You May Not Know

During the current session with my first grade STEAM students, we are creating a collaborative piece of art. I have nine different first grade classes so as you can imagine this piece is going to be large. We are finding inspiration from Dr. Temple Grandin and using the style of Andy Warhol to create this piece. Today after reading the book The Girl Who Thought in Pictures to the first graders, we talked about being unique. What sets us apart from others? We played the game four corners discovering what makes us alike and different from our classmates. So I find inspiration for today's post from Dr. Temple Grandin, Andy Warhol, and Mrs. Park's first grade class. Here are some things you may not know about me.

1. I didn't learn how to read until third grade. I was so shy in school that I never talked and easily fell through the cracks. It wasn't until I met Mrs. Teles in 4th grade that I felt as though a teacher finally saw me.

2. I was held back in sixth grade. It did nothing for me academically but socially it changed my life.

3. I have my grandmother's feet. We would agree to disagree about who had worse feet. I won. I ended up having an operation on my left foot called Triple Arthrodesis. I was 26, on bed rest for a month and in a cast for three. And I limped for another year.

3. The only thing I can really cook is my Italian grandmother's spaghetti and meatballs.

4. I refuse to get the flu shot. The only time I had it I ended up with walking pneumonia.

5. I have a passion for teaching in the inner city. If it wasn't for a few odd things during my second year of teaching, I would probably still be in Detroit.

6. I am fascinated with dyslexia. I would like to go back to school and get a degree in Dyslexia Studies.

7. I would rather have the kids who struggle in my classroom than the ones who get it. I seem to understand those kids more because I was one myself.

8. If it wasn't for the recommendation of my high school math teacher, I probably would never have gotten into college. My GPA and ACT scores were nowhere near average.

9. I was an extremely hyperactive child. Although no one saw it in school, my parents did at home. I grew up on no sugar.

10. My wedding was in the same church as my mother's funeral. If she couldn't be there physically, I wanted her to be there spiritually.

11. I missed one day of school K-12 with a fever. Seventh grade. I remember it clear as day. I was so mad at my mom for not allowing me to go to school because I hated to miss things.

12. I love to write. Always have. I find comfort and peace in letting my thoughts flow onto the paper.

13. I am wildly creative. I can think of ideas for anything.

14. I love odd numbers. My favorite number is 17.

15 What about you? What is something people may not know? Share in the comments.

Isabella and I on the first day of school last August.