gymnastics

Gymnastics molded me into the person I am today. The following video pretty much sums up my experiences with the sport:

As I joined Teach For America, I came to the realization that gymnastics had impacted my character more than my time as a student in my K-12 classrooms. Time management, discipline, perseverance, resilience, hard work...all of these skills came from a sport still dear to my heart.

I've also come to the realization that sports are a luxury - a luxury most kids at a Title 1 schools don't have the opportunity in which to partake. I often wonder how their lives would be transformed if they had a "gymnastics."

This year, a few teachers decided to bring soccer, cheerleading & football to our elementary school. These sports, along with the running club, have impacted school spirit tremendously, & it's been incredible to see the little transformations here & there within the school community.

As the culminating event for running club,  I ran The Cowtown 5k with about 30+ students & parents - it was AWESOME. We ran united throughout the heart of Fort Worth, surrounded by the cowtown community - police officers, organizations, businesses, family & friends.

Five months of running club isn't quite comparable to my 10 years flipping across the floor, flying through the air, swinging around bars, balancing on a 4-inch beam...

BUT

I truly hope one of our runners got a glimpse of what I experienced with my gymnastics.

love

My first graders are the most loving people I've ever met. They greet each other at the door in the mornings, applaud each other when questions are answered correctly, smile incessantly...I could go on & on!

During rough days (typically Mondays) I like to keep track of the things they do that really make me smile.

Today included:

• "Can I stay in first grade next year? So you can be my teacher again?"
• 25 hugs received throughout the day
• "Ms. Castro, I don't ever want to lose you."

They have a way of articulating love that is unmatched by adults.

Despite the fact these cutesy actions/words are from 6 & 7-year-olds, they never fail to make my start to the week a little bit better.