Substitute Lesson

I have to admit a few things before I begin:
1). It has been a long time.
2). I am motivated to post for poor reasons, of which I will explain shortly.
3). Despite the fact that I am an inconsistent blogger, I make no formal resolution to to become better, yet I still hope that my friends check in.

In all truthfulness, I am blogging because I was asked to teach a lesson to the women in the ward about journaling. Thinking of my own journal, I thought to check in, only to notice that it had been seven months since my last post...Which, in all honesty, if you review my journal/blogging history you will find is not atypical. How is it that you can be an effective teacher when you yourself have so many faults? Yet, becoming more and more anxious as I become closer and closer to stating I will take blogging more seriously, I just hope that m,aybe it will happen again, but he fear of failure is much more frightening to me than being a hypocrite.

So, a Reader's Digest condensed version of the last few...Ok several...Months. I called my mom to half me plan my wedding. She did. It was beautiful and elegant and by far the most amazing wedding that has ever taken place in Idaho. (Remember, I am only slightly biased). Bill and I took a great honeymoon to Washington, D.C. and frequent our memories there. We would return immediately if finances could allow it. It has been over three months, and the first quarterly report of our marriage has proven successful and happier than we could have imagined. We love being married. It suits us. I completed my first year of teaching, and cried slightly when I said good-bye to my first class of fifth graders. It was a wonderful year, and I am excited to return.

Those are the highlights. More to come.

Why in Sets of Four?

Sure, I like chain mail...

Four jobs I’ve had: (I’ve only had four in my life)
service advisor at a car wash
resident assistant
car detailer
teacher

Four movies I can watch over and over:
Little Women
Monster’s Inc.
Princess Diaries
Glory

Four places I’ve lived:
upstairs bedroom in Meridian, Idaho
downstairs bedroom in same house in Meridian, Idaho
Hayman Hall, Caldwell, Idaho
the “nicest” apartments in Caldwell, Idaho

Four T.V. shows I love:
Gilmore Girls
Good Eats on Food Network
CSI
Dog the Bounty Hunter

Four places I’ve vacationed:
Washington D.C. (soon to return to)
Chicago
British Columbia, Canada
Portland, Oregon

Four of my favorite dishes:
Square white place settings that are on my wedding registry (hee, hee, hee)
my very own homemade shortcake
my mom’s enchiladas that are not at all authentic
authentic tacos

Four sites I visit daily:
Lewis and Clark Elementary, room 138 (hee, hee, hee)
caldwellschools.org
gmail.com
victoriassecret.com

Four places I’d rather be right now:
in my big cozy bed with a down comforter and a fat orange cat to snuggle
anywhere with Bill
in an art museum
somewhere warm and tropical

Four Bloggers I’m tagging:
Bonsai
Hahn
Megan
Audie

Christmas Time is a Jolly Time

Dansko shoes from my wonderful fiance. (I love calling him that). Pearl earrings for which I have been hinting over half the year. Do I need to explain more?

My excitement for my own gifts, was curbed only by the excitement of giving Bill his gifts. A stocking filled with the traditional gifts, things Bill would hardly buy for himself. Athletic pants that I have to hem up. (I guess Bill is not as tall as I seem to think he is). A geology book about Idaho. A logic book just for fun. And...The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

Travel cat made a friend this weekend...his first and only...founded at the Punkoney residence in Idaho Falls. Black and white. Cousin Tinkerbell.

Way, Way Too Long

Well, let me give you a Reader's Digest Condensed Version of what has been happening since I last blogged over the summer.

I have successfully finished my Masters in Education. I did get permission to use various images in my thesis, which only enhanced it to a maximum degree. My thesis is signed off and on its way to be bound into what will make it look like a good sized highschool yearbook.

I have begun working at Lewis and Clark Elementary teaching fifth grade. I love teaching, and although sometimes I feel as though this vocation is a sink or swim kind of work, it is worth every bit of energy I put into it. Spending an extra year to get my Master's degree (specifically in curriculum and instruction) has been immensely helpful, although it did not prepare me for the surges of emotion I was to experience during my first year. Not that I was worried about my own capabilities, I worry about the capabilities of other teachers. Here are two examples.

My first student who moved away was a student who needed to stay in my class, having starting out the year with near expulsion and on probation. He was a low student, on an intense behavior plan, who spent more time taking care of his 5 year old nephew that worrying about his schoolwork. Just when I felt we were beginning to make progress, he moves away, and I am left wondering if another teacher can love Miguel the way I do. Another student left school because of very poor behavior choices--to the extent that L & C could not have him attend. He goes to a special school in our district, and I hope too, that Jason's new teacher loves him like I do. So much work is put forth to bring some students to a level of confidence that can allow them to achieve. Teaching is rewarding, but when you work so hard get bring a student feelings of success, it is hard to see them go, and your mind never really stops wondering about how your "lost" boys are doing.

I was also not prepared for parent teacher phone calls. I was not prepared for what parents were willing to admit to their child's teacher. (It should be required to take a class called Parent/Teacher Communication 101 to become certified). Upon talking with various parents, I frequently hear them tell me things like, "My son has a history of touching others inappropriately," "My son was a drug baby," "We had a major blow-out last night," "I had someone stay over last night," "My son saw his older sister slit her wrists," "Her father walked out last night," "My son only eats once a day when he gets home from school," "Nobody ever gets home for him until after 8pm," etc. Some parents seem to have turned to me as a venting source, or a friend. It is a fine line I have to walk between friendly acquaintance and professionalism to make sure the parent stays on my side, therefore some phone calls take up to 15 or 20 minutes because of the things parents feel the need to share about their children. I was/and am continually taken aback by the things I learn about my students through their parents, and because I these conversations I am reminded of why my classroom must stay a safe and consistently safe place. It is usually the only thing my students can depend on.

On a lighter note, going to school everyday and brining my students an exciting world packed full of learning and investigation has been a moving experience. There is intense work required to meet my high expectations, (as seven of my students noted in the state Direct Writing Assessment) and there have been torpedo fish moments, and moments of extreme laughter and fun, where my students beg to continue a lesson. When time does not allow, saying no to that simple and heartfelt request has been hard, but the key is to retrieve their interest in back to back lessons of various disciplines throughout the day.

I don’t think there could be a better profession for me. They say your first year will make or break you, and show that the majority of teachers leave within the first three to five years. Seeing that I so much look forward to the Monday through Friday days of the week, I might be willing to call teaching my cup of tea…which any of my students could tell you is an idiom.

The Act of Doing Nothing

So people keep asking me, "What are you doing these days sense you've finishced your Masters?" I look at them and relpy, "Huh?" as I am thinking, "Nothing! and I'm not supposed to be doing anything!"

The truth is that I have been helping Bill move to Boise and I have been working on posters for my classroom. I have been swimming and hiking and mountain biking. I have been shopping, cooking, reading novels, drawing and throwing pottery. I have been taking naps, cleaning and petting my Charlie kitty. I have been visiting old and new friends, going to birthday parties, thinking about wedding arrangements, window shopping online, washing my car, tending my potted plants (that continue to get mowed down by Charlie), thinking about new potted plants, watching Food Network and TLC on cable, sleeping in until 7am, writing E-mails, checking blogs, paying bills, budgeting money, tracking mailed packages online, going to the library, visting family, going camping, visting hot springs, sketching, painting, walking, playing tennis, and so on and so on. Basically, I have been doing all the wonderful things I love but have been sparse the last little bit. So, to some of you it may seem that I have been doing nothing, but for someone who dosen't think she could make a vocation out of being a staying at home, I am really, really enjoying doing nothing!

Crunch Time

Have not posted in while. sorry about that. working hard on my thesis. due tomorrow at 12pm. wish me luck. fighting copyright issues so i can add images into lit review. any help welcomed. can't wait until done. hope friends to post chat soon

Continuing...

So, it is the sixth day of the masters last summer. Ahhh... How much I have to do!

My stress comes in spurts. Last night it hit me. I felt like I suddenly had so much to do, and I felt like i was doing a terrible job at it all. So, my inclination was to curl up on the couch and mope. Today will be better.