My morning cuppa...

A few years ago I started what is one of my favorite teaching traditions - I buy myself a new mug to us for the year. 2 years ago it was a Berlin Starbucks mug. Last year it was a handmade mug I picked up at an art fair last summer in Port Austin. This year I was looking through etsy, and contacted a seller about a commission. It turns out she's made something similar to what I want and will make one for me. So... this is what I'll be drinking from in about 6 weeks. I have German 1 1st hour, so freshmen, and is a generous size to wrap my hands around so I don't wrap my hands around their little necks! To give credit where it is due, the creator is Karen at onewintrynight on etsy.


I've been feeling particularly crafty and creative lately - the juices have just been flowing, and I've had a lot of energy to realize many of my ideas. In reflecting on last year, I realized that I spent a lot of time helping kids find pencils, pens, scissors, paper... many of these things I kept at my desk. I need to let go of that. So, I went to Ikea and found an organizer box with drawers - unfinished wood, unassembled (of course!), and plain. I then went to the scrapbooking store and picked up some papers that moved me. Then I got to work. The result? I love it. Next up? A fabric cover for my ugly tissue boxes. I'm thinking orange....

Thoughts on cooking

Cooking is a big part of my life. I love to be in the kitchen, cooking and baking, preferably for a ton of people. Last year we started a few traditions at the school – Homecoming tailgating for staff and a great holiday cocktail party. I catered both – about 50 people for each event. I love to spend a whole day in the kitchen.

What I find more difficult, however, is day-to-day eating. Cooking a traditional meal for one just doesn’t appeal to me very often. I have a thousand recipes in my “to try” binder, but unless it’s a baked good, I doubt I will ever make the majority of them.

Stumbling around on the internet lately I found more information on Once A Month Cooking (OAMC). Through my participation on a cooking board, I know people who do this, or even once a week cooking. Spend one day a week/month prepping and cooking, freeze, and have meals prepared. As far as this concerns my lifestyle, I’m of 2 minds. On the one side I think “I’m better than this – I can put a meal together perfectly well without having to resort to a recipe that is designed for a heat and eat meal, thank you very much.” The other side of my brain is saying “Yeah, but you don’t do it. You can, but you don’t.” *sigh*

So, I’ve decided to give it a shot. Save the great creative recipes for tailgating and the cocktail party, and try stocking the freezer. I already stock with things like homemade pasta sauce (Lindrusso’s Marinara, for those interested), Cincinatti chili (with the elk that my dad shot last fall), and lasagna – things that are best done in large batches. I’ve decided to add things like individual shepherd’s pies, marinated chicken recipes, Hungarian goulash, and chicken with dumplings. I’m also hoping that, although my food spending isn’t huge (I’m more likely to skip dinner or just have cheese and crackers and a few grapes!), that this will help me better track and spend my food dollars.

And, for those days that I’m craving comfort foods… there is a recipe for gravy that I can freeze in ice cube trays to serve over mashed potatoes. Rock on.

Willkommen!

My name is Bethany, I prefer to be called either Frau or Trudi, I’m 33, in my 6th year of teaching, and will be teaching German 1, German 2, German 3, German 4 and Geometry, advising German Club, participating in various committees, and trying to balance a lifestyle! This blog will chronicle my progress, the ups and downs, what works for me organizationally, and what doesn’t work!

If you are familiar with the True Colors inventory, you know that when I say I’m all Orange that I might be in for a long year. Teaching 4 preps required enough organization that I could handle it – adding another is daunting. So, I started brainstorming ideas for making my life 1) easier and 2) fun enough to keep my interested. I knew that the first thing that had to go was the lesson planning book that we’re issued. *yawn* I picked up a scrapbooking album, made a template of a lesson planner, and put together my own. Fun, funky, colorful… and it has the page protector sheets to use for wrangling little pieces of paper, handouts that need to be photocopied, meeting agendas, etc. On each week I put an inspirational quote – things that move me and speak to me, as well as a sidebar for notes, ideas, etc. I’m hoping it will be as functional as it is funky. I also have a page to help remind me of why I teach – pictures, funny quotes from past students, etc. I know there will be the days when I’ll wonder why I’m in a professional that is so emotionally demanding, and there will be my answer.

I’ve found Facebook to be a great tool in the past year – kids use it constantly (often in class, much to my chagrine!). Last year it was used mainly for German Club – posting of events, notices, etc. This year I’d like to create groups for each level, complete with calendars, events, walls, etc.

So, goals for this year…

• Regular meals (this is a hard one for me actually)
• Gym 3 times/week
• Leaving each Friday by 3:30
• Having a lesson for the next day, complete with all copies made, when I leave every day
• Having an outline for the following week (basic notes of what needs to be covered, etc) when I leave on Friday
• Creating and USING a filing system to keep handouts, well, handy. I’m too guilty of losing entire class sets of copies!
• When I leave on Friday, being able to see my desk!
• Getting quizzes back the next day, tests back within 3 days, and essays back in a week
• Being able to be conscious enough of my planning to not overbook when planning tests, quizzes and essays.
• Have my German Club officers have more responsibility. To do this, I would like to assign each officer to plan an event for a specific month – a holiday celebration, cooking, a movie afternoon with popcorn and treats, whatever, and have them in charge of the entire planning.
• Not feel guilty when I need to loosen up on the reins a bit. I can’t control everything. Must not try.

On the upside, this has allowed me to indulge my love of fun office supplies! No more manilla filing folders for me! Woohoo!