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).

birds birds2 birds3 birds4

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

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

Performance2

Performance3

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

Erika S. outfits

stepping up

cardigan and skirt: j.crew – blouse: madewell – sweater tights: anthropologie (old) – boots: steve madden (old) – pedometer: fitbit – watch: marc by marc jacobs – neclace: family heirloom

By lunch time I *only* had 3550 steps.  Our school is in STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) testing this week, meaning the kids are spending their mornings reading questions and bubbling while I sit there and stare at them.  It’s very exciting.

Erika S. fun stuffs

a few things

I got a Fitbit last thursday!  A Fitbit is basically a glorified pedometer that tracks steps and flights of stairs all day with the aim to have at least 10,000 steps a day.  B got one a few months ago and loved it, so I started getting curious about my steps as well.  Now I’m getting competitive. 13,046 steps yesterday while snowboarding.  13,645 today (and there are still more to come).  I’m kicking butt.  The average American gets in about 5,000 steps a day, so I’m ahead of the game.  yay.  13,645 steps for me = my average day teaching + taking bambi on a  2.5 mile walk.

After the long walk, and planning my lessons for tomorrow, it was nail art time.  I followed this tutorial, I loved the pattern and my new bronze nail polish by Milani.

I love this new polish.  Also used last friday when Aimee and I unwound from the week watching movies and “getting our nails did” (like the kids say).

And lastly, I went browsing at the mall the other day and picked up this dress at Forever 31 (that’s what I’m calling it now a days since “I’m 10 years too old to be shopping there”– a witty student from health class).  Cute, no?