The Priority List {Review}

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The Priority List

** Legal Stuff: I was provided a copy of The Priority List from Simon & Schuster to read and review here. **

I think we all, at some point in our lives, stop and think about the things that are most important to us.

As I continue to truck through my yearlist, the next book that I’ve read was The Priority List by David Menasche.

For David Menasche, The Priority List was something that his AP English students did for him each year. When faced with brain cancer, though, Menasche creates his own Priority List.

Click here to read my review.

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Keep Swinging Your Arms

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Something that I’ve read over and over is that moving your arms while you’re running helps to propel you forward.

I don’t know if this is true or not, though all of the literature I’ve combed through tells me yes.

On rough days, when it’s freezing cold outside or I’ve circled the track over-and-over and I’m feeling like I could just stop- I push my arms back and forth.

Even if it’s just mental, I hope that by doing this, I will be propelled forward.

In my quest to know more and be a “real runner,” I have been reading books on running and buying magazines. In those pages, not only do I find motivation for running, I learn about upcoming 1/2 and full marathons, which tickles me with excitement just reading it. I tore out the page with the 1/2 marathon I’ll be running and pinned it on my board in my office. This is what keeps me heading to the track at lunchtime… ’cause I can do it. I find info. about gear in those pages and I’ve found insight into running stairs post-run and other cross-training that I can do.

For someone as frugal as I, it’s a costly purchase, but worth it. It helps me to keep swinging my arms, even when I don’t want to.

Women’s Running is giving me a free 1-year subscription for one of you! I got nothing else in return (no subscription for me, so lucky you!).

Click here to enter and keep yourself motivate to get out there and run!

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation from Women’s Running, monetary or other, to write this post.

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Feelings of Failure

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Today, I felt dumb.

I walked into a computer-based testing center to take a test for educator licensing. More specifically, a professional knowledge test for Pre-K through 3rd grade. One that I did not feel adequately prepared for and really by no fault of my own I might add.

Let’s go back a bit…

In 2005, I graduated from the best teacher education program at a small, liberal arts college in the country (I’m pretty biased here, so…). For four years I learned how to be a teacher. I took the Praxis I in reading, writing and math and the Praxis II in Elementary Education. Aced ‘em all. I spent countless hours in the classroom either tutoring, observing, helping- whatever and felt prepared to enter the workforce.

I’ve held a teacher’s license in Vermont, Florida and Colorado. We’ve lived in four different states and 2 out of 4 times, the process was seamless to get my teacher’s license in that state.

I couldn’t work in California because even though I held a teacher’s license and had a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and had worked in the classroom for four years- they still wanted more.

Fast-forward to today.

The state of Ohio says that even though I have 4 Praxis tests under my belt, I still needed to display my professional knowledge using their new and improved teacher assessment system.

Okay. Fine.

$105 later, I learn that there are no preparation materials for said test.

I think … my frustrations are best described via a series of emoji, compliments of Facebook.

angry cat

angry face monster look

angry girl steam fire

angry guy

 

As teachers, we aren’t taught to send our children into tests blindly, hoping that they succeed… yet here out was being thrown out into the water, hoping that I wouldn’t drown.

Now, I wasn’t trained in early childhood education. And bless the hearts of all of the teachers who educate anyone under the age of 6, because… I can’t.

Jesus didn’t make me that way.

So taking a test where they ask me about the gross motor development of a 3-year-old and the appropriate actions that I should take if said 3-year-old isn’t performing said gross motor task?

And then they word the answer in a manner that doesn’t make any real sense to me?

Yeah…

I question the place of standardized testing in our country.

And the significance of what these results are going to prove to those looking at the results.

And this is not new. I fought this tooth and nail when I was in the classroom and was giving CBMs (curriculum based measures) to my 6-year-old first graders multiple times a year.

I continue to question the weight that we put on standardized test results as I don’t feel they adequately show what someone knows. It’s not the whole picture.

Outside factors can come into play when looking at standardized test results.

Like maybe that child didn’t eat this morning, maybe that child didn’t study, maybe that child didn’t study well, maybe that child’s (mom, dad, brother, cousin) was arrested last night, maybe that child’s teacher didn’t cover that material, maybe… maybe… maybe.

I digress.

I didn’t study well.

Because I didn’t know what to study.

So I studied all things Pre-K through 6, behavioral psychologist, classroom strategies, NAEYC, related…

But I feel like I failed.

I’m not bashing standardized tests in any manner. I’m a teacher, remember? I understand assessments and where they fall. I sometimes think that we put too much value on assessments. I also feel like sometimes we over-assess and don’t stop to ask ourselves why we are administering a given assessment (whether standardized or in-class assessment)

Today, I felt kind of like a failure.

There were so many questions that confused me… that I wasn’t sure of the answer to.

I don’t like to fail.

Or feel like things that I should be able to control are out of my control.

Or feel like there are things that I should know that I don’t.

Yeah, today, I felt dumb.

FOF

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Thank You, Internet

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Y’all.

The Internet gives me many things. But this?

I think we’ve reached an all new low.

The Internet gave me this precious gift last night-

Billy Ray Cyrus has remade Achy Breaky Heart.

I mean, really?

With a rapper?

And the space-aged chicks?

With the booty poppin’?

And the smoke?

And the lights?

I can’t.

Send shrooms. Or Molly. Or acid.

Cause that’s what this video was made for.

Trippin’.

But I’m not promoting recreational drug use, cause- no.

Did you miss the booty clap? And Billy Ray’s raggedy hair?

One more time.


What does twerkin’ and space ships and thongs have to do with telling someone about your achy breaky heart?

Really, Billy?

Cause if she wasn’t leavin’ you then, she’s DEFINITELY leaving you now after this video.

If for nothing else, just for the sheer embarrassment that it’s brought her.

Cause I’m pretty sure that you, Billy Ray Cyrus, have lost all sense of what’s right and wrong in this world.

But maybe not. Cause here I am talkin’ about it- and the whole Internet is talking about it.

So, maybe your publicist is a marketing genius. Maybe this is all a great marketing scheme. Maybe this video is a hoax, a parody to make you relevant again?

Please, baby Jesus, say yes.

Thank you, Internet for making me lose faith in all humanity with this (please sense the sarcasm here).

And you’re welcome, readers, for this gem. Also? If you go download Achy Breaky Heart 2 on iTunes we may not be able to be friends anymore.

“Or you can tell my eyes to watch out for my mind
It might be walking out on me today*”

Yes, Billy. Your mind has walked out on you.

Miley must be so proud.

*Actual line from the original Achy Breaky Heart…

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Baby It’s Cold Outside

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I knew that I needed to run.

I’d skipped two days- one at the conference and the day after. I had plans to run that day at the track at the high school, but it was a snow day- so I wasn’t headed to work. My only other option? Was the great outdoors.

But y’all- it was cold outside… and there was snow on the ground.

Baby It's Cold Outside

But- I pressed on. Because I didn’t want to be a quitter, which I have a tendency to do.

I put on my tights, long-sleeved running shirt (with the thumb holes, because- YES thumb holes), grabbed my husband’s scarf, my gloves, put my hood on and head out.

It. Was. Brutal. That first run in the cold.

The wind was slapping me in the face in a manner that I couldn’t quite comprehend. It felt like I couldn’t breathe and my legs felt heavy- like lead. I swore they would give out on me.

I tried changing my direction thinking that would help with the wind, but it was so windy that it didn’t really matter. Running against the wind meant that it was slapping me in the face, pushing against me, and essentially (in my mind) slowing me down. On the other hand, with the wind at my back, pushing me forward and making me feel a bit unstable.

“How do people do this?

What if this were a race?

How do they finish?

Well, if this was a race, I’d need to finish- right?

Keep going. ”

So I did.

The second I came back in the house, my body started to do something strange- tingly, kind of numb, all at once.

It’s weird how after a while, you don’t even feel the cold anymore when you’re running, but once you get inside to the heat- you feel the effects immediately.

Running in the cold lesson number 1- Keep going. You’re already out there, so finish.

I promised myself that I would never do that again.

Til this past week.

Running in the Cold

I had done it before, so I knew that I could do it again.

The problem? Was that it was a bit warmer and I thought I could do it without my gloves. Two laps around and my hands felt like they were about to fall off.

Running in the cold lesson number 2- wear gloves. Don’t be silly.

I stopped at the house, got my gloves and head back out.

There’s something about being outside, though, cold weather aside that actually. feels. good.

I must be a runner.

How about you? What’s it like running in the cold (or any other inclement weather)?

Any tips for a newbie?

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Running Like a Girl {Review}

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** Legal Stuff: I was provided a copy of Running Like a Girl from Simon & Schuster to read and review here. **

As a brand new runner, I have been looking for inspiration anywhere that I can find it- including in text.

Running Like a Girl was written by Alexandra Heminsley- a woman who was never a runner, but became one. Her journey was very real to me even though I’ve only been running for a few weeks.

Click here to read more…

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