Crisis...see the light

Alrighty, it has been a bit of time since I have written and I do have quite a lot to talk about. I have recently accepted a position as a Middle School Spanish Teacher in Columbus, Nebraska. I will begin training August 3^rd. This summer is approaching fast, which means that my student teaching is nearing a close. I have learned quite a lot through these last 12 weeks. I have improved on every aspect of teaching and some I have accomplished.

So the last 4 weeks here at the high school have gone very well. I am teaching Spanish 2 and I taught one class of Spanish 3. I have learned everything that these students have learned, but let me tell you it has been a long time. I am reviewing the materials and learning right along with the students. I have enjoyed this level of students a lot and would like to teach at this level also. I have my last observation this Thursday and believe that it will go well.

Last week my CT’s daughter had pink eye and had to stay home 2 days (got it in one and then the other eye) and therefore I was all alone to teach to all the classes. Classes went well and were successful, a big accomplishment for myself. Last Friday we also had a lockdown drill and learned our procedures for our disaster drills. Overall it was a great week and very eye-opening for me.

The only downfall started Friday night. I had a quarter-life crisis and was all out of sorts. The end of school, graduation, the reality of a real job, the reality of paying back my school loans, moving at the end of the summer, and the reality of failure all came down on me that night. I was a mess to say the least and needed to talk it over with someone. I have been successful at my student teaching, but have not done several things: severe discipline issues, setting up the classroom rules and routines, failed at something. I am just worried that I am up on a pedestal for being successful and that one day I will fail and it will be bad.

It has been 2 years since my best friend and I have no longer been friends and do not talk anymore. I am still not for sure on how our friendship fell apart and how we could not fix it. It took me almost 1.5 years to get over this and realize that there was nothing more I could do about it. But in times when I feel really down and want to talk to somebody about crisis things I want a best friend. Ever since that fall out I have not had a best friend. I have a lot of friends, but none that I can tell absolutely anything too and can trust that they will have my back through everything. So I talked it out with my boyfriend, but I don’t like burdening him all the time and just want to talk to other people. All people need at least one best friend. J So I think now is the time for my puppy (pug!! Hint hint). After a lot of tears, Kleenexes, and a long talk with the bf I felt a lot better and realize that I need to organize my events so that they do not collide at one time. Stress building up and collapsing all at once sucks J.

This past weekend my boyfriend’s mom visited and we watched baseball all weekend. It was very windy on Saturday and quite chilly. Now yesterday was nicer out; there was still a breeze, but it must have been warm enough because my face is quite sunburned. Yesterday was a great day. My pololo (boyfriend) pitched for the last inning on Saturday’s 1^st game (2 strikeouts) and then yesterday he pitched a complete game with 17 strikeouts. There were 22 outs in this 7 inning game, because one batter struck out and stole 1^st base (3^rd strike was dropped). Ethan made all but 5 of the outs in the game and did a phenomenal job pitching yesterday. He said he just found his rhythm yesterday and was on a role. His arm is quite sore and he will pitch on Sunday. It is senior night this Thursday (only 2 seniors) and I will be there to watch him get an award. There will be a great surprise for him on Thursday!

I have 1.5 weeks left here and a ½ marathon this weekend. My other knee hurt real bad last night that I could not walk with it bent and needed to sleep with a wrap on it. I am nervous for this weekend and hope that I can be successful. I just need to trust in myself and know that I can succeed. I need to get over this half empty mentality and get my confidence back to where it used to be.

Upcoming events:

½ marathon

Graduation

Summer job

Moving

Chau Chau

Is this real life?

Well it has been a week since I last wrote and I will try to fill you all in on what has been going on.

I started at the high school 3/26/12 and it was quite a change. I was used to planning so much every about every little thing in order to keep those middle schoolers on track, but at the high school it was a big change. I went from having 85 minute planning every other day to 3 hours every other day and 90 minutes on the alternating day. It was quite a switch and I felt like I didn't know what to do with myself. I had a lot of planning time throughout the day where I was able to type up my lesson plans (getting better) and also plan what to do. By the end of the day I was ready to go home at 4:00pm!

Now in all of our teaching classes we are told it is not an 8-4 job, but here I have so much time built in to my day to plan and do anything needed that I am done at 445 at the latest. Also the students are a little less rowdy (still, but less) and are more whipped into shape. I mean it is the high school now and the end of the year, so these kids know what they are doing. Again my teacher is great. She has so much energy and she has a great rapport with the students. It feels almost easier in this classroom to go with the flow of the students, to accept few disruptions in order to engage the students. Overall thus far my experience has been great. I will be getting observed for the second time this Thursday and hope that it goes well. Today was a long break after a holiday weekend and my kids were a bit rowdy, but I made it through. I am getting used to these kids and I hope they are to me also.

Now last weekend I went down to Nebraska to watch some DWU baseball and the man pitch. They had an up and down weekend and came out at .500. The main reason of traveling to Nebraska was for what would happen 4/2. I was asked to come down for an interview for a Middle School Spanish Teacher position. Later on the car ride home I received a phone call with a job offer. I took the whole week and the Easter weekend to think of the offer and to contemplate others that I had been looking into. After going home this Easter weekend and talking with my family, loved ones, and former teachers/colleagues I made a final decision and returned the phone call yesterday morning. I accepted the job position and am currently waiting for a contract and all that it entails. I have had quite a great spring: 2 great CTs for my Student Teaching, being told I was a fluent Spanish speaker by a Native speaker, receiving my desired summer job title (will help me prepare for my real teaching experience) and a job offer that I accepted, oh and finally being told that my man will be traveling with me wherever I decide to go.

I am trying not to move to fast right now for my student teaching is almost complete (3 short weeks left). I am trying to train for a half marathon and holy it has been a MARATHON training. With school and homework it is weird to have it represent what the real world will be like and how I need to learn to manage that. My marathon is in 3 weeks at the end of the month, I will be ending Student Teaching shortly after and then graduating from college. Wow this is all so surreal to me. I am lucky that I have such a great support system from everyone around me: former childhood friends/classmates, teachers, coworkers, family members, significant others, friends and many more. I am just grateful for everything and do not take any of this for granted.

 I just cannot imagine what other type of position I would even desire taking if it weren't for teaching. This is my calling and I hope I can have something to show for it by the time I am seasoned.

Thank you to all those who read this and all those who support me.

Oops...so sorry for the long delay

So, man oh man it has been a long time since I have been on here and I have SOOOO much to write about. I apologize that it has been about a month, but wow o wow I have been busy. The last time that I wrote was around the time that we had a break from school for a snow day.

We had another snow day a day or two later as it snowed like cats and dogs. This snow day resulted in no school for the local technical institute, the local university and all the public/private schools also. During this snow day I did laundry and then had an awesome time sledding. With a few baseball guys and a couple chicas we went out to the baseball fields and went sledding behind a pick-up. We first had to jump the curb and make it through the snow and not get stuck. The parking lot was covered in ice and then topped off with snow. It was a blast going around on some blow up tubes and a little saucer like tube. This day was amazing and later would be very, very interesting .

At the end of this particular day I could not find my wallet. I would be going back to Aberdeen the following day and needed to find my wallet. Now I do not know why, but I had it in my pants pocket and it was now nowhere to be found. Not in my car, not in any clothes, not anywhere around. So my roommate and I decided to go on an adventure and to check out the parking lot again. It was pitch black out and there were just one or two lights in the parking lot which ceased to be snow-covered. With my little neon we had to jump a curve and keep that little javie trucking because it would have gotten stuck if we didn’t floor it. We searched and searched, I had my brights on and everything and out of the blue I was walking around in a circle with the flashlight from my phone and something caught my eye. Near a spot that I fell out of the sled is where I spotted my WALLET. Success. My roommate and I are now going to be detectives, because we are so good.

The middle school experience was great. I learned so much from my teacher and from each of my students. There were students that pushed my buttons, but with determination and perseverance I pushed through it and made it a success. I composed two projects for the students: food diary and a food skit in place of a written exam.  The food diary was not an ICU assignment, but when the grades were entered students completed this assignment because it was affecting their grade. The final assignment that I did with the students was a food skit/fiesta day.

This project was in place of the written end of the chapter exam and excited the students.  I arranged groups of students and made it available to all students even those on IEPs. There was sufficient work time allowed at the end of two class periods and then they were to present the assignment in front of class on our fiesta day. The schedule consisted of the students following commands and practicing Spanish by making the food for our fiesta: salsa, refrescos, quesadillas, setting the table, and creating a chant to do at the end of each presentation. Students were divided up into even groups and completed each task.

Following the stations students were given a final 5 minutes to work with their group members to finalize anything for their skits. After the 5 minutes students presented to the class each skit and we would next move onto the fiesta part of our class. The students were given instructions at each stage throughout the day and there were no disruptions in the two days. The final thing that I did with each class was teach them a dance that I learned while studying abroad. This dance was enjoyed by each student even if they didn’t seem to be having fun. It was so encouraging to see a lesson work perfectly and not a thing went wrong with 160+ students. I had 4 that did not complete the project on the due date (2 were absent) and one group was not ready, but everyone else did it. I even had two groups record their skits and they were quite comical.

So all in all I had a very successful time at the middle school and have just started at the high school. Here we go!

Improvements:

Breaking the plane
Knowledge of Spanish Content

Chau Chau
Kim