So I have done more than 5000 Burpees since January. I am a bit off the pace compared to some of the other Burpee Challengers but I am still plugging away. It is still unpleasant...it is not all that hard to do anymore aside from just getting motivated to change clothes and do it. Especially if I just set out to do 100 Burpees in no particular amount of time.
The problem is...the Burpees I do at home have a very direct impact on the ones that I do in class...so I find myself trying to push harder in my home workouts than I was. Which as a result makes them harder....but a nice side effect is that it takes less time. I can confidently complete 50 in a set.
My current goal is to maintain 3 burpees per set. For example: Do 3 Burpees, Rest 2 seconds.....I AM TERRIBLE AT THIS. But I am quite good at doing 2 per set....
It is Spring Break so I am on my own for 2 weeks. Just want to keep plugging away. I have never maintained a daily workout through a break...I also intend ot get my road bike out this week and start reminding my rear end what a bike seat feels like.
Here's to Spring!!
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
What I know about teaching....
Teaching philosophy has been weighing heavily on my mind....in recent weeks some things have come to light to make me reflect on this - what is best for kids....
First, let me define the kids...the kids I speak of are not the preschool attending, nurtured, 2 parent, enriched, read to children, frankly, these kids do not really need me...the kids I speak of are the ones who do not have it all...now I am not saying they don't all have loving families because that would be wrong...they just don't have the advantage...These kids comprise about half of who I teach. At any rate these are the kids we fight to help pass standardized tests and such....these are the ones...
Now the how...I taught for 8 years at a small school....a school so small that I actually taught 3 grades...my coworkers each taught 2 grades. We went through 8th grade so there were 4 of us plus a resource room teacher and some phenomenal assistants... There were 90 to 100 kids at a time in this school and we knew Every. Single. One. Of. Them. We knew who their siblings were, who their parents were, what kind of pets they had, even where they lived. We cared deeply for these kids and worked as a team to help them. It was not uncommon for me to check up on former students as they aged. And it was not uncommon for the 5th/6th grade teacher to stop by my classroom just to say hi or to check up on someone who had had a rough day...this was the unique factor - the being known part.
You see - it is not that we were teacher of the year teachers...oh we were good! Sometimes great! But not always...We taught. We used the same stuff the other teachers in the district used. We used the same tests. We did collaborate across grade levels...we said things like "what would you like the 3rd graders to be able to do when you get them?" Maybe that was it... At any rate our test scores turned heads. People thought we were doing something special...No not really. But because they were known, kids bought in...there was no hiding. Last years teacher knew everything because they had had you for 3 years in the same class....and they would tell what you could really do. So they bought in. They tried hard...they scored well...
And the standard school model goes away from this...they are ours for a year and then they are someone elses...some teachers don't even want to hear about their incoming students...there is little opportunity to have a conversation or stop by and keep connections with kids. The kids just keep moving and the tough kids are passed off often with great relish (guilty as charged). Imagine though that you need to keep those kids for 2 or 3 years...with nowhere else to go...would you teach differently?
I will not harp on those other philosophies....I will just say that kids being known works. I know it does. Know your kids. Care about them. Follow them and encourage as long as you can...especially the tough ones.
First, let me define the kids...the kids I speak of are not the preschool attending, nurtured, 2 parent, enriched, read to children, frankly, these kids do not really need me...the kids I speak of are the ones who do not have it all...now I am not saying they don't all have loving families because that would be wrong...they just don't have the advantage...These kids comprise about half of who I teach. At any rate these are the kids we fight to help pass standardized tests and such....these are the ones...
Now the how...I taught for 8 years at a small school....a school so small that I actually taught 3 grades...my coworkers each taught 2 grades. We went through 8th grade so there were 4 of us plus a resource room teacher and some phenomenal assistants... There were 90 to 100 kids at a time in this school and we knew Every. Single. One. Of. Them. We knew who their siblings were, who their parents were, what kind of pets they had, even where they lived. We cared deeply for these kids and worked as a team to help them. It was not uncommon for me to check up on former students as they aged. And it was not uncommon for the 5th/6th grade teacher to stop by my classroom just to say hi or to check up on someone who had had a rough day...this was the unique factor - the being known part.
You see - it is not that we were teacher of the year teachers...oh we were good! Sometimes great! But not always...We taught. We used the same stuff the other teachers in the district used. We used the same tests. We did collaborate across grade levels...we said things like "what would you like the 3rd graders to be able to do when you get them?" Maybe that was it... At any rate our test scores turned heads. People thought we were doing something special...No not really. But because they were known, kids bought in...there was no hiding. Last years teacher knew everything because they had had you for 3 years in the same class....and they would tell what you could really do. So they bought in. They tried hard...they scored well...
And the standard school model goes away from this...they are ours for a year and then they are someone elses...some teachers don't even want to hear about their incoming students...there is little opportunity to have a conversation or stop by and keep connections with kids. The kids just keep moving and the tough kids are passed off often with great relish (guilty as charged). Imagine though that you need to keep those kids for 2 or 3 years...with nowhere else to go...would you teach differently?
I will not harp on those other philosophies....I will just say that kids being known works. I know it does. Know your kids. Care about them. Follow them and encourage as long as you can...especially the tough ones.
3000.
Actually tomorrow will bring the actual 3000th but in ReNa workouts I have banked enough bonus Burpees to qualify for my merit badge....(bonus Burpees are the ones I get when I exceed 100 in one of the gym workouts).
I have mixed feelings about this 1000. I managed to get a nasty cold and lost about a week of workouts due to congestion and overall ickiness.... When I got back on the Burpee wagon it felt like starting all over again. I am still a bit sick so I am sure that contributed - but my poor body just didn't want to cooperate. But as miserable as it is I am getting back in the game. I am still seeing improvements in form and stamina.
Today our workout did not quite allow for me to get 100... Well the workout was fine - I am just not quite there yet. There was the opportunity to get 100 burpees if you did it perfectly....I got 80 (which meant I did 20 after the workout - not a big deal)... At any rate 60 of those burpees came from one part of our workout. That, in fact, is a personal best for me - my previous best was 40.... So I guess even though I don't feel that great doing it...I am getting better.
Ok thats the update for now....I'll check back in at 4000.
I have mixed feelings about this 1000. I managed to get a nasty cold and lost about a week of workouts due to congestion and overall ickiness.... When I got back on the Burpee wagon it felt like starting all over again. I am still a bit sick so I am sure that contributed - but my poor body just didn't want to cooperate. But as miserable as it is I am getting back in the game. I am still seeing improvements in form and stamina.
Today our workout did not quite allow for me to get 100... Well the workout was fine - I am just not quite there yet. There was the opportunity to get 100 burpees if you did it perfectly....I got 80 (which meant I did 20 after the workout - not a big deal)... At any rate 60 of those burpees came from one part of our workout. That, in fact, is a personal best for me - my previous best was 40.... So I guess even though I don't feel that great doing it...I am getting better.
Ok thats the update for now....I'll check back in at 4000.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Burpee Update
2000 Burpees. Well, as of tonight, 2000 Burpees. 20% of the end goal. Is it working? Yes. I think so....I use our ReNa workouts at the gym as my gauge/baseline.
Things I have noticed.
1. My relaxed (not panicking, sweating, exhausted) 20 second burpee has improved from 8 to 9.
2. My form is better. (For at least the first half of the workout)
3. I am more confident at the ReNA (formerly tabata) workouts.
4. I am making decisions ahead of time - a plan if you will - instead of just working out until I am exhausted and then limping the rest of the way.
5. I haven't had to do any make up burpees at the end of workout to get the 100 for the last week or so.
6. I still hate them. All 100 of them.
7. Making a game out of it makes it slightly more pleasant.
8. I am pushing myself harder in workouts than I was.
9. For the first time I am doing a daily workout at home - self - imposed.
10. I am motivated by the health challenges of my family....I have a personal goal to keep my own, hips knees and ability to breathe for as long as humanly possible.
So there's the update. I will check back in at 3000. I challenge you. Do something 100 times for 100 days. It's not as hard as you think. It's not pleasant either....I am told it will change my mind and body...maybe it will change yours too!
Things I have noticed.
1. My relaxed (not panicking, sweating, exhausted) 20 second burpee has improved from 8 to 9.
2. My form is better. (For at least the first half of the workout)
3. I am more confident at the ReNA (formerly tabata) workouts.
4. I am making decisions ahead of time - a plan if you will - instead of just working out until I am exhausted and then limping the rest of the way.
5. I haven't had to do any make up burpees at the end of workout to get the 100 for the last week or so.
6. I still hate them. All 100 of them.
7. Making a game out of it makes it slightly more pleasant.
8. I am pushing myself harder in workouts than I was.
9. For the first time I am doing a daily workout at home - self - imposed.
10. I am motivated by the health challenges of my family....I have a personal goal to keep my own, hips knees and ability to breathe for as long as humanly possible.
So there's the update. I will check back in at 3000. I challenge you. Do something 100 times for 100 days. It's not as hard as you think. It's not pleasant either....I am told it will change my mind and body...maybe it will change yours too!
Saturday, January 25, 2014
A post from the Second Grade side. Beware of Rant.
This is not so much an informative, "how to teach second grade" post. But a rant - if you will....a what exactly do people think I do? rant...and then I will feel better and take my mom out to dinner for her birthday...This has been weighing on my for quite some time...Ok here goes...
It seems that there are people...there are always people with opinions and such...that think that we teachers are out to stifle the children's independence...their natural strengths if you will...and others who think we have some crazy hidden agendas to pound our liberal beliefs into them...Totally opposing factors...Two sides of normal if you will....So this is what I do and I like to think my co-workers do too...(and I am the first to admit there are some cruddy teachers out there but most are not...most of us work our tails off and these are my friends you are talking about so be careful!)
I do give standardized tests. I hate them. I hate that there are so many. But we do use them to inform instruction..and they give teams of teachers a place to start talking. And we have to. So we do.
I do require my students to be obedient, to conform to our setting, to listen, to teach, to speak, to read and to walk in a line - quietly. I do not teach in a mall - this is a school and other classes are learning. Show some respect! It's nice too! There is a time and a place for all behavior and my asking a child to behave in a respectful manner is not impinging on their inalienable rights. If you are a nice person - you do these things...I can give many examples!
I have never taught a child to be gay. I do like to think that the few children I have had who are gay (who did not have a name for who they were yet) felt safe and cared for and accepted in my classroom. I hope that the same sex parents who visit my class feel the same. There are ALL kinds of families. And everyone is ok in my classroom as long as they adhere to the basic rule of being a nice person. Treating people nicely is a pretty universal law. It's unfortunate that there are people who struggle with this.
I do push children - gently, kindly but with firm and steady pressure. You can do it. You can fix it. You can do a little bit more. I do not have time to allow your child to find himself in my classroom. We will make progress. We will try to have fun doing it..but sometimes work is not fun. That is something we all know. It will not hurt your child to find this out. And if they can conform a bit and follow that basic rule - there are freedoms in learning to be found.
I guess I just wanted to say that. I do believe that schools mirror society to a degree and learning to conform does not require becoming a robot. But any time you go to the store and stand in a line you are conforming. Do you drive a car? Ride elevators appropriately? Go to church? Walk through the Saturday market without slamming into other people? When I look around I see amazing individuals who know the rules....it's ok that we teach your kids the rules.
It seems that there are people...there are always people with opinions and such...that think that we teachers are out to stifle the children's independence...their natural strengths if you will...and others who think we have some crazy hidden agendas to pound our liberal beliefs into them...Totally opposing factors...Two sides of normal if you will....So this is what I do and I like to think my co-workers do too...(and I am the first to admit there are some cruddy teachers out there but most are not...most of us work our tails off and these are my friends you are talking about so be careful!)
I do give standardized tests. I hate them. I hate that there are so many. But we do use them to inform instruction..and they give teams of teachers a place to start talking. And we have to. So we do.
I do require my students to be obedient, to conform to our setting, to listen, to teach, to speak, to read and to walk in a line - quietly. I do not teach in a mall - this is a school and other classes are learning. Show some respect! It's nice too! There is a time and a place for all behavior and my asking a child to behave in a respectful manner is not impinging on their inalienable rights. If you are a nice person - you do these things...I can give many examples!
I have never taught a child to be gay. I do like to think that the few children I have had who are gay (who did not have a name for who they were yet) felt safe and cared for and accepted in my classroom. I hope that the same sex parents who visit my class feel the same. There are ALL kinds of families. And everyone is ok in my classroom as long as they adhere to the basic rule of being a nice person. Treating people nicely is a pretty universal law. It's unfortunate that there are people who struggle with this.
I do push children - gently, kindly but with firm and steady pressure. You can do it. You can fix it. You can do a little bit more. I do not have time to allow your child to find himself in my classroom. We will make progress. We will try to have fun doing it..but sometimes work is not fun. That is something we all know. It will not hurt your child to find this out. And if they can conform a bit and follow that basic rule - there are freedoms in learning to be found.
I guess I just wanted to say that. I do believe that schools mirror society to a degree and learning to conform does not require becoming a robot. But any time you go to the store and stand in a line you are conforming. Do you drive a car? Ride elevators appropriately? Go to church? Walk through the Saturday market without slamming into other people? When I look around I see amazing individuals who know the rules....it's ok that we teach your kids the rules.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
100 Burpees for 100 days
So I may or may not have mentioned....our family does HIIT training. (that's high intensity interval training for all you rookies) Specifically we follow the Tabata protocol and we even used to call it Tabata but Universal trademarked the name -Who knows why they wanted it? Can't imagine the marketing... Just to warn you the Tabata ride at Universal Orlando is going to really stink....lines will be short though...Who knows why they wanted it..$$$. At any rate we do ReNa now....(short e). It is just as intense and painful as Tabata....probably a more apt name would be WHHHHEEEEEEEZZZZZEE.
So our trainer, Jon, challenged us to do 100 Burpees a day for 100 days. And tonight I will complete my 1000th Burpee and personally I think that is pretty darn cool. So this is what I celebrate today. 1000 sweaty burpees! At some point it is going to impact my body but I think it will get my mind first. I won't post any pictures...no one needs to witness this.. The only reason I do them at the gym is that everyone else is too and nobody but Jon sees....and he is very polite about the whole thing.
I'll let you know how the next 1000 go.
So our trainer, Jon, challenged us to do 100 Burpees a day for 100 days. And tonight I will complete my 1000th Burpee and personally I think that is pretty darn cool. So this is what I celebrate today. 1000 sweaty burpees! At some point it is going to impact my body but I think it will get my mind first. I won't post any pictures...no one needs to witness this.. The only reason I do them at the gym is that everyone else is too and nobody but Jon sees....and he is very polite about the whole thing.
I'll let you know how the next 1000 go.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Football - I know not what I speak of
My goodness...So last night I said I had become a Bronco's fan after hearing Richard Sherman not so eloquently celebrate his win.... Things I have learned....
1. People love those Seahawks.
2. People also love those 49ers.
3. Never ever hand a microphone to a Cornerback right after a football game (even if he is Stanford educated) Though I doubt I will ever be in charge of this...if I ever am, I will be asking...."and you play which position?"
4. Women and teachers seem to have the biggest problem with people who talk like Mr. T. (we just work so hard to prevent this happening)
5. I didn't mention but was kind of surprised that his Mr. T. like rant didn't include any beeped out words.....Just like Mr. T....I honestly thought he was going to yell "I pity the fool"
6. I still do not really care about the football part. (they are not the Ducks) As in I, of course, will watch the Superbowl but I will not be wearing any licensed merchandise. My family differs with me on this....I will dutifully ask who we should root for and then probably switch my allegiance to whoever is losing or whoever has the cutest jersey or the funniest name or to whoever once played for the Ducks....And if the score is spread wide...there will be napping after halftime.
One thing I do know for sure....You will find me near the snacks. Please let me know when the commercials are on.
1. People love those Seahawks.
2. People also love those 49ers.
3. Never ever hand a microphone to a Cornerback right after a football game (even if he is Stanford educated) Though I doubt I will ever be in charge of this...if I ever am, I will be asking...."and you play which position?"
4. Women and teachers seem to have the biggest problem with people who talk like Mr. T. (we just work so hard to prevent this happening)
5. I didn't mention but was kind of surprised that his Mr. T. like rant didn't include any beeped out words.....Just like Mr. T....I honestly thought he was going to yell "I pity the fool"
6. I still do not really care about the football part. (they are not the Ducks) As in I, of course, will watch the Superbowl but I will not be wearing any licensed merchandise. My family differs with me on this....I will dutifully ask who we should root for and then probably switch my allegiance to whoever is losing or whoever has the cutest jersey or the funniest name or to whoever once played for the Ducks....And if the score is spread wide...there will be napping after halftime.
One thing I do know for sure....You will find me near the snacks. Please let me know when the commercials are on.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
One more try - Courage and Death...
Since writing for me seems to be cathartic...I think I will try this blogging thing again. I might even try some pictures this time if I can figure out how...
Truth is...I write for myself. My thoughts flow better through my fingertips than my voice. I am totally a person who thinks of the witty comeback at about 3 a.m. following the conversation. But when I write...things come out...usually right and if they don't I have the power to edit.
Today I write in honor of death. Death scares me (I think I am not alone there). Recently, death has come closer to my bubble. My best friend lost her mom, Richard's best friend lost a sister and Richard also lost an aunt, and an aquaintance (another theatre mom) has learned that her battle, though bravely fought, is over.
Though I am fearful I also marvel at death. My friend's mother Rachel learned weeks before Christmas that she had a brain tumor. It seemed to come suddenly as this was a Grandma who never missed a performance of a grandchild (and as a result, came to many of my children's shows as well) She was a bonus grandma to my boys. They could count on her to lift them up. No matter how small their part she would load them with compliments and then share with me how wonderful it was to see them grow. No questions - all love. She passed away about a week after a Christmas filled with all of her loves. She was able to say her goodbyes in her own way and I have to wonder if she was just ready to go. Her work was done. I am glad that she hurts no more. I will miss her much. I see her in my friend Dody and her family. Dody is the Xbox 360 to her mom's Atari. She pays it forward. Rachel lives on.
Our friend Gil suddenly lost his sister Amy just 2 days ago. She leaves a young son. It was unexpected. There was no time to say goodbye or to make forward thinking plans. There was no time for conversations. I think this is harder. Perhaps easier for the person who dies. But harder for her family and her child. I did not know her. But I hope her family finds a way to take the good and bring it forward.
And last, though I do not know her well- only through Children's theatre. (We theatre moms share a bond I think (well I like to think so)). Laura. She has fought a long and hard battle - she has brought change to the state of Oregon - after your mammogram this year when they share your breast density, thank Laura. Her blog http://lauramasoncaldwell.blogspot.com/ Unfortunately Laura's battle with Cancer has ended. She shares her body with it now and her time grows short. She is making memories now with her children and her husband and hospice will support her as she needs it. She also blogs - beautifully. She, like Rachel, humbles me. She is brave. She is a mom. Being a mom doesn't stop. She has time to say her goodbyes and to leave things as prepared as she can. Her worries are for her children. As painful as this is for all - I have to wonder, is it a gift?
Charles Dickens wrote....though in my mind Kermit the Frog said, "Life is made up of meetings and partings. That is the way of it. I am sure that we shall never forget Tiny Tim, or this first parting that there was among us."
Life IS of meetings and partings. There is no avoiding it. In those meetings, people touch us, change us, empower us, even become a part of us - the last being the most powerful. If you come to your parting having become a part of another person - you are still with us. Rachel and Laura, I carry you with me. Thank you.
Truth is...I write for myself. My thoughts flow better through my fingertips than my voice. I am totally a person who thinks of the witty comeback at about 3 a.m. following the conversation. But when I write...things come out...usually right and if they don't I have the power to edit.
Today I write in honor of death. Death scares me (I think I am not alone there). Recently, death has come closer to my bubble. My best friend lost her mom, Richard's best friend lost a sister and Richard also lost an aunt, and an aquaintance (another theatre mom) has learned that her battle, though bravely fought, is over.
Though I am fearful I also marvel at death. My friend's mother Rachel learned weeks before Christmas that she had a brain tumor. It seemed to come suddenly as this was a Grandma who never missed a performance of a grandchild (and as a result, came to many of my children's shows as well) She was a bonus grandma to my boys. They could count on her to lift them up. No matter how small their part she would load them with compliments and then share with me how wonderful it was to see them grow. No questions - all love. She passed away about a week after a Christmas filled with all of her loves. She was able to say her goodbyes in her own way and I have to wonder if she was just ready to go. Her work was done. I am glad that she hurts no more. I will miss her much. I see her in my friend Dody and her family. Dody is the Xbox 360 to her mom's Atari. She pays it forward. Rachel lives on.
Our friend Gil suddenly lost his sister Amy just 2 days ago. She leaves a young son. It was unexpected. There was no time to say goodbye or to make forward thinking plans. There was no time for conversations. I think this is harder. Perhaps easier for the person who dies. But harder for her family and her child. I did not know her. But I hope her family finds a way to take the good and bring it forward.
And last, though I do not know her well- only through Children's theatre. (We theatre moms share a bond I think (well I like to think so)). Laura. She has fought a long and hard battle - she has brought change to the state of Oregon - after your mammogram this year when they share your breast density, thank Laura. Her blog http://lauramasoncaldwell.blogspot.com/ Unfortunately Laura's battle with Cancer has ended. She shares her body with it now and her time grows short. She is making memories now with her children and her husband and hospice will support her as she needs it. She also blogs - beautifully. She, like Rachel, humbles me. She is brave. She is a mom. Being a mom doesn't stop. She has time to say her goodbyes and to leave things as prepared as she can. Her worries are for her children. As painful as this is for all - I have to wonder, is it a gift?
Charles Dickens wrote....though in my mind Kermit the Frog said, "Life is made up of meetings and partings. That is the way of it. I am sure that we shall never forget Tiny Tim, or this first parting that there was among us."
Life IS of meetings and partings. There is no avoiding it. In those meetings, people touch us, change us, empower us, even become a part of us - the last being the most powerful. If you come to your parting having become a part of another person - you are still with us. Rachel and Laura, I carry you with me. Thank you.
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