Teaching La Vida Loca
Teaching La Vida Loca
Episode 51: Just add JOY!
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The most magical episode... whew... I was not prepared for the love that these members were ready to share! I am so grateful for each of them and every single member within La Familia Loca PLC!
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La Maestra Loca
Welcome to Teaching la vida loca, a podcast for World Language Teachers seeking inspiration, unapologetic authenticity and guidance in centering joy, and facilitating language acquisition for the people who matter most, our students. I'm your host, Annabelle. Most people call me la maestra loca. And I'm an educator just like you and inspiring teachers is what I do. Hello, and welcome to episode 51 of teaching la vida loca. This is by far the most special episode I have ever recorded. And it was unplanned, unscripted, and unexpected. I had a wild hair on Saturday night late. And I put out a message on my Facebook group, la familia loca and I said, Hey, I'm super last minute. But does anybody want to go on my podcast and share about why you love about la familia loca PLC. And within an hour, I had 10 responses. And I've had more since and oh my goodness, my community rallied for me. So, la familia loca PLC is open right now, until August 18, at 8pm. And these are my members who would like to share about their journey within our community. And I'm so grateful for each and every one of them. And, so grateful for my members who didn't get to be on the podcast. But I know have very similar stories, but uniquely amazing, just like each of them. I hope you enjoy this very special episode of teaching la vida loca, I am so grateful for you, my dear listener, and if it is outside of August 18, and you're super interested, reach out, I have a waitlist, but every now and then I do a flash opening and maybe I can get you in there. I love you. And I'm so grateful for you teacher. Let's dive in. Okay, and now we're going to hear from Liz Davis, who has been a member since the very beginning. And I'm super grateful as a very busy mommy that she was willing to join me tonight. I'd love for you to tell me where you teach what you teach. And then if you could start by telling me why you joined our community. But what made you stay?
Liz Davis
I am so happy to be here. Thanks for having me. I teach high school Spanish upper levels, Spanish three, four and five in a city in Ohio, Alliance, Ohio. And I teach Spanish. So, to answer the question, what made me join la familia loca. It was 2019 when it started. And my journey through acquisition driven instruction started in 2017. And I have to give credit to Terry Wiegert and Gary de Bianca. I went to a multi-day workshop that they put on, and I was just completely hooked. And so, during those next couple years, I just was devouring any and all information that I could I started following blogs and people on social media and joining Facebook groups. And I found you. And I just I loved your content. I loved your blog; I loved your energy. And I went to IFLT in 2019 in St. Petersburg. And I went to one of your sessions. And I was just such a fan girl. I just was so excited to be in the same room with you and just having the opportunity to learn from you was so awesome. And I tweeted about your workshop, something that I had learned about a running dictation. And you retweeted me and I was like oh my gosh, she read my tweet. And I just was so excited when I heard about the opportunity to learn more from you. I just I jumped on it. And so yeah, I joined as a founding member of La Familia loca. And, you know, all the ways that has changed over the years, it's only gotten better. And yeah, it was,
La Maestra Loca
it was a mess in the beginning, though, was a little sporadic.
Liz Davis
It was, it was a fun mess, though. Like I would turn on my Facebook notifications to make sure that I would catch you going live because you know, it was called Live with La Loca back then. And I just loved learning from you and spending time with you and, and as it has grown, what has kept me obviously is you know, learning from you, but the community, the sense of community, I think speaks volumes to what you've created. And the fact that there are so many founding members that are still members all these years later says a lot about how well we work together and just the community that you've created like it's more than a Facebook group. It's more than just a piece. You'll see it's something special. So that's what's kept me.
La Maestra Loca
I feel like that's one of the things that I realized today during this workshop. Like seeing people this Sunday that still choose to come to workshops for me that are members that I feel like have heard everything I could possibly share, but they still come, and they are still finding inspiration and like, being excited about being there. And they're not just coming to support me, but they very much are coming to support me. It's this magic thing. And I realized, when I was looking in the room, that so many of the members, there were original members who joined when you very, the very first month I began in 2019 and summer.
Liz Davis
Wow. Yeah. And you know, and that just says a lot for what you've built. So, it's a really good thing, which kind of leads into our next question.
La Maestra Loca
Yeah. Which for you, if you could tell somebody who was on the fence tonight about whether they should join or not, what would you tell them?
Liz Davis
I would tell them that there is no downfall to being a member of La Familia looks like it is worth so much more than what you would pay monetarily. There, there are just so many benefits, and you don't even have to take advantage of everything that it has to offer. To feel like you're getting something worthwhile. Because there are months that I make it to maybe one event. And you know, when I had my my baby, and I was a new mom trying to learn how to be a mom and a teacher and everything all at once. I didn't make it to anything, some months, but I would still interact on Facebook and and read the emails and keep up. And then there are months when I join everything and you know, I'm learning all the things so there's really no downfall you will learn something you will grow as a member of a community personally professionally. I just can't say enough good things about it. So, if you're on the fence, take the plunge because I know you won't regret it.
La Maestra Loca
Thank you, my Liz. I'm so grateful. Truly.
Liz Davis
I'm grateful for you too.
La Maestra Loca
I'm now joined by Heidi Trued, who many of you probably know she is our resident techie have left me a yellow cup PLC. And a dear friend who I had no idea would become a friend that she is when she was on my interview panel for School Teacher of the Year, several years ago. But Heidi, if you could introduce yourself, tell us where you teach and what you teach. And then tell us in what ways have you experienced more joy in your classes since joining left I mean yellow cup PLC.
Heidi Trued
Hey everyone, so I'm Heidi. I teach French all levels to level 1, 2, 3, 4 honors five honors, AP and starting next year I be at Loudoun Valley High School in Placerville, Virginia, so near Washington DC to help those of you out who don't know your Virginia geography. And I am also the president of Foreign Language Association of Virginia and department chair as well at my school. So since joining the la familia loca PLC, how have I experienced more joy? It has been tremendous the amount of joy I get from this community. It's what keeps me going on my bad days, especially during the pandemic. That was about the only thing I would look forward to knowing that, oh, we have a monthly meeting, or we have a workshop. We have a lamb ep. Which if you don't know what that word means, which I had no freaking clue what that word meant at all. When animals started using this, I'm like, what is this word? I thought she made it up to be honest. But it is a little extra. So, it was something that was for us. And whether it was one time we were cooking at home like we were cooking with Annabelle we made a cake. It was delicious. We've done painting you name it that brought me joy on a personal level. But in my classroom, it was just the ideas I get from so many other people because as some of you know, if you're teaching a language like French or German, ASL, Latin, you may be the only one of you in your building. So, it's really hard to find that joy, but I get that joy from being with other people being around them, learning from them, etc. And then getting to try new strategies that I may not have tried had I have not heard it. And especially this past year trying lugar ru I was really apprehensive to try it with my students. But animals like just do it. You must do it. So, I did it. And the joy I felt and the joy my students felt on our end of the year surveys that was something they mentioned was like, Mom, why can't we do that more. And I was like, ah, Joy instantly. It's magical. So, I mean, I can't say enough about this community, the people in it, it is just it's a safe space. But it's also a space where everyone's here for each other. And they just bring the joy and the magic each and every day. And I love it. I crave it. I miss it when there's not something going on. All right, you are magic.
La Maestra Loca
You are magic. I wanted to say one thing before I have you linked back to it, because I just have a question that, you know, is a little bit different. But you mentioned something, which is the reason I started this community, which was, I wanted to be able to push people professionally, but then hear how it went. So, tell me about like the joy you get when you come back and share that you actually implemented Luber or that you actually did something. Tell me about that in the Facebook community.
Heidi Trued
It's like the joy you get when you actually go back and then share it was like, I kind of felt like I was like, it's almost like you get that proud parent feeling like I guess that's the feeling Annabelle feels but it's like me being like, I get to be like I did it. It worked. And it makes me feel good. Because it's like, I took a risk. I did something out of my comfort zone. And then you feel that success. It's like, oh, that wasn't that scary. And it feels good. But it also feels good knowing that the other person who taught you that skill is hearing that, hey, you did something you taught me something, and it needed different. And I think that's where it's so many of us. And I know that as well as the presenter is like we present at conferences, and then you never see those people again, or you see them a year later. And they're like, oh, yeah, I did that thing. And it was awesome. And I'm like, but I never knew you did that thing. And it was awesome because you didn't tell me. So, it's I think the magic of our communities. We share every day, what we're doing, how we do it. And you get that joy, whether you're the person who's giving the advice or suggestion or you're the one implementing and trying so I think that's what makes it magical and special.
La Maestra Loca
And you use the word magical so many times in joy. I'm just so grateful for you, Heidi and thank you for being willing to share and contribute to this podcast today.
Heidi Trued
I absolutely love you.
La Maestra Loca
I'm now joined by my friend Jennifer, who is not an original member. She's a newer member and I can't wait for her to share a little bit about where she teaches and who she is, but more importantly, how she's grown professionally since joining la Familia loca.
Jennifer
Hey, so this is my 28th year teaching Spanish, my 23rd year in the same school. I'm a grant teacher this year, I'm teaching a student of a student that I taught previously in the same classroom even so it's kind of cool. And last year, the current principal that I had decided that we wanted to try this gradeless activity this gradeless pilot, so I jumped on it because it gave me a chance to switch completely over to Ci and ATI which I had been trying to do for about 15 years. And in the process I found La Maestra loca, I found la Familia loca. And to say that it has changed my career is an understatement. I immediately got excited about everything that I was listening to I couldn't get enough the podcasts are amazing. And I just started incorporating Annabelle's activities into my classes. And my students are responding well. I'm not saying she's responsible, but I was named teacher of the year last year, after incorporating all these different activities and different things that that I just learned and decided just to go out on a limb and try for 28 years. Administrators are just amazed at the difference in my classroom because most people in my career are coasting until retirement. And here I am implementing new things. And not only that, but I'm coaching now, not just our world language teachers, but I'm coaching our entire school on student engagement. And on brain breaks. I just did a brain break deal last week. And it's just been amazing. So that's incredible.
La Maestra Loca
I love hearing the joy in your voice and to just thank you for your contributions to our profession. I'm every time I hear like 20 years, 25 years, 28 years in education. I'm like What a legacy and just thinking about how many lives you've impacted and now even more so towards the end of your career with your joyful implementation of all these new things and what a gift you are to your students and, and our community.
Jennifer
Thank you, more than my students. So, I want to I just want to make sure the career is in a good place when I leave. I want to make sure the person who comes in and takes my spot is set up for success and is set up to be joyful and set up to have as good experiences this past two years have been because they have been life changing. It's like being a brand-new teacher all over again.
La Maestra Loca
Oh my god, what a huge testimony. Thank you. I love you. So grateful. Thank you so much for joining me and being willing to share on the podcast today.
Jennifer
I'm so honored to be here.
La Maestra Loca
Thanks for staying up late. Love you.
Jennifer
Love you too.
La Maestra Loca
I am now joined by my friend Shane, who is Shane, and I can't say enough about this human and their joy. Shane joined me later in La Familia Loca and it was through our mutual friend, Morgan Bennett, who was his like mentee teacher. And a huge testament to him like she's such a powerful educator and to have grown up as a baby teacher in his room. I can only imagine how magical that was. But Shane and his joy has impacted our community. A great deal in the last year he's presented for us he won. flava is best of conference and then he went on to win SCOLTZ best of conference, so he's going to be at Apple in Chicago, you're gonna be there definitely come and join his presentation. And one year sometime in the future, you're gonna see Shane and I on The Amazing Race Together. So meet my friend who we are doing the Amazing Race Together. And Shane, tell us a little bit about who you are, where you teach what you teach and how you've grown because of La Familia, loca PLC,
Shane
oh Allah. So my name is Shane, and I'm from a little rural, rural town in southwest Virginia. We're about 45 minutes from North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia. And I teach high school Spanish levels 234 in AP. And I think joining la Familia loca helped push me to step away from the textbook that I always thought was outdated and not so interesting, and really helped me start more on the journey with CI and acquisition driven instruction and really made me take more risks. It made me push myself harder, it made me push my students are there. And so, it really opened a lot more doors than had really been opened before. And then personally, I don't know that I've ever met a better group of people. Every meeting we come to; we celebrate each other. We encourage each other. If we're ever beaten and downtrodden, we lift each other up. And I think in every sense of the word, our Familia is a true Familia. And we love and care about each other as if we were a true Familia but spread all across the world.
La Maestra Loca
That's so wild, can we just that's so wild, like across the world. I can't get over that. And in fact, I was reflecting on that the other day that like the fact that we have members on six continents, and the only continent we're missing is Antarctica is phenomenal. And the expertise that is found all over the world because of different lived experiences and school environments and like all these different things, it's fascinating to see how that impacts what's shared within the community. And I love that you shared the bit about La Familia being like a true Familia, a true family because it wasn't always called La Familia loca PLC, like started as live with La Loca. And it was very much just me like, randomly spit balling anytime that I wanted to share something like, but it really, it really is just that and yeah, it's magic. Okay, before we get any gushier, could you tell me my dear Amazing Race partner? We really need to do work on our application at some point we just needed Yes. Um, but if you could share if somebody was listening to this, and they were feeling really on the fence, what would you tell somebody that was on the fence about joining?
Shane
Um, I think if someone were on the fence, I would definitely say take that jump. You know, we're always curious about is grass greener on the other side? And I think joining la Familia loca would give you some sense of growth, whether it's professionally, whether it's personally, I feel like every month and every actually every meeting we have together, I learned something new that I can implement or use the next day with my students or even just the next day with me to make things easier and bring more joy into my life. So, I think if you're on the fence, jump the fence, see what it's like and bring more joy into your life.
La Maestra Loca
Is that word again. I used it three more times. That's wild.
Shane
Wow, some great person and taught me all about joy. So...
La Maestra Loca
I love you so much. Oh, mushy, gushy teary. Okay. All right. No, you're not sorry, you're not sorry. Okay, I love you so much. And thank you for contributing. Thank you for being a part of this. And thank you so much for being part of my family. I'm so grateful for them. For you. Okay, this is super special, because this number is one of my newest members, Hadey, and Hadey is actually in Louisiana and somebody, one of the very first people I met when I moved here, and I joined LFL ta our local organization under Louisiana, and just found out is now teaching a university class on top of all the other billion things that she does, and she's a fierce advocate for World Languages in our state. And now a very special member of La Familia loca, you want to introduce yourself and where you teach and what you teach. And then I have a question for you. Hadey.
Hadey
Okay, so my name is Hadey in Spanish. I am, Doctor, I'm an EDD where they call an add, I did my research dissertation on sustainability of foreign language, because I'm worried about how the teachers are feeling in the classroom and how they're able to cope with everything that is tossed at them, and their view on foreign language education. And I teach at St. Joseph's Academy from ninth to 12th, usually, ninth graders, my freshman, sometimes my sophomores, I love my girls are all girls, and I really enjoy that job. But then an opportunity came in to teach a university course at my new university. So, this year, I'm starting to teach college freshmen Spanish, this great.
La Maestra Loca
Just so excited for that. And, and the fact that you share that on day one, like is starting tomorrow and you're already like, you're nervously excited, you're going to do brain breaks, like they are going to be so lucky to have you as their teacher as they're gonna go into. What are they going to call you? What do kids call you?
Hadey
Wow, in my classroom, Dr. Matisse because in, in the Catholic school, those regulations.
La Maestra Loca
I love it. I absolutely love it. Okay, I have a question for you since you're a newer member. And since you are not on lives all the time, this is an important thing. A lot of the members so far have talked about like going to all these live events and like participating and all these things, I want to make sure that people know that you don't have to have a schedule to be able to come to all these things and do all the meetings live, because you were one of the busiest people in our community. And you're still finding growth and joy and, and community. And so, could you tell us a little bit about like the way you have grown or the way you access the material in a different way?
Hadey
Well, the very first thing that I thought that I hesitated about when joining la Familia loca was like, when do I have time for this, and with my lifestyle, and the different things that I want to do is incredibly difficult. So, you know, I was encouraged by a coworker and was who's also a part of me to look at. And by Annabelle, you can do it, you can do it, just tell me and I'll give you access. And I'm like, okay, and then we did all the paperwork and all that jazz. What I value is the fact that I don't have to be in all the different meetings, and workshops, and things like that live. Because I know that on my own time and my own pace, I can access the portal and I can watch all this stuff that is in there without having to worry about the fact that I'm going to lose it I'm going to be missing it. It doesn't interfere with my family life. You know, I'm able to enjoy it and not feel guilty that I'm not going to be able to watch it at times. I'm able to join like a little bit. For example, in one of those hot seats.
La Maestra Loca
Yeah, or group coaching hot seat q&a.
Hadey
Viviana said, hey, I'm gonna have you in the hot seat can you log in and so forth. And I logged in very excited because I blocked the hour. But then the communication was like rough. So, I did my part of the hot seat that I was able to do. And then I logged out because I couldn't hear a thing. And later, I went back, and I was able to watch it. So, it's like, I wasn't missing anything. So, it's the best investment because then you're not missing it.
La Maestra Loca
Yeah. And the fact that you have that forever, somebody the other day was like, I can’t find something from that, that presentation that. I can't remember that. I think it was Ben Tinsley that Ben Tinsley did, I can't find it. And I was like, Okay, go into your portal, open this month, it's all there. And that's the thing is like, if you're a member, you can access any of the things from before. So that's really, really cool. And then before you go, can I ask you one more question? Sure. Go ahead. I want to ask you, what drew you to la Familia loca when you said like, like, I just don't know if I'm going to have any time or like, what was your reason for joining what really made you time and time again, contacted say, I think I think I want to join now I think want to join? Now what was that reason?
Hadey
Well, there's two reasons. One is very selfish. And it's the fact that I used to teach in an immersion school. And as in an immersion school, like all the time, it's 100%, the language, and it's so much fun, but it was younger kids. And so now I work with teens. And so, for them sometimes is some things that are embarrassing, and some things are not. So, I must like tune into their feelings and how they're building community. And so, I was like, I think what I'm, I'm going in the right direction, but I need more strategies to be able to access my people. So, I wanted to do that. The second reason was the fact that I love to encourage and help other teachers, that are foreign language teachers, whether it's in Spanish or French, or whatever, you know, to really have language production and elicit their language because I feel like it's, we're beating a dead horse, if we're constantly teaching them grammar and teaching them about the language, but not really talking the language. So, I wanted to be able to tell them, look, try this strategy. And if it doesn't work, we'll try this other one, if it doesn't work, I want to ever clicks, I can tell them, do you want to know more about that one that you just did. And so, if I want to guide them to more, I kind of have to like go to things that I have learned before. And even though in my dissertation I have like lots and lots of lists of teachers have told me about it, none of them are something they can watch, or they can't, or that I can actually like mimic like they do in the CI Summit. Like in front of other people, I can’t do it, if by reading it. So, I must actually visualize it, so that I can reproduce it for them in the class and say can watch me at this hour. So that way I'm gonna try, which I think will work for you. And that is just that. And sometimes I go to other schools, and I visit them. So, I'll go to, you know, I can talk to the teachers at Dutchtown. And I can talk to the teachers in other public schools so that they can apply those there too. So, it just the opportunities to build each other. Instead of like, oh, this is my and this is my strategy. And nobody looked at it. Nobody copy it. No, that's not the point. The point is like to open up so that more people can be reached.
La Maestra Loca
Yes, taking that risk. That's such an important piece of it, too, is like, it's more than just me presenting or a workshop presenter presenting something or somebody in the Facebook community sharing an idea. It's like, okay, now take the risk and actually try it so that you feel the growth and you feel that joy of like, implementing something and if it flops, then you come back and you have the community to say like, ooh, this felt tricky, like, I don't know what happened. And then we can navigate that together, rather than you just feel like oh, well, I don't know what to do now. You know, I love that. You're the best. Thank you so much for joining me tonight. And thank you for being willing to contribute to the podcast today. I'm so grateful for you.
Hadey
You're welcome. Good luck in everything that you do. Thank you. Together.
La Maestra Loca
Yes, we are. We certainly aren't good luck tomorrow. Have fun with those kids. I'm so excited for you. Okay, bye. Okay, I am joined right now by my dear friend Rocio Jacoby, who I call CIO and CIO is a very important person to me. both personally and professionally and a longtime member of La Familia loca PLC. She'll Would you tell us where you are what you teach? And then I'll ask you the first question.
Rocio
Hey, well, thank you so much. I'm super excited to be here. Because I mean, I just love you very much, but also, just so much to share with everyone about la Familia loca PLC. I currently live in Oak Park, Illinois, and I'm an elementary teacher, K through fifth grade. I teach Spanish. Yeah.
La Maestra Loca
Okay, so let's start with what for you is has been the best part of La Familia loca PLC, or what's one of your favorite memories?
Rocio
Oh, it's so hard to decide what has been my favorite part, because it's just, I feel like every little thing, it's been my favorite part. But one of the things that really stand with me is being that I felt that I had been seen, I consider myself a very shy person. And I normally stay on the side kind of just listening and absorbing everything. And sometimes I just feel like, you know, people don't even notice me. So. So you actually were one of the few people who have seen me as part of this community, and not just seen me, but also seen other things inside me, like, for some reason, you have this magical way, or the skill or the superpower to just get to see people through their eyes and more deeply to that to, to find out who each of us are. And I'm just so thankful for that. So my, one of my most favorite memories for la Familia loca was when I received an email, a personal email with a personal video, and it was just from you, Maestra loca, which for me is like my idol in this field, invited me to be part of your team to help you with the elementary cohort, I had to read that email, like, I don't know how many times because I couldn't believe it is like, why is she really talking to me? Or is this is addressed to everyone. And that was my first thing that I'm like, I this, this woman is not just a teacher, or is not just a professional, but she is an amazing human being. And so that's one of my favorite memories. And, you know, just given that opportunity of leadership, because you believed in me, it was huge, and I never gonna forget that. That's definitely one of my favorites, memory. And I'm so grateful for that. Thank you.
La Maestra Loca
Thank you for sharing that. That's cool. I didn't realize that you read it a lot of times.
Rocio
So I was like, Is this a dream and I couldn't, I'm like, isn't really happening? And even like, no, I'm not lying. I literally close my laptop came back and look at it again. And I told my husband, I was like, no, she was she's really addressing this email. To me, and it just inherently happens. You know, I felt like I wouldn't a lot a lot of,
La Maestra Loca
well, you I think one thing that I'm going to continue pushing you on is to see those things in yourself, because you are a very powerful coach. And I think you're hearing it from the people within our community and from the teachers that are learning from you at various conferences. Now national conferences all over people are learning from you all over the world conference in the cloud. And your impact is greater than just the kiddos in your classroom now and the gifts that you're giving to teachers to impact their students is tremendous. And so, I'll continue to push you to acknowledge those gifts that you have within yourself, and not feel that you're unworthy of all of this incredible praise because you really are phenomenal.
Rocio
And, and I'm really grateful for that. And I personally, I will never, never stop thanking you for that opportunity, but also for the opportunity that you see in everyone in our community. Because I feel like you see us for who we are. And you really invest the time of getting to know each other As you see, you see where we are, and you just push us to step out of our frame to step out from our comfort zones. Because you believe in us, you know, and you are somebody, a coach, your journal just coaching us to throughout this acquisition, revenue instruction and comprehensible input journey, you are also pushing us because you want us to become better and better teachers, but also better and better human beings. And that is something that I admire on you and something that I am always grateful for your unique and I really, I really appreciate what you're doing for our community members. Thank you.
La Maestra Loca
Love you so much. That answered the next question, which was like, how am I? Oh, have I helped you grow? You answered that one. I have one more for you, my Chio. And that is, and Chio has already shared she's part of team locker. I'm not paying her for tonight. I didn't ask her to say certain things. I reached out to the entire Facebook community incredibly, last minute, 24 hours ago and was like, so I have this crazy idea. I think I want to do a podcast. Does anybody want to do it with me? I'm like, that's me all time. And literally, I had, I haven't even looked today. But by the end of last night, it was like 18 people. And so, I took the first ones that I checked when I checked and said Please, please, please. And since she was one of those, she's here, and it's actually great because you can see how you can grow within our community. But before you go, I would love for you to share one thing you would tell somebody who is thinking about joining who's not really sure if it's for them or not. What would you tell them?
Rocio
Well, I will say, and I will say that when you join when you decide to join when you join la Familia loca PLC, your guarantee a ticket for life, professionally. And personally, I feel like if you're looking to become a better acquisition or instruction comprehensible input teacher that is definitely guarantee you are going to become better and better using the strategies and getting to know the process of helping your students throughout their own journey. But it's not just that. I feel like that is one of the main things that people are looking for when trying to get into community, professional community. But in this Familia loca PLC, you don't just acquire that what is like the content of this process, but you also get to become a better human being I feel like that la Familia loca, can I keep saying this and I'm going to repeat it, is what the title really implies Familia because with Annabelle's coaching and guidance, we are growing with among each other and she also takes care of us and help us take care of each other. We are constantly leaning on each other in wonderful day celebrating each other success and like leaning on each other when we are not having those great times. We are taking care of our own health. So, we have time where you learn all the strategies but at the same time, learn to be a better human being taking care of yourself or your own sanity to be able to be present for yourself and for your own students and for your own family. I like the transparency I like Annabelle's genuine personality that she brings to our community our Familia because we get to see, and we always get to see who she is. And in her ups and downs moments. The vulnerability that she brings to the table is just amazing. And let us know that we are not always in a great mover with all the energy are we always perfect we are humans, right? And so, I guarantee that if you join this PLC, this community you're, again, learn a ticket for life professionally and personally. So, I hope you get to join us because we look forward to welcome you and receive you in our Familia.
La Maestra Loca
Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you You're such a gift and you always say the same thing. You always say the exact same thing you always come back to Familia and I'm so grateful I think you and a couple other people were the ones who really turned my attention to realizing like it's how everybody's addressing each other in the Facebook group is like Familia, this Familia that and I was like we really are. So, I rebranded everything about two years ago to La Familia loca PLC, before that, it really wasn't. It wasn't titled that. But it sure has grown into something super unique and super special. And I'm so grateful that you could come and share with you tonight, my Chio.
Rocio
If you wouldn't mind, I like to add that. Sometimes you hear other people saying that you need to take care of each you need to take care of each other, or you need to take care of yourself. But you can also say like it's important to create a community among your students. My experience in this community has been not just the same, but you also modeling that to us. And by you modeling that to us. It also takes us to do the same things, you know, and in also when I hear you or people have heard you talking about creating a community in your classrooms. I felt that community in our PLC in our community, I fell you invest a lot on creating that community among as teachers. So, it's not just saying it and not just words floating around, it's actually been put in place. And I felt that. And I'm just grateful. And I just it was the best investment that I did join into the class, and I just don't see myself anywhere else.
La Maestra Loca
Thank you. I love you. I love you. I love you. And I feel it too. I think it's reciprocated. It's something that I was going to share when I entered this, but I think this is a more appropriate place to say it as long as I can keep you an extra five minutes around your family. And that is, of course, it's that, you know, I have spent a lot of time to foster the community that I want and that I want you all to have. But what's happened as a result of that is two years ago, I almost left the profession, you saw me, and all our members did in coming into many meetings, crying, like barely able to hold it together, even though I was presenting strategies that I knew were effective, and that I knew how to help people. It was hard here. And it was brutal because I was teaching kids who I had for four years. And they were just turning on me. And I was the only teacher following the school expectations. And therefore, I was the mean one and all these kids who I loved dearly, were really breaking, literally breaking my heart. And it was really hard. And I thought I was done. And what happened was this community that I had poured into, you know, I was then able to lean on. And that's, that's really what we do for each other. And I I appreciate that I am allowed to also be human in all my humaneness and all my flaws and share authentically. And like with you right now like literally to be in a bathrobe and my hair completely disastrously done. And know that like, that's how I show up to our meetings that come like as I am, and I'm loved for me. And I love you for you and each of our members for being their authentic selves. And it's what I hope that we can do for our students. So, thank you for sharing that last bit and allowing me to reflect once again on how this community has poured into me just as much if not more than what I've put into it.
Rocio
And that's exactly what I meant. Like we are ourselves during this time and I and we accept each other and that also help us personally. See these things in see people through the with different lenses and is because you are a human being you are coming to us the way you are. And that's why we are here. We love you. And we really appreciate every single thing you do. Because we can I can feel your passion. And I'm sure everybody else do everybody else feel the passion that you put into this, because you really care. And if I had to add something another memory because we just had our first la Familia local retreat. Yeah. And I had to say that was amazing. And you and I were talking about this because I, I there was a moment like I you know, I'm shy. I'm listening, I'm present, I'm there and listening. But there was a moment during this time that we were together, where I just stepped away for a little bit. And I could see, and I was just a joining the joy that it was happening among every single one of us who was in this retreat. Like some of us haven't met in person, we have seen each other on, you know, the videos on life on the students. But it seemed like we knew each other forever. Like we knew each other for a long time. Like we just connected with each other. Everybody was like talking and enjoying making jokes and having so much fun. And, and I go back to the same thing that I always say, Familia, that's what it is, you know, we accept each other for who we are. We love each other, we respect each other. And we just give each other space that we need to you know, it was just amazing that that time that we were together in this retreat. Again, I had that moment where I was like,
La Maestra Loca
I had those moments literally other times, it was out of body, it was so weird. Like, I would step back and be like, oh my God, it's all of my best friends meeting all of my best friends and everybody. Yes. Everybody likes each other.
Rocio
Like right now I'm shaking because of the excitement that it brings me back to this memory. But like I told you, and that day, I said, that's what you have created. That's what you have built this safety, comfortable environment that people talk about you need to create and you do it.
La Maestra Loca
Loved, cared for, and empowered? Yes.
Rocio
Thank you. That's exactly what I meant. And that's exactly what I did. And again, I'm like, super excited. I'm like, shaking because I'm excited and emotionally because it's very important to have that inner community.
La Maestra Loca
Yes. I love you. And for those of you listening who are thinking about it, if you are like, dang, I want this, I want this. Email me reach out, go to the link in the bio, check it out. Let me know what questions you have. The doors are open until Friday the 18th of August. And we would absolutely love to welcome you into our community and help support you and be your cheerleader this year. If you decide that this is the right time.
Rocio
Yes, I hope you can join us.
La Maestra Loca
We'd love to have you with us.
La Maestra Loca
Thank you. Thank you. Thanks, Chio and thank you for listening to teaching la vida loca and until next time, we will be teaching la vida loca and I'm sure you will be too and if you're not you will be very soon.