Love for Monday

Monday totally gets the shaft.  The only thing worse than Monday is Sunday night.  Boo.  So, I'm starting "Love for Monday".  Every Monday, I'll post some things I'm "into" and love.  Not that you care, and not that they're cool, but it's hard to be a teacher (despite what your children tell you, we do work really hard) and find time in the evenings to do blog-worthy things.  This week, we are {hopefully} finishing our wainscoting in the hallways and making a {FREE} home decor project.  Yippee!

Things I’m loving:

Apricots: Crammed with beta-carotene, soluble fiber, vitamin A and C, lycopene, potassium, and lots ‘o other stuff, these things are seriously yummy. I get dried ones and am addicted.  I buy no-sugar-added ones from Aldi for $1.89 for a 6 oz bag (about 25 apricots). One serving is 6 pieces for 100 calories. I think I can handle that. I really like prunes, so if you don’t, I’m not sure if you’d like dried ‘cots or not. They aren’t gooey like prunes. I eat a handful between my 3rd and 4th hours. Delicious!

New running shoes: My mom bought me some new Asics this summer at the outlet mall (Thanks mom) for a great price-half of what they usually are! There is something about new shoes that puts a little hop in my step. My previous shoes have been in use since before I was married-December 22nd will be our 4th anniversary. So, 5 years? I know, horrible. I was starting to get blisters from the plastic breaking through the fabric on my heel. The first time I went for a run with my new wheels, I ran for an extra 15 minutes without any problem. It must be the shoes!
Also, Zumba started back up this week.  Glad to be back to burning 800 calories an hour!

New teaching ideas: I am totally finding ways to incorporate fun things that I enjoy doing in my free time and at home in the classroom. We are making homemade laundry detergent this week! Because I teach sewing and we have a whole textiles unit at the beginning of the semester, we cover how to care for different fibers and types of fabric weaves. I teach them how to sort, select water temp and agitation cycle, how to dry and what to hand wash, and the importance of it all (and all the little steps in between we adults do without thinking). We usually go outside and do some activities with sidewalk chalk if it’s not raining. My students have to do 3 different loads of laundry for their family over the next week. We will be making homemade detergent and everyone will get enough for their 3 loads! So fun. We will talk about being “green”, the cost of buying vs. making, and the ability to reuse things like repurposed jars to keep detergent. I will post a tutorial tomorrow!

We will also be making friendship bracelets in my 6th grade class when talking about friendship. They will be able to give one away to a friend and do some serious math activities with the designs of their bracelets. Sweeeet. It’s also a textile, which is part of the curriculum (as is friendship, in case you think I’m a bad teacher!).

I love what I teach. What is it? Family and Consumer Sciences. And, that is what exactly?

Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) is the comprehensive body of skills, research, and knowledge that helps people make informed decisions about their well being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life. The field represents many areas, including human development, personal and family finance, housing and interior design, food science, nutrition, and wellness, textiles and apparel, and family relations  (Source:  KSDE)

Here are some pictures of one of the high schools in our district. They have an entire culinary program that allows students to experience food prep in a real-life setting. This is their restaurant!  Some of the other schools have “specialties” in different areas of our curriculum and students can choose to go to a high school they wouldn’t normally go to according to border lines if they want a special program. The fashion program puts on runway shows for crying out loud! Preparing students for careers is what we do. Love it. Seriously, I can’t believe I get to work in a district that supports our program this much. So blessed!

This is NOT the cafeteria!  This is the culinary classroom!!

And... that's all I got.  One thing I have learned this week?  6th graders fart.  A lot.  This is not something I like, mostly because I get it right in the face when I bend down to help a kid.  Sick.
 

Come back for the detergent tutorial!