On Empowering Students and Empowering Yourself

There are some things as teachers that grate on our nerves. We all have our own different pet peeves, and this is mine:

Someone in class demonstrates an exercise, I give corrections and/or compliments, and someone else raises their hand and says, "I couldn't see any of that." 

I then tell them they should have moved sooner so they could see it. 


Why does this bother me so much? It frustrates me when students aren't proactive in their learning, and instances like that one are a manifestation of a greater problem in education:

Students are not taking charge of their learning and, I dare say, their lives.

Empowerment = Taking Responsibility
I've been thinking non-stop about the idea of empowerment. I've been wondering about how some students expect their teachers cater to them and how in doing so, they lose opportunities to empower themselves, to be the driver in their lives. And I guess that's why instances like the one above annoys me so much: it's obvious some students aren't accustomed to taking responsibility, so the thought never occurs to them that the they have the power to fix the problem. 

Of course, I'm placing judgement on them (I have no idea what their lives are like), but the answer to their solutions was so blatantly obvious (move so they can see), that to this day I'm wondering how they approach everyday problems in their lives. 

Sometimes I wanted to over dramatically tell my students, "Having people solve your problems in life takes away your power to live it!"

Empowerment means not waiting to be taught things.
There are students who wait to be taught things. Another annoying thing to hear in the classroom is: "Well, no one ever taught me, so I never learned." That's an excuse, not a solution. In my classroom, we focus on the latter because the latter opens more doors of opportunity.

Empowerment Creates Fearlessness
Some students are scared to try new things. I see their hesitation and questions become their crutch.

One of the most annoying things about teaching is when I teach a new step and a hundred questions pop up before they try it. I say, "Try to figure it out and if you have questions, then ask them. But don't ask for help before you even try." Doing this helps cognitive reasoning, problem solving, and accountability for actions. But, above else, it gives a person confidence to move forward with empowerment and a stronger sense of self; they know they have the ability to independently create the outcome they desire and take risks while doing so.


Am I Empowering Myself?

And then I have to ask myself, "Ah crap, am I empowering myself? Am I problem solving independently? Am I practicing my beliefs?" As a teacher, we never ask our students to do things we won't do ourselves, so teaching inherently makes me look at myself honestly and, consequently, humbles me as I see my own weaknesses.

So I'm trying my hardest to take responsibility in problem solving, be proactive in my learning, and move forward with fearlessness. And, just like any other attribute, I can't rely on outside sources to empower me, I have to find the strength from within.

What does empowerment mean to you?

photos by the wonderful Dane Shitagi of Ballerina Project

A Weekend to Remember

This past weekend was my last in Sacramento, so I made sure I fit everything in I could. From eating macaron ice cream sandwiches to going to a baseball game and meeting one of the players, it was definitely a weekend to remember.

Left: Salted Caramel Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich from Ginger Elizabeth's.
It was so huge and so delicious.
Right: I'm wearing Target head to toe. Don't act like that doesn't happen to you.

I saw my good friend, Cole Dutcher, play at Concert in the Park.
He always puts on a good show... cray cray facial expressions.

I emceed a fashion show and a lady gave me a lei as a thank you gift.
I got lei'd. Hee hee.

My friends swore to me that Nationwide Freezer Meats has the best hamburgers in Sacramento.
I couldn't leave my hometown without trying it once. Verdict? Amazing but it needed more cheese.
But I have a feeling most things in life need more cheese.

I went to a Sacramento River Cats game with some of my best friends.
We ate cotton candy, roasted peanuts, garlic fries, and Dip N Dots.
I'm going to miss nights like this the most.

And then I met one of the players.
I know I know... I look like a really awkward fan, but I was really excited.
It was a perfect way to end a fun-filled weekend.

If you had one last weekend to spend in your hometown, 

what would you do?

Finding Lovely Places

The last time I was in Virginia, Mr. Branflake told me he had a surprise for me. He took my hand and led me to this beautiful space. As we walked through the wooded glen, he kept asking, "Do you like it? I hope you like it." Of course I liked it, but I was too speechless to say anything.

When we approached the lake, I was suddenly transported back to the Scottish Highlands. "They're called lochs in Scotland," I told him. He's heard all about those beautifully green Highlands and I'm sure that's why he knew I would fall in love with our new running trail. He's honestly concerned I won't like living in Virginia and is hoping if he keeps finding places like this, I'll feel better about moving.

Silly man. I'd happily move anywhere for him. 

Happy Friday, my friends.

I hope you find some lovely places this weekend.

Spaghetti Squash Tips / Making It Taste Good

Spaghetti squash seems to be all over Pinterest-land. Yesterday, I tried cooking it for the first time and, although it was good, it was much different than I expected. People say it's a good replacement for pasta, but they're lying. Nothing can replace pasta. Nothing. But I still like it for what it is (not pasta), and am anxious to try different recipes with it. 

In case anyone hasn't tried it before, here are a few things I learned about spaghetti squash:

1. Baking it is super easy. 

To prep the squash, I set the oven to 400 F, lined a baking pan with foil, and sprayed the foil to prevent sticking. I placed the squash so the meat was facing up, and seasoned it with salt and pepper. I put it in the oven for an hour, or until the meat was tender to touch.

2. Cutting it is not.

The recipe said to cut the squash in half, but that was ridiculously hard. I put it in the microwave for a minute to soften it. That helped a little. I still had to carefully muscle my way through and am wondering hoping there's a safer way. Do you guys bake it first then cut it?

3. Don't worry- the noodles are there.

After the squash baked for an hour, I took out the pan and was like, "Uh... where are the noodles? I see some, but not a lot." I started digging and realized the entire thing was noodles. (That was a palm to forehead moment). The best method to get them out was with a big spoon and to scoop the meat out like you would an avocado. Make sure you take out the seeds on top, because those are not fun to chomp on. 

4. Season correctly.

This was the most surprising thing about spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash is sweet, so I needed to season it with savory flavors to make it a more satisfying meal. Once I scooped out the meat and put it in a bowl, I squeezed a whole lemon on top and seasoned it with salt and pepper before tossing it in pesto. I made the mistake of adding roasted tomatoes. Tomatoes are sweet, especially when roasted, so putting them with the already sweet squash created an imbalance of flavors.

5. It's light in calories, but you can't eat a lot of it.

I literally had visions of me eating a big bowl of it with pesto like I do with my pasta. But after a few bites, I was already full. That makes sense since it's a vegetable and is full of fiber and wholesome goodness. I probably should be grateful I found a food that satisfies me so quickly (when does that ever happen?) 

6. I'll be back.

Now that I know what to expect, I already have a few recipes in mind and I'm excited for this new vegetable. I have no idea what took me so long to hop on the spaghetti squash bandwagon, but I'm glad I did. 

How do you like your spaghetti squash?

Moving On / Giveaway Winner

1.

I just bought a one-way flight to Virginia. I leave June 5th. My heart is heavy to leave my friends and family, but there's a certain amount of relief that I finally have a firm date of when I'm leaving. The sooner I get there, the sooner I can get settled. That and I can finally get my nightly back rubs back.

2.

Here's an excerpt of a recent conversation I had with my class. It'll give you a glimpse into what it's like teaching dance at a university.

Student: "Professor, can we have extra-extra credit if we go to this performance?"

Me: "What part of me would make you think I would say yes to that question? Out of everything we've been through this semester, what would make you believe I'm a type of teacher who would give extra-extra credit? Do you even know me? I can't help but feel you don't know me at all. I'm a little hurt. Let's not hurt my feelings anymore."

They all laughed, but no extra-extra credit was given. 

3.

Wednesday is my last day of teaching at the university. I cannot tell you how sad I am to be leaving the best job I ever had. I loved it. You know how some people bring out your best self? Teaching there brought out the best teacher in me. 

4.

Speaking of moving on, I have an audition set up for a modern company in Virginia. I had also planned to run a 10K that morning with Mr. Branflake's firm. I told him I could handle both, but he made an executive decision and told them I wouldn't be doing the run. "We gotta take extra good care of you" he said. "I know this auditions means a lot to you." And that was that. I was shocked he was so bold. Shocked but also turned on. 

Even my independent spirit couldn't resist an alpha man who wanted to take care of me.

5.

So, I'm moving across the country, but I also have plans to fly back to California in July, August, and September for family events and a very very special event that I'm not quite ready to reveal. I will soon... once I drum up the nerve. 

6.

For those new to the blog, my husband lives in Virginia and I live in California due to both of us getting our dream jobs at the same time. But we're finally going to live together again! And I don't have to do laundry anymore! 

7.

The winner of the Shabby Apple Giveaway is Gina Wildorchid!

Happy Hump Day!

You all deserve a big hug for making it this far this week in life!

Do You Handle Stress Well? / The Humbling Realization I Don't

I learned something about stress this week. 

I don't handle it well.

Which surprised me because I always thought I did. From childhood to adult, I enjoyed being busy and  loved the challenge of thriving through opposition.

But recently, I realized odd things happen when I'm stressed. If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that on a drive home, I ended up in the wrong city (actually, it was the wrong county). 

When I'm stressed, I have no appetite and have to convince myself to eat. I am utterly exhausted even though I get enough sleep and keep dozing off in the most random places. And the brain farts. Oh! The brain farts. Have you ever put Kleenex in the refrigerator? I have. And it gets real cold.

So I realized, even though I handle stressful situations well (meaning I get done what needs to get done), I don't necessarily handle stress well. I have this habit of looking at my life and thinking, "Wow. I can't believe I endured all that," and get all smug about how I pulled through during the craziest of times. But I don't think about the sicknesses that followed, the lapses in judgement, and all the things I forgot along the way.

Granted, I think a certain level of stress is good. It increases productivity and a wonderful sense of urgency. But how do we find inner peace through stressful times so we don't end up in the wrong city or have to search the entire house to find a Kleenex box in the refrigerator? 

I don't know. I wish I did. I run, I pray, I read... all great stress relievers. But I think admitting this weakness of not handling stress well is the crucial part. Hopefully, it'll force me to look at myself honestly and recognize when I need to calm the heck down. 

Hopefully.

Do you handle stress well?

If so, care to share tips on how you do it?

Jump for Joy Friday / Celebrating

photo by Keely Kay

You GUYS! It's wedding season! What better way to kick off this time of celebration than to feature this awesome blogger? Her name is Holly and she blogs over at Jacksons in Action. She's my hero and a game show junkie. I mean, she watches them, but, more impressively, she GOES on them.

When I first met her, she was like, "Watch Wipe Out on Thursday night. I'll be on it!" If you watch Wipe Out, then you'll recognize her as "Whistle Girl." She was thisclose to winning the grand prize, too! They asked her back to be on the All Stars episode, but she was preggo at the time and couldn't do it. But maybe again sometime soon?

Anyway, she's awesome. This photo exemplifies her enthusiasm for life and positive attitude. She also likes to eat Thai and Greek food with me. Or, she did until she moved away. That was a very sad day.

What's making me jump for joy today?
Tomorrow morning I'm headed to Ginger Elizabeth's (a local chocolate shop) for some elaborate ice cream sundaes. Then I'm doing a few tours of some mansions in Sacramento. That evening, my friend's band, The Decibels, is having a reunion show and they'll be playing at Bows and Arrows at seven (join me if you're in the area!)

And then, most importantly, Sunday morning I'm heading to my mom's to celebrate Mother's Day with her. Out of all the fun things I'm doing this weekend, I'm looking forward to that one the most.

What's making you jump for joy today?

If you want to be featured, email me a jumping photo at dancingbranflake at gmail.com

I'm also giving away a Shabby Apple Gift certificate. 

Don't say I never did anything for you.

Word.