Sunday, August 28, 2011
Our baby is here!
Our beautiful baby girl was born on 8/24, amidst the drama of earthquakes, aftershocks and hurricanes. A healthy 7lbs. 7oz. and 21 1/4 inches long, Baby ATHG has brought a love and joy into our lives that we never knew existed.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Tick Tock
Yesterday I had a surprisingly busy day. It was Mr. Art Teacher's birthday and we hadn't planned anything since we weren't sure if we would be home or at the hospital for it. Since we ended up being home (this little girl has decided to be fashionably late), we threw together some last minute plans. I contacted friends, made dinner arrangements, and whipped together a black forest cake with chocolate ganache and chocolate whipped frosting (it was delish!). On top of that I had a doctor's appointment, which took a little longer than normal because they did an NST (non-stress test). The baby passed with flying colors. Prior to the appointment, I had stopped in at one of my schools. I needed to drop my laptop off to have some work done on it and make sure it would be available for my sub to use while I'm out.
Seeing the school getting ready for the new year was kind of surreal. I have barely given going back to work any thought. Actually, that's not true. I've given it a lot of thought, but mainly along the lines of how awful it's going to be when I do have to go back after having the baby. The realty of going back to work, the teaching, the art work, the students, had barely crossed my mind all summer as I focused on the end of my pregnancy. It was rather startling and exciting to realize that I miss being at work. As difficult as it will be for me to return, I know that I'll be in a comfortable, welcoming and familiar place and that as hard as it will be, I'll be supported and have any help that I need.
Unfortunately, I also received news yesterday morning that I'll be losing my classroom because of an increase in student numbers and a need for a few more regular classrooms. This was upsetting (but unbelievably, nothing I'm stressing out over). I was really looking forward to returning to the one classroom that I could call my own (I work at a second school where I share a room with another teacher). I had it set up perfectly for my needs, my students' needs, and my teaching style. I know how to teach in that space, which I imagine is something non-teachers wouldn't understand, but us teachers understand that different spaces require different teaching strategies. Now I'll find myself returning in October, having to adapt to a new space. On the plus side, there's plans to build me a new space. On the downside, they're building my room in the pod, which is a very, very small space. With class sizes sometimes in the 30s, I can't imagine how I'll manage in what I'm expecting to essentially be a large closet. I guess I can at least be happy that I'll have sinks and cabinets, something my other room didn't have. But I guess this isn't my problem right now, so I'm not giving it too much thought. I do feel bad for my sub though, who will be tasked with putting the room together.
This isn't the first time I've been in this position. Last year all three of my art rooms were new (to art), as was the art room I had at the job before that, and the job before that. Now that I think about it, I guess I've always had to deal with putting together a new room every school year. It's rather enjoyable for me to start with a blank slate, organize it how I want, and make it my own. Unfortunately, I really am having a hard time getting past the small size. *Sigh*
But, no time to think about all that now, as I'm currently watching the clock, tracking contractions, and wondering (hoping) that today might be the day!
Have you ever lost your classroom a week before school starts? Have you ever had your room significantly downsized? How did you deal?
Seeing the school getting ready for the new year was kind of surreal. I have barely given going back to work any thought. Actually, that's not true. I've given it a lot of thought, but mainly along the lines of how awful it's going to be when I do have to go back after having the baby. The realty of going back to work, the teaching, the art work, the students, had barely crossed my mind all summer as I focused on the end of my pregnancy. It was rather startling and exciting to realize that I miss being at work. As difficult as it will be for me to return, I know that I'll be in a comfortable, welcoming and familiar place and that as hard as it will be, I'll be supported and have any help that I need.
Unfortunately, I also received news yesterday morning that I'll be losing my classroom because of an increase in student numbers and a need for a few more regular classrooms. This was upsetting (but unbelievably, nothing I'm stressing out over). I was really looking forward to returning to the one classroom that I could call my own (I work at a second school where I share a room with another teacher). I had it set up perfectly for my needs, my students' needs, and my teaching style. I know how to teach in that space, which I imagine is something non-teachers wouldn't understand, but us teachers understand that different spaces require different teaching strategies. Now I'll find myself returning in October, having to adapt to a new space. On the plus side, there's plans to build me a new space. On the downside, they're building my room in the pod, which is a very, very small space. With class sizes sometimes in the 30s, I can't imagine how I'll manage in what I'm expecting to essentially be a large closet. I guess I can at least be happy that I'll have sinks and cabinets, something my other room didn't have. But I guess this isn't my problem right now, so I'm not giving it too much thought. I do feel bad for my sub though, who will be tasked with putting the room together.
This isn't the first time I've been in this position. Last year all three of my art rooms were new (to art), as was the art room I had at the job before that, and the job before that. Now that I think about it, I guess I've always had to deal with putting together a new room every school year. It's rather enjoyable for me to start with a blank slate, organize it how I want, and make it my own. Unfortunately, I really am having a hard time getting past the small size. *Sigh*
But, no time to think about all that now, as I'm currently watching the clock, tracking contractions, and wondering (hoping) that today might be the day!
Have you ever lost your classroom a week before school starts? Have you ever had your room significantly downsized? How did you deal?
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Show Me Your Apron!
Here's how you can be featured...
- Upload your picture to the Art Teachers Hate Glitter facebook page (You'll have to "Like" ATHG in order to do so. See the sidebar for a link to direct you there if you're not already a fan/follower/whatever they're calling it these days) -or-
- Email your picture to artteachershateglitter (at) gmail (dot) com
Photo requirements...
- Be creative! Put your apron on display, photograph yourself wearing it, photograph someone else wearing it, whatever strikes your fancy!
- Keep the file size small. I don't want my inbox to get bogged down.
Other...
- If you have a blog or website, include the web address with your photo so I can link to it when/if you're featured.
- Be patient. I have no idea what kind of response I will get for this. This idea may bomb or it may really take off.
- Have a story to tell about your apron? Share it with me. I'd love to share it with my readers.
I look forward to seeing all the different aprons out there. Have fun!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
What's In A Name?
I'm sure you know how the rest of that famous Shakespearean quote goes. As teachers, I think we have a unique perception and understanding of the power a name holds. At the start of the school year, don't we all anxiously await receiving the ever important class rosters? We pour over them, imagining what the faces behind the names look like, trying to predict who the troublemakers will be, who the quiet ones will be, and who the teachers' pets will be. We try to anticipate the nicknames we'll have to learn, and who will want to be called by their middle name instead of their first. We may even have a few brief moments of panic when we come across a name we've never seen before, a name that we have no idea how to pronounce. We try it out a few different ways in our head. We repeat the different pronunciations out loud. We fear not only embarrassing the student whose name we mispronounce, but ourselves as well when the outspoken students rudely correct us, as they are apt to do. What's in a name? A whole heck of a lot more than most people have ever considered.
My little one is due tomorrow. She's currently nameless. I mean, she's very, very nameless. We have no lists of possibilities, maybes or whattabouts. We've poured over baby name books, websites and apps, trying to find the name that sounds just right. The biggest obstacle we're encountering in this seemingly endless name game is, in fact, me. Mr. Art Teacher will suggest a name, and I'll immediately shoot it down because it reminds me of that student. Or we'll both agree on a name we like, but I can't bring myself to bestow it upon our daughter because it's too trendy, popular and I have six students with the same name. I'll veto a name just because it sounds... how can I put this without sounding politically incorrect?... because it sounds... oh, who cares, it sounds cultural. It sounds race-specific ("Honey, we're not having a Hispanic baby!").
I grew up with a name that, surprisingly, easily made it's way into the jokes and puns of people with really poor sense of humor. I'm sure my parents had no idea when they named me that I would have to endure repeated ridicule and "good-natured" mocking whenever I introduced myself to someone new (fortunately as I entered adulthood, the jokes became fewer and fewer). I decided years ago that I would never set my children up like that. Unfortunately, that means I tend to over think and over analyze every single name I come across. How can this name be made into a joke? I think of students whose names immediately bring to mind female body parts (no, Jerry, not Mulva), venereal diseases and other unfortunate connotations. I actually know a girl (not a student) whose first and last name when said in combination, sounds an awful lot like the word genitalia. I often wonder, "How could parents do that to their child?"
As we get closer and closer to the arrival of our daughter, Mr. Art Teacher becomes slightly more panicked and eager to name her. I'm taking a more relaxed approach. Truth be told, I'm barely taking an approach at all. The fact that our daughter does not have a name yet (not even a middle name) does not concern me. There's still plenty of time, right? Apparently not. I had my last (thank God!) baby shower the other night and was bombarded with name suggestions for two hours straight. I really wish I was kidding. Or exaggerating. But no, there I sat surrounded by six other women who were tossing out name after name after name after name. I thought it would never end. I'm not sure what they thought they would accomplish. As if I would magically hear a little gem of a name within their suggestions, stand-up with a flourish and declare, "This is the name I shall give my first born! Thank you, extremely dumb lady who was rude enough to ask me how much weight I have gained, you are my hero. My life saver. You, stupid lady who in all seriousness and complete oblivion adamantly expressed your extreme dislike for a particular name all the while you were seated right next to a woman, a friend of yours no less, with that exact name, you, dear lady, are my saving grace. I shall now have a name to write on the birth certificate for my daughter. I am so grateful to you." Okay, so maybe I'm being a little ridiculous, but you try sitting through two hours of that shit and not get a little snippy after awhile.
So how did you do it? How did you get past all the prejudices you've developed over the years against particular names? What strategy did you use to name your children?
My little one is due tomorrow. She's currently nameless. I mean, she's very, very nameless. We have no lists of possibilities, maybes or whattabouts. We've poured over baby name books, websites and apps, trying to find the name that sounds just right. The biggest obstacle we're encountering in this seemingly endless name game is, in fact, me. Mr. Art Teacher will suggest a name, and I'll immediately shoot it down because it reminds me of that student. Or we'll both agree on a name we like, but I can't bring myself to bestow it upon our daughter because it's too trendy, popular and I have six students with the same name. I'll veto a name just because it sounds... how can I put this without sounding politically incorrect?... because it sounds... oh, who cares, it sounds cultural. It sounds race-specific ("Honey, we're not having a Hispanic baby!").
I grew up with a name that, surprisingly, easily made it's way into the jokes and puns of people with really poor sense of humor. I'm sure my parents had no idea when they named me that I would have to endure repeated ridicule and "good-natured" mocking whenever I introduced myself to someone new (fortunately as I entered adulthood, the jokes became fewer and fewer). I decided years ago that I would never set my children up like that. Unfortunately, that means I tend to over think and over analyze every single name I come across. How can this name be made into a joke? I think of students whose names immediately bring to mind female body parts (no, Jerry, not Mulva), venereal diseases and other unfortunate connotations. I actually know a girl (not a student) whose first and last name when said in combination, sounds an awful lot like the word genitalia. I often wonder, "How could parents do that to their child?"
As we get closer and closer to the arrival of our daughter, Mr. Art Teacher becomes slightly more panicked and eager to name her. I'm taking a more relaxed approach. Truth be told, I'm barely taking an approach at all. The fact that our daughter does not have a name yet (not even a middle name) does not concern me. There's still plenty of time, right? Apparently not. I had my last (thank God!) baby shower the other night and was bombarded with name suggestions for two hours straight. I really wish I was kidding. Or exaggerating. But no, there I sat surrounded by six other women who were tossing out name after name after name after name. I thought it would never end. I'm not sure what they thought they would accomplish. As if I would magically hear a little gem of a name within their suggestions, stand-up with a flourish and declare, "This is the name I shall give my first born! Thank you, extremely dumb lady who was rude enough to ask me how much weight I have gained, you are my hero. My life saver. You, stupid lady who in all seriousness and complete oblivion adamantly expressed your extreme dislike for a particular name all the while you were seated right next to a woman, a friend of yours no less, with that exact name, you, dear lady, are my saving grace. I shall now have a name to write on the birth certificate for my daughter. I am so grateful to you." Okay, so maybe I'm being a little ridiculous, but you try sitting through two hours of that shit and not get a little snippy after awhile.
So how did you do it? How did you get past all the prejudices you've developed over the years against particular names? What strategy did you use to name your children?
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Um.... What Happened to Summer?
I can't believe it's August already. I can't believe it's almost mid-August already. I can't believe my due date is a week away. Where has the summer gotten too? All my plans... all my ambitions... *poof* gone. My long-term sub contacted me the other day to confirm plans for the start of the school year, and reality slapped me in the face. It seems like school just ended and we were just packing things up for the summer. But in about two weeks the teachers will be returning to school and getting ready for the new school year. Seriously, where has the time gone?
I had so many ideas and stories to blog about, but between preparing for baby, my laptop crashing back in July, and being too antsy and energized to sit still long enough to write anything, those plans didn't pan out. I had visions of spending the summer in front of my wheel, but an incorrectly wired switch, a stifling heat wave and a growing belly kept me out of the garage and away from my wheel. I had grand expectations of getting most of my plans for the new school completed, my PowerPoints polished and my templates created, but again, the crashing laptop and antsy self...
With the baby arriving in two weeks (I've been given a deadline, so-to-speak) I find myself reflecting on all I've tackled and accomplished this summer and trying hard not to lament over the things I didn't get done.
I had so many ideas and stories to blog about, but between preparing for baby, my laptop crashing back in July, and being too antsy and energized to sit still long enough to write anything, those plans didn't pan out. I had visions of spending the summer in front of my wheel, but an incorrectly wired switch, a stifling heat wave and a growing belly kept me out of the garage and away from my wheel. I had grand expectations of getting most of my plans for the new school completed, my PowerPoints polished and my templates created, but again, the crashing laptop and antsy self...
With the baby arriving in two weeks (I've been given a deadline, so-to-speak) I find myself reflecting on all I've tackled and accomplished this summer and trying hard not to lament over the things I didn't get done.
- I started and completed the nursery, which included an extensive dresser makeover, assembling a wardrobe and giving it a face lift, assembling a night stand and giving it a face lift, assembling a rocker, the hanging of three sets of curtains (we get a lot of sun through the one window in the room), various DIY projects, the making of a hand stitched mobile (let it be known, I am not a sewing whiz), the hanging of said mobile, the hanging of a light, the hanging of art work, hooks, and shelving, and a few other tasks I'm sure I'm forgetting.
- I washed and organized all the baby clothes, blankets and bedding.
- I researched the heck out of and bounded into the world of cloth diapering.
- I probably cleaned the house once or twice.
- I managed to throw a few pieces on the wheel.
- I read a few books
- I attended an outdoor concert or two and saw a couple of movies in the theater.
- I attended numerous doctor's appointments and a hospital tour.
- I went on a small hike.
- I cooked a little and baked a little more.
- I designed a beer label for a custom brew Mr. Art Teacher is brewing in honor of our new arrival.
- I shopped. And shopped some more. And then shopped some more.
- I kept a baby blog updated for my family, posted on my "design" blog, ended the run of a no longer relevant personal blog, ended the run of my "design" blog, and created a new personal blog.
- I went out to dinner numerous times with Mr. Art Teacher, got together with friends on a few occasions, visited family and connected with local moms/potential new friends.
I guess when I list it all out like that it seems like I really have accomplished a lot this summer. But after days like today, wherein I take a three hour nap, I feel like I'm squandering my precious time. As I sit on the couch, watching old episodes of old TV shows, too tired and out of breath to move, I can't help but think of all things I should be doing. But as Mr. Art Teacher reminds me on a near-daily basis, I'M PREGNANT. *Sigh* It's been so hard going from an always active, hurried art teacher to a mere lump on the sofa.
But enough about me. How has your summer been? Are you ready to return to school yet? Have you returned to school yet? Have you accomplished everything on your summer to-do list? I've barely looked at my blogroll at all this summer, so let me know what I've missed!
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