Ms. Stovall 313

Skip to content

Home
Tour Room 313
Meet Jessica
Interviews & Press
Documenting Gratitude
Contact

Search

Search for:

Contact

Name(required)

Email(required)

Website

Comment(required)

Search for:

Stay in Touch

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,192 other followers

Translate

News & Notes

2018: The Year that Was
A Light Shines in Charlottesville: an Ode to Joe
What We Learn in High School–A Student Perspective
Tour Our Classroom! Room 313 in Pictures
On Reverse Culture Shock

Topics

America To Me (1)
Education (7)
Fulbright Award (10)
Gratitude (6)
Ideas for the Classroom (1)
Mexico (3)
NEH Grant (4)
New York City (1)
New Zealand (13)
Teaching (8)
Travel (9)

The Latest

My Tweets

Via Instagram

On airplanes, flight attendants tell us to put on our own oxygen masks first before assisting other people. We need to remember that even outside those metal birds, we have to take care of ourselves before we can have any true capacity to help another being. It’s really hard for those who work in service of other people to remember that, and so we are often left metaphorically oxygen starved. We have to do better about changing the systems so that mental health services and self care are embedded and normalized into everything we do. I’m still fighting to not feel guilty each time I have to say no or do something purely for myself. . One of my favorite forms of self care has always been travel—getting a chance to adventure, to challenge myself, and to be curious. What are yours?

One thing I hope that my students know is that I’ll do pretty much anything for them, and I want to make sure that sentiment follows them even after they leave high school. So when I found out that my immensely talented former student @johnclayiii was AJ in the new Broadway musical #choirboy, I knew that no matter how punishing grad school was and how little money I had, I had to be there to support him. So, after applying for a mileage card, getting help from John to get affordable tickets for those 35 and under (just barely made it), and staying with beautiful friends, I was able to make it happen. It was awesome to gush to John after the show, and the production and writing is so moving that my friend Katie and I cried on and off all the way home. It was worth every penny because the young people I’ve had the honor of working with are worth every penny. . I’ve decided that I need to set up a savings account call “Stovall’s Stars” to make sure I have enough money for the next inevitable big thing for a former student. So...who’s going to be the next for me to come cheer on?

A little #flashbackfriday to about a year ago at the Sundance film festival. I was there for #AmericaToMe, but we wanted to see as many films as we could. We managed to get tickets to four films (see first pic) which was no small feat. But the truth was, I really wanted to see @bingliu89’s premiere of Minding the Gap. Bing was one of the storyline directors of ATM, and although I didn’t get to work with him directly, I admired his obvious talent. I hardly ever get up the courage to ask for things, and for this, I asked. . And suddenly, hours before the show, @participant came through with clutch tickets for Jada, Kendale, Grant, and me. And I sat next to Kendale and weeped. Rarely has film moved me as much as #mindingthegap has. It is the most incredible documentary of the year, and I am so proud of the stories of @animalshin, @bingliu89, and Zack. . It’s the must pick for the Academy Award. And if you disagree, I will come for you (nicely).

A story: In third, fourth, and fifth grades, the entire grade went on a full day ski trip. We had to pass ten levels of lessons, and then we’d get this “P” for “Pass” written on our ski tag in black sharpie. In third grade, I failed. In fourth grade I failed. I felt embarrassed that I was still in lessons while my friends who had skied since they were really young were exchanging gossip on the slopes. . So in fifth grade, I tried to pass the lessons, but I kept getting hung up on level 10–the level where we learned to stop. But I had wised up by then, or so I thought, and I wasn’t going to let lessons stop me again. I snuck a black sharpie in my pocket, and I drew a P on my pass and went up the ski lifts for my first hill. But skipping level 10 came back to haunt me as there I was, bombing this hill, while my friends were shrieking for me to slow down. I couldn’t even stop on the long straightaway at the bottom, and people had to leap out of the way. I was finally stopped when I flew into the woods, skis slamming into a fallen log while I flipped over the top onto my back on the other side. I wasn’t hurt, luckily, but my pride was. And I never skied (or really cheated for that matter) since then. And I’ve been too afraid to try skiing again. . Welp, I finally redeemed my fifth grade self this weekend. The Black grad students of Stanford made a pilgrimage to Lake Tahoe for a retreat this MLK weekend. Six of us got beginner group lessons, and we spent the day encouraging each other while we learned the basics. And I’m proud to say, I finally, finally passed level 10 for real. Mistakes of the past can be reimagined. In the words of MLK, jr, “We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.” I appreciate my friends for helping me build my bricks of courage.

I had a blink-and-you’ll-miss it trip to Chicago on my way back to Palo Alto, trying to desperately squeeze as many people as possible (I’ll try to get more next time!!). One joy was getting to play with my college roommate Anit at the Wndr museum. If there is one thing that’s true, it’s that I looooove to play. #wndrmuseum

New Year. New haircut. New Beyoncé tee... but same me. I think I’m pretty good just the way I am. :). May we all find magic in who we have already become this fresh new year. #NewYearSameMe #PayMeInEquity . 📷: @dlstovall2002

Social

View @MsStovall313’s profile on Twitter
View @MsStovall313’s profile on Instagram

Follow Ms. Stovall 313 on WordPress.com

Social

View @MsStovall313’s profile on Twitter
View @MsStovall313’s profile on Instagram
View @MsStovall313’s profile on YouTube

Please note …

Views expressed on this site are my own and do not represent the Fulbright program or the Department of State.

Blog at WordPress.com.