CHICK-CHAT! with Jana Scott

It's time to share a laugh or two! Join us this week as we reminisce about some of our most fun teaching memories with one of our most favorite girlfriends.

Transcript

Mel:   0:02
Well, hello and welcome to the Mel & Kel show. We are so glad you are back. There are a lot of ways you could spend your day. And it means the world to us that you are spending it together with Kel and me. Today we have one of our most favorite, most beautiful, most special, most awesome girlfriends in the whole wide world. This week, we're doing our first interview win the beautiful, wonderful Jana Scott. Hey Jana!

Jana:   0:34
Hi, Mel, Hi Kel. Thanks for having me on your show. I am so excited about this and being your very first interview.

Kel:   0:44
And, you know, with Corona virus going on and all three of us not being able to actually be together is the downfall of this. But being on zoom and seeing everyone's faces, you know what, we are so, so lucky to have you as our first guest.  

Jana:   1:03
Aww, um, thank you. I'm very honored to be your first guest. This is gonna be so much fun. Thank you.

Mel:   1:10
Well, why don't you start us off a little bit and tell us who you are? A little bit about what you do and what fills your days and maybe even how we all know each other.

Jana:   1:24
Okay, Super. My name is Jana Scott and I currently teach kindergarten in Carlsbad. And, well, I'm currently not teaching because of the Corona virus. Unfortunately, very sadly. Um, but that's what I'm usually doing. And I have been married for 23 years. We have a daughter who's a sophomore going to be a junior at San Diego State.  

Kel:   1:47
Wait. Did you just just say you were married for 43 years. You said 43 and I'm like, Did you marry someone else? And I just don't know about it? I thought you said 43. Really? 

Jana:   2:00
Okay, I'm sorry.  I need to annunciate. Well, for one, sometimes it FEELS like 43 years. Maybe that's what you're feeling. Me? I'm just, uh, anyway... we have a son and a daughter. Our son is finishing up his junior year at high school. And, um, I know these lovely ladies  - Mel & Kel-  for many, many years -  before husbands, babies, all sorts of things. I started teaching in 1993 and the girls had already been teaching for a year before me and I jumped in on D track with them. We split kills combo because it has gotten too big and the three of us were like the dream team. So much fun. 

Mel:   2:48
I love that. The DREAM TEAM

Kel:   2:51
ed to teach on D track, so we did, and then it's started getting bigger. It was the dream team, the three of us. And we had one other teacher who taught kindergarten. Um, we just killed it, and we were - I don't mean to sound cocky - but we were like the track that everybody wanted to be on, which was so so fun. To have these kids that we would get from babies and we would get them in second grade, third grade, fourth grade and fifth grade. So we created great great relationships with their families, the kids. It was like we were a huge family. I truly believe those years were my favorite of teaching. We just had great great memories there. Now watching them having children and the things they're dealing with now, where you know not that we're pros because we're still working on this whole parenting thing every day. But it's fun to see them now experiencing this, and for some of them, you're kind of like hock karma. Karma's of your come in is to               well, as we have been talking all month, we're wrapping up our conversation on frustration, and Kelly and I were talking before we had started in on our interview about. I don't think we've let me talk about frustration much longer. 

Kel:   4:12
ed to teach on D track, so we did, and then it's started getting bigger. It was the dream team, the three of us. And we had one other teacher who taught kindergarten. Um, we just killed it, and we were - I don't mean to sound cocky - but we were like the track that everybody wanted to be on, which was so so fun. To have these kids that we would get from babies and we would get them in second grade, third grade, fourth grade and fifth grade. So we created great great relationships with their families, the kids. It was like we were a huge family. I truly believe those years were my favorite of teaching. We just had great great memories there. Now watching them having children and the things they're dealing with now, where you know not that we're pros because we're still working on this whole parenting thing every day. But it's fun to see them now experiencing this, and for some of them, you're kind of like hock karma. Karma's of your come in is to               well, as we have been talking all month, we're wrapping up our conversation on frustration, and Kelly and I were talking before we had started in on our interview about. I don't think we've let me talk about frustration much longer. 

Mel:   4:34
them having children and the things they're dealing with now, where you know not that we're pros because we're still working on this whole parenting thing every day. But it's fun to see them now experiencing this, and for some of them, you're kind of like hock karma. Karma's of your come in is to               

:   5:20


Jana:   5:40
don't need to add more frustrating in when everyone is so frustrated with being laid off. Being jobs are, it's just it's a It's a very, very sad time for our economy. For ah, many, many of our friends are losing money, myself included, and it's It's just it's a challenge. And so Thio keep talking about frustration and thinking You got this. Well, you do. You've got this, but we we need to bring humor in the best person to bring humor is Jenna. Jenna is like, there is not a day that I don't hang out with her and luckily, I live maybe a block or two blocks from her now, and six of a mile, I think six exactly way just walk six miles today. So and we're good at this now. But six feet apart way were six feet apart the entire time. Honestly, it was hilarious. We're very careful, really. But Jenna, you make me laugh. You make Mel laugh. You make everybody. I see your post on Facebook and I'm dying because you're such a goofball. And sometimes you don't even think you're trying to be that funny. But you're hilarious. So we decided. Today's the day we need to have some humor. Let's talk about some fun stuff that just make make people laugh. Vs Be upset or down. Let's put some cheer and a smile on everyone's face.

Mel:   7:22
So Hee, do you think to one of things we've talked about this month is when we do have those feelings of frustration, we need to remember that that feeling is there because of a thought that we're having, and that puts a lot of power back into our hands. So if we have the power, why would we not choose a different feeling and end the frustration and add in some joy? And I agree with you 100% GMOs the girl to do it. So no pressure. Janet. Go ahead.

Jana:   7:52
Do it. Oh, my goodness. Not not No kidding. You know, this is a little bit of pressure. I'm not going to lie. But since I'm thinking about all of the parents who are home schooling, right now or trying to figure out you know, how to keep their kids academically moving forward during this crisis. I was thinking about our time together when we were teaching many years ago, and I actually do have a funny teaching story, but it's about Cal Joy. Oh, joy. Why are you smiling, Mel? That stuff here. Okay, I just I'll be quick, but I will never forget. And we won't name students. But there was a little one in the group of Children that we shared who often had to go to the nurse, had extra ailments, maybe didn't really need to go The nurse, but wanted to go to the nurse. Took those little breaks all the way throughout. Always has something not feeling well or or hurting aching something. And so when you cry wolf a lot of times, sometimes it backfires. Let me explain. Wait. You know what I'm doing with this stuff? I'm mortified, all right. We had our students out on the field running the mile, and unnamed student um twisted her foot and then started limping and saying she really needed to go to the nurse. And Kell is like, You're fine. Run you've got this Go. You're fine. You always want to go nurse your fight. Go finish your mouth. And you know she's also exactly so. She finished her mile and I don't think it was her best time. But she did. And then since she did limp across the finish line of hell did let her go to the nurse. And I can't remember if it was the next day or the day after next, when she came back to school. I remember she came back the next day, but the next time we saw her at school, she returned in a cast and crutches with a broken foot. So it's very possible the nurse. What? Really, really, really need thio dinners. Every child is allowed to go to the nurse From that day on. I don't need to hear what you had. You think you may be sick. Disco? Yes, on the safe side air. That's what we've learned air on the same site. Crazy,

Mel:   10:30
you know? Damn, no doubt she has to remember that right? Like that.

Jana:   10:40
But it's a good thing that your students loved you so much. They loved all of us so much because it didn't become an issue.

Mel:   10:47
We love that family. She had a sister, and we have loved on that family big time for years. Great family, E.

Jana:   11:01
I mean, we get some great field trips. Um, I remember going to the Wild Animal Park and one time the goat or the deer was eating my backpack and the kids say, Pull it, just pull it. It was a hurt D I mean, just silly, silly things at all of our plays and musicals that we did and

Mel:   11:25
what was right. I remember those best rides. You'd be like flea

Jana:   11:30
flatly by Oh my gosh. And the kids would love hanging out with us. I think we we we changed a lot of lives, and I think they changed our lives as well. Like it was some of the best years and whether we were in school or hanging out at Janice Place down in P B like we had a lot of fun on the weekends as well. Way be Grady papers. Yes, that what? That's a very yeah, all the time, all the time. Grading. That's what your parents be doing right now. Grading your corona virus. Kids papers daily

Mel:   12:24
it wasn't always fun and laughter that their worst of challenges that you know, some planned and unplanned lessons that happened over time and kind of remembering a science experiment may be gone wrong.

Jana:   12:43
Yes. Go. Sorry, Kelly. Uh, yeah. You know that. Oh, yeah. I had a group of kids. We were doing a science experiment. We were gonna d'oh Skittles, You know, the different colors. And what are the chances of getting certain colors? And I put on a three play of Skittles commercials because the kids love those stupid commercials. Like the 1st 1 was a cloud and old ladies walking a cloud and Skittles are falling out of it. And then the 2nd 1 was a guy in the doctor's office, and he had skittles pox. And I'm looking at the kids and it's on the big projector and they're laughing. And then all of a sudden, I look, and some of the kids are their eyes. Air just bugged out of their head like they are. Oh, my gosh. And it felt like that slow motion where you go. No, but it was within a second I looked and it was a bride and a groom fully dressed in the wedding dress in the tux, but they were in their hotel, honeymooning it, and that's all I should have to say. And I had this lamb the computer down to shut it, and they are cracking up. And it was a middle school kids. So my eighth graders for sure knew what was going on. And the sixth graders are like, What? What? What? What just happened? And I was mortified, totally mortified that that was ice worth. I was gonna lose my job. I had to call my boss and tell her, and she's like, Don't say, Let's just see what happens. I talked my way out of it really fast, so I only the eighth graders kind of knew what was going on. But the first person I called was my mom, who I'm like almost in tears telling her about it. And she's like, It's okay, don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. And then I was at lunchtime when I came, got back to class, she had called and said, Oh my gosh, did you watch the end of that? God spewed some skittles, and I remember being mortified that my mom watch went back to watch the commercial. I about died. I thought, OK, that luckily I'm still teaching. But that was and I had previewed that the night before. So those stupid youtuber hackers they got me, they got me Good.

Mel:   15:22
So hee homeschooling moms, that air. You know, suddenly homeschooling teachers unplanned have a whole new appreciation for teachers are like they have to be, like some of the means and things that are going around are cracking me up. But

Jana:   15:45
I wonder if any of these home school parents have had parent teacher conferences where the parents come in and our meeting and, um, I think we had an issue at one time. Jenna, did you ever have any problems? And when you have parent teacher conferences with maybe maybe the wife not showing up and the dad needing to talk to the conference, Well, you know, yes, actually, that that sometimes happens. But I have a feeling I know what you're talking about. It was one in particular and they were married. But yes, the wife did not make it to the conference and we were going through the items, and I was showing the dad, his daughters progress and where she was, the things and what we could keep working on. And we wrapped it up and I asked if there were any questions before we finished up and he had a question for me. He asked me if I would go out with him, and I was shocked. I was like, That's not really what I was meaning When I said, Do you have any questions? I said, Excuse me. Um, you're married. I'm single, but you're married and it's like, Well, we're gonna be splitting up. We're We're in the process of splitting up and I said no, this I leave here, I'm gonna be split up. Yeah, I forgot to let my wife know that we were gonna be splitting up. I found it like stole uncomfortable. And those were the days before husbands and kids and we would finish our conferences and had the happy hour, and I was dying. So I'd like to more conferences. I had to get through before we were finished today. And I could not wait to get to claim jumper until melon cow about this, like it was so awkward. So awkward

Mel:   17:35
way were we graded papers,

Jana:   17:39
way grading papers happening, claim jumper because there wasn't a single brewery even invented at that time, I'll say into macula area. So who claim jumper? E think business, actually,

Mel:   17:56
jazz closed. I know. After 25 years.

Jana:   18:00
Oh, my root beer barrels. Yeah, that's what we had. Ruby, where a

Mel:   18:07
waiter capers. I tell you, it is awesome to take times like this and remember that even when life itself maybe presents challenges and problems, we don't have to go very far back in our memories to find something that makes us laugh and just something that's remarkable and wonderful. And and you two always delight me with stories from our past and just see if it's even going on now, like I just love it. We still share our lives. We're not teaching in the same schools or doing the same things. And yet we're forever friends, and it just makes me so happy.

Jana:   18:54
Me, too. Like Kelly said, family, we really are. I feel like I learned so much from both of you because that was my first year of teaching. And I know you were both really young, too, and right out of the gate. But you had a year on me and just I just learned so much that year, and I just really learned how much fun it should and can and needs to be. And I think that's why Detract became the most most popular. I mean, really, the most requested track after a year or two with us being on it was so much fun. And I don't know his great memories

Mel:   19:28
way were so invested in the kids. We were invested in the place and the musicals and the, you know, fall festivals and that you name it, we got it just like a city

Jana:   19:42
of Murrieta. I still believe they do the fall festival after week. We created it, and it just it took off. So I'm gonna go back. So when you were talking about, you know, learning from Mel and I, there are so many things I think we've learned from each other through these years. And one of the biggest things that I would love you to talk about Jenna, is that, um, in this crisis that we're all I mean, America, the world is going through right now. Um, I know both times that you have taken mission trips to Africa. When you have come back and you have shared them with me and we've gone and talked, you get very emotional and and at those times you were very emotional, fresh from Africa. But how is that right now correlating with what's going on? And these, you know, so many people are like buying everything in the market, you know? I mean, if you need toilet paper, you have to get up at 6 a.m. Now to be stand in line for an hour. Like what? What can you share? Because I think it's so important and I just I love your words and it's been a while, But I would love to know what share share with us. Sure, we need you to share now. Ah, well, thank you. I did spend over two different trips almost five and 1/2 weeks, I would say total there, and it's so eye opening and it's so heart opening and it's so life changing. But one of the small, simple takeaways that's really resounded with me a lot lately is that I hate to break it to America, but toilet paper is a luxury item, and I just think, Oh my goodness, the world is washing. People beat each other up for toilet paper. Yes, I really appreciate having two of the paper also, but I think it really helps you put things in perspective if you I think, that or or just try to imagine a lot of people haven't had opportunities I've had. But there are people that don't have those luxuries or people being so frustrated that you know the word of the month so frustrated that they can't go have green beer on ST Patty's Day in the the bars were closing down the restaurants, and we live this luxurious American life. And we just think, you know, our rights are being taken away. We can't go to a restaurant or it's so frustrating where it's like, You know what? How about we turn that around and think of how grateful we can be that this is our normal, because this is not normal for a lot of people. And there are people that, you know, get up and walk two miles for their family to have clean water. Still, it's hard to believe in 2020 it still happens in parts of the world and just we have so many things to be grateful for. And I think, um, it's funny because when we were gonna change from talking about frustration to having fun, which I think is so important, especially that my heart goes out to, the moms were trying to home school right now and we feel you. But I think one thing that is frustrating in this whole situation is we all have a part in it, and right now most of our part is to stay home and just let the world start to heal without us adding to it. And I think, um, we could take a lesson from other countries that are a little bit down and notched, and that could be a really good takeaway. I think I saw him mean and it's funny. It made me chuckle, but it really also made me think it said, Um, do you feel do you ever feel like the universe has sent us to our room and told us to think about our behavior? And I just thought wow, like this is a time We were all kind of just being set back to our rooms to just slowed. Actually. Really, Really good. I like that one. I know that was there, right? Yeah. I mean, we all have been sent to our rooms for real

Mel:   23:46
one. Just throw in their two. That I. Same thing. I thought It's such a good point. So you see people out with their families like more people are out walking. More people are with their kids right now. And it said something to the effect of, um, all the things that we've been praying for, families to reunite more time together. All of those things are actually happening. This is a time to rejoice. And it's that whole change of perspective if we can fall back on some of the positives, realize that our suffering I'm totally using air quotes there because its first world problems that we're talking about like our suffering looks very different than Third World separates. And I love what you said, Jenna. It's a really good perspective.

Jana:   24:42
Yeah, it's so true. And I hope that I know that we're going to get through this. That's not a question. We're going to get through this, and I think a lot of how we come through this or what we come out the other side with depends on our perspective. And what can we learn? Can we stay bitter? Can we you know, point fingers? Or can we share and love better and slow down and remember how good it does feel to connect with our family members in our community and not lose that Because way too soon enough, life will get back to normal, and this will just be like a distant memory. But I hope we never forget how it feels to pick up the phone and have the time to make a phone call, take a walk, put dinner on the table. And guess what? Everybody's eating dinner together. Restaurants are closed, Nobody's going anywhere. The family dinners back on the table. I am so full of joy, just with that fought alone.

Mel:   25:40
Wonderful. Me too. And I think that's actually a good thought to kind of wrap up with is that everything is temporary, and I mean, that's good and bad, which we know life is. It's a it's a it's a fair shake of 50 50. Nobody can be happy all the time. Happiness is temporary. But guess what? So is a crisis, and so is frustration. Um and so just keeping that in mind, This is a temporary situation. It's so important to surround yourself with the people that are the really awesome half of our lives that bring us joy and love and smiles. And I just feel so much better. Having spent today with you girls, you you were better than therapy.

Jana:   26:26
I agree. Lee. Yeah, I agree. This is what I needed. And this is going to make the rest of the week just put a smile on my face and hopefully everyone listening. You can see why we love Janis so much. And we're so excited that you got to stay here and play with us today. We definitely want you to come back and play with us. Maybe on some different feelings. We'll throw him out to you and see what you think. But we really appreciate you coming and playing with us and giving us some words of wisdom. And also I'm sharing my running story. That was great. Thanks there for that one. For sure. You're welcome is thank you for having me. It has been my absolute pleasure to be here on my bucket is full. I needed this more than I thought I needed it. Thank you so much. I love you, girl. We like

Mel:   27:19
Let's thio so much. All right, well, hey, we will see everybody next week. We're gonna be jumping in to a new month And joy Joy No, it's not joy

Jana:   27:37
Dennis. Enjoy. So that's why I e with hope. I'm with hope. Haven't really good to

Mel:   27:45
be back next week. Yes, we Well, we'll definitely back. And until then, we will see you everywhere.