Marvelous Monday Update

So my students and I finally got to play with our dry ice on Thursday! :D I was so so excited I could hardly contain myself! I think I had more fun with the activities than they did. Below are just a few pictures of the experiments we conducted. I am so glad they had fun while learning. That's the best feeling in the world.

We blew soap bubbles with dry ice by taking a string covered in soap and running it along the top of the container after we dropped the dry ice in. It caused a really cool effect.

We then decided it would be cool to see if we could blow up a balloon with the dry ice. It too worked! :D

My kids loved touching the "smoke" because it was super cold. (I had them tell me it was frozen water vapor, just like when it's cold outside and you can see your breath)

This one was really going.

This was taken in my friends classroom. I figured I'd add it because it was the same project.

On Friday we did Diet Coke and Mentos geysers. That was SOOOOOOO much fun too! We discussed how the geyser is created when the mentos drop in and suck out all of the CO2 from the coke. They thought it was pretty neat and so did I! :D

This was one of the many geysers that we created. It was FREEZING cold outside, but the kids LOVED it! :D

My weekend was pretty good too. I spent Friday night with my friend Kelly on a "friend date". She and I haven't been out together in so long. We ended up going to Newks and visiting for almost 4hrs. Her parents came into town and stopped by to eat with us. It was hilarious! Her family are dolls for sure.

On Saturday, we took it kind of easy. Austin had to work and so I hung out around the house and cleaned up a bit. When I went to wash clothes I almost cried because my dryer has given out on me finally. I'm thinking we are going to sell it for scrap and I'm going to work on getting another one. My friend Paige is great and has offered to let me use hers one day a week. I'm just going to wash it all here and take it over there. Hopefully within the next few weeks I'll have a new one.

On Sunday we did some Mardi Gras shopping for our upcoming ball and I worked on getting my ball gown cleaned. The dry cleaners would not clean it (even though it is dry clean only) because it has a broach on it. That kind of perplexed me, but I went out and bought some dryel with the hopes of getting it clean myself. I almost cried when I pulled it out of the bag to see that it had these huge stains on it from the chemicals! It looked like it was super wet! I have never had a dress do that before. Seeing as how this is my favorite ball gown, I knew I had to act fast. I opted to throw it into the washer on the "handwash" cycle and see how it would come out. Much to my amazement, it came out clean and no stains were to be seen. From now on, I'll save my money and just do it at home myself.

Today we are out of school and I have opted to being extremely lazy. It is 3:45pm and I have not left my bed with the exception to go to the restroom and grab some lunch around 2pm. Sometimes it just feels good to lay around.

For those of you wondering, I have lost a grand total of 9lbs! :D I started at 282 and am down to 273. My goal by the ball in two weeks is to be at least down a total of 15lbs. I'm going to keep working out and eating right and we'll see what happens. This is week 3 of my body makeover and I'm already feeling better about myself. I get to measure on Friday and I'm already excited that I'm seeing results from Week 1 to now. Can't wait to update again! Until, this is Jana off to find another adventure...

Terrific Tuesday

This week has gotten off to a great start! No school on Monday and science experiements today! What is NOT to love?

Yesterday was Parent/Teacher Conference Day. (Better known as report card day) We had quite a few parents show up and I got to proudly display my honor roll kids on the Mardi Gras wall I created. We titled it, "Let the Good Grades Roll" and I am super proud of it. It is very simple, but so much fun. I wish I could describe the look on my students faces when they walked in and saw their names posted on the little masks. :) It really made my day!

The Green Masks were our students who made All A's and the Gold Masks were for the students who made A/B Honor Roll

Today was Chemical Reaction Day in my classroom and after introducing them and the kids actually getting through 3 pages of notes, we were able to conduct an experiment using water/vinegar/baking soda/a balloon/and a coke bottle. We caused a chemical reaction by pouring water and vinegar into the bottom of the coke bottle and then putting the baking soda into the balloon (this is a little tricky) and putting the balloon on top of the bottle. Once you do that, you can pour the baking soda into the vinegar and watch the fizzing begin.

The goal of the lesson was to get the kids to tell my what by-product was created as waste from the chemical reaction. They had to tell me what kind of gas filled up the balloon and I was amazed that they all got Carbon Dioxide (aka CO2) as their answers. I figured it would be a little more tricky than that.

Tomorrow we are playing with dry ice and I can't wait to see their faces when I freeze an eraser and then smash it with a hammer and it shatter everywhere. :D Oh the joys of what I do! But Friday is going to be the kicker. We will be playing with Mentos and Diet Coke.

On a different note...I'm down 7lbs total since the 1st of the year! :D I've been eating healthy AND working out twice a day. I'm down to one diet coke a day and I'm managing to drink 8 glasses, if not more, of water a day! I'd love to get back into the clothes I had on in the pic below. I was a size 16...I'd love to be there again! :)

I have downloaded an app called MyFitnessPal onto my Kindle and Phone. It's basically a way to track everything you eat and all of your exercise and shows you how many calories you have eaten and how many you gain back by working out. It also tells you how long it will take you to reach your weight loss goal if you stick to your eating plan :) If you have the app, add me! I'm janak2004 and my friend Paige is paigepiitman86. We will be more than happy to add you. If you want to find it online the web address is www.myfitnesspal.com

I hope everyone has a GREAT week and I'll keep you updated! :D Until then, this is Jana off to find another adventure...

End of Week 1

So my friend Paige and I got to talking and we were discussing our health. Both of us are considerably bigger than we should be and made an agreement to get into better shape in the new year. This week we started our butt kicking workout and I can tell you, it is already working :)

Monday (Jan 2, 2012)

Breakfast: Nothing
Lunch: 2 piece pork loin/1 cup blackeyed peas/1 cup english peas/half cup grapes
Snack: 2 cups sweet tea
Dinner: Banquet Sweet and Sour Chicken Dinner/1 small banana
Workout: 21 minutes Just Dance 3/15 mins treadmill/10 mins bicycle/10 mins eliptical/30 mins outdoor walk

Tuesday (Jan 3, 2012)

Breakfast: 1 banana/coffee with vanilla creamer/strawberries and cream oatmeal w/ 2% milk
Lunch: 1 bag apple slices/bagel thin with tuna fish/handful of pita chips
Snack: 1 cup grapes
Dinner: Club Pita from Kristo's (ham, bacon, turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomato)
Snack: 2 egg omelet with hotsauce and cheese
Workout: 30 day Shred/14 mins on Just Dance 3/15 mins eliptical/15 mins weights/45 mins outdoor walk

Wednesday (Jan 4, 2012)

Breakfast: 2 scrambled egges with hotsauce and cheese/1 cinnamon and raisin bagel thin/coffee with vanilla creamer/1 medium banana
Lunch: Bagel thin with tuna fish/1 cup grapes/12 olives/100 calorie pack of cheezits
Snack: Honey granola bar
Dinner: Chicken fried steak w/potatoes and corn (Banquet Meal)
Snack: Vienna Sausage
Workout: 30 day Shred/45 min walk/15 mins eliptical/20 mins bicycle

Thursday (Jan 5, 2012)

Breakfast: 1 banana/coffee with vanilla creamer/strawberry and cream oatmeal w/ 2% milk
Lunch: PB&J on bagel thin/1 cup grapes/12 olives/100 calorie pack of cookies
Snack: Chocolate chip granola bar/ half pack of 100 calorie cookies
Dinner: Cheesy broccoli rice (1 cup)/ 3 slices pork loin
Workout: 30 Day Shred/30 mins treadmill/5 mins bicycle/20 mins eliptical/45 min walk

Friday (Jan 6, 2012)

Breakfast: Apple cinnamon muffin/boiled egg with hotsauce/coffee with vanilla creamer
Lunch: Cheesey broccoli rice/3 slices porkloin/1 bag apple slices/100 calorie pack of cookies
Snack: Honey granola bar
Dinner: BLT on Hawaiian bread/grilled chicken breast with mushrooms and broccoli
Snack: Bud Light Draft
Workout: 20 mins on Just Dance 3

Saturday (Jan 7, 2012)

Breakfast: 1 apple cinnamon muffin/2 cups coffee with vanilla creamer
Lunch: half order of Mexican nachos with lettuce/tomato/beef/cheese/jalapanoes/sour cream/guacamole
Snack: Apple slices with caramel/half chicken quesadilla
Dinner: BLT on Hawaiian bread/half order of Mexican nachos
Snack: 100 calorie pack of rice crisps (caramel drizzle)
Workout: 30 mins treadmill/20 mins eliptical/20 mins bicycle/20 mins weight training

As of this morning (Sunday) I have currently lost 6lbs. My goal for the month is 15. Let's hope I can do it :) I forgot to measure earlier this week, so I'm going to measure today and keep track of how many inches I am losing. I'm curious to see how much I can lose by December. Until later, this is Jana off to find another adventure...

New Year's Resolutions

New Year's Resolutions!

1. Workout 5-6 days a week.

2. Drink more water.

3. Keep house picked up daily.

4. Keep car cleaned out.

5. Eat breakfast daily.

6. Meet my weight loss goals I have set for myself.

New Year's Eve

Farewell 2011...Welcome 2012!

We had a bit of a holiday party at my apartment for some friends who didn't have any other plans. Here are just a few pics from it. :)

New Year, New Me...

So it's out with 2011 and in with 2012. 2011 was a rollercoaster of a year. So many ups and downs that I can't even begin to tell you how crazy it was, but here we are in a brand new year and for that I am so thankful. It's a clean slate and a time to start anew.

I learned several things in 2011 that will help me shape 2012 into the year I want it to be. I have so many goals and things I want to accomplish. I can't wait to see if I can make it happen. But in typical style, here is my little homage to 2011:

Things I learned in 2011

1. People Change: I can remember being in high school with my old friends and thinking that we were going to be best friends forever. Nothing was going to seperate us and we were all going to marry brothers and live next door to each other. However, after I left for college, I sought out to do bigger and better things with my life and my friends all kind of disappeared. We have all worked really hard to stay in touch and we often chat weekly or at the latest monthly, but I've realized that we aren't the same people we were. We've all grown into the people we were MEANT to be and not necessarily who we WANT to be.

2. Not being married isn't that bad contrary to popular belief: Austin and I have been together for 5 and a half years as of Dec 17, 2011. For some people, that is an unacceptable amount of time just to be "dating". However, it works for me and him. We are just as happy dating as many people are married. I hate that our "dating" status prevents us from really hanging out with the "married" folks sometimes though. I really miss a lot of friendships and often feel left out of things because of this. And even though I get emotional about it sometimes, I realize that I have to just do what is right for me and not for everyone else.

3. New friends are awesome: Austin and I have had the great opportunity to become friends with some new people recently. We met Kelly over a year and a half ago and she has totally been a great friend. We hang out often and she always has words of advice or encouragement when I need them. We met Paige and John back in June when they opened a resturant here in Byram. We went in and just started chatting them up and the next thing we knew, we were being invited out to hang out with them. Now there isn't a day we don't see them. Their friendship has helped pull me through a lot of tough times recently. I am so thankful that God has put them in my life. :)

4. I miss my college friends more than ever: Have you ever had a group of people who you just know that you are meant to be with? Well that's how I feel about my college friends. My girls from the "W" are some of the strongest women I know. Although we all seperated out after college all the way from the south east to the west, we still keep in contact and make new memories. It is so nice to have people that you just "click" with. I value their friendship so much more now that we don't see each other every day. I love you girls and can't wait to meet up in 2012!

5. True love is felt as much as it is seen: Anyone who knows my boyfriend Austin, knows that once you meet him, you can't help but love him. He is one of the most selfless people I have ever met and is more than willing to bend over backwards to help anyone who needs it. He has been there for me more than anyone else has ever been. He has dried many tears, held my hand even though we were lost, and has shared more laughter with me than anyone else. We have had our share of ups and downs, but I know in my heart that he is my soul mate. I can't wait to see what our future holds, but I know it's going to be full of love and happiness. (P.S. We looked at rings over the Christmas break! That's a step in the right direction.)

6. I've changed: Nobody really thinks about how they have changed over the course of the year, but I feel like I have really grown. I've tried to be more active in my friends lives. I've tried to help others more than myself. I've studied harder, played harder, and loved more this year than I EVER have before. I guess growing up is happening all at once because it feels like just yesterday I was turning 18 and heading out on my own for the first time.

7. Family is EVERYTHING: I have spent more time with my family this year than ever before. I have made a major effort to be a bigger part in my sister/mom/dad/cousins/uncles/aunts lives than ever before. We have been through a lot of pain this year with losing my Uncle James right at the end of May. I haven't felt pain like that since my Pawpaw passed away 6yrs ago and my cousin Anthony passed away 3yrs ago. Clinging to family has been the one thing that has helped get me through. We have laughed so much more, taken more pictures, and made more memories this year. I am looking forward to making even more in 2012.

There is probably a lot more I should have addressed, but I'm going to end it here. 2011 was great but I can't wait to see what 2012 holds. I hope you'll come along for the ride with me. Until then, this is Jana off to find another adventure...

Wow...It's been a while

I can't believe this is the first time I've logged on since I can't remember. I didn't realize I had let this blog get away from me. My friend Erin asked me the other day what happened to it and I really didn't have a good answer for her. But I'm now back so I hope you are all ready for me. :)

I originally started this blog as a way to chronicle how I was going to lose 100lbs, but unfortunately, I stumbled, fell, got back up, and fell back down again. Only that time I stayed down. But I'm back with a positive attitude and I know I'm going to make good things happen. But before we get into all of that, let's update a little bit about what I've been up to.

I know some of you heard about me going on a trip to Miami, and let me just say it was AMAZING! I had such a good time. There are so many things to see and do there. Below are a few of my favorite pics from the trip.

This was taken at a place called Bahia Honda. (Pronounced Bay-uh Honda) It was a little isolated beach in the middle of a nature reserve and it was gorgeous! As I layed sunning in the sand, I noticed all these sailboats moving in and I just had to nab a picture. As you can see, the water was just as clear as the sky. It was amazingly beautiful.

This is the sign leaving Key West. I was trying to get it as we came into the town, but I was driving at that point and it made it difficult. I actually got to see Mile Marker 0! I thought that was so neat. :)

This picture was taken at sunset on Key West. They have this awesome sunset festival every night and there are some interesting characters that show up. Key West is definitely NOT for kids after dark. (Thanks Brit for filling me in about the festival!)

If you ever get the opportunity to go to Key West and travel down Duval St. (Which is the equivalent of Bourbon Street in New Orleans) I encourage you too. There is a place called "The World's Smallest Bar" located smack dab in the middle and they sell these AMAZING drinks for $15. They basically let you pick a pineapple, gut it, pour all the contents into a blender with some ice, add a TON of rum, and then pour it back into your pineapple. Needless to say, one of these will make anyone feel good. I enjoyed this a LOT! :)

This is my roommate Sara Beth, with whom I shared the Miami/KeyWest Adventure with. She and I were posing in a restuarnt off of Duval St. called "The Hidden Jungle Cafe". And let me tell you, it really was hidden. If I hadn't stepped off into the alley, we would have totally missed it. (Just be aware, because it is so well hidden, they charge an 18% gratuity no matter how many in your party) (Oh, and yes, that is my real hair. I've had several people ask me if I have extensions since I'm not one to wear my hair super long)

Needless to say, my Spring Break was a blast. Some other things that I feel like I should brag about are that I have signed up for some classes through JSU that work towards my Master's degree. I know some of you reading this are going "WTF? JSU? Are you crazy?", and to answer your questions, I would say probably. However, they are not only covering the cost of my tuition, they are also paying me an $1800 supplement to attend. It's a win win deal. I get paid over my summer vacation, I get to work towards my Master's for FREE, and it will be something to keep me busy. :)

I think I've covered all my important stuff now. So I guess we can move on. Back to the original reason I started this blog...to lose weight. Well I got super busy around Thanksgiving and it got worse after Christmas and now I'm feeling so bad about myself because not only did I have to stop my workouts, but I gained back all of my weight I had lost. It hasn't felt good to be back into my "fat" clothes again.

I started back on my Weight Watchers/Atkins diet today. I'm also adding in the Jillian Michael's Fat Burn tablets to try out. (A friend of mine recommended it and said that it worked for her) Not to mention, I'm getting back into my workout routine. I worked out this morning with the 30 Day Shred and I'm going to workout twice a day, 5 days a week if possible. I'm planning on a different workout every afternoon so I don't get burned out.

I took my measurements and weight and I am so ashamed that I'm not even going to post them on here right now. I'm going to have to cope with it myself before I allow myself to put that out there.

I think the reason I failed before was because I wasn't 100% commited to making the change. I made excuses so I could eat what I wanted and skip workouts. I think I've got my head in the game now so that I can REALLY succeed this time. :)

But anyway, I'll try to be better about my posting and I'll once again post my meal plans in case someone out there needs some help and wants to use my plan. I hope everyone has a Marvelous Monday! Until then, this is Jana off to find another adventure...

Year's End and New Year's Resolutions

Can you believe that December is almost completely over? Talk about insane. It feels like just yesterday that 2010 was just beginning and we are about to be into 2011. I don't know what to say or think. Wow! On another note, I have already made it through half of the school year. My does time fly. :)

My weight loss has not been where it should be due to the holidays and just not having time or the energy to work out and do what I should. I plan on getting back on track as of Jan 1, 2011. No better time than the present to get started.

My break has been awesome. It is so nice to be off work for two solid weeks. I've spent it catching up with friends, family, and some much needed sleep. I get to help my roommate move in this week. Should be interesting.

Christmas was AMAZING! I was beyond spoiled rotten and I can't tell you how happy I have been with everything I received. My parents spoiled me beyond measure. I got a brand new HTC Windows Phone and a VIAO laptop. I am just so thankful for all they do for me and this was just icing on the cake. I enjoyed my other gifts as well. :) I can't wait to spend some of those gift cards and try out my new straightener and wear some of my new jewelry. :) I am so blessed beyond measure.

I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday as well. I look forward to hearing from everyone soon. :) Until then...this is Jana off to find another adventure...

Long Time...No Post

I know its been about two weeks since my last post and I just wanted to do a brief update for everyone. Weight loss is going good...I haven't lost anymore, but I have lost some inches which is just as good, if not better as far as I'm concerned. I'll def be posting measurements prior to Thanksgiving week. :)

I'm feeling much, much, much better! Thank goodness that my medicine worked. I'm really staying away from alcohol for a LONG time just to make sure that I don't mess anything up that the medicine has helped me get better.

Tonight was "Book Fair/Grandparent Night" at GRI and I pulled a 12 hour day. I am EXHAUSTED! I have been in bed no later than 9pm for the last several days. There is so much going on at work that you barely have time to do anything that isn't a meeting, or planning, or staying after school to go to a meeting or planning. It's very stressful. I can't remember another year that I have stayed after so late.

I was notified today by the Discovery Travel Group that they would love for me to get a group of 5 students together to go to Costa Rica for 8 days! I get to travel free once 5 students pay. It's around $3500 with airfare included and we have until June to come up with the money per student. I've invited two other teachers in 4th grade to help me work it out with parents because the 3 of us REALLY want to go! How amazing would it be to travel in the rain forest? I hope it all works out.

Well I said I was going to keep this brief, so I'll do just that. I'll update as soon as I can. :) Until then...this is Jana off to find another adventure...

Much Needed Update

So I know I have not been as religious about updating as I should typically be and I could give you a million excuses, but the honest truth is that I've just been too busy and too tired to update recently. Life is coming at me fast and I'm just trying to take it as it comes. :)

For those of you who don't know, I have been having some really odd health problems this entire month. It all started with the normal sinus junk that I get every year and wound up escalating into something that I could possibly have been hospitalized for had I not had it checked out. I have contracted some sort of bacteria that has gotten into my kidneys and my stomach and it has made life the past week absolutely miserable. What I thought was sinus drainage making me feel naseated the last several weeks, was actually this bacteria. Everything came to a head on Sunday of this past week when I got home from a visit to Alabama and began throwing up and having other bathroom issues. I've been chugging pedialyte and gatorade and hardly eating anything for fear of getting any sicker.

I missed Monday of work because my temps kept flucuating between 99.5 and 103. Thankfully by Monday night my fever had broken and on Tuesday I attempted to go to work. However, I was having severe back pain that had begun on Sunday and I attributed it to having wretched so hard when I was vomiting. Turns out I have had this nasty kidney infection for a while now and was totally unaware. I left work and went to the doctor to have it checked out. He put me on two different anti-bacterial drugs and informed me that if it is no better after ten days, I may need to look into something else because it could possibly be deadly! So everyone cross your fingers that it takes care of itself. It already feels better today and I'm only on day 2 of my meds.

The doctor demanded that I stay home at least until Thursday to give the medication time to work and I'm glad I did because it has made me so tired. I do miss my students, but to be honest, I've missed my health even more. It has not been fun trying to put on a happy face and work out and do what is needing to be done while feeling like garbage.

In other news, I am currently down to a weight of 255! I can thank the stomach virus for getting me there, but I'm going to keep it off and hopefully have more off by the end of next month as well. I've been working out 4 to 5 days a week, except for the last two weeks because I've been so tired from being sick. Hopefully I can get back on my schedule on Monday of next week. I'm just trying to give myself time to get well.

Other than that, life has been wild! I'm working more than I have ever worked before and our principal is having us do all of these events, etc that require us to spend more time at school and it's a bit overwhelming. I'm trying to be positive about it, but sometimes you just want to go home after work and not worry about meetings and activities.

Austin and I are good. Just taking it day by day. He is still looking for a job and I am praying that he finds something soon. Even though he has no bills, he is always trying to help me out because of how low my pay has gotten. I never knew how much he helped until he couldn't anymore. I hope for both of our sakes he figures out something.

I hope that everyone is doing well and I am looking forward to seeing you all very soon. Ready to see my girls for the first time in months and hopefully playing catch up. Until then...this is Jana off to find another adventure...

I'm a Quarter Way There...

So Friday will officially make a quarter of the school year gone! How time flies! (Thank goodness)

I know it has been a few days since I last posted and I wanted to take care of that right now. :) I'm dedicated to keeping this blog going and keeping everyone posted on progress.

So far, according to my scale, I've officially lost 15lbs, but it changes daily. (Some days it is higher and others it is lower) I'm still working out daily, although the last two weeks I've had to take a day here or there off for a variety of reasons. However, even though tomorrow is the fair, I'll be going immediately after school to work out so I can go out and enjoy the fair as well. As far as inches go, I've lost right around 24 inches from all around my body. The measurements are listed below:

Week 1 Measurements

~ Chest: 45 inches
~ Arms: 15 inches (each)
~ Thighs: 29 inches (each)
~ Hips: 54 inches
~ Waist: 48 inches
~ Start Weight: 280lbs (*Gasp*)

Week 7 Measurements

~ Chest: 40 inches (loss of 5 inches!)
~ Arms: 14 inches (loss of 2 inches for both arms!)
~ Thighs: 25 inches (loss of 8 inches for both thighs!)
~ Hips: 50 inches (4 inches lost!)
~ Waist: 43 inches (5 inches lost!)
~ Current Weight: 265lbs (*Still a gasp, but much better!)

I'm finally seeing results and it's exciting, but I hope to see more as I progress with my workouts. I'm going to have to step up my workouts to get this weight off a little faster. I have two weeks until my parents Halloween party and I need to get another 4-6 lbs off and another 4 inches off my hips and waist by then. I know that it is a lofty goal, but if I hit it hard, I can do it. I just want to look cute in my costume.

I've found myself getting on a slippery slope because I haven't been as careful with what goes in my mouth as I should be. I'm def going to have to work on that. If I want to make my goal by my goal date, I've got to get it together and with Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approaching, I've got to do it fast.

Work is going alright. We've just been so busy at work I really haven't had time to be worried about anything. I am looking forward to our fall break on Monday and I know I just have to survive these last three days and 9 weeks testing and I'll be on a LONG weekend! :)

I hope everyone is doing great as well and I hope you will leave me a message and show me some love. It's so much easier to keep this up when I have support. :) Until then, this is Jana off to find another adventure...

Teacher Tuesday! (Very Long)

Typically I am a happy blog writer. Life isn't crappy for me, most of the time, and I usually have something positive to talk about. However, today is a little different. I have a lot to say and so if you are worried about my being a "Negative Nancy" rubbing off on you, I suggest you close out this blog now and go read one of my other happier ones.

For those of you who have known me a long time, you know that I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in the 4th grade. I had an incredible teacher, Patricia Devine, who taught me a lot about life and a lot about myself, all while teaching me everything I could possibly ever want to know in the fourth grade. My goal in life has always been to become just like her. To teach my students as much as I possibly can, all the while having fun and helping them grow into productive members of society. However, as of late, I have pondered if I have made a wise career choice. Here are my reasons:

1. Teachers don't "teach" anymore.
~ Now don't read this statement and think to yourself, "What does she mean teachers don't teach? That's their job right?" And to all of you teachers out there reading this, I don't want you to think, "I teach, what's she talking about?" I am not saying that we aren't teaching the students things they need to know, but simply saying that we are not "teaching" the way we were taught.
Teachers used to have activities and lessons that were based on the material students should know by their fourth year in school and whether or not they got it was not strictly placed on the teachers shoulders. Parents were required to help their child at home and a teachers job was not based on what some stupid standardized test says their kids know, but what the teacher can prove their kids know.

2. Using a standardized test, written on a collegiate level, to assess students.
~ The people writing laws and creating standardized tests for schools nowadays are telling teachers that they aren't doing their jobs because the students aren't learning the required objectives as mandated by each state. And the way they assess the students learning is by giving them a comprehensive test based on these standards, which is fine except for the fact that it is written on a college level.
Let me tell you what, I am a college educated person. I spent four years working on a degree and I can write a paper that would blow your mind, but to read some of these questions that these students have to answer, I even have to go read them two or three times to get the meaning. No wonder these fourth grade students are freaking out, this test is too hard to understand. But according to the law makers, students should know the material and be able to take this test to prove that.
I can't tell you the amount of parental phone calls I get because even the parents cannot understand what on earth the practice tests are asking. I guarantee that if I could take that test and put it in language that is familiar to my students, my students could answer the questions with no problem. But no, the law makers want to make it the teachers fault if the students do poorly. That is garbage! Make the test readable!

3. People who have never taught a day in their life telling teachers how to do their jobs.
~ This is the biggest pet peeve of mine. People who have never taught a single day in their lives, telling me how to do my job. I believe that if you can make a law for schools, then you should be required to have taught at least one year in each level of education. That means you must have taught a year at the elementary, the middle, and high school level.
It is so easy for someone that has never spent a day in a classroom to stop by a teachers room and say, "This person doesn't know how to teach." or, "You should be doing it this way." It's a completely different thing for a person who has never been in a classroom to spend a day in a teachers classroom and see that there is far more going on than meets the eye.
Sure, some of the things that lawmakers have passed sound good on paper, ex: No Child Left Behind, but in reality it is just a HUGE mess that teachers have to deal with and is not good in practice. I'm a huge fan of "If it's not broke, don't fix it" and "If it doesn't work, find something else that will." (No offense to anybody who tutors through this program. It is different for you than it is for the classroom teacher. You are not held accountable for the child's success or failure. The classroom teacher is.)

4. Teaching is such an easy profession.
People who say that teachers have the easiest jobs on the planet have no idea. Teaching is the equivalent of three jobs. Not only are you responsible for making sure that your students learn, but you have to play nurse if they are sick and don't feel good, as well as playing disiplinarian to those who choose to act out. On top of your regular duties of teaching, you have to write lesson plans, discipline students, do duties, show up to events at the school, parent teacher conferences, faculty meetings, grade level planning, grade papers, Tier plans, small groups, remediation for low students, etc. Sure, I might get paid from 7:20am to 3:20pm, but I'm typically at that school from 6:45am to 5pm most days. And guess what? I don't get paid extra for all the extra stuff I do!

5. People who say, "I can do it better."
~ Well by all means, please come show me how to do it better. I can't stand when a parent tells me that I'm not teaching something correctly or they don't like how I run my classroom. By all means, if you think you can walk a day in my shoes, then please come on. I'd love to watch you do it. And if you do a great job, more props to you. Go get a degree and get your own classroom. That classroom door has MY name on it. So nobody can run MY CLASSROOM better than ME.

6. The continual cutting of teachers pay.
~ Teachers are some of the most underpaid professionals in the world. But why? If it weren't for teachers we wouldn't have electrical engineers, doctors, lawyers, dentists, astronauts, psychologists, nurses, etc. They all had to be TAUGHT how to do what they do. We should be some of the highest paid people in the country, but yet, here are teachers who are the ones that TEACH these people how to become what it is they want to become and we are all barely making enough to scrape by.
I'm a third year teacher. After they take out all of the taxes, insurance, social security, medicare, etc out of my check, I'm down over $900 off of my gross income. Because of all of the tax increases and the recession causing prices to go up, I currently make less now, as a third year teacher, than I did as a first year teacher. I MAKE LESS NOW THAN I DID WHEN I STARTED! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? Who wants to work hard at a job that pays you less than what you started out making?

7. Not having updated text books.
~ This is no lie when I tell you that I am currently teaching out of the same books that I was taught out of when I was in 4th grade. We are still using the same history books, science books, english books, math books, etc that I did when I was a kid.
Seriously? I was in fourth grade in 1996 and even then, the books we were using were old and outdated. Are you telling me that I am teaching my kids out of a book that has been around over 16yrs! Why the hell can't we afford new books?

8. Education being put on the back burner.
~ How many times a week on the news do you hear about another cut to the education budget? How many teachers are working minimal wage jobs because they lost their jobs due to pay cuts or are working second jobs to try and supplement their income because they have had to take a furlough day or other pay cut? How many laws are put into place to help these "disadvantaged children" but yet there is no funding to actually do anything to help them? How many extra curricular classes like art and music that give the kids an outlet to grow and release some tension caused by the constant strain of teachers having to teach to a state test are being cut because "there just isn't enough money?" How many more children will be at risks because class sizes are so big that a teacher can't take the time to work one on one with a child that is struggling? How many more kids are going to drop out at age 16 because they don't have someone there to push them and feel like learning a test is a waste of time? Why are there less and less people looking into teaching as a career and more and more looking into things such as nursing and computer technology? Why are more teachers leaving the field to pursue other careers because they are burned out, or tired, or frustrated, or feel like they aren't able to do their jobs because of too much red tape and paperwork?

9. Extending the school year.
~ Our current president has said that America's students do not go to school long enough. That for us to be the most powerful country in the world, our students are lacking in education. I think this is crap. Extending the school year is only going to cause more stress on teachers and students. We rely on that break of summer to recharge the batteries. I can't teach 12 months straight. It's not possible. If it comes to that, I will certainly be going back to grad school and figure out another profession. I can't do this my whole life at the rate it is going.

I'm sorry that this blog has been so long and negative. I just had an epiphany today and I realized that teachers truly are mistreated. There is so much going on in schools that nobody realizes. I just wanted to put that out there for the world to see.

I want to encourage everyone out there to write to their state representatives, senators, and even to the President himself. Tell them how you feel about education and the teachers that work so hard every day. I know that my one letter won't make a difference, but perhaps if we get several people writing, that might get some attention. And granted, I know that there are teachers out there that don't do their jobs and what they are supposed to, but don't penalize all of us that do for their mistakes.

Thank you for reading. :)

Blah...Another Monday

Today was one of those OMG days! Things just weren't the way they should have been. I actually had a student pass out from low-blood sugar and overheating. It was one of the scariest experiences of my life. I about had a heart attack. We had to videotape the entire school singing this "Twelve Powerful Words" song and it was HOT and only 9am. We got back in around 9:15 and on the way inside she tells me that her stomach is hurting and then begins swaying. The next thing I know I've got a student laid out on the floor and unresponsive. Needless to say, I freaked out. I managed to get a wet rag on her neck and get her woken up enough to answer some questions. The nurse and principals raced down there and she ended up going home. I won't lie when I tell you that I was terrified. Thankfully I managed to stay calm through the entire thing and get her taken care of.

Then in our planning meeting I feel like I'm still as confused about what to do with social studies as ever. Not to mention I feel like we kind of got fussed at because there was a misunderstanding. Ugh...what next?

What a Monday...

So this weekend I did some research to help assist me with some extra weight loss. I read online that if women want to lose more weight they should focus 3 days a week on weight training and some light cardio and then do heavy duty cardio 2 days a week and rest for 2 days. So therefore, I am revamping my weight loss routine to fit this. I think the change up will help me get past this wall I have hit. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Today started week 6 of the workout/diet plan and I must say, I am noticing many changes. I was so excited this morning when I was able to fit into a pair of jeans I haven't worn since college and they fit perfect! My waist is getting smaller, my legs, arms and thighs are too. It is such an amazing feeling when you start seeing these changes no matter how small they are.

I can REALLY tell in my legs. They are looking better and better by the day. Hopefully soon my arms and my abs will follow suit. I'm just going to keep pushing. I'm motivated to do this and nothing is going to stand in my way. :)

That's all for tonight...until later, this is Jana off to find another adventure...

10 Pounds in 5 Weeks?

So after 5 hard weeks of working out and dieting I have managed to lose, and keep off 10lbs. While it might not be what I wanted to lose in that amount of time, I have to realize that losing weight slower is actually better because you are more than likely to keep it off. I'm truly enjoying my daily workouts (5 days a week) and dieting isn't as hard as I thought it would be. However, I have spent the day online looking up ways to jump start my metabolism and some new foods to try because to be honest, the food is getting a little old.

I'm trying to reach my goal of 100lbs gone in a year and after a month of working out, having lost 10, I'm pretty sure that I will be able to do that. I've been setting mini goals and currently my goal is to lose 15lbs by October 23. I have a Halloween party to go to and I want to look cute in my costume. If I lose that 15, I'll be down 25 for 10 weeks of working out. I'm pretty sure that is attainable.

Life has been going pretty good lately. I'm just working a lot and trying to be the best teacher that I can be. I've been a little more tired than usual lately, but I think it has to do with me not sleeping the way I need to. I'll def have to work on that.

I don't have much to update on, so until later, this is Jana off to find another adventure...

Life Recently...A Summation

Greetings Readers. I am so sorry I have been away for so long. A special apology goes out to Erin and Amber, both of whom have questioned my whereabouts and asked, "When are you planning to write another blog?" Here I am, fulfilling your wish! :)

The past two weeks have been so jam packed with things to do and illness and travel that I really haven't had much time for updates. As a matter of fact, as I write this, I am downing a bowl of frosted flakes because I am STARVING! I'm having to find time to get a bite to eat along this crazy and busy road.

Let's start where we left off...two weekends ago. As most of you read, I was gearing up for a weekend in Atlanta, GA where my friend Monique was having a ring ceremony for her marriage with her now husband Clark on Saturday. (Congrats again you guys) It was one of the most beautiful ceremonies. It took place at sunset and the colors she chose were yellow and deep blue. A beautiful combo if I do say so myself. :) Before making the trip to Atlanta though, Austin and I stopped in to stay with my friend Sara Beth, who was kind enough to let us sleep on her pull out couch so that instead of a 7hr drive, we would only have to drive 4 the next morning. (Thanks girl!) So let's see, Friday spent with Sara Beth...Saturday was the Wedding...now onto Sunday. On Sunday, my whole group of college friends that went to Moe's Wedding and the Bride and Groom, all met up for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. It was nice to share one last meal together before everyone headed their own way. Austin and I went with two of my friends Anna and Benson to the World of Coca-Cola. If you have never been, you should def check it out. Make sure to try the Coke from Italy called "Beverly"...or better yet, don't try it! It's AWFUL! Following the Coke Factory, we all headed our seperate ways home. Anna and Benson to Tupelo, and Austin and I back to Columbus to stay with Sara Beth. Since Monday was a holiday, we didn't rush to get back to Jackson. We milled around with Sara Beth and met up with my college friend Jenny at Chili's for some much needed lunch/supper before heading back to Jackson. We got back to Jackson around 10pm and headed straight to bed. We were exhausted!

..................................................................* Big Breath*................................................................................

Tuesday morning set us back into the swing of things. I headed to work bright and early on Tuesday morning having accomplished absolutely nothing that I NEEDED to accomplish. All that grading that I planned to do while we were driving was still ungraded in the back seat of my car. *Sigh* I got to school and we had a LONG day of teaching and teacher meetings.

By Wednesday I really started feeling awful. I had some really bad sinus stuff going on. Even though I felt bad, I still had to go to meetings from 1-4, not to mention dealing with students from 7-12. All in all a pretty crappy day for me.

When I woke up on Thursday morning, I quite literally could not get up out of bed. I felt like a sledgehammer had hit me. I called in sick, but still had to go in long enough to set up my classroom for a sub. I spent the remainder of the day either sleeping or cleaning house in between naps.

Friday I returned to school and much to my dismay my sub left me a bad note. However, after some investigation I found that the sub was to blame for the behavior. She did not follow my lesson plans, nor did she take my students to the restroom. It was ridiculous. After school let out on Friday, I headed to my apartment and packed my bag. Once Austin got to Byram, we left and headed to see my family in Alabama.

Saturday was so much fun. We spent the day with my parents and then went to my God-Daughter Daveney's birthday party. It was amazing! I was so happy to get to spend it with her and her family.

Sunday we drove home and just chilled in the pool and went to bed around 11pm. It was so nice just to relax and do nothing.

........................................................................* Mini Breath*.......................................................................

So all of that leads us to today. Today was pretty good. Just very busy. I feel so behind in my lessons and can't seem to catch up. I have so much I need to be doing, but I just don't feel like I have time to squeeze it in. My students and I work from the time we come in the door until the time they leave at 3:20. Then I get to work some more. There are just not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything that I need to get accomplished.

For those of you who have been wondering how my diet is going, it is going pretty well. I'm down a total of 10lbs. I have been working out religiously (except last week due to illness) and am going to continue my workout sessions today. As a matter of fact, I am typing this prior to my session today. :)

Following my workout I will be grading/filing/sorting/etc papers and getting my desk fixed from where my sub tried to "help" me by cleaning up my desk area. I have a lot to do and not enough time to do it. I promise an update again soon. Until then...this is Jana off to find another adventure...

Totally "Grown-Up" Tuesday...

I am 24yrs old and there are still days that I wake up and ask myself, "Am I really living on my own? Am I really paying my own bills? Am I really a grown-up?" And shockingly enough, the answer is YES! The sad part is, no matter how old I get, I'm always worried that I'll still feel 18yrs old. I'll always hope Mom and Dad are going to be there to save the day when something goes wrong, and that money comes in as quickly as I can spend it. Unfortunatly that is not the case anymore. Believe it or not, I'm an adult and I need to embrace it.

Today is day 16 on my diet and exercise plan. I thought I was doing pretty good until I got light headed and had to stop exercising. I guess I've been pushing too hard. I just REALLY want to drop those last 4lbs this week. Heck, I'll even settle for the 2 to drop me down to 10lbs lost. I'm going to have to focus and keep pushing, but maybe dial it down a notch.

We got paid at work today and as quick as the money came in, it was gone. After bills and the pay cut that all the teachers took this month, its going to be a struggle to make ends meet. I'm glad Mom and Dad are going to be helping me this month. At least I'll have groceries and such.

Well it's getting late and I'm tired. I'll post again as soon as I can. Until then...this is Jana off to find another adventure...

Breakfast
~ Raspberry Cereal Bar

Lunch
~ Turkey Sandwich with Mayo
~ 1 Pickle
~ Cheese Cube
~ Chocolate Chip Granola Bar

Dinner
~ Pork Chop
~ 1 cup Brocolli/Cauliflower Combo w/ Cheese
~ Cheese Cube

Total Points: 18pts

Exercise
Morning
~ None
Evening
~ 20 Minutes Bike
~ 5 Minutes Treadmill
~ 15 Minutes Eliptical
~ 10 Minutes Weight Training

Move Along Monday...

Today is officially Day 15 of my diet and exercise plan and I can honestly say with all certainty that I am actually finding it easier and easier to stay on it. Not to mention, I have lost 8lbs! Only 4 more lbs to go this week and I'll be at my 3 week goal of 12lbs!!!!!!!!

Weight Watchers is AMAZING! The food is great because I can basically eat anything that I want to as long as I account for it, AND I have great friends that I work out with every day that help keep me motivated and inspired to push myself harder and further than I EVER thought imaginable.

Take today for example. According to my workout chart, I was scheduled to move to Level 3 on the Treadmill today. Level 1, piece of cake. Level 2, a little tough. Level 3, HELL ON EARTH! The incline on that thing is killer. I actually had to slow it down for a few minutes to give my legs a break because they were dying. However, my friend Anna Leigh saw me struggling and in all of her awesomeness pushed herself onto level 3 as well and made me stick it out with her. And guess what, I did and it wasn't that bad.

After we finished on the treadmill I was ready to call it a night, but she convinced me to go ahead and do 20 minutes on the eliptical and she would do 20 on the bike. Level 2 on the eliptical is like Level 3 on the treadmill, HELL ON EARTH. But you know what? I stuck it out the entire 20 minutes without stopping or resting and after it was over and done with, I felt better than I had all day. Yay for friends and motivation!

I've spent the majority of the afternoon calling parents for "Postive Phone Calls", which is something new that our principal says we have to do. I'm a little late getting started, but I called 11 parents today. Too bad that I only got to talk to 4. I left a message on two others, got hung up on by a parent, and the rest wouldn't accept a blocked call so I'll have to try again tomorrow from the school's phone. I'm really trying to make this the best year ever! Hopefully it will be.

Well I've got 4 more stacks of papers to grade and I want to get as much as I can done before this massive storm that is coming hits. Until later, this is Jana off to find another adventure...

***EDIT***
So I just finished grading over 200 papers. I forgot how much work it is to be self contained in a classroom. I'm curious if someone wants so part time work as a paper grader...haha! I'll cook dinner for you! :)

Breakfast
~ Sausage Biscuit from McDonald's with Strawberry Jam (Student brought it to me)

Lunch
~ 3oz Pork Roast
~ 1 Red Potatoe
~ 2 Large Carrots

Dinner
~ Chicken Breast stuffed with Cream Cheese, Sausage, and Bacon
~ Baked Beans
~ Biscuit with Strawberry Jelly

Total Points: 32pts

Exercise
Morning
~ None
Evening
~ 30 Minutes Treadmill (Fat Burning Setting)
~ 20 Minutes Eliptical (Fat Burning Setting)

Satisfactory Sunday

Ah, I love lazy Sundays. Days when there is nothing to do, but just relax. Today Austin and I slept in. I slept until around 11am and he slept until 1pm. While he slept, I cleaned up the house and washed all of the clothes. After he got up, we decided to go see the movie Vampires Suck. It was pretty hilarious. Following the movie we got some "lupper" at Cracker Barrell and came back to the house to relax.

I chose to go workout for an hour while Austin opted to stay upstairs and play on Facebook. LOL! After my workout we went to the pool for about 45 minutes. We are currently cooking dinner and boy oh boy does it smell delicious! As late as it is, I'm still hungry and ready to eat something. Good thing that I have points left from the day and earned some more back working out. :) I'm chugging down two glasses of water so that I don't eat as much.

Anywho, dinner is almost done and I'll be heading to bed soon. Until later, this is Jana off to find another adventure...

Breakfast
~ None

Lunch/Supper
~ 2 oz Roast Beef
~ 2 Carrots
~ 1 Small Red Potatoe
~ 1/2 Ear Corn on the Cob

Dinner
~ Butterfly Chicken Breast stuffed with Cream Cheese and Sausage
~ Baked Beans
~ 1 Slice Garlic Bread
~ "Cocaine Dip" with Tortilla Chips

Total Points: 28pts

Exercise
Morning
~ None
Evening
~ 30 Minutes on Treadmill (Fat Burning Setting)
~ 20 Minutes on Eliptical (Fat Burning Setting)
~ 10 Minutes on Weights

Saavy Saturday

Today was the LAZIEST day I've had in a long time. I slept until noon, got up and ate lunch, watched tv for a little while, took another nap until 7, got up, ate dinner, went to the pool, rented two movies, and then headed back to bed...LOL.

I really enjoy lazy days like that. It is so nice just to have time to relax and do nothing. I get so tired over the course of the week and sometimes I just need to recharge. So glad I had an opportunity to do that.

Not much to say now, except ta ta. I will update again tomorrow! :) Until then, this is Jana off to find another adventure...

Food Diary
I ate so much junk yesterday because it was convenient that I can't even remember. So instead of posting a food diary, I'm going to just let you know that I am well into my flex points. LOL!

Fantastic Friday

OMG! Don't you just LOVE my background? I totally have to give it up to one of my best friends, Brittany Marten aka: Hofo, and her awesome web design company, Peachy Keen Blog Designs. She took what I had in my head and put it onto my page! You should all look her up! She is amazing! Thank you Hofo!!!!!!!!!!

Today was a pretty decent day. Nothing super stellar to discuss with the exception of receiving my evaluation on email today. It was SOOOOO nice. He loved everything I have been doing. And the best part was, "I wish I could take a picture of what is going on in your classroom and give it to every teacher in this school." That totally made my Friday. :)

I can't chat long because I'm about to head to the gym for my final weekly workout. I know, Friday afternoon right? Oh well, gives me an excuse to gain back some WW points so that I can eat something extra and maybe have an adult beverage or two. :) Anyway, that's all for now. I'll update the food diary later tonight! Until then...this is Jana off to find another adventure.

Breakfast
~ Bowl of Frosted Flakes (Kroger Brand) with 2% milk

Lunch
~ 1 Porkchop
~ 1/2 cup Brocolli w/ Cheese
~ 1/4 cup Corn
~ 1 Sugar Free Orange Jello

Dinner
~ 4 Fried Chicken Fingers
~ 3 Baked Chicken Fingers
~ 5 Chicken Wings
~ 1/2 cup Black Eyed Peas
~ 1/2 cup Green Beans
~ 1/2 cup "Cocaine" Dip (Cream Cheese, Sausage, Tomatoes)
~ 2 oz Chips

Late Nite
~ Cream Cheese with Hot Pepper Jelly and Ritz
~ 2 Vodka Drinks
~ 3 Beers

Exercise
Morning
~ None
Evening
~ 30 Minutes on Treadmill (Fat Burn Setting)