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

Can it be spring?

We've had the best weather recently! Sure, it's been a tad on the cold side some days, but overall it's been so nice! The grass is out (although a little brown), and the snow is mostly gone. Amber and I have enjoyed going on walks, and we went running with Amy today. We're about to go play tennis as well. When I mentioned Kiwanis Park today I got really excited because that park reminds me of spring and being outdoors playing and having fun with friends! It's such beautiful weather, and I LOVE being out in it! But will it stay? That's the question. I'm not sure that Punxatawney Phil was accurate this year. However, this is Utah--and the weather can be really weird at times. Any thoughts---is this good weather here to stay?

Stressed Spelled Backward is Desserts

Before Christmas and during finals, I got to go visit my friend Cherice. Her family makes handcrafted chocolates that they sell in a shop in Sandy, and she let me come help out in the store. When you walk in, it's kind of like walking back through time a few decades. They don't use modern equipment--they pretty much continue doing things the way they've been done for the past 4 generations or so. I guess they've upgraded to a cash register, but they still use a little heated iron to shrink wrap the boxes, etc. They keep the store very cold so that the chocolates don't melt. It was a pretty cold winter experience!







I took some chocolate home to the family for Christmas, and it was a hit! Each chocolate is hand-dipped and has its own special symbol drizzled over it in chocolate. The chocolate caramel pretzels and pecan logs are divine as well. Cherice insisted that their chocolates are better than See's, and I agree!

In the pictures above you can see the giant vat that the chocolate stays in until someone is ready to use it. The messy chocolate picture is one where Cherice is hand-dipping mint Oreos! Yum!! I had a fun time sorting orders and choosing my own chocolates to take home.

Thanks, Cherice! :)

A Piece of My Heart

Wow. It's been a long time...again. I've started some blog posts (at least one), but finished none. So now, today, on this the 14th of February, in the year of our Lord, 2009, I am going to write. What about? Perhaps about something I love--seems appropriate. Or perhaps people that I love. Yes, a big group that I love. Let me introduce you...

{I took out some pictures here for safety reasons.}

...to my first graders. Well, technically they aren't mine. But they felt like mine last semester--my babies. It was so fun to teach them and interact with them and watch them learn and grow. They are small and need things broken down into bite-sized pieces, but it was a great experience. I love 1st grade!







Yep, those were my kids! The girl in the picture with me was my mentor teacher, Marissa (Miss Crane). I was a little worried at first when I found out how young she was. Amber brought up a good point, though--being young means that you're fresh out of school with the latest and greatest ideas, trends, and methods. You're also not stuck in your ways like some older teachers can be. Do you think that the school kind of looks like the one in the show Recess? Farrer used to be a middle school, but they transformed it into a (very large) elementary when they demolished Joaquin Elem.

Anyway, this was a special experience for me. I was sad when it ended. That was a happy (and BUSY)time for me, but I've moved on. I still like to go see the students and Miss Crane occasionally, though.

In March I start my second cohort experience at Franklin Elementary in 3rd grade, and I'm super excited about it! Really--it's going to be fun...and a challenge. I have already visited the school and the class, and I have great principal, facilitator, mentor teacher, and class. I got to see the students in give book talks and do a brain dance. I participated in the brain dance. It's actually kind of funny, but they take it pretty seriously. I also got to be in music class with them for a bit. It should be fun. My mentor teacher Miss Sutton has a special technology certification which has given her a pretty unique allowance. There is a Mac in the classroom for every two students. She also has a Promethean Board--I have yet to really see these at work, so it will be a learning experience for me. I guess I'll be incorporating a lot of technology for the month that I'll be there.

Anyway, this was an accomplishment for me! Maybe I'll even post another one later today or over this long weekend. Have a happy one, all!

Goodbyes

Since turning 21, I've had to deal with some sad things--sending off missionaries. Not the kind that will eventually be Dear Johned, but the kind that I will wait faithfully for for a year and a half. This causes some tears on my part. I've always hated saying goodbye, and I feel like I've had to do a lot of it to a certain degree in my life. Especially being the youngest of 6 kids. Anyway, that's beside the point. I'm proud of them for their desire to serve the Lord and put normal life on hold to help bring to pass His purposes.





The girl on the top is Briana Whiting. We visit taught together here at Victoria Place last year, and through that we became really good friends. She's on a mission in Colorado Springs.

Under that is a picture of me and Brittany and Brianna Hulme. We've been friends for as long as I can remember, and it's been the hardest for me to say goodbye to them. Brittany is supposed to be going to Bolivia and Brianna is headed to Thailand. I'm sure their mom is a little nervous about them living in third world countries. Personally, I would be more worried about them going to California. The people there are a little bit scarier these days. (p.s. If you're from Cali, I still love you!) :)Anyway, I've never had to be away from these two girls for longer than about 6 or 7 weeks. Only 69 1/2 weeks until we reunite. I can do this. I will miss singing with them for that period of time...and watching movies til late at night. There go my babies--off doing their missionary thing. (They are actually still in the MTC.)

The bottom picture is my friend Rachel Lovell (in green). She's going to Florida. All of us in this picture lived and worked in Seattle together this past summer. We're proud of her!! :) And we're especially glad that she doesn't have Tuberculosis. I have a video of my butterflies hatching, and in the background you can hear Rachel expressing her concern that she might have Tuberculosis and that she would therefore not be able to serve a mission. Luckily, the TB scare turned out to be negative in the end. ;)

I have a lot of friends on missions, but the part that amazes me is that most of my childhood is on or is about to be on a mission. Ashley's in Taiwan and Jessie's headed to the Philippines. Becky's waiting for her call. Luckily, I will gain my (Stephanie) Yano back here in a few weeks. She's almost done serving in D.C.!!

I'm so proud of all of my girls, and part of me wishes I could go, too. I guess I could, but right now I'm thinking that I want to focus on becoming an elementary school teacher. Maybe I'll feel differently someday, but until that day, I will keep saying my goodbyes and waiting patiently for my dear ones to come back to me.

"This is Halloween..."

Welcome back to my blog! Or maybe you should be welcoming me back...I'm not quite sure. I thought it would be most appropriate to get this blog started with this year's Halloween's pictures (since that's practically where I started last year). Me, Amber, Emily, and Kyle dressed up as characters from Peter Pan. Emily and Kyle made their costumes. Amber used some old costume parts, and she made a very successful trip to the DI, where she found the red coat you see her wearing. I didn't have much time to prepare, but everyone thought it would be a great idea for me to be the crocodile. It was that...or Tink...or Smee. For some reason, I really liked the idea of being the crocodile. Amber found me a foam hat. I was later disappointed to find out that I had been a fraud ALL Halloween night--yes, it was actually an alligator hat.
Anyway, here are some pictures of our Halloween spectacle:











Yes, we went trick-or-treating, and we were surprisingly well-received. I thought people would be angry with us for trick-or-treating in college, but they liked us. Maybe it's because we actually put in some effort, as opposed to some punk teenager who goes door-to-door in a t-shirt and jeans looking for candy. Anyway, the weather was perfect! Couldn't have asked for better. One man that we went to (from Emily and Kyle's ward) has made homemade donuts for the past 30 Halloweens. We got to dip them in powdered sugar--a very unique Halloween experience. We then sorted our candy and played a Halloween board game that has a creepy video that goes with it. Amber and I topped the night off by a visit to the creamery, where she treated me to a peanut butter brownie (special ones for Halloween). Our friends Kyle and Bianca also came to visit us. Oh, and of course, at the very end of the night I had to turn in a math journal online...school finds ways of creeping into my life at times when it shouldn't. Besides that, though, it was a rather enjoyable night!

Oh, and p.s. I participated in democracy on Halloween also by dropping my absentee ballot off at a mailbox. Woohoo!

p.p.s. Never put off your car registration until the last day possible--there is an unwritten law that says that if you wait until the last day, something will go wrong. Who knew that the registration/decal-distributor place would be closed on Fridays? Random.