Concrete Jane: Freeky Friday

Showing posts with label Freeky Friday. Show all posts

Friday, August 31, 2012

Freeky Friday: Goal-Oriented

It's the LAST Freeky Friday of 2012! With what topic are we celebrating?

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

When I wrote this topic, I was (of course) thinking in the mindset of the school year beginning and found that a perfect opportunity for goal-setting, especially since we're doing so much of it in our teacher orientation this week! But I've been pleased to see that people are finding this question open for interpretation: setting both long- and short-term goals, looking forward to the school year and beyond, and even jumping ahead to a long-awaited spring vacation! My goals are going to read a little more educational, so bear with me.

Usually when I make new years/school years resolutions, I find them hard to keep because they're so vague and unmeasurable. Was I happy this year? Did I try my best at something? As a teacher, we set goals for ourselves and our students on a fairly regular basis. We have short-term goals and long-term goals, broad reaching goals and narrower goals. There are a few criteria we must always keep in mind, however, and I've tried to be mindful of them when writing this post: goals must be specific, measurable, and timely. I've been thinking about these goals for over a week now (yes, I plan these topics that far in advance), and I'm pretty psyched about them. I've decided to set a personal goal, a professional goal, and an interpersonal goal.

Personal Goal: Run a 5K

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I've written here a few times about weight loss and being healthy, but I've never quite had measurable goals for my personal fitness. Sure, I'll tell myself that I plan to go to the gym three times a week, but I never hold myself accountable. And to many people, saying "I'm training to run a 5K" is the most ridiculous statement in the world. Training to run three miles? I could run 3 miles in my sleep. To me, though, being able to run just one mile is so much more of an indication of how far I've come health-wise than the number on the scale. In school, I was always the kid who avoided gym class or the fitness test. My "best mile time" was probably 13 minutes, and to be honest, I'm sure I walked most of it. Now that I walk about a 15-minute mile without even trying, I think it's time to kick it up a notch. Towards the end of the summer, I started learning to run: training in short intervals of running and walking, testing indoor/outdoor speeds, buying fancy new shoes that are specifically tailored to my overpronation. It's a process, but I'm confident that I can get my legs, my lungs, and my spirit up to running at least a couple of miles before next summer. The hardest part will be maintaining a running schedule when school gets intense, but I think having a set goal in mind will help push me over laziness and exhaustion and into my running shoes.

Professional Goal: Allow my student population to teach me more than I teach them

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The school where I will be teaching this year caters exclusively to students with learning disabilities. I have some experience working one-on-one with students with LD at my student teaching placement, but this will be my first time being solely responsible for differentiating all of my instruction to a whole class of students with various difficulties. In the last two weeks of orientation, we've talked a lot about "our student population" - the daily tasks our students struggle with, the various means of input we need to provide for them, the incredible moments of insight they can have, their beautiful resilience in the face of their own difficulties, and so much more. At first, it can be overwhelming to think about all of the things you need to teach a high school student in order to prepare them for college and beyond - and that only gets more overwhelming with this population - but then I start to think about just how much I have to learn about our students. I absolutely cannot wait to work with these students. My goal for the year is to keep my mind and heart open so that they can teach me, both individually and as a whole population, as much as I try to teach them.

Interpersonal Goal: Make new friends, but keep the old

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I set this goal for myself every year, and I find I am increasingly bad at it. I am so blessed to be surrounded by people in NYC that I care so deeply about: the amazing teachers I met through grad school, the beautiful women I've lived with over the last two years, my closest friends that I moved here with, and so on. Unfortunately, I don't live with a lot of these people anymore. I don't have class with them on a weekly basis. I don't work in the same building as they do. It's up to me to seek these people out and make sure we stay in touch. I also struggle with calling friends who live outside of NYC - sorority sisters, my high school best friends, and the ever-growing number of people I know in the People's Gaypublic of Drugifornia. How am I ever going to maintain these friendships if I am not the one to call sometimes? Of course, there's another factor to this: I love the people in my life, but I am open to the people that have yet to enter. I have a brand new set of coworkers, and I'm seeking out new recreational/educational activities that will no doubt have people I'd like to get to know. My goal this year is to break out of my comfort zone and not be afraid to make plans and open myself up to new people, but without sacrificing the people that I do have in my life already, near and far. The best way to do this? Invite everyone, of course! I know this seems hard to measure ~~which defies everything I've written about goal-setting and my whole educational philosophy,~~ I think I'll know this one when I see it.

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

In case you forgot, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
"Like" the Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of August, you'll automatically be entered to win some tasty treats and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. This is the LAST Freeky Friday of the summer, but you can still win!

It's been a blast getting Freeky with all of you this summer. Be sure to check back next week - I'll be recapping the summer and announcing July's and August's winners!

Friday, August 24, 2012

Freeky Friday: It's A Celebration!

Welcome back to another Freeky Friday! Today's topic:

How do you celebrate life?

Isn't life grand? Whenever I feel the need to thank the universe for another wonderful event or just remind myself that being alive is freeking awesome, there are a few things I like to do. The first is to surround myself with the people I care about - my friends here in NYC, my family back home, some very important people spread across the country. Whenever I'm with these people, I am constantly celebrating life. Just being around them reminds me that the world is a beautiful place. The best part is that even though I'm thousands of miles away from many of them, the Internet, cell phones, and video chatting have made everyone instantly accessible. Whether I'm happy and want to share or bummed and need a pick-me-up, these people are always there.

The second way I celebrate life is a bit more introverted. I walk.

Sometimes I just walk to the park and around in a circle and back home. Sometimes I'll take the extra time to walk two or three miles to a destination instead of taking the subway. Lately I've been enjoying finding new routes through Central Park to get home from the many staples of my life that are still on the west side, even though I now live pretty far east. And some days, like today, a long walk is what I need to clear my head and remind myself that life is brief, and its up to us to make our significant in some way. Today I walked from my school in Brooklyn Heights across the Brooklyn Bridge and into Manhattan. I was pretty grumpy when I left Brooklyn (being a grown-up is hard), but by the time I crossed the bridge, I had a whole new attitude. Something about seeing the entire Manhattan skyline, the flow of the rivers on either side of me, the glimmer of the Statue of Liberty in the distance reminded me how important it is to appreciate every breath we take. So instead of taking the subway home, watching Doctor Who, and passing out early, I chose to keep walking up Lafayette to Union Square for the Gotham Gators kickoff party with some friends. I probably walked about 4 miles today, totally spontaneously, and then met up with some of my favorite people. And life was celebrated.

How do you celebrate life?

In case you forgot, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
"Like" the Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of August, you'll automatically be entered to win some tasty treats and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. You still have this week and next week until Freeky Friday says goodbye until next summer!

Come on back next Friday, August 31st, to help wrap up our summer with this topic:

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

Friday, August 10, 2012

Freeky Friday: Awesomely Bad

Oh hi, Freeks. I've missed you, you know. Today's topic:

What's your all-time favorite movie quote?

I've been searching my brain for the best quote of all time all damn day. Trying to think of something classic that Katharine Hepburn said that sums up why she's my hero. Itemizing princess quotes to find the one that best sums up the Disney Gospel. I even read some articles about Anchorman to refresh my memory about the movie that inspired me to quote movies for all time. But I kept coming back to this.

Picking this quote is up there with the most ridiculous decisions I've ever made in my life. I'm not going to tell you not to laugh. I am, however, going to warn you not to judge too quickly. Just let me explain.

My favorite movie quote comes from the worst movie of all time. If you have lived in blissful ignorance of The Room, I both envy and pity you. I suggest you head over to YouTube and enlighten yourselves. In the meantime, here's my favorite scene:

I first saw The Room when I was home from college one summer. Being constantly surrounded by movie buffs and connoisseurs of the awesomely bad, it was a sort of rite of passage for me to see the film. For those that don't know, The Room is Tommy Weiseau's disasterpiece about a weird ass man and the love of his life and some dude named Mark and also there's a kid and something about forks. Okay, I really don't know what The Room is about. The important thing is IT DOESN'T MATTER. It's awful. So awful. So deliciously awful it hurts.

After my second time seeing the movie (which, by that point, had been turned into a drinking game), I had all the big lines memorized. I didn't dare to mention them in front of my family, until I noticed my brother-in-law, a full-blown nerd and no stranger to the world of Internet sensations, quoting the movie as well. In front of all of my cousins, we started talking about the horrors and wonders of The Room. He confessed that he had never seen it, but he knew all the big lines from YouTube and message boards. After a few "YOU'RE TEARING ME APART, LISA"s and some "I DID NAAAAHT"s, we decided to enlighten the rest of the cousins.

Keep in mind that at this point it's about 2 a.m., we're all drinking, and we are naturally giggly and goofy when we are together even before alcohol. Put yourself in that state and spend some time YouTubing. By the time we got to the above clip, we were hunched over in laughter. For the rest of the weekend, every other sentence seemed to start with "oh hi" and end with "you know".

The best part of all of this? Since the character's name is Mark, we started associating the line "Oh hi, Mark" with the wonderful moments we constantly experience when our Mark asserts his presence and influence in our lives. Just how this ridiculous quote became something beautiful is beyond me, but I think that's what my family does best - turn something silly into something wonderful. When you're driving down the highway after a rough day at work, and 311 comes on. Oh hi, Mark. When you had a rough flight home, but a soldier returning home reminds you that family is more important than anything. Oh hi, Mark. When you're with your cousins, singing your heart out, celebrating the marriage of your sister, and a gust of wind blows through your hair. Oh hi, Mark.

That's right. My favorite movie quote of all time comes from the worst movie of all time. And I'm not at all ashamed of that. What's that? You still don't believe me? YOU'RE TEARING ME APART, FREEKS! justkiddingiloveyou.

In case you forgot, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
"Like" the Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

Come on back next Friday, August 17th, and riddle me this:

Have you ever experienced a random act of kindness from a stranger? Or gone out of your way for someone you didn't know? Tell us about it!

Friday, July 20, 2012

Freeky Friday: Well-Rounded

Sorry about the delay, Freeks! Here's today's Freeky Friday topic:

How do you stay healthy?

In a word? Bananas.

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Long-term readers may recall a series I attempted to write about losing weight, which ended horribly with a heartfelt confession about the dangers of obsessing over the number on the scale. Since then, you may have noticed, I haven't really said anything about health at all on this blog... or anywhere in life, for that matter. In fact, I kind of revolted against eating right and exercising and put on quite of few pounds since my pre-bridesmaid weight loss. I blamed it on the stress of student teaching - which probably is to blame for at least part of it - and avoided scales and tight clothes for about 6 months. And then I graduated... and took a long hard look in the mirror.

After over a year of not looking, I stepped on the scale. I had gained 25 pounds in about a year.

Haphazardly trying to eat less and exercise more resulted in me feeling like crap and not losing an ounce. I need monitoring - I need mindfulness. But to calorie count again after what happened last year? That seemed like a really stupid decision.

And then I found out that my cousins had joined Weight Watchers with amazing results (shout out to Jen, my WW inspiration and freeking birthday princess!). I've always had my eye on WW, never wanting to pay but fully supporting their philosophy. After a week in Orlando with the family, I decided to jump on the WW bandwagon. I had support (two cousins, my sister, and my brother-in-law are all doing it!), they were having a sale, and most of all, I was desperate.

I have been on WW for 2 weeks and am noticing a tremendous difference. First of all, I've lost almost 4 pounds and a few inches off my waist and thighs. But more than that, I feel AMAZING. My skin looks better. My hair feels softer. My nails are growing faster. I have more energy. I am more naturally positive and outgoing. Now how much of that is due to me looking good and therefore feeling less stressed out and how much of it is a direct result of the food? Who cares! The important thing is, it's working.

But to go into more detail (and to explain my earlier answer), there is one sole reason I think WW is working for me: Points make sense. Points are calculated using fat, carbs, fiber, and protein - no calories involved. Apart from the fact that the math is easier (26 points a day is a lot easier to wrap your head around than 1200 calories), I feel like I'm monitoring the right things. Low fat. Lean protein. More fruits and veggies (all fruits and most veggies are 0 points!). Less carbs. The carbs I do eat are high in fiber. This is the way human beings are supposed to eat.

When I was calorie counting, I always struggled with the fact that a banana, a bag of pretzels, and a glass of wine are roughly the same amount of calories. Shouldn't I be rewarded for eating whole, unprocessed, naturally delicious fruit and somewhat penalized for eating the sugary, nutrition-less, un-filling alcohol? It got to the point where I felt guilty about eating higher calorie fruits, like bananas or apples. Strictly calorie-counting diets reward you for eating "diet" food and pretty much nothing else. On Weight Watchers, my pour for a glass of wine would probably average around 6 points. A small bag of pretzels, roughly a serving, would be 3 or 4 points. And a banana? ZERO POINTS. HOORAY FOR FRUIT!

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But beyond the fact that I can have all the gosh darn bananas I want, I chose to talk about WW today because it's keeping me mentally healthy. I can stick to this. It is working for me. I feel good about it. And I don't guilt trip myself every time I eat a banana. And if I start to guilt trip myself about food, I have a huge support system of other point-aware people to turn to. And that's a pretty healthy place to be in.

How do you stay healthy?

In case you forgot, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
"Like" the Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of July, you'll automatically be entered to win some tasty treats and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. There's still one more Friday left in July, so you could have plenty of chances to win!

Come on back next Friday, July 27th, and answer this prompt:

Tell us a funny story! It can be about anything - entertain us!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Freeky Friday: Pick Me Ups

Happy Friday the 13th, Freeks! We hope you're not too superstitious to answer today's prompt?

What are your little pick-me-ups?

Well this topic just begs for a photo list, dontchathink? Here are a few of my favorite tactics to beating the blues:

Reading Harry Potter on my Kindle (I obviously need this cover!)

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Funky Wayfarers

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Walking in Central Park

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Playing on Pinterest (can you tell from these other pictures?)

Painting my nails (although I could never manage something this crazy!)

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Sitting in a coffee shop

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Stalking brilliant designers on sites like Society6

Stalking puppy pictures, like this one from amazing rescue org Badass Brooklyn

Baking (you saw that one coming)

What are your little pick-me-ups?

In case you forgot, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
"Like" the Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of July, you'll automatically be entered to win some tasty treats and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. There are two more Fridays left in July, so you could have plenty of chances to win!

Come on back next Friday, July 20th, and answer this prompt:

How do you stay healthy?

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Freeky Friday: The Freeking June Winner!

Happy Thursday, Freeks! We want to thank you all for your participation in the first month of this summer's Freeky Friday posts! Now before we announce this month's winner, let's recap a little, shall we?

We kicked off the summer by catching up with our participants. We asked you what the best thing that happened to you in the last year was. We heard plenty of awesome responses, from rediscovering your dreams, overcoming adversity, and spending time with loved ones. Next we asked what your favorite local tradition was. While I chose to boast about NYC, plenty of you all tempted me to play in your neck of the woods with stories of ice cream and beaches. We brought back an oldie-but-goodie on June 22nd by asking for your Summer 2012 Positivity Playlists. From Coldplay to LMFAO, Jason Mraz to David Guetta, you guys really made us want to rock out! Finally, we asked for your pop culture alter egos. I got my geek on with my boy Ted Mosby, while my dad chose a different umbrella-weilding star. By far, we got the most Tina Feys/Liz Lemons, which truly speaks to the caliber of people participating in Freeky Friday. Nice work, Freeks!

Now it's time to announce the winner. Our June 2012 Freeky Friday winner is...

Congratultions, Brittany! You'll receive some treats in the mail and a donation the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name! Thanks again to everyone who participated - you've all done your part in spreading the soul and joining in the positivity this month.

But it doesn't stop there! We still have three more weeks in July and a ton of freeking awesome prompts for you all to answer. Don't forget about tomorrow's topic:

What are your little pick-me-ups?

And, by popular demand, we will NOT be using Rafflecopter this month. So now its even easier for anyone to get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
"Like" the Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

If you do any or all of the above, we will automatically enter you to win some tasty treats and a donation in your name! See you tomorrow, Freeks!

Friday, July 6, 2012

Freeky Friday: A Silent Tradition

Welcome back, Freeks! Today's prompt:

What's your favorite summer tradition of all time? It could be something from your past or something you still do to this day!

Every summer since I became a teaching assistant at UF, I have attended an amazing conference in Orlando geared towards sign language interpreters called Silent Weekend. Because my old ASL professor runs the weekend, TAs get to go for free as long as they lend a helping hand collecting paperwork, setting up classrooms, etc. I've been four times now, and it's become one of my favorite things about summertime.

There's the obvious reason that I love Silent Weekend: I'm a total nerd and love learning about ASL. I've had the opportunity to take workshops by ASL celebrities like Peter Cook and Keith Wann, and some lesser-known-but-totally-incredible presenters like Bill Ross and Patrick Fischer. While many of the workshops are about interpreting-specific topics like ethics and voicing, many of them really benefit me as an ASL teacher. For example, this past week I attended a workshop about incorporating expansion techniques. Yes, the last few hours focused on interpreting specifically, but the first hour or so was a great opportunity for me to play with expansion techniques in my own signing while watching a master teacher explain them in a voice-off environment. Definitely an eye-opening experience!

But the best part of Silent Weekend is the people. When I first became a teaching assistant, it was something I enjoyed doing, but I didn't totally immerse myself in the environment. By my final year at UF, my fellow TAs had become my family. I was so excited to spend Silent Weekend with a huge group of my friends! We even had an arts and crafts party to make sure we stood out as official TAs at the event.

Last year, I was unable to attend Silent Weekend, but I kept up with the goings on via Twitter and the current TAs who were there. I was OVERJOYED to come back this summer and find that the TA culture was exactly the way I left it - only this time with the addition of alcohol and excessive tweeting. I also had the opportunity to bond with some people I had yet to spend time with This past Silent Weekend was the perfect combination of learning and socializing, a perfect couple of days for a nerd like me! Now that our professor has retired, we are the last batch of TAs he'll ever have... which means we'll be stuck having Silent Weekends like this one for the rest of our days. And I am totally okay with that.

What's your favorite summer tradition?

In case you forgot, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
"Like" the Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

It's a new month! Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of July, you'll be entered to win some tasty treats and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. There are four Fridays in July, so you can be entered up to 12 times this month!

Be sure to record your participation on this widget so your vote will be counted!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you're not too superstitious, join us on Friday the 13th to answer this prompt:

What are your little pick-me-ups?

Friday, June 29, 2012

Freeky Friday: Where's That Yellow Umbrella?

Welcome to another Freeky Friday! Today's topic:

Who is your pop culture alter ego?

I feel like everyone expects me to write about Belle, or some other Disney character. But the truth is that when we came up with this topic, my sister and I created it with my alter ego already in mind.

For those of you that don't know, that is Ted Mosby from the sitcom How I Met Your Mother. But how, faithful tribe, can my pop culture alter ego be a 30-something-year-old male architect on a very public quest for love? True, I am none of those things, but the T-Mos and I have some eerie similarities.

Ted Mosby's best friends are a married couple consisting of an opinionated redhead and her goofy lawyer husband.

We discovered that I am Ted Mosby because a long, long time ago, my sister and her husband decided that they are Marshall and Lily: Dave being a goofy lawyer with a good heart and Julia being a spunky redhead with great taste in dresses. They spent ages trying to decide who their Ted was ~~since all of their friends are married~~. And one day, it dawned on them: I AM TED MOSBY. The relationship the three of them have is really lovely, and that front porch test is something I'm sure my sister has instated at least a few times. But I wasn't convinced that Ted Mosby was my pop culture alter-ego until I learned...

Ted Mosby is fluent in American Sign Language.

In this episode and one other, Ted uses some pretty accurate ASL. And a few episodes later, he becomes a professor... so yeah, professions are actually pretty similar. Also, apologies if there's no sound on this video; my internet is kind of crappy right now so I can't really tell. ~~But it's a silent language now so it should be fine.~~

Ted Mosby's heart is both drunk and a kid.

In one episode, Marshall invents a game called "Drunk or Kid", in which he tells a ridiculous story and asks the other characters to guess whether he was drunk or a kid when he did whatever dumb thing he is recounting. Keep that in mind.

In this episode, Ted buys a house for his future family that he plans to have with the wife that he has not yet met. The other characters taunt him and basically call him an idiot the whole episode - what the hell was he thinking? Buying this run down rat-infested house was a huge mistake. But Marshall leaps to Ted's side, defending that he ALWAYS rushes into things. He tells Ted that his heart is both drunk and a kid - it does really, really dumb stuff, but it's in the right place. This line perfectly sums up Ted. And it perfectly sums me up too.

Also, Ted has some pretty kick ass friends, and so do I.

Who is your pop culture alter ego?

In case you forgot, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
"Like" the Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of June, you'll be entered to win some tasty treats and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. This is the last Friday in June, so get your entries in!

Be sure to record your participation on this widget so your vote will be counted!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Come on back next Friday, July 6th, and answer this prompt:

What's your favorite summer tradition of all time? It could be something from your past or something you still do to this day!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Freeky Friday: Moving Forward, Rocking Out

Those of you who followed us last year will recall that these Positivity Playlists are my FAVORITE Freeky Friday topics. I love discovering new music, and there's no better kind of music than the feel-good kind. The theme of my positivity playlist this summer is "moving forward". It's a pretty crazy time for me - out of school, moving into a real apartment, preparing for a full-time job - and I find that music is the best thing to help remind me that forward motion is essential, no matter how bittersweet it may seem. So what's on my positivity playlist?

Mumford and Sons - The Cave

Some people might think this song is sad. Those people would be wrong. Mumford manages to capture all of the emotions that are involved with triumphing in the face of adversity, which is essentially what moving forward is all about. Whether it's coping with an addiction or ending a long relationship, this song can pretty much apply to everything. I typically love music for the lyrics, but what I love most about "The Cave" is how the music builds with the emotions involved. The beginning is quiet, timid, confused, but the song builds to a loud, energetic force - the listener has no choice but to grow in the same way.

Freeking awesome lyrics: 'Cause I need freedom now / And I need to know how / To live my life as its meant to be

Fun. - Carry On

I know Fun. is super trendy right now and typically the hipster in me tries to shy away from that kind of music, but I cannot deny the power of this album. The whole thing is a positivity playlist! Like most of my favorite songs, this one came into my life at an apropos time - while I was finishing up my last semester of grad school - and this album on loop is pretty much the reason I graduated. This song is particular is an anthem for anyone who has ever experienced anything in their past that they would like to move forward from. The message is clear: we've all been there, and your only choice is to keep moving forward.

Freeking awesome lyrics: May your past be the sound / Of your feet upon the ground / Carry on

The Muppets - Rainbow Connection

Ohhhh I love the Muppets. And there's just something about "Rainbow Connection", isn't there? Something wishful, dreamy, almost distant about it. Apart from this being one of my absolute favorite songs to sing ever, "Rainbow Connection" keeps my head in the clouds in the most delightful way. While I am determined to move forward, this song brings a light to the future instead of focusing on overcoming darkness of the past. Whether it's love or work or friendship or life, there's just something about "Rainbow Connection" that applies to us all. Don't believe me? Type it into YouTube and see just how many people have covered it. I, however, prefer when Kermit sings it. I tried to find a video of the 2011 movie version, but it just wouldn't load for me. Vintage will have to do!

Freeking awesome lyrics: I've heard it too many times to ignore it / It's something that I'm supposed to be

What's on your positivity playlist this summer?

In case you forgot, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
"Like" the Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of June, you'll be entered to win some tasty treats and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. There are still two more Fridays in June, so you can be entered to win up to six more times!

Be sure to record your participation on this widget so your vote will be counted!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Join us next Friday, June 29th, and answer this fun and exciting prompt:

Who is your pop culture alter-ego?

Friday, June 15, 2012

Freeky Friday: The Best Thing About New York City

I've never met a city that gets so into summertime as New York City does! While the heat is not my favorite weather to explore in, I can't help but get caught up in the summer hype. The absolute best thing about NYC in the summer is that everyone is outside - and I mean EVERYONE, from the tourists to the food trucks, flooding the streets, each and everyday. There are obvious summer activities, like the legendary Coney Island Mermaid Parade and Shakespeare in the Park, but there are plenty of other fun and quirky NYC summer funtivities that I never knew existed until I moved here.

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Like outdoor movie series! Several parks, including Bryant Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park, run summer movie festivals, free and open to the public. Some are more family-oriented than others (any guesses as to the movie playing in the above photo?), while some focus on classic films. These movie series are a fun way to get outside, get together with friends, pack a picnic, and enjoy a flick - regardless of whether or not you've seen it a dozen times. Too hot for you outside, you say? Never fear! The Museum of Jewish Heritage is hosting a Mel Brooks film series in their cozy, air conditioned building. You can bet I'll be checking out a bunch of these this summer!

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Another great summertime tradition in NYC is the Jazz Age Lawn Party, which is held during two separate weekends every summer on Governor's Island. Now, Governor's Island is cool to begin with - it's open every weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day and is chock full of history, nature, and special events - but this Gatsby-esque weekend really takes the cake. Hosted by Michael Arenella & his Dreamland Orchestra, this two-day concert and festival invites guests to journey back to the 1920s with old-fashioned cocktails, a pie recipe contest, a classic car show, and vintage portraits. I mean, they even have Charleston lessons. This summer's Jazz Age Lawn Parties are this weekend (June 16 and 17) and again August 18 and 19.

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My third and final favorite summertime activity is drinking on rooftops. New Yorkers know we have a shortage of ground space, but we have an abundance of space up in the air! There's plenty of rooftop bars and lounges only open during the summertime, but my favorite has to be the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Roof Garden. The Met's roof offers beautiful views of Central Park and classic uptown architecture, which is only heightened by its current showpiece, Tomás Saraceno's Cloud City (pictured above). Visitors are invited (with free tickets) to peruse the structure and take in the trippy views through the sculpture's reflective surfaces. The Roof Garden also offers light snacks (read: overpriced sandwiches) and frozen cocktails - all available virgin, of course, in case you'd like to bring the young'ns.

As you can see, there's PLENTY to do in NYC in the summertime! What's your favorite local tradition?

In case you forgot, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
"Like" the Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of June, you'll be entered to win some tasty treats and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. There are three more Fridays in June, so you can be entered to win up to nine more times!

Be sure to record your participation on this widget so your vote will be counted!

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Come on back next Friday, June 22nd, and answer this prompt:

What's on your positivity playlist this summer? Share your favorite feel-good songs!

Friday, June 8, 2012

Freeky Friday: Teach the Children

Well, Freeks, it's been a hell of a year! A lot of amazing things happened around me, but I think I can sum it all up in one sentence: In 2012, I learned how to be a teacher.

It all started with my student teaching placement at a public school in Manhattan. This school is unlike any other I've ever seen - it brings together students who are Deaf, hard-of-hearing, CODAs (hearing students whose parents are Deaf), "SODAs" (the school's nickname for hearing students who have a Deaf sibling), and hearing in one learning environment. We also have a high population of students with disabilities. Keep in mind that it's still a New York City public school, so these kids don't come from the same happy pre-fab suburban upbringing that I came from. They are typically lower on the socioeconomic spectrum, come from historically disadvantaged minority groups, and may not have a solid educational background either from their previous schooling or their parents.

It has been the hardest job of my life - a diverse population leads to a greater challenge of differentiating every activity and providing equal access to everyone, regardless of age, ethnicity, hearing status, language modality, IEP status, etc. On top of that, my cooperating teacher is one of the most difficult people on the planet (I say that with nothing but admiration). From my first day there, I was writing lesson plans, planning the curriculum, organizing powerpoints, working with the kids, and teaching. Now, I've lectured before. But until I got to this school and met my CT, I didn't know just how little I knew about TEACHING. I thought it was all about being an expert in the field - I didn't know how little my own knowledge or skills with the language mattered. A wise man once told me that master teachers do 25-35% of the actual work; the rest, they turn onto the students. In addition to student-centering everything from vocabulary practice to in-depth critical thinking projects, I also learned just how involved in these students lives a great teacher needs to be. During parent teacher conferences, I watched my CT ask about parents' health, students' performance in other classes, and siblings I had never met. The standard was set. From basketball games to school trips, I embraced the school culture and committed to these kids. And they embraced me back. I love my students. I am genuinely invested in their lives. And along the way, I've done a pretty bang up job teaching them ASL.

The conclusion to one of my favorite observation lessons - captioned for your convenience.

In the midst of working my ass off, I managed to write a nearly 70-page thesis about foreign language anxiety, finish a full course load of classes, and graduate from Teachers College, Columbia University. Again, none of this would have been possible without the continued ~~ass-kicking~~ encouragement provided by my CT and my program director. There were a few other people to blame for my success, too. My cohort was tight knit, and we made it through together.

So of course, this all leads to one more thing - after student teaching for a year, writing a thesis, and graduating, I have accepted an offer to teach full-time at a private school in Brooklyn! The school caters exclusively to students with learning disabilities, and I'm really excited to continue my efforts towards creating a fully-accessible classroom. The faculty seems so nurturing and supportive, the kids seem just as crazy as my public school students, and the school really believes in their ASL program! I know I couldn't have made it this far without the support of my cohort, mentors, family, and friends, and I am eternally grateful to the people who have been here for me the past two years! Celebrating my successes with you has been some of the best few weeks of my life. Thanks to you all, I am going to be a teacher. How could that NOT be the best thing that's happened to me all year?!

But special credit needs to be given to one person in particular: my cooperating teacher. So Anthony, if for some crazy reason, you ever end up reading this, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for making me who I am today. You tested my limits, drove me crazy, and caused me a nervous breakdown or two, but you taught me just what I am capable of: editing iMovie projects while lesson planning for the entire week, with some kind of baked good in the works and a craft beer in my hand. Under your guidance, I have learned how to be a teacher. Thank you.

What's the best thing that happened to you this year?

In case you forgot, anyone can get Freeky on Fridays! You can participate in three different ways:

Write a blog post using the badge html above, then comment on my post with a link to your post
Tweet your answer using the tag #FreekyFriday
"Like" the Freekware Facebook page, then comment on there with your answer

Every time you post, tweet or comment in the month of June, you'll be entered to win some tasty treats and a contribution to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in your name. There are four more Fridays in June, so you can be entered to win up to twelve times!

Be sure to record your participation on this widget so your vote will be counted!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Come on back next Friday, June 15, for and answer this prompt:

What's the best thing about summer in your neck of the woods? Any fun local activities or traditions?

Monday, June 4, 2012

Freeky Friday: How It Works

Those of you who have been reading this little blog for a while may remember a series called "Freeky Friday" that my sister blog and I did last summer. This series aims to celebrate and promote the message of Freekware, a clothing company that's all about positivity and individuality. Freekware is very near and dear to my heart, as it's my cousin Mark's legacy. His sisters took over the company when he passed away in 2005, and it continues to expand to this day. Best of all, the proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, in order to help other courageous badasses like Mark.

Freekware is about more than my family (those lovely people pictured above), and it's way more than just a clothing line...it's a lifestyle. Spread the Soul. Share the Strength. Embrace who you are and be proud to be a Freek! Do you wanna join the Freeks? Just share some positivity every Friday by answering the prompt that we provide. Your first mission:

What's the best thing that's happened to you over the last year? Get creative with your answer! It can be something you experienced, something you witnessed, something you participated in, something you realized...the possibilities are endless!

Blog your answer Friday, June 8th, and be sure to insert this badge into your post. We've included the html for your convenience!

If you do not have a blog, you can still participate via Facebook and/or Twitter! The weekly prompt will be posted on the Freekware Facebook page every Friday. Simply "like" Freekware and comment on the prompt! Or, you can briefly answer the prompt via Twitter with the tag #FreekyFriday. If you can't decide between a blog post, Facebook, or Twitter, feel free to do all three! Additionally, once a month our topic will be "visual," meaning you get to play on Pinterest instead! Be sure to record your participation in the widget below on Friday or it will not count:

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That same widget will appear on each Freeky Friday post, so you'll have plenty of chances to show how you participated! Oh, and you're probably wondering why you need to record your participation. Did I mention that Freeky Friday is a giveaway?! Each month, one lucky winner will receive a special prize, as well as a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in their name. So go ahead and rack up as many points as you can in that widget...each point counts as an entry!

I can't wait to read all of your blog posts this Friday!

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Friday, August 31, 2012

Friday, August 24, 2012

Friday, August 10, 2012

Friday, July 20, 2012

Friday, July 13, 2012

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Friday, July 6, 2012

Friday, June 29, 2012

Friday, June 22, 2012

Friday, June 15, 2012

Friday, June 8, 2012

Monday, June 4, 2012