It's been a few weeks since I've updated, but that's due to an incredibly busy life. (What else is new!) During my time away however, I realized that this blog doesn't have to be teacher-specific. The chance that most posts will be about teaching is very high, but that's just because that's what I do.
I teach.
The past two weeks, I have taught every. single. class. at the Elementary School and have loved every minute of it. Each class is so different, even in the specific grade levels, and I can't think of any I prefer, but I KNOW this is the level I want to teach.
It's neat seeing the kids warming up to me and being able to break through and reach some of the "unreachables." When the too-cool-sixth-grader comes up when the rest of the class leaves and says he wants to stay after school so he can improve on his trumpet but doesn't want anyone else to find out about it, or the first grade girl who doesn't have to come to class anymore with her aid is getting ready to go grabs your arm as she lines up and tells me she's keeping me forever...those are the things that make me realize I'm doing exactly what I need to do. Even on a rough day, the kinder kids who walk in and tell me "I'm looking be-a-utiful today" can cheer me up in an instant.
Even in my private teaching, I am making lots of progress. I currently have ten students, four of whom tried out for High School Regionals and placed 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 7th overall! I was so proud of them, especially the girl who has only been playing horn for less than a year and still placed above 17 other contestants! One of my junior high students also tried out for Junior High Regionals and made that! It's neat to see that my efforts and communications make it through to the students and that they can push themselves to reach their fullest potential.
My elementary student teaching is winding to a close with only three more weeks left, and then I will make the switch to the high school which is making me realize just how close to graduation I really am. I signed the intent to move form at the apartment office this afternoon, solidifying the fact that I am homeless, come August. Actually, I got the phone call from Barry and was told that I have the park job this summer again, and it could be extended until September, or possibly October if I still don't have a job which adds a little bit of an extra cushion.
I am truly scared of how little control I have on my life right now. I have no clue where I am living next year. I have no clue if I will have a job next year. I have no clue who my friends will still be next year. Nothing, except that I will still have my family because they don't really have a choice in the matter.
I have 81 days until graduation, and not many more than that until I am out of Flagstaff completely. I don't have time to play "the game" or to argue about petty situations with friends. I have decided that I am going to make the most of these few months and not waste them. They'll be gone before I know it.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Bounce High, Bounce Low, Bounce the Ball to *SPLIT*
This week is my first week of COMPLETE teaching! Yesterday I taught fifth and third grade, along with all the before, lunch, and after school sectionals and private tutorings. After school, I taught two private lessons of my own and then called it a quasi-early night.
Today, I taught back-back-back-10minutebreak-back-back classes that were kinder, first, kinder, first, kinder, first...and that was just between 8:45-11:35!! After that I headed to NAU to play in Wind Symphony, teach three of my own private lessons, play in Collegiate Band, and now I am writing my lesson plans for tomorrow's classes.
Needless to say, this is already EXHAUSTING!
The kids and teaching totally makes everything worth it though. I still have not even begun to second guess my career choice during my student teaching experience, and have learned SO much thanks to everyone at the school, especially Mrs. Stamer!
Today was another less-than-forgettable day...
In my very first class of the morning, I had the kinders in a circle so we could participate in a song about a ball. At first, they all bounced an imaginary ball to the beat while I bounced the real one. The next time, we sang the song with each of the students' names and I bounced the ball to them when we said their names and they rolled it back to me. When one of the kids rolled the ball back, I bent over in a funny way and heard that awful sound of a seam ripping. There I was, in the center of a circle, surrounded by kindergartners, most likely with ripped black pants, fearing my choice of hot pink underneath was not turning out to be my wisest decision. I knew that if the kids saw it and started laughing I would have NO control of the class, so I decided to pretend that nothing happened and just pray that nothing would happen.
Luckily, we finished the game and they sat back down so my back was turned away from them the rest of class. There wasn't a break between the first two classes, but the second was a little late so I ran around the corner to the bathroom. When I checked, I found out that the pants had a double seam, thank goodness!, so they didn't split all the way through! I made it successfully through the rest of the morning without a glitch and am almost halfway through the week now!
Tomorrow morning I am getting observed for the first time, and hopefully everything will go well!! Now to get to those lesson plans so I can get some sleep...
Today, I taught back-back-back-10minutebreak-back-back classes that were kinder, first, kinder, first, kinder, first...and that was just between 8:45-11:35!! After that I headed to NAU to play in Wind Symphony, teach three of my own private lessons, play in Collegiate Band, and now I am writing my lesson plans for tomorrow's classes.
Needless to say, this is already EXHAUSTING!
The kids and teaching totally makes everything worth it though. I still have not even begun to second guess my career choice during my student teaching experience, and have learned SO much thanks to everyone at the school, especially Mrs. Stamer!
Today was another less-than-forgettable day...
In my very first class of the morning, I had the kinders in a circle so we could participate in a song about a ball. At first, they all bounced an imaginary ball to the beat while I bounced the real one. The next time, we sang the song with each of the students' names and I bounced the ball to them when we said their names and they rolled it back to me. When one of the kids rolled the ball back, I bent over in a funny way and heard that awful sound of a seam ripping. There I was, in the center of a circle, surrounded by kindergartners, most likely with ripped black pants, fearing my choice of hot pink underneath was not turning out to be my wisest decision. I knew that if the kids saw it and started laughing I would have NO control of the class, so I decided to pretend that nothing happened and just pray that nothing would happen.
Luckily, we finished the game and they sat back down so my back was turned away from them the rest of class. There wasn't a break between the first two classes, but the second was a little late so I ran around the corner to the bathroom. When I checked, I found out that the pants had a double seam, thank goodness!, so they didn't split all the way through! I made it successfully through the rest of the morning without a glitch and am almost halfway through the week now!
Tomorrow morning I am getting observed for the first time, and hopefully everything will go well!! Now to get to those lesson plans so I can get some sleep...
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