7th Grade

Yes, I am the newest addition to Kennedy Jr. High in West Valley. I will be teaching 7th grade reading and English. I can't tell you how excited I am. Seems like I have been interviewing and waiting forever, but tomorrow I get to see my new classroom and start planning my first year of teaching! Yea!

Hair

Most of you know that I change my hair a lot. I guess I have never felt like I have found the "it" hair style for me. When I am brown hair I envy my blond pictures, and when I have blond hair I miss the dark. What to do! Such a dilemma.

Graduation

Finally! I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in English Education.

Student Teaching- Mission Accomplished

I made it! Sometimes I wondered how I was going to get through, but finally the last day of student teaching has come! Really I still have another week, but I will only be observing other teachers and working on my Senior Project... so I am celebrating with my students today. I seriously can't wait for rest and recovering. Being a teacher is not a 9-5 job and it took all of the mental energy I could supply. I look forward to the day when I have no papers to grade and no planning to think about. Andrew is just as excited- now I can actually be a devoted wife and have a personal life with friends and family again.
By the way, I graduate April 30th... can't wait!

Stressed?

Yes, I have realized the stress of being an English teacher. Sometimes I wonder... what have I done to myself? Only three more weeks and I am finished- seems like an eternity when I've got a stack of paper to grade that are a mile-high. Just remember if I seem disconnected with the world this is why.

Babies in class?

Yesterday, as my most interesting and rowdy class was coming in from the bell, I heard a little wee cry and noticed a baby carrier. I assumed it was was one of those fake babies, so I nonchalantly asked, "Oh is that one of those fake babies for a class?" Well, the girl who was carrying the baby carrier said, "No, I'm just babysitting." She apparently thought it was no big deal. Of course I was confused, because why on earth would someone ask a high school student to babysit during 4th period? Of course, the whole class was mesmerized that there was baby in class saying, "Hey! A Baby!" or "How cute, a baby!" Really the whole thing was pretty funny... and random.
As I started my lesson for the day and talking to the students, the girl who was supposedly babysitting "SHHsh-ed" me saying, "Be quite the baby is sleeping," to which the whole class burst out laughing at the irony of the situation.
One of the funnier things that have happened, and just wanted to share!

Half-way there...

Next week is my half-way point of student teaching to graduation in April. Trust me I am keeping count! The experience started out a little shaky (which I heard from all my teacher peers that it's normal), but I am really starting to feel confidence in myself as a teacher. For all those who are not teachers, let me tell you... you have no idea how much work, time, and effort teachers put into the classroom. I have never ever been so exhausted in all my life... AND I am never done; the work never stops (well, until summer). On top of all the papers and test to grade and the time-consuming, mentally frustrating lesson planning, I have my own college classes every Wed. night and a huge load of senior projects to finish by graduation. As bad as it all seems sometimes (and yes teaching has made me cry), I am finding more and more that I really enjoy the job.
I love the funny stuff that students say, or when they actually enjoy the lesson and seriously, teachers do care if you like it... I try so hard to interest students and it is a little depressing when my lesson falls flat.
You definitely have to have your wits about you in this job... one day I was doing a mind game with the students and they had to multiply 5 and 9, and under the pressure I was, I quickly shouted out that is was 35 (which it isn't). So, one of the students corrected me and we all had a good laugh about how it's good I am an English teacher and not teaching math.
Well I wanted to post more, but my fourth period is about to start so guess I will catch up later.