Peas and Hearts
Posted: 05/15/2013 Filed under: outfits | Tags: blogging, f21, fashion, frye, j.crew, teacher outfits, teaching, teaching science, teenagers, Warby parker Leave a comment »Intensive week ended, and it’s bittersweet. Of the all the kids we taught to blog, two have been keeping up with it into the next week post-intensive. Yay Celeste and Cathy! The school year is winding down, only 16 days till my kiddos take their Living Environment (biology) regents exam. Regents exams are a double whammy: kids have to score a 65 or above to graduate, and my performance as a teacher is evaluated based on how many kids pass. So what happens? I stress out insanely about getting through all the material and the last few weeks are a mad dash to get through the standards. Also, I stress out about the kids who are failing the class, which is attributed to a lack of motivation to complete assignments obviously is becasue my curriculum is not engaging enough nor is it rigorous enough. Since apparently good teachers know, there is a correlation between increased rigor and engagement/buy in. Seriously, I’d like to see the data for that. I have my own informal data from my classroom and it shows that the harder I make an assignment, the less the students are motivated to complete it. I wish that wasn’t the case, but it is. I just don’t know what the answer is.
I’m going off on a depressive tangent here, so I’ll stop and instead write about a shallower topic…clothes! I’ve love, loved this corduroy pea coat for the past 8 or so years and it’s about to get packed up for the summer. I love the cut and how the collar pops up when I button it – keeps my long neck shielded from the wind. 
glasses: warby parker – coat: super old gap – sweater: old j.crew – jeans: old f21 – shoes: frye
Personal
Posted: 04/24/2013 Filed under: outfits, teaching | Tags: anthropologie, fashion, sweedish hasbeens, teacher outfits, teaching, urban outfitters, Warby parker Leave a comment »One thing I’ve learned in the past 4 years of teaching (which is not very long) is that you can’t take much personally. It was a hard lesson to learn in my first year (when one of my students stole my laptop and sold it on the street within 15 minutes), and even into my second. Kids are more concerned with what’s going on in their own lives than with yours. This means, if they didn’t do HW, it’s not because they don’t like you. Instead, it’s because they were up late last night with their own real life soap opera. If they take your pencil, it’s not because they don’t respect you. Instead, it’s because kids can’t keep track of their own writing utensils and their back packs are like black holes. You as a person are not even on their radar, let alone significant enough for them to care about potentially hurting your feelings with their careless actions. The same thing kind of goes for teachers. So don’t take it personally, it’s not all about you. Instead, it’s all about the kids. That is all. 
On a brighter note, I got NEW SUMMER SANDALS!!! They are taking some breaking in, especially at weird spots on my ankles with slight bony protrusions. I love them and they were a splurge (thanks, tax man for paying out my interest free loan!).
glasses: warby parker – top: anthropologie (soooo soft and perfectly drapey, similar in material) – jeans: bdg – shoes: sweedish hasbeens via madewell
Thinking aloud – the teacher outfit
Posted: 03/02/2013 Filed under: outfits, teaching | Tags: bass, fashion, fossil, gh bass, j.crew, teacher outfits, teaching, teenagers, urban outfitters, Warby parker, zara 3 Comments »Thinking-aloud: a strategy used by teachers to teach reading comprehension or problem solving.
I’ve never tried the “think-aloud” strategy in my class. I saw a teacher model it once and it felt awkward, silly and uncomfortable. Then again, that teacher was generally awkward, weird and uncomfortable socially anyways. Go figure.
Like a good teacher should, I thought that maybe I should at least try this strategy at least once before throwing it off as gimmicky. So here goes: Think-aloud – the teacher outfit version.
Damn – hit the snooze 2 too many times. panic! brush teeth, wash face, pee and Hmm..it’s overcast outside, and my app claims it will be 48°F out today – warm!! Oh crap it’s late – panic! what do I wear, stare at closet, WHAT DO I WEAR? panic! coffee. I’m going to need 11 cups today. cooooooffffeeeeee. load the thermos. what do I wear? oh eff it, same old black jeans on! oh yeah…I like that t-shirt and it’s dressier than just a t-shirt, it has “leather”! edge! k. k. k. k. k. now what else do I need…belt, shoes. I’m tired of boots and it’s “warm” out – yay favorite oxfords! I’ve missed you. crap, they dont match all the black….uhhh…sweater! solved. warm, soft, brown, present from an ex-boyfriend. slap concealer on spots brought on by burrito and beer binging in SF last week, where’s my grape soda flavored lip balm? coooooffffeeeeee. shit, if i dont leave now, I wont have time to organize before classes start. grab puffy coat, throw bobby pins in hair, keys! bag! cooooooffffeeeee. hustle.
glasses: warby parker – sweater: j.crew – t-shirt: zara – belt: gap – jeans: bdg – shoes: gh bass – watch: fossil
Every lesson needs an assessment, so here’s the exit ticket: Using evidence to support your answer, predict which item from friday’s outfit will most likely be incorporated into the look for Ms. Schenck on monday.
Yup, think-aloud still feels silly, awkward and uncomfortable.
Orange you glad?
Posted: 02/25/2013 Filed under: outfits | Tags: Brooklyn, f21, j.crew, madewell, san francisco, steve madden, teacher outfits, uniqlo, Warby parker 1 Comment »I was happy to be back in SF last week, but I’m also happy to be home. It was a week filled with friends and also included a three day snowboarding side trip in Tahoe (the kids picked up on the irony of heading to Cali to find snow – I got a lot of comments on that today). There really is nothing like San Francisco air (except maybe the water!). Spring break is already around the corner, and I’ll be getting another breath of fresh air when Aimee comes to visit!
This wrinkly top is an old one from Madewell. I have a slight obsession with the color (burnt sienna?), but the material seems to harbor smells. TMI?
glasses: warby parker – sweater: uniqlo – blouse: madewell – tank (underneath) & jeans: f21 – boots: steve madden – belt: j.crew – necklace: my mom’s hand-me-down
empty days
Posted: 12/28/2012 Filed under: outfits | Tags: fashion, fast fashion, h&m, steve madden, uniqlo, Warby parker 1 Comment »It’s vacation and I should be grading lab reports. Instead, I’ve been lounging, cooking and eating. Lab reports can wait, I guess. I got myself a new bag – a wannabe Alexander Wang bucket bag for a small fraction of the price. Thanks to “fast fashion”, I can indulge in designer aesthetics without the designer price point. Considering I’ll probably get sick of this bag within the year and just go back to my trusty Freitag tote anyway, I’m cool with the semi cheap-o construction and materials. 
beannie: topshop – glasses: warby parker – jacket and purse: h&m – puffer: marmot – jeans and sweater: uniqlo – booties: steve madden (my fast fashion version of the Isabel Marant Dicker boots)
mad easy.
Posted: 11/28/2012 Filed under: outfits, teaching | Tags: fashion, j.crew, teacher outfits, teaching, teenagers, uniqlo, urban outfitters, Warby parker 7 Comments »In effort to avoid looking like I was attending a funeral today, I threw in some reddish/maroonish/berryish colored tights. The tights just happened to match my maroonish booties – a happy coincidence. To complete this berry theme, the boots and tights also matched my not-so-new-anymore-since-I-wear-it-all-the-time-now Rimmel ‘bordeaux’ lipstick. Some kid today said that I actually looked a bit “teacher-ish” except for the red tights and boots that elicit a “omg I love your shoes” type response. So….the trick to looking like a teacher is: bun, glasses, black dress, black cardigan. Thanks, kid for the fashion advice. I’ll remember it, because unlike you (for now), I am good at listening (most of the time).
glasses: warby parker – circle scarf and necklace: h&m (I think, it’s hella old) – cardigan: j.crew – dress and tights: uniqlo (last year) – booties: ecote via uo
By the way, my lesson today was on graphing. As in what is a graph, which is the X axis, how to graph using a table and identifying the independent vs. dependent variable.
Kid: Miss, this is maaad easy! Why are we doing this?
Thinking to myself: Yeah, it should be ‘mad easy’, considering they’re in the 10th grade.
Me: If you think it’s so ‘maaaad easy’, then why was your graph hella wrong on the cellular respiration lab?
Kid: What’s ‘hella’, miss?
Mental note: replace ‘hella’ with ‘mad’ from now on.
variations on a theme
Posted: 11/26/2012 Filed under: outfits | Tags: anthropologie, fashion, j.crew, madewell, teacher outfits, uniqlo, Warby parker 1 Comment »look familiar? yup, I’m full on outfit recycling like crazy now, something I never really did in the past. I used be inspired/care enough to come up with different ways to mix up what is in my closet. Not so much anymore, as I’ve been sticking to my work uniform of black jeans, a button down and booties. At least I now have a new button down to throw into the mix, never mind that it’s from the same store in the same cut. It’s a new color! The elfish booties – an Anthropologie find on black Friday, on sale with an extra 25% off! And I didn’t even have to deal with crowds at my sister’s neighborhood shopping area in DC. They make me feel like Arwen, where in reality they probably make me look like Elf.
glasses: warby parker – scarf: present from my sister – cardigan – j.crew (similar) – shirt: madewell (similar color)- belt: gap – booties: anthropologie
saturdays
Posted: 11/17/2012 Filed under: outfits | Tags: bambi, boutique 9, cu copy, fashion, j.crew, unicorn crafts, uniqlo, Warby parker Leave a comment »Saturdays with the dog and Cut Copy. I kinda have a thing for Aussie electro.
glasses: warby parker – flannel and tights: uniqlo – skirt: j.crew – boots: boutique 9 – cali love necklace: unicorn crafts
this is my basics jam
Posted: 11/12/2012 Filed under: outfits | Tags: basics, fashion, freitag, madewell, teacher outfits, uniqlo, urban outfitters, Warby parker 2 Comments »My style sensibilities have been changing…and it’s veering closer and closer to a uniform of purely neutral basics. It’s like I’m heading back to white rice territory, after years of trying to make the most interesting and complexly flavored fried rice out there. I’m cutting out the fluff and I’m crawling back into my comfort zone, the safety of neutral colors in classic cuts and fits. It makes getting dressed much easier, faster and stress free. You can never be too over dressed or underdressed with basics, otherwise the point of having basics would be defeated. Right? On this note, I just got back from shopping for basics at the most basic of stores with zero creeper hipster appeal, Uniqlo. The moment I walked in to the store today, I was thinking, yeah, this is my JAM!! I had just left Zara, which assaulted me in all its trendiness with everything black/army green/oxblood and covered in studs/mean animal faces/leather sleeves. Uniqlo with its stacks of logo-less, glitter-less, graphic-less, simply cut clothes was refreshing and welcoming. This is what I picked up today, all of course at teacher-friendly prices. For more of a basics guide, check out this post by refinery29, where they pick apart the basic basics, through the ages. Technically, I fall into the 30′s category, but can barely afford the 20′s category. Big poo.
Boring? Or classic? Either way, these items came home with me because they went perfectly well with what I wore out shopping today. My everyday basic outfit, jeans and a tshirt, with my going-to-be-with-me-for-the-next-10-years-just-like-my-other-one-was Freitag bag. The boots come and go, get swapped out with black flats, flip flops or converse, and some days lipstick gets thrown in the mix too. For the most part though, this is it: my everyday basic outfit.
glasses: warby parker – t-shirt: alternative apparel – belt: gap – jeans: madewell – boots: ecote via urban outfitters
Going Out
Posted: 11/11/2012 Filed under: outfits, parties | Tags: basic, fashion, j.crew, madewell, nars, night out, teaching, uniqlo, Warby parker, zara 4 Comments »
B and I actually “went out” friday night, meaning went out to a place that didn’t involve our couch. Amazing really, considering that for the past few months we’ve spent just about every weekend on our couch, drinking wine and watching movies. All domestic and shit. This domestic and shit phenomenon is a common thing among teachers – in bed by 10pm, awake by 6am and forced to be perky by 8am when the kiddos walk in your classroom door. So by the time the weekend rolls around, all you want to do is marinate on the couch hugging a bottle of wine. If anything, you might head out to the local bar with your other teacher buddies, drops some cash on beer and unhealthy bar food while you discuss dropping knowledge on shared students. This Friday night however, B and I had a plan – we had an invite to a Punch Party at B’s friend Darren’s house in the Lower East Side.
After 30 min of rifling through my closet, B hassling me to hurry up and 5 outfit changes, I resigned myself to the going out basics. Skinny black pants, a basic t-shirt, black boots and red lipstick. There is still a whole bunch of exciting things going on, while still being basic enough to not feel like you’re out on a sartorial limb. This is my new go-to fashion philosophy: Basic, reliable and comfy but with a few interesting details. My two details for the night were my new hard-ass studded booties and a new lipstick, Red Square by Nars. All together exciting enough for this increasingly fashionably lazy teacher out on a Friday night. Didn’t even bother putting in contacts or changing my ever present teacher-bun-hair!
glasses: warby parker beckett - jacket: two year old madewell, but similar one here – flannel: uniqlo – t-shirt (which I looove, btw) & booties: zara – belt and pants (got mine on super sale): j.crew – necklace: f21
