Zenaida Arroyo

This week’s Tuesday Topic is: Off Topic Tuesday.  You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post.  Remember to link up with Kim and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers!

I told Kim I was not going to post today.  Yesterday I was at work till 7:15pm packing up my stuff.  I wasn’t sure where to start and knew I had to start somewhere so I went for it.  Not much organization and hope I don’t regret it.  I did make a list of the boxes I have with the brief description inside them.  There is a chance that my school will be closed for next year and my boxes will be moved to a different building.  Who knows?  With 10 days left, hopefully soon we’ll find out for sure.  Regardless, I still need to pack up my stuff.  

Hopefully it won’t take me too long to respond to your comment and read your post.  Remember, only 10 more days left of school. 😀

Here is a list of some of my favorite things:

Ice Cream Flavor:  Chocolate.  I love anything with chocolate.

Movie: The Lion King.  I think I’ve cried a few times.  The scene with Simba and his dad after he falls gets me every single time.  I’ve also watched the Broadway show a few times and love it as  well.  Next time I go to NYC I want to see it there too.

Place to Shop:  Target!  I live a half mile away from the store and there is another one on the way to work.  I love the convenience of ordering items on the app and picking them up.

Fast Food Restaurant: McDonald’s.  I am a sucker for their fries.  Whenever I am in the mood or really stressed out, I get the Big Mac Deal.  I know it is healthy but I don’t care.  I don’t get it too often anyway.

Color: Blue.  I also go for pink and purple.

Snack: Popcorn or potato chips with buffalo sauce.  There are days when I crave something salty and that combo does the trick.

Alcoholic drink:  I am a martini girl.  The one I prefer is sour apple but like trying different ones.  I have a list of about 100 different martinis that is offered at a bar not too far from work.  I went there during Winter Break and am hoping to go once school is over.  

Food: Pizza.  I prefer cheese only but do like sausage and pepperoni.  

School Subject: Math.  I love teaching it to my students.  I try to make it fun and I smile whenever I see their their faces when they understand what I am teaching.

Day of the Week:  Friday!  The end of the week plus we can wear jeans at work.  Every other Friday is payday too.  Perfect, right?

Breakfast Food: Over hard eggs, bacon, hash browns, and greek toast.  Add in some Cholula or Louisiana hot sauce and I could eat this everyday but I don’t.

Beverage:  Coffee.  I drink a cup in the morning while reading my email and blog posts.  Sometimes I will have another cup at work.  I also drink a lot of water. 

Hot Dog Topping: I know this is weird but I eat them with only mayonnaise and hot peppers.  Definitely NOT Chicago style.  

Topic for next week – How will you celebrate Global Running Day? It is on June 1st.  Feel free to write about this or any running related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

This week’s Tuesday Topic is: A Day in Your Life.  You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post.  Remember to link up with Kim and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers!

I’ve done several Day in the Life of a Teacher posts.  The first one was on November 6, 2016, when things were “normal”.  The next one was on June 25, 2019.  I wrote it when I was teaching Summer School.  The last one was on May 11, 2021.  I wrote it during remote learning.  It was fun reading each one again and reflecting how each one is very different.  While I am glad I am no longer teaching from home, it is still different from my first post.

Here is a typical day for me (I chose Tuesday):

5:30-6:00 AM
I get up and make my coffee.  I check my school email and then my personal email.  I add my blog post to the link up.  I schedule it to go live on Tuesday at 12:01 am but need to manually add it in the morning.  Then I get ready and head out for my run.  Depending on the distance I am back by 6:30 or 7am.   

After my run, I shower, get ready, make my smoothie, and hit the road.

7:00-8:30 AM
I arrive at school during that time.  I no longer try to get there by 7am.  There’s been times when I’ve arrived at 8am and it was OK.  I live 6 miles from my school but the later I leave, the more traffic I encounter.  Still, I am not going to stress out if I get there late.

During this time I eat breakfast, check work email, make copies, talk to colleagues, go to bathroom, and get ready for the day. 

8:30-8:45 AM
The bell rings at 8:30 to let the kids in the school.  A few minutes later my students are lined up outside the classroom.  They come in and eat breakfast.  Those that do not eat, they color or do something else.  I take attendance and do lunch count.

8:45-10:15 AM
My kids have reading till 10:15.  We read again the book from Monday and discuss it.  This week we are reading about how pencils are made.  I will have an assignment for them as well.  Three of them leave at 9:30 to work with a reading interventionist.  The rest of us then do the same thing we did earlier but with either a Science or Social Studies book.  We have a different Reading Unit Plan every 5-6 weeks and alternates between Science and Social Studies.

10:15-11:00 AM
My kids have Music.  They line up and I take them to the teacher.  On Tuesdays I meet with the rest of my team for a meeting.  We go over upcoming assignments, data, test results, etc.  The other days I stay in my room to finish up my work or I internal sub.  There is a shortage of substitute teachers (well, teachers in general) and many of us are asked to internal sub.

11:00-11:30 AM
My students are back from Music.  They sit on their desk and log in iReady.  It is a math program that ties in with our Math curriculum.  During this time I do some work, grade papers, or check email.

11:30-12:00 PM
Lunch time!  I eat lunch with my coworkers.  Everyday someone is responsible for bringing lunch for the rest of us.  There were 4 of us but now there are 5 in our group.  It works out perfect because now I am not trying to figure out what to bring to school everyday.

12:00-12:05 PM
The bell rings and I go outside to get my kids.  My students are very happy it is finally warm for them to go outside for recess.  Last week it was awful because it was so hot.  Sometimes we stay a bit longer but definitely go back before the next group of students go outside.  

12:50-1:50 PM
Math.  My favorite subject.  Right now they’re working on fractions.  Honestly I find this unit boring.  I’d rather go over again adding and subtraction, place value, and word problems.  This is my first year teaching Math in English and it is so hard for me and for my students.  Everyone is struggling.  The reason I am now teaching it in English is because of our new dual language curriculum.  

1:50-2:05 PM
Recess time!  Our favorite time of the day.  😀  Sometimes we can a bit longer.  A few of my students leave for additional support from a reading interventionist.  

2:05-2:40 PM
We go back to the classroom for our English Unit (part of the dual language curriculum).  If we have time then the students color, watch a movie, read a book, or rest before going home.  

2:40-2:50 PM
Bell rings.  The students get ready to go home.  I also get my stuff ready.  I don’t stay late anymore like I used to.  Whatever doesn’t get done during the day can wait till the next day.  If it is urgent then I do it at home.  I just want to go home.  We head downstairs and wait for the bell to ring again.  We go outside and the students leave with whomever is there to pick them up.

2:50-3:00 PM
I stay there for 10 minutes and then at 3 go home.  Sometimes I’ll stop at Target or another store.  I will be moving to a new classroom next year so I will be staying late to pack up my stuff.  Not fun but it needs to be done.

At home I cuddle with my cats and rest for a bit.  Sometimes I take a nap.  I eat and check blog posts.  Sometimes I’ll watch a bit of TV before getting ready for bed.  It was a long day.

Topic for next week – Off Topic Tuesday: Write about your all-time favorite movie, musical, pizza topping or what have you.  Feel free to write about this or any running related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

This week’s Tuesday Topic is: How does running help with your mental health?  You can write about this topic or feel free to post any running related blog post.  Remember to link up with Kim and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers!

I know running is something I do to help me get through the day.  I enjoy the time alone and the feeling afterwards.  I’ve been running since 2005 but it was 3 years ago that I realized how much running has been helping me get through some difficult times. 

In March 2019 my mother had a stroke.  I was sad, angry, and confused.  I worked while helping to take care of her.  There weren’t enough hours in the day and it left me exhausted.  I also ran 5 races that year.  It’s been three years and it is somewhat better.  I am still tired but now I blame it on work.  😀

Then came March 2020 and everything changed.  More than ever I appreciated running.  I am an introvert and staying home was delightful.  I don’t have a treadmill and running outside put me in a better mood.  I was not happy when I had to quarantine and could not go outside.  Luckily, it was just a couple of days.  

Running helped me cope with the stress of working from home.  Yes, I know I said I enjoyed staying at home, but working from home is a whole different thing.  While I liked not having to drive or dress up, the work itself was too much for me.  I spent many days crying and wanting to quit.  Many of you might remember how awful it was for me.

I look forward to my runs each morning.  I love the time alone.  I love listening to Matty during my Peloton runs.  He makes me laugh and smile.  During my runs I also think about the past, present, and future.

I hope to continue running for as long as I can.  Running helps me stay healthy which will help me continue to run.

Topic for next week – A Day in Your Life.  Feel free to write about this or any running related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!