Hiking Tallulah Gorge

About two hours north of Atlanta and past Lake Lanier is a hidden treasure and one of Georgia’s 7 Natural Wonders, Tallulah Gorge. The gorge itself is 2 miles long and 1,000 feet deep and is home to a series of six waterfalls known as Tallulah Falls. The waterfalls are a sight to behold even though the water flow is restricted by the dam at Tallulah Falls Lake Hydroelectric Plant created by Georgia Power. They have water release dates to increase the river flow for aesthetic value and kayakers but there are no scheduled releases after Memorial Day, which allows hikers to have access to the lower portion of the river gorge.

So, here’s the deal; if you want to hike the gorge floor and along the river, you must have a special permit. They give out 100 a day so it is important to arrive early and possibly even on a day in the middle of the week. Children are allowed. You can also schedule a tour with a group of ten or more, which will be helpful if you are not experienced at hiking. My group was too small for a guide, so we went on our adventure alone. I have some experience hiking but only on marked trails. I really thought in my mind that my adventures in Portland at the Columbia Gorge were superior even though looking back I didn't do much. I must warn everyone that this hike at Tallulah is quite intense for a beginner. I went with two of my former students and we thought we were going to just stroll along the river and take cute Instagram and Snapchat pictures but it was way more difficult than that.

Video of L'eau d'Or Falls

After being given a Tallulah Gorge Map, we began our hike down a steep set of stairs that had multiple benches for breaking. The first main landing is where you cross a suspension bridge over the river. The bridge is secure but it does move slightly and the view is incredible. There are so many awesome places to take photos on this hike. Once across the bridge you go down another set of stairs to the gorge floor. In total they say it’s around 1000 steps. 

View of Tempesta Falls from
Suspension Bridge

Me on the Suspension Bridge

Once at the bottom you can view the gorge floor and head back up the steps or you can cross the river if you have a permit. The first falls is Hurricane Falls, where we took pictures and hopped across rocks. We got a little wet but it was good fun.

Gorge Floor and Panorama of the top of Hurricane Falls

The Rocks We Hopped

This is when things started to get real. There is no real trail to follow, you just want to stay close to the river and not slip on rocks. Tons of spider webs below, random lizards, black ants (all the least of my concerns) and if you aren’t experienced you will be confused. I started to get the hang of things and figured out how to find out better path, hop rocks, and scale through the woods and steep rocks. You are supposed to follow the trail down to the third waterfall where you can finally cross again. Of course me and my group accidentally crossed too early at the second waterfall, Oceana Falls, which is dangerous, slippery and not smart. Good thing the river flow was around 41cfs. Anyway, we only realized our error when saw people stopped and ate lunch, took pictures on the rocks at the top of waterfall, but went back to the other side. (Side note: I thought it was a little shady no one said anything considering they saw us struggling early, but I digress.) We were a little nervous, tired, and overwhelmed but managed to eat our lunch on a large bed rock. After about resting thirty minutes we ran into a solo hiker who helped us back across the river and guided us the rest of the way. (See, everything happens for a reason.)

The Slope She Slid Down
(Note: We are on the
wrong side at this point)

The slope down was steep and I had to watch my friend slide down a rock into the river. It was shallow and the water was slow so she crawled out. My other friend broke a nail, I bruised my knees after slipping twice and we all got completely wet. I would say the damage was minor and we reached the third and gorgeous waterfall Sliding Rock Falls. Here you can slide down the waterfall and swim. It was breathtaking and worth the hike but I was beat. 

We Made It!
Sliding Rock Falls

Now keep and mind, you could hike back up the way we came at any point but I could not picture it even though I saw people do it. We crossed the falls after relaxing in the water and eventually began our hike back up. 

Going back up required hiking up is a steep set of rocks. We were told 45 degrees but I want to say it may have been 60 degrees in some spots. The step ups were high and I had to take a few breaks while I watched happy kids hop up past me. Once you reach the top it’s a simple relatively flat trail that takes you back around the park by crossing the dam on a main road. Overall, it took us about 5 hours to complete the hike but I am so thankful for the solo hiker who lent a helping hand and his water when mine ran out. I am so amazingly proud of myself, my group, and I am tempted to do it again. (Not going to say when just yet.) My body was in full pain for two days, my butt was on fire, and my calves were in shock but I survived Tallulah River Gorge; So, here are my survival tips for you if you are new to hiking and want to go to the gorge:

• Wear shoes with good traction that you don’t mind getting wet
• Wear mosquito repellent and long pants/leggings if you are worried about bugs or poison oak. (I have no bites to show for!)
• Bring a backpack with a lunch and plenty of water
• Have items you don’t want to get wet in a double Ziploc in your bag
• Stretch before, during, and after.
• Take plenty of breaks and be patient with yourself
• Keep a Change of Clothes and Shoes in your car
• Get a guide if you are new to this (like me!)
• Take lots of pictures!!!
• Be prepared for a learning experience and memories
• For a School Field Trip I recommend visiting the Hydroelectric Plant for a tour, hiking the trails above the gorge, and then hiking the steps down to the gorge floor, maybe crossing the river, but coming right back up the same way.

When we made it to the other side...

The Best Glamour Shot I Got from the Gorge

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War Against the Cell Phones - 5 Things You Can Do to Win

As a teacher, I am always on the hunt for different methods that teachers use to combat excessive cell phone use in the classroom. Notice that I used the word excessive, meaning that there is truly a time and place for everything. With the school year starting back I a prepping for the daily battle of the cell phones. I stumbled across an article a few months back of a Florida Teacher who was suspended for five days without pay for using a cell phone jammer in his classroom. Check out the article here: FL teacher suspended after using cell phone jammer inside classroom

Bring Your Own Technology has really changed the way we all look at cell phones in the classroom. The first thing we realized is that cell phones do have a purpose! The second thing we all quickly realized is that without strict guidelines in a classroom, cell phone use can easily go from useful to useless. I truly empathize with the teacher who felt so fed up that he had to resort to these measures. I do understand what he did was illegal and I do not think it was okay; however, there has to be a way! Cell phones can be so distracting in our day to day lives and in the classroom they often become a monster when not used appropriately. I did read about a software called Try Safety First that essentially achieves the goal of the FL teacher without endangering anyone or breaking any laws. 

Anyway, this is not my expertise and school systems take forever to workout the kinks of new programs, so here is what I have done and plan to do in the meanwhile:

1. Make it clear to students from DAY 1 that cell phone use is not allowed in your classroom unless said otherwise. I have a Cell Phone Stop and Go Sign that I use on my board to let students know what kind of day its going to be just to be clear. I am not just telling them, but I am showing them. You can never have too much reinforcement!

2. Be clear about consequences for cell phone use. I like to give one warning and I mean ONE warning. If you give more than one, than now you are just being a pushover. If I catch a student again that same period/ block I take up their phone. (I have a special drawer with dividers to place cell phones. I can easily lock and unlock this drawer). Depending on what kind of lockable storage you have you can use Dividers, Drawer Organizers, or Over-the-Door Organizers. The best part about locking phones up is:

• I DO NOT return the phone until the end of the day or unless a student is called to check out.
• There is no concern for cell phone theft or loss, and my school supports taking up phones, as it is in their contract they and their parents sign in the beginning of the year in the student handbook.
• A majority of students will put their cell phones up because no one wants to go phoneless the rest of the day.
• If a student is caught a second time, they still get their initial warning; however the second time I have them call their parent out in the hall from their phone to explain the situation and I will speak directly to the parent about when their child can serve detention.
• This also helps other students to put up their phone because no one wants to make that call during class. Anything past these two situations result in a referral to the front office.

3. I know it sounds like a lot, but the biggest thing you can do is start this on DAY 1 and be as CONSISTENT as possible the first few weeks of school. Fighting the battle in the beginning allows you to set a standard for the year. Do not back down, do not feel or look guilty and do not be lazy about it. Students are testing boundaries and it is up to you to make them clear. It will be worth it. This is essentially your place of business and you must set your business up for success!

4. ACCEPT that there are some battles in this Cell Phone War that in my opinion are not worth fighting. For example, I have made clear it is a No Cell Phone/ No BYOT day; however, I have finished my lecture and they are working on an assignment pretty quietly. I will walk around the classroom and check on my students progress randomly and see if they have any questions. I do this pretty casually because at this point in my mind I am compromising with them. Most will quickly hide a cell phone as you come around, which I like to think of as there little way of saying, "Ms. B, I partially respect your rules", and for me as long as they are doing your work, I will not shut them down. Its not my optimal situation but students figure out a few things by this:

•  Cell Phone use during lectures or direction including labs will result in the worst of punishments and those are boundaries most will no longer test.
• As long as they are diligently working, making progress, and regularly completing assignments on time, their cell phone use outside of those times mentioned above will not be as strictly monitored. (Let's face it, it is no fun being a cell phone police 24/7).

5. INCLUDE lessons that do allow cell phone use, whether it is a scavenger hunt using QR codes or using a cell phone app that increases classroom participation. (I will share my favorite things to do with cell phones soon and yes I do implement consequences to those students off task in those days.)

Note: If your school does not have any rules that back you taking up cell phones, talk to them about what can be an appropriate set of consequences for misuse of phones in the classroom.  Other options include consequences across other classes, after school activities, and in sports. I am always delighted to find how supportive other teachers and coaches will be in reinforcing your rules and consequences. They care equally about those same students being successful in the classroom, especially if it impacts missed activities or future scholarships.

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Balancing Teaching & Life

Image courtesy of Kittisak at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Many years back, I decided teaching would be a good career choice for me; I cared a lot about people, I had a lot of knowledge to share from my studies/ experiences, and I wanted to do that cliche thing that actually really matters, "Make a Difference". I heard of the struggles of teachers but actually going through it yourself really makes things clear.

Yes, I did spend my own money but that doesn't hurt that much...not when it contributes to a more productive classroom. What takes a toll are the extra daily hours spent at work, plus the unbilled personal student therapy hours, and the worrying or general frustration that comes with the responsibility of leading youth.

So, over the past year, I have battled and struggled to find a balance between my career, which I love and my personal life which I love too. Here is a list of tips that I developed over time in order to keep this balance.

1. Never forget you are your #1 priority

If you aren't together than other things that matter wont be. i.e. your family, friends, relationships, and overall health will suffer. You have to take care of you. People forget this because the way life pulls you in different directions but don't ever forget about yourself in the process. 

2. Don't overload

There may be pressure to sponsor multiple organizations at your school whether it is from the students or your administration. Choose one or two things that matter most to you. One should take up a moderate amount of time and the other should be minimal. For example, a sport that is seasonal and not year round and an organization that meets bi-weekly or once a month. Everything does not necessarily work like this, so you have to really use your best judgement with this. Just be honest with yourself when saying Yes! Remember you are already doing a time consuming super hero like job!

3. Use a calendar

I have a work calendar and a personal calendar. I commit two days a week to stay a little later to make copies in advance or get extra grading and planning done. Also, I keep all my meetings written in my work calendar along with days students are planning to stay for extra help. I keep office hours so this is usually much easier for students, parents and myself to plan ahead when it comes to tutorial.

4. Schedule Time for Workouts or Active Activities

I choose mornings because by the end of the day I am full of excuses as to why I can't make it to the gym. I suggest making sure you pick a workout that you can enjoy whether it is Pilates, listening to music on the elliptical or a group fitness class like Zumba or Bootcamp, just do something! Commit to a time, remember that every bit counts, and stay consistent. Think of it like eating...you have to do it and you always feel better when you are done!

5. Meal Prep

Pick a grocery shopping day and a meal prep day. Get your family involved in helping you prepare meals if you can. This is the best way to create meals that fit everyone's needs. Be sure not to neglect yours in the process and make sure others in your household are compromising! Preparing meals saves you time during the week and it keeps you from eating junk! I'll share some of my favorite meal prep routines soon. I like to go for the one pot dishes because they are easy!

6. Limit Bringing Work Home

There are few things that I bring home to grade. For example, research papers may require additional time, so I'll grade 5-10 a week depending on my load. I do most of my grading as students submit work or sometimes if it is a practice grade I will have them grade themselves. Additionally, it is important to plan your lessons so that you have down time to get in grading as necessary.

7. Go to bed!

Its simple, get your rest. Those days of not getting enough rest will eventually catch up to you mentally and physically. Look forward to your sleep and come up with a nightly routine to help you wind down. For example, I like to floss, wash my face, stretch and meditate. This all takes less than 30 minutes. 

These tips are all things that work for me and I hope can work for others. Feel free to take them and tweak them and remember that organization is one of the biggest components to keeping balance. Of course things won't change over night, but definitely make your goal to have balance! Try facing one new challenge at a time and you will start to see a difference.

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