What I Learned Today

Today, I learned that I am still a novice when it comes to blocking large knit items. Yes, I made a sweet fisherman's sweater last year. I blocked it by hand, and I haven't actually washed it yet (but it's only been worn twice). I just finished a cute yellow cardigan, and was excited to block it. I used Cascade 220 Superwash yarn, so I could machine wash and dry my cardigan. However, I wasn't thinking, and put it in by itself. No nylon wash bag to keep it together, no towels or anything to take up space. As a result, my sweater is now sized for... A gorilla. It's giant.

After scouring the Internet, consulting a friend, and calling a yarn store, I had a plan of attack: I am supposed to fluff my sweater down to the size I want, and let it air dry. When it is almost completely dry, I should throw it in the dryer and pray for the best! The sweater is currently fluffed and drying in the dining room... I'll let you know how it turns out! And never will I ever throw a hand knit item in the washing machine by itself again.

Teacher Vs. Coach

This weekend, I spent 2 days going through the USA Rugby coaching workshop.  It means that I am a certified rugby coach (and that the other coaches will probably make me do more at practice now).  The whole weekend reminded me of my MAT program: It stressed discussion, practicums and reflection.  Umm, that's all I did between June 2010 and May 2011. Discussed what laws and definitions meant.  Put our thoughts into action by doing small sessions with classmates.  Reflecting on what went well, what went not so well, and how we could improve.  During the rugby program, our leader asked us what the difference between a teacher and a coach is.  To me, there is no difference.  Both positions involve teaching, motivating and using technique to optimize learning.

As a teacher, I want to motivate my students.  I want them to try, and I want them to want to learn.  I want to reach every student, and not shut down the students who don't succeed right away.  Motivating the students who struggle is most important.  I want to teach them that effort pays off.  I want to teach them that you don't always have to get the right answer right away.  I want to teach them that trying a problem you don't know can still yield success.  I want them to put effort into both my tests and the standardized tests that my school is judged on.  As a coach, I want to motivate my students.  I want them to try rugby, and I want them to learn the game.  I want to reach every player, and not shut down the players who don't succeed right away.  Motivating the players who don't excel right away is most important.  I want to teach them that effort pays off.  I want to teach them that practice makes perfect, but games won't always go perfectly. I want to teach them that going against a bigger, stronger, faster team can still yield success.  I want them to put effort into the games that their season and team are judged on.

As a teacher, I want my students to learn.  Yes, I want them to learn how to do math.  But more than that, I want them to learn how to approach problems, how to apply what they've learned to new problems, how to persist, how to work with others, and how to express their thoughts clearly through writing.  As a coach, I want my players to learn.  Yes, I want them to learn how to (safely) play the game.  But more than that, I want them to learn how to approach situations and make good, quick decisions.  How to persist.  How to work with others.  And how to express their plays and positioning on the field.

As a teacher, I spent a year (and still spend time) learning how to teach.  I learned that exploratory learning is better than lecturing.  Activities with meaning and purpose will create memorable learning experiences.  As a coach, I spent two days (and still spend time) learning how to coach.  I learning that incorporating games into practices will enhance learning.  Games involve making quick decisions in rugby-like situations.  They conceal conditioning, and make it fun.  Basically, games are better than drills that work the same skill.

As a teacher, I feel that I can translate many of my skills over to the rugby field.  I'm excited to see how my girls do in the spring.  There's a lot of skill in the vets, and potential in the rookies.  Let's ruck, maul, pillage and burn!

New Blog Design

I've been playing with a free version on photoshop, teaching myself some handy tricks and editing.  I've wanted to design my own logo for a while now, and I'm happy to introduce my new design!  It still needs some refining, but I couldn't wait any longer.  Keep an eye out for buttons soon.

Halloween Costumes

Confession: I didn't dress up for Halloween last year.  I started looking for costume ideas for this year, and found this super creative hamburger outfit.

(Source)

I'm lucky I didn't see this earlier, because I would have gone crazy trying to make it in time for Halloween! It's such a cute, out of the box idea.  I may have to start scheming for next year...

It turns out the Hamburger dress artist went to a college near me!  Please check out her website for more knit/crocheted creations, and her etsy shop.

Pop Culture: Iconic Sweaters

I snagged this link from one sheepish girl's facebook page.  It features founditemclothing.com's 9 iconic sweaters in American culture. How many do you recognize?

The original article can be found here.

Holding Out For Your Dream Job?

Story of my summer.

I've been bad about updating this blog lately, because I finally got a job!  After spending the entire summer filling out countless (and repetitive) applications, many phone calls, and a few interview offers, I was sick of the job hunt.  My whole life I've excelled at academics and extracurriculars.  It sounds bratty, but I'm used to getting the things I apply to: College, graduate school, study abroad program, summer jobs, etc.  So it was very frustrating to keep filling out applications and making phone calls when most of them were never returned.  I was job hunting for so long, that I was able to think about what I really wanted.


This past year, I earned my teaching certification in physics (grades 5-12) and mathematics (grades  5-12).  I really enjoyed student teaching both high school physics and middle school math, so I knew my last choice for a job would be high school math.  However, as the summer went on and I was still unemployed, I began to apply to everything.  Even high school math.  Even high school math long-term substitute positions.  I wasn't interested in these jobs; I just wanted A job.  I felt guilty because there was an abundance of jobs back in Indiana that I didn't apply to because I didn't want to live in Indiana.  Every job I was qualified for, but not interested in, I felt guilty for not applying.  So which is the "right" thing to do:  Getting a job you don't want (like high school math), or remaining unemployed and open to continue searching for the job you do want?  If you choose to do the latter, should you feel guilty like I did?  I was lucky in that my parents were (and are) willing to support me until I find a full-time job which will allow me to support myself.  In the end, I found a job that allows me to work with middle school math students.  However, it's not full-time, and I will be living at home the whole year.  No doubt if I were living on my own, I would have had to take a job I didn't want in order to sustain myself.

I love my job.  I love the school, the staff and the kids.  I'm happy that I got my foot in the door, and I'm hoping this will help me get a "real" teaching job in the future.  My coworkers have encouraged me to keep looking during the school year, but for now I want to take a break from the job hunt and just enjoy myself.

A Message From Teachers to Parents

Source: Cnn (article here)

My final class for my Masters degree is online, and strongly based on discussion.  One of my fellow cohort members posted a link to this article on Cnn.com, titled "What teachers really want to tell parents."  The article talks about a principal, voted state administrator of the year, who leaves her job because she cannot deal with parent any longer.

The article goes on to give a clear message: Making excuses and undermining teacher's authority need to stop.  Parents should trust that teachers are doing the best thing for each child.  I was recently in a discussion with a few teachers about parental involvement in student schedules.  In recent years, more and more parents are pushing their children into higher level courses.  Sometimes, the parents override teacher recommendations to do so.  Yes, some students can be challenged and succeed.  Other students do not have a strong enough grasp on the math skills needed to succeed in these classes.  Putting them in high level classes will put a strain on them.  Every parent wants their child to succeed in school, and exceed expectations.  However, parents need to be realistic.  Every child has strengths and weaknesses.  Refusing to acknowledge this will only hinder their learning.