On Speaking with Confidence and Conviction. . .

Here is a YouTube video that I showed my students on Friday. . .

I'll let the video speak for itself!

http://www.youtube.com/v/hnjJvzprjN0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3

The Best Monday Ever!!!

Last Monday was the last day of Special Occasion speeches in both of my sections of Public Speaking. The last day of speeches. . . the last day (of the semester) that I would need to get to work early to print evaluation sheets, check out and charge a video camera and its accessories. I wasn't in the best of moods when I arrived in class (stress, lack of sleep, etc), but the first speech of the class would change the rest of my day and turn around my attitude for the rest of my week.

One of my students chose to commemorate our particular class, and during her speech she said many wonderful things, and thanked me for my efforts AND presented me with flowers and card from the ENTIRE class. A bouquet of flowers, and a card! This was something that I never expected to receive as a teacher- but my students caught me by surprise!

When I began teaching, I dreamt of not only giving students skills and knowledge as communicators- I also hoped that I could create a meaningful experience of community and learning, and my student's speech confirmed that my dreams became a reality!

Thank you to all of my students in CMM 120 for an amazing semester!

Retail Details:

Sterling Silver and CZ Necklace: Juicy Couture

Light Grey Cardigan: Banana Republic

Light Blue Shirt (under the cardigan): Banana Republic

Navy Blue Skirt: Anthropologie

Grey Tights: Jessica Simpson (Macy's)

Silver Flats: Nine West

Roses and Card: Courtesy of my students in CMM 120, Section 16

Purple, Polka Dots, and Positive Feedback

Hello Readers!

As many of you may know, I love teaching Public Speaking- I absolutely love it. Friday, however, my enthusiasm and passion was weighed against my actual ability to teach- and it turns out that I am good at something that I love to do! My supervisor visited one of my classes and took notes on how I ran my class- and I received really positive feedback from her.

To calm my nerves before my evaluation, I decided to select an outfit that would (yet again), tell a story. A story about a confident, fun, and smart teacher, and this is what I came up with:

I think it turned out pretty well, because I felt those things (confidence, fun, intelligent) when I taught my class on Friday. My supervisor even gave me positive feedback on my outfit- which was also wonderful!

Here is a bigger picture of the outfit, along with my retail details:

Black Floral Headband: J. Crew

Heathered Grey Cardigan: Banana Republic (my classrooms are always so cold!)

Dunder Mifflin Mug: Target (The 1-Spot)

Black Short-Sleeve Tee- Banana Republic

Purple, Black and Ivory Silk Skirt: Anthropologie

Black (almost) Opaque Tights: J. Crew

Black Heels: Banana Republic

Ms. H. . . The Teacher

I. LOVE. TO. TEACH!

For those who already know me, you probably already know this- but I want to tell the rest of you how much I enjoy this endeavor. I spend many summers, including this past summer, teaching swim lessons- but this semester I get to teach Public Speaking to two sections of undergraduate students. I absolutely love the teaching process (lesson plans, office hours, providing feedback, etc), but my biggest surprise (so far) has been how awesome my students are.

While I am sure that many Teaching Assistants, during their first semester of teaching, think very highly of their students; I am convinced that I have the best bunch of students enrolled in Public Speaking at my university. But really, I do have the best. :) Over the past few weeks I've learned about their interests, hobbies, social lives, and even their goals and aspirations. For the most part, they are on time, participate in class discussions, greet me with smiles and sometimes waves when they see me on campus, and they care about each other. Each of my classes has created a feeling of community- this is probably what I love most about my students. I could talk about their wonderfulness for hours, but- since this IS a fashion blog, I will move on.

In addition to the awesomeness of my students, another part of my job that I enjoy is dressing, or learning how to dress, like a teacher. My previous roles as a teacher took place in aquatic centers, so I've come a long way from my days of a swim suit, flip flops, sunscreen, and sunglasses. It's been fun mixing and matching trousers, sweaters, blouses, shirts, skirts, dresses, tights, shoes, etc- but for the most part I've been rather conservative. This week, on Monday, I decided to try something a bit braver, and a bit bolder. This look is inspired by the equestrian look that I am beginning to see more and more often this season (I much prefer this look over the dreadful pirate-y look from a few falls ago).

Anyways, I am curious. . .

What do you all think of this outfit? Is it a hit or a miss? (Pictured above, without coat, and below, with coat).

Winter-white cropped coat: Old Navy (2 winters ago, but they have a similar one this fall)

White silk pleated blouse: Banana Republic (Summer 2007, from way back when)

Shamrock-green cashmere blend sweater: American Eagle Outfitters (thank you Mom!)

Chalkboard-grey lace-trim tank: American Eagle Outfitters

Black skinny dress pants: The Gap (this season)

Black sliver-wedge heel boots: Anne Klein (from Bergner's

**Extra Credit Question (in honor of upcoming Mid-Term exams on campus)

What would YOU do if you saw your instructor running down the halls like this:

Would you:

a) Avoid eye contact and keep moving, away

b) Capture the moment using the camera/videocamera on your phone

c) Call Campus Security

d) Join in on the fun, and also run down the hall

Thank you Margaret H. for taking these photos!

The End of Summer and the Beginning of Fall (Semester)

While the summer season persists (with high temperatures and humidity), summer ended for me and many this week. Yes, summer is over and the school year is here. I've looked forward to the first week of school almost every year of my academic career, but this year I looked forward to this week for a new reason because this year I am teaching! This summer, I was able to work as a swim instructor (the best summer job!)- but this is my first time as an instructor at the college level. I am (only) a TA, but I get to teach 2 sections of Public Speaking this year. So far, I've had two sessions, and each of those sessions have gone really well! I'm sure that I'll talk about this more in the future, but I mention this change/opportunity as an explanation in some changes that you will see in my blog. In addition to the casual outfits I usually post, I will also post outfits that are more professional and work-appropriate. So. . . something new to look forward to!!!

In other news, I recently moved into a new apartment! This is another change that you may notice in my future posts. I feel much safer in my new apartment, and it is so much quieter- I love it!

More about this outfit that you see above and below. . . I believe that I took this picture when I first began packing. I should explain that the inner tubes (from Target) are used because I was deflating them, and I realized that they went well with my shirt; and the goggles (in the photo below, by Speedo) were in the same closet as the inner tubes. Because staying hydrated is an important summer priority, I also threw in a bottle of sparking raspberry-lime water from Trader Joe's. Everything else is fairly normal, but I thought explanations of the unusual items were needed- just in case any of you were concerned that I "lost my marbles" so to speak. Anyways, the first photo reflects my new favorite outfit. As August cools down, my jeans are marking more and more appearances with lightweight summer shirts that have been staple items of this summer. I could wear this outfit to dinner with friends, shopping, or even at a family get-together. Here's the run-down of this outfit:

Fake pearl earrings- Target

Rhinestone bib necklace- American Eagle Outfitters (currently on clearance for 7 dollars)

Pale blue, pleated, knit top- C. Keer (from Anthropologie)

White lace tank top- Aerie (Summer 2009)

Dark rinse skinny jeans- Abercrombie & Fitch ("Erin" fit)

Purple and blue flip flops- Ipanema (very, very comfortable!)

For those of you starting new semesters, preparing to start new semesters, and for anyone getting ready for the upcoming change in season- I wish you all fresh beginnings and renewed enthusiasm! And, as always, remember to stay hydrated!