Uhm, stuff.

What have you done in the last month/couple weeks that has benefited someone else (e.g., holding the door open for someone, giving a compliment, let someone ahead of you in line, etc)?

I give my kids a ridiculous amount of time and support. I sit here late into the evening sometimes with “borderline” kids and help them grow to understand really difficult literary concepts and by the time they go home–they do get it. Oh, and I figured out how to ensure we had enough time to go get ice cream from Cold Stone on Saturday when Noah wanted to. Ice cream is important. Ice cream = love.

How many of your past/current students have you helped inspire a love of learning in? How many of them have shown improvement while with you? How many times have your students given you gifts?

heh. I’m not sure I have helped inspire a love of learning… I have helped kids get concepts they didn’t think they would be able to. My kidlets have shown enormous improvement. I have kids who have failed every English class they have been in since elementary school now earning B’s. Their parents are *so* grateful. And it isn’t because I am an easy grader or because I give them passes on work. I just combine bullying and cheerleading to get them through. My kids give me silly things regularly. They like drawing pictures for me. And the skull and cross bone argyle knee socks are just awesome.

If your class is struggling a lot, when do you put down the outside-of-school work and give yourself a break? How do you balance the needs of the students and your needs as a teacher and person?

I suck at this. I don’t balance my needs well at all. I kind of feel like I have 4 months a year without kids, I focus on me then. But… that’s not really a good thing. I’m working on it.

Has it occurred to you that your father was questioning himself with this very question and just projected it outwards?

It has occurred to me, but that doesn’t it make it hurt less.

Who do you love?

For a very incomplete list (there is hardly enough time in a whole day to make this list): Noah, Anna, Auntie, Uncle Bob, my mommy, my adopted mommy, my adopted Dad, Chris, Marcie, Alex, Yani, Tom, Xtyn, Sarah, Kathleen, Bryan, Crystal, Noelle, Regina, Lee, Amy, Gary, Jaime, Marcus, Terran, Peter (there are like 4 Peter’s), Sara, Miss Jenny, Anthony, Deborah, Ali, Katie, Andrew, Denny, Tyra, Sissy, Jimmy, Joe, Erik (there are 2 of these–same spelling and all!), Brittney, Jan, Julia, Andy, Tim!, Charlie, Jarrett (more than 1), Turtle, Gerald, Stephen, James, Karen, Kitty, Karen, Larry, Vicki, Greg, Michelle, Keri, Kevin…

(No one is outed unless you want to be. :P)

I could go on a long time. I’m lucky. I love lots of people.

What are you passionate about?

Justice–or at least my interpretation of it, learning, teaching, connecting with people, travel, food, sex…

What is beautiful?

Noah’s smile. Sunsets. Malixe’s photography. Seeing a kid reach understanding of something they have been struggling with. A clean house. 🙂

What are you grateful for?

I’m grateful for Noah and for friends who love me. I’m grateful that I have a working car. I’m grateful for a house to live in where I am not going to get kicked out. I’m grateful that I have a job where I feel useful and smart and competent and necessary. I’m grateful for good therapy. I’m grateful that my mom got me to the hospital over my protests and had my stomach pumped. I’m grateful for second chances. I’m grateful that it is going to be 75 degrees this weekend. I am so wearing a short dress. I am grateful for the strength to chase my dreams. I’m grateful for a partner who is ok with me sobbing on his shoulder and who doesn’t tell me to get over it. I’m grateful for knee high socks. … lots.