk by.
We strolled the streets and looked in some shops. We even bought some cheap clothing at an outlet store. We got gelato one more time (hurray for coffee and hazelnut flavor!). Siena got Siciliano and Kiwi flavor.
We then got on a bus back to the homestay and watched "Bring it on" dubbed in Italian before we rearranged the suitcase situation and then had dinner. It was a fun dinner with the group of students, and a bit sad because it was my last one with them. They were very nice people!
We went to bed early after putting the finishing touches on the suitcase I was to take home to the States for Siena.
Monday, May 11
Siena and I woke up early and had breakfast with Maria. We took a bus to a place just outside of Florence where we walked up a hill to a path that led us to a beautiful view of Florence, only this time: As Seen from the Countryside.
Then, we took another bus to an anthropology museum where they had costumes and items from several different cultures from around the world. They even had real shrunken heads! Just like at the other museum, the collection hasn't been touched in decades.
Later, we walked to a sandwich place and order a "#9", which means they get to pick what goes on the sandwich for you. We ate our sandwiches while sitting in the shade on a park bench, watching the pigeons and people walk by.
We strolled the streets and looked in some shops. We even bought some cheap clothing at an outlet store. We got gelato one more time (hurray for coffee and hazelnut flavor!). Siena got Siciliano and Kiwi flavor.
We then got on a bus back to the homestay and watched "Bring it on" dubbed in Italian before we rearranged the suitcase situation and then had dinner. It was a fun dinner with the group of students, and a bit sad because it was my last one with them. They were very nice people!
We went to bed early after putting the finishing touches on the suitcase I was to take home to the States for Siena.
My Eurotrip 2009: Day 10
Museum and Bologna
Sunday, May 10
Siena and I woke up at 8am and had breakfast with Maria. She's originally from Portugal, but has been living with her Italian husband in Italy for 25 years. She really missed speaking Portuguese, so that's how her and I communicated during our visit. (She would speak to Siena in Italian.)
Then, Siena and I went to the Museum of Natural History: Zoologia, the one called "La Specola". It was really interesting! They had stuffed animals (by taxidermy, not plush toys) that had been stuffed about 100 years ago and you could see the stitches! They were behind cabinet doors made with hand-rolled glass, and the collection in the museum has not been moved or changed since it was put there about a century ago.
After strolling the halls of La Specola, we went to the Florence Union Station to catch our train to Bologna so we could meet up with our distant cousin, Gionata. The last time I had seen him, it was about 10 years ago! His train came in only 10 minutes after ours and we walked from the train station towards the downtown area so we could find a place to eat. We ended up picking a pizza place because I pointed out that I haven't had Italian pizza yet (this trip). I got the "Popeye" pizza (it had spinach and cheese) and it was delicious!
We kept walking around town, and Gionata pointed out that Bologna also has a leaning tower (like Pisa). Except in Bologna, there are 2 right next to each other and only one is leaning. We also saw a piazza and a couple of churches while we were waiting for Alessandro to meet up with us. He and Gionata had shared a desk at school when they were kids, and now Alessandro has been living in Bologna for about 8 years.
He told us about the myth of the statue of Neptune in the piazza, and explained some things about the city to us. Before heading back to the train station, we stopped at a little bar and joined the Italians for a drink called "Spritz". It was really tasty!
At the train station, Gionata gave me a present from Aunt Rita and then we said good bye. It was nice to see him again after so long!
After the short, high-speed train ride back to Florence, Siena and I rushed to the homestay for the 8pm dinner with Maria and the other students staying there. We were joined by Maria Eugenia, Maria, Paolo (her husband), Stefan and his friend (Austrians), and Anika (from Sweden). Needless to say, there were many languages present at the table that night! We had pesto pasta, meat, salad, and fruit for dessert.
Siena and I went to our room and watched "Meet the Fockers" dubbed in Italian before going to bed.
Sunday, May 10
Siena and I woke up at 8am and had breakfast with Maria. She's originally from Portugal, but has been living with her Italian husband in Italy for 25 years. She really missed speaking Portuguese, so that's how her and I communicated during our visit. (She would speak to Siena in Italian.)
Then, Siena and I went to the Museum of Natural History: Zoologia, the one called "La Specola". It was really interesting! They had stuffed animals (by taxidermy, not plush toys) that had been stuffed about 100 years ago and you could see the stitches! They were behind cabinet doors made with hand-rolled glass, and the collection in the museum has not been moved or changed since it was put there about a century ago.
After strolling the halls of La Specola, we went to the Florence Union Station to catch our train to Bologna so we could meet up with our distant cousin, Gionata. The last time I had seen him, it was about 10 years ago! His train came in only 10 minutes after ours and we walked from the train station towards the downtown area so we could find a place to eat. We ended up picking a pizza place because I pointed out that I haven't had Italian pizza yet (this trip). I got the "Popeye" pizza (it had spinach and cheese) and it was delicious!
We kept walking around town, and Gionata pointed out that Bologna also has a leaning tower (like Pisa). Except in Bologna, there are 2 right next to each other and only one is leaning. We also saw a piazza and a couple of churches while we were waiting for Alessandro to meet up with us. He and Gionata had shared a desk at school when they were kids, and now Alessandro has been living in Bologna for about 8 years.
He told us about the myth of the statue of Neptune in the piazza, and explained some things about the city to us. Before heading back to the train station, we stopped at a little bar and joined the Italians for a drink called "Spritz". It was really tasty!
At the train station, Gionata gave me a present from Aunt Rita and then we said good bye. It was nice to see him again after so long!
After the short, high-speed train ride back to Florence, Siena and I rushed to the homestay for the 8pm dinner with Maria and the other students staying there. We were joined by Maria Eugenia, Maria, Paolo (her husband), Stefan and his friend (Austrians), and Anika (from Sweden). Needless to say, there were many languages present at the table that night! We had pesto pasta, meat, salad, and fruit for dessert.
Siena and I went to our room and watched "Meet the Fockers" dubbed in Italian before going to bed.
My Eurotrip 2009: Day 9
First Day in Florence
Saturday, May 9
Siena and I left at 5am with Eleni to get to our early-morning flight from Athens to Florence, Italy. We had a connection in Munich and had a bit of trouble finding our gate, but we eventually found it after we discovered the escalator.
We arrived in Florence on time and we took a taxi to her homestay, where we met Maria. We freshened up a bit and went downtown to the Duomo area by bus, which only took about 10-15 minutes. The line to go inside the Duomo was very long, so we decided to go up to the top of the neighboring bell tower instead. To get to the top, we had to climb 414 stairs, but the view was well worth it! After we climbed back down the narrow, winding staircase, we got some Chinese food and ate it on the steps of the San Lorenzo church nearby. We walked to a really good gelato place near Ponte Vecchio and then started our climb to the Piazzale Michelangiolo, where we had a beautiful veiw of the city.
We walked around for a while, looking in shops and a market before we had an awesome buffet dinner at Kitsch. It was a mere 8 Euros for the buffet and aperitivo. Then we took the bus back to the homestay and watched some Italian tv while we got ready for bed.
Saturday, May 9
Siena and I left at 5am with Eleni to get to our early-morning flight from Athens to Florence, Italy. We had a connection in Munich and had a bit of trouble finding our gate, but we eventually found it after we discovered the escalator.
We arrived in Florence on time and we took a taxi to her homestay, where we met Maria. We freshened up a bit and went downtown to the Duomo area by bus, which only took about 10-15 minutes. The line to go inside the Duomo was very long, so we decided to go up to the top of the neighboring bell tower instead. To get to the top, we had to climb 414 stairs, but the view was well worth it! After we climbed back down the narrow, winding staircase, we got some Chinese food and ate it on the steps of the San Lorenzo church nearby. We walked to a really good gelato place near Ponte Vecchio and then started our climb to the Piazzale Michelangiolo, where we had a beautiful veiw of the city.
We walked around for a while, looking in shops and a market before we had an awesome buffet dinner at Kitsch. It was a mere 8 Euros for the buffet and aperitivo. Then we took the bus back to the homestay and watched some Italian tv while we got ready for bed.
My Eurotrip 2009: Day 8
Delphi
Friday, May 8
Siena and I left the house with Eleni around 8am and we drove about 2.5 hours to Delphi. We walked through the ruins that sit on the side of a mountain, and climbed our way in the hot sun up to the stadium. Afterwards, we walked through the museum that holds the gifts people from all over the world gave as an offering to the oracle.
After a snack, we continued on the road through the mountains for a couple of hours. We stopped for a real meal at a restaurant that had a patio right on the water. The owner of the restaurant was the son of a sailor and his widow, and he was also an artist. Siena showed him the couple of water colors she had with her, and he complimented her work.
We had "egg pie", cabbage leaves stuffed with meat and rice, potatoes, pork, and Greek salad. We fed some ducks in the water near our table with some stale bread the waitress provided. We were the only people in the whole place since it was a weekday, and it was very peaceful. You could hear the lapping of the waves against the stones of the patio under our feet.
We continued our drive up the coast, all the way to the bridge that connects the mainland to Peloponnisos. It was built in 2004 and it was quite a sight! From there, we followed the same course that we took on our first full day in Greece on the train ride to Kalavrita. We stopped at the narrow Corinth Canal that separates Peloponnisos from the mainland. We even got to see a boat go through it.
We continued driving through Athens to get to Pallini on the other side. We were so tired from the long day on the road that we just ordered souvlaki take out and relaxed. Since it was our last night with Simon, Eleni, Yia Yia, and Despina, we took this time to present them with some gifts we brought from the U.S. Siena even gave them a couple of her photographs from her photography class in Florence.
Siena and I packed our bags and went to bed.. The next day was our journey to Florence!
Friday, May 8
Siena and I left the house with Eleni around 8am and we drove about 2.5 hours to Delphi. We walked through the ruins that sit on the side of a mountain, and climbed our way in the hot sun up to the stadium. Afterwards, we walked through the museum that holds the gifts people from all over the world gave as an offering to the oracle.
After a snack, we continued on the road through the mountains for a couple of hours. We stopped for a real meal at a restaurant that had a patio right on the water. The owner of the restaurant was the son of a sailor and his widow, and he was also an artist. Siena showed him the couple of water colors she had with her, and he complimented her work.
We had "egg pie", cabbage leaves stuffed with meat and rice, potatoes, pork, and Greek salad. We fed some ducks in the water near our table with some stale bread the waitress provided. We were the only people in the whole place since it was a weekday, and it was very peaceful. You could hear the lapping of the waves against the stones of the patio under our feet.
We continued our drive up the coast, all the way to the bridge that connects the mainland to Peloponnisos. It was built in 2004 and it was quite a sight! From there, we followed the same course that we took on our first full day in Greece on the train ride to Kalavrita. We stopped at the narrow Corinth Canal that separates Peloponnisos from the mainland. We even got to see a boat go through it.
We continued driving through Athens to get to Pallini on the other side. We were so tired from the long day on the road that we just ordered souvlaki take out and relaxed. Since it was our last night with Simon, Eleni, Yia Yia, and Despina, we took this time to present them with some gifts we brought from the U.S. Siena even gave them a couple of her photographs from her photography class in Florence.
Siena and I packed our bags and went to bed.. The next day was our journey to Florence!
Friday, May 22, 2009
My Eurotrip 2009: Day 7
Museums & Shopping
Thursday, May 7
Siena and I made our way to downtown Athens again on public transportation and our first stop was the National Art Gallery. I never knew just how much she knew about painting techniques, different periods (Renaissance, etc.) and styles. She gave me a mini lesson while we wandered through the mix of modern and old paintings.
Our next stop was the Benaki Museum, which is a private museum. Yia Yia had given us some spanakopita to take with us and we found a shade tree near the front steps of the Benaki Museum and ate it before going inside.
Afterwards, we went down to the area of town called Plaka where there are many shops and old buildings. We didn't do much shopping, but we enjoyed the view of the Acropolis from the narrow streets. When we had our fill, we made our way back to Pallini to rest for a while until Despina came back from work.
We had a snack and then left for downtown again, only this time our goal was to see the sunset from Areopagos. We climbed to the top of the rock and had an amazing view of the city and the sun setting through the clouds.
On our way back down, we saw the moon still in the sky and it was almost full. We wandered the streets for a while, taking in the orange and pink sky that was the backdrop for the old buildings. We made our way towards a metro station, but before we made it to the square, we stopped at a small restaurant and got some souvlaki. We sat out in the square and watched the night life start to brew as we ate our delicious food. Before we boarded the metro, we got one last glimpse of the Acroplis lit up against the black sky.
Thursday, May 7
Siena and I made our way to downtown Athens again on public transportation and our first stop was the National Art Gallery. I never knew just how much she knew about painting techniques, different periods (Renaissance, etc.) and styles. She gave me a mini lesson while we wandered through the mix of modern and old paintings.
Our next stop was the Benaki Museum, which is a private museum. Yia Yia had given us some spanakopita to take with us and we found a shade tree near the front steps of the Benaki Museum and ate it before going inside.
Afterwards, we went down to the area of town called Plaka where there are many shops and old buildings. We didn't do much shopping, but we enjoyed the view of the Acropolis from the narrow streets. When we had our fill, we made our way back to Pallini to rest for a while until Despina came back from work.
We had a snack and then left for downtown again, only this time our goal was to see the sunset from Areopagos. We climbed to the top of the rock and had an amazing view of the city and the sun setting through the clouds.On our way back down, we saw the moon still in the sky and it was almost full. We wandered the streets for a while, taking in the orange and pink sky that was the backdrop for the old buildings. We made our way towards a metro station, but before we made it to the square, we stopped at a small restaurant and got some souvlaki. We sat out in the square and watched the night life start to brew as we ate our delicious food. Before we boarded the metro, we got one last glimpse of the Acroplis lit up against the black sky.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
My Eurotrip 2009: Day 6
The Parliament & Museums
Wednesday, May 6
The day started out with catching the bus to Athens with Despina at 8:30am, and Siena and I continued on to the metro. We got off at the Syntagma metro stop just in time to see the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of the Greek Parliament building at 10am.
Afterwards, we got back on the metro and went up to the Omonia stop and walked to the National Archeological Museum. We spent some time there, getting lost among the ancient jewelry and sculptures.
Afterwards, we had lunch at Goody's, which is a fast food restaurant. Only half of the menu was in English, like "Premium *insert Greek work here*" or "Goody's Club *insert Greek word here* + Coca-Cola". Siena and I decided to stick with what we know, and ordered 2 club sandwiches and fries. But because we didn't know that fries came with the sandwiches, we ended up with a LOT of fries.
Then, we walked down the street called Oktovriou-Patision until it intersected with Ermou, which is a street packed with high-end (and some not-so-high-end) stores, shops, and cafes. There were 2 items I wanted to get in Europe while I'm here: a purse and a pair of shoes. I got lucky and found a pair of really cute shoes in one of the first stores we went into. But finding the right purse proved to be more difficult.
While we were eating our lunch, it started to rain. Luckily, we had Despina's little umbrella with us and we managed to stay mostly dry while going between shops. We called Despina somewhere along the way, and when we weren't having any luck finding purses on Ermou, she directed us toward another street where I found my new purse! They were closing the shop as we were looking, but they let us hang around long enough to make a decision.
We made our way back to Syntagma and back to Pallini.
After resting for a while at Despina's house, we got changed and went out to downtown Athens for a drink at a couple of her favorite bars. One of them was called Nixon and had a bobblehead of Former President Nixon hanging out on the DJ's table. The neighborhood where the bars were located had a great view of the Acropolis lit up at night. We took a taxi back to the metro station where we had parked the car, and got home around midnight.
Wednesday, May 6
The day started out with catching the bus to Athens with Despina at 8:30am, and Siena and I continued on to the metro. We got off at the Syntagma metro stop just in time to see the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of the Greek Parliament building at 10am.
Afterwards, we got back on the metro and went up to the Omonia stop and walked to the National Archeological Museum. We spent some time there, getting lost among the ancient jewelry and sculptures.
Afterwards, we had lunch at Goody's, which is a fast food restaurant. Only half of the menu was in English, like "Premium *insert Greek work here*" or "Goody's Club *insert Greek word here* + Coca-Cola". Siena and I decided to stick with what we know, and ordered 2 club sandwiches and fries. But because we didn't know that fries came with the sandwiches, we ended up with a LOT of fries.
Then, we walked down the street called Oktovriou-Patision until it intersected with Ermou, which is a street packed with high-end (and some not-so-high-end) stores, shops, and cafes. There were 2 items I wanted to get in Europe while I'm here: a purse and a pair of shoes. I got lucky and found a pair of really cute shoes in one of the first stores we went into. But finding the right purse proved to be more difficult.
While we were eating our lunch, it started to rain. Luckily, we had Despina's little umbrella with us and we managed to stay mostly dry while going between shops. We called Despina somewhere along the way, and when we weren't having any luck finding purses on Ermou, she directed us toward another street where I found my new purse! They were closing the shop as we were looking, but they let us hang around long enough to make a decision.We made our way back to Syntagma and back to Pallini.
After resting for a while at Despina's house, we got changed and went out to downtown Athens for a drink at a couple of her favorite bars. One of them was called Nixon and had a bobblehead of Former President Nixon hanging out on the DJ's table. The neighborhood where the bars were located had a great view of the Acropolis lit up at night. We took a taxi back to the metro station where we had parked the car, and got home around midnight.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
My Eurotrip 2009: Day 5
Athens Public Transit & The Acropolis
Tuesday, May 5
Siena and I got up early and left the house with Despina, as she was on her way to work. We took a bus from a bus stop one block from her house and headed towards Athens. The night before she had given us hand-written notes on which buses to take and where, and which metro trains as well. She got off the bus soon after we got on, and we continued to the end of the line: the Ethniki Amyna metro stop. From there, we hopped on the metro to the Akropoli metro stop. From there, we walked around and saw many of the ruins. Luckily, the day was partly sunny and made it a beautiful day to do a lot of walking and take pictures.
We visited:
- Temple of Olympian Zeus
- Hadrian's Arch
- Theatre of Dionysos
- Odeon of Herodes Atticus
- The Parthenon and other Temples on the Acropolis
- Areopagus Hill
- Church of the Apostles of Solakis
- Stoa of Attalos and surrounding ruins
Along the way, we stopped at a restaurant and ate outdoors with a view of the Acropolis from our table. There were several birds flying around (pigeons, mourning doves, etc.) and some even jumped on our table while we were eating!
We continued our walking tour and made our way to the Monastiraki metro stop and headed back to Pallini. We got home after 5pm and took a 3-hour nap around 6pm. We woke up in time for dinner and essentially went back to bed. For some reason, I wasn't able to sleep right after my shower and I ended up staying awake on the internet until about 1am.
Tuesday, May 5
Siena and I got up early and left the house with Despina, as she was on her way to work. We took a bus from a bus stop one block from her house and headed towards Athens. The night before she had given us hand-written notes on which buses to take and where, and which metro trains as well. She got off the bus soon after we got on, and we continued to the end of the line: the Ethniki Amyna metro stop. From there, we hopped on the metro to the Akropoli metro stop. From there, we walked around and saw many of the ruins. Luckily, the day was partly sunny and made it a beautiful day to do a lot of walking and take pictures.
We visited:
- Temple of Olympian Zeus
- Hadrian's Arch
- Theatre of Dionysos
- Odeon of Herodes Atticus
- The Parthenon and other Temples on the Acropolis
- Areopagus Hill
- Church of the Apostles of Solakis
- Stoa of Attalos and surrounding ruins
Along the way, we stopped at a restaurant and ate outdoors with a view of the Acropolis from our table. There were several birds flying around (pigeons, mourning doves, etc.) and some even jumped on our table while we were eating!
We continued our walking tour and made our way to the Monastiraki metro stop and headed back to Pallini. We got home after 5pm and took a 3-hour nap around 6pm. We woke up in time for dinner and essentially went back to bed. For some reason, I wasn't able to sleep right after my shower and I ended up staying awake on the internet until about 1am.
My Eurotrip 2009: Day 4
Road Trip with Simon
Monday, May 4
Despina's father, Simon, had some flexibility in his schedule and took Siena and I for a drive around the Attica region of Greece. One important detail of this trip is that Simon does not speak English. He knows a few key words, and a lot of Polish words, but that didn't help the Romance linguists that Siena and I are.
We left around 9:30am and our first stop was Sounio, where the Temple of Poseidon sits on top of a hill near the sea. It was mostly cloudy, and very windy, but at least it wasn't raining. We had some coffee with Simon at a cafe at the bottom of the hill and then Siena and I made our way up to the top. Somehow we managed to get through without paying the entrance fee. (Oops!)
We drove through the hills and stopped to see some ruins from the road (it was Monday and they were closed!) We passed through Markopoulo and eventually made our way up to Marathon. At Marathon, we stopped at a restaurant on the beach for a snack. Keep in mind that our communication with Simon was very limited. He ordered some food for us, and you can imagine our surprise when 2 plates of octopus and 1 plate of calamari were delivered to our table. We tried to be polite by trying it, but let's just say it wasn't my favorite Greek dish.
Somewhere along the way, he had been trying to tell us about Ouzo, which is a drink like Raki that we tried on our first night in Greece. It is a very strong liquor that smells a bit like black licorice. Simon kept telling us that it was to 'clear our senses', you know, so we could taste the octopus. ;-) The grilled octopus was better than the boiled octopus, according to Siena. I could only get myself to try the grilled one.
We drove around some more and saw the starting point for the Olympic marathon that took place in 2004, a shrine to Saint Barbara, and made a stop for the bathroom and also ordered some spanakopita at a small tavern where Simon's friends worked.
A few times during the day, we had to call Despina to have her translate between us and her dad. We knew Simon wanted to tell us the history of many of the places we visited, but we just couldn't communicate. At some point, late in the day, he tried to tell us something about President Obama, which we found out later from Despina that it was a joke.
All in all, it was a good day and Simon was very generous with his time to take us all over Attica by car. :)
Monday, May 4
Despina's father, Simon, had some flexibility in his schedule and took Siena and I for a drive around the Attica region of Greece. One important detail of this trip is that Simon does not speak English. He knows a few key words, and a lot of Polish words, but that didn't help the Romance linguists that Siena and I are.
We left around 9:30am and our first stop was Sounio, where the Temple of Poseidon sits on top of a hill near the sea. It was mostly cloudy, and very windy, but at least it wasn't raining. We had some coffee with Simon at a cafe at the bottom of the hill and then Siena and I made our way up to the top. Somehow we managed to get through without paying the entrance fee. (Oops!)
We drove through the hills and stopped to see some ruins from the road (it was Monday and they were closed!) We passed through Markopoulo and eventually made our way up to Marathon. At Marathon, we stopped at a restaurant on the beach for a snack. Keep in mind that our communication with Simon was very limited. He ordered some food for us, and you can imagine our surprise when 2 plates of octopus and 1 plate of calamari were delivered to our table. We tried to be polite by trying it, but let's just say it wasn't my favorite Greek dish.
Somewhere along the way, he had been trying to tell us about Ouzo, which is a drink like Raki that we tried on our first night in Greece. It is a very strong liquor that smells a bit like black licorice. Simon kept telling us that it was to 'clear our senses', you know, so we could taste the octopus. ;-) The grilled octopus was better than the boiled octopus, according to Siena. I could only get myself to try the grilled one.
We drove around some more and saw the starting point for the Olympic marathon that took place in 2004, a shrine to Saint Barbara, and made a stop for the bathroom and also ordered some spanakopita at a small tavern where Simon's friends worked.
A few times during the day, we had to call Despina to have her translate between us and her dad. We knew Simon wanted to tell us the history of many of the places we visited, but we just couldn't communicate. At some point, late in the day, he tried to tell us something about President Obama, which we found out later from Despina that it was a joke.
All in all, it was a good day and Simon was very generous with his time to take us all over Attica by car. :)
My Eurotrip 2009: Day 3
Day Trip to Peloponnisos
Sunday, May 3
(Simon and Eleni's birthday!)
This day we woke up around 6am to get ready. Despina's boyfriend, Kostas, picked Siena, Eleni, Despina, and I up at the house and we headed to the suburban train line in Pallini to start our journey. We took a total of 4 trains:
Pallini -> Ano Liosia -> Kiato -> Diakofto -> Kalavrita
Along the way, we saw amazing scenery including the beautiful hills and mountains of Attica, the narrow canal that separates Peloponnisos from Attica, and miles of beautiful coastline. In Diakofto, we stopped in a small shop for snacks and water. From here, the train we took up the hill used othodotos (teeth in the middle of the railroad tracks for the train to use to climb up the hills in the Vouraiko Gorge). This railway used to be the only way in and out of the villages that lie in the mountains.
The train ride takes 1.5 hours to get to Kalavrita (from Diakofto), which is 22,000 meters above sea level, and about 22 km from the town of Diakofto. It is common for people to hike along the tracks all the way to the top. (It would be awesome to come back and do that one day!)
The train was very small: Only 2 cars and the engine in the middle. There were 2 first class sections on either end of the train, for which Eleni bought ticket for us! That meant that there were fewer people in that section and more room to run from window to window trying to get good pictures of the scenery. We all got some amazing shots. :)
Upon arrival in Kalavrita, we walked up the hill to a small museum about the German occupation of Greece and the massacre of the villagers from Kalavrita and surrounding villages.
Then we went to eat at a tavern and we had Greek salad (of course!), lamb chops, plain salad, and tiropita (like spanakopita [spinach & feta pie], but only with feta cheese).
Towards the end of our meal, Kostas and Despina worked it out with the waiter so we could surprise Eleni with a birthday cake. She was so surprised that she cried a little. We sang "Happy Birthday" in English and Greek. Well, Despina and Kostas sang in Greek...
After lunch, we continued to follow the mosaic design of railroad tracks on the sidewalk up the hill to see more shops and touristy things. We reached the end of the line and walked back down towards the train station, but we still had some time so we decided to stop at a cafe. We sat at a table in the sun and sipped our frothy caffeinated/decaf beverages.
On the way back to Pallini, it didn't take us long to realize that the ride home was going to be a crowded one. Friday, May 1 was May Day (kind of like Labor Day) and many people traveled to the villages from Athens for the 3-day weekend.
After the 2nd train back, I had to go to the bathroom. Only, the only bathroom available was on the opposite platform and the train was coming any minute. I made a mad dash downstairs, through the tunnel under the tracks, up to the bathroom and back just as the train was pulling in. I had to push my way through the crowd on the platform to get to Despina and everybody, but I made it!
We were very tired from the long day of traveling by train when we arrived home. We had another birthday cake for Eleni and Simon with Kostos and Despina's grandmother and then went to bed.
Sunday, May 3
(Simon and Eleni's birthday!)
This day we woke up around 6am to get ready. Despina's boyfriend, Kostas, picked Siena, Eleni, Despina, and I up at the house and we headed to the suburban train line in Pallini to start our journey. We took a total of 4 trains:
Pallini -> Ano Liosia -> Kiato -> Diakofto -> Kalavrita
Along the way, we saw amazing scenery including the beautiful hills and mountains of Attica, the narrow canal that separates Peloponnisos from Attica, and miles of beautiful coastline. In Diakofto, we stopped in a small shop for snacks and water. From here, the train we took up the hill used othodotos (teeth in the middle of the railroad tracks for the train to use to climb up the hills in the Vouraiko Gorge). This railway used to be the only way in and out of the villages that lie in the mountains.
The train ride takes 1.5 hours to get to Kalavrita (from Diakofto), which is 22,000 meters above sea level, and about 22 km from the town of Diakofto. It is common for people to hike along the tracks all the way to the top. (It would be awesome to come back and do that one day!)
The train was very small: Only 2 cars and the engine in the middle. There were 2 first class sections on either end of the train, for which Eleni bought ticket for us! That meant that there were fewer people in that section and more room to run from window to window trying to get good pictures of the scenery. We all got some amazing shots. :)Upon arrival in Kalavrita, we walked up the hill to a small museum about the German occupation of Greece and the massacre of the villagers from Kalavrita and surrounding villages.
Then we went to eat at a tavern and we had Greek salad (of course!), lamb chops, plain salad, and tiropita (like spanakopita [spinach & feta pie], but only with feta cheese).
Towards the end of our meal, Kostas and Despina worked it out with the waiter so we could surprise Eleni with a birthday cake. She was so surprised that she cried a little. We sang "Happy Birthday" in English and Greek. Well, Despina and Kostas sang in Greek...
After lunch, we continued to follow the mosaic design of railroad tracks on the sidewalk up the hill to see more shops and touristy things. We reached the end of the line and walked back down towards the train station, but we still had some time so we decided to stop at a cafe. We sat at a table in the sun and sipped our frothy caffeinated/decaf beverages.
On the way back to Pallini, it didn't take us long to realize that the ride home was going to be a crowded one. Friday, May 1 was May Day (kind of like Labor Day) and many people traveled to the villages from Athens for the 3-day weekend.
After the 2nd train back, I had to go to the bathroom. Only, the only bathroom available was on the opposite platform and the train was coming any minute. I made a mad dash downstairs, through the tunnel under the tracks, up to the bathroom and back just as the train was pulling in. I had to push my way through the crowd on the platform to get to Despina and everybody, but I made it!
We were very tired from the long day of traveling by train when we arrived home. We had another birthday cake for Eleni and Simon with Kostos and Despina's grandmother and then went to bed.
My Eurotrip 2009: Day 2 (cont'd)
Arrival in Pallini, Greece
Saturday, May 2
Upon arrival at Despina's house, we had a snack of pasticcio (it looked a bit like lasagna in the pan, but consisted of noodles, ground meat, and an egg, cream, and flour substance that held it all together). I took a much-needed shower and relaxed a bit with my sister, and around 8 or 9pm, we all went out to dinner at a restaurant (or tavern) that serves traditional Crete food.
We tried:
- ofti (grilled feta cheese)
- dakos (paksimadi [toasted bread] with tomato, feta cheese, basil, oregano, and other herbs)
- tzatziki (yogurt, garlic, and cucumber)
- fricase (pork with vegetables and red sauce)
- gamopilafo (Crete 'wedding rice')
- graviera (yellow cheese)
- dolmadakia yialantzi (vine leaves stuffed with rice and meat)
- lahano dolmades (cabbage leaves with meat and rice)
- Dessert: Apples and cinnamon with halvas (made with semolina [made from corn] and oil)
It was delicious! I really liked the gamopilafo, strong flavor and all, and the dakos. :)
Saturday, May 2
Upon arrival at Despina's house, we had a snack of pasticcio (it looked a bit like lasagna in the pan, but consisted of noodles, ground meat, and an egg, cream, and flour substance that held it all together). I took a much-needed shower and relaxed a bit with my sister, and around 8 or 9pm, we all went out to dinner at a restaurant (or tavern) that serves traditional Crete food.
We tried:
- ofti (grilled feta cheese)
- dakos (paksimadi [toasted bread] with tomato, feta cheese, basil, oregano, and other herbs)
- tzatziki (yogurt, garlic, and cucumber)
- fricase (pork with vegetables and red sauce)
- gamopilafo (Crete 'wedding rice')
- graviera (yellow cheese)
- dolmadakia yialantzi (vine leaves stuffed with rice and meat)
- lahano dolmades (cabbage leaves with meat and rice)
- Dessert: Apples and cinnamon with halvas (made with semolina [made from corn] and oil)
It was delicious! I really liked the gamopilafo, strong flavor and all, and the dakos. :)
Saturday, May 02, 2009
My Eurotrip 2009: Days 1 & 2
The Voyage
Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 2
I know Chicago has a very large Polish population, but I never imagined that I'd feel like I was in Poland before even boarding the plane. My flight to Athens, Greece had a connecting flight in Warsaw, Poland, and I traveled on Lot, a Polish airline, for both legs.
While waiting at the gate and aboard the plane, all of the announcements about my flight were in Polish, and it seemed like only some of them were translated into English.
As I boarded the plane, I had my ticket out and showed the flight attendant so she could tell me which aisle I should go down to get to my seat. Without hesitating, she directed me in Polish and the only thing I could think to say was, "English?" She smiled, and without missing a beat, she directed me in English.
I found my seat near the aisle in the row of seats in the middle of the plane. I was immediately surrounded by Polish chatter. The safety instructions were in Polish first, accompanied by a funny-looking video. (I'll upload that later.)
Because of the "Swine Flu" going around, my step-dad gave me some masks and rubber gloves to use, just in case anyone was coughing around me, etc. I thought I would try to be safe anyway, since I catch any cold that comes within 50 feet of me. I fell asleep with it on, but it didn't last long. I felt like I couldn't breathe, and I kept getting stares from the people sitting next to me and the little toddlers that were walking up and down the aisle with their moms, as if to practice for later. I took it off to eat our first meal, and kept it off.
The food was miniature, as were the forks and knifes. There was a choice of beef or chicken, and I chose beef. Among the other items on the food tray was a mini Kit Kat bar. How did they know I liked Kit Kats?
At some point, I tried explaining to the flight attendant how I felt like I seemed to be the only person on the plane that didn't speak Polish, and all she did was nod and grin. I don't think she had the faintest idea that I was trying to converse with her about something other than water or orange juice.
I went in and out of sleep, then caught the second half of the movie "Bride Wars". Just for kicks, I listened to the dubbed-in-polish version on my headphones and I think they had a man do the voice of Murphy Brown!
Shortly after breakfast, we started our descent. As we got closer, I peeked out the windows near me to catch a glimpse of the landscape from up high. Most of what I could see was miles of flat farmland, some forested areas, but no city. It wasn't until we were lined up with the runway that I could look out the other side of the plane and see what seemed like thousands of high rises scrunched next to each other.
As the Polish lady that I met at Jamaican Gardens said, the Warsaw airport is pretty small. It was neat the way most of it was made of glass, so you could look down on people that were waiting for their flights to board. After a little bit of confusion, I learned the word for Athens in Polish (Ateny) and eventually found my gate.
At a gift shop, I bought a Glamour magazine in Polish (to look at the fashions they show) and my first bottle of water. The label was entirely in Polish, so I was a bit surprised to find out that it was carbonated when I opened it later. I paid in Euros, but got back some Polish coins instead.
Around boarding time for my flight to Athens, I loaded into a bus with the other passengers and we boarded the plane via one of those little staircases on wheels. I slept the whole way and was surprised to find that I didn't have to go through customs once. The door I thought led to customs actually led to the welcome area, where dozens of people were gawking at the doors, waiting for their friends to walk through. I paused, but once I realized everyone was staring at me, I quickly walked around the 'barracade'. I looked around and around but didn't see Despina or Siena, until I went behing the crowd of people and saw the side of Despina's face.
We hugged and chatted on the way to Despina's house in one of the suburbs of Athens and were greeted by her mom, Elini, and grandmother [yia yia]. Elini fed us, Siena showed us her artwork, and we chatted until it was Greek "siesta" time. I took a much-needed shower and now I'm on the internet on Despina's tiny little HP Mini laptop. :)
Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 2
I know Chicago has a very large Polish population, but I never imagined that I'd feel like I was in Poland before even boarding the plane. My flight to Athens, Greece had a connecting flight in Warsaw, Poland, and I traveled on Lot, a Polish airline, for both legs.
While waiting at the gate and aboard the plane, all of the announcements about my flight were in Polish, and it seemed like only some of them were translated into English.
As I boarded the plane, I had my ticket out and showed the flight attendant so she could tell me which aisle I should go down to get to my seat. Without hesitating, she directed me in Polish and the only thing I could think to say was, "English?" She smiled, and without missing a beat, she directed me in English.
I found my seat near the aisle in the row of seats in the middle of the plane. I was immediately surrounded by Polish chatter. The safety instructions were in Polish first, accompanied by a funny-looking video. (I'll upload that later.)
Because of the "Swine Flu" going around, my step-dad gave me some masks and rubber gloves to use, just in case anyone was coughing around me, etc. I thought I would try to be safe anyway, since I catch any cold that comes within 50 feet of me. I fell asleep with it on, but it didn't last long. I felt like I couldn't breathe, and I kept getting stares from the people sitting next to me and the little toddlers that were walking up and down the aisle with their moms, as if to practice for later. I took it off to eat our first meal, and kept it off.
The food was miniature, as were the forks and knifes. There was a choice of beef or chicken, and I chose beef. Among the other items on the food tray was a mini Kit Kat bar. How did they know I liked Kit Kats?
At some point, I tried explaining to the flight attendant how I felt like I seemed to be the only person on the plane that didn't speak Polish, and all she did was nod and grin. I don't think she had the faintest idea that I was trying to converse with her about something other than water or orange juice.
I went in and out of sleep, then caught the second half of the movie "Bride Wars". Just for kicks, I listened to the dubbed-in-polish version on my headphones and I think they had a man do the voice of Murphy Brown!
Shortly after breakfast, we started our descent. As we got closer, I peeked out the windows near me to catch a glimpse of the landscape from up high. Most of what I could see was miles of flat farmland, some forested areas, but no city. It wasn't until we were lined up with the runway that I could look out the other side of the plane and see what seemed like thousands of high rises scrunched next to each other.
As the Polish lady that I met at Jamaican Gardens said, the Warsaw airport is pretty small. It was neat the way most of it was made of glass, so you could look down on people that were waiting for their flights to board. After a little bit of confusion, I learned the word for Athens in Polish (Ateny) and eventually found my gate.
At a gift shop, I bought a Glamour magazine in Polish (to look at the fashions they show) and my first bottle of water. The label was entirely in Polish, so I was a bit surprised to find out that it was carbonated when I opened it later. I paid in Euros, but got back some Polish coins instead.
Around boarding time for my flight to Athens, I loaded into a bus with the other passengers and we boarded the plane via one of those little staircases on wheels. I slept the whole way and was surprised to find that I didn't have to go through customs once. The door I thought led to customs actually led to the welcome area, where dozens of people were gawking at the doors, waiting for their friends to walk through. I paused, but once I realized everyone was staring at me, I quickly walked around the 'barracade'. I looked around and around but didn't see Despina or Siena, until I went behing the crowd of people and saw the side of Despina's face.
We hugged and chatted on the way to Despina's house in one of the suburbs of Athens and were greeted by her mom, Elini, and grandmother [yia yia]. Elini fed us, Siena showed us her artwork, and we chatted until it was Greek "siesta" time. I took a much-needed shower and now I'm on the internet on Despina's tiny little HP Mini laptop. :)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
My Eurotrip 2009
The PreparationThe original plans were for my family to visit my sister, Siena, in Europe in June after the American schools got out. And by 'my family', I mean my mom, stepdad, baby sister, aunt, grandparents, and me. However, some things changed and now it's just my immediate family. Then, things changed again, and another option came about: What if I went earlier than everyone else and traveled with Siena in Europe for a week?
That sounded like a great idea! The next thing I knew, plane ticket options were being arranged and purchased (thanks to my mom!) and my departure date is Friday, May 1st for Athens, Greece!
I'll be meeting Siena there, and we'll be there for a week. We will be visiting Elini my mother's high school pen pal, and her daugher, Despina. Siena and I met Despina and Elini when we were very young (I was 4, and Siena was 1). Back then, I spoke no Greek and Despini spoke no English. We didn't care! My parents took pictures of the two of us trying to communicate with our hands and pointing at stuff; it was quite a sight!
I still speak no Greek, but Despina has since learned a great deal of English, and thanks to the marvels of Facebook, we have reconnected and now we are able to have real conversations!
Siena, Despina, and I are currently emailing and messaging back and forth about what we would like to do while we're in Athens. I just picked up a couple of maps and a small book about Athens to take with me... It all still seems so surreal, but I'm getting excited!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Substitute Teaching: Day 4
Day 4: Monday, March 16, 2009
This time, I found out about the sub opening the night before by checking the online system for openings. The teacher I was subbing for teaches a couple classes of English with a co-teacher, a Yearbook class, and a couple of study hall type classes with a T.A.
The first class was the Yearbook class and the students just worked at computer stations around the room, editing and proofing pages for the yearbook for the end of the year. There was a lot of discussion between them, they played some music in the back corner, and if they had questions, the directed them to one of the Yearbook Leaders. It was interesting to see how the ideas for the yearbook come together and how many of the students do the artwork for it.
The next two classes were English with a co-teacher. My lesson plan told me to let the co-teacher take the lead, and I would help by manning the PowerPoint presentation from the back of the room. The classes were reading Of Mice and Men, which I somehow never read in school, so I got a sneak peak into chapter 5 when the co-teacher read it aloud to the class.
After 4th period lunch, I had two periods of the study hall with the T.A. It's basically a time for the students to work on homework or projects and ask us for help if they need it. I let the students know that I am good with editing papers and Spanish and immediately some hands went up. I helped two students with their papers by checking their grammar and then walked around the room to see that the others were being productive. The T.A. helped the students with their Math and Geography throughout the two periods.
7th period was the teacher's Prep period, so I spent most of it in the teacher's lounge reading a book I brought. With about 10 minutes left, I went to my old Earth Science teacher's room to see if we could catch up a bit between classes.
Then I went back to my classroom to see if any students would show up for drop-in yearbook work on the computers during 8th period.
I am learning that every experience as a substitute teacher is incredibly different than the one that came before. It's exciting to see how different each teacher's day is from the next.
This time, I found out about the sub opening the night before by checking the online system for openings. The teacher I was subbing for teaches a couple classes of English with a co-teacher, a Yearbook class, and a couple of study hall type classes with a T.A.
The first class was the Yearbook class and the students just worked at computer stations around the room, editing and proofing pages for the yearbook for the end of the year. There was a lot of discussion between them, they played some music in the back corner, and if they had questions, the directed them to one of the Yearbook Leaders. It was interesting to see how the ideas for the yearbook come together and how many of the students do the artwork for it.
The next two classes were English with a co-teacher. My lesson plan told me to let the co-teacher take the lead, and I would help by manning the PowerPoint presentation from the back of the room. The classes were reading Of Mice and Men, which I somehow never read in school, so I got a sneak peak into chapter 5 when the co-teacher read it aloud to the class.
After 4th period lunch, I had two periods of the study hall with the T.A. It's basically a time for the students to work on homework or projects and ask us for help if they need it. I let the students know that I am good with editing papers and Spanish and immediately some hands went up. I helped two students with their papers by checking their grammar and then walked around the room to see that the others were being productive. The T.A. helped the students with their Math and Geography throughout the two periods.
7th period was the teacher's Prep period, so I spent most of it in the teacher's lounge reading a book I brought. With about 10 minutes left, I went to my old Earth Science teacher's room to see if we could catch up a bit between classes.
Then I went back to my classroom to see if any students would show up for drop-in yearbook work on the computers during 8th period.
I am learning that every experience as a substitute teacher is incredibly different than the one that came before. It's exciting to see how different each teacher's day is from the next.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Substitute Teaching: Day 3
Day 3: Friday, March 6, 2009
This call to sub came on Thursday evening, which gave me much more time to prepare. The teacher I subbed for was a Management and Business Math teacher with a full load of classes. Two of the classes were working on a presentation about the stocks of major companies, and therefore were scheduled to be in computer labs. It was interesting to walk around the room and take a peek at the stock graphs that each student had from companies like McDonalds, Verizon, AT&T, Home Depot, Caterpillar, etc. Most of the graphs showed a nearly steady decline starting around October or November of last year. One other class was held in a regular classroom and they just had book work to do.
The rest of the day was made up of 25-minute computer classes. (During 4, 5, 6, and 7, the lunch periods are split in half. The students spend half the period in the cafeteria and the other half in a study hall or a computer skills class.) The students just worked on some assignments on the computer until the bell rang.
This time, my 8th period was for Prep so I didn't have to stay the whole day. I had plenty of time to hop on my bike and get to my other job after school. On my way out, I ran into my Biology teacher from freshman year. It turns out that he had my little sister and when I told him her name, he laughed and said that "She was a HOOT". Yep, that's my sister!
One of the things that made the day more interesting was the fact that we couldn't find the teacher's lesson plans anywhere in the morning. The Sub Coordinator and I had to go around to a few different classrooms to figure out which computer lab or classroom I was supposed to be in for first period. She eventually got a copy from the department head right before the bell rang, and the rest of the day went smoothly.
This call to sub came on Thursday evening, which gave me much more time to prepare. The teacher I subbed for was a Management and Business Math teacher with a full load of classes. Two of the classes were working on a presentation about the stocks of major companies, and therefore were scheduled to be in computer labs. It was interesting to walk around the room and take a peek at the stock graphs that each student had from companies like McDonalds, Verizon, AT&T, Home Depot, Caterpillar, etc. Most of the graphs showed a nearly steady decline starting around October or November of last year. One other class was held in a regular classroom and they just had book work to do.
The rest of the day was made up of 25-minute computer classes. (During 4, 5, 6, and 7, the lunch periods are split in half. The students spend half the period in the cafeteria and the other half in a study hall or a computer skills class.) The students just worked on some assignments on the computer until the bell rang.
This time, my 8th period was for Prep so I didn't have to stay the whole day. I had plenty of time to hop on my bike and get to my other job after school. On my way out, I ran into my Biology teacher from freshman year. It turns out that he had my little sister and when I told him her name, he laughed and said that "She was a HOOT". Yep, that's my sister!
One of the things that made the day more interesting was the fact that we couldn't find the teacher's lesson plans anywhere in the morning. The Sub Coordinator and I had to go around to a few different classrooms to figure out which computer lab or classroom I was supposed to be in for first period. She eventually got a copy from the department head right before the bell rang, and the rest of the day went smoothly.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Substitute Teaching: Day 2
Day 2: Monday, February 23, 2009
This time the call came at 6:45am, a mere 3 hours after I had gone to bed, and 15 minutes before I was supposed to be at the school. I accepted the assignment because I live so close to the school and I had no plans for the day. And really, who else would be able to come in on such short notice? I didn't want to leave them hanging.
I subbed for a full day as an LRP (Learning Resource Program) teacher. The number of students in each of my periods was less than 10. Basically, the class time was to be used for homework, with the LRP teachers and Student Aides there to assist.
To my surprise, during second period I discovered a familiar face in the classroom. It was a former classmate of mine from high school that now works there as an Aide. We had a chance to catch up a bit, since we both spent most of the day in the same classroom.
This time, I was in the same building as my little sister, and we caught each other in the hallway.. then later in the cafeteria. I had to keep reminding her to not call me by my first name in front of her friends, in case I had them in any of my classes. It was funny to see her in her daily environment, iPod headphones between classes and all.
It's only been 5 1/2 years since I graduated high school, but so many things have changed since then. The year after I graduated, they gutted and rebuilt the whole front of the building. Now, during passing periods, they play music for the last 60 seconds instead of a plain warning bell. The students are constantly looking at or listening to their cell phones or iPods. I'm sure 6 years from now things will have changed again.
All in all, it was a good day and quite a different experience from my first day as a sub.
This time the call came at 6:45am, a mere 3 hours after I had gone to bed, and 15 minutes before I was supposed to be at the school. I accepted the assignment because I live so close to the school and I had no plans for the day. And really, who else would be able to come in on such short notice? I didn't want to leave them hanging.
I subbed for a full day as an LRP (Learning Resource Program) teacher. The number of students in each of my periods was less than 10. Basically, the class time was to be used for homework, with the LRP teachers and Student Aides there to assist.
To my surprise, during second period I discovered a familiar face in the classroom. It was a former classmate of mine from high school that now works there as an Aide. We had a chance to catch up a bit, since we both spent most of the day in the same classroom.
This time, I was in the same building as my little sister, and we caught each other in the hallway.. then later in the cafeteria. I had to keep reminding her to not call me by my first name in front of her friends, in case I had them in any of my classes. It was funny to see her in her daily environment, iPod headphones between classes and all.
It's only been 5 1/2 years since I graduated high school, but so many things have changed since then. The year after I graduated, they gutted and rebuilt the whole front of the building. Now, during passing periods, they play music for the last 60 seconds instead of a plain warning bell. The students are constantly looking at or listening to their cell phones or iPods. I'm sure 6 years from now things will have changed again.
All in all, it was a good day and quite a different experience from my first day as a sub.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Substitute Teaching: Day 1
Day 1: Thursday, December 18, 2008
I've been living back in my hometown for 6 months now, trying to figure things out. I've been thinking a lot about becoming a teacher and my first step towards it was to become a substitute teacher at my old high school. Finally, on December 18, 2008, I had my first subbing 'gig'.
I received the phone call from the automated system around 10pm the night before and I couldn't wait to see what it would be like. I gathered the teacher's class schedule, my sub parking pass, and a book to read during any down time I had. At first, it was strange to walk those familiar halls and not recognize a soul... Until I ran into a couple of my old teachers. I visited with my Art, Spanish, and English teachers from my freshman year at high school. They could hardly believe that enough time had passed for me to be out of college and back at the high school as a teacher.
The teacher I was subbing for teaches Geography, which was one of my favorite classes. And, oddly enough, they were on Latin America that week. My first class was the worst, in terms of awkwardness, but I learned the most from it. I made a note of my mistakes in attempting to govern the class for future use. First of all, if the lesson plan states that the students should be working quietly and individually in their seats, you should relay that to the students right away.
Some of the students would try to tell me that the teacher lets them sit and work together, even at the front of the room. Others would try listening to their iPods or chatting with their neighbor.
But, as the day went on, I started to get the hang of it.
At lunch time, I went through the same line in the cafeteria as the students, only to find that there was a special buffet (of real food) for faculty that day in the lounge. As I sat there, alone, eating my rubbery hamburger, some faculty members from another table invited me to sit with them. One of them was apparently the Assistant Principal, who introduced himself as 'Joe', a janitor, until a teacher called him out on it. Strangely, I felt like I was a kid in school again, getting a joke pulled on me. I guess you could say I didn't feel very welcomed on my first day as a sub.
Thankfully,though, I had a better experience while on hall duty. A Student Aide passed by a couple of times and we struck up a conversation about how it was my first day. She was very friendly and made me feel better about being there.
On the lesson plan, the teacher seemed to warn me about his 8th period class: That if they misbehave, I was to issue them a warning, and if they did it a second time, I was to let the teacher know to give them a detention upon his return. Mind you, this was the Thursday before Winter Break, and there was talk of a snow day the following day. At the beginning of the period, the students could not sit still and all they wanted to do was talk. Thankfully, the weekly school newspapers were delivered to the classroom about 15 minutes in, and one student gathered them up and distributed them to nearly everyone. They were happy to read the the newspaper instead of study for an upcoming quiz, and they were no trouble at all, as the lesson plan seemed to imply.
One of the funnier parts of the day was during one class, a girl asked me what my first name was. (My name "Miss LastName" was on the board behind me.) They started going around the room guessing random names. I eventually got them to study with the promise of if they were good all period, I might tell them my first name at the end of class. Several students asked for a pass to go to the bathroom over the course of the period, and I initialed it. So, of course, when they started up the guessing game at the end of the period again, someone remembered having seen the letter "J" and they went wild. They eventually guessed it, and I was glad to have entertained them (relatively quietly) for a few more minutes of class.
My first thoughts after the completion of my first day as a substitute teacher were positive ones. Although it was challenging to manage a room of about 30 high school students, it was fun, and I looked forward to my next chance.
I've been living back in my hometown for 6 months now, trying to figure things out. I've been thinking a lot about becoming a teacher and my first step towards it was to become a substitute teacher at my old high school. Finally, on December 18, 2008, I had my first subbing 'gig'.
I received the phone call from the automated system around 10pm the night before and I couldn't wait to see what it would be like. I gathered the teacher's class schedule, my sub parking pass, and a book to read during any down time I had. At first, it was strange to walk those familiar halls and not recognize a soul... Until I ran into a couple of my old teachers. I visited with my Art, Spanish, and English teachers from my freshman year at high school. They could hardly believe that enough time had passed for me to be out of college and back at the high school as a teacher.
The teacher I was subbing for teaches Geography, which was one of my favorite classes. And, oddly enough, they were on Latin America that week. My first class was the worst, in terms of awkwardness, but I learned the most from it. I made a note of my mistakes in attempting to govern the class for future use. First of all, if the lesson plan states that the students should be working quietly and individually in their seats, you should relay that to the students right away.
Some of the students would try to tell me that the teacher lets them sit and work together, even at the front of the room. Others would try listening to their iPods or chatting with their neighbor.
But, as the day went on, I started to get the hang of it.
At lunch time, I went through the same line in the cafeteria as the students, only to find that there was a special buffet (of real food) for faculty that day in the lounge. As I sat there, alone, eating my rubbery hamburger, some faculty members from another table invited me to sit with them. One of them was apparently the Assistant Principal, who introduced himself as 'Joe', a janitor, until a teacher called him out on it. Strangely, I felt like I was a kid in school again, getting a joke pulled on me. I guess you could say I didn't feel very welcomed on my first day as a sub.
Thankfully,though, I had a better experience while on hall duty. A Student Aide passed by a couple of times and we struck up a conversation about how it was my first day. She was very friendly and made me feel better about being there.
On the lesson plan, the teacher seemed to warn me about his 8th period class: That if they misbehave, I was to issue them a warning, and if they did it a second time, I was to let the teacher know to give them a detention upon his return. Mind you, this was the Thursday before Winter Break, and there was talk of a snow day the following day. At the beginning of the period, the students could not sit still and all they wanted to do was talk. Thankfully, the weekly school newspapers were delivered to the classroom about 15 minutes in, and one student gathered them up and distributed them to nearly everyone. They were happy to read the the newspaper instead of study for an upcoming quiz, and they were no trouble at all, as the lesson plan seemed to imply.
One of the funnier parts of the day was during one class, a girl asked me what my first name was. (My name "Miss LastName" was on the board behind me.) They started going around the room guessing random names. I eventually got them to study with the promise of if they were good all period, I might tell them my first name at the end of class. Several students asked for a pass to go to the bathroom over the course of the period, and I initialed it. So, of course, when they started up the guessing game at the end of the period again, someone remembered having seen the letter "J" and they went wild. They eventually guessed it, and I was glad to have entertained them (relatively quietly) for a few more minutes of class.
My first thoughts after the completion of my first day as a substitute teacher were positive ones. Although it was challenging to manage a room of about 30 high school students, it was fun, and I looked forward to my next chance.
Four Years Later
It looks like I might be using this account after all. I hope to add something worth reading soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)