Teaching @ MindSay 
school
I mean, sometimes the adults are great. Beth and I had great fun scoring a test together, and then going to the lab to print pictures (and amazingly, there is no sarcasm in that statement), and Irene gave me a few thousand feet of bulletin board borders because she's retiring and 'forgot [I] was new' (compliment?), and Kara's on an upswing the last week or so and says hi immediately, but.... it still feels like if I only had to deal with kids and not the grown-ups, I'd be significantly less stressed.
I love 4th graders, you guys! Not in the inappropriate way. Just... they have great stories that are about more interesting things, and they can put information together to understand what's going on, and yet they're still really innocent and loyal and sweet. Giving teachers they don't know Valentine cards. Randomly telling me when I asked them to stop bouncing, "oh, my real name's Anthony" (and not like, the way Corbin tries to convince me he's got a twin named Kevin who's bad and that he, Corbin, is a secret angel)... he just really felt that me saying, 'hey, calm your body' was the perfect time to announce 'oh, my real name's Anthony' and he goes by his middle name. Because... it was (?).
Science/Reading today was pretty fantastic. I had MG in a group with BP and BL. Last week, I mentioned that I loved whales, most specifically hump-backs. BP and BB (DAMN Megan's got a lot of Bs!) told me 'dooon't say that in front of BL, he is OBSESSED with whales. He even like, owns one'. So all three represented different habitats and have to share, and MG starts to share her ocean stuff, and BL says ' I know an animal you could say! Whales!' and BP, this little (and by little, I mean he's taller than me) 4th grader shoot me the 'I-told-you-so' look. Then we role-played being a food chain a little to figure out how plants and animals need each other. I was sea grass, MG and BL were salmon, and BP was something I named the Salmon Shark. They got that concept, and then I came home and found out that Salmon Shark is in fact, a real, documented creature, so -1 for creativity but +3 for concept teaching...
A training this afternoon got in the way of the one conference I really wanted to be at, so I'll have to email her and set up my own time. I had one at 8AM. We just had an IEP meeting on, so none of the info really changed. Dad's kind of really serious looking (I keep forgetting he's a corrections officer!), but they're nice enough, and we all want the same thing, so it's pretty comfortable.
Well at the end of it, we were standing near the door talking (apparently, my student has a girlfriend!), and they went to leave, and...hugged the classroom teacher and I. I just... wow. Both the mother and father. It was pretty great.
Like I said above, I had to go to a 3-hour training today. Probably only REALLY needed to be an hour long, but I don't run things. Anyway, the auditorium was FREEZING, so we went outside at the break to warm up (how sad is that?). We were supposed to go back in at 1:30 for the rest of the presentation, but we were still out front at like 1:29:55 talking to our curriculum director. I see some women walking up the path, and FREAK OUT. Why? Because one of them is Shawna!!!! Shawna, the mother of one of my students my first year teaching! Oh man, I LOVE her. I loved her son, too; I had such high hopes for him and I really believed he was going to be fine, academically and emotionally (he was in my substantially separate behavior class). Well, he's an 8th grader right now (that's INSANE), and he's doing GREAT! I'm so excited. I almost cried seeing her for a whole 2 minutes. I was giddy the rest of the afternoon, reliving seeing her and remembering my success story. Keep kicking ass and taking names (no not literally, you've kicked enough ass literally in your life), EBO! You're awesome!
I'm probably the only person bummed by this snow day we're having today.
1) Because I DO NOT like snow
2) Because today was the gymnastics demonstration
3) Because I had MAD stuff planned today and I really wanted to accomplish it
4) Because it's another day in June I have to be indoors. People don't understand that it's not like the 108th day of school disappears and we'll still get out as planned. No. Now we've got an extra day in a typically-warm month (which I LOVE) that I have to drive 20 miles and work. And I LOVE MY JOB...but I'm okay with my summer break starting as early as possible to enjoy warmth.
Also....what is up with this season!??! We had snow dayS (plural) in October....and now the first day of March. WTHeck? Nothing during typical snow season. Not even a delay! ...maybe one delay.
Thankfully, I brought SOME paperwork home to deal with, so I won't be freaking out on Friday (I'm already assuming we'll have school tomorrow) that there's too much to do.
My big plans for the day include:
- FINISHING (not just working on, but FINISHING) the rest of a report about one (ONE) of my students' testing results (when I quit last night at 11:50, I was on page 7; still have 9 or 10 subtests to go....)
- Calling the hotel my February 3-day conference is at to see if it is more cost effective to stay there or drive the 90 minutes each direction ...six times (have I mentioned on here yet that I HATE driving?).
- MAYBE going to the gym for the first time since last Wednesday/Thursday (PS, since school started, I've been able to get my butt to the gym 4 or 5 or even 6 nights a week...).
THAT IS A PATHETIC DAY!
There better be some INCREDIBLE music going on, Pandora!
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12 Hours Later (edit)
- Report is writ; I need to go back and edit it and all that good anal retentive stuff, but... is written. I analyzed all that I could analyze (and like a bad teacher/examiner/reporter, left out one subtest because it JUST doesn't make any sense)
- Picked up a prescription at CVS. Saw one of my students (not the one I am writing about for 11 pages, another one of my darlings who I love very much). Talked myself OUT of buying some crap; gotta save that money for New York.
- Walked on the treadmill (mostly) uphill for 36 minutes (5 minute cool-down) while enjoying my tunes. They give too much down/flat time on the treadmill in my opinion, and it makes my shins hurt; I prefer the steeper hills (is that a sign of insanity that THAT is preferable to flat walking?). Also, I decided to walk at a pace of 4.1 instead of 3.9; not much different; maybe next time, I'll do 4.2?
- Laundry. Well, shower, and THEN laundry.
- About to go start making my first ever potato latkes. THAT'SALIE. I made 2 as a test earlier in the week. I did not impress myself, but mommy liked them, and daddy is making a big deal about 'I bought you 2 pounds of potatoes' and I already chopped the onions, so...wish me luck :).
Belly Dance Lessons Online
Download
belly-dance-lessons-online.pdf
Learn |
All About Belly Dance
Claim your curves and turn them |
"I'm a shift worker and can't attend regular classes!"
"I've always wanted to learn, but I'm too shy to do it in front of a group!"
"I'm a Mum and can't get out of the house easily!"
"I don't live near a belly dance teacher, how can I learn?"
There are no belly dance teachers in my area!"
The answer is here!
Belly Dance Lessons Online!
Get full support while you learn!
Over the years, I have had students ask me if I hold classes at different times,
or students get frustrated that they can only attend sporadically due to work,
family, or other commitments. Shift workers find it particularly difficult to
attend regularly. Then if you add in lack of transport, and not to mention bad
weather can all hinder students from learning what they love - belly dance!
So I have come up with a solution. I will teach you at the time that
suits you, in your own home, at your convenience.
I am offering you 8 FREE e-classes for you to enjoy.
Simply scroll down the page and put your name and email address into the box
to introduce yourself. Once you've done that, it will take you to a page with
8 FREE e-classes.
You will be able to get started straight away with belly dance basics like:
posture, shimmies, hip flicks as well as some background on belly dance. Here's
a quick preview of what you'll get:
Belly dance is the general name for all types of dance originating
in the Middle East and North Africa. It is one of the few forms of dance suitable
for all ages and body types, as it is more than simply learning a technique,
but is also intuitive in dancing how the music feels. Finding this self-expression
is a great confidence builder, as well as a great way to develop better fitness!
Claim your curves and turn them into assets!
As belly dance is low impact it is a safe way to increase fitness and can be
an effective part of a weight loss program. Shimmy your way to better health!
My personal experience, as well as that of many of my students, has been that
learning belly dancing is an amazing way to help you become a more confident
and graceful person, especially if you are not slim like a supermodel (I won't
say fat, but my sizeable bottom is actually an asset when I dance).
Yes,
please! Let me start learning how to belly dance with 8 FREE classes!
Do you want to claim your curves
and turn them into assets?
Let me help you rediscover your confidence
The amazing, easy to follow, step-by-step guide to becoming
the most confident person in the room
Ever wondered why some women seem to draw approving eyes to them
wherever they go. You look at them and they don't seem beautiful or slim, yet
they appear incredibly attractive. Why?
Charni loves performing belly dance |
Belly Dance can give you the answer.
Let me tell you my own story: As soon as I hit puberty, I became curvy.
I lamented at finding pants that fit my sizable bottom, while coming in to my
small waist. It was no consolation as a teenager to be told that there was nothing
I could do about it as I had my Nanna's figure. I felt everywhere I went people
were looking at my hip area, and I didn't have the bosom to balance it out -
in short I felt like a spoon with legs. To top it off, I had poor posture making
my stomach look rounded and my butt stick out even more, I was terrible at sports
and though I loved dancing I never felt that I fit in next to all these long
legged, slim girls.
Then I found belly dancing. In the first lesson I felt I had come home.
It felt so right. On the one hand it was so hard and for the life of me I couldn't
work out how some of the moves were done, yet my curves felt natural
and actually helped! I found I had very mobile hips and learnt to "rein them
in", my back felt better, period pain decreased, and my self esteem soared.
After that I never looked back. While dancing, I know people are admiring my
curves. During a shimmy when everything is wobbling, I know I'm not being compared
to a runway model. This was so helpful when my body went through the shape changes
that pregnancy (and afterwards) caused, and also help me feel stronger and quicker
in the recovery. I also feel complete confidence in my attractiveness to my
husband. Why would he look elsewhere when he has curves like this at home? A
shimmy at the right time makes for a long and happy marriage!
Hate mirrors? Learn how to love your own reflection
When a woman looks into a mirror she only sees her "faults", why are we so
hard on ourselves? We seem to be our own worst enemy when it comes to shooting
confidence down. It's time to learn how to feel good about yourself and your
body.
Do you relate to any of these:
 | Too shy to go to the gym? |
| Hate getting sweaty and feeling left behind by the Zumba teacher? |
| Feel like everyone is looking at you? |
| Are public change rooms embarrassing? |
| Do you feel self-conscious surrounded by gym toned bodies? |
| Do you avert your face when you pass your reflection? |
| Hate clothes shopping and wear a lot of black because it is "slimming"? |
| Work shift-work and can't make it to regular classes? |
| Just had a baby and can't easily leave the house? |
Then learn belly dance online!
Rhonda's Testimonial
"Charni is very helpful, very friendly, |
Belly dance suits all body types, ages and abilities.
Even if you feel you have two left feet, we can turn them into right stepping
ones. Belly dance can help you achieve confidence through better body image.
You will learn how to move your body in ways you've never imagined. Gain strength,
flexibility and coordination as you master these ancient moves.
Learn how to turn your rolls into irresistible sexy curves!
Turn the wallflower into a sunflower!
Learn how movement, grace and confidence are the secrets to appearing attractive.
After learning belly dance, women who previously never dared go on the dance
floor, now pull envious eyes whenever they do.
I can hear you asking, "why wouldn't I get some belly dance DVDs to practice
at home instead of this membership?". That's fine if you just want to get a
taste of belly dance. But if you want to be part of a structured teaching experience,
with lots of ongoing support to help you keep going and improving,
then Belly Dance lessons online is the ideal place for you! Plus, I'm constantly
adding new material.
Studies have shown that, for example, dieters who succeed in losing weight
- and in keeping it off - are the ones who receive regular support. This is
what I am offering you in order for you to succeed at belly dance and achieve
the confidence you are craving. A DVD only lasts a couple of hours at the most;
I will support you as long as you remain a member.
How do some women look so attractive even though they should
look plain?
Sally's Testimonial "Happy Hips is great for all ages, |
Belly dance is the name of the dance style originating from the Middle-East
and which is practiced in many countries from Asia to Africa. I've always found
that the women from these regions that have grown up immersed in belly dance
have a graceful and confident way of moving. When I learned belly dance myself,
I found that I also felt more graceful and confident.
And now that I teach, many of my students have said the same. I've actually
seen several of them change from shy, retiring wall flowers who never spoke
in class, to confident women. One of these students is now actually my assistant
teacher, would you believe it!
Newsflash: Exercise & getting fit can be fun!
If you're like me, you probably think the gym and jogging are boring, sweaty
and repetitious (even if it's good for you - a bit like tofu and brown rice).
Dance, on the other hand, is a fun way to exercise, and I think belly dance
is the most fun of all the dance styles!
Yes please. I want to join the fun for
just $47AUD per month!
Here is what you get:
Weekly
eclasses emailed to you with a belly dance module to do in your own
time. These classes are progressive, so they increase in difficulty as you go
along. Going away on holidays? Just catch up when you get back. These classes,
which run for 25 to over 30 minutes on average, will be delivered to you every
week without fail for as long as you want them to continue. To see a list of
topics click
here, and to see a preview of the full eClasses scroll down or click
here. YEARLY VALUE $650.
Examples of the type of hip scarf you will get |
Hip
Scarf delivered to your door on signing up so you have something to
practice in! (comes in a variety of colours, depending on availability). VALUE
$20 (+postage)
After
you have completed 15 modules a veil will be delivered to your
door in preparation for learning to use it. VALUE $18 (+postage)
After
30 modules a second veil will be sent to your door in preparation
for learning double veil techniques. VALUE $18 (+postage)
Zills
(finger cymbals) sent to your door after 40 eclasses - they're
a bit tricky to learn so you need to be really strong in the basics first.
VALUE $25 (+postage)
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