sNO WAY! It's snowing in Texas?

What Ms. Chen does on a snow day:


A foot of snow in Dallas! Thank goodness today was a snow day...no work! I think teachers enjoy snow days more than students...

Thursday morning, I woke up at the usual 6 AM and immediately checked outside my window. Was that - snow? On the ground? Excitedly, I turned on the news to check school closings. Unfortunately, all Dallas ISD schools were open...

So I reluctantly headed out into the cold, lacking appropriate outerwear and footwear. Six kids showed up to 1st period. They refused to do work. Then again, they always do...all they did was complain.
"I should have stayed home today."
"DISD ain't gonna close for nothing."
"Ms. Chen, nobody's gonna show up, we shouldn't have to do no work." "Shouldn't have to do now work?" "We shouldn't have to do ANY work." Well, at least, I guess they've got double negatives down.

Roosevelt in the morning.

Realizing it would be pointless to use my prepared lesson plan on the 20 kids that would show up to my class across the three class periods, I made a quick change of plans (I've become as flexible as silly putty since I started teaching), and whipped up a "fun" writing assignment.

I got 3rd period to work...or at least pretend to work.

All the kids that showed up to 4th period. Rene doesn't like taking pictures. Guess which one is Rene.

The snow kept falling ALL afternoon. Some kids were completely checked out and refused to work, and I didn't blame them. They were sticking their heads out the window, begging me to let them play outside, and arranging a massive snowball fight via texting. ("Ms. Chen, join our snowball fight!" I give them a Look. "Ms. Chen, I thought you were cool," Marco says, shaking his head in disappointment.)

The view from my classroom.

The snow continued to pile up, and by 4th period, they made an announcement that kids could leave early if their parents came to the office to pick them up. With the few students I had left, I gave up on teaching them writing strategies after about 30 minutes of work, and then we just got on the computer and I showed them how to research colleges and financial aid.

I got to leave 5 minutes before school was actually over and my car was BURIED in snow. Kids were throwing snowballs at each other, security was running around, cars were trickling through the parking lot of disgusting, brown slush...it was madness. Driving was horrible. I'm pretty sure most of the people from the east coast think I'm a wimp.

It did not stop snowing all last night. A tree fell outside my apartment.

If I wasn't sick, I think I would have run outside to make snow angels and have a snowball fight. Alas, my poor, old body has been overrun with the sniffles and a sore throat, so looks like I will have to spend my snow day inside, with a cup of cocoa and watching movies. Oh well. :)

Discovering Dallas, Part I

In TFA, they talk about this thing called PPA: Personal and Professional Alignment. I’ve decided that in order to maximize my effectiveness at work, I need to maintain a healthy personal life.

At lunch this weekend, a fellow TFA friend and I realize that our yearnings for our respective hometowns possibly stems from our current dislike of Dallas. We’ve lived here for about half a year, and yet we have not seen too much of the city. To delineate between TFA Dallas and regular Dallas, we’re going to explore Dallas some more in an effort to make our personal lives a little happier and have something to look forward to other than hours of lesson planning on the weekend.

After this lunchtime discussion, we feel extremely full and realize that our morning workout is completely shot from overeating (even though the Japanese place we ate at was only mediocre – when does that stop me from eating?). It’s my friend’s New Year’s resolution to lose weight, so we decide to walk it off.

It’s a gorgeous day outside. The sun is out for the first time in what feels like weeks, and we choose to check one thing off of our “To Do in Dallas” list: Katy Trail.

We circle around Uptown, searching for the entrance to the trail, and end up in Highland Park, ogling the mansions. (Side note: I want to live in a castle in Highland Park.)

Finally we circle back around and find a park. We explore the park and eventually find the trail. Unfortunately, I was not wearing proper shoes, and end up getting an enormous water blister on my heel, which burst. Not fun.

When I return home, I’m crippled, yet happier than I’ve been in a long time. Sunshine really does make one happier.

We return on Monday (yay for Martin Luther King, Jr.!), decked out with proper footwear, and make the 7 mile walk.

(I not FOB!)

At the beginning of the trail.

Victory! 3.5 miles there and back!

Result? Ms. Chen feels slightly healthier, and is ready to conquer Dallas and semester 2. Bring it on!

Dallas Lesson

It takes 10 minutes longer to dress when it is below freezing outside.


Bundled up and ready for the 19 degree weather! Now if only the heat in my classroom would be fixed...

Life in Dallas

So I've finally settled into my new apartment in Dallas (more or less). I have a bed now! No more bouches, no more air mattresses! I finally have furniture in my room, and no longer have to live off the floor! I think TFA makes you appreciate the little things in life...like not being scalded by the shower every 5 seconds and various other small luxuries.


The outside of my apartment building.


The desk from Office Depot that took my dad and brother 4 hours to put together.



My glorious bed!


More decorating to come later...


So training with Dallas ISD is...different, to say the least. Whereas everything at institute was planned out to the second with a purpose in mind, I feel like a lot of the professional development I've been doing with the district has been empty time filler. I think after 10 weeks of sessions, it's getting to be a little much.


What else have I been up to in Dallas?


Hanging out with lovely TFAers.


Eating. Here's the wall at Peggy Sue's BBQ.


JFK Memorial.


I went to Shakespeare in the Park and saw an awesome, country-Western-ized rendition of The Taming of the Shrew.

We came prepared with a picnic. Fun TFA times.

...and just otherwise exploring my new home for the next two years! I leave you California people with this -


Look familiar?