Day 1: From Madrid to Heaven

31 Days de Madrid al Cielo

From Madrid to the sky!!!!

That was a sentence I heard a lot during my first trip to Madrid, nearly 13 years ago. My classmates and host brother said it so often I started to wonder if, more than something English to say, this strange phrase had a deeper meaning. So I asked my host sister.

     "You know, from Madrid to the sky" she said.
     "No, I don't know..."
     "From MADRID... to the SKY," she repeated with emphasis. "After Madrid, the next best         place is the sky".

Right.

I still didn't get it, so I took a look in my dictionary: cielo has two meanings, sky and heaven. A little bit of further reading revealed all - from Madrid to Heaven is the city's unofficial motto.

The origins of this phrase are obscure, and some people even link it to pre-sewer Madrid and the expression De Madrid, el cielo, meaning the only good thing about the stinking city was the view. However it started, in its current state, it sums up how the locals feel about their city - it's second only to Heaven. 

From Madrid to Heaven is my inspiration for this year's 31 Days blogging challenge. More than a writing challenge, this theme will challenge me to explore the city and use my camera. Join me this month for a bird's eye view of Madrid as I spend October walking around with my head in the clouds.



Day 2 - The first Spanish Sky Crapper
Day 3 - Sky-high nose in a book
Day 4 - Gau&Cafe
Day 5 - A Bird´s Eye View
Day 6 - Sol through the Clouds  
Day 7 - Protector of the Arts
Day 8 - Three Cupolas
Day 9 - The Second Spanish Sky Crapper 
   Day 10 - Wild Horses
   Day 11 - Snack and Shop 
   Day 12 - Egyptian View
   Day 13 - The Strangest Dream 
   Day 14 - In or Out
   Day 15 - ´hood ornament
   Day 16 - The Sixth Ugliest Building in the World 
   Day 17 - Quevedo. It´s not a kind of cheese
   Day 18 - Madrid from the Sky
   Day 19 - One stop, seven lookouts
   Day 20 - Phoenix Falling
   Day 21 - Anchors Away? 
   Day 22 - Neither Up nor Down 
   Day 23 - The Other First Spanish Sky Crapper 
   Day 24 - A Stony Eagle Spotted 
   Day 25 - Double Take  
   Day 26 - Word 
   Day 27 - And it´s over nearly before it began 
   Day 28 - Don´t make me come up there and get you!
   Day 29 - Don Limpio (Mr Clean)
   Day 30 -  
   Day 31 -

The T-files: Keeping a Work Journal

A work journal. Kind of like study-notes for the teacher. The first time I had to write study notes, I was in grade seven, and had to write a review of a science unit. I complained, did it, and was amazed to see that, yes, this was indeed a useful practice. In high school math, you couldn't take tests or exams without having handed in study notes. I was ahead of the game, since I was used to writing them. I kept up with study notes on my own accord during university (so much nicer to review my own notes and chapter summaries than to go through every single reading and jots taken during lectures), and transitioned to a work journal whilst completing my final internship at an art gallery.

The work journal was obligatory, but I knew it would help me. It came in very handy when I had to write my final paper. Areas I'd struggled with, excelled in, ways I'd grown, concrete facts and skills I'd learned, they were all there. Professionally, a work journal is useful when it comes to preparing for interviews. I've drawn on mine for many a covering letter and portfolio. All in all, a work journal is a great tool for reflection.

i love this journal from chapters

I keep a teaching journal, apart from my teaching agenda, where I write down the day's triumphs or tragedies. If an activity bombed, I try to work out why, and whether it's worth trying again. If the students really loved something (Pete the Cat comes to mind, also directed play-dough use and, well, stickers), I write that down so I'll remember it for future use.

I keep notes of sweet things students say, and of course hilarious anecdotes, always nice to see after I've had a rough class. I write down the tough stuff, too. Sometimes, it's me. Sometimes, it's them, Sometimes, it just is what it is. Reflecting helps me avoid overly guilt tripping or glorifying myself.

Just as I enjoy looking back through my personal journals and seeing how I've grown and changed as a person, I think it will also be fun to look back on my work-self, especially once I've reached the golden age of retirement. 

My work journal doesn't take a lot of time, just a few minutes now and then, and not necessarily daily, but by doing it I've been able to build myself a great tool for teaching with joy.