4 reasons i want to adopt a greyhound

if you are also now in love, go here.

reasons why i got into this mess

i randomly read an article today that reminds me why i signed up for this whole theatre teacher gig.
reading this article has inspired a new simple and probably sporadic blog series, where i am going to try to reexamine why i'm doing what i'm doing--my super-objective, if you will, as i would define it in my current drama 1 unit.

as some of you know from reading my past blog posts, i have really struggled with my job this year. for those of you who know me personally, you know that the struggle with my career choice started in college. but, by the grace of God, i have time and time again had it revealed to me that i am in a good, good place. so on with the series....

Reason #1 Why I Got Into This Mess Called Teaching Theatre
increasing empathy & collaboration in young people. something i have been overwhelmed with while teaching is how incredibly egocentric most people in this up and coming generation are. (i also recognize that this is probably true of a lot of people in my age group as well.) they do not want to work or collaborate with other people who are not exactly like them. even with students that are their friends they cannot work together and compromise on ideas and suggestions. further, it is like pulling teeth to get them to think through other people's world-views and convince them that the way they view the world is not the only way to view it. somedays i'm burned out, and i don't push and challenge my students to critical and empathetic thinking like i should. somedays i get them to pick their own partners even though i know it would be good to make them work with someone who is different than them. my laziness and/or exhaustion put aside, this field is the perfect avenue for forcing kids to think differently, to develop empathy and to work collaboratively, which is one of the main reasons i got into this mess called teaching theatre.
link to the article:
"how theatre for young people could save the world" by lauren gunderson

chuck town reunion pt. 2

chuck town reunion

lasagna rolls

i found the basic idea for this recipe on pinterest, of course. where else do i find recipes these days? you can find the original recipe here. i think that her recipe is pretty simple...but i just had a long day in the middle of a long week, so i made it even simpler!

ingredients

6 lasagna noodles (cooked but still slightly firm)

1/2 c. ricotta

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 tsp. dried "italian" herbs/spices (i had "pizza seasoning" on hand)

1-2 c. pasta sauce of your choice (depends on how much sauce you like)

1/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

directions

boil your noodles. you want them al dente (a.k.a. cooked but not too soft).

while that's happening, spray your pan and then lightly cover the bottom with some of your pasta sauce. 

 then whip together your egg, ricotta, parmesan and herbs/spices.

 put your lasagna noodle on a plate and spread out a layer of your ricotta mixture.

 then layer on some sauce.

 roll it up....repeat process with all the noodles.

put them in your baking dish as you finish each noodle. make sure you put the "seam" (your loose end of the noodle) on the bottom. the transfer was a little tricky, but not as difficult as i had foreseen. just know that i don't know a way around having some of your sauce ooze out a bit.

 cover them with sauce.

sprinkle them with cheese. (i was generous...) 

 bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. 

 while i waited i put together some awesome salads (spinach, feta crumbles with mediterranean herbs, and croutons). i also put in some frozen garlic bread alongside the lasagna rolls.

here they are fresh out of the oven.

delightful.