My voice is back

I've come to the realization (with the help of a caring soul) that the reason I haven't posted since November is that I am unsure of what I can say on this blog.

I guess I don't know the purpose of this blog right now, so I kinda avoided it.

Is this blog a place to speak honestly about my experiences in the schools I work in? Oh no... that would not be okay.

Is this blog a place to explain about what I do with my kids in my classrooms? Maybe...

Is this blog a place to share funny stories and daily insights? Yes...most definitely! But...without any proper nouns!

New/Old News! : ) I've been teaching gifted students at 4 different schools in inner-city Miami since October 8, 2007. The day of my liberation! : )

I work at Phillis Wheatley Elementary School in Overtown on Mondays.
I work at Lenora Braynon Smith Elementary School in Allapattah on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
I work at Kelsey Pharr Elementary School in Allapattah on Wednesdays.
And, I work at Little River Elementary School in Little Haiti on Fridays.

So, this is hopefully the rebirth of my blog "grace a" Jeremy. ; )

Funny Story: I went to a Christmas tree burning cook-out last night. Christmas trees are really fun to watch burn! Very dangerous, but wow...they sure catch on fire quickly and makes lots of noise.

Daily Insight: The poor and the middle class have incredibly different mentalities.

Lyrics I'm Humming:

Brown Skin by India Arie

Thanksgiving

Picture from Thanksgiving! We had such a great time chillin at the beach, in Key Largo, at the Everglades, on South Beach, at my apartment! My mom even found a little stalker crush on a homeless man who sings/dances on Lincoln! Haha

Winds are Changing

One more week until Thanksgiving! My entire family is coming down to Miami to celebrate and enjoy the lovely weather! : )

However...the weather is turning colder! After the hurricane scare a few weeks ago, the winds have been changing and it's getting down to 80*F! : )

This past weekend, Corey (a TFA 2nd Grade Teacher) and I went up to Universal Studios/Island of Adventure in Orlando. We had free passes through Miami-Dade Public School Disctrict. The park was awesome! It was totally sensory overload and I loved it! I can't even believe all of the rides and entertainment and decorations and planning and engineering that goes into that park....incredibly fun!

DonorsChoose.org update!! My proposal that I submitted last week was completely funded!!! Wow! I can't believe it! I will be getting the materials for the project within the next 2-4 weeks, and I am totally pumped to start the project with my students! God is good. The $339 proposal took 7 days to be funded! Way exciting. Next, I want to submit one for my students to have critical thinking materials! : )

Winds are Definitely Changing: I see the light to Thanksgiving... and then I'm in Waco visiting friends... then Christmas is here! I just need a few more gusts of energy to push me along. : )

Lyrics I'm Humming:

Enya's Sail Away

DonorsChoose.org

I wrote a proposal for DonorsChoose.org to get an interdisciplinary civic engagement project funded for my new gifted classroom! Check it out! : )

The below letter was written and formatted by DonorsChoose.org, but it is a good letter explaining what they do! : )

Dear friends,

I want my students to have as many great learning opportunities as possible, but sometimes I just can't get the funding I need. To address this issue, I turned to DonorsChoose.org.

Here's the scoop. At this nonprofit website, public school teachers (like me!) submit proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become a reality when concerned individuals (like you!) choose projects to fund. Donors who complete project funding or give more than $100 receive photos and personal thank-you notes from the kids they helped. It's easy - and very rewarding.

The great news is that my project proposal, Change YOUR World, is now posted at DonorsChoose.org! Check it out at:http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=125860&utm_source=teachers&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TeacherMarketing
Take a look. Also, please consider supporting my students and me by forwarding this message to others who may be interested in improving education.

Best regards,
Megan Rapp

Lyrics I'm Humming:

Soldia Boys Superman!

Lord, Thank You for the Sabbath

What a wonderful weekend!

Thank you Lord for breaks. You definitely knew what you were talking about when you commanded us to take a day of rest each week.

Friday night, I went to this cool jazz, hip-hop concert at the University of Miami. It was sensory overload, and it was awesome. Made me definitely miss life on a campus...

Saturday...went to the beach, got some sun, laughed.

Saturday night, I went out to Sleepless Night on South Beach. It was cool. Lots of people. Art. Music. Dancing.


Sunday, I helped with the kids Sunday School at Calvary and went to the late service. Lovely! Although...I was definitely the mean Sunday School teacher. I'm not sure how to transfer between Ms. Rapp and Miss Megan. I need to work on that for next week. Being a witch with Sunday School is different than being a strict teacher in the inner city.
...hmmm...I need to work on that role-differentiation.

Basically, the weekend was good!

Lyrics I'm Humming:

MIA Paper Planes