Aside from those two big updates in my last blog, I also taught my first whole semester online! Never in a million years did I ever think I would be an online teacher. I always joked how I was jealous of people who could work from home, but that I could NEVER because duh, I’m a teacher. Well, the universe said, “Ha, bet!” and so began a semester long of recording videos for Monday’s lessons and prepping Google slides for live zoom classes for my English 11 and AP English classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Let’s not forget planning the daily zoom classes for Advisory and ensuring that my brand new freshmen felt welcomed and like they belonged even though it was all virtual. Mondays and Tuesdays were asynchronous lessons for our students, which meant endless meetings for me as a teacher, Co-Dept. Chair, ASB Advisor for the junior class, Advisory Lead, oh, and Debate practices on Tuesday afternoons. I got tired just typing that! hehe. Ensuring students were doing their asynchronous work or actually paying attention during zoom class or even showing up to class was another battle in and of itself, a battle I hope I have to deal with less this second semester, but we will see. I know that if teaching online was a struggle for me at times as an adult, having to learn online for teens is even harder. I gave them so much grace. I’m hoping to continue to cultivate relationships with my students so that they show up and try their best. It’s so sad that I feel like I hardly know this set of students. Roughly 150 students that I haven’t been able to fully bond with because cameras are almost always off and there’s no time to chit chat like before. I want to be more intentional this second semester in cultivating our relationships as teacher to students and students to students. They get to talk in small groups, but it’s always academic. I’m working on incorporating more of this time in my content classes and not just leaving it for Advisory. Any tips you have, please feel free to share!
Aside from teaching, the SRLA (Students Run LA) season has also kicked off with many virtual races. Our latest Endurance Half Marathon was due this past weekend, and I got it done despite not feeling like I had fully trained! I ordered a treadmill during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend, and it arrived the first Tuesday of break, so thankfully, I have been running every day since then. Even then, I didn’t feel fully prepared as the longest run before this was back in November. There’s a bike path near my house that allows me to run longer distances, but even then, I have to be careful. I shared on my IG that during mile 6 of my run this past weekend, I came across a male that was on his bike who just felt suspicious. Mind you, I was running on a bike path, so I come across many cyclists, but this guy was not a cyclist who bikes x amount of miles on a Saturday. We made eye contact at one point and my heart race just increased. It didn’t feel right. I kept running while keeping an eye out on this guy. As I was running, I came across two different cyclists who were going in the opposite direction of me, but both saw my worry as they saw me look at that other guy and then they too looked at him. I kept running a few more feet, however, he kept biking in my same direction and there was no one else around. I did not feel comfortable and my gut kept telling me to turn around, so I did. I was mad because in my head, I still had another two miles to go before I turned around, so it messed up my mental mileage. However, I kept going and I was still able to run 13.1 miles and complete my Endurance Half Marathon.
I mentioned in my IG post (www.instagram.com/fitChiquitaLynda) that I was mad that as a female I have to be cautious of where I run, and it still stands true. I hate that as female, we have to be more aware of our surroundings. We have to be careful not to run too early or too late. We have to be sure that people know where we are at all times. I had shared my location with my fiance´ already, but even then, that wasn’t enough. I run with mace ready to be dispersed. I ordered other things I can also take on my runs to keep myself safe because I can’t risk being attacked all because I just want to run; all because I am a female runner. I hate that. Because I know if I were a male, I would have nothing to worry about OR not as much to worry about. I know males are just as susceptible to being harmed too though. It’s just not fair.
Either way, I was able to run my half marathon and I finished in 2 hours and 36 minutes, which isn’t bad at all in my book. I know in the past I have been sub 11 minutes, but honestly, since quarantine, I feel like I have started training all over again and I’m a brand new runner. Do I miss the days I was running under 11 minute miles? Heck yes. Even those that were at 10 minutes were amazing, but I know that where I am now is okay. I have been surviving a pandemic and I have been taking care of my mental health and the fact that I am still running despite everything is a victory in and of itself. So whatever run I do, I give myself props. Whatever WALK I do, I give myself props. Any mile walked or run is a victory in my book.
This January my fiance´ and I are doing a 100 mile challenge and I am 29.6 miles in, which I am pretty proud of! I had already signed up for another 100 mile challenge, so that’s waiting for me for February– eek! February has less days, so more miles each day, but I am confident that I got this! Until next time. One love. ❤
Confessions of a 40-Year-Old Teacher Mom 