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August 2010


FORTISIMO!
August 30, 2010

Someone paid me an excellent compliment this morning and I know he intended to but it was one of those compliments that you just take as a compliment and you don't get all gushy over. It was the IT guy here at the school and he was talking to me about having to back out of helping him with children's clubs on Wednesday evenings because I had accidentally double-booked myself. He said that it didn't matter what I did because either I was working with his daughter or working during kid's club and both were equally good. What he meant was, I know you have a good influence on my daughter and so I want you to be around her more.

That really made me think. I've mentioned this before and I've noticed it before but the younger people really look up to what the older ones do. I told this to my eighth graders the other day and they looked at me a bit strangely but its true. The kindergarten students really look up at the eighth graders and want to be like them. So what's to stop a 7th grader from looking up at a 22 year-old teacher? Nothing.

So then, knowing this, what exactly is my example? Am I doing things I want the other people around me to mimic or am I setting a bad example, doing things I wouldn't want other people to do?

I was really flattered when he told me that and it just set the tone for the day because the whole day went really well. I started second period music class with the elementary and we learned all about the dynamics of music, singing loud and soft. We had fun singing pianisimo and more fun singing fortisimo. Even though it's August I have them all singing Christmas carols because everyone knows Christmas carols but not everyone knows hymns. Then we sang a bunch of kid's songs like in-right, out-right, up-right, down-right and Joy Down in my Heart. It was a lot of fun and I thought I wasn't going to like it. Spanish II even went well because it's skit week and I pretty much just divided them up and set them to working on their skits. The vocab list for this week is all fruits and vegetables so they had to write a skit based on words from the vocab list. Tomorrow they start translating them into Spanish so we'll see how that goes. They'll be performing the skits on Friday. Then since we had a special assembly to kickoff the Walk-a-Thon we got to skip 6th and 7th period! Yay! No computer class today! Which is weird that I would be saying that but really, 6th period computer class is really boring. lol

The ren fest on Saturday was fantastic. Absolutely loved it, bought things I really don't need at all. XD But what else is a ren fest for? I'm telling you, I could probably make just about anything and as long as it looked just slightly medieval or had dragons on it, I could sell it at the ren fest and probably for three times its actual worth. ^^

This week is going to be rough because we have revival meetings from Monday until Thursday. I like Dr. Behrens and I'm all for revival meetings, but as it stand I'm going to be at church from 7:15 in the morning until around 9:00 in the evening every day. It's these weeks that I start eating really bad and putting on weight and vow to start up a regular exercise regimen again. Never gonna happen. lol

Thanks everyone who reads regularly! Sorry things have been a bit self-centered these last couple of weeks, I just haven't had much time to think of anything else to write because I've been so busy. I'll try to fix that though. ^^


Lessons Learned
August 27, 2010

Alright, well, Spanish II greatly improved on Thursday, Thursday being the first day I actually managed to use the whole class period as opposed to just the first twenty minutes. It still isn't the greatest but as soon as I started assuming that the students knew more than I was giving them credit for the class period started to improve. What's more, I'm learning a whole lot more about Spanish than I ever realized I didn't know. Mostly grammar rules. One of my students is fluent in Spanish and he keeps me honest. Nervous and honest. lol! Next week I'm doing 'skit week' where the students are going to be divided into two teams of 5 people each and write their own skit in all Spanish. On Friday they're going to preform their skits for the class.

Spanish I is going well in that I know exactly what the students know; only what I've taught them. I've got some bright kids in my class who have it all figured out and then a few who refuse to concentrate. Today we played a numbers card game where I would call out numbers in Spanish and the students had to form them at the front of the room as quickly as possible. It's a game we played in Mexico and I knew it would work, especially when I said the team that won didn't have to do their homework. lol After class the teacher in the room next to me asked why we kept banging into the wall. It got pretty loud.

So now I'm sitting in extended hours listening to teenagers talk about zoos and pandas. I don't know if they're being serious, I really don't understand sarcasm all of the time so maybe they're being serious, maybe not. They've also been mimicking Jersey accents for about fifteen minutes now as well. I realized I've completely forgotten what it was like to be a teenager and it hasn't even been all that long since I was one. Plus it was probably way different then. So I have no idea what my students think is cool and interesting and funny! I have no idea who half of the people they're talking about are and I don't know when I'm boring them or getting them interested. I imagine this problem only gets worse as you get older.

At any rate, it is the weekend. I still like my job, I'm tired in the evening but it's a good, fulfilling tired. I still can't go to sleep before midnight because I'm on summer time and that's annoying but at least I sleep good. And coming to school is still something I look forward to. Next week I start piano lessons (20 students!!!!!!) and elementary music during second period (!!!!!). I also need to fit in an eye appointment somehow and revival meetings with Dr. Behrens are also next week. It's a lot but it'll be good. Huzzah.

Ren fest tomorrow! Thanks for reading! See y'all on Monday!


GYuuahhh!!
August 23, 2010

Okay, well, you know you're a teacher when you've somehow managed to sit in chalk. I've got this really weird mark on my skirt from where I brushed up against the eraser apparently, it's square and spit won't get it out, the most frustrating thing. Plus it is yellow chalk to boot and I'm wearing a black skirt. It's not as if it blends in or anything, oh no, rather, it sticks out.

I love, love, love my homeroom. I think that comes from not having them in any classes. The 8th graders are super sweet and so willing to just do what they're told to the point that I'm having a hard time digesting it all, really. The 9th graders in Spanish I are a lot of fun as well but come fourth period and the 10th graders and I sort of lose it. I think what happened is that I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was so I kinda confused them which was bound to happen eventually, fortunately it happened today. Tomorrow will be much better.

My computer class is going to be boring. I didn't realize I would have 6th grade in there with me so I think the 6th period computer class is mostly going to focus on typing. The 7th period computer class will be much more fun probably. I hope. lol

All in all it wasn't a bad day. I'm still excited about coming back tomorrow and trying to teach again, I'm not looking forward to the weekend when it's going to be slow and boring compared to the week itself. It's when I'm not doing anything structured that I start spending money and that is detrimental to my saving up to go to France which, by the way, I've been actively pursuing. Flights out of Dulles are looking to be around $1000 round trip and if I can just save a measly $200 a month I'll have around $2000 by August. Since I'll be saving a whole lot more than $200 a month, I'm good to go. Thing is though that I'm also going to Mexico in November (yes, I'm actually going this time) and maybe Thailand in December (YAAAAAY!!!) so the travel fun is going to be seriously depleted if I'm not careful. lol.

Which leads me to my astonishing thought of the day (or rather, yesterday). If I really, truly and honestly think about it, I don't need anything. I have way more than enough clothes, way more than enough jewelry and makeup and way more than enough CD's, books and other assorted items. Do I really, honestly need anything else? Absolutely not!

Yesterday, when I came to that conclusion, I felt more liberated than I had in a long time. It occurred to me that I had been feeling this burden about something for awhile and that must have been it because now I feel amazingly free. I don't have any obligation to buy stuff. All I need to buy is things like shampoo, conditioner, soap and maybe food for lunches (my parents do provide a lot of the foodstuffs though). I don't need any more clothes I don't need any more books and I certainly don't need any more beauty supplies, I have plenty of all of it!

So let me just leave you with that thought. Of all of the items you own, how much of it do you really, truly need and how much of it is excess luxury? It might surprise you!

Thanks for reading! Until later!


Here's Lookin' at you, Kid
August 20, 2010

Secondary orientation is in five hours and between now and then I have to make sure my classroom is clean (it is for the most part) and go home and change clothes. I know I was going to name this post differently (at least I said I was going to, heh) but I liked that title better. I will still mention the discounts for teachers though as I have been using them all week long. XD

Back to the classroom stuff. It smells good in here, I've got my posters all up, my Spanish visuals written, laminated and cut out (thanks to Emily and Jen), lockers assigned, gradebook set up on my computer and my class schedules all lined out. The curriculum is coming together (since I'm pretty much making up my own curriculum I'm just going to be flying by the seat of my pants all year, yay!) and I have a stapler, pens, tape dispenser and a clipboard. In short, everything around me announces that I am a teacher.

But I'm not really a teacher, not yet anyways. I haven't taught a class of students a day in my life. So it'll be sink or swim on Monday. To be completely honest, I feel confident about this. For the first time in a long time I've actually been looking forward to coming to work in the morning and I think that it's because everything I've been doing has been completely my responsibility. I've made the choices about absolutely everything in my classroom, from the bulletin boards to the way it smells (really, really good). If I needed advice, I asked for it, it was not given unless I did so. And, in the end, it has all turned out really well. Plus, the camaraderie among the teaching staff has been really great. I love my co-workers (to a certain extent of course) and we get along well. Mrs. Deuto has been loaning me her Cricut all week (and I've henceforth decided that I really, really need one) and because of this we've really gotten to talk a lot. Mrs. Norris has always been great, that's a given. And then Levi and I are already good friends (we kind of have to be, he's married to my sister.)

So this year is going to be a good year. Call me an optimist (Optimist!) and call me naive but I believe that half of how you feel about something comes from how you think about it. I could sit here convinced that school is going to go horrible and the students are going to misbehave and we're all going to fail epic-ly and if I did that chances are that yes, it will all come true. But I'm going to sit here and tell you that this school year is going to go well, that the students and teachers will succeed, lives will be changed and we'll all learn something in the end. I know that there will be problems, the Devil loves to attack, but we'll come through them because we can and we've got God on our side and we are determined to do so.

So yes, I am ready. And yes I am going to do the best I can and, because of that, yes, I plan on being a success at teaching. I don't think it will be easy, nothing worthwhile ever is, but I know it can be done. And I will do it!

Anyways, off the soap box there, if you're a teacher and you're sick of paying a ton of money try these three things:

So there you have it! Educators are awesome and people are finally realizing it. lol. Take advantage of these discounts because you never know, do you?

Thanks everyone for reading! Please pray for me because, even though I'm confident, I can't do it without God's help. I'm praying too, by the way. XD See you all on Monday!!


Alright...So...
August 17, 2010

I had to look at the calendar on the wall behind me just to see what the date is, then I realized that it is also posted on the upper right-hand corner of my monitor, I just didn't know it. So I expended a bunch of useless energy right there because the calendar is in Spanish so I had to translate it and yeah. I'm sitting in my classroom which is mostly prepared, I just have one bulletin board to finish and a few other little odds and ends, then I have to start preparing homework assignments and lesson plans which won't be too extraordinarily difficult, just time consuming.

We've been having sessions all week about the handbook, classroom procedures, what to do and what not to do...it's going to be a good year. At least it'll be a good first part of the year.

I have it pretty much set out that I'll be going to France next year. No, DO NOT invite yourself along, I have no interest in taking anybody with me, this is going to be Liz's trip and I'm doing it solo. Stay in some hostels, go to some sweet museums and flea markets then come back three weeks later stuffed full of croissants and wearing a beret. So no, if you offer to accompany me, I will not let you come. I will say, 'Thanks, but no thanks.' However, if you make plans independently of me and we somehow manage to meet up at the same cafe one morning, that's your stalker-y business, not mine. Well, then it becomes mine.

Been pricing plane tickets for Mexico in November and, eesh! Got an email from Southwest this afternoon announcing $59 fares from BWI to PHX which would be PERFECT only the blackout dates begin the day before I leave and end the day after I get back. So, -sigh-, that didn't work out so well. It's looking like I'll have to spend around $360 or so just to get to and from Phoenix, that doesn't count the bus tickets which are going to be about $90 or so each. For a weekend trip it almost makes it not worth it, it really does. But I've promised and that's the date the wedding is on so...yeah. No getting out of it now. Unless I asked them to move the date.... No..that would be rude. I won't do that.

My classroom is awesome. As I said, I have a bit more to do but I won't bore you with the details. Becoming a teacher has really made life easier for me in several ways, a few of which I'll mention on Friday's post which I will title 'Discounts for Teachers' because being a teacher means you must make things nice and concise (yes, admit that you admire that bit of rhyming there) for your students. lol

So until then, chao! Thanks for reading! Comment if you would please, saw on the links today that I have 208 links leading to OtterFiles from all over the place which is AWESOME! And we're up to 2,525 visitors! Yay! Thanks everyone!!


Surreal
August 11, 2010

Well, my friends, that was just epic. I'm back in Maryland again (obviously all of my plans to 'post from the road' went awry). This just feels so surreal. I've got a Jeep parked out front, I'm back in Maryland and I've literally traversed the length of the continent. Except for Nevada and California anyways.

The Jeep, by the by, is amazing and fantastic. Fabulous and oh so wonderful. Pretty much all I want in a car. I love, love, love it and plan to go pretty much everywhere in it. And beyond.

A lot of people are confused as to why I would buy a car in Utah instead of Maryland. Short answer: I know zero things about cars. Well, except that I like Jeeps and I can check the oil in a Jeep. Which I've done twice now. However, I know a person in Utah who knows all about cars! And Jeeps in particular. His name is Mr. Allred and he goes to the church that my dad used to be assistant pastor of in Utah. Mr. Allred, you see, owns a dealership in Salt Lake and when I called him two months ago he kindly agreed to look for a Jeep for me. I gave him a few specifics - Grand Cherokee, not white, red or green, part time four wheel drive - and he set about looking. He looked and looked and looked and I called all nervous on more than one occasion and he told me not to worry so I didn't. So finally, the Saturday before I was to fly out to Utah he called me and said he had a Jeep, dark blue, fairly low mileage, good price, did I want it? Yes! Yes I did! So he picked it up.

Am I surprised and relieved that it came so late? No. Why? Because I'm used to God working that way. That's just what He does. He knows exactly what is going to happen, He knew which Jeep I would get, it was all a matter of having patience and letting Him do what He wanted to do.

Being at the dealership itself was a blast. I can't remember laughing more in a long, long time. Some pretty crazy stuff went down in there, if you want to know more about that talk to Jen Stephens. I'm not getting into it on here. lol

So then we took off out of Salt Lake and drove and drove and stayed in some amazing people's houses on the way. And now, I'm sitting on my bed in my own brown-yellow room getting ready to check my email and make sure I didn't put too horrific of a dent in my bank account.

Do I love my car? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes, but differently. Did I have a good time? Absolutely. Am I posting on Friday? Maybe. Stay tuned. We have in-service on Friday. lol

Thanks for reading! I'll do my best to update on Friday with something actually interesting and that pertains to your life and not mine. ^^


Blaaah...
August 6, 2010

Today is the anniversary of the day we bombed Hiroshima. For the first time the United States sent a delegate to be present at the ceremony they hold. Good for us.

This post is very late in the day because, other than ranting about idiots at the BWI airport in the middle of the night, I have nothing to say, I mostly posted everything interesting about PCC earlier in the week. If you all want to hear what I have to say about idiots please leave a comment and I will be more than happy to please you.

I'm off to Utah on Monday. I'll be flying out early Monday morning and starting the drive back in my Jeep the same day. I'll be back in Maryland on Wednesday, probably late in the evening. I'm debating whether or not to take my laptop along with as it is extraordinarily heavy and we are mostly going to be driving and not have much of a chance to do anything else. I'll probably end up taking it. The only other things I have to bring are two changes of clothes and soap and stuff so there is plenty of room. Plus, it's fun to update from the road. lol

That's pretty much it for today, sorry it's such a boring post. I realize that I need to get a bit more order into the types of posts I do but I don't have that many readers yet (although the reason for that may be because I don't have a lot of order) so until I do things are going to be random. Or, actually, until I have things to regularly post about, things are going to be random.

Upcoming plans include: the trip to Utah, a trip to either New York or a Marine re-enactment (have to decide which), a trip to the Ren Fest and, much later on in the future, a trip to the Spy Museum in D.C. I'm also considering dyeing my hair a redder color and I'm currently on the lookout for more skirts that I can wear to teach in. More professional ones, y'know. Bought a really cute jacket at Sears tonight, can't wear it anytime soon really as it is so incredibly hot (and I don't want to travel cross country with it) but it'll look nice at school.

Questions? Comments? Scathing remarks? Leave a comment! Thanks for reading!!


Teaching is a Ministry, not a Job
August 3, 2010

Alright! So I got all of this free stuff from the music sessions, EPIC WIN! Mostly it consists of demo CDs and magazines for sheet music but I did also score a DVD on how to teach piano which is phenomenal because, heads up here, I never have actually had any classes on teaching an instrument to a five year old.

This has got to be one of the best trips I've ever taken. It has been informative and fun. I have learned so much about teaching and we're only two days into it. My favorite session so far today was the one titled, "A Good Music Teacher Is..." Or something like that. The lady who taught it is great and amazing and she inspired me to go out and buy little music symbol cutouts for my class. lol. They were free because we got a $5 gift certificate to the bookstore here and they cost $4.88. I gave the gift card with the remaining twelve cents on it to Levi, my brother-in-law. The second best session we participated in was called "Parent and Teacher Relations" which mainly focused on how to work with your parents instead of just dealing with them and gave a lot of good pointers such as always being professional, getting in contact early on in the year, having good communication and so on.

If I have learned anything during this conference it is this: Teaching is a lot of work. Yes, yes it is. And it's frustrating sometimes. Boring, tiring and a lot overwhelming for me right now. The main things they keep stressing are having a routine and being consistent all across the board. They don't promise miracles but these are things that have worked in the past and will continue to work if I just implement them in my classroom. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to teaching this year, really, but it is occurring to me now that it isn't going to be as ideal as I had thought it would be. I had this fantasy of waltzing into the classroom on August 23rd, the first day of school, charming my class of 8th graders into loving me and behaving themselves perfectly and maybe having a class picnic in May sometime on plaid blankets with wicker picnic baskets before saying a tearful but loving farewell. I don't know why the picnic figured into that, I don't really like picnics, they never work out right but you get the idea. I wanted perfection. Now I'm beginning to realize it's going to be a whole lot more like my own high school days where we sort of just hung on by our fingernails and worked hard enough to pass, preferably with an A or a B. Okay, maybe it won't be all that bad, but basically I'm experiencing a hefty dose of Reality Check and it's starting to scare me. Or at least make me plan a little better than I had been. lol

I'll keep updating as I can, I brought the wrong charger for my hotspot so I'm concerned that it's going to die before I go home on Thursday but I can just get online with the wireless they have here. I've been avoiding it though because I wanted to log onto Facebook. ^^

Thanks for reading!! Leave a comment!


Pensacola, Pensacola
August 2, 2010

I'll move this over to its own page when I get back to Maryland. For now all I want to do is get this post typed up and then get off to bed because I've been up just under 36 hours now (completely my fault, bad mistake too because my eyes are all red and my skin is all pale) and I'm pretty much falling asleep at the desk here.

A group of us from OCS is down here at Pensacola Christian College for a week-long teaching seminar called 'Summer Seminar'. lol. It's really been great. It's already opened my eyes to the fact that I have a huge responsibility this upcoming school year and we've only had three sessions. Tomorrow I get to take a bunch of various sessions, mostly relating to music and parent-teacher relations. Wednesday is going to be the best day because it's the Spanish day. I'm looking forward to it anyway.

While I'm at it, I also must admit that I think I've been a bit too hard on Pensacola in the past. I mean, I'm not completely in agreement with parts of their doctrinal statement but you've got to believe me when I say that it is absolute paradise to be walking around and seeing all the women in skirts. Skirts were so predominant that the three or four women wearing pants were looked at funny and then promptly went and changed into skirts. Not only that but this is almost like a cruise in that you're basically directed around from activity to activity and in between there is free, all-you-can-eat food and you don't have to do the dishes! Then, at night, you go to your little cabin, crash, wake up and do it all over again the next day! So yeah, this is great. But then again I've only been here one day and I'm mostly running on whatever energy I have left. Which is very little. lol

So yeah, calling it a day. A great day. I got to fly, I'm in a new place and I'm learning new stuff. Couldn't really ask for a whole lot more, y'know?

Bye!



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