AmyFuji's Open Salon Blog

Hi There, Open Salon

Wed, 3 Aug 2011 21:08:44 -0400

I can't believe I have not blogged in over a year. I have to get back into it. Since my last blog post, I have run two half marathons and a full marathon, had many amazing interactions with my students, survived a new principal, and have gotten through another school year.

Now CPS has a new CEO, so that should be interesting. I am going to try to start blogging more regularly, because the school world just gets crazier and crazier. I can't believe everyone is mad at teachers. Who saw that coming?

Top Five Things to Consider Before Starting a Health Kick

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:07:58 -0400

After the birth of my son, I decided it was time to get healthy and start taking care of myself. I was taking a long maternity leave, so I had no excuse not to use that time to figure out how to eat properly and learn to love exercising.

Since Hideo's birth, I have lost 76 pounds. It took me less than a year, which is remarkable. I have kept the weight off, and I truly believe that I will never go back to my unhealthy ways. This is my new life, and I love it.

Like many people who have accomplished a big goal in their life, I am now a true believer, and I love talking about how other people can get healthy. However, I also know that most people don't want to hear about it. So instead of chatting up random people, I figure I'll just blog occasionally about things that worked for me. That way you can read if you want. No pressure.

To that end, here are the top five things I think you should consider before embarking on a new healthy lifestyle.

5. You will be surprised at how many people will not be supportive of you in this endeavor. This was something I did not expect, but people start to feel threatened when you make a big change in your life. Even my husband had a little trouble adjusting, although he came around and managed to lose 35 pounds himself, thanks to our new commitment to healthy eating and exercise. So don't expect people to be as helpful as you might want or need. Some people will, but you may actually lose some friends along the way.

4. Think about why you want to make these changes. If you think that losing weight is going to make all the problems in your life go away, you will not be successful. Because it doesn't work that way. Losing weight isn't going to make you more popular. It won't make your mom love you more. It can't fill in for other things that might be missing from your life. I'm a lot thinner now, but I'm still the same crazy person I ever was. I decided to lose weight so I can be healthy and hopefully stick around long enough to see my children grow up. I think the reasons for starting this journey are really important.

3. Portion size and exercise are crucial. I used to work out regularly, and never weighed less. I would even write down every bite I ate. But I wasn't eating less food, so the exercise didn't really matter. Exercise is very important, but if you don't change the way you eat, it won't be enough. You have to put the two together. I joined Weight Watchers, which helped me figure out what a normal serving size was. I don't recommend WW, however. It's expensive and there are free programs that can provide the same service. Sparkpeople.com is basically a free WW -- they have food journals, message boards, the whole bit. The main thing is to get some measuring cups and a food scale, and measure out your portions. And aim for exercising at least 30 minutes a day five to six days per week. Walking counts.

2. Microwave popcorn is your best friend. When you are accustomed to mindless eating, and you start eating normal portion sizes, you will think you are going to starve to death. 94% fat free microwave popcorn helped bridge the gap between how I used to eat and how I eat now. The first two weeks of my new life, it was so hard. I was so so hungry. Popcorn (you can eat the whole bag of the 94% fat free kind) really helped me get used to this new way of eating.

1. It's going to suck for six months. Seriously. You will be miserable and pissed off and hungry and probably a little bitter for about six months. I was definitely miserable my first two months, and fairly miserable the next four. At first you are working harder than you've ever worked in your life, and you don't look any different. You don't get to buy new clothes yet. You will weigh yourself and the numbers might go down, but it feels like you have this huge mountain to climb and you don't see how you will ever get there.

Just hang in there. I swear to God it gets easier. If you can make it six months, you will start to see changes. All of a sudden, you'll look in the mirror and you'll look different. You will put on your pants, and they will swallow you. You'll go to a restaurant, and not panic about what to order. It all just comes together. And then you'll know that you can do this.

You can do this. It is so worth it. I wake up full of energy. I used to have sleep apnea and had to sleep with a CPAP machine. Which I hated hated hated. For those who don't know, it's a machine with a long tube that fits over your nose. It forces air through your nose to keep your passages open so you don't stop breathing in your sleep. It's awful. But I don't have to use it anymore.

I'm now training for my first half marathon August 1, and I'm running my first full marathon February 6. I ran ten miles this morning. When I weighed 230 pounds, I never would have imagined running 10 miles. It feels like such a gift now.

Blah blah, enough about me. If you want to make a big life change, you can do it. I'm happy to help any way that I can. I hope maybe these suggestions will be helpful and perhaps a bit motivating. I'll post more ideas every so often. If there are any topics you would like me to discuss, just pop me a message and I will be glad to do it.

Now get out there and get moving!

AmyFuji Cameos in a Rap Video!

Thu, 8 Jul 2010 09:07:46 -0400

UFB is a hip hop group of recent Chicago high school graduates. Erk G, the young man in the Hollister hoodie, was in my 6th period Senior English class this year. His real name is Aarik, but on the first day of school he told me he wanted to be called Erk G, and he told me about his group.

I didn't call him by his stage name at first. But one day he was fooling around in class and I called him Erk G to get his attention. It was amazing -- he became a completely different student. I guess respecting his wish to be called Erk G gave him a reason to be invested in my class. After that, he came to class on time, did all his assignments, and contributed to class discussions.

He told me about UFB, and played some songs for me. I found them to be really catchy and I could tell UFB had talent. In addition to being talented, these young men work really hard. When Erk G asked me to be in his video, how could I say no? (Plus it's really fun telling people I'm in a rap video.)

So please check out the video, and pass it on to your friends. It's nice to meet young men who are not gang bangers and who truly work hard and take the music business seriously. UFB deserves to make it big!

Gotta Get Back on the Wagon

Thu, 8 Jul 2010 09:07:00 -0400

I know I haven't posted in ages, and now the school year is over. But I'm going to try to get back in the habit of posting weekly, about school business and other things, too.

CPS is in dire financial straits and is looking to fire people, so I didn't feel as comfortable posting during work this past school year. I would only blog during my planning periods, but still -- not worth taking chances. Then I would get home and just want to hang out with my kids and not think about work.

But it's summer break! And I haven't been laid off -- fingers crossed. CPS is planning on putting 35 kids in a class in the fall, which will be super fun. If that happens, there will be layoffs. They want to lay people off regardless of tenure status, and those who are let go will be "honorably terminated," which means they won't get severance pay or anything like that. Which is a bit terrifying.

So I will start blogging again -- Open Salon is so big now I don't really expect anyone to find my blog, but I'll know it's there.

Those of you who still remember me -- thanks! I'm sorry I've been absent for so long.

Teacher Rant

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:01:07 -0500

There seems to be one prevailing attitude regarding teachers. While a few people think we are saints, most people think we are morons who sit around and do nothing but collect a paycheck, and that is why our schools are so bad. We are the welfare moms of the 2010s. It's annoying and I'm tired of it.

Unfortunately, just when I am ready to stand up and proclaim that enough is enough and people need to stop blaming teachers for everything, I find out more about the people I work with. There are some bad teachers in my school. (There are bad people everywhere, in every profession. Bad teachers just have more impact than the average bad employee in an office, for example.)

Last Thursday was extremely snowy in Chicago. It took me almost two hours to drive to work in the snow. Chicago Public Schools never takes a snow day, so I had to go to work. I didn't have many students, so my students and I had discussions in my senior classes.

Often our discussions center around school, and the students complain about their teachers. I don't encourage my students discussing their teachers, and I don't let them discuss teachers by name. But I love gossip as much as the next person, so I do find their conversations entertaining, usually.

But I got mad at a revelation made to me that afternoon. Apparently I have a coworker who will pass students in exchange for Red Lobster gift cards. Another coworker will give extra credit points in exchange for food. Students have brought that teacher Kentucky Fried Chicken and Chinese food upon occasion.

Infuriating! Inappropriate! Illegal!

Then yesterday I brought a bunch of books from home to put in my classroom library. My students always complain on Silent Reading Fridays about my book selection. I don't think they will like many of the books I brought from home, but at least they are new.

At any rate, my bag was heavy. I ran into one of my seniors in the hallway, and he agreed to carry the bag for me. I asked where he was supposed to be, and he told me that he had class, but that that teacher didn't come to work until 8:45. Even though he has an 8:00 class. The students just sign in and get their grade. As long as the students sign in before 8:45, everything is ok. I find this absolutely ridiculous. And unfair. And wrong. How do you just not show up for your class each morning? This is your job!

I should mention in the interest of full disclosure that I did offer the student extra credit points for helping me.

I don't know what to do about this problem. I don't know if this is what the teacher union envisioned when it worked so hard to strengthen teacher rights. I do not think tenure is a very good idea.

Bob Herbert, my favorite columnist, wrote a fine column in the New York Times this morning. It is all about the American Federation of Teachers deciding to finally take a stand on improving teacher evaluation, and linking evaluations to student performance. As long as student performance is not the only factor, I am all for it. Furthermore, the AFT is working to make it easier to remove bad teachers from the classroom. I am definitely all for that.

I love teaching. I get incredibly frustrated with my job and my students sometimes. A lot of times. But I can't imagine doing anything else. I get tired of the idea that teachers aren't qualified for their jobs. CPS loves to create the impression that every teacher in Chicago was somehow hired for these jobs despite our not being qualified.

That is inaccurate. Every teacher is supposed to be fully certified. We have to take a basic skills test and a content test for our license. There are teachers who get alternative certification, but it's supposed to be for teachers in high need areas like math and science and special ed. Don't get me started on Teach for America -- that is a post for another day.

So when I read an article like this one, I get really fired up. Yes, there are some bad teachers. As previously mentioned, I work with some of them. But that doesn't mean we are all bad.

I love that Bucior has written a book about subbing. And that her experience has shown her all she needs to know about saving our schools and our students.

But I should just get over it, and accept the fact that conventional wisdom is not on my side. Nor is reality, as my coworkers have illustrated.

I will just say this. If you don't want to be a teacher, get out of the classroom. We know who you are and you are doing no one any favors. If you want to be a teacher, work hard, do your job, act like a professional, and we will get along just fine.

The rumor at my school is that we are going to be restructured for next year. That usually means that every teacher gets fired and an outside operator comes in and takes over. Maybe that is not such a bad thing, although I don't really want to lose my job. But perhaps some housecleaning is in order.