Here is a Top 10 List of "interesting" tidbits I'd thought I'd share with you all. I tried to make them as much non-school related as possible. It wasn't easy.
#1. My favorite color is orange. By favorite, I mean I like as many things to be orange in my life as possible. Let me give you some examples. I drive an orange car (Honda Element), have an orange case for my MacBook, have a big, orange comfy couch, usually write all school things related in orange ink and even rock some orange sunglasses given to me by a former student. (They were in the orange bucket of gifts below). You get the idea. If it's orange, I want it. Here's me packing my Element for a summer program in my district. Boy, can this thing fit a lot of stuff. It's over ten years old and still going strong.
#2. I'm a doggy daddy. I have two rescued furbabies--one being a mixed-breed dog rescued from the Northeast Animal Shelter on March 18, 2012 named Winston. Winston Binston is from sunny Los Angeles and was rescued from a kill shelter. He likes New England weather just fine. Winston enjoys dropping his toys in front of anyone repeatedly to play fetch, likes to snuggle and is quite the talker. Velma was adopted from the same shelter in May of 2015, but came to me as a stray dog roaming the streets of Georgia. She's my southern belle. Velma Belma gives the best kisses and is never shy to slobber you with love. She's a big fan of eating. Velma's eyes will melt your heart. She is very chill--the opposite of her brother.
#3. I collect Christmas ornaments that are silver, gold, cranberry, orange (of course) or glittered. I have two Christmas trees to display my collection. This one is nine feet tall. I'm on the hunt for a nice white pencil tree this year to add to my collection. I love everything about Christmas and host my family's Christmas Eve diner.
#4. I have taught in Salem, Massachusetts for 20 years. This is my 21st. I was at the Bates Elementary School for 15 years. It's a beautiful school built with a nautical theme. My career, there, included teaching fourth grade for 8 years and later being a reading coach under the Reading First grant for two years. My years at Bates concluded with five years as a first grade teacher. Here is the Bates School, home of the Beacons.
Since then, I have moved to the Carlton Innovation Elementary School, also in Salem, Massachusetts. I was lucky enough to be hired to work as a grades 1/2 teacher for five years. Now I'm a FLEX teacher. It's a unique position where I have groups of students that change each trimester depending on what the needs of our students happen to be.It's amazing. I have been able to, under the direction of my principal, develop a program that best matches the needs of our learners. The Carlton Innovation School's mission statement sums this up nicely: "The goal of the Carlton Innovation School is to meed the needs of our students. Instruction takes place mostly in small groups through workshops in reading, writing and mathematics." Our motto is to "Try hard, learn a lot and be kind!" I'm honored to be a part of the Carlton family. Here is my home away from home.
Salem is known as Halloween Central! We have a huge Haunted Happenings parade the first Thursday in October to kick off the season. All schools march in the parade. Her I am as Octavius Caesar for our Night at the Museum theme with my teaching buddy "Amelia Earhart." Check out those legs!
I love these ears! I thoroughly enjoyed being the March Hare for our Alice and Wonderland theme in this Haunted Happenings parade. Don't my Carlton Innovation School friends look great?
We celebrated the 25th anniversary of Hocus Pocus. I'm the devil (typecast perhaps)? Look at my school's fabulous Sanderson sisters. Oh, this is Carlton-- our school's mascot as well.
#5. I love my family...I know who doesn't? My family members have taught me to work hard, to have patience, to believe in myself and to know that I can accomplish anything if I set my mind to it. The members of my family are my biggest cheerleaders. Here's some of my family at Easter. This year, my sister and I celebrated our Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary. Here we are at a restaurant in the former pizza place where they had their first dinner date in the North End of Boston, over 50 years ago.
#6. I rocked a mohawk. Although my hair is very curly, I managed to sport a mohawk for a few years or so. I know it wasn't the typical teacher haircut, but it's fun and my students loved it. Check me out going up a mountain to have lunch in Seattle.
#7. I have a passion for children's literature. My collection is HUGE...I have lost count of books. My favorite poet is Jack Prelutsky. My favorite picture book authors are Dr. Seuss (no one's imagination can surpass his), Patrica Polacco (I'd love to meet her), Jan Brett and Eve Bunting. My favorite chapter book is Because of Winn Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo. It would melt my heart to meet her one day. I make it a point to share new books with my students and colleagues. I teach children's literature at the undergrad and grad level too. It's a pretty "sweet" gig! Check out my "Mr. Giso's Room to Read" book picks. I loved meeting Tomie DiPaola in a local bookstore in the North End a few years ago. He knew immediately that I was a teacher and wanted to know what grade I taught.
#8. I live at school... TRUE story! I sold my house and moved to a condo that once was a K-2 Elementary School. How awesome? I love at the top left of the picture below which use to serve at the gymnasium/ auditorium. The school was turned into condos in 1985. There's no elevator, but I'm working on my buns of steel!
#9. I am a pretty busy guy between teaching first, second and third graders and teaching at Salem State University, but when I can fit it in, I do have a few hobbies. I love to cook (I'm 100% Italian, baby) and bake, even though I don't eat red meat. I love to paint with acrylics on canvas and have a few paintings of mine in my house as well as in some of my friends' and family's homes. Also, I enjoy reading, traveling to warm places (like Mexico), and blogging. Here's a favorite pic of mine from the Viva Azteca, Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Oh, I also am a big fan of Las Vegas and of Disney World...woohoo! Every summer my friends and I have made a tradition to spend some time in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Here is one of my BFFs and I, Jill, celebrating Carnaval week.
These are the three panels I painted in my old dining room. I like things modern and geometric.
#10. Hmm. Last one. I guess this would have to include my need for a Dunkin' Donuts coffee every day. It's always a large iced, extra milk and two sugars...even in the winter time. On days when I teach at night, I usually end up with another large iced. It keeps me going, so I guess I "run on Dunks," after all. Besides iced coffee, I'm a candy-a-holic. Chocolate, anything sour, you name it, I like it. I can often be found shopping for home things I don't need in Pier1 imports too.
Other things about me include I have a few perfectly healthy obsessions. These include placing picture frames everywhere (whether or not they are filled with a photograph yet), lighting candles and buying things using Amazon Prime on Amazon.com. Get a credit card and score big points! Lastly, these things make my mouth water. I can eat a whole bag from the candy store any time, any place!
Well, I hope this personal touch to my blog was informative, yet fun. Thanks for taking the time to get to know me!
