Hey, I'm Dani!

And now, I shall introduce myself. My name is Dani and I’m an elementary school teacher in a “highly impacted” Title I school. I teach a population that is “highly impacted” by poverty (but also parental [and in some cases student] drug use, gangs and lack of educational motivation). Most of my students have the incredible ability to speak two languages fluently (compared to my one, unless you count junior high French) and are most of the time awesome to be around (which I typed with clenched teeth as it is the second to last week of school and I don’t think there is a word to describe the level of squirrely that we all have reached).

I started reading well before kindergarten, read well all through school, but for some reason absolutely dreaded it. I read the bare minimum in college and maybe (?) read a few books by choice. Since graduating from college my story has completely changed. I love reading! It is completely relaxing for me and I try and read as much as I can. I think in the past two years I have quadrupled the amount of books I read in the 22 previous.

I am excited for this school year to end so I can get a lot of personal reading finished this summer as I start graduate school in the fall. I’m sure starting in August my reading time will be consumed with topics of a more academic nature (read: Blah!).

I like to read everything from biographies and autobiographies of politicians to mindless and hilarious dribble put out by my favorite quasi-celebrities (and of course gossip magazines, blogs and articles forwarded to me by friends while they’re “working”) and everything in between.

I’m currently reading “Stones into Schools” by Greg Mortenson (he also wrote Three Cups of Tea). So far, I love it, it’s a feel good book that reminds me why I put up with being an educator. I shall finish it soon after school gets out for summer and report back!

Furiously trying to find time to read,

Dani