may I seek to understand

Can you feel it?  Fall creeping in?  It feels so good!  I leave the house pretty early in the morning -- when it's still pitch black outside -- and it has been significantly cooler this time of the morning than earlier in August.  College/high school football, pumpkin brews, and not sweating when I wear jeans outside... I love this season. 

So I've started my new teaching position and we've been in school for just over one week now.  My students are great.  I've taken some time to get to know each and every student in my classroom, and I cannot even express how must I have enjoyed doing this at the start of the year.  It's truly amazing how honest some students are with you -- telling you their life story in just one measly little letter to "Ms. G".   

My students are pretty amazing.  Some face some of the most hardest life situations outside of school.  These are the ones that make my heart hurt and challenge me to see past the mathematics curriculum to the heart of the student sitting right in front of me.  And then I have students who will likely never have to face those same situations at such a young age, and I'm jealous of all the neato places in the world where they've already traveled.  :)

To keep it simple -- my students are inspiring me.  They are inspiring me to be a better leader in the classroom, to really talk and listen with them when they need someone, to not always be so "math" driven every single day of the year.  Some are inspiring me to laugh and joke around with them more (likely because they need to relieve the pressure of school) and to just understand what it's like being a high school student.

Wait, that's it.  My goal this year is to understand my students.  And in turn get them to understand many things -- why they need to continue to pursue education, why we have the classroom/school rules that we have, why it's important to learn how to work with a partner on an assignment.  I think that as long as I can understand a student's motivation to act/be however they choose to, only then will I have enough to gain their trust in being their leader, their encourager, and their educator.  It's that kind of knowledge and action that fosters the relationships with my students, which in turn has an impact on both the student and myself.  An impact that changes things for the better.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, your joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not seek so much

to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love with all my being.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.  Amen.

-Prayer of St. Francis

oh italy, i miss you

Seems like everything these days is reminding me of my times spent in Italy.  For those of you who don't know, I was blessed to have spent about 5 months living in Firenze (Florence) during my junior year of college.  I met the best of friends, living in a stone cold apartment just north of the Duomo.  Myself and six other girls, shared rooms, shampoo, and food in our apartment... all of us from different parts of the "stati". 

 My frequent view of Florence from Piazza d' Michelangelo.  That's Piazza della Signoria to the left & il Duomo and its bell tower to the right.

My husband surprised me with some authentic Italian treats straight from "little Italy" in NYC.  Love him!  In the midst of enjoying them, we turn our backs, and two of our pignoli (pine nuts) cookies were stolen by our oh-so-sweet Moses.  

One of the girls who I roomed with in Firenze just got married this summer... in Firenze...  Jealous!  And unfortunately, I couldn't be there to witness it.

I'm currently reading/listening to Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.  I'm in the middle of the chapter where her and her husband take a trip through Italy, indulging on the cuisine and food attitudes of Italians.  They also stayed at an "agriturrismo" -- a method of hospitality where instead of staying in a hotel in the city, why not stay in a renovated farm house, help pick the harvest (if you want), and enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner made only of ingredients fresh from the farm you're staying at.  Complete with the Italian family who owns the farm at their rather large kitchen table. 

I was thus inspired yesterday to browse through my, or the, "bible" of Italian cookbooks, The Silver Spoon.  This 2,000 recipe was finally translated to English recently.  Italian recipes, unlike the Americanized versions, are usually very simple.  The fewer the ingredients the better.  As long as the ingredients are fresh and local. 

And then... I decided to take a trip down memory lane to my months spent traveling all throughout Italy back in 2006.

 

A windy day in Pienza, home to one of my favorites -- pecorino fresco. 

My friend (mentioned above) and I took a night train down to Siracusa (in Sicilia -- Sicily).  My grandfather was born here, and Siracusa happens to be my mother's maiden name.

Our FAVORITE trattoria in Firenze, Trattoria Casalina.  Home to my favorite meal of all times, Ribolita (a stale bread soup) found below.

 Venezia, or Venice, is enchanting.  

 When the city floods, which happens to be often, wooden walkways on stilts are placed throughout the streets.  This happened one of the handful of times I've visited this special place. 

Cinque Terre.  Five little cities that you either have to hike to or take a boat taxi.

Spending time in Italy is not complete without attending a few soccer games.  Fiorentina, home team for Florence, beat Milan this game.

This was our favorite thing to do on the weekends when we didn't have class.  Hop a train to some small Tuscan town, San Gimignano here, purchase some bread, fresh cheese, sundried tomatoes, olives, and a few bottles of vino...

urgh

Welcome  to my life.  As both a math education major in undergrad... and a high school math teacher.

via