Why Take Data

Recently I have become more aware of the "data" that we collect at school as well as home. I have started to wonder if we really use it appropriately. I have heard teachers in the past look at a classes unit test and say, "Wow, half failed. These kids just don't study/get it/pay attention..." It makes me wonder why we don't look at the data and say, "Wow half the kids failed, I really need to try something different to reach this group." I am guilty of this too. I collect data for the alternate assessment and IEPs and then I put it in folders. If the kids don't acheive mastery then I do more skill and drill. I don't use any variety of teaching techniques or try to teach the concept a different way.

This really came to light yesterday evening when my younger cousin came to school to hang out and look at my resources while I was working in the evening to have today off. She was looking at an Informal Reading Inventory and asked if I do running records. She is currently in school and teaching provisionally at a nonpublic school for ED kids. I said not really (as I thought to myself, I probably should do them occasionally). She said that she did and I asked her what she did with them. She said nothing really, just put them in the kids file and work on some of the things they had trouble with. I cautioned her that we should always have our data inform instruction. Of course I need to practice what I preach.

On the topic of data...I do the same thing at home. I write down spending and keep a detailed record of spending. I don't change my spending habits or estimated budget based on it. I barely look at it once it is on the spreadsheet. I can't even say that I follow the estimated budget. I am starting to realize that it does no good if I do nothing with it. Keeping a record of what I eat is also the same way. I can see the pattern. I do well for a week and then fall off the wagon. I really need to look at what is going on and make changes based on the data.

So the moral of the story...Data needs to be used and not just taken for the sake of taking it. I am working this weekend on getting my plans written for school using my data that I currently have. I am also working on getting additional data that will be useful. For the month of March I am going to track what I spend. I can then look at the spending and write my budget for April based on that. I can then try and follow it.

WW Site yelled at me

So I lost 6 pounds this week. It is really my first week and I made some big changes to my eating habits. It is also the week before my period so that makes my weight drop....Yeah I know I am odd.

This morning I woke up nauseous again. I have thrown up twice. So not fun. Taking care of baby while sick really sucks.

Not too bad

Not too great. I used all of my weekly allowance points but it was really for treats. I used 7 today since hubby was so sweet and decided to bring me a full fat latte. I had one as a treat this morning when I weent to breakfast by myself so I was really not having another today. I could not act ungrateful since he was so proud of himself for bringing me a treat. I accepted and I will mention it later that I am only doing a once a week latte treat.

I made good food choices pretty much all week. Today I was peckish this afternoon. I ate a few crackers and peanut butter which sent me over the edge on points. I need to make sure that I am not eating when I am restless. I was restless today.

Tomorrow is a new week and a new day. I will be weighing in tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Pitfalls and Solutions

Okay so I know I said I was starting anew on Saturday but I have since reset that to Monday. I would love to reset it again but I won't. I will take the plethora of points I earned yesterday and today and deal with it.

Over the weekend I did very well on Saturday. I remained on track and I was so very proud.
Sunday was a little disastrous. We went to a soup and salad luncheon at church for $8 a piece to benefit the Women's Retreat. I got Maryland Crab soup made by my mom. I then had to feed baby. I fed her which was not easy since I was using her car seat as a chair. I ate my soup while giving her a bottle after he green beans. Hubby and my dad ate salads... When I was finally done feeding her, I asked hubby to take her since he was done eating (including his dessert.) I went to get salad and there was NONE left. Oh no. Oh well I will be fine. SOLUTION: Get a plate of food first and then feed baby so at least I have something to eat.

We were due at my brother's for his kids birthdays at 6:30 that evening. We decided to get sushi on the way home so we would not have to cook and be pressed for time. I ate mine early at like 3:00 since lunch was only a small bowl of soup. We get to my brother's and they have snacks and cake like birthday stuff out. Chips, pretzels, homemade rice krispy treats, and chex mix. I ate about 5-6 krispy treats and a bowl of ice cream. Why...Well there was nothing else to nosh on. SOLUTION: Take a container with veggies and a little dip to share. I mean really who does not have veggies at a family gathering.

On to Monday, where I start out wonderfully. My friend and I decided to have lunch out so we picked a place. I got online and found nutritional information and decided what I should eat. It was not the best but if I took the Chicken Artichoke sandwich off the bread then it would not be too bad. It was only half a sandwich and half a salad. Not bad right. Well...I eat then I need to feed the baby. I gave her the peas that I brought and then her bottle. While I was giving her the bottle I started picking at the bread from my sandwich. When the waiter came and asked if I was done, I said no. AWWWW Damn...SOLUTION: Choose only a regular salad with chicken and bring my own dressing if they do not have a light dressing I like.

On to today...I did well all day. I came home and was a little anxious that I had a lot to do and I saw those 3 Hershey bars that I forgot to give the Daycare ladies. Guess what? I ate all three. Uck. I made a box freezer type meal that was 12 points itself so I am very over. SOLUTION: Only buy little things for people that are not food. If it is food then give it right away by putting it in the bag that will go to that location. A boxed meal is okay on evenings like this when I am off to get a hair cut or something like that.

As a side note...A coworker who has gone to the other side with her eating...I mean very strict and restrictive...was giving a $25 gift card to Outback/Carraba's. She said she was giving it away. I said I was sure there was something there she could eat. She said she only eats at Ruby Tuesday where she can get a salad at the salad bar since anywhere else is too tempting. Wow I guess it is okay for her but I want to learn how to eat in the real world. I can't totally cut myself off from gatherings and restaurants.

Binges and Rantings Toward a New Beginning

I haz them...eating, spending, internet...You name it and I am doing it in excess. The only things I have not picked back up would be smoking and drinking. I figure they might do more harm to my family than I am willing to inflict.

I have gone to stores and spent money on things that I really don't need. I have been eating with wild abandon. I am on the internet nonstop when I am not changing the little girl or taking care of some other need of hers. I actually cannot wait to get back to the computer so I can check facebook or any other random board I happen to be on at the time.

There are many things that I could randomly rant about right now but I think that would be really boring for anyone reading. Things like...

• I am going on vacation in June and I am fat, fat, fat. I don't really want to go since it is with 2 other families. I have resigned myself to some good books and time with my daughter. Hubby will likely be dragged out with the boys.
• Clothing...I hate it. I wear nothing but jeans since I have nothing that fits. I refuse to buy anything since I will lose. I don't look professional and it makes me sad.
• I have no energy.
• I coteach and there are things happening in other classrooms that I think are not in best practice. (ie not enough structure, no clear plans or direction, and not enough variety in instruction.) Problem is how can I be critical of other classrooms when I am not performing up to par in my own room. I would not want me as my child's teacher in my current state.
• I am behind on everything and I feel totally disorganized.
• I feel like I am unhappy right now and in a funk but I am having trouble pulling myself out of it. I want a bigger house and I feel closed in here.
• I am miserable about my weight and the funk I am in so I eat to cope.

Okay enough of that. I bet you were wondering if it would ever end.

On Wednesday I chatted with a friend that happened to be a nutritionist. We were talking about diet and I was telling her that I have been having trouble with binge eating and new motherhood and stress. (Of course she was not amused given that the baby was sound asleep the wntire time we stood in the grocery store chatting. I have an easy baby.) She said she often does not suggest a low carb diet but it might be the kick start that I need. I have done South Beach before. The biggest problem I have is that it makes packing lunch a little more involved.

When I came home I looked at my journals and looked into the new WW filling foods thing. SO basically that is a little on the low carb side. My meals are carbs for breakfast (waffles and lite syrup), carbs for lunch in the form of a sandwich, and then a carb for dinner. HMMMMMMM...Maybe there is something to this whole limiting carbs thing. Maybe if I work on that and level out my blood sugar (my mother has type 2 diabeties as did my grandmother) I will not be as tired and run down.

SOOOOO here are the new rules for my low carb/WW diet. (I must have rules and guidelines since I feel better when there is structure.)

1. Remain within my points. If I have a little slip during the day then I need to have a salad for dinner.
2. No carbs or very limited for breakfast and lunch. Only a small serving of carbs with dinner. (no more adding extra pasta as a filler)
3. Drink a coffee in the morning, one soda at work, one with lunch, and one on the way home. have a glass of soda with dinner but otherwise all water or tea. Sodas are caff free and diet and so is the tea. Not sure if limiting carbonation makes a difference but hey why not.
4. Dinner out every other week. If I don't feel like cooking then make a simple chicken topped salad.
5. No stopping at the grocery store. One shopping trip a week!

Okay so this starts tomorrow. Wish me luck. I will be back since I am hoping that this accountability will help. I can tell you I have not wanted to come post all of this since I felt bad about it. I have been forming this post in my head for over a week.

Time management

I suck. Really I just spent about and hour and a half on message boards when I need to balance the checkbook, plan lessons, and make materials. Little one is asleep here on the couch so I cannot say that it was her that kept me from getting my work done.

This will be one of my goals for next week. That and exercise. I am actually eating well this week and I feel good about my food choices.

Back on track

I was back on track with my eating today. I also got a lot done at work. It felt wonderful to achieve things today. There were a few things that I put on the back burner to make time for web surfing but I can schedule them in tomorrow. I need to make sure that I get back on the exercise wagon.

I am hoping for snow tomorrow so everyone do a snow dance with me. I would like a day home. I am so very tired.