One Day... all students in the US will have the opportunity to receive an excellent education

Days Left: 969
Goal # 60: Give monthly to Teach for America

I was a Teach for America teacher in inner-city Miami for two years where I taught 5th Grade Math and Science and then revitalized the Gifted Education Program at the school and taught K-5 Gifted Language Arts.  After only two years, it was clear to me that my students had the same capacity to perform at levels where students perform in more affluent communities, but that expectations for my kiddos were just set too low.

While I am not a teacher or a principal, I still care deeply about education in America. I think it is one of our country's biggest issues, and I wish it was a "hotter" issue. Movies like Waiting for Superman and leaders like  Michelle Rhee keep the issue current and friends of mine from TFA continue around the country to fight for educational equality. I have tremendous respect for them.

Even though I am not directly working in education, when I choose to become a Teach for America teacher, we were told that our commitment continued past our 2 year classroom commitment.  I have volunteered for TFA post Miami and donate money randomly, but I really wanted to set up a constant donation to an organization I support, and so finally today I did! I have a monthly deposit to TFA for the next 1001 days set up! Goal #60: Check.

Below are some pictures of my students!


Two of my goofy boys trying to problem solve together. Loved these peaceful moments.



After receiving a grant from DonorsChoose.org I got an LCD projector for my classroom. My students loved it! It was fun teaching them powerpoint and speaking skills.



These are some of my 5th graders at the 5th Grade Prom. Oh yes. We had a 5th Grade Prom.



I coached the first ever Odyssey of the Mind team at my school and competed in the regional competition as one of the only inner-city schools. I was so proud of my kids!

If you would like to support Teach for America, check out their website!

Tuuti Wolof

Days Left: 991
Goal #79: Learn 20 questions in Wolof

After my first time in Senegal, as my NY roomie Georgina can attest to, I was obsessed with the word in Wolof for "yes." "WOW." 

Below is a sample (read made-up) conversation with me and Wolof speakers.
Me: "Hi, I'm Megan."
Senegalese person: "Wow"
Me: "Yes. It is amazing my name is Megan. Do you know La Megane is a French car, made by Renault?"
Senegalese person: "Wow"
Me: "Wow indeed"

Three men NOT in a Megane in Richard Toll, Senegal

Now that I'm back in Senegal, I have since learned that WOW is actually spelled "WAU" and decided to start learning "tuuti Wolof" (a little Wolof).

Wolof is spoken in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania and is the most widely spoken language in Senegal. (read it is important for me to learn some while I'm here!)

Below are the 20 questions (with responses) I have been learning and feel plus/mois comfortable that I can use them in conversation.

1.     Do you speak Wolof? I’m learning Wolof little by little.

   Ndakh def nga Wolof? Mangi degna Wolof ndank ndank.

2.     How are you? I’m fine.

   Na nga def? Maa ngi fi rekk.

3.     What’s your name? My name is Megan.

   Noo tu tudd? Maa ngi tudd Megan.

4.     What’s your last name? My last name is Megan.

   No sant? Mangi sant Rapp.

5.     Where were you born? I was born in the United States.

   Fann nga judo? Mangi judo les Etats-Unis.

6.     Did you sleep well last night? Yes I did. Praise God.

   Mba jamm nga fanan? Wau. Alhamdulilah.

7.     How is your family? They are fine.

   Nka sa wa keur? Nou ngi ferek.

8.     How is your health? It’s okay.

               Nka yaram be? Mangi ferek (Mangi tanne = I’m feeling better)

9.     How old are you? I’m 27 years old.

   Niata atta nga am? Mangi am vingt-sept.

10.   Do you have a husband? Yes. I am married. Praise God.

   Am nga jekeur? Wah. Alhamdulilah.

11.    How many wives do you have?

   Niata jabare nga am?

12.   Will you marry me? No.

   Kai me takala? De-det.

13.   Do you have kids? No.

   Am nga jabot? De det.

14.   How’s work going? It’s going.

   Nka affair ye? Ca va.

15.   Where are you going? I’m going to Dakar.

   Fanga jem? Mangi dem Dakar.

16.   Did you come back from work? Yes. I came back from work.

   Wanchinga? Wau. Wanchinga.

17.   How much does that cost?

   Li niata?

18.   What do you want to eat? I want the yassa chicken please.

   Lo bugu lek? Men buguna lek yassa gena su la neexee.

19.   Do you have any avocadoes?

   Am nga avocat?

20.   Do you have a 5 million franc Orange Card for my cell phone? Yes. I have one.

   Am nga Carte Orange recharge pour 5 mille francs? Wau. Am nga. 

Megan's 101 things in 1001 days

Ramadan: Fast during the day. Feast at night. 

Today marks Korité , the end of Ramadan here in Senegal. And so I thought what better way to kick off my 101 things in 1001 days than on Korité.

Below is the list of 101 things I want to do in 1001 days (about 3 years-Ending on May 18, 2015). This is basically my attempt to put a timeline on the ole "bucket list" concept. My dear friend Becky inspired me to do this! 

Here's how it works: You write up 101 things that you would like to do/see/accomplish in 1001 days, organize them, and then plan and hopefully do them!

I am going to use this blog to keep track of the things I have done, am in the progress of doing, or have failed miserably at trying ;) I welcome your comments, thoughts, encouragements, whatever! 

Physical

1.     Walk the island of Manhattan from North to South

2.     Learn how to sail

3.     Drink only water for 10 days straight

4.     Go skydiving

5.     Take a rock climbing class

6.     Join an intramural flag football team

7.     Ride in a hot air balloon

8.     Learn how to fly fish

9.     Row on the Potomac River

10.  Do an Olympic Triathlon (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 10K run)

11.  Do a Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred

12.  Run a 5k in under 30 minutes

13.  Complete a 30x30 Challenge (Work out for 30 minutes a day for 30 days)

14.  Run the Run Amuck Mud Run in DC in costume

15.  Take a trapeze class

16.  Compete in a bike race

17.  Do the AIDS/LifeCycle bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles

18.  Ride bike to work in DC for 30 days

19.  Do a bike ride in another country

20.  Bike 1001 miles in 1 month

21.  Bike NYC to DC

Social Butterfly

22.  Organize and host a scavenger hunt party

23.  Host a poker night

24.  Help a friend move from start to finish (first in last out)

25.  Organize a girls out on the town dancing night

26.  Write a childhood friend who I’ve lost touch with

27.  Go hiking in Shenandoah with friends

28.  Do a wine and paint outing with Allie

29.  Do SantaCon in New York City

Foodie

30.  Learn to cook a recipe by memory from 5 different countries

31.  Make homemade bagels and cream cheese

32.  Find my favorite bottle of wine

33.  Host a cooking class in my apartment

34.  Learn how to make latte art

35.  Pack my lunch for 1 month straight

36.  Learn and memorize a good bread recipe

Arts (dance, music, fine arts, photography…)

37.  Take an improv class

38.  Get a photo on ShutterStock.com

39.  Memorize a song on my flute

40.  Take an art history class and then go see one of the pieces of art I studied

41.  Choreograph a dance which is performed publicly

42.  Attend a music festival

43.  Go to a midnight showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show

44.  See Picasso’s Guernica

45.  Go to a Renaissance Festival

46.  Play my flute on a street corner somewhere

47.  Take a West African dance class in 5 different countries

48.  Be a part of a Flash Mob

49.  Watch the Godfather trilogy

50.  Wear a dress I made myself

Literary

51.  Read Vol de Nuit by St Exupery in French

52.  Read Guns, Germs, and Steel

53.  Read 101 books in 1001 days

54.  Find a favorite poem

55.  Read a graphic novel

56.  Write and illustrate a children’s book and self publish it

57.  Organize a writing retreat with a group of friends

Mo’ Money

58.  Pay off 100% of my private student loan debt

59.  Invest monthly

60.  Give monthly to Teach for America

Kind Things

61.  Volunteer 200 hours

62.  Buy a goat or sheep for a family

63.  Babysit a new mom’s kid for free

64.  Intentionally do something kind for someone every day for 1 month straight

65.  Send 1 “just because” gift to a friend

66.  Volunteer at a school

67.  Design a calendar for someone

68.  Become a Certified First Responder

Travel Bug

69.  Go to New Orleans

70.  Go visit Rudy and Amber in California

71.  Go on a road trip without a pre-set destination

72.  Go on a trip with my dad

73.  Go on a trip with my mom

74.  Go on a trip with my grandma

75.  Visit a friend or family member as a surprise

76.  Go skiing in the Rockies

77.  Go camping and sleep in a tent

Languages

78.  Take a beginning Spanish class

79.  Learn 20 questions in Wolof

80.  Learn 50 ESL signs

Spiritual

81.  Find a church in DC that I’d like to go to regularly

82.  Reread Galatians in three different translations

83.  Read my Bible every day for 1 month

84.  Do a retreat in a convent

85.  Read Soren Kirkegaard’s For Self-Examination/Judge for Yourself! out loud

86.  Watch the sunrise and sunset in the same day

87.  Take a seminary class online

Learning

88.  Learn to identify 5 constellations

89.  Interview a family who adopted to learn more about the process

90.  Make a ppt to explain the conflict in Syria to my grandma

91.  Learn the capitals and locations of all countries

92.  Take an advanced excel class

93.  Take a Photoshop class

94.  Get a tour of the White House

95.  Get a tour of the Pentagon

96.  Learn how to identify 10 different flowers

97.  Read a succinct history book of West Africa

98.  Learn how to tie a bow-tie on a man

Rando

99.  Cleanse my entire apartment

100.        Get a motorcycle license

101.        Buy a nice watch

An unexamined life is not worth living...Socrates