Erika S. fun stuffs, teaching

streamlines

It’s been silent here on Teachers Have Lives this week.  I’ve been freaking out over the looming summer and getting all my lessons taught in what little time we have left.  I only get 2 more weeks with my kids!   I’ve been focusing on school stuffs and finishing up my BTSA stuff for a clear Cali credential.  This means staying in my classroom from morning till eve and no chances to escape for outfit shots.

On another note, I’ve also been cleaning out my closet.  It’s been difficult to do, due to “I swear I’ll wear that again, someday” type of thinking and “but I paid a lot for it!” remorse.  With every item, i have to remind myself that 1) the less I move, the less it will cost me to move it, 2) B and I will be sharing our ONE closet in Brooklyn and 3) I haven’t worn the dress/shoes/jeans/top in well over one, two years even.   Sigh.  I went to Crossroads yesterday and sold 2 shopping bags worth of cute dresses and tops.  21 things sold…for a whopping $103.  Booooo.  One dress alone cost me $100 when I bought it.  Hella Booooo. Oh well, like B said, those dresses weren’t making me any money sitting in a closet.  Shucks.

So I’m streamlining.  And while I’m at it, I’ve decided I need to change my look and start sticking to streamlined basics.  Some photos for inspiration…

Photos from here and here, two blogs that I’ve been style stalking for a while.

Erika S. teaching

Leaving

As many of you know from Facebook or my post from New York, I’m leaving my hometown, my city by the bay, San Francisco.  I’m off in search of newness, excitement, a challenge and a new chapter in my life, all in the big bad city of New York.  I officially told my advisory class today about my move.  With a heavy heart, I told them that I was not going to be there for their senior year, that someone new would be the one to have the privilege to hand them their diplomas.  I have seen these kids grow and I have grown alongside them.  It was my first day of teaching and their first day of high school.  My advisory class of 35 has shrunk down to 21 students over the years, many have transfered schools, moved or dropped out.  But these 21 kids…it’s hard to explain how I feel I about them.  I’ve written letters of recommendations, heard about their relationship woes, they’ve schooled me on teenage trends and they’ve laugh at me and with me.  I’m going to miss them.  Hopefully someone will Facetime with me next year when they walk the stage so I can cheer on from afar.

Word is spreading around school that Ms. Schenck will not be at Marshall next year.  Some kid asked me, “So does this mean we can add you on Facebook now?”

Aimee and I during our staff meeting today.  weeeee aaarrr keeewwwlll.

Erika S. outfits, teaching

little victories

I have a student who is super shy.  So shy and unsure of herself that all year, she has barely said more than a few sentences in class.  I was also a very shy kid, so I can empathize with her.  Well, this shy kid had to do a solo power point presentation last week on the integumentary system.  She could have chosen to do a mini-book project instead, but alas, she opted to challenge herself and speak in front of the class, all by herself.  The day came, and she froze on the spot.   Really froze!

My class, as good as they are, kept encouraging her with “Don’t worry C__, you don’t have to be shy in front of us” and “you can do it C___, just pretend we’re not here at all” and other supportive things.  Still didn’t help.  She was still standing there frozen with large eyes.  I suggested that everyone in the class turn around so that C_____ wouldn’t feel like all the eyes were on her, every single student whipped around in their seats and stared at the wall.  After a 3 minutes of tortured silence, C____ began to speak, read her note cards and did her presentation, switching slides for the backs of heads.  It was a mini victory.  I wanted to hug each one of my 5th period students that day and stick them all in my pocket so that I could pull them out routinely and tell them how proud they make me.

On an outfit note, I bought these black jeans this past weekend at Uniqlo in NYC.  Love that store.  Cheap, good quality basics with a touch of designeyness (I just made up that word).  Just when I plan on moving to the only US city that has a Uniqlo, they announce that they’re opening one up in SF.  Bah.  I  have two paris of the same jeans, black and blue, mid-rise skinny tapered.  They are super stretchy, thick, super comfortable and holds its shape well for at least 3 wears.  All for $40.  Can’t beat it.  other than the jeans, my teaching outfit was pretty boring and basic.  T-shirt and jeans.

glasses: warby parker – jacket: h&m (old) – v-neck: thread for thought via nordstrom rack – belt: gap – jeans: uniqlo – shoes: bass – bag: j.crew

 

Erika S. outfits, teaching

in between the storms and the races

It stormed like crazy last night.  We don’t get real lightning and thunder very often here in SF, so when it does happen everyone talks about it.  City dwelling high schoolers reverted to grade school kids sharing their fears.  It’s funny here in SF: earthquake? “Meh, no biggie.”  Thunder? “OMG that was sooo scary!”  The storms cleared today, but it looks like another one might be rolling in this evening.  I took advantage of the lunchtime sunshine.  Too much blue?

My mom gave me this necklace about a year ago when she was going through a rough time.  She picked this necklace out when she was 12 years old in Saigon, Vietnam.  Her favorite uncle had given her money for something like this just before he died.  The character (in cantonese, which we speak at home) is “fook”, which means good luck or good fortune.  These necklaces are not meant to be taken on and off frequently, so I just leave it on all the time.  Wearing it all the time also means I tend to get sideways glances/stares from chinese people on the street.

Asian people tend to think I’m Caucasian and and vice versa.  Kids are usually obsessed with questions like “what are you Ms. Schenck” at the beginning of the year.  Last semester, I made it a point to tell them flatly, “I’m San Franciscan American” and left it at that, redirecting each time.  Mostly, they would get visibly frustrated and try to guess.  Eventually, after much explanation and discussion, they stopped asking.  They laughed when I pointed out that other countries don’t obsessively classify their residents by skin color (hello, I’m Chinese Brazilian!  or hi, I’m African Australian!).  They agreed that knowing my ethnic background would in the end have no relevancy.  But they still just wanted to know.  So they went out and asked around and eventually figured it out.  I understand when they talk shit in Chinese, after all.

shirt: levis (last seen here) – dress: many belles down (orange version seen here) – belt and tights: j.crew – boots: h&m – other necklace: unicorn crafts (last seen here) – bag: f21

Erika S. outfits, teaching

Weekend love note

It’s always fun to find love notes left for you from your students on the white board. Yesterday, one of my fav students, “A”, left me this love note.  She found the boxes of preserved specimens waiting to get dissected.  Guess who wants to take physiology next year!  “A” also played photog for me.  Good job, A!

glasses: bonlook – infinity scarf: american apparel – blazer: madewell – sweater: j.crew – belt: gap – jeans: uniqlo – booties – steve madden

Erika S. teaching

the crying game

Teachers cry. We do, all the time. Especially first and second year high school teachers. A well known secret among teachers is that if you have to cry, don’t do it in font of your students. It will only make it worse.

I have a crying corner where no one can see me, even if they peek in through the window on my door. Another teacher I know has a full sized cabinet that he goes to cry in. Another teacher I know used to lock herself in the supply room to cry in peace.

I almost lost it in front of students once. Students had been throwing things at me and I didn’t know who was doing it. I burst into tears right as the dean of students came and took over so that I could go to the restroom to sob. That was not a good day. In fact, my first year, I was averaging 3-4 days a week of crying (in private, after school after all the kids left). My second year, I was crying about once a month. This year, my third year, I’ve cried twice….both times probably also fueled by PMS in addition to school stuff.

Why we cry: stress, frustration, feelings of helplessness, students who steal from us, disappointment, the list goes on and on and on. On the plus side (or maybe negative side) the crying tapers off with years of experience. Eventually, we become hardened, thick skinned teachers.

I polled a few of my students today and asked them if they’ve ever seen a teacher cry. Each one of them said yes. When asked how that made them feel, the consensus was, “I felt bad for them.” Kids feel for us too.