outfits – Page 11 – Teachers Have Lives Too!

10/15/201410/15/2014 Erika S. outfits

Hardcore

Today was hardcore – as in I actually got to talk about metal music with a couple of my kids while they worked on missing assignments for physics. I have a special spot in my heart for hardcore, screamo and all around metal music. I was obsessed with bands like Marylin Manson and Ministry in the late 90’s, then moved on to stuff like Deftones and Will Haven in the early 2000’s. That kind of music, while not for everyone, really spoke to me as an angsty 20 year old. I love every chance I get to talk about this stuff and will wax on for days about various hardcore bands and my favorite songs. I have a few boys in my physics class who share my love for all things metal-ish in music. Needless to say, they are a few of my favorite peoples now a days. Not only that, these boys will actually check in after school with me to ask how my day is going when they know I’ve had a rough one. These are the silver linings we teachers will always remember.

My outfit today wasn’t too hardcore – the J.Crew shirt lends a lot of sweetness, as does the unicorn necklace. But I feel hardcore all the same. Black jeans and red lipstick will do that for any outfit. hardcore2 hardcore3

shirt and belt: j.crew – jeans: uniqlo – boots: madewell – necklaces: unicorn crafts – lipstick: revlon lip butters in “red velvet”

10/14/201410/14/2014 Erika S. outfits, teaching

Kicks

I want to start off with a heartfelt appreciation for all the supportive comments in my last post. It had been a month of struggles and I was at a particularly low point. I guess I really needed words of encouragement from fellow teachers, and the advice really helped me feel like I’m not alone with these issues. At my last school in Brooklyn, the small staff regularly ate lunch together and I always felt supported and encouraged by my peers every day. We’d spend those 30 minutes sharing stories, ideas and giving advice. In hindsight, those lunches really helped support me both as an educator and an emotional human being. That lunch culture is not really established at my current school, so I find that I can go an entire day without any more than a “hello” type interaction with adults at school. I need to set up some lunch dates!

Things have been going much better these past few days. Classes have been running smoothly, I’ve had positive interactions with almost all of my students, and I had a couple restorative conferences with individual students that helped clear the air. Also, students are turning in heaps of late work and raising their grades, which helps boost morale in the classroom. Things are on the up and up – though I’m still not sure if this school is the right fit for me. TIme will tell.

In other news, I did a bit of retail therapy this past weekend. I got myself some new kickers. I’ve been wanting a pair of 8 eye Docs, but I’ve always been held back by my ridiculous boot collection and the price. So when I saw that I had a $20 gift card and they were on sale for less than $100 at Nordstrom, I caved. Plus, B was out of town and he’s usually my voice of reason on how I don’t need anything. While at the mall, I popped into J.Crew where they were having one of their 30% off sale prices events. I picked up this adult version of a sweatshirt – it’s merino wool and ridiculously soft and comfortable (J.Crew Collection). With the sale and my educator discount, this sweater was ~~practically~~ ~~free~~ super cheap!

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The ever present pencil in my hair – it’s the only way I can keep track of fit. kickers4

scarf: super old no brand – sweater: j.crew – jeans: uniqlo – boots: dr. martens

10/07/201410/07/2014 Erika S. outfits, teaching

The Face

I’m struggling, people. Struggling with classroom management AND with teaching physics content. I thought teaching for 5 years in 2 different inner city schools would have taught me something about how to manage my classroom, but nope. I’m dealing with a problem that is completely new to me – seniors who claim I can’t teach and therefore loudly blame me for their low grades during class. There is some truth to this – I’ve never taught physics before and I’m figuring it out as I go. I get most of my materials and curriculum from well established sites such as The Physics Classroom but I’ve had a hard time finding labs that work with the supplies I have at my school. This means I may invent labs and assignments that don’t work out (crazy acceleration calculations like -33.89 m/s/s for a free falling object!). The flip side? These seniors are not coming in for HW help, they’re not doing the assignments or test corrections or any of the many supports I offer inside and outside of class. They’re goofing off in class and fighting me on simple rules like cell phones, uniform and staying quiet during the entry routine.

I’m exhausted, mentally and physically. Do I still really like teaching? Honestly, I don’t really know anymore.

People say that if you are down, you should fake a smile because even faking a smile helps reduce stress. So here is my fake smile of the day. the face

This on the other hand, is what my face really looks like lately. I know that I typically have a “resting bitchy face” (it’s true – bartenders will actually pass over me because I look unfriendly and mean). But lately my RBF has been a bit more turned down.

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Nothing new on the outfit front – all old reliables.

glasses: warby parker – shirt and high-riser jeans: madewell – belt: gap – shoes: worishofer – necklaces: etsy and f21

10/03/201410/03/2014 Erika S. outfits

Zipping up

It’s been slow on the blog front, because you know…”students first” right? Students trump sleep, lunch, bathroom breaks, alone time, relationship time, sanity and your emotional stability. I got this sweater on super sale right before I left New York in the dead of summer. Denver is getting properly cold finally. I wore the boots I’ve dubbed my alien boots because they remind me of something Sigourney Weaver would have worn in the movie Aliens. They make me feel bad ass. Up until I get an angry mis-informed voicemail forwarded to me by my principal from the mom of one of my mean girls who have been tormenting me. FUN. Sorry for the negativity guys, I’m just not feeling it today. Since I really have nothing good to say about teaching in Denver so far, I’m just going to zip my trap before it gets out of hand.

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glasses: warby parker – sweater: nordstrom rack – jeans: uniqlo – boots: deena & ozzy/urban outfitters

09/18/201409/18/2014 Erika S. outfits

Backpackin’

The days have been long and hard lately. I’ve taught 12th graders before, but the batch I have this year for Physics are just too cool for school. I started the year off thinking I could give them a lot of freedom and personal responsibility, only to realize that they just can’t handle the truth – they need some hand holding. Cell phones out left and right just to “check the time” and independent practice time spent chatting it up about homecoming (yup, it’s a thing here and I’m really weirded out by this new-to-me Americana type tradition). I’m working on it – slowly but surely. I gave a stern behavioral expectations lecture today about how “you’re young adults now, that means I shouldn’t have to mother you”. sigh. I’m not the motherly type.

I bought a backpack to lug my papers and laptop back and forth to school. My back feels better (though I have a car now – my back never gets a chance to complain anymore!), I like the organization, and I like the color. Also, I was really tired of the plastic tarp smell that never really goes away with the Freitag bags and a purse just wasn’t cutting it – too small.

I just realized how many times I typed “I” in such a short post. Feeling very self centered and narcissistic now. On to the photos!

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glasses: warby parker – cardigan: uniqlo – dress and belt: f21 – shoes: saltwater sandals – backpack: jansport – charm: ugly dolls

09/03/201409/03/2014 Erika S. outfits

Birds and Shit

I did it this year – I brought poop into my classroom today. I did my “alive/dead/not-living” lesson today, as I do in the beginning of every school year. The lesson includes an activity where students circulate through about 14 items, where they have to determine if the item is alive, dead, or not-living. It helps to prime the kids on what it really means to be alive (biologically speaking). It’s a brilliant lesson borrowed from my mentor/coach from my first few years of teaching, Eric. It’s a hit every time, and really gets the kids thinking about common characteristics/processes that all living things share. Today, the lesson was a smash – because now I’m the teacher who brings dog shit to class (in a sealed baggie).

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glasses: warby parker beckett – shirt: anthropologie pintucked buttondown – jeans: f21 – shoes: birkenstock arizona – tracker: fitbit flex – watch: fossil

08/29/2014 Erika S. outfits

One Two

First day of school with students was this past Monday and Tuesday. Both days – 9th graders only on Monday and all the rest on Tuesday. So I had in effect 2 first days of school. This is what I wore on day one and day two of the first day(s) of school. For me teaching is like childbirth (or so I hear). It’s agony sometimes, but then your mind seems to block all that stuff away after a break from the agony. The summer must have given my brain time to block a lot of the agony away, because I. Am. Exhausted. It’s been 11-13 hour days all this week and lots of mental strain trying to get organized and learn 110 names and faces. Much of it has to do with the fact that I’m starting a new school and teaching one (physics) and a half new courses. The half is because 2 of my 4 sections are Honors Biology, and I’ve only ever taught at non-tracking schools in the past. I’m generally not a fan of tracking students, but I’ll admit it’s going to challenge me more as I now have to up the bio game.

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day one – dress: thrift store find – belt: h&m – shoes: madewell – glasses: warby parker – day two – tshirt and belt: jcrew – skirt: anthropologie – sweater: uniqlo – shoes: sweedish hasbeens

08/28/2014 Erika S. outfits

The chop

I chopped my hair for my birthday this past month – more than 6 inches off. It felt great, though I still just tie it up in a bun most days. This day though, I wore it down. It felt weird. Also, it was back to school night, so that meant I was at school actively teaching/planning/talking to parents from 7am to 8pm. In addition, my outfit turned out really matchy-matchy. fun.

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shirt: anthropologie – belt: urban outfitters (old) – jeans: uniqlo – boots: madewell (old)

08/20/2014 Erika S. outfits

Performance

It’s funny how much translates from one district to another. So far, NYCDOE’s “rigor” is just about the same as DPS’s “rigor”. Today I spent the bulk of my day working on year long “Student Learning Objectives” and creating a “performance based task” for the end of the first unit (no more expeditions). It’s been a long day. I am lucky this year though – I am working closely with a super thoughtful teacher who is also teaching bio. The catch is, my schedule is still not set yet and the first day of school with students is this Monday. At first I was told I would be teaching Physics (2 sections), Bio, and a credit recovery course. Now I may be teaching one Physics, Honors Bio, Bio and the credit recovery. My eyes went buggy a first, but I’m determined not to stress over having 4 different preps (courses to teach) till everything is set with the master schedule.

Today on the clothing front I went a bit nicer than the usual t-shirt and jeans of summer. I’ve also been sporting these amazingly sassy sunglasses all summer. My friends Sara and Pedro gave them to me before I left Brooklyn and they are seriously the best ever. They’re Valentino and probably the nicest thing I own. Performance1

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sunnies: valentino – shirt: madewell – skirt: super old dkny – shoes: saltwater sandals – tracker: fitbit

08/18/2014 Erika S. basics, outfits

Don’t be a jerk

*jazz hands* New classroom!! *jazz hands*

Today was day three of seven “school launch” days for staff at my new high school here in Denver. It’s been meeting after meeting, training, team building activities and orientation. I barely had time to snap some photos in my new classroom. I still have to find the optimal place with the best non-yellow lighting in the classroom, but as you can see, my new room is really stinkin nice. Talk about an awesome science classroom – there is a dedicated instruction section and separate lab benches in the back. It’s the nicest classroom I’ve ever seen AND, the students get ROCKING CHAIRS. That’s right, rocking chairs. Today’s training was on classroom management, aka 100% engagement (buzz word alert). It was actually a nice refresher on methods I’d forgotten about such as various non-verbal cues, anonymous whole class corrections and private corrections. It made me think about my classroom management style, which has evolved into a very stern, strict, I’m-not-playing-around-so-you-better-check-yourself type of management that some students find a bit rough around the edges and if I’m honest with myself, a bit jerky. I don’t usually loosen up until second semester when the kids know the routine and know not to test me anymore (for the most part). So my focus this year in terms of classroom management is, don’t be a jerk. I need to breathe more, control my frustrations, stay calm, and utilize private corrections more. One of the first things I taped up on my wall by my desk is my post card of a Barbara Kruger piece, “Don’t be a jerk”. I love that little postcard – I picked it up at the Hirshhorn in Washington DC in 2012 and it’s been a classroom staple of mine. This year, it has new meaning. I used to point to it occasionally when kids were mean to each other, but this year, it’s for me.

On the clothing end, it’s really nothing exciting. I’m still on a basics kick and I’m in love with my summer sandals: the oh so trendy right now Birkenstocks. B calls them “Jesus Sandals” or “big black boats” and I can’t really disagree with him. I just got so obsessed with how cute I found then all of a sudden (just last summer I called them the ugliest things ever) when they started popping up all over my Feedly feed of fashion bloggers. I’ve also retired my trusty Freitag bag for a while. The plastic smell never really dissipates, and I was getting pretty tired of it. So I dug out the old J.Crew purse from my SF teaching days. Still holding up ok for now. I do have my eye on the also uber trendy Fjallraven Kanken backpack though. I’m such a sucker for hipster trends. Sigh.