Competent
Posted: August 17, 2010 Filed under: Breakfast, Delish Dinners, Mid-Day Yummies | Tags: almonds, bbq chicken salad, dates, oats, protein ice cream, shape bands, turkey, veggies 31 Comments »Everyone always told me, teaching gets easier after your first year. But it didn’t. I figured I was just doomed for a profession that sucked the life out of me and required 60 hours of work each week. But, it seems I’ve turned a corner! The third year
is a lot easier! A significant change has happened in the last week: despite the chaos in my classroom, I feel calm. Despite the 1000+ urgent demands every day, I feel in control. Despite the 25 different learning styles and personalities that I cater to every day – I feel prepared excited about the challenge. For the first time in two years, I feel competent. Life is good.
So was my run this morning. Running makes me sane. Then there was the breakfast that might as well have been dessert.
¼ cup almonds, 3 dates, 1 tbs. cocoa powder – all into the food processor for a 30 seconds, then sprinkled with raw oats.
Lunch
Green bell pepper, zucchini, carrots, corn, edamame + hummus dressing. A couple of turkey slices on the side.
Plus a kombucha tea to wash it all down.
This flavor was awesome – I love ginger, and this was very gingery. Just want I wanted/expected.
Dinner
This morning I put 1lb. of frozen chicken and ½ bottle of bbq sauce into my crockpot and turned it on low. When I got home – delicious, shreddable, bbq chicken which I put on top of a salad.
Lettuce, corn, cucumber, avocado, bbq chicken, bbq sauce + water + hummus for dressing
Dessert
Protein ice cream – Meeker calls it Price Cream
This enormous (and delicious and dairy free) bowl is only 200 calories: 4.7 g fat, 17g carbs, 26g protein
Into the blender:
- 2 cups ice
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 tbs. cocoa powder
- 1 scoop sun warrior protein powder
- 1 tsp. xanthan gum (a thickener)
I later added some sprinkles because it needed a pop of color.
And that’s a wrap.
In the 3rd grade world…
Shape Bands – the latest trend in elementary school.
They look like ordinary rubber bracelets – albeit a little squiggly. But when you take them off…
They’re different shapes – like a #1 finger or a diamond ring. They must sell these things for $1 per 1000 bands because every kid in my class has an armful of them. I find them everywhere – on the floor, in my pocket, in my desk, on my desk, on my wrist, turned in with homework…everywhere. Maybe they’re this generation’s slap bracelet?
I’m a teacher going into my 3rd year as well and I definitely feel less stressed and falling into a beginning of the year “routine”. Maybe it takes a couple years?:)
You can still find kombucha?! I’m so jealous
I love that breakfast, but I dread doing dishes in the morning. Having to wash out a food processor turns my stomach.
They call them silly bands around here and they are huge. And on my… how I LOVED slap bracelets!
Congrats on your third year of teaching! I’m on my 7th year, and yes it does get easier every year. And those “silly” bands are def the rage in my class this year too!
I had no idea this was only your 3rd year! You’re like an old pro!
I’m starting my 6th year and it gets easier and easier every year. Honestly, *knock on wood* so far this year getting everything ready has been an absolute breeze (well, as much as it can be in this profession). But that could be b/c I’ve taught first grade for all 6 years and stayed in the same classroom for 5.
Oh and our school banned those silly bands!! haha!!
Must have a 1,000 of those silly bands at my house-they do turn up everywhere!
I’m glad I only have one more year before my life is semi-normal!
3 years, huh?
I have a love/hate relationship with silly bands. I love them because they’re so cool… I hate them because i KNOW I will have to take many away.
I may or may not be wearing Disney Princess silly bands right now …
Those bracelets have actually been around for a few years. I know I saw them a lot last year at least. Yeah, I don’t get the fascination either!
I am so going to make some bbq chicken like that! I forget all the time about the crockpot we have. Might as well make use of it!
<3 tori
Bahaha, I remember slap bracelets! Good times
One of my students this summer accumulated enough of those daggon silly bandz to link them all together and jump rope with the string of them – I kid you not.
Yes!! Every kid I nanny for looooves those bracelets. They are kinda cool… sometimes I catch myself getting jealous.
i love making chicken that way!
and i have seen those bracelets EVERYWHERE!
First off, I totally get the not feeling in control after the first year. I’ve taught for three years and I still feel like I’m sometimes not competent. I think part of it has to do with the fact that I’ve taught different classes/grades each year. This year was a little better but I would love to spend a few years in a row in the same grade. I think that might help.
Also, why are you back in school so early? Did you just start? What’s your school year like? We have about 2 weeks here before we go back.
I found some in the library today.
My kids love silly bands, they are everywhere, and I may or may not have thrown some away lately. They are banned at their school, I’m sure their teachers will be very happy with that!
Jen
http://jenslosinit.blogspot.com/
I love that BBQ chicken idea!!! I am so going to be making that for dinner sometime soon.
Breakfast dessert=yes! do that thang. congrats on “turning the corner”. i’ve felt like that with nannying, too.
every nanny job i’ve had, has had its own challenges, but i finally feel like i can handle the challenges at my current job the best-and it’s only day 5! helps they live next to a park, my daughter’s school, have a pool, a stationary bike, and lots of video games!
ah-silly bands. another little fad i’m trying to keep my daughter from falling prey to! LOL!
Where did you get the Kombucha? Is there some sort of a Kombucha black market that I don’t know about?
I used to love the slap bracelets! I had forgotten about them until now. My boyfriend’s daughters attend a catholic school and are not allowed to wear jewelry so I didn’t realize how big these new bracelets are.
I found the Kombucha at a market called Sprouts…it’s my favorite place on earth. I still can’t find the Synergy brand (which is my favorite), but this will have to do until that hit shelves again. [?]
The girls I babysat for at the beginning of the summer were OBSESSED with those. I have friends who collect them now too!! Kind of weird, but I guess they’re cheaper than Beanie Babies, right?
So glad things are going so well this year!
I LOVED slap bracelets. I miss them.
Oh, I remember slap bands!
So glad to hear that teaching is getting easier (calmer) for you! I realized this happening to me in my 4th year of college, when I suddenly didn’t go frantic over finals and exams. It’s a nice feeling.
(p.s. running keeps me sane too!
)
Silly Bandz! I worked at a camp this summer and my camp kids were telling me all about them, in fact I was even given a few
I have a pig, palm tree, pineapple, hula girl… wow I feel like a complete nerd fessing up to this 
This guy is making millions!
Your lunch salad looks wonderfully green, I love green salads!
I don’t know how you do it teaching 3rd grade. I am a mom to a 3rd grader and good gracious, i can’t imagine a whole classroom of them!!!
Jen
http://jenslosinit.blogspot.com/
That dinner salad looks amazing! I love crockpot recipes, they make life so much easier!
My son has a ton of those bracelets! He’s 5 and they were huge at camp this year! They are all over my house as well.
Easton loves his “stretchy Bands” that we got 12 for $1 @ Dollar Tree. Sydney spent $10 on ‘em to share, and guess where they are? on her arm? nope. On a shelf somewhere…
Yeah, Silly Bandz! They were all the rage at summer camp, and I definitely partook in the craze. I’m wearing 5 right now: a dollar sign, a gorilla, a cowboy boot, a peace sign, and a kangaroo. I had counselors in the younger girls’ units that told me they’d wake up at 5 A.M. to the sounds of Silly Bandz being traded!
slap bracelets were the jam! my nieces have those silly shape bracelets. definitely not as cool as my hot pink with black polka dots slap bracelet
xoxo