Planning

As the end of summer is starting to peek over the horizon, I'm thinking it's about time to get my butt in gear and get started with the lesson planning. Don't get me wrong. I have been thinking about the coming school year. A lot. However, I haven't actually sat down and started to come up with any concrete ideas. I've been enjoying summer and focusing on my photography business. However, it is really time to kick it into gear now.

My first step was to print out all of my standards and curriculum. I'm a fan of planning backwards. If you start with what you HAVE to cover, you are sure you've done your job. Then it becomes about HOW you are going to cover it to make it meaningful, relevant, and engaging. In my opinion, this is the most important part.

So I've got my game plan down. Yet, it's hard to find a good starting place. Looking at all of the standards and curriculum makes my head spin. I only have how many days to cover all of this?! It reminds me of one of the many frustrations I've heard regarding the teaching profession....there is too much to cover and not enough time to cover it. So this leads me to my next opinion. It's better to cover less, thoroughly then it is to cover more but only scrape the surface. Quality vs. quantity.

There are two things that I am certain I will be implementing in my classroom. First, my students will begin each day with a daily writing prompt. If they don't like the prompt, they can write about something else. The key is that they must be writing daily. Second, every Friday will be dedicated to recreational reading. My students will spend the majority of the class reading, but we will end with book talks. Each student will be assigned a Friday to present one of the books they've been reading through a book talk.

Now that I have these thoughts written down, it'll be easier to stick to the game plan. Bottom line? It's time to plan.

P.S. Hope you all like the new blog layout. There is no resisting cute little owls :)

House Hunting

With it being summer, I have been neglecting to write. However, I've got something very exciting/scary/stressful going on that I thought would be great to blog about. Who said my teacher blog has to be just about teaching?! So here goes...

The hubs and I are currently house hunting. We didn't think we would buy for quite awhile yet, but our 1,000 square foot duplex just isn't cutting it. Although it is very nice, there just isn't enough space, and it doesn't feel like ours. It feels like we are borrowing it...which we essentially are. But I want a place that is mine! Sound greedy, don't I?!

We started the search off a couple of months ago when we looked at an acreage on the edge of town. The outside was beautiful. It was a gorgeous 2-story white house with an awesome wrap-around porch. However, the inside left a lot to be desired. And the price tag was not very pleasant for such a project house. Then about a week ago, I noticed a house in a neighboring town that looked pretty darn cute. So we decided to give it a look. The house is beautiful inside and out. It is fairly new (built in 2001) and is move-in ready. It has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, with a full unfinished basement, so there is potential to turn it into exactly what we want it to be. The house is a little pricier, but like I said, it's move-in ready.

After viewing that house, the realtor suggested we take a look at an older, 2-story home in town that had just been placed onto the market. The house was immaculate for being 110 years old. The yard was beautiful. The basement was finished, so the space in the house was pretty much maximized. The only downside was it needed new doors, a new kitchen, and new appliances. And the price tag didn't reflect that. Two days later, the house was sold. Good thing we didn't like it very much...

Fast forward a couple of days and I was scouring the internet when I came across another cute little ranch home in the neighboring town. The home looked very similar to the other we had viewed, but it's price tag was much smaller. I was curious why, so we scheduled a showing. As soon as we walked in, it was evident why there was such a price gap between the two homes. This home, although in fairly good condition, was built very cheaply. The walls are not even drywall. They are some sort of composite board that is pieced together. The "partly finished" basement was slabs of mismatched carpet thrown down. It really wasn't finished at all. Seemed like a little bit of false advertising to me.

After seeing the second ranch home, the realtor suggested we look at another home he had listed. This would be house #6 for us. I know I skipped a house, but house #2 isn't even worth talking about. It was completely uninhabitable. Someone with more money and time than us can take on that project if they wish. It definitely wasn't meant for us. So anyway, back to house #6. It is a cute, 2-story older home. It has been well taken care of, and the previous owners started to remodel it, but didn't finish. It still needs a new kitchen, and the basement seems as though it may have some water issues. At the price point, however, it is the best house we have seen so far. However, it's still not THE one.

That brings me back to house #3, the ranch in the neighboring town. I am in love with it. It's adorable, has new appliances, a wonderful fenced-in backyard with a great deck for entertaining, and it's move-in ready. It needs slight cosmetic work...new carpet in two of the bedrooms and some new paint in a couple rooms to cover up some scuffs. However, it is a higher price tag than we originally wanted. But everything we need is there. It's such a tough place to be in. Part of me wants to wait on it....see if they drop the price at all and save some more money. The other part of me, however, wants to jump on it before someone else can!

Then there is the hubby. I think he has cold feet. One minute he's all for it, the next he wants to stay put. I understand where he is coming from, though. A house is the biggest purchase one ever makes. It's a huge decision. I know that I'm just an impatient person. I should probably work on that...

Last Day

One word sums it up. Bittersweet.

English Companion Ning

If you are a language arts teacher and you haven't visited English Companion Ning yet, you have to check it out!! It is an amazing FREE resource. The Ning is an online community of English teachers helping each other with everything from lesson plan ideas to classroom management issues. I have gained so much valuable information from it. Teaching a new novel and not sure where to start? Check out the Ning! Surely there is another English teacher out there who is teaching the same thing as you.

There is a link on the left hand side of my blog so you can access it anytime or visit it at English Companion Ning. Enjoy!

Last Days

I can't describe what I'm feeling right now. It's a mix of so many emotions. Sadness to be leaving the students that I've fostered relationships with, excitement to be graduating from college, anticipation to start preparing for my own classroom in the fall. 3 days left...it all went so fast. It's amazing how much has changed. From those first days where I was unsure of what I was getting myself into...until now as I spend my days scouring the Internet and books for lesson ideas for my new classes.

This morning I got quite the surprise. One of my students gave me a May Day basket and a photo of herself so that I will be able to remember her. It's moments like these that remind me why I became a teacher. This act of kindness tells me that I made an impact on this student. Honestly, it almost made me cry. This is why I became a teacher...to impact the lives of students.

Anticipation Guides

I like to use anticipation guides prior to beginning a novel or play. The anticipation guide consists of a series of statements for the students to consider, then they must mark whether they agree or disagree with each given statement. The students then choose three statements they felt especially strongly about, and they write a short explanation of why they answered the way they did (typically a paragraph each). Finally, we go through each statement raising hands for agreement and disagreement. On each question, I ask students who felt strongly about a statement to share their response, and it often leads into a short discussion, and sometimes debate, over the topic. I have the students fill these sheets out prior to reading and again after reading. After they read, they are supposed to reevaluate the statements using the new knowledge and perspectives they have gained through the reading.

I really enjoy using these anticipation guides as it exposes the students to many themes they will see in the book. It gets them thinking about the book before they even crack it open. Typically the first session of the anticipation guide goes very well. We usually have some great discussions. However, the final session where they fill out their answers after reading the book, doesn't go so well. I notice that the students typically just leave their answers the same. It seems they aren't applying their new knowledge, which is the ultimate goal of this activity. Any ideas of how to get them hooked into delving deeper into the final product?

Ideas!

My mind is overflowing with ideas to implement in my classroom next year. That's right...I got a job! I'm so excited to be given such a wonderful opportunity. I will be teaching 7th, 8th, and 9th English and 8th Reading. I can't wait to get started! As the days creep by, I'm finding it harder and harder not to think about my classroom. It's always on my mind! I've already purchased a bunch of stuff for it, too...and I haven't even seen it yet!

Out of the zillions of ideas floating around in my head, there are two that I am pretty sure I will implement. First, I want my students writing everyday. My plan is to have a daily writing prompt on the board each day as they walk in the door. They will write for the first five minutes of every class. If they don't like the prompt, they don't have to write about it. They can write about anything, so long as they are writing. I will read the entries each Friday. It'll be a little time consuming, but it's a good way to get the students writing, while also getting to know them better. Plus, bellwork is a good classroom management tool.

Second, I plan on implementing a day dedicated to recreational reading. I think recreational reading is so important. It is what fosters a love for reading. There is so much wonderful young adult literature out there. I'm pretty sure it will be Friday as it's the end of the week, and it will be a nice break for the students (and myself!). However, the entire period won't be dedicated just to reading. We will also do book talks! I love book talks. They're such a fresh idea. So much better than a typical book report. They're active and engaging. So my plan is to start the period with the writing bellwork, move into a couple of book talks, then silent reading, and finally a book response.

Well, the hubby just finished dinner. More on my ideas later :) If you have any ideas to contribute, please feel free!!

Taking Vaca Early

My juniors have decided to take an early vacation. Although summer is still 35 school days away for them, they have apparently decided to check out early. I need some ideas of how to get them back on track. It seems all of my activities are of little interest to them at this point as they have mentally checked out. Any ideas out there?

Lacking Motivation

My freshmen students seem to be lacking motivation when it comes to their weekly writing task. Each Monday, I give the students an optional journal prompt. They are supposed to write me 1-full page by the end of the week. I give them 15 minutes of class time to do this. If they don't like the prompt I give them, they are allowed to write about their weekend or anything else that they would like. It's a great way to get the students writing, and it also gives me a chance to get to know them a little bit better. And to top it off, it's an easy 10 points for them. However, for some reason, each week without fail, I have a handful of students simply not complete their journals. It's so frustrating!

I'm looking for ways to get them motivated to enjoy this writing task more. I read every journal and write comments back to try and engage them. It works for some of them. I've had comments like, "I love when you write back to me!" and "I like reading your comments!". However, it doesn't seem to work for all of them.

One thing that I know I need to change is that I need to write WITH my students. That was a big thing that was stressed in my undergrad classes. It's so important to write with your students because they need to see you doing it, too. Maybe me writing and sharing my writing with the students will be motivation for them to do the same. I'm going to give it a shot. Any other ideas out there?

It's been a long time...

I've been really bad at blogging...as in I haven't written in three weeks bad blogging! It's not that I don't have time to blog (most days) or that I don't want to (most days). It's more that I worry about what I can share and what I can't. Obviously I wouldn't share any real names of students, but I still hesitate to share specific stories and assignments. A lot of it has to do with the teacher that got in trouble for blog bashing her students. Obviously I would never do anything like that, but I still worry about how much is actually okay to share over the internet. Especially when what you put on the internet is available for anyone and everyone to see. Anyway, now that I have explained myself, let's get to what has been going on.

My freshmen just finished up a Greek Mythology unit. I created the entire unit by myself, and I'm actually pretty proud of how it turned out! Of course there are things I will change next time to improve it, but overall, I think it went very well. I heard from numerous students how much they enjoyed it, too. That's the big plus right there. Knowing that the unit actually made a difference for them! I had lots of students do well on the final test, but I also had a handful do pretty poorly. They all wanted a test redo. As a teacher, I don't really believe in test redos (unless, of course, it is due to my teaching that they did poorly on the test). However, I do believe in improving your score and showing me you know the information in another way. Therefore, I created an alternative assignment for them to do which I will average with the test grade, for a new final grade. Some of the students were a little peeved at how much "work" the new assignment was, but I believe they should have to earn their grade, especially being the second time around.

My juniors are just finishing up a unit over The Crucible. Unfortunately, they did not enjoy the play very much. However, I didn't enjoy it the first time I read it either. It took me three or four times to actually enjoy it. So much happens so fast that it's just hard to wrap your head around it. Although you can imagine the looks of horror I would get if I told the students we were reading it three or four times! I have yet to find a way to teach the power of rereading effectively. That's something for me to work on...Anyway, we are watching the film version next week, so I hope they enjoy that, and in turn, better understand the play.

For The Crucible unit, I created a series of assignments to complete during the reading of the play. Meaning the students had almost a month to complete these assignments...three easy, completion graded assignments. However, I had a handful of students turn them in blank. I was very disappointed. And it definitely showed in the test scores who completed the assignments and who didn't.

Anyway, that's just a small overview of what we've been doing in my classroom lately. If you are a teacher and would like to borrow any materials for Greek Mythology or The Crucible, please let me know. I'm always willing to share :) Enjoy your weekend!

Feeling the Pressure

I'm finally starting to feel the pressure of this whole student teaching thing. Up until now, I've had a good hold on things. However, Monday my students turned in their research papers. That leaves me with 75 papers to grade over the weekend. At a pace of 5-6 an hour, it is taking me quite some time. I am getting quicker at it, though.

Not only do my papers leave me with a busy, fun-filled weekend of grading, they also leave me with a messy house and a hamper overflowing with dirty laundry. The papers aren't completely to blame, however. We also had two long, grueling days of parent teacher conferences. We had our regular school day, followed by 4 hours of conferences. That resulted in getting home just in time to go to bed, and do it again the next day.

Conferences were a good experience. It is interesting, though, that the parents that attend are really the ones you don't need to talk to. I think we saw all the parents of our A students, but hardly any of the parents of our struggling students. The parents had no complaints, only good things to say, so that is a plus.

This weekend will be a busy weekend. On top of the research papers, I also have a wedding shower to attend, a concert to attend, and a baby shower to attend. It should be busy, but fun-filled. I'm looking forward to shopping for the baby shower. I love picking out baby clothes, especially for baby girls!

Total Savings for the Year

After my last blog post, I got some giggles and some comments such as "you crazy girl!". But I take those as compliments. Until you try couponing, it probably does seem a little crazy. But once you do it, you'll understand. Getting a good deal at the checkout is a huge adrenaline rush! Getting a product for free? Ammmaaazing feeling!

Since I started taking couponing seriously at the beginning of this year, I've been meaning to track my savings. However, once I get home from the grocery store and finish putting away all of my goodies, I always forget. After the big savings today, though, I was motivated to start tallying. I scrounged up as many crinkled receipts from the bottom of my purse as I could and broke out the calculator.

Minus a few receipts that didn't make it out of the bottomless pit that is my purse, my total savings from coupons so far this year is.........$132.80!

Awesome Target Trip!

I posted yesterday about an awesome deal on Smart Ones at Target, but the deal gets even better! Target is running a special this week that with EVERY 7 frozen food items you purchase, you receive a free $5 giftcard. You don't even have to do separate transactions! It prompts the cashier to scan you a giftcard each time you hit 7 items. The sale includes ANY frozen food items, too. Not just the Smart Ones. So it's a great time to refill your deep freezers!

So here is how this deal worked for me today.

1. Purchase 21 Smart Ones at $1.80 each.
2. Use 2-$5/10 Target coupons.
3. Use 2-$4/10 Manufacturer's coupons.
4. Receive 3 $5 giftcards good toward next purchase.
5. Total paid:  $19.80 or $.94 cents each.

However, if you take in account your $15 of future savings, that makes these puppies a whopping $4.80 or $.23 each!

We also picked up a few other goodies while they had some good sales running.

Our total after the giftcards from the previous purchase was $39.04. That includes:

• Swiffer WetJet Starter Kit--$19.99-$5 coupon=$14.99
• 2 Finish Dishwasher Tabs--On sale for $2.50 each-(2)$1.50 Target coupon-(2)$1 Man. coupon=FREE!!
• 4 ProGlide Razors--$9.99 each-(4)$4 Man. coupons=$5.99 each
• 2 Halls Fruit Breezers Drops--$1.39 each-(2)$.50 Man. coupons=$.89 each
• 4 Penne Pasta--$.87 each-$1 Target coupon=$.62 each
• Kraft Parmesan Cheese--On sale for $2.99-$.50 Target coupon=$2.49
• 2 Diet Dr. Pepper--$1.39 each-$1 Target coupon= $.89 each
• 2 Bertolli Pasta sauce--On sale for $1.79 each-$1 Target coupon-$.75 man. coupon=$.92 each 
• 2 Target brand toothbrushes--$1.29 each-(2)$1 Target coupons=.$29 each

So, overall, the total of our two transactions was $58.84, while our original total would have been around $130!

I recommend heading to Target Coupons to print some of these awesome deals. Remember, Target accepts 1 Target coupon + 1 Manufacturer's coupon per item, so that leads to big, big savings!

One more thing, there is a Target coupon for $5 off any women's denim. Many jeans are being clearanced out right now, so that can lead to free jeans!

Deal Alert!

Smart Ones make great teacher meals. They are tasty, quick, and cheap! Here is a way to make them even more affordable. It is only good at Target as Target allows you to stack one manufacturer's coupon with one Target coupon. Watch closely as your cashier scans your coupons because it doesn't always work.

1. Select Smart Ones are on sale this week at Target for $1.80 each.
2. Go to Target coupons to print a $5 off 10 Target coupon.
3. Stack that with a $4 off 10 coupon found here Smart Ones coupons.
4. Final price should be about .90 cents each depending on which varieties you choose!

Check out one of my favorite websites Totally Target for more great deals! Happy shopping!

Teaching Vocabulary?

During my student teaching I have a lot of freedom. I have to teach certain novels, but other than that, it is pretty much up to me what concepts I teach through the novels. I think learning vocabulary is very important, so I want to include some of it in my lessons. However, as I was planning how to teach it, I thought back to how I was taught it. It wasn't very effective.

It was very traditional. Each week we were given a list of words to learn on Monday, and then we were tested on Friday. So it was essentially a memorization game, not truly learning. Sure I would remember the word for Friday, but after that I would often forget the new words. Why? We were never truly using the word. Yes, we would put them into sentences, but doing that once was easy and didn't make the word concrete in my brain.

So I'm trying to think of a new way to teach my student their vocabulary. The first idea that came to mind was letting the students pick their own vocabulary words for the novel we are reading. Since students are at different levels, different words will be uknown to them. Therefore, I am having them pick 15 words from the novel that are new to them. I'm still having them use the words in a sentence, but I need more than that. That one small step didn't do it for me, so I'm guessing it won't do it for most of them either. What else can I do?

I think that letting them pick the words will make it meaningful, but what else do I do so that they truly learn the word? And how do I test them on their new words when they all have different lists. Any ideas?

60 Second Recap

60 Second Recap is a great resource I have found for teaching any literature. It is a YouTube channel dedicated to producing short, engaging videos about numerous literature titles. It can be found here.

Next week I am starting The Crucible with my junior classes. In addition to an introduction PowerPoint, I will be sharing these short videos to get the students excited about the play and to give them a little background knowledge before beginning. This is an engaging, easy way to get the students prepared to begin a story or play. Here is an example of one of the videos I will be sharing with my students next week...

Facebook for the classroom!

I wanted to create a classroom website where my students could find information regarding class if they are gone from school one day. I also wanted somewhere that students could blog, either personally or as though they are characters for assignments. After exploring many different options to meet those needs, I have decided on Schoology.

Schoology is a social networking site designed for use by educational institutions. It looks almost identical to Facebook, and its features are also very similar to Facebook. I think the students will enjoy this source of online communication as it so closely resembles the medium they are using daily. And I will be honest, I thoroughly enjoy Facebook, too, and I know I will enjoy communicating with my students in this way....only on a safer level.

Schoology verifies each user's email address before they are given access to an account. This way, it can be established that each user is, in fact, a member of an educational institution. In addition, there are extra security features that allow you to set who can see your profile and courses.

These are the potential uses and benefits of Schoology:

• Access to assignments when one is ill or at a school activity
• Access to assignments if they are forgotten at school
• Access to homework help via the teacher or other students
• Access to a calendar to stay updated on due dates and events
• Access to a blog for personal use or educational use
• Personal file storage for assignments and materials

I am going to present this option of communication to my students next week. I'm interested to see how many of them will take advantage of it. I intend on giving a survey regarding their use of it at the end of the school year to see if it is worth repeating. I will also give periodical updates to any new uses or benefits.

First Observation Today!

Today is my first formal observation with my supervisor. I'm honestly not as nervous as I thought I'd be. After a week in the classroom with my freshmen classes, I'm feeling pretty confident. However, I know the day is going to drag on until she arrives at 1:45 this afternoon.

The plan for the day is paraphrasing vs. summarizing. In order to define the two, we are going to do some brainstorming on each one. I found a quote in my planner today that sums up the lesson. "The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas." -Linus Pauling. It also speaks to my teaching philosophy...learning by doing or exploring. I don't want to simply give my students the answer...I want them to discover it on their own.

I want to wish my friend Brittany good luck as she also has a formal observation today. I know she is going to do great!

I also want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day! The hubby and I are going to use the grill we received as a wedding gift for the first time tonight and grill bratwursts. It should be a great dinner as the weather has been beautiful the past couple of days. It's supposed to be almost 70 on Thursday! Early spring?! Yes, please!

First Lesson=Definitely Not My Best

Well, I just finished teaching my first lesson to a class of freshmen. To be completely honest, I feel as though I fell flat on my face. I'm disappointed in myself for not creating a more engaging lesson plan. I was pretty proud of the lesson on paper, but in practice, it just didn't work out. The problem was the students already knew all of the information I was presenting. It ended up being a review for them, but I don't even feel a review was necessary. Since they already knew the information, the lesson went way faster than I had anticipated. Thank goodness my cooperating teacher had something available for them to work on. Not that I didn't have a back up plan. I could have continued with the unit, but then my classes would all end up in different places.

The only positive I'm finding in my lesson is that I remembered to give the students the rationale for the lesson. So hopefully even if the information wasn't new, they understand the importance of why we were going over it.

I'm eager to be able to discuss the lesson with my cooperating teacher. It will be interesting to see what she thought about the lesson. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself. Maybe not. We'll see...

About to dive in...

It's been awhile since I've updated, but there hasn't really been anything new to write about. I've been spending my time in the classroom preparing for when I take over classes...which is this week! I'm very grateful for the free time I've had while I've been observing to prepare for this time. Rather than plan day-to-day, I've been able to get a big jump start on things and get ahead. I'm planned through the month of March for the most part. I hope that I've planned engaging activities for the kiddos that will get them thinking and questioning!

When I take over the freshmen classes this week, I want to get to know them a little bit better before we just dive into things. So, I decided to search out a getting to know you activity. I came across this awesome idea called six word memoirs. Ernest Hemingway was asked to write one. His response? "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." The trick is to choose your words wisely as you are only allowed six...it's a great activity for working on word choice! Plus, the responses really make you think and wonder. I'm having my students also accompany their memoir with a collage of drawings/photos to add to their message.

I've been thinking of what I will have mine be as an example for them...It's so hard to sum up your entire life into six words. Here are a few ideas...

Still learning to live life full
Dreams not yet discovered, hiding somewhere
I found me, not the rest
Learning is love, teaching is sharing

Some of those are kind of personal that I probably won't share with my students. I'll have to keep working on it. However, here is a video with more examples. They're fun to read!

First Full Week Done

The clock is slowly ticking closer and closer to 3:30 when that long desired bell will finally ring. In just a few minutes, I will be finished with my first full week of student teaching. However, I shouldn't really call it student teaching yet. It's more like student observing at this point in time. I help out in the classroom here and there, but ultimately, the lessons are still taught by my cooperating teacher. Many of my friends have already started teaching half or even full days at their placements, and I have to admit, at first I was a bit jealous. I wanted to be teaching, too. My cooperating teacher and I decided to follow the university's recommended schedule, however. Which means, on February 7, I will begin teaching half the day and on March 14, I will begin teaching the full day.

I've come to realize though, that I'm quite lucky. Rather than being overwhelmed and scrambling to get lessons planned, I'm being eased into this process. I've had many opportunities to search out lesson ideas. I've also been given extra time to finish reading the literature for the semester. When it finally comes my time to teach, I will have no reason not be thoroughly prepared. Plus, I'm learning a little patience.

After school, I'm making the short voyage to my hometown to hit HyVee's 8-hour sale. They have SmartOnes on sale 6 for $10. They are my choice teacher lunch, so I gotta stock up! Also, I will be having dinner with my parents. It's always a joy to go home. Despite being an adult and having my own house, going to visit my parents is what always truly feels like "going home."

To all my teacher friends...

I know we all took Teaching in a Digital Environment and got lots of great ideas. Well, today I came across an awesome website that has all of these tools plus many, many more linked in one spot. It's such a great resource! I just wanted to share it with all of you. I hope you all find it useful, and I hope you're all having a great week!


Cool Tools for Schools

First Lessons=Success!

Today I taught my very first lessons for this student teaching experience. My cooperating teacher was gone half the day for meetings, so instead of a substitute teaching, I went ahead with lesson plans. When my teacher returned for the day, she allowed me to finish teaching the rest of the classes. We were able to reflect on my teaching afterward. I had both successes and areas of improvement, but doesn't everyone? The biggest compliment that she gave me is that I appear very poised and confident. This was nice to hear as I don't necessarily feel that way. It's quite intimidating to get in front of a room of 28 high school juniors. Apparently I hide that intimidation well.

An area of improvement for me is to remember to tell the students why they're learning what they are. I can give them all the information in the world, but so what? They need to know and understand why it's important to their learning, otherwise they aren't going to care. My cooperating teacher said it will come with practice, which I understand. From now on, I will make sure to highlight that part of my lesson plan and read it directly out loud. That might seem a little over kill at first, but until I can remember to do it, I think it's the best way.

Spending the day teaching made the day go by extremely faster than the days when I sit and observe. I hope my teacher and I are able to find a way to keep me involved so the days continue to go by quickly. Although I think observation is beneficial, we've already spent nearly 60 hours observing in other classrooms. I'm ready to teach! Eventually when I teach all day everyday, I'm sure I'll regret saying that :)

After an entire day of teaching, my legs are very mad at me. Who knew teaching could be so exhausting?

Double Snow Days?!

...this is like a late Christmas present! I'll take it! Everyone enjoy your snow day tomorrow :)

Do the Snow Day Dance!

What teacher or student doesn't love a snow day?! Everyone wear your PJs inside out, and do your snow day dance! Let's make it happen!

The cutest snow day dance ever...

My Head is Spinning!

Well my second day was much like my first...minus the whole deer part. It was a lot of sitting and observing the classes. Fridays are what my teacher calls "Freedom Fridays" and the kids get to read something of their choice for the entire class period. So in all reality, there really wasn't much to observe. I did get to grade some papers though, and that was a little eye opening to some work that we have to do this semester. I'm excited to get started and see the students' growth.

With it being the weekend, I wanted to spend some time getting ideas for the novels I will be teaching. My head is spinning! There are so many lesson plan ideas out there. It seems impossible to pick and choose what will be best for the classes. I'm a little overwhelmed at the idea of having to put together an entire unit. Until now, we've only had to create and teach single lessons...no big deal. The thought of an entire unit, however, is quite intimidating. Hopefully my cooperating teacher will work with me, and put my fears at ease.

Right now, I'm working on reading George Orwell's 1984. Although not my favorite book, I am finding some lesson plan ideas to make it a bit more interesting. And it is quite fascinating to read something knowing this is how someone a long time ago thought the world would be like today. The scary thing is, with technology the way it is today, not all of his predictions are terribly far off. The internet making suggestions for you based on things you have searched? Yeah, just a little creepy.

Anyway, I should continue reading. Here is a video to the Muse song "Uprising." It pertains to the novel 1984. You'll understand if you've read the novel. If not, it's still a good song :)

A First Day to Remember

Today was a memorable first day. But probably not for the reasons you're thinking. I. Hit. A. Deer. That's right. On my way to school bright and early with my new lunch bag and my teacher bag all packed, Bambi comes out of nowhere and rams right into the side of the car. Tyler's car. I was pretty shaken up. It hit hard. Nevertheless, after waiting on a sheriff to file a report and a tow truck to come get me, I was back on my way to school.

The first day was pretty much as I expected it to be. It was a lot of sitting and observing...which I'm not a big fan of. I'm so ready to actually teach and make the day go by faster! However, I know it's necessary to observe for a little while at least. My cooperating teacher is great. It seems as though she's pretty flexible and willing to accommodate to my wants in the classroom. I think we'll make a great team.

My cooperating teacher also asked if I had a laptop...which I don't. But she thinks it would be helpful to have one. She's going to see if I can check one out from the school, but this really has me eyeballing one of those wonderful MacBooks I've been wanting :) We'll see how that ends up.

Well, I'm actually pretty worn out, so I'm going to leave it short and sweet tonight.

But first, a couple photos of the damage from the deer...ugh.

Tomorrow's the Big Day!

So this is it. Tomorrow is officially my first day! Today was supposed to be, but my cooperating teacher decided to spare me the boredom of an in-service day and suggested I wait and come tomorrow. Nevertheless, we had our student teaching orientation tonight at the university. It was great to see all of my classmates again. And to also know we're all in the same boat. The orientation was a little information overload. There were so many things being thrown at us, but I suppose all of the info is important info.

On another note, a great tragedy occurred today. There was a shooting at one of the local high schools. I ask that everyone keep the students, faculty, and families of Millard South High School in your thoughts and prayers. It is such a terrible thing to happen. I never understand the senselessness of acts like these...I'm not sure anyone does...

Finally, I'd like to set a few goals for my student teaching experience.

• Only take on what I can handle...I struggle at being a people pleaser and always saying 'yes' to everything. Although I want to help out as much as possible, I want to practice saying 'no' when I need to also.
• Maintain a positive attitude no matter how tough things get...this isn't supposed to be easy. If it was easy there wouldn't be a point in having student teachers.
• Consistently reflect on my teaching and experiences...one only improves when one identifies strengths and weaknesses.

With that, I leave you with one of my favorite photos I took this fall. It was taken at Vala's Pumpkin Patch.

First Day Jitters

Tomorrow is the last day of winter vacation. If I didn't say I was a little bummed, I'd be lying. Who doesn't love winter vacation? And with no indication of a snow day in the near future, it looks like Wednesday will be my first day as a student teacher. Again, if I didn't say I had a few first day jitters, I'd be lying. But it's totally normal to have those jitters starting something new, right?

Alright, to catch you up a little, I am a senior studying secondary education with a language arts endorsement. Wednesday begins my 12-weeks journey as a student teacher. I will be with a 7th grade reading and writing teacher and a 9th/11th grade literature teacher. I've never worked with middle school aged students before, so that will be new and interesting. The literature gig should be pretty new to me, also. All of my practicums leading up to this point have been in journalism classes.

May 6th marks the day I've been waiting four long years for...graduation! Don't get me wrong, I'm excited for the student teaching adventures ahead, but what college student doesn't dream of the day they get to walk across that stage and receive their diploma?

This blog will follow my struggles and celebrations as a student teacher. I will also throw in a few posts about being a photography-loving, coupon-crazed newlywed. Before I go, here is a great video to watch. It's very eye-opening, and I plan to keep it in mind while creating lessons for my students this semester. Enjoy!