Makeover Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

SO I made this for people at work, and was asked to share the recipe.

Coolest part, it's lower calorie than normal coffee cakes, and still delicious enough that my boss went back for 3rds (maybe forths?)


* 1/3 cup butter, softened
* 2/3 cup sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 cups all-purpose flour (or oat flour for gluten free)
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 cup greek plain yogurt
* (1/2 t xantham gum if gluten free)

TOPPING:
* 1/3 cup chopped oats (or walnuts)
* 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 2 medium tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced

If I were to make it again I might add more cinnamon and a little bit of salt, but people seemed to like it the way it was :)

New passion.. cooking

Ok, don't get me wrong, I truly believe in the education movement, and yes things are still going with my school... but it's more stressful and work than I could have imagined.... So my outlet, COOKING :)

Tonight I made this DELICIOUS Spanish Turkey Sandwich:
On a ciabatta roll (or for me normal gluten free bread)
-Aioli (1 egg yolk, 1 minced garlic, 1 T lemon juice 1 T water, 1 t mustard, salt and pepper)
-Pepper-almond relish (roasted peppers 1 cup, 1/3 cup almonds, 4 t olive oil, salt and pepper)
-Manchego cheese
-Roast turkey


SOOOO good. It made a pretty tough day with my kids alright.
THey are continuign to test, the school is hard for all of them (including us) it's a different kind of thing) BUTTTT this cooking thing is helping me get through.

As a side note, funny kid quote.
"HOW LONG DID YOU GUYS KEEP US HERE!" Was what a kid said today after he saw it was dark outside leaving school.. No sweetie that's daylight savings.. and at a school with no windows, where you get to school before sunlight, and leave after sunset, you get used to dark.

Long Days, but they fly by?

I feel like I'm back at my summer training of institute with Teach For America. Days go by so fast, but at the same time, you look back and each day seems like 5! I guess the schedule 7-5 is really jam-packed!

We finally finished our first 2 weeks of actual teaching and lessons and it's definitely been a roller coaster ride. If I'm having a good day Monday, guaranteed someone else is not and is needing my support. If I'm having an awful day Tuesday guarantee SOMEONE is having a good day and will be there to help me out. The teamwork at my school floors me and really makes this high-stakes, high-stress environment manageable.

I've found that the more I get to know my students and let them know I DO care about them and will be sticking around and strict no matter what they do, the more they respond. I'm gaining an inch every day... Examples that stick in my head:

Tuesday: J talks out, I give him a demerit (his 3rd which = a detention) he screams out "This is not fair, I don't get it" and starts bawling and spewing snot in the middle of class. My heart is breaking on the inside but the next day I sit down and have a heart to heart with said child and he thanks me for how much I care about him and how I'm pushing him to succeed, it's just hard.

Wednesday: J (different student) storms into class fuming and refusing to do anything. Surprised (because he was generally so compliant and excited to learn) I sent him to our dean to try and talk out whatever was wrong. Turns out he had a family member pass away that weekend, I late had a sit down with him and let him know my grandfather had just passed away as well and that I understand how difficult it is and I am there if he needs to talk.

Thursday: Class 3 (my toughest class). I inform them that my mother is from Colombia South America, and that she speaks Spanish. I then proceed to have a 2 minute conversation with them completely in Spanish. The kids who had been giving me such a hard time's eyes light up and are so impressed with my ability to speak. They let me know they were impressed and that I did well.

Friday: C comes up to me and shoves a book I let her borrow in my face and said with a lot of attitude "Ms. Gerlach this book is lame, I need a new one!" I said, "C please try that again". C said, much more politely "Ms. Gerlach, this book is lame I need a new one *smile :)". After talking with her about what I meant by do it again I thought she didn't get it....until later that day C said "Ms. Gerlach, I really did appreciate you letting me borrow that book, I did enjoy it but I read it so many times and I wanted a new one so bad so I wanted to let you know".

They might seem simple, and small, but the growth our students is making is incredible. Are they testing us? Most definitely, will they continue, unfortunately Yes. But I think it's these little wins that will get us ALL Through the year!

On a funny note

Had a parent call me last night conversation:
Parent: Ms Gerlach, my son C tells me he's only allowed to use the restroom 2 times a trimester and accordingly wet himself at home because he didn't want a demerit, i feel like that is not right".
Me: I think he misunderstood.


2 times a trimester=emergency restroom
6 times per day = reality (in certain times)

But I guess I got some point across?

WOW I can't believe we've done it!

Week 1 at my new school.. over

They said students in this city can't stay silent at breakfast/lunch...they did it
They said students in this city are bound to talk back...they're refraining
They said students in this city won't do their homework... they are
They said attendance in this city is poor...over 95% every day
They said parents in this city don't care...phone calls every night
They said things in this city are hopeless...they are not
They said students in this city are bound to drop out of hs and not go to college...these will

I'll be honest... parts of me definitely believed a lot of the above... the beliefs and ideas that people have held about students in this city, a city that has a "failing education system" and has had one for years.

I didn't think this week would go so smoothly, but today after seeing our children chant
"Where are you headed-COLLEGE! Will you succeeed-YES! When you succeed what will you do?-Change history give back to our community!"
I knew that we were on the right path!

That doesn't mean we haven't had struggles, Oh we've had struggles! The kids are starting to test us, to see if we're real. For some it's very difficult staying in their seat, and not talking out of turn is like torture. But they're doing it!

Do we have a ways to go? Most definitely. But ALL the hard work we've put in, the long hours, the month of PD have shown, and in a big way!

One of our students came to school today after being shot at the night before at a gas station, and spending the majority of the night in the hospital ER. When asked if he was sure he could be at school, if he wanted to go home he said
"Nothing stands between me and college".
If that doesn't say something I don't know what does.

Needles to say I'm inspired :) and ready for a great year!

A new Year, New Posts :)

So, this year I'm embarking on a journey in a new charter school of Kansas City, funded by a very prestigious organization. I'm both excited, intimidated and scared at the expectations and results that all figure we will achieve. The school is set up after high-performing charter schools all over the country with a 7-5 school day for students, including science, reading, writing, math, history and P.E everyday. I will teach history.

I think those of us who are working there are hoping that the school will be outside the norm of what many Kansas City schools have become, and we are hoping that it will show the city that all students can learn, and in big ways. We're hoping it will be sustainable for us and for our students so that they all graduate from college.

Even though I have finished my Teach for America commitment, and was expecting that that would be some of the toughest times I've had in teaching, I think this year will definitely present its own challenges.

I'm excited though, to embark on this adventure with amazing colleagues, some who I have known for several year, even lived with. The year will be exciting for us, two of us engaged,one newly married, and others who are experiencing their own excitement.

I hope to be more consistent with my blogging this year, and hope that I can also keep it more sin typos (I'm still thinking in Spanish).

So, the year will begin August 1st, kids come August 29th. For the next week I'm just going to relax after a summer of writing curriculum and planning for the new year. That way I'll be refreshed and ready to begin :)

Test Scores-indication of success?

I can not believe I have slacked as much as I have on my blog, but what can I say, things have been busy!

Where to start? Well first I love being with my students, every day is a challenge, I want to pull my hair out more often than I'd like to admit, and there are so many frustrating aspects of this job, but somehow in the end I keep coming back day after day, putting in 200%, loving my kids and wanting them to succeed.

With all the changes in the district (new superintendent, new curriculum, new expectations, etc) there have been many changes in my school. I have noticed a change in all staff, one of more content/happy to a more stressed/on edge staff. Principals, coaches, and teachers are all quick to bite, and feeling the pressure that is being put on us, which we in turn are putting on our kids. It's kind of nuts to think that everything a child can learn can be measured on one end of the year assessment, that will either make or break the student, teachers, principal and school.

Just today I got back some scores for our Predictive test, that will tell us "how are students are doing" and "how well they will do on the test". It is to not only measure our students growth and knowledge, but often times feels like it is also a judgment on us as teachers. That being said, I was extremely disappointed when my students scores instead of going up, went down. So technically, according to this tests, my students have essentially gotten dumber, and it is my and my principals fault for this to occur.

While these were my first thoughts, that I will admit first led to tears, they were then followed by a more logical thought process. "No, you know you're students have made gains. G-can now read in both Spanish and English on a 2.5 level! A-is writing more and more everyday Y-actually knows words in English J-is asking to read books in all her free time, T- is asking me if he can show me what he has learned. I KNOWWWW that even though it is state-mandated coming from the central government that we take these tests, they are not indicative of my students full knowledge.

They are however indicative of a few things:
a. Our school's test scores are honest, we did not fudge the results.
b. We are not "Teaching to a test" and while we may not get results on a standardized test because we have not spent all our time teaching testing strategies, our students are still learning.
c. maybe the way we are teaching is not useful for the way we are being measured.
d. maybe they way we are being measured is not useful for the way we should be teaching.

This is not to be said to complain of the district, or my school, but more of a reflection to think about my teaching practices and what is expected of my students and I. I know that I will continue to put 200% for my babies, and that no matter what a test score says I KNOW my students are learning. I see it everyday in their critical thinking skills, their love of reading, their continuous questioning and giving explanations and their joy in being at school. I will not let what a test score says affect my passion towards this profession and will continue to give my all for my 50 students.