IN OTHER NEWS...

Welcome to my new school! I got accepted to be an intern at Spring Creek Elementary starting in the fall!

On Monday morning I interviewed with panels of principals and facilitators in the Provo School District. I interviewed in two rooms which pretty much had 3 school principals in each room, accompanied by their respective school facilitators. I felt better about my interview in the first room, although the second room had my principal from Franklin in it. I really like him, and I had hoped to end up at his school. Alas, that was not my fate--and I no longer mind. I was a little unsure when I first got the call from Lynette (my liason), but not I'm really excited to be going to Spring Creek!

Spring Creek is a Title I School, which is actually all I have experienced so far in my cohort experiences with BYU. It is a new school that replaced the older Maeser Elementary, I think. It was only built in 2002, so it's lookin' real good! It's two stories tall, and it sits on the hill right about a juvenile detention center. Ha! Amber keeps saying I'll never lack volunteers because I'll have kids from the juvie who need to get their community service hours in haha. :)

Because they are Title I, they get extra money to spend on things like technology, so I will have my own Promethean Board! It's like an interactive whiteboard that's connected to the computer and a projector. See below:



You can pretty much control your computer by using an electronic pen on the board that's in the picture shown above. The large screen and projector enable you to create interactive whole class lessons. You can project worksheets and class games, create weekly flip charts of information, and of course, show movie clips at a much larger size than the average school t.v. :) I'm kind of funny about it, actually. The kids pretty much expect that I'm going to do something stupid when I use the active board. I heard the following from a student during one of my lessons: "It [the active board] always messes up when she does it!". I'm not quite tech-savvy yet, but I'm working on it! :) I believe I also get a mac laptop while I teach at the school.

I don't know what grade I'll be teaching yet. I still need to call the principal to accept the offer tomorrow. Maybe he'll tell me then. I do know that the current interns at the school are in 2nd and 3rd grade. Hopefully they'll respect my preferences and not put me above 4th!

Thanks to the fam, who fasted for me this past Sunday! Prayers were answered, and I feel good (although nervous) about my assignment.

Click to see more on Spring Creek Elementary

Back to Normal Life

Well, my practicum at Franklin is over. It was a learning experience for sure. I learned that I can manage 5th graders very well, but that it's not my favorite grade to be in. I know this is what old people say, but they really are a different generation. In terms of respect and the way they talk to teachers, things are a lot different than they were when I was in elementary school. Sometimes it makes me downright angry inside. I wish they were taught more respect at home or that they didn't have to base their interactions with others (especially with adults) off of what they see on t.v. Still, they are bright and have a lot of potential. If some of them would just try a little harder, I think they would see a big difference in their school success. I could make a list of the things I didn't like each day, but I think I need to pick out some positive ones. So, here I go.

Some of the best things about my 2nd practicum experience (in no particular order):

1.Watching the students recite the Preamble of the Constitution in BOTH English AND sign language...it pretty much gave my heart chills! I tried learning to sign it and with some success. :)
2.Cups of Sonic-like ice in the teachers' lounge
3.Learning how to engage (and/or silence) 26 5th graders
4.Sharing jokes or cool rhythm patterns with them
5.Reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret
6.Playing basketball with the students at recess
7.Meeting an awesome principal
8.PROGRESSING as a teacher!

What?!

Can you find the similarity between these things? Yes, that's right! They're upside-down--a condition similar to what I feel like has happened to my life a little. Not in huge ways...but in bigger-than-small ways. The day before my month-long practicum in 3rd grade, I was informed that I would be teaching in 5th grade instead. Whoa! There's a whole hormone/attitude/size difference! I'd been mentally preparing for 3rd grade, and now that I've been in 5th for two days, I am having a rough time--in essence, I feel like my life has turned upside-down. What happened to the days of first grade? I know I will learn from this, but right now it is really hard. From simple addition and syllables to fractions and magnetism. Yikes! How to teach these things---and teach them well??

That's all for now.

Signed,

The Upside-Down